Chapter I: Part 1

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

A superscript is denoted by ^x, for example S^t (Street).

Some minor changes are noted at the end of the book.

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF

THE FORTY-SIXTH,

OR

THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE,

REGIMENT OF FOOT:

CONTAINING

AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1741
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1851.

COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON:
PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
30, CHARING CROSS.

M DCCC LI.

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

GENERAL ORDERS.

_HORSE-GUARDS_,
_1st January, 1836._

His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the 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 Honorable
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 honorable 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 everything 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 bandoliers, 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 1685, 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 monarchy, 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 a 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 insure 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
Harquebuses. Muskets. Halberds. Muskets. Harquebuses.
Archers. Pikes. Pikes. Archers.

The musket carried a ball which weighed 1/10th of a pound; and the harquebus a ball which weighed 1/25th 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."

THE FORTY-SIXTH,

OR

THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT,

BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR AND APPOINTMENTS

THE WORD "DOMINICA,"

AS A DISTINGUISHING MARK

OF THE GOOD CONDUCT AND EXEMPLARY VALOUR

DISPLAYED BY THE REGIMENT

IN THE DEFENCE OF

THE ISLAND OF DOMINICA,

AGAINST A VERY SUPERIOR FRENCH FORCE,

ON THE 22nd OF FEBRUARY, 1805.

THE

FORTY-SIXTH,

OR,

THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT,

ORIGINALLY

THE FIFTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.

CONTENTS

OF THE

HISTORICAL RECORD.

Year Page

1739 Introduction 1

---- War declared against Spain -

1741 Formation of the regiment -

---- Colonel John Price appointed to the colonelcy. -

---- Numbered the 57th regiment -

1742 Stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, proceeded to
Berwick, and thence to Scotland 3

1743 Appointment of Colonel Hon. Thomas Murray
to the colonelcy in succession to Colonel
Price, removed to the 14th foot -

1744 War declared between Great Britain and France -

1745 Battle of Fontenoy -

---- Prince Charles Edward, the eldest son of the
Pretender, landed in the Highlands of Scotland 4

1745 The King's forces, under Lieut.-General Sir
John Cope, assembled at Stirling, and advanced
to Inverness 4

---- The rebel forces, under Prince Charles, proceeded
to Perth and Dundee, and thence to Edinburgh,
which surrendered to him 5

---- The Prince, James Francis Edward, proclaimed
at the High Cross, Edinburgh, as King of
Great Britain and Ireland -

---- The Royal forces marched from Inverness to
Aberdeen, embarked for Dunbar, advanced
towards Edinburgh, and encamped near
_Preston-Pans_ -

---- Regiments which composed the Royal Army 6

---- Defeat of the Royal forces by the Highland
Insurgents -

---- Loss sustained by the Royal forces, including the
57th regiment, in killed, wounded, and prisoners 7

---- The Duke of Cumberland returned from the
continent, and assumed the command of the
Royal army -

---- The Prince Charles captured Carlisle, and proceeded
as far as Derby, from whence he afterwards
retreated to Scotland -

---- The Duke of Cumberland, after capturing the
rebel garrison of Carlisle, returned to
London, leaving the command of the army to
Lieut.-General Hawley -

1746 The Prince Charles invested Stirling, and
Lieut.-General Hawley marched to its relief -

---- Action at Falkirk -

---- The Duke of Cumberland resumed the command
of the army, and entered Stirling -

1746 The Duke of Cumberland obtained a complete
victory over the Rebel forces at _Culloden_, four
miles from Inverness 8

---- The 57th regiment marched from Berwick towards
London -

---- Strength of the Royal army at the battle of
Culloden -

1747 The rebellion suppressed, and the Prince Charles
escaped to France 9

---- The 57th regiment embarked for Jersey -

---- Several regiments, which had been brought from
the continent to aid in suppressing the rebellion,
returned to Flanders -

---- The Duke of Cumberland returned to Flanders
and engaged the French at Laffeld, or Val -

1748 The Allies took the field in the summer, but
hostilities were terminated by the treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle, in October -

---- Disbandment of the 43rd regiment, and of ten
marine regiments, from the 44th to the 53rd
regiment 10

