Chapter I: Part 1

_and under the Patronage of_

Her Majesty the Queen.

HISTORICAL RECORDS,

_OF THE_

British Army

_Comprising the_

_History of every Regiment_

_IN HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE_.

_By Richard Cannon Esqʳᵉ._

_Adjutant General Office House Guards._

London.

_Printed by Authority._]

GENERAL ORDERS.

_HORSE-GUARDS_,

_1st January, 1836_.

His Majesty has been pleased to command, that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars, viz.,

* * * * *

---- The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations, in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any Achievement it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the Enemy.

* * * * *

---- The Names of the Officers and the number of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the Place and Date of the Action.

---- The Names of those Officers, who, in consideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in engagements with the Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour.

---- The Names of all such Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in Action.

And,

---- The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.

By Command of the Right Honourable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
_Commanding-in-Chief_.

JOHN MACDONALD,
_Adjutant-General_.

PREFACE.

The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour, by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted.

Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable object, than a full display of the noble deeds with which the Military History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in their honourable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication.

The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the "London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery, and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's Approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes.

It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic account of their origin and subsequent services.

This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty having been pleased to command, that every Regiment shall in future keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad.

From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, been undisturbed by the _presence of war_, which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service, and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or no interval of repose.

In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor,--on their sufferings,--and on the sacrifice of valuable life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved.

The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; and their character has been established in Continental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have maintained their advantages against superior numbers.

In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders, ample justice has generally been done to the gallant exertions of the Corps employed; but the details of their services, and of acts of individual bravery, can only be fully given in the Annals of the various Regiments.

These Records are now preparing for publication, under His Majesty's special authority, by Mr. RICHARD CANNON, Principal Clerk of the Adjutant-General's Office; and while the perusal of them cannot fail to be useful and interesting to military men of every rank, it is considered that they will also afford entertainment and information to the general reader, particularly to those who may have served in the Army, or who have relatives in the Service.

There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served, or are serving, in the Army, an _Esprit de Corps_--an attachment to every thing belonging to their Regiment; to such persons a narrative of the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of the great,--the valiant,--the loyal, have always been of paramount interest with a brave and civilized people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes who, in moments of danger and terror, have stood, "firm as the rocks of their native shore"; and when half the World has been arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war,--victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen,--our brothers,--our fellow-citizens in arms,--a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us, will certainly prove acceptable to the public.

Biographical memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished Officers, will be introduced in the Records of their respective Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying the value and importance of its services, will be faithfully set forth.

As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be completed, the Parts may be bound up in numerical succession.

INTRODUCTION

TO

THE INFANTRY.

The natives of Britain have, at all periods, been celebrated for innate courage and unshaken firmness, and the national superiority of the British troops over those of other countries has been evinced in the midst of the most imminent perils. History contains so many proofs of extraordinary acts of bravery, that no doubts can be raised upon the facts which are recorded. It must therefore be admitted, that the distinguishing feature of the British soldier is INTREPIDITY. This quality was evinced by the inhabitants of England when their country was invaded by Julius Cæsar with a Roman army, on which occasion the undaunted Britons rushed into the sea to attack the Roman soldiers as they descended from their ships; and, although their discipline and arms were inferior to those of their adversaries, yet their fierce and dauntless bearing intimidated the flower of the Roman troops, including Cæsar's favourite tenth legion. Their arms consisted of spears, short swords, and other weapons of rude construction. They had chariots, to the axles of which were fastened sharp pieces of iron resembling scythe-blades, and infantry in long chariots resembling waggons, who alighted and fought on foot, and for change of ground, pursuit, or retreat, sprang into the chariot and drove off with the speed of cavalry. These inventions were, however, unavailing against Cæsar's legions: in the course of time a military system, with discipline and subordination, was introduced, and British courage, being thus regulated, was exerted to the greatest advantage; a full development of the national character followed, and it shone forth in all its native brilliancy.

The military force of the Anglo-Saxons consisted principally of infantry: Thanes, and other men of property, however, fought on horseback. The infantry were of two classes, heavy and light. The former carried large shields armed with spikes, long broad swords and spears; and the latter were armed with swords or spears only. They had also men armed with clubs, others with battle-axes and javelins.

The feudal troops established by William the Conqueror, consisted (as already stated in the Introduction to the Cavalry) almost entirely of horse; but when the warlike barons and knights, with their trains of tenants and vassals, took the field, a proportion of men appeared on foot, and, although these were of inferior degree, they proved stout-hearted Britons of stanch fidelity. When stipendiary troops were employed, infantry always constituted a considerable portion of the military force; and this _arme_ has since acquired, in every quarter of the globe, a celebrity never exceeded by the armies of any nation at any period.

The weapons carried by the infantry, during the several reigns succeeding the Conquest, were bows and arrows, half-pikes, lances, halberds, various kinds of battle-axes, swords, and daggers. Armour was worn on the head and body, and in course of time the practice became general for military men to be so completely cased in steel, that it was almost impossible to slay them.

The introduction of the use of gunpowder in the destructive purposes of war, in the early part of the fourteenth century, produced a change in the arms and equipment of the infantry-soldier. Bows and arrows gave place to various kinds of fire-arms, but British archers continued formidable adversaries; and owing to the inconvenient construction and imperfect bore of the fire-arms when first introduced, a body of men, well trained in the use of the bow from their youth, was considered a valuable acquisition to every army, even as late as the sixteenth century.

During a great part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth each company of infantry usually consisted of men armed five different ways; in every hundred men forty were "_men-at-arms_," and sixty "_shot_;" the "men-at-arms" were ten halberdiers, or battle-axe men, and thirty pikemen; and the "shot" were twenty archers, twenty musketeers, and twenty harquebusiers, and each man carried, besides his principal weapon, a sword and dagger.

