Chapter IV: Part 4

This officer was appointed ensign in the Thirty-seventh Regiment on the 15th of April, 1774, and proceeding to North America at the commencement of the American war, he had repeated opportunities of distinguishing himself. He served at the capture of Long Island, and carried the regimental colour of his corps at the battle of Brooklyn, on the 27th of August, 1776. He also served at the capture of New York, and at the reduction of Fort Washington, and subsequently accompanied the expedition to Rhode Island; in the same year he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He proceeded with the expedition to Pennsylvania, and served at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, in 1777, and of Monmouth in 1778; also at the reduction of Mud Island. On the 10th of August, 1778, he was promoted to captain of a company in his regiment, in which rank he was present at the attack of Washington’s dragoons, in New Jersey. He proceeded with the expedition to South Carolina, and served at the siege of Charlestown, in 1780. He also shared in the fatigues, privations, and engagements of the campaign, under Major-General Earl Cornwallis, in the Carolinas and in Virginia, and was made prisoner at the surrender of York Town, on the 18th of October, 1781. On being liberated, Captain Coote returned to England, and was appointed major of the Forty-seventh Regiment in February, 1783. After serving five years in Ireland, he was nominated lieutenant-colonel of the Seventieth, in March, 1788; and in 1793 he was selected to command the first battalion of light infantry, in the expedition to the West Indies, under General Sir Charles (afterwards Earl) Grey, who captured the islands of Martinique, St. Lucia, and Guadaloupe. Lieutenant-Colonel Coote had opportunities of distinguishing himself at the reduction of these colonies, and being afterwards sent to England with despatches, he was nominated aide-de-camp to King George III., with the rank of colonel, in 1795. In 1796 he was appointed brigadier-general on the staff of Ireland; in 1798 he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and removed to the staff of South Britain; and after commanding at Dover a short period, he proceeded to Flanders, in charge of an expedition for the destruction of the sluices and works of the canal near Ostend, which was accomplished; but before the troops could re-embark, they were attacked by superior numbers, and forced to surrender. Major-General Coote was wounded on this occasion. After his exchange, he returned to his command at Dover. In 1799 he commanded a brigade in the expedition to Holland, under his Royal Highness the Duke of York; and after the return of the army, he resumed the command of the troops at Dover. In 1800 he proceeded with the expedition against Ferrol, and when the attack on that fortress was relinquished, he joined the armament in the Mediterranean, and accompanied General Sir Ralph Abercromby to Egypt. He commanded the leading division of the army which effected a landing in the Bay of Aboukir, on the 8th of March, 1801, and distinguished himself on that occasion, for which he was thanked, in orders, by Sir Ralph Abercromby. He commanded a brigade in the actions before Alexandria, and when the advance to Cairo was undertaken, he was left in command of the troops before Alexandria. After taking a distinguished part in delivering Egypt from the power of France, he returned to England, where he received the thanks of both houses of parliament, the approbation of his Sovereign, and was honored with the dignity of Knight of the Bath, and the first class of the Turkish Order of the Crescent.

On the 1st of January, 1805, Sir Eyre Coote was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, and nominated lieutenant-governor of Jamaica, where he resided upwards of three years. Returning to England, he was appointed to the command of a division of the army sent, in the summer of 1809, against Holland, under the Earl of Chatham. He was appointed colonel of the Sixty-second Regiment in 1806, and removed to the THIRTY-FOURTH in 1810: in 1814, he was promoted to the rank of general. He was removed from the service on the 21st May, 1816.

THE HONORABLE SIR GALBRAITH LOWRY COLE, G.C.B.

_Appointed 21st May, 1816._

THE HONORABLE GALBRAITH LOWRY COLE, son of the Earl of Enniskillen, entered the army a short time before the commencement of the French revolutionary war, and the contest which followed afforded him frequent opportunities for the display of professional ability. He was appointed captain in the Seventieth Foot, on the 30th of November, 1792, major of the Hundred and Second regiment on the 31st of October, 1793, lieutenant-colonel of Ward’s Regiment in November, 1793, and lieutenant-colonel of Villette’s corps in April, 1799; on the 1st of January, 1801, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. He served in Sicily, under Major-General Stuart,--was engaged in the invasion of Calabria, and had the honor of commanding a brigade at the battle of Maida, on the 4th of July, 1806, when the superiority of British courage and discipline was fully proved.

