Chapter II: Part 2

Colonel Robert Hayes died at Jamaica, on the 7th of April, 1731, and the colonelcy of the regiment remained vacant until the 8th of January 1732, when King George II. conferred the appointment on Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Cornwallis, from the command of a company in the Foot Guards.

[Sidenote: 1738]

Colonel Cornwallis commanded the regiment until 1738, when he was removed to the Eleventh Foot, and was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Lord James Cavendish.

[Sidenote: 1739]

On the commencement of the war with Spain, in 1739, the establishment of the regiment was augmented, and in the autumn it was removed to England.

[Sidenote: 1740]

In 1740, a detachment of the regiment served on board the fleet, as marines.

[Sidenote: 1741]

[Sidenote: 1742]

Colonel Lord James Cavendish died in November, 1741, and in 1742 the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Colonel the Honorable James Cholmondeley, from the Fifty-ninth, now Forty-eighth Regiment.

[Sidenote: 1743]

[Sidenote: 1744]

During the summer of this year a British army proceeded to Flanders, to support the house of Austria, against the united efforts of the King of France and the Elector of Bavaria, who were endeavouring to deprive the Archduchess, Maria Theresa, of her hereditary dominions. In 1743, a victory was gained at Dettingen; and in the summer of 1744, the allied army confronted the forces of France in the Austrian Netherlands.

In June, 1744, the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment embarked for Flanders, and joining the allied army at the camp on the bank of the Scheldt, took part in several operations. It penetrated the territory subject to France to the vicinity of Lisle; and subsequently returned to Flanders, where it passed the winter.

[Sidenote: 1745]

The French monarch assembled a numerous army in the spring of 1745, and commenced operations by besieging the strong fortress of Tournay; and the Duke of Cumberland, having arrived in Flanders, assembled the allied army with the view of raising the siege. The THIRTY-FOURTH were called from their quarters in April, to take part in this service; and when the allied army approached, the French took up a position at the village of _Fontenoy_.

(Uniform of Private Soldiers in 1742)

(_To face page 24._)]

At an early hour on the morning of the 11th of May, the allied army advanced to engage the enemy, and the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment entered the plain in front of the French batteries, to take part in the action. Soon after nine o’clock, the British infantry moved forward to attack the French position on the right of the village of Fontenoy, and their gallant bearing, in the face of a storm of grape and musketry, excited admiration; by a resolute charge they broke the French lines; but the Dutch failed in their attack, and the British regiments were forced to retire. A second attack was made, and the heroic valour of the English infantry was conspicuous; their steady fire destroyed entire ranks of their enemy, and the determined charge with the bayonet proved irresistible; but the Dutch again failed, and a retreat was ordered. The THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment evinced great gallantry on this occasion, and it had the honor of performing a conspicuous part in covering the retreat, and in bringing up the rear of the right wing out of the plain, to the village of Vezont. The determined bearing of the regiment, with that of the Thirty-second Foot, and the brigade of Life Guards under Major-General the Earl of Crawford, intimidated the enemy, and the retreat was effected, without serious loss, to the town of Aeth.

The regiment had one serjeant and seventeen rank and file killed; Lieutenants Cramer, Forrest, Mure, Courtenay, and Hargraves, Ensigns Donallen and Stacey, two serjeants, and fifty-three rank and file wounded; one serjeant and twenty-seven rank and file missing.

The regiment was afterwards encamped on the plains of Lessines; and was subsequently employed in operations of a defensive character; but the enemy had so great a superiority of numbers, that it was found impossible to prevent the loss of several fortified towns.

In the mean time, Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, had arrived in Scotland, and being joined by the Highland clans, he resolved to make a desperate effort to overthrow the existing government. The THIRTY-FOURTH regiment was ordered to return to England on this occasion; it left the camp at Vilvorde on the 13th of September, embarked at Williamstadt, on the 19th, and arriving in the river Thames on the 23rd, landed at Blackwall, from whence it was ordered to proceed to Newcastle, where a body of troops was assembling under Field-Marshal Wade. Having joined this force, the regiment was formed in brigade with the Buffs, the Thirteenth, and Forty-eighth Regiments, and when the clans penetrated England, it marched by Durham, Darlington, and Richmond, in order to cover Yorkshire, and eventually proceeded to Ferrybridge, where it arrived on the 8th of December. When the Highlanders quitted Derby, and made a precipitate retreat to Scotland, the regiment was engaged in the attempt to intercept their return; but the clans escaped with the loss of a few men killed in a skirmish on Clifton moor.

[Sidenote: 1746]

Early in January, 1746, the regiment marched to Edinburgh, from whence it advanced, with the troops under Lieutenant-General Hawley, to _Falkirk_, for the purpose of forcing the insurgents to raise the siege of Stirling castle.

The clans quitted Stirling, and on the 17th of January, they advanced to Falkirk moor; when the King’s troops marched to attack the insurgents. As the royal army diverged upon the moor, a storm was seen approaching, and as the soldiers moved forward to commence the battle, a violent hurricane, with a heavy shower of rain, beat violently in their faces, and nearly blinded them; at the same time, it beat on the backs of the Highlanders and caused them little annoyance. The engagement commenced under great disadvantages to the King’s troops, who could not see to take aim; more than half the muskets would not give fire, and the powder became wet and useless while the men were in the act of loading.

Being thus blinded and confounded by the storm, several regiments faced about and retreated. Others stood firm and repulsed the clans; but during the night the whole retired. The regiment lost its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Powell, who was mortally wounded on this occasion. Its colonel, Brigadier-General the Honorable James Cholmondeley, highly distinguished himself.