Companies of infantry varied at this period in numbers from 150 to 300 men; each company had a colour or ensign, and the mode of formation recommended by an English military writer (Sir John Smithe) in 1590, was:--the colour in the centre of the company guarded by the halberdiers; the pikemen in equal proportions, on each flank of the halberdiers; half the musketeers on each flank of the pikes; half the archers on each flank of the musketeers; and the harquebusiers (whose arms were much lighter than the muskets then in use) in equal proportions on each flank of the company for skirmishing.[1] It was customary to unite a number of companies into one body, called a REGIMENT, which frequently amounted to three thousand men; but each company continued to carry a colour. Numerous improvements were eventually introduced in the construction of fire-arms, and, it having been found impossible to make armour proof against the muskets then in use (which carried a very heavy ball) without its being too weighty for the soldier, armour was gradually laid aside by the infantry in the seventeenth century: bows and arrows also fell into disuse, and the infantry were reduced to two classes, viz.: _musketeers_, armed with matchlock muskets, swords, and daggers; and _pikemen_, armed with pikes, from fourteen to eighteen feet long, and swords.

In the early part of the seventeenth century Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, reduced the strength of regiments to 1000 men; he caused the gunpowder, which had heretofore been carried in flasks, or in small wooden bandoleers, each containing a charge, to be made up into cartridges, and carried in pouches; and he formed each regiment into two wings of musketeers, and a centre division of pikemen. He also adopted the practice of forming four regiments into a brigade; and the number of colours was afterwards reduced to three in each regiment. He formed his columns so compactly that his infantry could resist the charge of the celebrated Polish horsemen and Austrian cuirassiers; and his armies became the admiration of other nations His mode of formation was copied by the English, French, and other European states; but, so great was the prejudice in favour of ancient customs, that all his improvements were not adopted until near a century afterwards.

In 1664 King Charles II. raised a corps for sea-service, styled the Admiral's regiment. In 1678 each company of 100 men usually consisted of 30 pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with light firelocks. In this year the king added a company of men armed with hand-grenades to each of the old British regiments, which was designated the "grenadier company." Daggers were so contrived as to fit in the muzzles of the muskets, and bayonets similar to those at present in use were adopted about twenty years afterwards.

An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1635, by order of King James II., to guard the artillery, and was designated the Royal Fusiliers (now 7th Foot). This corps, and the companies of grenadiers, did not carry pikes.

King William III. incorporated the Admiral's regiment in the Second Foot Guards, and raised two Marine regiments for sea-service. During the war in this reign, each company of infantry (excepting the fusiliers and grenadiers) consisted of 14 pikemen and 46 musketeers; the captains carried pikes; lieutenants, partisans; ensigns, half-pikes; and serjeants, halberds. After the peace in 1697 the Marine regiments were disbanded, but were again formed on the breaking out of the war in 1702.[2]

During the reign of Queen Anne the pikes were laid aside, and every infantry soldier was armed with a musket, bayonet, and sword; the grenadiers ceased, about the same period, to carry hand-grenades; and the regiments were directed to lay aside their third colour: the corps of Royal Artillery was first added to the army in this reign.

About the year 1745, the men of the battalion companies of infantry ceased to carry swords; during the reign of George II. light companies were added to infantry regiments; and in 1764 a Board of General Officers recommended that the grenadiers should lay aside their swords, as that weapon had never been used during the seven years' war. Since that period the arms of the infantry soldier have been limited to the musket and bayonet.

The arms and equipment of the British troops have seldom differed materially, since the Conquest, from those of other European states; and in some respects the arming has, at certain periods, been allowed to be inferior to that of the nations with whom they have had to contend; yet, under this disadvantage, the bravery and superiority of the British infantry have been evinced on very many and most trying occasions, and splendid victories have been gained over very superior numbers.

Great Britain has produced a race of lion-like champions who have dared to confront a host of foes, and have proved themselves valiant with any arms. At _Crecy_, King Edward III., at the head of about 30,000 men, defeated, on the 26th of August, 1346, Philip King of France, whose army is said to have amounted to 100,000 men; here British valour encountered veterans of renown:--the King of Bohemia, the King of Majorca, and many princes and nobles were slain, and the French army was routed and cut to pieces. Ten years afterwards, Edward Prince of Wales, who was designated the Black Prince, defeated, at _Poictiers_, with 14,000 men, a French army of 60,000 horse, besides infantry, and took John I., King of France, and his son Philip, prisoners. On the 25th of October, 1415, King Henry V., with an army of about 13,000 men, although greatly exhausted by marches, privations, and sickness, defeated, at _Agincourt_, the Constable of France, at the head of the flower of the French nobility and an army said to amount to 60,000 men, and gained a complete victory.

During the seventy years' war between the United Provinces of the Netherlands and the Spanish monarch, which commenced in 1578 and terminated in 1648, the British infantry in the service of the States General were celebrated for their unconquerable spirit and firmness;[3] and in the thirty years' war between the Protestant Princes and the Emperor of Germany, the British troops in the service of Sweden and other states were celebrated for deeds of heroism.[4] In the wars of Queen Anne, the fame of the British army under the great MARLBOROUGH was spread throughout the world; and if we glance at the achievements performed within the memory of persons now living, there is abundant proof that the Britons of the present age are not inferior to their ancestors in the qualities which constitute good soldiers. Witness the deeds of the brave men, of whom there are many now surviving, who fought in Egypt in 1801, under the brave Abercromby, and compelled the French army, which had been vainly styled _Invincible_, to evacuate that country; also the services of the gallant Troops during the arduous campaigns in the Peninsula, under the immortal WELLINGTON; and the determined stand made by the British Army at Waterloo, where Napoleon Bonaparte, who had long been the inveterate enemy of Great Britain, and had sought and planned her destruction by every means he could devise, was compelled to leave his vanquished legions to their fate, and to place himself at the disposal of the British Government. These achievements, with others of recent dates in the distant climes of India, prove that the same valour and constancy which glowed in the breasts of the heroes of Crecy, Poictiers, Agincourt, Blenheim, and Ramilies, continue to animate the Britons of the nineteenth century.

