1701, to the throne of that kingdom, and proceeding to England,
was consulted by King William respecting the best mode of
recovering that monarchy from the power of the house of Bourbon.
He accompanied the expedition commanded by the Duke of Ormond, to
Cadiz, in 1702, in the capacity of plenipotentiary from the emperor
of Germany; and he was subsequently employed on a mission to the
court of Portugal. He had the honour of taking a distinguished
part in the capture of Gibraltar in 1704; and the valour, skill,
indefatigable industry, and unshaken resolution, with which he
afterwards defended that fortress, were commended by the historians
of that period. He accompanied the Archduke Charles of Austria in
the expedition against Barcelona in 1705, and was killed at the
head of the storming party at the capture of Fort Montjuich on the
13th August, 1705.
HENRY MARQUIS DE RADA,
_Appointed 1st February, 1694_.
This nobleman was the son of the Marquis de Montpouillan; he
served at the head of the SIXTH foot, under King William, in the
Netherlands, and died of a fever at Bruges, in the beginning of the
campaign of 1695.
VENTRIS COLUMBINE,
_Appointed 23rd June, 1695_.
VENTRIS COLUMBINE served with reputation under the Prince of Orange
in the Netherlands, and was promoted to the commission of major in
the regiment which is now the SIXTH foot. He accompanied the Prince
in the expedition to England in 1688, but the transport in which
he was embarked was captured by the British ship, the Swallow. He
was rewarded with the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment in 1689;
served under King William in Ireland, in 1690; and, in 1691, was
wounded at the storming of Athlone. He subsequently exchanged to
the foot guards; served under King William in the Netherlands, and
while engaged in the memorable siege of the strong fortress of
Namur he was promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment in which
he had formerly served with honour to himself and advantage to
his Majesty's interest. He served at the head of his regiment in
1702, in the expedition to Cadiz, and was engaged in storming the
forts at Vigo; but his decease occurred before he was promoted to a
higher command.
JAMES RIVERS,
_Appointed 2nd November, 1703_.
JAMES RIVERS had the honour of serving under King William in
Ireland and the Netherlands, and his meritorious conduct was
rewarded with the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment which now ranks
as SIXTH foot, with which corps he served in the expedition to
Cadiz, and at the storming of the forts at Vigo. In 1703 Queen Anne
promoted him to the colonelcy of the regiment; but he only enjoyed
that honourable command two years, and died in the winter of 1705-6.
WILLIAM SOUTHWELL,
_Appointed 6th February, 1706_.
This officer entered the army previous to the Revolution in
1688, and rose to the rank of major in the regiment which is
now the SIXTH foot. He served in the expedition to Cadiz and at
the storming of the forts at Vigo, in 1702; and was promoted
to the lieut.-colonelcy in 1703. He commanded the regiment in
the expedition under the Earl of Peterborough, in 1705; and his
distinguished conduct at the siege of Barcelona (as narrated in
the record of the SIXTH foot) was rewarded with the colonelcy of
the regiment. He afterwards served in Catalonia and Valencia; but
retired in 1708. In 1714 he was appointed commandant of the company
of foot-guards armed with battle-axes, and instituted for the guard
of the lord-lieutenant of Ireland.
THOMAS HARRISON,
_Appointed 14th June, 1708_.
THOMAS HARRISON served under King William in the Netherlands, and,
during the war of the Spanish succession, he was adjutant-general
to the British forces in Spain. He was promoted to the rank of
colonel in the army on the 6th of February, 1706, and was rewarded
with the colonelcy of the SIXTH foot in June, 1708. He was sent
to England with the news of the victory at Saragossa in 1710; and
after the peace of Utrecht he was employed on the staff of the army
in South Britain.
ROBERT DORMER,
_Appointed 7th March, 1716_.
After serving many years in the life-guards, and rising to the
rank of lieut.-colonel of the first troop (now first regiment),
Robert Dormer was promoted by King George I. to the colonelcy of
the SIXTH regiment of foot, which he retained four years.