The troops in Scotland were reinforced: his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland assumed the command, and on the 31st of January they again advanced; when the Pretender raised the siege of Stirling castle, and made a precipitate retreat. The THIRTY-FOURTH were engaged in the pursuit of the clans to Perth, where the army halted in consequence of the severe weather, until the 20th of February, when the march was resumed, and in the beginning of the following month the army arrived at Aberdeen, where its progress was retarded by heavy rains and snow storms. In the early part of April, the King’s troops were again in motion towards Inverness, and on the 16th of that month, they discovered the clans in order of battle on _Culloden moor_, when they formed line opposite the hostile ranks; the THIRTY-FOURTH, or Cholmondeley’s[9], five hundred men, being in the right wing of the front line, and on the left of the second battalion of the Royal regiment.

The action commenced between twelve and one o’clock, and in less than one hour the rebel army was overpowered and chased from the moor with great slaughter. This victory was decisive, and it instantly transformed the young Pretender from an imaginary monarch to a humble fugitive; an interval of hardship and suffering followed, and after wandering for some time in disguise, among the isles and mountains, he escaped to France.

The loss of the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment at the battle of Culloden[10] was limited to three private soldiers. After returning from the pursuit of the clans, the regiment was encamped a short time near Inverness, and it was subsequently employed in escorting prisoners towards South Britain. The rebellion being finally suppressed, the services of the THIRTY-FOURTH were no longer required in Scotland, and they were stationed in England.

[Sidenote: 1748]

[Sidenote: 1749]

The war of the Austrian succession was terminated in 1748, by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, and in 1749 the regiment was placed on a peace establishment.

Major-General the Honorable James Cholmondeley was removed to the Twelfth Dragoons, in July, 1749; and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the THIRTY-FOURTH Foot by Colonel the Honorable Henry Seymour Conway, from the Forty-eighth Regiment.

[Sidenote: 1751]

On the 1st of July, 1751, regulations were issued, under the sign manual, for establishing uniformity in the clothing, standards, and colours of the several regiments; in which the facings of the THIRTY-FOURTH were directed to be of _bright yellow_. The first, or the King’s colour, was to be the Great Union; the second, or regimental colour, to be of bright yellow silk, with the Union in the upper canton; in the centre of the colour, the rank of the regiment in gold Roman characters, within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk. The costume of the regiment at this period was three-cornered cocked hats, bound with white lace, and ornamented with a white loop and a black cockade; scarlet coats faced and lined with bright yellow, and ornamented with white lace; scarlet waistcoats and breeches; and white gaiters.

In December of this year, Colonel the Honorable Henry Seymour Conway was removed to the Thirteenth Dragoons, and King George II. conferred the colonelcy of the THIRTY-FOURTH Foot, on Colonel the Honorable Charles Russell, from major in the Second Foot Guards.

[Sidenote: 1752]

[Sidenote: 1753]

Early in the year 1752, the regiment embarked for Minorca, the second of the Balearic islands, situated in the Mediterranean, near the coast of Spain: this island had fallen successively under the dominion of the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Vandals, the Moors, the Arragonese, and the Castilians; in 1708 it was captured by the British, and it was ceded to Queen Anne at the peace of Utrecht in 1713. In this small island, which is diversified with hills and valleys, and in some parts rich in vegetation, and abounding with the necessaries and many of the luxuries of life, the THIRTY-FOURTH were stationed several years.

[Sidenote: 1754]

Colonel the Honorable Charles Russell died on the 20th of November, 1754, and was succeeded in the command of the regiment by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Earl of Effingham, from the second troop, now second regiment, of Life Guards.

[Sidenote: 1755]

[Sidenote: 1756]

While the regiment was stationed at Minorca, the undetermined limits of the British and French territory in North America, occasioned a war between the two kingdoms; and early in 1756, the French monarch prepared a powerful armament for the capture of the island of _Minorca_.

The French expedition, commanded by Marshal Duke of Richelieu, arrived at Minorca in April, and effected a landing at Ciudadella; and no part of the island being fortified to resist so powerful a force, excepting _Fort St. Philip_, situate on a rocky promontory at the entrance of the harbour of Port Mahon, the several detachments were withdrawn from the interior, and assembled in the fort, where they resolved on making a desperate defence, in the hope of being reinforced.

The THIRTY-FOURTH mustered twenty-six officers, twenty-nine serjeants, nineteen drummers, and six hundred and sixty-five rank and file fit for duty, exclusive of thirteen sick, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Reed, for the defence of Fort St. Philip, and the officers and soldiers evinced an extent of personal bravery and resolution, which reflected honor on their country. The garrison was commanded by Lieutenant-General Blakeney.

The siege of the fort was commenced by the enemy, and the determined resistance encountered by the French commander occasioned him to send for additional forces. The conduct of the garrison became a subject of admiration, and the bravery and vigilance of the officers inspired the soldiers with increased confidence.

The British fleet was discovered on the 19th of May, and the soldiers, having become exhausted by hard duty, were stimulated to perseverance by the prospect of being speedily relieved; but were disappointed: Admiral Byng skirmished with the French squadron, and afterwards retired, for which conduct he was subsequently brought to trial, and shot. Lieutenant-General Thomas Fowke, then commanding at Gibraltar, was also brought to trial, for not sending a reinforcement to Minorca, and sentenced to be suspended for one year; the king confirmed the sentence, and directed Lieutenant-General Fowke to be dismissed the service.

Although thus abandoned to their fate, the four regiments in garrison at Fort St. Philip, (viz., the Fourth, Twenty-third, Twenty-fourth, and THIRTY-FOURTH) defended their post with great gallantry; incessant duty and watching so exhausted the soldiers, that they frequently were overpowered by sleep under a heavy cannonade, yet they persevered with admirable resolution. During the night of the 27th of June, a general assault was made by the enemy at several points, when the garrison met the assailants with great courage, and repulsed them several times with much slaughter,--many of the sick and wounded coming out of the hospital to take part in the defence. The enemy’s superior numbers enabled him to renew the attack, and after much severe fighting he gained possession of three of the outworks. On the following day, conditions of capitulation were tendered and accepted; when the French marshal caused it to be inserted in the articles,--“The noble and vigorous defence which the English have made, having deserved all the marks of esteem and veneration which every military man ought to show to such actions, and Marshal Richelieu being desirous also to show to General Blakeney the regard due to the defence he has made, grants to the garrison all the honors of war they can enjoy under the circumstances of going out for an embarkation; to wit,--firelocks on their shoulders, drums beating, colours flying, twenty cartridges each man, and also lighted match. He consents, also, that General Blakeney and his garrison carry away all the effects that belong to them.”