The British Soldier is distinguished for a robust and muscular frame,--intrepidity which no danger can appal,--unconquerable spirit and resolution,--patience in fatigue and privation, and cheerful obedience to his superiors. These qualities, united with an excellent system of order and discipline to regulate and give a skilful direction to the energies and adventurous spirit of the hero, and a wise selection of officers of superior talent to command, whose presence inspires confidence,--have been the leading causes of the splendid victories gained by the British arms.[5] The fame of the deeds of the past and present generations in the various battle-fields where the robust sons of Albion have fought and conquered, surrounds the British arms with an halo of glory; these achievements will live in the page of history to the end of time.

The records of the several regiments will be found to contain a detail of facts of an interesting character, connected with the hardships, sufferings, and gallant exploits of British soldiers in the various parts of the world where the calls of their Country and the commands of their Sovereign, have required them to proceed in the execution of their duty, whether in active continental operations, or in maintaining colonial territories in distant and unfavourable climes.

The superiority of the British infantry has been pre-eminently set forth in the wars of six centuries, and admitted by the greatest commanders which Europe has produced. The formations and movements of this _arme_, as at present practised, while they are adapted to every species of warfare, and to all probable situations and circumstances of service, are calculated to show forth the brilliancy of military tactics calculated upon mathematical and scientific principles. Although the movements and evolutions have been copied from the continental armies, yet various improvements have from time to time been introduced, to ensure that simplicity and celerity by which the superiority of the national military character is maintained. The rank and influence, which Great Britain has attained among the nations of the world, have in a great measure been purchased by the valour of the Army, and to persons, who have the welfare of their country at heart, the records of the several regiments cannot fail to prove interesting.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A company of 200 men would appear thus:--

20 20 20 30 2⚐0 30 20 20 20
Harque- Arch- Mus- Pikes. Hal- Pikes. Mus- Arch- Harque-
buses. ers. kets. berds. kets. ers. buses.

The musket carried a ball which weighed 1/10 of a pound; and the harquebus a ball which weighed 1/23 of a pound.

[2] The 30th, 31st, and 32nd Regiments were formed as Marine corps in 1702, and were employed as such during the wars in the reign of Queen Anne. The Marine corps were embarked in the Fleet under Admiral Sir George Rooke, and were at the taking of Gibraltar, and in its subsequent defence in 1704; they were afterwards employed at the siege of Barcelona in 1705.

[3] The brave Sir Roger Williams, in his Discourse on War, printed in 1590, observes:--"I persuade myself ten thousand of our nation would beat thirty thousand of theirs (the Spaniards) out of the field, let them be chosen where they list." Yet at this time the Spanish infantry was allowed to be the best disciplined in Europe. For instances of valour displayed by the British Infantry during the Seventy Years' War, see the Historical Record of the Third Foot, or Buffs.

[4] Vide the Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot.

[5] "Under the blessing of Divine Providence, His Majesty ascribes the successes which have attended the exertions of his troops in Egypt, to that determined bravery which is inherent in Britons; but His Majesty desires it may be most solemnly and forcibly impressed on the consideration of every part of the army, that it has been a strict observance of order, discipline, and military system, which has given the full energy to the native valour of the troops, and has enabled them proudly to assert the superiority of the national military character, in situations uncommonly arduous, and under circumstances of peculiar difficulty."--_General Orders in 1801._

In the General Orders issued by Lieut.-General Sir John Hope (afterwards Lord Hopetoun), congratulating the army upon the successful result of the Battle of Corunna, on the 16th of January, 1809, it is stated:--"On no occasion has the undaunted valour of British troops ever been more manifest. At the termination of a severe and harassing march, rendered necessary by the superiority which the enemy had acquired, and which had materially impaired the efficiency of the troops, many disadvantages were to be encountered. These have all been surmounted by the conduct of the troops themselves; and the enemy has been taught, that whatever advantages of position or of numbers he may possess, there is inherent in the British officers and soldiers a bravery that knows not how to yield,--that no circumstances can appal,--and that will ensure victory when it is to be obtained by the exertion of any human means.

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF

THE FIRST,

OR

ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT:

CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF

THE ORIGIN OF THE REGIMENT

IN THE REIGN OF

KING JAMES VI. OF SCOTLAND,

AND

OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES

To 1846.

COMPILED BY

RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON:

PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,

30, CHARING CROSS.

M DCCC XLVII.

LONDON:--PRINTED BY W. CLOWES & SONS, DUKE STREET, STAMFORD STREET,
FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.

THE FIRST,

OR

THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT

Bears on its Colours, as a Regimental Badge,

THE ROYAL CIPHER WITHIN THE CIRCLE OF ST. ANDREW,
SURMOUNTED WITH A CROWN.

In the corners of the second Colour

THE THISTLE AND CROWN,

WITH THE MOTTO

_"NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT":_

ALSO THE

SPHYNX,

AND THE FOLLOWING INSCRIPTIONS:--

"EGMONT-OP-ZEE,"--"ST. LUCIA,"--"EGYPT,"--"CORUNNA,"--"BUSACO,"--
"SALAMANCA,"--"VITTORIA,"--"ST. SEBASTIAN,"--"NIVE,"--"PENINSULA,"--
"NIAGARA,"--"WATERLOO,"--
"NAGPORE,"--"MAHEIDPOOR,"--"AVA."

CONTENTS.