---- The numerical title of the 57th regiment changed
to the FORTY-SIXTH regiment --

1749 The FORTY-SIXTH regiment proceeded to Ireland --

1751 Royal Warrant of 1st July issued for regulating
the clothing, standards, and colours, and the
numerical titles and rank of regiments --

1756 Capture of the Island of Minorca by the French 11

---- War declared against France --

1757 The FORTY-SIXTH regiment embarked from Cork
for Nova Scotia --

1758 Expedition under Major-General James Abercromby
against Ticonderoga --

---- Brigadier-General the Viscount Howe (55th Regiment)
killed at Ticonderoga --

1758 Attack on Fort Ticonderoga abandoned 12

---- Loss of officers sustained by the FORTY-SIXTH
regiment --

1759 Plan of the campaign in Canada 13

---- Brigadier-General Prideaux (55th regiment)
killed at Fort Niagara --

---- Capture of Fort Niagara 15

---- Operations of the troops under Lieut.-General
Amherst and Major-General Wolfe --

---- Siege of Ticonderoga --

---- Occupation of Crown Point --

---- Battle on the Heights of Abraham; death of
Major-Gen. Wolfe; and capture of Quebec --

1760 The French attempted to regain Quebec, and the
battle of Sillery was fought 16

---- Surrender of Fort Levi on L'Isle Royale --

---- Attack and surrender of the garrison of Montreal 17

---- The conquest of Canada completed --

1761 The regiment embarked for Barbadoes --

1762 Proceeded with an armament against the Island
of Martinique, which surrendered to the
British Crown --

---- The surrender of Grenada, St. Lucia, and St.
Vincent 18

---- War declared against Spain --

---- The regiment joined the armament against the
Havannah --

---- Capture of the Moro Fort, and town of Havannah 19

---- Negotiations for peace signed at Fontainebleau --

1763 The Treaty of Fontainebleau concluded at Paris,
and peace proclaimed in London --

---- Conditions of the treaty of peace between Great
Britain, France, and Spain --

---- The regiment returned to North America --

1764 Colonel Hon. William Howe appointed to the
colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General
Hon. Thomas Murray, deceased 20

1767 Regiment returned from North America and
stationed in Ireland --

---- Disputes arose between the colonists of North
America and the British Government --

1775 Hostilities commenced with the colonists in North
America by the action at Lexington --

---- Appointment of Colonel Hon. John Vaughan to
the colonelcy in succession to Major-General
Hon. William Howe --

---- The battle of Bunker's Hill --

1776 The regiment embarked from Ireland for North
America 21

---- Joined the expedition against Charleston --

---- Proceeded to Staten Island --

---- The declaration of Independence by the American
Congress --

---- The regiment landed on Long Island --

---- Action at Brooklyn 22

---- The reduction of Long Island accomplished --

---- The capture of New York took place --

---- Action at White Plains --

---- The reduction of Fort Washington --

---- The regiment occupied winter-quarters at Amboy --

1777 Proceeded with a body of troops from New
York, and destroyed magazines, barracks, &c.,
at Peek's Hill, and returned to New York 23

---- Joined an expedition against the city of Philadelphia --

---- Battle at Brandywine --

---- The American troops, under General Wayne
surprised by the British, under Major-Gen.
Grey 24

1777 The FORTY-SIXTH regiment gained the distinction
of wearing _Red Feathers_ for its conduct in
this action 24

---- The British army took possession of Philadelphia,
and occupied a position at Germantown 25

---- Action at Germantown --

1778 General Hon. Sir William Howe returned to
England, and General Sir Henry Clinton assumed
the command of the army --

---- Action at Monmouth Court-House --

---- The British army marched from Philadelphia to
New York, the King of France having engaged
to aid the Americans --

---- A powerful French armament arrived off the
Port of New York and proceeded against
Rhode Island --

---- Expedition against Bedford, on the Accushnet
river, and against Martha's Vineyard 26

---- Returned to New York --

---- Proceeded with other regiments to the West Indies --

---- Attack upon the island of St. Lucia 27

---- Repelled several attacks made by the French --

---- The flank companies of the FORTY-SIXTH regiment
distinguished themselves at La Vigie,
and received the thanks of Major-General
James Grant commanding the troops 28

