from Ireland for the island of St. Domingo. An expedition had
proceeded to St. Domingo in 1794, in order to aid the planters
against the persecution of the negro inhabitants, who had imbibed the
doctrines of liberty and equality, propagated at that period. The
distracted state of France afforded the inhabitants no prospect of
relief, and they were therefore desirous of placing themselves under
the protection of Great Britain. Much resistance was experienced from
the negroes, and the English took possession of Port-au-Prince, the
capital of St. Domingo, now the republic of Hayti; but no effectual
steps could be taken for the reduction of the island, as the yellow
fever destroyed the Europeans with frightful rapidity on their
arrival on its fatal coast: the British evacuated the place in 1798.
[Sidenote: 1798]
Towards the end of the year 1798 the regiment proceeded from St.
Domingo to Jamaica, after having suffered severely by disease at the
former island.
[Sidenote: 1801]
On the 21st of October, 1801, the regiment embarked at Jamaica for
England, greatly reduced in numbers from the effects of the climate
of the West Indies.
[Sidenote: 1802]
During the year 1802, the regiment was stationed in South Britain.
[Sidenote: 1803]
On the 25th February, 1803, His Majesty was pleased to appoint
Lieut.-General Francis D'Oyly, from Colonel Commandant of the
Fifteenth foot, to the colonelcy of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, on
the decease of General Edward Maxwell Brown; and on the 9th of March
following General Peter Craig was appointed Colonel of the regiment,
in succession to Lieut.-General D'Oyly, whose decease occurred on the
4th of March, 1803.
In consequence of the renewal of war with France, and the extensive
preparations made in the ports of that country, particularly at
Dunkirk and Boulogne, for carrying into effect the threatened
invasion of Great Britain, the most active measures were adopted by
the British Government to frustrate the designs of the French ruler.
An Act of Parliament was passed in 1803 for raising men for limited
service in Great Britain and Ireland, which was termed the _Army of
Reserve Act_, and the men so raised were formed into additional and
distinct battalions.
The SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, which had embarked for Ireland in the
beginning of 1803, was authorised to receive men raised in Ireland
under the Army of Reserve Act, and a _Second Battalion_ was added to
the establishment on the 9th of July, 1803.
On the 13th of October the first battalion embarked at Dundalk for
Guernsey, where it arrived on the 25th of November following.
[Sidenote: 1804]
About the middle of November, 1804, the regiment was removed from the
island of Guernsey to Portsmouth, where it arrived on the 30th of
November.
[Sidenote: 1805]
On the 25th of March, 1805, the regiment was augmented to an
establishment of 64 serjeants, 22 drummers, and 1200 rank and file.
From Portsmouth the first battalion embarked on the 22nd of April,
1805, for the East Indies, and arrived in the Presidency of Bengal on
the 15th of September of the same year.
[Sidenote: 1807]
In December, 1807, the SIXTY-SEVENTH proceeded from Fort William to
Dinapore, at which station the regiment arrived in March following.
[Sidenote: 1810]
The regiment marched for Benares, in January, 1810, and from thence
to Ghazeepore.
[Sidenote: 1811]
In January, 1811, the regiment again proceeded to Benares, and
returned to Ghazeepore in the month of February of that year.
Lieut.-General Sir William Keppel, G.C.B., Colonel Commandant of the
Sixtieth, was appointed by His Majesty Colonel of the SIXTY-SEVENTH
regiment, on the 7th of February, 1811, on the decease of General
Peter Craig.
[Sidenote: 1813]
The regiment proceeded from Ghazeepore to Cawnpore in January, 1813.
[Sidenote: 1815]
On the 10th of October, 1815, the regiment marched from Cawnpore to
Meerut, where it arrived on the 7th of November.
[Sidenote: 1817]
The first battalion of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment marched from Meerut
on the 15th of October, 1817, on field service, and joined the army
of reserve under the command of Major-General Sir David Ochterlony.
On the 27th of November, the first battalion marched from Rewarree,
with the reserve of the grand army, to Jeypoor, a city which derives
its name from its founder Sevai Jye Singh, a celebrated Hindoo
warrior and statesman.
[Sidenote: 1818]
The battalion marched from Dungurter to Oojein in the middle of
February, where it joined the Bombay division of the army, under
Major-General Sir William Grant Keir, on the 7th of March. It
proceeded from Oojein for Baroda on the 13th of March; and on the 9th
of April following, marched from Baroda to Tankaira, being the first
regiment of His Majesty's army that crossed the Peninsula of India.