On this subject, Beatson observes in his _Naval and Military Memoirs_,--“Thus did four regiments, and one company of artillery, maintain the fort against such numbers of the enemy, by sea and land, for such a length of time, as can, perhaps, scarcely be paralleled in history. The terms on which the fort was at last surrendered by a handful of men, so distressed, so shattered, and so neglected, remains a lasting monument to their honor.”

The regiment had Captain Hobby, Lieutenant Armstrong, and twelve rank and file killed during the siege; also Captain Sir Hugh Williams, Bart., and seventy-seven non-commissioned officers and soldiers wounded; seven men died of their wounds, and two of diseases produced by excessive exertion: at the general assault the regiment only lost four men.

Immediately after the surrender of Fort St. Philip, the regiment embarked for Gibraltar, and after a short stay at that fortress, proceeded to England, where its arrival was hailed with acclamations by the inhabitants of the towns through which it passed, who were proud of the honor acquired by the regiments which defended the principal fortress of Minorca.

[Sidenote: 1757]

Soon after its arrival in England the regiment was augmented to _two battalions_, and in the summer of 1757, both battalions were encamped on Barham downs, under the Duke of Marlborough: the second battalion afterwards served on board the fleet as marines.

[Sidenote: 1758]

In June, 1758, the second battalion was constituted the _Seventy-third Regiment_, under the command of Colonel Browne. This regiment was disbanded at the peace in 1763.

The THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment proceeded to the Isle of Wight, where it was formed in brigade with the Twenty-fourth and Seventy-second Regiments, under the orders of Major-General Granville Elliott, and sailed with the armament, under the Duke of Marlborough, for the purpose of reducing the maritime power of France, and making a diversion in favour of the allied army in Germany. A landing was effected on the coast of Brittany on the 5th of June, and the French infantry and cavalry assembled to oppose the debarkation were quickly dispersed. On the 7th of June the army advanced in two columns towards _St. Maloes_, and encamping about a mile from the town, sent a strong detachment to the harbour, to set fire to the shipping, magazines, and maritime stores, when a grand and dreadful scene of conflagration illuminated the coast, and was seen for many miles. Having destroyed a valuable fleet, and extensive magazines of maritime stores, the troops re-embarked, and preparations were afterwards made for a descent at Granville, on the coast of Normandy, and afterwards at Cherbourg; but the weather being severe, the fleet returned to England.

This success was followed by the preparation of another expedition of a similar character, in which the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment was also employed; and on the 6th of August a landing was effected in the Bay des Marées, in the face of a body of French troops. On the following day _Cherbourg_ was taken possession of, with the harbour, forts, magazines, and about two hundred pieces of ordnance; the iron guns were destroyed, and twenty-two fine brass cannon and two brass mortars, were sent to England as trophies. These guns were seen by King George II., in Hyde Park, and afterwards conducted by a cavalcade to the Tower.

After remaining in France ten days, the troops returned on board the fleet, and a second descent was made on the coast of Brittany on the 4th of September, when the batteries in the Bay of St. Lunaire were destroyed, and the troops afterwards penetrated the country a considerable distance; but no advantage resulted from this enterprise, and when the troops re-embarked at _St. Cas_, the enemy attacked the rear guard with superior numbers, and occasioned severe loss. The THIRTY-FOURTH Foot returned to England, and landed at Portsmouth towards the end of September.

[Sidenote: 1759]

[Sidenote: 1760]

In the summer of 1759, the THIRTY-FOURTH were encamped at Sandheath, with the Fifth, Eighth, and Thirty-third Regiments, under the Earl of Ancram; and in the summer of 1760, they pitched their tents at Winchester, where five battalions of militia were encamped with them, the whole under the colonel of the THIRTY-FOURTH,--Thomas Earl of Effingham.

On the 30th of October, King George III. nominated the Earl of Effingham to the command of the first troop of Horse Grenadier Guards, (which was incorporated in the First Regiment of Life Guards in 1788,) and his Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the THIRTY-FOURTH on Lord Frederick Cavendish, from the Sixty-seventh Regiment[11].

[Sidenote: 1761]

During the summer of 1761, the regiment was encamped, with the Seventy-second Foot, at Sandheath, under Lieutenant-General Cornwallis.

[Sidenote: 1762]

Meanwhile the conduct of the Spanish Government had led to an interruption of the amicable relations existing between the two countries, and in the early part of 1762 an attack on the _Havannah_, in the island of Cuba, which was looked upon as a key to the Spanish settlements in the West Indies, was resolved upon by the British Government; and the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment, mustering one thousand officers and soldiers, under Lieutenant-Colonel John Reed, embarked for this service; the expedition being under General the Earl of Albemarle. On arriving at the West Indies, the regiment was formed in brigade with the Thirty-fifth, Forty-third, and Seventy-fifth Regiments, under Brigadier-General Reed; and proceeding with the armament through the Straits of Bahama, arrived in the vicinity of the Havannah on the 6th of June. On the following day a landing was effected, and the siege of the _Moro Fort_ was commenced by a body of troops under Major-General the Honorable William Keppel. In the attack of this fortress, the troops evinced that courage and patient perseverance under severe toil and privation, for which British soldiers have been distinguished, and united with the cordial co-operation of the royal navy, overcame all difficulties. Batteries were erected, the sallies of the Spaniards repulsed, and the Moro Fort captured by storm on the 30th of July. This success facilitated the attack on the Havannah, and a series of batteries opened so well-directed a fire on the works of the town, and on the shipping in the harbour, on the 11th of August, that in a few hours the guns of the garrison were silenced, and the Spaniards solicited terms of capitulation, which were speedily agreed upon. The wealthy city of the Havannah, with a valuable fleet of Spanish men-of-war, and numerous stores, were thus captured by British skill and valour, and prize money to a large amount was afterwards distributed to the army and navy. “This conquest was, without doubt, in itself the most considerable, and in its consequences the most decisive, of any we had made since the beginning of the war; and in no operation were the courage, steadiness, and perseverance of the British troops, and the conduct of their leaders, more conspicuous. It was a military achievement of the highest class[12].”