---- Surrender of the Island of St. Lucia to the
British troops --

1779 The courts of Spain and Holland joined in hostilities
against Great Britain --

1782 The regiment returned to England 29

---- County titles conferred upon the regiments of
Infantry, and the FORTY-SIXTH directed to
assume the designation of _South Devonshire_
regiment --

1782 Treaty of peace signed at Paris between Great
Britain and the United States of America 29

1783 Treaties of peace between England, France,
Spain, and Holland --

1784 The regiment proceeded from Plymouth to
Ireland 30

1792 Embarked for Gibraltar --

1794 Proceeded from Gibraltar to the West Indies --

1795 Engaged in suppressing the insurrection of the
Caribs in the Island of St. Vincent --

---- Actions at Dorsetshire Hill 32

---- Loss sustained by the regiment --

---- Assault and capture of the post of the Caribs on
the Vigie 33

---- Major-General James Henry Craig appointed to
the colonelcy of the regiment in succession to
Lieut.-General Hon. Sir John Vaughan, K.B.
deceased --

---- Reinforcements arrived from England in order
to assist in the suppression of the Caribs --

1796 Further reinforcements arrived under Lieut.-General
Sir Ralph Abercromby, K.B. --

---- After a conflict of some hours the Caribs surrendered
prisoners of war 34

---- Several hundreds of Caribs escaped to the woods,
but were afterwards forced to submit, and
were removed from St. Vincent --

---- The FORTY-SIXTH regiment having sustained
considerable loss by their numerous engagements
with the Caribs, returned to England --

1799 The regiment embarked for Ireland --

1802 Treaty of peace with France concluded at Amiens --

1803 War renewed with France --

1804 Appointment of Lieut.-General John White
to the colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General
Sir James Henry Craig 35

1804 Embarked from Cork for the West Indies, and
proceeded to Dominica 35

1805 Defence of Dominica against an attack of a numerous
French force --

---- Official Reports from Lieut.-General Sir William
Myers, and Brigadier-General George Prevost
of the conduct of the troops engaged in the
defence of Dominica --

---- The Royal authority granted for the FORTY-SIXTH
regiment to bear the word "_Dominica_"
on the regimental colour and appointments. 44

1806 Detachments embarked for the capture of two
French vessels 45

---- The officers and men received the thanks of the
Commander of the Forces in the West Indies,
and of the Major-General commanding in the
Island of Dominica --

1809 Capture of the French island of Martinique 46

1810 Capture of the French island of Guadaloupe --

1811 The regiment returned to England and marched
into Devonshire 47

1812 The regiment proceeded from Plymouth to Jersey 48

1813 Embarked from Jersey for Portsmouth, and proceeded
to the Isle of Wight --

---- Embarked for New South Wales 49

1814 Arrived at New South Wales, and inspected by
Major-General Macquarie --

1815 Certain non-commissioned officers and privates
received pecuniary rewards for having suppressed
gangs of bushrangers 50

1816 Appointment of Lieut.-General Henry Wynyard
to the colonelcy in succession to General
Whyte, deceased --

---- Detachments employed against the hostile black
natives, and received an expression of thanks
for their conduct on this duty 51

1817 Embarked at Sydney Cove for Madras 52

1818 Arrived at Vellore, and proceeded thence to
Fort St. George --

---- Received the approbation of the Commanding
Officer of the Troops at Vellore for its interior
arrangement and discipline --

1820 Marched to Bellary, and thence to the Mahratta
country 53

1824 Engaged in suppressing an insurrection at the
Fort of Kittoor --

---- Inspected by Major-General Hall commanding
at Bellary, and received his approbation for
its very efficient state 54

1825 Proceeded to Cannanore 55

1826 Marched from Cannanore to Secunderabad 56

1829 Reduction of the Establishment --

1832 Proceeded to Masulipatam, and received orders
to prepare for embarkation for England 57

1833 Received the approbation of its conduct during
the period of its service in India, from the
Right Hon. the Governor in Council --

---- Embarked at Madras, arrived at Margate, and
marched to Canterbury 58

---- Received official intimation respecting the continuance
of the use of the _Red ball tuft_ by the
Light Company for its gallant conduct in the
surprise of Gen. Wayne in America in 1777 59