It embarked for Bombay, where the battalion arrived on the 23rd of
April.
On the 30th of April, 1818, six companies embarked from Bombay for
the southern Concan,[11] and were present at the siege and surrender
of the strong fortress of _Ryghur_ on the 10th of May following.
This important stronghold is situated upon the Ghauts which bound
the eastern frontier of the Concan, in a line between Poonah and
Bancoote, and was one of the fortresses which the Peishwah, Bajee
Rao, had surrendered on the 8th of May, 1817, as a pledge of his
sincerity. Notwithstanding the stupendous height and extensive area
on the top of the fortress, shells were thrown into every part of it,
and the palace set on fire, which greatly tended to determine the
enemy to surrender. The garrison held out a flag for terms, and after
three days of communication and treaty, Lieut.-Colonel David Prother,
C.B., of the Ninth Native Infantry, was induced to allow the garrison
honorable terms, permitting them to march out with their arms and
private property, on the 10th of May. The wife of His Highness the
late Peishwah was found in the fort on taking possession, and public
property, in specie, to the amount of five lacs.
Lieut.-Colonel Prother stated in Brigade Orders on the 12th of May--
"The surrender of the fortress of Ryghur having closed the
operations, the Commanding Officer has peculiar pleasure in offering
a public acknowledgment to the merits of those by whom this event has
been so much accelerated....
"Although Major Benjafield and the detachment of His Majesty's
SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, did not arrive until nearly the end of the
siege, yet the share taken by them fully deserves the Commanding
Officer's thanks."
The six companies of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment returned to
head-quarters on the 26th of May.
On the 11th of May, four companies embarked from Bombay for
Surat, and were present on the 8th, 18th, 21st, and 28th of June,
when possession was taken of the towns and forts of Nunderbar,
Cokermundaye, Toulodah, and Kopriel.
In the middle of September the first battalion embarked in three
divisions for the Deccan, and arrived at Seroor on the 5th of
October following; on the 30th of October the regiment marched from
Seroor, and arrived at Mallygaum, the head-quarters of the troops in
Candeish, on the 11th of November. Colonel Huskinson,[12] of the
SIXTY-SEVENTH, being the senior officer, assumed the command of the
troops.
His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf
of His Majesty, was pleased, on the 24th of October, 1818, to appoint
Lieut.-Colonel John Frederick Ewart, of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment,
to which he had exchanged from half-pay of the Fifth West India
regiment, on the 5th of February, 1818, a Companion of the most
Honorable Military Order of the Bath.
The force commanded by Colonel S. Huskinson, of which the
SIXTY-SEVENTH formed part, marched on the 25th of November for the
attack of the towns and forts of _Amulneir_ and _Behauderpore_,
which surrendered at discretion on the 30th of November and the 1st
of December, and of which possession was taken, the first place by
the flank companies of the regiment, and the latter by the auxiliary
horse under Captain Swanton.
Colonel Huskinson, commanding the troops at Candeish, in his despatch
to the Resident, the Honorable Mountstuart Elphinstone, dated Camp
before Amulneir, 30th of November, 1818, stated,--
"It gives me the greatest satisfaction to have to announce to you,
for the information of the Most Noble the Governor-General in India,
that the fort of Amulneir surrendered unconditionally to the force
I have the honor to command, about noon this day, where, as soon
after as possible, Brevet Major Owen, of His Majesty's SIXTY-SEVENTH
regiment, by my orders, occupied the whole of the gates and fort with
part of the flank companies of that regiment. This service, I am
happy to say, was effected without firing a shot. May I request your
orders respecting the disposal of Ally Jemadar and his followers, who
are now prisoners in camp."
Here the four companies, which left head-quarters in May, rejoined
the regiment.
Leaving Amulneir on the 4th of December, the SIXTY-SEVENTH proceeded
to Malligaum, where the battalion arrived on the 14th of that month.
[Sidenote: 1819]
The SIXTY-SEVENTH marched for Amulneir, with the force under the
command of Colonel Huskinson, on the 25th of February, 1819. On
the 3rd of March eight companies of the regiment, under Brevet
Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell,[13] proceeded to Asseerghur, and joined
the force under Brigadier-General Doveton, before the fortress
of _Asseerghur_,[14] which, on account of its strength, has been
designated the "Gibraltar of the East."