The regiment was commanded, on this occasion, by Major Robert Farmar, (Lieutenant-Colonel Reed being at the head of the brigade,) and after taking part in this splendid conquest, it was stationed a short time at the Havannah.

[Sidenote: 1763]

In the following year a treaty of peace was concluded, and the Spaniards ceded to Great Britain the country of Florida, in North America, on condition of having the Havannah restored to them, which was agreed to; and the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment was one of the corps which proceeded to North America, to take possession of the ceded territory.

[Sidenote: 1764]

[Sidenote: 1768]

[Sidenote: 1769]

In the pleasant and fertile country of West Florida, the regiment was stationed some time; in 1768 it was relieved from duty in North America, and returned to Europe, and in 1769 it was stationed in Ireland.

[Sidenote: 1770]

[Sidenote: 1774]

The regiment was quartered in Ireland seven years; and was equally conspicuous for good conduct on home service, as it had been for gallantry when confronting the enemies of its country abroad.

[Sidenote: 1775]

In 1775, the misunderstanding between Great Britain and her North American provinces, on the subject of taxation, attained a character which produced hostilities, and the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment was augmented to the war establishment. The American Congress sent a body of troops, under Colonel Montgomery, to invade Canada, where Major-General Carleton, afterwards Lord Dorchester, commanded, and the English general, having very few troops to oppose to the enemy, evacuated Montreal, and retired to _Quebec_. The Americans detached a division of troops, under Colonel Arnold, to surprise Quebec; but this enterprise failed, through the activity and vigilance of Major-General Carleton, who defended that fortress against the united provincial forces, and repulsed an assault made on the works, during a snow storm, in the depth of winter.

[Sidenote: 1776]

The THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment embarked from Ireland early in the spring of 1776, for the relief of Quebec; and on the arrival, in the river St. Lawrence, of the expected succours from the United Kingdom, in May, the Americans quitted the vicinity of that fortress, and made a precipitate retreat. The THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment advanced up the country in pursuit of the provincial troops, and took part in the movements by which the Americans were driven out of Canada. The regiment was stationed in Canada during the winter.

[Sidenote: 1777]

In the spring of 1777, the flank companies of the regiment were detached from Canada, with the army under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, which was destined to proceed, by Lakes Champlain and George, to Hudson’s river, with the view of forcing its way to Albany, and co-operating with the army at New York, in the reduction of the revolted states. The troops employed on this service embarked on board a flotilla, and, after a pleasant voyage along Lake Champlain, landed at Crown Point, from whence they advanced towards Ticonderago, and forced the Americans to abandon the fort. This conquest achieved, the troops proceeded to Skenesborough, and drove the enemy from a stockaded fort on the 6th of July, and pursued them towards Castletown. On the 8th of July the Americans were repulsed in an attack on the Ninth Regiment, and driven from Fort Anne. After this success, preparations were made for a forward movement; but extraordinary difficulties had to be encountered; felled trees had to be removed from the roads,--creeks and marshes had to be passed,--forty new bridges had to be constructed, and others to be repaired; one made of log-work crossed a morass two miles in extent. These difficulties were overcome by the soldiers with cheerful alacrity, and on the 30th of July the troops arrived on the banks of the Hudson’s river, when they took post at Fort Edward, awaiting the arrival of provisions. The river was crossed in September, and a forward movement was made; but the expedition proved of insufficient force for the enterprise, and the means for supplying the troops inadequate. Having penetrated into the heart of the revolted provinces, Lieutenant-General Burgoyne found himself encompassed by difficulties and dangers which he was unable to overcome. After a series of hard toil, incessant effort, and severe privation, the Indian warriors, who formed part of the expedition, deserted, and many of the Canadians followed their example; and after several stubborn engagements, in which the British regiments fought gallantly against an immense superiority of numbers, and the flank companies of the THIRTY-FOURTH Foot had repeated opportunities of distinguishing themselves, Lieutenant-General Burgoyne found himself on the banks of the Hudson’s river, with an army diminished in numbers to three thousand five hundred men,--reduced in physical power by incessant toil and want of provisions,--invested by an army of sixteen thousand Americans,--disappointed of co-operation from other armies,--and without provision. Under these dismal circumstances, a convention was concluded with the American General Gates, at Saratoga, in which it was agreed that the troops should lay down their arms, on condition of being sent to England, and of not serving in America during the remainder of the war. These articles were violated by the American government, and the brave soldiers who had fought so gallantly, and who did not submit until surrounded by five times their own numbers, were detained prisoners in America.

The battalion companies of the regiment, which had remained in Canada, were not involved in this occurrence.

In the several actions between the Americans and the troops under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, the flank companies of the THIRTY-FOURTH had a number of men killed and wounded; also Captains Harris and Ross, and Lieutenant Richardson, wounded.

The battalion companies furnished a detachment of one hundred men, for the expedition to the _Mohawk_, under Brigadier-General Barry St. Leger. This detachment was engaged in the unsuccessful siege of _Fort Stanwix_.