1834 Embarked for Ireland --

1837 Formed into six service, and four depôt companies;
the service companies embarked for Gibraltar 60

1838 Appointment of Lieut.-General Sir John Keane,
K.C.B., to the colonelcy, in succession to General
Wynyard, deceased --

---- Depôt companies embarked from Ireland for
Plymouth --

1839 Appointment of Lieut.-General John Ross to the
colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General Sir
John Keane 60

---- Depôt companies embarked at Plymouth for
Jersey --

1841 Depôt companies proceeded to Ireland --

1842 Service companies embarked at Gibraltar for
Barbadoes --

1843 Appointment of General the Earl of Stair to
the colonelcy in succession to Lieut.-General
Ross, deceased 61

1845 The service companies collected at Barbadoes,
and embarked for Nova Scotia --

---- Embarked for Canada --

1847 Proceeded from Quebec to Nova Scotia 62

1848 Embarked for England --

---- Arrived at Dover, and joined by the depôt
companies from Guernsey --

1850 Proceeded from Liverpool to Hull --

1851 The Conclusion 63

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

OF

THE FORTY-SIXTH,

OR

THE SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT:

ORIGINALLY NUMBERED

THE FIFTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.

Year Page

1741 John Price 67

1743 Honorable Thomas Murray 68

1764 William Viscount Howe, K.B. --

1775 Honorable Sir John Vaughan, K.B. 69

1795 Sir James Henry Craig, K.B. 70

1804 John Whyte 71

1816 Henry Wynyard --

1838 Sir John (afterwards Lord) Keane, G.C.B. & G.C.H. 73

1839 John Ross, C.B. 75

1843 John, Earl of Stair, K.T. 76

PLATES.

Costume of the Regiment _to face_ 1

Colours of the Regiment 66

_For Cannons Military Records_

_Madeley lith 3 Wellington S^t Strand_]

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF

THE FORTY-SIXTH,

OR THE

SOUTH DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT;

ORIGINALLY NUMBERED

THE FIFTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.

[Sidenote: 1739]

The claim of the Spanish Government to the right of search, and the aggressions committed by that power on the commerce of Great Britain, in the West Indies, by the _guarda-costas_, and other ships acting by authority of the King of Spain, contrary to the existing treaties, led to a convention between the two Crowns, which was concluded on the 14th of January, 1739. This convention stipulated, that compensation should be made by Spain to the English Government, in reparation for the hostilities committed on the British subjects in the American seas. The Court of Madrid, however, violated the convention, and ultimately war was proclaimed against Spain on the 23rd of October, 1739.

Augmentations were accordingly made in the army and navy; ten regiments of Marines were raised in this and the following year; these corps were embarked on board the fleets under Admirals Vernon and Sir Chaloner Ogle, which proceeded against the Spanish possessions in South America.

[Sidenote: 1740]

While the war was being carried on between Great Britain and Spain, Charles the Sixth, Emperor of Germany, died on the 20th of October, 1740; and the succession of his daughter, the Archduchess Maria Theresa, to his hereditary dominions, being disputed by the Electors of Bavaria and Saxony, also by the Kings of Prussia and Spain, a continental war was the result, in which England and France, acting in the first instance as auxiliaries, finally became principals in the contest, which has since been known as the "_War of the Austrian Succession_." The King of France, Louis XV., supported the Elector of Bavaria, while King George II., adhering to the "_Pragmatic Sanction_,"[6] to which nearly all the powers of Europe had been parties, supported the claims of the Archduchess Maria Theresa.

[Sidenote: 1741]

In January, 1741, seven additional regiments[7] were raised for the regular Infantry, and were numbered in succession to the ten regiments of marines, from the _Fifty-fourth_ to the _Sixtieth_ regiment.

The FIFTY-SEVENTH was one of these seven regiments, and the command of the corps was conferred by King George II. on Colonel John Price, from the First Foot Guards, whose commission was dated the 13th of January, 1741. The regiment consisted of ten companies, of three serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, and seventy privates each; and its numbers, including officers, amounted to eight hundred and fifteen.