Anno Page

882 Origin of the _Scots Guards_ at the French Court 1

1420 Scots Auxiliaries sent to France 2

1421 Battle of Baugé 3

1422 Scots _Gendarmes_ instituted in France --

---- Capture of Avranches --

1423 Battle of Crevan --

1424 ---- Verneuille --

1440 Scots _Garde du Corps_ instituted in France --

1495 Conquest of Naples 4

1515 Battle of Pavia --

1590 Origin of the _Royal Regiment_ --

1613 _Scots Regiment in the service of Sweden_ 7

1615 Capture of Kexholm, and siege of Plesko --

1620 ---- Riga, Dunamond, and Mittau 8

---- Scots Companies in the service of the King of
Bohemia --

1621} Battles of Prague and Fleurus --
1622}

1625 _Hepburn's Scots Regiment in the Swedish Service_ 9

---- Capture of Selburg, Duneberg, Nidorp, and
Dorpat; and battle of Semigallia --

1626 Relief of Mew --

1627 Capture of Kesmark and Marienberg, and action
at Dirschan 10

1628 Capture of Newburg, Strasberg, Dribentz, Sweitz,
and Massovia --

---- Defence of Stralsund --

1629 Skirmish near Thorn --

1630 Relief of Rugenwald 12

---- Blockade of Colberg 13

1631 Capture of Frankfort on the Oder 14

---- ---- Landsberg 16

1631 Defence of the fortified camp at Werben 17

---- Battle of Leipsic --

---- Capture of Halle, and services in Franconia 21

---- ---- Wurtzburg and Marienberg 22

---- Defence of Oxenford --

---- Capture of Frankfort on the Maine 23

---- ---- Oppenheim and Mentz 24

1632 ---- Donawerth 26

---- Forcing the passage of the Lech 27

---- Capture of Augsburg --

---- Siege of Ingoldstadt --

---- Capture of Landshut and Munich 28

---- Relief of Weissemberg --

---- Defence of Nurenberg --

---- Capture of Rayn and Landsberg 30

---- Relief of Rayn 31

1633 Skirmish near Memmingen 32

---- Capture of Kaufbeuren --

---- Siege of Kempten --

1634 Battle of Nordlingen 33

_Hepburn's Scots Regiment in the French Service_:

---- Siege of La Motte, and relief of Heidelberg 34

1635 _Hepburn's two regiments incorporated_ 35

---- Action near Metz 36

1636 Capture of Saverne --

1638} Siege of St. Omer 38
}
1639} Capture of Renty, Catelet, and Hesdin 39

---- Skirmish near St. Nicholas 40

1643 Battle of Roucroy 41

---- Capture of Thionville and Turin --

1644 Capture of Gravelines 42

1646 ---- Courtray and Dunkirk 43

1648 Battle of Lens --

1649 Siege of Paris 44

1652 Action in the suburbs of Paris 45

---- Skirmish at Villeneuve, St. George's 47

---- Capture of Bar le Duc, and Ligny 48

1653 Capture of Château Portien and Vervins 49

1661 The Regiment proceeds to England 52

1662 Returns to France; Scots Guards incorporated in
the Regiment 53

1666 Proceeds to England, and afterwards to Ireland --

1668 Returns to France 54

1672 Capture of Grave --

1673 ---- Maestricht 55

1674 Skirmishes near Heidelberg --

---- Battle of Molsheim 56

1675 Capture of Dachstein 57

---- Defence of Treves --

1676 Skirmish near Saverne 58

1677 ---- Kochersberg and capture of Fribourg 59

1678 Returns to England 60

---- Grenadier Company added --

1679 Stationed in Ireland --

1680 Four Companies proceed to Tangier 61

---- Action with the Moors --

---- Twelve additional Companies proceed to Tangier 62

---- Actions with the Moors 63

1683 One Company from Tangier to England 67

1684 Fifteen Companies ditto --

---- Five Companies from Ireland to England --

---- Styled "_The Royal Regiment of Foot_" --

---- Reviewed by King Charles II. 68

1685 Battle of Sedgemoor 70

---- Rewards to Wounded Officers and Men 72

---- Reviewed by King James II. 73

1686 Divided into Two Battalions 74

---- 2nd Battalion proceeds to Scotland --

---- 1st " encamps on Hounslow Heath --

1688 1st " ditto 75

---- 2nd " from Scotland to England --

---- The Revolution --

1689 The Regiment mutinies 77

---- 2nd Battalion proceeds to Scotland 79

---- 1st " " the Netherlands --

---- 1st " Battle of Walcourt --

1690 2nd Battalion proceeds from Scotland to Holland 80

1692 Battle of Steenkirk 81

1693 ---- Landen 84

1695 1st Battalion, Siege of Namur 87

1696 Reviewed by King William III. 91

1698 Embarks for Ireland 92

1701 Embarks for Holland 93

1702 Covering the siege of Kayserswerth 94

---- Skirmish near Nimeguen --

---- Covering the sieges of Venloo and Ruremonde 95

---- Capture of Stevenswart and Liege --

1703 ---- Huy and Limburg 97

1704 Battle of Schellenberg 99

---- ---- Blenheim 102

---- Covering the siege of Landau 105

1705 Re-capture of Huy 106

---- Forcing the French lines at Neer-Hespen and
Helixem 107

---- Skirmish near the Dyle 108

1706 Battle of Ramilies 109

---- Covering the sieges of Dendermond, Ostend, and
Menin --

---- Capture of Aeth 110

1707 The regimental badge changed from the _Cross_
to the _Circle of St. Andrew_ --

1708 Battle of Oudenarde 111

---- Covering the siege of Lisle 112

---- Battle of Wynendale 113

---- Forcing the passage of the Scheldt 114

---- Capture of Ghent --

1709 Capture of Tournay 115

---- Battle of Malplaquet 116

---- Covering the siege of Mons 118

1710 ---- Douay and Bethune --

---- Capture of Aire 119

1711 ---- Bouchain --

1712 Covering the siege of Quesnoy 120

1714 Returns to England 121

1715 Proceeds to Ireland 122

1741 2nd Battalion proceeds to the West Indies 123

1742 2nd Battalion proceeds to England 123

1743 " returns to Ireland --

---- 1st Battalion proceeds to Flanders --

1745 " battle of Fontenoy 124

---- " embarks for England 125

---- 2nd Battalion ---- ditto --

---- " marches to Scotland 126

1746 " battle of Falkirk --

---- " ---- Culloden 127

---- 1st Battalion, expedition to L'Orient, &c. 128

1747 " proceeds to Holland 130

---- " relief of Hulst, and defence of
Fort Sandberg --

1748 2nd Battalion proceeds to Holland 131

1749 Both Battalions proceed to Ireland 132

1751 Regulation respecting Colours and Clothing; and
designated "_The First, or Royal Regiment
of Foot_" --

1757 2nd Battalion proceeds to North America 134

1758 " capture of Louisburg --

1759 " ---- Ticonderago, and Crown Point 135

1760 2nd Battalion, expedition against the Cherokees 136

---- " capture of Isle aux Noix, and
Montreal 141

---- 1st Battalion proceeds to Quiberon Bay; returns
to Ireland 142

1761 2nd Battalion, expedition against the Cherokees --

---- " capture of Dominico 144

1762 " capture of Martinico, and the
Havannah --

---- " re-capture of Newfoundland 147

1763 " returns to England 148

1764 " proceeds to Scotland --

1768 1st Battalion ---- Gibraltar --

---- 2nd Battalion returns to England --

1771 " proceeds to Minorca --

1775 Both Battalions return to England --

1780 1st Battalion proceeds to the West Indies 149

1781 1st Battalion, capture of St. Eustatia, St. Martin,
and Saba 149

1782 " defence of St. Christopher --

---- " returns to England 152

1784 2nd Battalion proceeds to Gibraltar 153

---- 1st Battalion ---- Ireland --

1790 " ---- West Indies --

1793 2nd Battalion, defence of Toulon --

1794 " descent on Corsica; capture of
Convention Redoubt, and Calvi 156

---- 1st Battalion proceeds to St. Domingo 159

---- " capture of Fort L'Acal --

---- " attack on Bombarde 160

---- " defence of a Block House --

---- " capture of Port-au-Prince --

---- " defence of Fort Bizzeton 161

1795 " ---- an out-post --

1796 2nd Battalion proceeds to Elba 162

1797 1st Battalion returns to England; proceeds to
Scotland 162

---- 2nd Battalion proceeds to Portugal --

1798 1st Battalion ---- Ireland 163

1799 2nd Battalion returns to England --

---- " expedition to Holland --

---- " action near the Helder --

---- " ---- Shagen 164

---- " battle of Egmont-op-Zee --

---- " returns to England 165

1800 " expedition to Ferrol and Cadiz --

---- 1st Battalion proceeds to Scotland 166

1801 2nd Battalion, expedition to Egypt --

---- " battle of Aboukir --

---- " ---- Alexandria 168

---- " skirmishes at Hamed, El Aft, &c. 170

---- " capture of Cairo, and Alexandria --

---- 1st Battalion returns to England 171

---- " proceeds to the West Indies --

---- " capture of St. Martin, St. Thomas,
St. John, and Santa Cruz 172

1801 2nd Battalion proceeds to Malta 172

1802 " ---- Gibraltar --

1803 " returns to England --

---- " proceeds to the West Indies --

---- " capture of St. Lucia, and Tobago 173

---- 1st Battalion ---- Essequibo, Demerara,
and Berbice 174

1804 _Two additional Battalions embodied_ --

1805 4th Battalion proceeds to Ireland --

---- 3rd Battalion ---- England --

---- 2nd Battalion ---- England 175

1806 4th Battalion ---- England --

1807 2nd Battalion ---- the East Indies --

---- 3rd Battalion ---- Ireland --

---- 4th Battalion ---- Scotland --

1808 " ---- England 176

---- 3rd Battalion, expedition to Spain --

1809 " battle of Corunna 177

---- " embarks for England 178

---- " expedition to Walcheren 179

---- " siege of Flushing --

---- " returns to England 180

1810 1st Battalion, capture of Guadaloupe --

---- 3rd Battalion proceeds to Portugal 181

---- " battle of Busaco --