[Sidenote: 1778]

The THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment formed part of the force to which the protection of Canada was confided during the remainder of the American war, which was terminated in 1782, by a treaty of peace, in which the independence of the United States was acknowledged.

[Sidenote: 1782]

A letter, dated the 31st of August, 1782, conveyed to the regiment His Majesty’s pleasure that it should assume the title of the THIRTY-FOURTH, OR CUMBERLAND REGIMENT OF FOOT, and that a connection and mutual attachment between the corps and that county should be cultivated, in order to promote the success of the recruiting service.

[Sidenote: 1786]

[Sidenote: 1787]

The regiment remained in Canada until 1786, when it was relieved, and returned to Europe. In 1787 it was stationed in England.

[Sidenote: 1792]

[Sidenote: 1793]

[Sidenote: 1795]

On the breaking out of the French revolutionary war, the establishment of the regiment was augmented. In 1793 a British army proceeded to Flanders; but the THIRTY-FOURTH remained in Great Britain until the middle of February, 1795, when they embarked for the West Indies.

Previous to this date the revolutionary principles, which had involved France in anarchy and crime, had extended to the French West India islands; but the planters of these colonies had been delivered from the power of the republicans by a British armament, under General Sir Charles (afterwards Earl) Grey; the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Dickens, proceeded to St. Lucia, which island had been captured from the French in April, 1794.

The National Convention which governed France, although employed in extending revolutionary power in Europe, paid so much attention to the colonial interests of that nation, as to send an expedition to the West Indies, for the recovery of the conquered islands; and the doctrines of liberty and equality, which were disseminated in the islands, occasioned multitudes of mulattoes, blacks, and Charibbees to array themselves under the standard of republicanism, which led to a frightful catalogue of outrages and depredations. _St. Lucia_, where the THIRTY-FOURTH were stationed, was among the colonies attacked by the enemy, and the regiment was engaged a short period in its defence, in which it lost several men, and Captain Dodsworth was taken prisoner, on the 18th of June. The British troops not being sufficiently numerous for the defence of the island, it was evacuated, the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment proceeding to _St. Vincent_, where republican emissaries from France had organised a rebellion, and many whites, mulattoes, blacks, and native Charibbees, were in arms against the British Government, which occasioned the regiment much severe service[13].

[Sidenote: 1796]

Early in 1796, additional forces arrived at the West Indies, where Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby assumed the command of an armament to complete the deliverance of the West India islands from the power of the republicans, and to reduce to obedience the insurgents of St. Vincent and Grenada.

On the 8th of June, a body of troops landed at the island of St. Vincent, and were joined by the THIRTY-FOURTH Foot, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Dickens, who had the honour of taking a distinguished part in the reduction of the colony, which was accomplished in a few days. Part of the regiment evinced signal gallantry at the assault and capture of the insurgent camp, on, the 10th of June, when Sir Ralph Abercromby stated in orders,--“Lieutenant-Colonel Dickens, and the troops who served under him, are entitled to a great share of praise.” The regiment had two serjeants, one drummer, and six rank and file killed; Volunteer Gordon died of his wounds; Lieutenants O’Donoughue and Georges, nine serjeants, three drummers, and sixteen rank and file wounded.

The hostile spirit long shown by the Charibbees towards the European inhabitants, occasioned the British Government to determine to remove them from the island; and the execution of the orders received for this purpose was attended with much harassing duty to the troops, in which the THIRTY-FOURTH took part, and sustained some loss. The regiment afterwards received the thanks of Major-General Hunter, and of the principal inhabitants of the colony, for its conduct in the brigand and Charibbee war.

On the 15th of July, the regiment embarked for England, where it arrived on the 8th of October, and was stationed at Poole, in Dorsetshire, from whence recruiting parties were detached to various towns in South Britain.

[Sidenote: 1797]

In the spring of 1797[14], the regiment proceeded to York, where the non-commissioned officers and soldiers evinced their loyalty and zeal for the preservation of the constitution of their country, by a contribution in aid of the war, for which they received the thanks of Lieutenant-General Scott, commanding the district. In the autumn the regiment marched to Lincoln.

Field-Marshal Lord Frederick Cavendish was succeeded in the colonelcy of the regiment in July by George Frederick Lord Southampton, from captain and lieutenant-colonel Second Foot Guards.

[Sidenote: 1798]

[Sidenote: 1799]

The regiment remained in England during the years 1798 and 1799, and, having been brought into a high state of discipline and efficiency, it was selected to proceed on colonial service.

[Sidenote: 1800]

In January, 1800, the regiment marched from Hilsea barracks, and embarking on board an Indiaman, sailed to the Cape of Good Hope, where it landed on the 21st of May, and occupied barracks at Cape Town until September, when it pitched its tents at Wynberg, where a numerous force was encamped under Major-General Dundas.

[Sidenote: 1801]

[Sidenote: 1802]

[Sidenote: 1803]

After remaining two years and a half at the Cape of Good Hope, that colony was restored to the Dutch, at the peace of Amiens, in 1802, and the regiment embarked for the East Indies, where it arrived in January, 1803, and landed at Madras on the 2nd of February.

The regiment was stationed at Madras several months, during which period the conduct of the officers and soldiers on the occasion of an alarming fire, elicited the following communication to Colonel Dickens, from the merchants of that place:--“Impressed with a grateful sense of the extraordinary exertions manifested by the officers and men of His Majesty’s THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment, under your command, on the occasion of the late calamitous fires, we feel it incumbent upon us to offer you and them our public acknowledgements for the service rendered to the commercial interests in particular, and at the same time to request you will be assured of our sincere respect for the public spirit which uniformly animates the British military on every emergency.”