[Sidenote: 1742]

In March, 1742, the FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment was stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

In May, 1742, several regiments were embarked for Flanders under Field Marshal the Earl of Stair, to support Maria Theresa, the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia; but the FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment remained in Great Britain.

The FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment was afterwards stationed at Berwick, and in October received orders to proceed to North Britain.

[Sidenote: 1743]

On the 23rd of June, 1743, Colonel the Honorable Thomas Murray, from the Third Foot Guards, was promoted Colonel of the FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment, in succession to Colonel John Price, removed to the fourteenth foot.

In the meanwhile King George II. had joined the army at Aschaffenberg, and on the 27th of June gained a victory over the French army, under Marshal Noailles at _Dettingen_.

[Sidenote: 1744]

France and Great Britain, from auxiliaries, now became principals in the contest. On the 20th of March, 1744, France declared war against England, and on the 29th of that month a counter declaration was made by Great Britain, in which the French monarch was accused of violating the "_Pragmatic Sanction_," and of assisting the son of the Pretender in his designs on the British throne.

The operations of the British army in Flanders during the year 1744 were confined to the defensive, and no general engagement occurred.

[Sidenote: 1745]

After the battle of _Fontenoy_, fought on the 11th of May, 1745, Louis XV. revived the claims of the Pretender[8] to the throne of Great Britain. Prince Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, arrived in the Highlands of Scotland towards the end of July, where he was joined by several clans.

The FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment at this period formed part of the force in Scotland, and Lieut.-General Sir John Cope, the Commander in Chief in North Britain, assembled all the troops under his orders at Stirling, which consisted of about fourteen hundred men. He afterwards advanced towards the great road called the Chain, leading through the Highlands to Inverness, and after a laborious march, arrived at Dalwhinny on the 25th of August. Here intelligence was received that the rebels were posted at Corryarrack, seventeen miles distant, upon which Lieut.-General Sir John Cope continued his march through Badenoch to Inverness, so that the south of Scotland was left unprotected, and the young Pretender improved this unexpected advantage, and accordingly entered the county of Athol, seized the Castle of Blair, proceeded afterwards to Perth and Dundee, proclaiming his Father by new magistrates of his own appointment, levying the public money, and assuming other acts of royalty. The number of the rebels had increased to four thousand men, and on the 11th of September the young Chevalier marched from Perth, passed the Forth on the 13th, and on the 16th of that month, at night, arrived in the vicinity of Edinburgh. At five o'clock on the following morning the city was unaccountably surrendered to him without resistance. He then made his public entry, attired in Highland costume, and occupied the royal palace of Holyrood House. General Guest, who commanded the garrison of Edinburgh Castle, removed the bank, and the effects of the principal inhabitants into that fortress, which greatly disappointed the young Prince, who expected to gain possession of the treasure. His Father was afterwards proclaimed with great ceremony at the High Cross, as King of Great Britain and Ireland.

Lieut.-General Sir John Cope, in the meanwhile, had marched with his troops from Inverness to Aberdeen, where they took shipping, and landed at Dunbar, twenty-seven miles east of Edinburgh, on the 18th of September, when he was reinforced by Brigadier-General Fowke, with two regiments of dragoons, from Edinburgh. The next day he advanced towards that city to observe the disposition of the rebels, who were now increased to upwards of five thousand men.

On the 20th of September Lieut.-General Sir John Cope encamped in the neighbourhood of _Preston-Pans_,[9] near the sea, and seven miles from Edinburgh. His army consisted of the following regiments:--

Gardiner's (13th) and Hamilton's (14th) dragoons 567

Two companies of Guise's (6th) and eight of
Lascelles' (47th) foot 570

Five companies of Lee's (44th) regiment 291

Murray's (now 46th) regiment 580

Highlanders 183
-----
Total 2,191
-----

Information being received of the approach of the enemy, Sir John Cope drew up his army at _Gladsmuir Heath_, between the hamlets of _Preston-Pans_ and Cockenzie. About three o'clock on the morning of the 21st of September, large bodies of rebel Highlanders were in motion, and before daybreak a chosen band of these hardy mountaineers advanced with great celerity and intrepidity to attack the royalists. As they drew near, they raised a fearful yell, fired a volley, threw down their muskets, and rushed sword in hand upon the troops which guarded the artillery. The sudden advance of the Highlanders in the dark, their superior numbers, and peculiar mode of fighting, dismayed the two hundred soldiers appointed to guard the artillery on the right, who saw themselves assaulted by more than three times their own numbers, and as they caught the gleam of steel flashing in their faces, gave way and fled. The two hundred and fifty dragoons on the right, seeing the artillery lost, became disheartened; they advanced to charge a large mass of Highlanders, but observing the disparity of numbers, they were seized with a panic and galloped from the field.