---- 4th Battalion proceeds to Scotland 182

1811 3rd Battalion, battle of Fuentes d'Onor --

1812 " siege of Ciudad Rodrigo 183

---- Styled, "_First Regiment of Foot, or Royal Scots_" --

---- 3rd Battalion, siege of Badajoz --

---- " skirmish near Torrecille de la Orden 184

---- " battle of Salamanca --

---- " siege of Burgos 185

---- " skirmish near Palencia --

---- 1st Battalion proceeds to Canada 186

1813 " attack on Sackett's Harbour 188

---- " ---- Sodius --

---- " skirmish near Four-mile Creek 189

---- " ---- Cross-roads --

---- " capture of Fort Niagara --

1813 1st Battalion, capture of Black-rock and Buffalo 190

---- 3rd Battalion, skirmish near Osma 192

---- " battle of Vittoria --

---- " capture of St. Sebastian 193

---- " passage of the Bidassoa 195

---- " battles of Nivelle and Nive 196

---- 4th Battalion proceeds to Swedish Pomerania --

1814 1st Battalion, action at Longwood 197

---- " skirmish near Chippewa 198

---- " battle of Lundy's Lane 199

---- " siege of Fort Erie 201

---- " action at Cook's Mills 202

---- 2nd Battalion employed against the Pindarees 203

---- 3rd Battalion, blockade of Bayonne --

---- 4th Battalion, siege of Bergen-op-Zoom --

---- " returns to England 204

---- " proceeds to Canada 205

---- 3rd Battalion, repulsing the sortie from Bayonne --

---- " proceeds to Ireland 206

1815 1st and 4th Battalions return to England 207

---- 3rd Battalion proceeds to Flanders --

---- " battle of Quatre Bras 208

---- " ---- Waterloo 210

---- " advances to Paris 212

---- 4th Battalion proceeds to France --

1816 " _returns to England, and disbanded_ 214

---- 1st Battalion proceeds to Ireland --

1817 _3rd Battalion returns to England, and disbanded_ 215

---- Order respecting inscriptions on the colours --

---- 2nd Battalion, services against the Pindarees 216

---- " battle of Nagpore 217

---- " ---- Maheidpoor 221

1818 " capture of Fort Talnere 223

---- " capture of Forts Gawelghur, and
Narnullah 225

---- " operations against Peishwah Bajee
Rao 226

---- " capture of Forts Unkye, Rajdeir,
Inderye, Trimbuck, and Malleygaum 227

1819 " capture of Asseerghur

1819 2nd Battalion capture of Asseerghur 229

1821 The title of "_First, or Royal Regiment of Foot_"
restored 236

1825 2nd Battalion embarks for Rangoon --

---- " action at Donabew 237

---- " skirmishes at Padoun Mew 240

---- " action at Simbike 244

---- " action near the Irawaddy 246

1826 1st Battalion, Service Companies proceed to the
West Indies 248

---- " Reserve Companies proceed to
Scotland 249

---- 2nd Battalion, action at Melloone 250

---- " ---- Pagahm Mew 251

---- " returns to Madras 252

1831 " embarks for England 254

1832 " proceeds to Scotland 249

---- _The colours of both Battalions assimilated_ --

1833 1st Battalion, Reserve Companies proceed to
Ireland 255

---- 2nd Battalion proceeds to Ireland 256

---- 1st Battalion, Service Companies proceed to Ireland --

1836 2nd Battalion, ---- proceed to Canada --

1837 " Depôt companies proceed to England 257

---- " Service Companies, action at St.
Charles --

---- " ---- action at
Point Olivière 258

---- " ---- action at
St. Eustache 259

1838 1st Battalion proceeds to Scotland 261

1839 " Service Companies embark for
Gibraltar --

1841 " Depôt Companies proceed to Ireland --

1843 2nd Battalion, Service Companies embark for the
West Indies --

---- " Wreck of the Premier Transport,
and return of the head-quarter division
to Quebec --

1844 2nd Battalion, head-quarters, and three Companies
proceed to Nova Scotia, and embark
for the West Indies 261

1846 " Service Companies embark for Scotland,
and joined by Depôt Companies --

---- 1st Battalion, Service Companies embark for the
West Indies 262

---- The conclusion 263

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

1633 Sir John Hepburn 265

1636 James Hepburn 267

1637 Lord James Douglas --

1655 Lord George Douglas 268

1688 Frederick Duke Schomberg --

1691 Sir Robert Douglas 270

1692 Lord George Hamilton 271

1737 Honourable James St. Clair 272

1762 Sir Henry Erskine, Bart. 273

1765 John Marquis of Lorne --

1782 Lord Adam Gordon 274

1801 His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent 275

1820 George Marquis of Huntly 279

1834 Thomas Lord Lynedoch 280

1843 Sir George Murray, G.C.B. 285

1846 Sir James Kempt, G.C.B. 288

PLATES.

Colours of the Regiment, to precede Page 1

Colonel Sir Robert Douglas, at the Battle of Steenkirk,
to face 83

Uniform in 1838, to face 261

To face page 1.]

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF

THE FIRST,

OR

ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT.

[Sidenote: 882]

THE ROYAL REGIMENT of FOOT is the representative of a body of gallant Scots, formerly in the service of the celebrated GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS, King of Sweden; and of another body of Scots, many years in the service of the Kings of France; and it claims an origin anterior to that of any other corps in the British army; but, although a laborious research has been made, and _much_ information procured, yet, owing to the little attention which was paid to the history of military bodies previously to the last century, _all_ the circumstances connected with its origin have not been ascertained. Its first Colonel was SIR JOHN HEPBURN, a distinguished officer, well known in Europe during the early part of the seventeenth century; but it appears to have existed some time as independent companies before it was constituted a regiment. Tradition has connected its early services with the ancient Scots Guards at the French court; and, in order that the claims of the ROYAL REGIMENT to antiquity may be clearly understood, a brief statement of the origin and services of the Scots Guards is introduced into this record.

The Scots have been celebrated for deeds of arms for many centuries, and they have been described by historians as a hardy, valiant, and generous people. Led by a native ardour for military fame, many Scotsmen have quitted their own country, and, like the daring adventurers of the remote ages, they have sought renown in foreign lands, where they have acquired celebrity for martial achievements, long before the practice of forming military bodies into regiments existed. It is recorded in history, that as early as the year 882, Charles III., King of France, had twenty-four armed Scots, in whose fidelity and valour he reposed confidence, to attend his person as a guard.[6]

[Sidenote: 1254]

The life of LOUIS IX. is stated to have been twice preserved,--once in France, and afterwards in Egypt during the Holy War, by his faithful and valiant Scots attendants; and that monarch, after his return from Palestine, in 1254, increased the number of Scots who attended his person to about one hundred, and constituted them a Corps of Guards.[7] The practice of having armed Scots attendants appears to have been continued by the succeeding sovereigns of France, and Charles V. is stated to have placed this corps on a regular establishment.