He was promoted to the rank of major-general in April, 1808, and was subsequently placed on the staff of the army in the Peninsula, where he commanded a division in numerous battles and skirmishes, in which the reputation of the British arms was exalted, and the enemies of England were overthrown by the superior prowess of the British troops. He received the local rank of lieutenant-general in Portugal and Spain in 1811,--the colonelcy of the One Hundred and Third Regiment in 1812,--the rank of lieutenant-general in 1813,--and the colonelcy of the Seventieth Regiment in January, 1814. After taking a conspicuous part in delivering Portugal and Spain from the power of the Emperor of France, he led his division through the Pyrenees, and shared in the struggle for the liberties of Europe, until the final overthrow of the power of Napoleon, and the restoration of the Bourbon family to the throne of France. He was rewarded with the honor of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, and received a cross and four clasps for commanding a brigade at the battle of Maida, and a division at the battles of Albuhera, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes, and Toulouse.

The Honorable Sir G. Lowry Cole, G.C.B., was nominated governor of the Mauritius; in 1816 he was appointed colonel of the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment, and in 1818 he obtained the government of Gravesend and Tilbury Fort. He was removed to the Twenty-seventh Regiment in 1826, and promoted to the rank of general in 1830. He died at Highfield Park, Hartford Bridge, on the 5th of October, 1842.

SIR THOMAS MAKDOUGALL BRISBANE, BARONET, G.C.B., and G.C.H.

_Appointed 16th December, 1826._

SUCCESSION OF LIEUTENANT-COLONELS

OF THE

THIRTY-FOURTH, OR CUMBERLAND, REGIMENT.

+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+
| Names. | Dates of | Dates of Removal, &c. |
| | Appointment. | |
+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+
| Thomas Dore | Feb. 12, 1702 | |
| Thomas Garth | March 24,1705 | |
| Richard Visct. Irwin| Jan. 11, | |
| | 1714-15 | |
| Thomas Whitney | July 22, 1715 | |
| James Paterson | Jan. 20, 1731 | { Died on ____ and succeeded |
| | | { on December 15, 1738. |
| John Hely | Dec. 15, 1738 |{ Died on ____ and succeeded |
| | |{ on August 12, 1741. |
| Maurice Powell | Aug. 12, 1741 | { Died on ____ and succeeded |
| | | { on February 17, 1745-6. |
| Charles Jeffreys | Feb.17,1745-6 |{ Promoted to be colonel-commandant|
| | |{ of Sixty-second Foot, |
| | |{ on February 17, 1745-6. |
| John Reed | Jan. 7, 1756 | Retired on May 5, 1769. |
| Hezekiah Fleming | April 27,1758 | { Removed to Seventy-third |
| | | { regiment, on April 27, 1758. |
| Samuel Townshend | May 5, 1769 |{ Retired on half-pay on May |
| | |{ 20, 1775. |
| Barry St. Leger | May 20, 1775 | Retired on May 20, 1785. |
| Robert Hoyes | May 20, 1785 | { Exchanged to half-pay Seventy- |
| | | { second regiment with |
| | | { Lieutenant-Colonel Hastings, |
| | | { on January 4, 1786. |
| Charles Hastings | Jan. 4, 1786 |{ Placed on half-pay Sixty-fifth |
| | |{ regiment, as captain, on |
| | |{ November 11, 1789. |
| Aubrey Earl of | Nov. 11, 1789 | Retired on October 22, 1794. |
| Burford | | |
| Richd. Mark Dickens | Oct. 22, 1794 | Died on December 14, 1808. |
| Dennis Mil Woodward | Sep. 1, 1795 | Retired on November 23, 1796. |
| Francis Cuninghame | Nov. 23, 1796 | { Exchanged into Second Foot |
| | | { Guards with Lieut.-Colonel |
| | | { Gascoyne, on January 24, 1799.|
| Isaac Gascoyne | Jan. 24, 1799 |{ Exchanged into Sixteenth |
| | |{ Foot, on March 9, 1803, with |
| | |{ Lieut.-Colonel Fancourt. |
| St. John Fancourt | March 9, 1803 | Died in July, 1806. |
| David Parkhill | Dec. 12, 1805 | Retired on August 20, 1807. |
| George Dodsworth | July 10, 1806 | Died on May 17, 1809. |
+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+