JAMES DORMER,
_Appointed 9th April, 1720_.
JAMES DORMER entered the army in 1701, and while serving under
the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough was promoted to the rank
of colonel in the army in 1707, and to that of brigadier-general
in 1711. After the decease of Lord Mohun, who was killed in a
duel with the Duke of Hamilton, Brigadier-General Dormer was
appointed colonel of his Lordship's regiment of foot. This corps
was, however, disbanded at the peace of Utrecht; and in 1715 he
was commissioned by King George I. to raise, form, and discipline
a regiment of dragoons (now the fourteenth light dragoons); from
which he was removed, in 1720, to the SIXTH foot. In 1727 he was
promoted to the rank of major-general, and in 1735 to that of
lieut.-general. In 1738 he was removed to the first troop of horse
grenadier guards, the command of which troop he retained until his
decease in 1742.
JOHN GUISE,
_Appointed 1st November, 1738_.
JOHN GUISE obtained a practical knowledge of the profession of
arms in the wars of Queen Anne; he served many years in the first
foot guards, and was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of that
regiment in 1736. In 1738 King George II. rewarded him with the
colonelcy of the SIXTH foot. In 1739 he was promoted to the rank
of brigadier-general, in 1742 to that of major-general, in 1745 to
that of lieut.-general, and in 1762 to that of general. He held the
appointment of governor of Berwick several years; and died in June,
1765.
WILLIAM RUFANE,
_Appointed 14th June, 1765_.
WILLIAM RUFANE entered the army in 1721, and served many years
in the twenty-fourth regiment of foot, of which corps he was
appointed major in 1741, and lieut.-colonel in 1751. On the 16th of
January, 1761, he was appointed colonel of the seventy-sixth foot,
then newly raised; and he served under Lieut.-General Hodgson, at
the capture of Belle Isle, and highly distinguished himself. He
also served in the West Indies, and was promoted to the rank of
major-general on the 10th of July, 1762. In 1763 his regiment was
disbanded; and in 1765 King George III. gave him the colonelcy of
the SIXTH foot. He was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general in
May, 1772, and died in February following.
JOHN GORE,
_Appointed 19th February, 1773_.
The early services of this officer were in the third regiment
of Foot Guards, in which corps he was appointed captain and
lieut.-colonel in 1750, first major in 1760, and lieut.-colonel in
1761. In 1762 he was promoted to the rank of major-general; in 1768
he obtained the colonelcy of the sixty-first regiment; in 1772 he
was advanced to the rank of lieut.-general, and in February of the
following year he was removed to the colonelcy of the SIXTH Foot.
He died in November, 1773.
SIR WILLIAM BOOTHBY, BARONET,
_Appointed 18th November, 1773_.
Having entered the army in the reign of King George II., Sir
William Boothby served with reputation several years, and was
promoted on the 19th of March, 1750, to the lieutenant-colonelcy
of the thirtieth foot. In 1760 he succeeded General Watson in the
colonelcy of the sixty-third regiment, was promoted to the rank
of major-general in 1762, was removed to the fiftieth regiment in
1764, and to the SIXTH Foot in 1773; the command of which corps he
retained until his decease on the 15th of April, 1787.
LANCELOT BAUGH,
_Appointed 18th April, 1787_.
This officer served many years in the first foot guards, in which
regiment he was appointed lieutenant and captain in 1747, and
captain and lieut.-colonel in 1758. In 1771 he was promoted to the
rank of colonel, in 1777 to that of major-general, and in 1779
to that of lieut.-general. The colonelcy of the SIXTH Foot was
conferred by King George III. on Lieut.-General Baugh in 1787; and
he retained this appointment until his decease in April, 1792.
SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY, K.B.,
_Appointed 26th April, 1792_.