The fortress of Asseerghur, which had been held by one of Scindiah's
refractory chiefs, is situated on a detached hill between the rivers
Nerbudda and Tapty: it consists of an upper and lower fort; the upper
one is of an irregular form, about 1100 yards from east to west, and
about 600 from north to south; it crowns the top of the hill, which
is about 750 feet in height; a perpendicular precipice from 80 to 120
feet, surmounted with a low wall full of loopholes, surrounds it,
with the exception of one place, which is strongly fortified. Below
are two lines of works, the outer one forming the lower fort, which
rises directly above the Pettah,[15] and the entrance to which is
protected by strong gateways and flanking works. Immense labour and
great skill had been employed to render this naturally strong post
almost impregnable; and at the siege of which the SIXTY-SEVENTH
regiment was present.
The Hyderabad division was encamped at Neembolah, about seven miles
from Asseerghur, and negotiations having failed, about twelve o'clock
on the night of the 17th of March five companies of the Royal Scots
(First regiment of foot) with the flank companies of the Thirtieth,
SIXTY-SEVENTH, and Madras European regiment, five companies of native
infantry, and a detachment of sappers and miners, the whole commanded
by Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser, of the Royal Scots, and a reserve
commanded by Major Dalrymple, of the Thirtieth, assembled at the
camp for the attack of the pettah of Asseer; another party was also
directed to co-operate in this service from Brigadier-General Sir
John Malcolm's division.
The column commenced its march between one and two o'clock, advancing
up the bed of a deep nullah, or small river, nearly dry at the time;
the assaulting party arrived unobserved within five hundred yards
of the pettah, then rushed upon the gate with the greatest ardour
and steadiness, the Royal Scots leading the way. The enemy was
surprised, and, after discharging a few rounds of grape, retired.
The head of the attacking column forced the gate, and proceeding up
the main street, encountered an advanced piquet of the enemy, which
retired to the lower fort, firing occasionally at the head of the
column. Major Charles MacLeod, of the East India Company's service,
Deputy-Quartermaster-General, acted as guide on the occasion; by his
direction the leading files of the Royal Scots pursued the enemy
close under the walls of the fortress, from whence an incessant fire
of artillery and matchlocks was kept up; a few ill-directed rockets
were also discharged.
The leading sections of the Royal Scots, which had pursued the enemy
up the hill, were joined by one or two files of the Thirtieth and
SIXTY-SEVENTH regiments, the whole amounting to about 25 or 30 men.
As soon as the enemy saw the small force before which he had so
precipitately fled, he immediately rallied, and came shouting down
the hill with augmented numbers to attack this small party, but was
repulsed by a spirited charge with the bayonet, which, with a few
rounds of musketry, obliged him to retreat within the works, some of
which were within about fifty yards of this handful of men, leaving
the Chief, who was shot in the _melée_, and several men on the field.
The pettah of Asseerghur was thus captured on the morning of the
18th of March, with trifling loss; but on the evening of the
following day a desperate sally was made by a part of the garrison
on the advanced post of the troops in the pettah, on which occasion
Lieutenant-Colonel Fraser, of the Royal Scots, was unfortunately
killed, while gallantly rallying the party under his command, and
keeping the advance in their position. The enemy was, however,
immediately driven back, and compelled to retire into the fort.
During the progress of constructing new batteries on elevated and
commanding situations, the dragging of ordnance into many of them
was performed by the European soldiers, who literally worked like
horses; during the whole of the time they were annoyed by a constant
fire of matchlocks from the walls of the upper fort (the lower
fort had been taken possession of on the 30th of March, by part of
Brigadier-General Sir John Malcolm's division), but which was too
distant to prevent the execution of this Herculean labour, which was
performed with that ardour and cheerfulness so characteristic of
British soldiers, when necessity demands from them any extraordinary
exertions.
On the 31st of March, part of the Bengal army, consisting of 2200
native troops, with 22 pieces of heavy ordnance, commanded by
Brigadier-General Watson, joined the besieging force; and these
guns were soon placed in battery, and opened on the fort. The storm
of war now raged furiously round Asseerghur, and a breach was soon
effected in the outer wall at the only assailable part of the fort;
at the same time two batteries were directed against the inner wall.
This unremitting fire was continued until the 6th of April, when the
garrison forced the Killedar to sue for terms, namely, "liberty to
preserve their arms, and to depart with their personal property."
These conditions were refused, and hostilities recommenced; the
Killedar, however, accepted the terms offered on the 8th, and agreed
to surrender the fort on the morning of the 9th, when the firing
ceased; but as he stated that he could not answer for the garrison,
the control of which he had lost, preparations were made for renewing
operations in case of refusal.