+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+
| John Maister | Aug. 20, 1807 | { Placed on half-pay June 25, |
| | | { 1817, on the reduction of the |
| | | { army. |
| William Fenwick | Dec. 15, 1808 | Retired on January 27, 1814. |
| Thomas Bradford | May 18, 1809 | { Exchanged to Eighty-second |
| | | { regiment with Lieut.-Colonel |
| | | { McDonnell on December 21, 1809.|
| Chichester McDonnell| Dec. 21, 1809 | Died on July 31, 1811. |
| William Thornton | Aug. 1, 1811 | { Removed to Greek regiment |
| | | { of Light Infantry, on January |
| | | { 23, 1812. |
| John M. Everard | Jan. 23, 1812 |{ Exchanged to Seventy-seventh |
| | |{ regiment with Lieut.-Colonel |
| | |{ Dunkin, on March 5, 1818. |
| Henry Roberts | Jan. 27, 1814 | Died on April 1, 1816. |
| Henry C. Dickens | April 2, 1816 | Retired on October 28, 1824. |
| John H. Dunkin | March 5, 1818 | { Placed on half-pay September |
| | | { 26, 1823. |
| Thomas Faunt | Oct. 28, 1824 | Retired on June 28, 1827. |
| Colin Campbell | June 28, 1827 | Retired May 8, 1828. |
| Henry R. Ferguson | May 8, 1828 | { Exchanged to half-pay, |
| | | { unattached, with Lieut.-Colonel|
| | | { Fox, on July 23, 1829. |
| Charles Richard Fox | July 23, 1829 |{ Removed to the Grenadier |
| | |{ Guards on October 8, 1830. |
| Richard Kelly | Oct. 8, 1830 | Retired on May 9, 1834. |
| Honorable Henry } | May 9, 1834 | { Exchanged to half-pay, |
| Sutton Fane } | | { unattached,on February 9, 1838,|
| | | { with Lt.-Colonel Drummond. |
| W. C. Drummond | Feb. 9, 1838 | Retired on February 10, 1838. |
| Richard Airey | Feb. 10, 1838 | Now in command of the regiment. |
+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+

SUCCESSION OF MAJORS

OF THE

THIRTY-FOURTH, OR CUMBERLAND, REGIMENT.

+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+
| | Dates of | |
| Names. | Appointment | Dates of Removal, &c. |
+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+
| | | |
| Thomas Garth | Before 1704 | Promoted March 24, 1705. |
| Robert Parsons | Before 1708 | |
| Richard Coles | Before 1708 | |
| Michaell Fleming | Jan. 11, | |
| | 1714-15 | |
| Charles Douglas | July 22, 1715 | |
| John Hely | May 12, 1731 | Promoted December 15, 1738. |
| Maurice Powell | Dec. 15, 1738 | Promoted August 12, 1741. |
| Michael Studholm | April 21, 1743| Retired on October 25, 1744. |
| Henry Hart | March 3, 1750 | { Lieut.-Governor of Sheerness. |
| | | { Resigned his majority in |
| | | { THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment, |
| | | { February 2, 1757. |
| John Dundas | Feb. 2, 1757 | Retired February 28, 1759. |
| Hezekiah Fleming | Sep. 5, 1756 | Promoted April 27, 1758. |
| Thomas Shirley | Feb. 28, 1759 | { Promoted to Sixty-seventh |
| | | { regiment, on June 2, 1761. |
| Robert Farmar | June 2, 1761 | Retired on November 23, 1768. |
| William Ogle | Nov. 23, 1768 | { Exchanged to half-pay with |
| | | { Major Brownrigg, on September |
| | | { 7, 1771. |
| Henry Brownrigg | Sep. 7, 1771 | Retired on November 28, 1771. |
| John Lind | Nov. 28, 1771 | { Promoted to Twentieth regiment, |
| | | { on January 6, 1776. |
| Alexander Dundas | Jan. 6, 1776 |{ Promoted to Eighth Foot, on |
| | |{ November 1, 1780. |
| Robert Hoyes | Nov. 1, 1780 | Promoted on May 20, 1785. |
| John Ross | May 20, 1785 | Retired on February 17, 1789. |
| Aubrey, Earl of } | Feb. 17, 1789 | { Promoted on November 11, |
| Burford } | | { 1789. |
| William Ancram | Nov. 11, 1789 | Retired July 25, 1792. |
| Robert Wood | July 25, 1792 | Retired November 22, 1797. |
| Francis Cuninghame | Sep. 1, 1795 | Promoted on November 23, 1796. |
| George Dodsworth | Nov. 23, 1796 | Promoted on July 10, 1806. |
| George Anderson | Nov. 22, 1797 | Retired on May 9, 1800. |
| Robert Gordon | May 9, 1800 | Retired on July 17, 1806. |
| William Fenwick | May 15, 1805 | Promoted on December 15, 1808. |
| John Bromhead | May 16, 1806 |{ Promoted to Seventy-seventh |
| | |{ regiment, on August 3, 1809. |
| Richard Diggens | July 17, 1806 | { Exchanged into Eleventh |
| | | { Light Dragoons, with Major |
| | | { Browne, on August 14, 1806. |
+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+