This distinguished officer commenced his military career as cornet
in the third dragoon guards in 1756; in 1762 he was appointed
captain in the third horse (now sixth dragoon guards), and was
promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment in 1773. Under
his vigilant care and attention to all the duties of commanding
officer, his regiment became distinguished as an efficient cavalry
corps; and he was rewarded with the rank of colonel in the army
in 1780; in the following year he was appointed colonel of the
103d regiment, or King's Irish infantry, which corps was disbanded
at the peace in 1783. In 1787 he was promoted to the rank of
major-general; and in September, 1790, he was appointed colonel of
the sixty-ninth regiment, from which he was removed in 1792 to the
SIXTH foot.
On the breaking out of the war with France in 1793, he was promoted
to the local rank of lieut.-general on the continent, and he held
a command under the Duke of York, in Flanders. In this service he
highly signalized himself, and his conduct was spoken of in the
warmest terms of commendation in his Royal Highness's despatches;
particularly his gallantry at the battle of Cateau on the 26th
of April, 1794, and in the general attack made on the French
posts on the 11th of May following. He also took an active and
distinguished part in conducting the unfortunate retreat through
Holland, and was wounded before Nimeguen on the 27th of October,
1794.
Shortly after his return to England he was sent with an expedition
to the West Indies, to complete the deliverance of the French West
India islands from the power of the republican government, and to
reduce to obedience the insurgents in the islands of St. Vincent
and Grenada. In this service he had distinguished success: he took
Grenada--obtained possession of the settlements of Demarara and
Essequibo--completed the capture of St. Lucia and St. Vincent--and
afterwards reduced the Spanish colony in the island of Trinidad,
and placed it under the dominion of the British crown. In the
mean time he had been appointed to the colonelcy of the Princess
Royal's dragoon guards, and created a Knight of the Bath; and in
November, 1796, he was removed to the command of the Scots Greys.
His distinguished merit was also rewarded with the appointment of
lieut.-governor of the Isle of Wight, and the government of Forts
George and Augustus.
In 1799 he was selected to command the first division of the
Anglo-Russian army destined to attempt the deliverance of Holland
from the power of France; and in effecting a landing on the 27th of
August,--in repulsing the troops assembled to oppose him,--and in
gaining possession of the forts of the Helder, which was followed
by the surrender of the Dutch fleet, he evinced the abilities of a
consummate general and the valour of a hero. He was also successful
in the action of the Zyp on the 10th of September. After the
arrival of the Duke of York he commanded a division under His Royal
Highness with reputation; and in the accounts of the engagements
which followed, his conduct was mentioned in terms of the highest
praise.
After his return from Holland he was appointed to the command of
an expedition sent into the Mediterranean. He captured Malta, and
appeared before Cadiz; but an epidemic disease raging in the city
at the time, the attempt on this fortress was desisted in for
fear of infection. He subsequently directed his course towards
Egypt, with the view of driving the French army from that country;
and while the fleet anchored in the bay of Marmorice, in Asiatic
Turkey, he arranged a plan of co-operation with the Turks. In
February, 1801, he again put to sea, and on the 8th of March he
effected a landing in the bay of Aboukir, and defeated a body of
French troops. On the 13th he drove the French from their position
beyond Mandora Tower, on which occasion he had a horse shot under
him; and on the 19th Fort Aboukir capitulated. On the 21st of
the same month he repulsed a furious attack of the enemy on the
position which he occupied near Alexandria, and during the action
he received a mortal wound which deprived his king and country of
his most valuable services. He appears to have been wounded in
the early part of the day, but continued in the field giving his
orders with that coolness and perspicuity which had ever marked his
character, till after the action was over, when he fainted through
weakness and loss of blood, and died on the 28th of March, 1801.
Thus fell one of the most honourable military men whose lives
have been commemorated in history. His character was held up to
the admiration of the army in general orders, in which it was
observed,--"The illustrious example of their commander cannot
fail to have made an indelible impression on the gallant troops,
at whose head, crowned with victory and glory, he terminated his
honourable career; and His Majesty trusts that a due contemplation
of the talents and virtues, which he uniformly displayed in the
course of his valuable life, will for ever endear the memory of
SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY to the British army. His steady observance of
discipline,--his ever-watchful attention to the health and wants
of his troops,--the persevering and unconquerable spirit which
marked his military career,--the splendour of his actions in the
field,--and the heroism of his death,--are worthy the imitation of
all who desire, like him, a life of honour and a death of glory."