The peace of Europe was violated by the ambitious projects of Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, and the war was resumed in 1803, in July of which year two companies of the regiment embarked, under Captain Everard, for the island of Ceylon, which had been captured from the Dutch, and they were followed by two additional companies, under Captain Roberts, in October.

[Sidenote: 1804]

In 1804 the head-quarters were removed from Madras to Wallajabad, where they arrived on the 21st of August. In December a detachment returned to Madras, where it embarked for Vizagapatam, to protect the shipping.

In the mean time the menace of invading England, made by Napoleon Bonaparte, had been followed by a simultaneous appeal to arms throughout the United Kingdom, and an array of military power was manifested which proved the attachment of the British people to their sovereign and constitution. On this memorable occasion a _second battalion_ was added to the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment, and was embodied at Ashford, in Kent. It was formed of volunteers from the First East York, Third West York, First Lancashire, South Lincoln, and East Essex Regiments of Militia, and was placed on the establishment of the army on the 25th of April, 1805.

Soon after its formation, the second battalion marched to Colchester.

[Sidenote: 1805]

BONAPARTE obtained the dignity of EMPEROR from the French nation, was crowned King of Italy, and added Genoa to his dominions; he afterwards marched his army from Boulogne to crush the coalition forming against his interests in Germany; at the same time the French troops were withdrawn from Hanover, which country they had seized soon after the resuming of hostilities in 1803. A body of troops was sent to Hanover under Lieutenant-General Lord Cathcart, to co-operate with the continental powers; and on the 28th of November the second battalion of the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment marched to Ramsgate for embarkation for Germany, under the orders of Major Broomhead. The battle of Austerlitz established the preponderance of French power; in a subsequent treaty it was stipulated that Hanover should be occupied by the Prussians, and the British troops, under Lord Cathcart, withdrew to the coast and embarked for England. On its return from this expedition, the battalion was quartered on the coast of Sussex.

In March of this year, the detachment of the first battalion was withdrawn from Ceylon, and joined the head-quarters at Wallajabad; and in April four companies proceeded to the fortress of Vellore, which had been chosen for the residence of the captive princes of the race of Hyder and Tippoo, with the two hostages given up to Lord Cornwallis. In October, the battalion was united at Bellary.

[Sidenote: 1806]

During the year 1806, the first battalion was in garrison at the fortresses of Gooty and Bellary. Lieutenant-Colonel Fancourt of the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment was commandant of Vellore, and was killed in the mutiny which took place among the Sepoys and Moormen, on the morning of the 10th July, 1806.

[Sidenote: 1807]

In April, the second battalion embarked for the island of Jersey, where it remained until May, 1807, when it was removed to the Isle of Wight, in order to its embarkation for the island of Ceylon; but while waiting for shipping, its destination was changed, and it proceeded to Cork, to join a secret expedition ordered to rendezvous at that place, under Brigadier-General Beresford. The expedition sailed to Madeira, and took possession of that island; but the THIRTY-FOURTH landed in Ireland, were stationed at Bandon barracks, and placed under orders to proceed to India.

[Sidenote: 1808]

In December they embarked from Cork, and sailed to Spithead, where they arrived on the 18th of January, 1808; but circumstances had occurred which occasioned their embarkation for India to be countermanded; they landed and marched to Steyning barracks, where they remained until May, when they returned to the island of Jersey.

During this period, the first battalion had remained at Gooty and Bellary.

[Sidenote: 1809]

The second battalion was stationed at Jersey until the summer of 1809, when it was completed to a thousand rank and file by volunteers from the militia, and embarked for the Peninsula, to join the British army, under Sir Arthur Wellesley, and take part in the deliverance of Portugal and Spain from the tyrannical domination of the Emperor Napoleon, who was attempting to bring those kingdoms under his despotic sway. After landing at Lisbon, on the 4th of July, the battalion was encamped near that place, with the brigade under Brigadier-General James Catlin Craufurd, for three weeks, and afterwards proceeded in boats up the river Tagus, under Lieutenant-Colonel Maister, to Santarem, from whence it marched into Spain, to co-operate with the troops under Lieutenant-General Lord Wellington, who had driven the French from Portugal, and repulsed the army under Joseph Bonaparte (titular King of Spain) at Talavera, a short time before. After several movements, the brigade joined the army under Lord Wellington in Spanish Estremadura; and the THIRTY-FOURTH were placed in village cantonments on the right bank of the Guadiana, near Badajoz, where the battalion suffered from the epidemic fever which thinned the British ranks.

When Lord Wellington marched northward, the THIRTY-FOURTH were left in Portuguese Estremadura, under Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill.

In the mean time, the disaffection to the civil authorities of Madras, which occurred in the native army in India, particularly among the European officers, had occasioned the first battalion to be withdrawn from garrison, and to be employed in services necessary to bring the disaffected to submission; at the same time four captains and eight lieutenants were attached to the Company’s artillery, and to the Seventh, Ninth, Twenty-second, and Twenty-fifth Regiments of native infantry, in the place of the suspended officers: officers of the THIRTY-FOURTH were also appointed to perform the duties of assistant adjutant-general, fort-adjutant, and deputy judge advocate.

[Sidenote: 1810]

The THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment performed many long marches with the field force, under Colonel Conran, of the First, or the Royal Regiment of Foot, in October, November, and December, 1809, and it was also frequently in motion during the first four months of 1810. On the 8th of May it encamped at Jaulnah, and was in tents during the periodical heavy rains: in October it moved into temporary barracks. Previous to this period, the arrival of Lord Minto, Governor-General of India, had been followed by happy results, and the authority of the civil government of Madras had been restored.