The garrison surrendered unconditionally on the 9th of April, and
five hundred men of the SIXTY-SEVENTH, under the command of Major
Benjafield, with the 7th Madras light cavalry, and the second
battalion of the 13th Madras native infantry, took possession of the
fortress, on the garrison marching out and laying down their arms on
the public parade.
The following was the return of ordnance, &c. taken in the fortress
of Asseerghur by the troops under the command of Brigadier-General
Doveton. Brass and iron ordnance, 128; about 36,000 stone and iron
shot, of different sizes; two hundredweight of gunpowder; 2000
wall-pieces, of different sizes; and about four hundredweight of
grape-shot.
During the siege the SIXTY-SEVENTH had Lieutenants J. Adair and
John Hannah severely wounded; Lieutenant Adair[16] was twice
severely wounded by matchlock balls in the left arm and right side,
on the 19th of March, in repulsing the sortie of the garrison of
Asseerghur:--one serjeant, one drummer, and eleven rank and file were
wounded.
Major Owen, who commanded the flank companies of His Majesty's
SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, was particularly mentioned in Orders by
Brigadier-General Doveton, who also reported that "the fall of Asseer
leaves to the Brigadier-General only the pleasing task of recording
his sense of the merits and exertions of the officers and troops, and
of bringing them to the notice of superior authority, where they can
alone be fully and properly appreciated.
"To the means placed at the Brigadier-General's disposal, by
the rapid advance of the division under the personal command of
Brigadier-General Sir John Malcolm, K.C.B., as well as of the troops
from the Nerbudda field force and from Saugur, under the personal
command of Brigadier-General Watson, C.B., to the science and
skill of the engineer and artillery branches, and finally to the
distinguished gallantry and persevering exertions of the whole of
the officers and troops whom the Brigadier-General has the honor to
command, are principally to be attributed the fall of so stupendous a
fortress in eleven days from the opening of the trenches....
"He requests also that Lieutenant-Colonels MacDowell, Dewar, Ewart
(Lieut.-Colonel of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment), Greenstreet, and
Pollock, commanding brigades of infantry, will be fully persuaded
of the high estimation in which he holds the eminent services
rendered by them, as well as by the officers and men of their several
brigades"....
Brigadier-General Sir John Malcolm also reported:--
"I have to state my sense of the zeal and activity of my
Aide-de-Camp, Ensign G. Pasley, of His Majesty's Fourteenth foot,
and extra Aide-de-Camp Lieutenant J. Pasley, of His Majesty's
SIXTY-SEVENTH foot."
On the 12th of April, the SIXTY-SEVENTH marched from Asseerghur, and
arrived at Mallygaum on the 26th of the same month.
The decease of Major Nathaniel Benjafield, of the SIXTY-SEVENTH
regiment, occurred on the 2nd of June, 1819.
[Sidenote: 1820]
The regiment proceeded on the 6th of December, 1820, from Mallygaum,
in Candeish, and arrived at Sholapore, in the Deccan, on the 29th of
that month.
[Sidenote: 1823]
Colonel Samuel Huskinson, the Lieut.-Colonel of the SIXTY-SEVENTH
regiment, was promoted on the 19th of July, 1821, to the rank of
Major-General, and on the 10th of January, 1837, was advanced to the
rank of Lieutenant-General.
Marching from Sholapore on the 23rd of April, the regiment arrived at
Poonah on the 10th of May, 1823.
[Sidenote: 1826]
On the 2nd of January, 1826, the first battalion of the SIXTY-SEVENTH
regiment embarked in three divisions at Bombay for Calcutta, and
arrived there on the 2nd of March following. On the 13th of March the
battalion proceeded to Rangoon, and arrived opposite the town on the
27th of the same month. The battalion returned to Calcutta on 5th of
April following.
Major S. B. Taylor, Captain W. Webster, and Lieutenant J. Hassall,
of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, died at Fort William during April and
May of this year.
The SIXTY-SEVENTH embarked for England in the ships Zenobia,
Caroline, and Catherine Stewart Forbes, under the command of Major
Poyntz on the 9th of June, 1826. The head-quarters and second
division arrived at Gravesend on the 28th of November following,
after an absence of twenty-one years in India; the remainder of the
regiment arrived at Gravesend on the 16th of April, 1827.
On the 20th of December, 1826, the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment was
authorised by His Majesty King George IV. to bear on its colours and
appointments, in addition to any other badges or devices heretofore
granted, the figure of the ROYAL TIGER, with the word "INDIA"
superscribed, in commemoration of its services in that part of the
world from the year 1805 to 1826.