PRINCE WILLIAM FREDERICK OF GLOUCESTER,
_Appointed 4th November, 1795_.
PRINCE WILLIAM FREDERICK, only son of William Henry Duke of
Gloucester, third son of Frederick Prince of Wales, was born
at Rome in 1776. His first commission was that of captain and
lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards, and was dated the 11th
of March, 1789. He held also the rank of colonel in the army. In
March, 1794, he proceeded to Flanders to join his company in the
first battalion first foot guards, and having a letter of service
as colonel on the staff, and to do duty with the army as a general
officer, he was appointed to the command of a brigade of infantry
of the line, under his Royal Highness the Duke of York. In the
general attack of the French positions preparatory to the siege
of Landrecies, he was employed in the column under Sir William
Erskine, and attacked and carried the village of Premont and
the wood on its left, for which he was thanked on the field. In
the following month he was appointed colonel of the hundred and
fifteenth regiment, then first raised; but he continued to serve
with the army commanded by the Duke of York during the remainder of
that campaign.
In February, 1795, his Highness was promoted to the rank of
major-general, and in November following he obtained the colonelcy
of the SIXTH regiment of foot. When the attempt was made in 1799 to
rescue Holland from the power of France, Prince William Frederick
was appointed to the command of a brigade in the Anglo-Russian
army commanded by his Royal Highness the Duke of York. In the
action of the 19th of September he supported the Russians. Having
re-captured the village of Schorel and the wood skirting the
village, he pursued the enemy up the sand-hills, and drove them
back upon Bergen; and when the army fell back he made good his
retreat, bringing off his guns, ammunition, and wounded men in
the face of the enemy. On the 24th of September he relieved the
reserve, occupying the advanced posts on the left; and on the 4th
of October he made a rapid advance to Schermerhorn, and obtained
possession of three of the enemy's guns. On the 6th he fell back
to his former position, and sustained for some time the attack
of a body of the enemy of very superior numbers. When ordered to
withdraw, he effected his retreat without loss. His Highness's
brigade was also engaged on the 10th of October, and remained
in front of the enemy until the army withdrew from Holland. His
gallant conduct was rewarded with the rank of lieut.-general on
the 13th of November, 1799. He was employed as lieut.-general upon
the staff of Great Britain, and had the command of the north-west
district from July, 1803, to May, 1807.
On the decease of his father in 1805 he succeeded to the title of
DUKE OF GLOUCESTER. In May, 1806, he was removed to the colonelcy
of the third foot guards, and was promoted to the rank of general
on the 25th of April, 1808. His Royal Highness was further advanced
to the rank of field-marshal on the 24th of May, 1816. He was
governor of Portsmouth, Knight of the most noble Order of the
Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Military Order of the Bath, and
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order. He was
a munificent patron of many public charities; and his universal
benevolence was the subject of great praise. He died in December,
1834.
SIR GEORGE NUGENT, BARONET, G.C.B.
_Appointed 26th May, 1806_.
London: Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street.
FOOTNOTES:
[40] Copied from the monumental tablets in the cloister and great
church at the Hague, by the Rev. William Stevens, 1838.
[41] This officer's name is frequently spelt BELASYSE.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
the text and consultation of external sources.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example,
foot-guards, foot guards; States-General, States General; scituate;
unoffending; negociations.
Pg 42, Sidenote '707' replaced by '1707'.
Pg 46, 'tête du pont' replaced by 'tête de pont'.
Pg 92, 'on the 22d' replaced by 'on the 22nd'.
Footnote 27, 'Mackartney's, ditto' replaced by 'Macartney's, ditto'.
End of Project Gutenberg's Historical record of the Sixth, by Richard Cannon