In the Peninsula, the immense preparations of the French for the campaign of 1810, induced Lord Wellington to limit his operations to the defence of Portugal; and the second battalion of the THIRTY-FOURTH was employed, with the division under Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill, on the Alemtejo frontier, in opposition to the French under General Reynier. Portugal being invaded by a powerful French army, under Marshal Massena, Prince of Esling, the British forces withdrew before the superior numbers of the enemy. The movements of the THIRTY-FOURTH were the same as those of the second division of the army, and after passing the Mondego river, early on the morning of the 26th of September, they took post on the right of the position on the rocks of _Busaco_, where an array of British power was prepared to resist the torrent of invasion. The Prince of Esling assailed this position on the 27th of September, when the furious attacks of the veteran legions of Napoleon were repulsed by British valour. After astonishing efforts, the French fell back; and they subsequently turned the left of the position by a flank movement; when the British commander withdrew to the lines of _Torres Vedras_, where a series of works, along a range of lofty mountains, opposed a formidable barrier to the progress of the enemy. The THIRTY-FOURTH had their post in the lines, and were stationed at Calendrix, and afterwards at Bucellas.

The French commander viewed the stupendous works of Torres Vedras with surprise, and being unable to accomplish his menace of driving the English into the sea, and planting the eagles of France on the towers of Lisbon, he withdrew to Santarem in the middle of November. On the retrograde movement of the enemy taking place, the division of which the THIRTY-FOURTH formed part, was ordered to cross the Tagus, and move upon Abrantes, to succour that place, or head the march of the enemy. The battalion passed the river on rafts; but when the enemy was found in position at Santarem, Sir Rowland Hill’s division was ordered to halt at Chamusca.

The battalion passed the winter in village cantonments on the left bank of the Tagus, and the country being low and marshy, the health of the soldiers suffered from agues.

On the decease of Lord Southampton, in the summer of this year, the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, from the Sixty-second Foot.

[Sidenote: 1811]

The first battalion suffered from the effects of the climate at Jaulnah, in the East Indies, and was removed in May, 1811, to Secunderabad; when it left one hundred and thirty men in hospital.

To the second battalion was appointed the duty of watching the movements of the enemy, to prevent the passage of the Tagus by the French. On one occasion an island in the river was taken possession of by a detachment of the enemy; but the light companies of the brigade, of which the THIRTY-FOURTH formed part, dislodged the French, and the island was occupied by a company of the regiment, until the 5th of March, when the Prince of Esling quitted his position and retreated.

The THIRTY-FOURTH pursued the retreating enemy towards the confines of Portugal, witnessing scenes of slaughter, devastation, and confusion, produced by the French army, beyond description; the battalion was afterwards detached, with other forces, under Field-Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford, to the relief of _Campo Mayor_, which fortress was besieged by a detachment from the French army, commanded by Marshal Soult. This place surrendered before the troops marching to its relief arrived, and as the British approached, the French, having dismantled the works, were marching out of the town, when some fighting occurred, in which the Thirteenth Light Dragoons evinced great gallantry.

The fortress of Olivenza was afterwards captured; and the siege of _Badajoz_ was commenced, in which the THIRTY-FOURTH were employed and sustained some loss.

While the siege of Badajoz was in progress, Marshal Soult assembled a numerous force, and advanced to the relief of that fortress, when Marshal Beresford moved forward to meet him, and took up a position at _Albuhera_, where he was joined by a Spanish division under General Blake. The THIRTY-FOURTH, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel William Fenwick, were in position, and were formed in brigade with the first battalion of the Twenty-eighth and the second battalion of the Thirty-ninth Regiments, under Lieutenant-Colonel the Honorable Alexander Abercromby.

On the morning of the 16th of May, the enemy made a slight attack on the village of Albuhera, and on the bridge, to draw attention to that point; and soon afterwards powerful columns of infantry, supported by a numerous force of cavalry and artillery, assailed the heights on the right, from which the Spaniards were forced to retire. Lieutenant-Colonel Colborne’s brigade of the second division, under Lieutenant-General Stewart, rushed up the heights with great gallantry; but was nearly annihilated by a charge of the enemy’s Polish lancers and hussars on its rear. Major-General Hoghton reached the heights with the third brigade, under a heavy cannonade, and was soon engaged in a furious contest in which many officers and soldiers fell, and Major-General Hoghton was shot in the act of cheering his men: the battle raged with dreadful fury, and this brigade was nearly destroyed.

At a critical moment the Fusiliers mounted the hill on the right of the remnant of the third brigade, at the same time the Twenty-eighth, THIRTY-FOURTH, and Thirty-ninth passed on its left; and this gallant line arrested the progress of the French columns, which were pressing forward in anticipation of victory. The heads of the enemy’s masses were broken by the steady fire of the British soldiers, who closed on their numerous adversaries, and sternly contended for victory. The THIRTY-FOURTH were severely engaged; many officers and soldiers fell, and Ensign Sarsfield, bearing the regimental colour, was shot; the colour was seized by another officer, and the battalion pressed forward upon its opponents, who, by a determined and continued attack, were driven from the heights, and the British soldiers stood victorious on the contested hill.

Marshal Soult, finding that his French soldiers could not force the position, withdrew beyond the river, and the battle was thus won by the divisions of the allied army, under Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford, who stated in his public despatch,--“It is impossible to enumerate every instance of discipline and valour shown on this severely contested day; but never troops more valiantly or more gloriously maintained the honor of their respective countries.”

Captain George Gibbons, Lieutenant Thomas Castle, and Ensign Sarsfield, with three serjeants, and twenty-seven rank and file of the THIRTY-FOURTH were killed; and Captains G. J. Widdrington and John Wyatt, Lieutenants John Hay, and ---- Walsh, with six serjeants, and eighty-five rank and file wounded.

The word “ALBUHERA,” displayed by royal authority, on the colours of the regiment, commemorates the distinguished gallantry of the second battalion on this occasion; and a medal was conferred on its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel William Fenwick.