This inauspicious commencement of the action damped the spirits of the infantry, and the panic spread from rank to rank; several companies made resistance, and feats of valour were displayed by individuals and small parties; all semblance of order was, however, soon lost, and a confused rout ensued.

About four hundred of the royal forces were killed or wounded, and the prisoners, who amounted to nearly twelve hundred men, were removed to Edinburgh, and afterwards to the Highlands.

The FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment had the following officers taken prisoners: Lieut.-Colonel Clayton, Major Talbot, Captains Reid, John Cochran, Scot, Thomas Leslie, and Blackes; Lieutenants Thomas Hay, Cranston, Disney, Wale, Wry, and Simms; Ensigns Sutherland, Lucey, Holdane, Birnie, and L'Estrange; and Adjutant Spencer.

This successful commencement of the rebellion caused numerous adherents to flock to the Prince's standard; several regiments were recalled from the continent in October, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland proceeded to take the command of the royal army. The young Pretender, elated with the capture of Carlisle, marched as far as Derby, from whence, however, he commenced his retreat to the north on the 6th of December, as he found but few partisans in England to join him in his expedition.

The Duke of Cumberland, after capturing the rebel garrison of Carlisle, returned to London, leaving the command of the army to Lieut.-General Hawley.

[Sidenote: 1746]

In January 1746, Stirling was closely invested by the young Chevalier, and Lieut.-General Hawley marched to its relief. An engagement occurred at _Falkirk_ on the 17th of January, in which the Prince was again victorious. The Duke of Cumberland now proceeded to Edinburgh, reassumed the command of the army, and on the 2nd of February entered Stirling.

Fortune no longer favored the young Chevalier, who fixed his head-quarters at Inverness. The inclemency of the season having abated, the Duke of Cumberland, on the 8th of April, advanced towards the enemy, and gained a complete victory over him on the 16th of April, near _Culloden House_, four miles east of Inverness.[10]

By official documents it appears, that on the 22nd of March, 1746, the FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment was stationed at Berwick, and on the 16th of April following, the date of the Battle of _Culloden_, the subjoined letter was addressed to the officer commanding the first division of the regiment, then at Tuxford, in Nottinghamshire, which indicates that the corps had commenced its march towards London:--

"_War Office, 16th April, 1746._

"SIR,

"I am commanded to signify to you it is His Majesty's pleasure,
that you cause the regiment of Foot under your command to
continue its march in two divisions, with the utmost expedition,
and without halting.

"I am, &c.
(Signed) "W. YONGE.

"_Officer Commanding in Chief the first division
of Colonel Murray's regiment, at Tuxford._"

Prince Charles, after enduring many hardships, succeeded in escaping to France in September. In the following month the FIFTY-SEVENTH regiment embarked at Portsmouth for Jersey.

[Sidenote: 1747]

The rebellion being suppressed, several regiments returned to Flanders, and on the 2nd of July, 1747, the Duke of Cumberland engaged the French at _Laffeld_, or _Val_, where the Allies suffered severely from the misconduct of the Dutch troops.

[Sidenote: 1748]

The Allies again took the field in the summer of 1748, but hostilities were at length terminated by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which was signed on the 7th of October, 1748. By it all the great treaties, from that of Westphalia in 1648, which first recognised the principle of a balance of power in Europe, to that of Vienna in 1738, were renewed and confirmed. Prussia retained Silesia, and the Empress-Queen Maria Theresa was guaranteed in the possession of her hereditary dominions, according to the Pragmatic Sanction. France surrendered her conquests in Flanders, and England those in the East and West Indies; all therefore Great Britain gained by the war was the glory of having supported the German sovereignty of Maria Theresa, and of having adhered to former treaties.