+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+
| Thomas Browne | Aug. 14, 1806 | { Exchanged to half-pay Ninth |
| | | { Foot, with Lieut.-Colonel |
| | | { Bodkin, on October 16, 1806. |
| Thomas Bodkin | Oct. 16, 1806 | Retired on July 10, 1806. |
| John M. Everard | July 10, 1806 | Promoted on January 23, 1812. |
| James Tomlinson } | April 30,1807 | Retired on February 1, 1810. |
| Terrewest } | | |
| Henry Roberts | Jan. 19, 1809 | Promoted on January 27, 1814. |
| Henry C. Dickens | June 26, 1809 | Promoted on April 2, 1816. |
| Walter Hovenden | Feb. 1, 1810 | Retired on March 26, 1812. |
| Henry Worsley | Jan. 23, 1812 | { Died at Newport, Isle of Wight,|
| | | { on May 13, 1820. |
| George Edwd. Pratt }| March 26,1812 | { Promoted to Sixty-first |
| Barlow }| | { regiment, on December 4, 1823.|
| Jas. Harrison Baker | March 10,1814 | Died on April 11, 1814. |
| Chas. Ramus Forrest | June 2, 1814 | { Placed on half-pay, on June |
| | | { 25, 1817, upon the reduction |
| | | { of the army. |
| Thomas Faunt | May 25, 1820 | Promoted October 28, 1824. |
| Edward Broderick | Dec. 4, 1823 | Retired on December 18, 1828. |
| Timothy Davies | Oct. 28, 1824 | { Exchanged to half-pay, |
| | | { unattached, with Major |
| | | { Ferguson, on December 28, 1826.|
| Henry R. Ferguson | Dec. 28, 1826 | Promoted May 8, 1828. |
| Richard Greaves | May 8, 1828 | { Exchanged to half-pay, |
| | | { unattached with Major Tew, on |
| | | { January 21, 1837. |
| Honorable Henry } | Dec. 18, 1828 | Promoted on May 9, 1834. |
| Sutton Fane } | | |
| Richard Airey | May 9, 1834 | Promoted on February 10, 1838. |
| Mark M’Leod Tew | Jan. 21, 1837 | Retired on August 4, 1837. |
| George Ruxton | Aug. 4, 1837 | { Exchanged to half-pay, |
| | | { unattached, with Major Ogilvy,|
| | | { on August 20, 1841. |
| Henry Deedes | Feb. 23, 1838 | Now serving with the regiment. |
| Walter Ogilvy | Aug. 20, 1841 | Retired August 20, 1841. |
| Charles Baillie } | Aug. 20, 1841 | { Exchanged to half-pay, |
| Brisbane } | | { unattached, with |
| | | { Brevet-Lieut.-Colonel Mair, |
| | | { on December 13, 1842. |
| Cornelius Cuyler } | Dec. 13, 1842 | Retired December 13, 1842. |
| P. Mair } | | |
| James John Best | Dec. 13, 1842 | Now serving with the regiment. |
+---------------------+---------------+-----------------------------------+

LONDON: HARRISON AND CO., PRINTERS, ST. MARTIN’S LANE.