[Sidenote: 1415]

[Sidenote: 1420]

[Sidenote: 1421]

[Sidenote: 1422]

[Sidenote: 1423]

[Sidenote: 1424]

[Sidenote: 1429]

[Sidenote: 1440]

When King Henry V. of England, after having gained the memorable victory at _Agincourt_, on the 25th of October, 1415, and captured many of the principal towns and castles of France, was acknowledged as heir to the French throne by Charles VI., the Scots Guards appear to have quitted the court, and to have taken part with the Dauphin (afterwards Charles VII.), in his resistance to the new arrangement which deprived him of the succession to the crown. At the same time 7000 men were sent from Scotland, under the command of John Earl of Buchan, to assist the Dauphin, and these auxiliaries having evinced signal gallantry on several occasions, especially at the battle of _Baugé_, on the 22nd March, 1421, when the Duke of Clarence and above a thousand English were killed, King Charles VII. selected from among them one hundred "Men at Arms," and one hundred "Archers," whom he constituted a corps of Guards for the protection of the Royal Person, which corps was subsequently designated the "GENDARMES ECOSSOISES:" at the same time, the Scots Commander, the Earl of Buchan, was appointed Constable of France. The Scots continued with the French army, and signalized themselves at the capture of _Avranches_, in Normandy, in 1422; and at the battle of _Crevan_, in 1423. An additional force of five thousand men was sent from Scotland to France in 1424, and the Scots gave proof of personal bravery at the battle of _Verneuille_, in 1424; and in the attack of an English convoy under Sir John Falstolfe, in 1429; and after these repeated instances of gallantry, Charles VII. selected a number of Scots gentlemen of quality and approved valour, whom he constituted a Guard, to which he gave precedence before all other troops in France, and this guard was designated LE GARDE DU CORPS ECOSSOISES.[8] The Scots GENDARMES, and GARDE DU CORPS, continued to form part of the French military force until about the year 1788; but for more than a hundred years before their dissolution the officers and men were nearly all French.

[Sidenote: 1484]

[Sidenote: 1495]

[Sidenote: 1509]

[Sidenote: 1515]

About the year 1484, another auxiliary force proceeded from Scotland to France; and the Scots in the French service signalized themselves in various parts of Europe, but especially in Italy in the year 1495, and they acquired the principal glory in the conquest of Naples.[9] There were also Scots troops with the French army serving against the Venetians in 1509,[10] and with King Francis I. of France, in Italy, in 1515, in which year the Scots Guards were nearly all killed in defence of the King's person before _Pavia_, where he was taken prisoner.[11] After this fatal battle King Francis is stated to have exclaimed, "We have lost everything but our honour!"

[Sidenote: 1590]

Two historical accounts of the origin and services of the FIRST, OR ROYAL, REGIMENT OF FOOT, have already been printed, in which this corps is stated to be a continuation of the ancient Scots Guards at the French Court but this is an error,--the Scots Guards were Cavalry, and this was always an Infantry corps, and it never sustained any character in the French army, but that of a regiment of the line. The supposition, that this Regiment was formerly the Body Guard of the Scottish kings is also without foundation.

Milan, a military historian of the 18th century, who evinced much zeal and assiduity in tracing the origin of every British corps, designates the ROYAL REGIMENT an "OLD SCOTS CORPS; THE TIME OF ITS RISE UNCERTAIN;" and in the two editions of his succession of Colonels, published in 1742 and 1746, he did not give the date of the appointment of its first Colonel, SIR JOHN HEPBURN; but, in a subsequent edition, he states the 26th of January, 1633, to be the date of this officer's commission, as Colonel of the OLD SCOTS CORPS. This date appears to be correct, as SIR JOHN HEPBURN did not quit Germany until 1632, and no mention of a Scots _Regiment_ in the French service has been met with in any of the military histories, or other French works (of which many volumes have been examined), previously to 1633. This corps must, however, have existed some time as _independent companies_, previously to its being constituted a regiment, as Père Daniel, in his history of the French army,[12] states, that this regiment, which he designates "LE REGIMENT DE DOUGLAS," was sent from Scotland to France in the reign of James VI. (James I. of England), and this monarch commenced his reign in 1567, when he was only a child, and died in 1625; hence it is evident that it had been in France some years before its formation into a regiment, under the command of SIR JOHN HEPBURN, took place. Père Daniel also alludes to this corps, in connexion with Henry IV. of France, and thus associates its services with the wars between that monarch and the Leaguers, which fixes the date of its arrival in France about the second year of his reign, viz. 1590. Francis Grose, the author of the British Military Antiquities, does not profess to be in possession of any information respecting the ROYAL REGIMENT, beyond what he obtained from Père Daniel; and the French historians of the seventeenth century introduce the regiment into their works abruptly, without saying a word about its origin. Thus, the only intelligence extant relating to the origin of this distinguished corps, and which is corroborated by collateral evidence, amounts to this:--"A BODY OF SCOTTISH INFANTRY PROCEEDED FROM SCOTLAND TO FRANCE IN THE REIGN OF JAMES VI., TO ASSIST HENRY IV. IN HIS WARS WITH THE LEAGUERS; AND WAS CONSTITUTED IN JANUARY, 1633, A REGIMENT, WHICH IS NOW THE FIRST, OR ROYAL, REGIMENT OF FOOT IN THE BRITISH LINE." The companies which proceeded to France were probably raised and commanded by men who had served in the Scots Guards at the French Court, which might give rise to the tradition of the ROYAL REGIMENT being connected with that corps; and, as the Scots Guards have ceased to exist, the ROYALS may be considered as the representative of that ancient body.