Several regiments were disbanded in consequence of the termination of the war. On the disbandment of Colonel Spotswood's (afterwards Gooche's) American Provincial Corps, then numbered the _forty-third_ regiment, and of the ten Marine regiments from the _forty-fourth_ to the _fifty-third_, the numerical titles of six of the seven regiments raised in 1741, were changed, and the _fifty-seventh_ became the FORTY-SIXTH regiment.[11]

[Sidenote: 1749]

In the year 1749 the FORTY-SIXTH regiment proceeded to Ireland, where it remained for eight years.

[Sidenote: 1751]

In the Royal Warrant, dated the 1st of July, 1751, for ensuring uniformity in the clothing, standards, and colours of the army, and regulating the number and rank of regiments, the facings of the FORTY-SIXTH regiment were directed to be yellow. The first, or King's colour, was the Great Union; the second, or Regimental colour, was of yellow silk, with the Union in the upper canton; in the centre of the colour the number of the rank of the regiment, in gold Roman characters, within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk.

[Sidenote: 1756]

While the regiment was stationed in Ireland, the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was interrupted by the aggressions of the French on the British territory in North America, and early in 1756 the King of France prepared a powerful armament for the capture of the island of Minorca. In consequence of this attack on Minorca, hostilities became inevitable on the part of Great Britain, and on the 18th of May war was declared against France.

[Sidenote: 1757]

On the 7th of May 1757, the FORTY-SIXTH, and other regiments, embarked at Cork, for Nova Scotia, being intended to form part of an expedition under Major-General the Earl of Loudoun, for the attack upon Cape Breton, an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On arriving at Halifax, the seventeenth, forty-second, FORTY-SIXTH, and the second battalion of the sixtieth regiments were formed in brigade under Major-General James Abercromby; but the French at Louisburg having been reinforced, the expedition was deferred until the following year, and the regiment remained in Nova Scotia during the winter.

[Sidenote: 1758]

While the expedition under Lieut.-General (afterwards Lord) Amherst proceeded in May, 1758, against Cape Breton,[12] the FORTY-SIXTH regiment was ordered to join the body of troops under Major-General James Abercromby, selected to attack the fort of _Ticonderoga_. This force, which comprised the twenty-seventh, forty-second, forty-fourth, FORTY-SIXTH, and fifty-fifth regiments, embarked on Lake George on the 5th of July, and landed on the following day near the extremity of the lake, from whence the troops marched through a wild and thickly-wooded country, in four columns, upon _Ticonderoga_; the guides mistook the route through the trackless woods, and on the 6th of July, a skirmish ensued with a body of French troops, in which Brigadier-General George Augustus Viscount Howe (of the fifty-fifth regiment) was killed. With this exception the British sustained but small loss, while the enemy had three hundred killed, and one hundred and forty-eight taken prisoners. On the 8th of July, the British appeared before the fort, which was situated on a tongue of land, projecting into Lake Champlain, and was built by the French in 1756. It could only be approached on one side, which was strongly fortified; the other three sides being surrounded by water. Felled trees, with their branches outward, were spread before the works, which were defended by between four and five thousand men.

The engineer having reported that the entrenchment might be forced by musketry alone, Major-General Abercromby, unfortunately, determined to attack the place without waiting for the artillery, which, on account of the badness of the ground, could not be easily brought up. A rumour also that the French were about to be reinforced with three thousand men, confirmed the General in his resolution. Although the troops behaved with the utmost gallantry in the attack on fort _Ticonderoga_, on the 8th July, it was found impossible to succeed in the undertaking, and after many unavailing efforts, during a desperate contest of upwards of four hours, Major-General Abercromby gave orders to withdraw, and the British returned to their camp on the south of Lake George, where they arrived on the following evening.[13]

[Sidenote: 1759]

The following officers belonging to the FORTY-SIXTH regiment were killed on this occasion: Lieut.-Colonel Samuel Beaver, Captains George Needham and Edward Wynne; Lieutenants Jacob Laulhé and Arthur Lloyd; Ensign George Crofton, and Quarter-Master Thomas Carbonell.