The regiment marched from Chatham to Windsor in December, 1826.
In March, 1827, the regiment proceeded from Windsor to Weedon, and in
October the head-quarters were stationed at Bolton, in Lancashire.
[Sidenote: 1828]
Towards the end of July, 1828, the regiment proceeded to Manchester,
and in October it marched to Liverpool.
His Majesty King George the Fourth was pleased to appoint
Major-General John Macdonald, C.B. (Deputy Adjutant-General to the
Forces) to the colonelcy of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, on the 25th
of August, 1828, in succession to General Sir William Keppel, removed
to the Second or Queen's Royal regiment of foot.
[Sidenote: 1829]
The regiment marched from Liverpool to Stockport in January, 1829,
and in May following proceeded to Chester.
Major the Honorable H. R. Molyneux was promoted to the rank of
Lieut.-Colonel in the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, on the 9th of April,
1829, Lieut.-Colonel Nathaniel Burslem having retired from the
service.
[Sidenote: 1830]
On the 18th of May, 1830, the regiment proceeded from Chester to
Liverpool, and embarked for Dublin, from whence it proceeded to
Mullingar.
On the 23rd of December, 1830, the regiment proceeded from Mullingar
to Newry, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel the Honorable Henry
R. Molyneux.
[Sidenote: 1832]
On the 14th of January, 1832, the SIXTY-SEVENTH, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel the Honorable H. R. Molyneux, embarked at Dublin
in the Stentor and Prince Regent transports for Gibraltar, and the
service companies arrived at that fortress on the 25th of February.
The depôt companies of the regiment remained in Ireland.
[Sidenote: 1833]
The service companies embarked in His Majesty's ship Revenge, from
Gibraltar, on the 28th of February, 1833, for the West Indies, and
arrived at Barbadoes on the 29th of March.
[Sidenote: 1834]
[Sidenote: 1836]
In May, 1834, the service companies proceeded to St. Christopher's;
and in May, 1836, were removed to Demerara.
The depôt companies were removed from Cork to Sheerness, in August,
1836, and in September, 1839, proceeded from Gosport to Cork.
[Sidenote: 1837]
The service companies remained at Demerara during the year 1837.
[Sidenote: 1838]
In January, 1838, the service companies proceeded to Berbice, but
returned to Demerara in June following.
[Sidenote: 1839]
The service companies proceeded from Demerara to Barbadoes, in June,
1839.
[Sidenote: 1840]
On the 21st of April, the service companies, consisting of 30
serjeants, 8 drummers, and 449 rank and file, embarked, under the
command of Brevet Major T. C. Harpour, from Barbadoes for North
America, in Her Majesty's ships Sapphire and Athol. The regiment
disembarked at Chambly, in Canada, on the 21st of May.
During the year 1840 the depôt companies were stationed at Buttevant
and Galway.
[Sidenote: 1841]
The service companies proceeded from Chambly to Drummondville, in
May, 1841.
In June, 1841, the depôt companies were removed from Galway to
Templemore.
[Sidenote: 1842]
The head-quarters, under the command of Major E. B. Brooke, marched
from Drummondville on the 19th of May, and arrived at St. Helen's,
Montreal, on the 25th of May, 1842. On the 3rd of November, 1842, the
service companies embarked in the Pestonjee Bomonjee transport at
Quebec, and disembarked at Plymouth on the 15th of December following.
The depôt companies joined the regiment on the 15th of December,
1842, having been removed from Ireland to Plymouth in October.
[Sidenote: 1843]
In May, 1843, the regiment proceeded from Plymouth to Weedon, and in
July marched to Manchester.
[Sidenote: 1844]
Lieutenant-General John Clitherow was appointed by Her Majesty to be
Colonel of the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, on the 15th of January, 1844,
upon Lieutenant-General Sir John Macdonald, G.C.B. (Adjutant-General
to the Forces), being removed to the Forty-second, Royal Highland,
regiment.
In December, 1844, the regiment was removed from Manchester to Dublin.
[Sidenote: 1845]
During the year 1845 the regiment continued to be stationed at Dublin.
[Sidenote: 1846]
In January, 1846, the regiment marched to Limerick, and in May
proceeded to Cork.
At this period the regiment was augmented to twelve companies,
consisting of 67 serjeants, 25 drummers, and 1200 rank and file,
and was subsequently organised into two battalions, preparatory to
embarking on foreign service.