After the victory at Albuhera, the siege of _Badajoz_ was resumed; but the advance of two powerful French armies, under Marshal Massena and Marshal Soult, occasioned the British commander to raise the siege and take post behind the Caya, where the superior numbers of the enemy did not venture to attack him, and in a short time the French retired. Lord Wellington marched the main body of the army to the province of Beira, leaving ten thousand infantry, with a proportion of cavalry and artillery, in the Alemtejo, under Sir Rowland Hill; and the THIRTY-FOURTH formed a part of this force.

General Girard’s division of the Fifth French corps having taken post at Caceres, Sir Rowland Hill advanced, on the 22nd of October, to drive the enemy from thence, and on the approach of the British troops, the French retired, halting at _Arroyo de Molinos_, a village situate in a plain at the foot of a ridge of rocks rising in the form of a crescent. An opportunity presenting itself to effect the surprise of this corps, the British performed a forced march in cold, wet, stormy weather, and arrived at the vicinity of the village at daybreak on the morning of the 28th of October, their approach being concealed by a thick mist with heavy rain. The French infantry were assembling outside the village to commence their march, the baggage was being loaded, and General Girard was waiting at his quarters for his horse, when suddenly the Seventy-first and Ninety-second British Regiments charged into the village, capturing much baggage and many prisoners; at the same time the Twenty-eighth and THIRTY-FOURTH made a detour, supported by the Thirty-ninth, to cut off the enemy’s retreat. The French formed two squares, and commenced retreating; the British pressed resolutely upon their opponents; the Thirteenth Light Dragoons captured the French artillery, the Ninth Light Dragoons and Second Hussars King’s German Legion overpowered the enemy’s cavalry, and the Twenty-eighth and THIRTY-FOURTH Foot cut off the retreat of the French infantry by the main road. Thus beset on every side, the French soldiers dispersed, and rushed with great speed up the steep mountain by an unfrequented path; when the Twenty-eighth and THIRTY-FOURTH British Foot passed a ploughed field at a running pace, and ascended the difficult precipice in pursuit, chasing the enemy among the rugged heights, and capturing many prisoners; a battalion of the _French Thirty-fourth Regiment_ being made prisoners on this occasion by the second battalion of the British THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment[15]. The French General Brun, and Colonel the Prince d’Aremberg, were among the prisoners.

Sir Rowland Hill, speaking of the troops employed in this service, stated in his despatch,--“No praise of mine can do full justice to their admirable conduct; the patience and goodwill shown by all ranks during forced marches, in the worst of weather; their strict attention to the orders they received; the precision with which they moved to the attack; and their obedience to command during the action; in short, the manner every one has performed his duty from the commencement of the operation, merits my warmest thanks.” The conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Fenwick, of the THIRTY-FOURTH, was particularly commanded.

After this exploit the troops returned to the Alemtejo.

Towards the end of December the THIRTY-FOURTH again advanced into Spain, and were employed in operations to surprise a body of French troops at Merida, under General Dombrouski. On arriving at _La Nava_, the British cavalry found three hundred French infantry and a party of hussars in the town, and this body of troops, effecting its retreat to Merida with little loss, informed General Dombrouski of the approach of the British troops, and he retreated during the night.

[Sidenote: 1812]

In January, 1812, the siege of _Ciudad Rodrigo_ was undertaken, and the THIRTY-FOURTH and other corps, under Sir Rowland Hill, made a movement to co-operate in covering the troops employed in this enterprise, which ended in the capture of the besieged fortress by storm on the 19th of January.

When the siege of _Badajoz_ was undertaken, the THIRTY-FOURTH formed part of the covering army, and were stationed some time at Merida. The two divisions of the covering army, under Sir Rowland Hill and Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards advanced upon Almendralejos and Llerena, the THIRTY-FOURTH moving towards the former town. Marshal Soult collected a numerous force and advanced to relieve _Badajoz_; but learning that on the 6th of April that fortress was captured by storm, he retraced his steps.

After the capture of Badajoz, Lord Wellington proceeded towards the northern frontiers of Portugal, leaving the THIRTY-FOURTH in Estremadura, under Sir Rowland Hill; and in May the battalion was employed in an enterprise for the destruction of the enemy’s communication across the Tagus at _Almaraz_. After a march made with great secrecy, amidst various divisions of the enemy, the troops approached the bridge, the THIRTY-FOURTH being with the left column, which was prepared with ladders to capture the fort of Mirabete by escalade; but the difficulties of the march had retarded the progress of the troops, and as the attack could not be made before daylight, they remained concealed in the mountains until the evening of the 18th of May, when they moved forward. At daybreak, on the following morning, the left column, of which the THIRTY-FOURTH formed part, commenced a slight attack on the castle of Mirabete, at the same time another column captured the forts, which covered the bridge, by storm.

Speaking of the THIRTY-FOURTH, and other corps which operated on the Mirabete, Sir Rowland Hill stated in his despatch, “I regret much that the peculiar situation of Mirabete should have prevented my allowing the gallant corps to follow up an operation which they had commenced with much spirit, and were anxious to complete.”

The bridge having been destroyed, and the communication between the several divisions of the French army rendered more difficult, the British troops retired.

[Sidenote: 1813]

After the victory gained by the army under Lord Wellington at Salamanca, the troops under Sir Rowland Hill penetrated the Spanish provinces, and eventually advanced upon Madrid: they afterwards occupied a line from Toledo to Aranjuez. The THIRTY-FOURTH took part in these movements; and when the concentration of the enemy’s forces rendered a retrograde movement necessary, the battalion suffered, in common with the other corps, the fatigues and privations consequent upon this retreat;--the soldiers were not able to procure any other food besides acorns, chesnuts, and berries from the hedges, for nineteen days together; and the inclemency of the weather augmented the sufferings endured on this occasion. The retreat was continued to the frontiers of Portugal, where the army went into winter quarters.

During this year the first battalion was stationed at Secunderabad, in the East Indies.