[Sidenote: 1591]

[Sidenote: 1595]

The occasion of these Scots companies being raised and sent to France in the reign of James VI., was the succession of Henry of Navarre, a Protestant prince, to the throne of France, in 1589, by the title of Henry IV., when a sanguinary war commenced between him and the combined Roman Catholic princes and nobles, called the Leaguers, who opposed his accession to the throne with all their power and influence. Queen Elizabeth furnished the French monarch with auxiliary English forces; the King of Scotland permitted his subjects to aid the Protestant cause, and several companies of Scottish foot were raised and sent to France. The British troops highly distinguished themselves under the Lord Willoughby, Sir John Norris, Sir Roger Williams, and other commanders. The English afterwards quitted France, but Henry IV., having discovered the value of these companies of hardy and valiant Scots, retained them in his service.

[Sidenote: 1609]

[Sidenote: 1610]

In 1609, and the early part of 1610, Henry IV. made preparations for engaging in a war with the House of Austria; but he was murdered in the streets of Paris on the 14th of May, 1610; and, after his death, his son, Louis XIII., being a minor, the preparations for war were discontinued, and part of the army was disbanded.

Leaving the Scots companies in France, where they appear to have been employed in garrison duty for many years, the Record commences the narrative of the services of another body of Scots, under the King of Sweden, of which the ROYAL REGIMENT is also the representative.

[Sidenote: 1611]

[Sidenote: 1613]

GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS, _King of Sweden_, who was designated "_the lion of the north_," succeeded to the throne in 1611, and he soon began to take an important part in the affairs of Europe. Having heard of the valour of the Scots, he procured, in 1613, a number of companies from Scotland and from the Netherlands,[13] and formed two Scots regiments. He also hired fifteen ships from the Scots nation, which took the town and district of Drontheim, and sailed afterwards to the southernmost shores of Sweden.[14]

[Sidenote: 1615]

[Sidenote: 1616]

A peace was soon afterwards concluded between Sweden and Denmark; but Gustavus retained his Scots veterans in his service; and in 1615 he commenced a war with Russia. He soon rendered himself master of the province of Ingria,--took by storm the strong fort of _Kexholm_, and besieged _Plesko_; but he was induced to desist from further enterprises by the pacific interposition of King James I. of England, and a cessation of hostilities took place.

[Sidenote: 1617]

[Sidenote: 1619]

The Scots in the service of Gustavus were, however, allowed but a short period of repose before they were again called upon to take the field. In 1617 Gustavus invaded Poland; and his troops were engaged in various actions until 1619, when a truce was agreed upon by the contending powers.

[Sidenote: 1620]

[Sidenote: 1621]

In 1620 the King of Sweden renewed the war; and the Scots, under Colonels Ruthven and Seaton, distinguished themselves at the siege and capture of _Riga_, the capital city of Livonia. The towns of _Dunamond_ and _Mittau_ were also captured soon afterwards; and these successes were followed by another truce.

Meanwhile events had transpired which gave rise to the formation of another body of Scots, with whose services the ROYAL Regiment is also connected. The Protestants of Bohemia having revolted from the dominion of Austria, elected to the throne the Count Palatine, who was assisted by an English regiment under Sir Horace Hore; and had also in his service a regiment of English and Scots, under Colonel GRAY; and one of the Scots companies was commanded by JOHN HEPBURN, who was the first Colonel of the ROYAL Regiment. GRAY'S regiment was employed in 1620 to guard the King of Bohemia's person; but after the loss of the battle of _Prague_ in 1621, His Majesty fled to Holland. GRAY'S regiment formed part of the force rallied by the Earl of Mansfield; after many enterprises, it retreated to the Palatinate, and was employed in Alsace and Germany.

[Sidenote: 1622]

[Sidenote: 1625]

After the Princes of the Union had made peace with the Emperor, it retreated through Alsace and Lorraine, and along the borders of France to the Netherlands, and was engaged with a Spanish force near _Fleurus_ (30th August, 1622), when Sir James Ramsay and Captains HEPBURN and Hume evinced signal gallantry. The army afterwards proceeded to Holland, and was disbanded; when HEPBURN and his company entered the service of the King of Sweden. About the year 1625, Gustavus Adolphus appointed JOHN HEPBURN Colonel of a Scots regiment, of which the ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT is the representative.

The King of Sweden renewed hostilities with Poland in 1625, and conquered _Selburg_, _Duneberg_, _Nidorp_, and _Dorpat_; and defeated the Polish army on the plains of _Semigallia_.

[Sidenote: 1626]

During the succeeding year he captured several places belonging to the Elector of Brandenburg; and in a short time afterwards gained possession of Polish Prussia.

Historians have omitted to state the part which the Scots regiments took in these services; but it is recorded that at the relief of _Mew_, a town near the conflux of the river Versa into the Vistula, COLONEL JOHN HEPBURN'S Scots soldiers highly distinguished themselves. These veterans being sent upon a desperate service, climbed a steep and difficult eminence with surprising alacrity to attack the Poles.

"When Thurn and Hepburn had gained the summit, which lay near the banks of the Vistula, they found the Polish soldiers entrenching themselves, and fell on them with incredible fury. But as the Poles poured in fresh troops every moment, the fight was maintained for two hours with surprising obstinacy. During this interval Gustavus threw a supply of men and ammunition into the town. And here, once more, it appeared that infantry were able to resist an equal or superior body of cavalry, for the fire of Thurn's soldiers was irresistible, and the pikemen stood immovable, like a wall of brass."[15] The Poles, dismayed at the desperate resolution of their opponents, raised the siege, and Gustavus entered the town on the same evening.

[Sidenote: 1627]

The King of Sweden made his appearance in Prussia in 1627, at the head of a brave and well-appointed army, of which COLONEL HEPBURN'S regiment formed a part; he took _Kesmark_ by assault, and defeated, on the same day, a division of Polish troops marching to its relief. He afterwards besieged and captured _Marienberg_; and defeated the Poles at _Dirschan_.