REVIEW OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT,

AT DUBLIN,

ON THE 21st OF JUNE, 1844.

GENERAL SIR THOMAS MAKDOUGALL BRISBANE, Bart., G.C.B. and G.C.H., having arrived in Dublin from his seat, Makerstoun, near Kelso, reviewed this regiment (of which he is Colonel) in Richmond Barracks. After having received the general salute, he proceeded down the line, making a most minute inspection, and marking out and questioning every old soldier in the corps. The regiment then went through various movements, and concluded by forming square, when the General addressed the men in a most soldier-like and impressive manner, stating, that through a very long period of service, it had been his duty to inspect many Corps, and that he could safely aver that he had never seen one in better order, or in a higher state of discipline, than the THIRTY-FOURTH. He adverted to the importance of sobriety, and the advantages of education, as the means of any one belonging to the regiment attaining the rank which he himself held, instances of which, the General observed, were afforded by the British Army. He concluded by expressing his wish, that in order to commemorate his visit to the regiment, all prisoners, not under sentence of Courts Martial, might be allowed to return to their duty without further punishment.

Upon the regiment being dismissed, the men proceeded to their Barrack-room, where a most excellent dinner, including everything except spirits, had been prepared, at the expense of Sir Thomas Brisbane, for the whole of the non-commissioned officers, privates, women, and children, in the corps. During the repast the messes were visited by the General in person It is needless to observe, he was received with the most marked enthusiasm. He afterwards saw the Hospital, and the Boys and Girls’ School, with which he expressed himself much pleased.

General Sir Thomas M. Brisbane, during his stay in Dublin, attended several of the garrison field-days, consisting of three regiments of cavalry, five regiments of infantry, and two troops of horse artillery. The gallant General, as well as the Lord Lieutenant, and Sir Edward Blakeney, the Commander-in-Chief, who were present, expressed their warmest satisfaction at the manner in which the troops performed their various movements. The fine appearance of the THIRTY-FOURTH in particular was highly extolled. On one of these occasions, General Sir Thomas Brisbane, at the express desire of Sir Edward Blakeney, had the honour to receive a salute from the whole of the troops under arms.

The following is the effective strength of the regiment:--Head-Quarters, Dublin, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Airey. Total Effectives,--1 Lieutenant-Colonel, 1 Major, 10 Captains, 10 Lieutenants, 7 Ensigns, 5 Staff, 47 Serjeants, 14 Drummers, 788 rank and file.

LIST OF OFFICERS OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT, _On the 21st of June, 1844_.

Lieut.-Colonel Richard Airey.
Major H. Deedes.
Captain R. W. Byron.
” N. R. Brown.
” J. H. Mathews.
” E. Heathcote.
” H. J. Hutton.
” R. D. Kelly.
” A. C. Goodenough.
” F. H. Lang.
” Jno. Simpson.
” C. A. Schreiber.

Lieutenant C. F. Hervey.
” T. Bourke.
” J. Gwilt.
” A. C. Robertson.
” F. C. Harvey.
” J. T. Still.
” R. C. Packe.
” T. A. M. Brisbane.
” James Maxwell.
” H. H. Oxley.
” W. L. Talbot.
” E. F. Agnew.

Ensign E. W. Sitwell.
” C. W. G. Burrill.
” C. W. Randolph.
” D. M. Fyfe.
” Sir Geo. Douglas, Bt.
” M. G. Best.
” W. Warry.
” Jno. Robinson.

Paymaster C. B. Roche.
Adjutant E. Talbot.
Surgeon Wm. Bain.
Assistant Surgeon R. W. Fraser.

GRAND MILITARY BANQUET

TO THE

OFFICERS OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT,

AT DUBLIN.

GENERAL SIR THOMAS MAKDOUGALL BRISBANE, Bart., gave a magnificent entertainment at Morrisson’s Hotel, Dublin, on Tuesday evening, the 25th June, 1844, to the Officers of the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment, of which corps the gallant General is Colonel. Every delicacy in season, and every variety of the choicest wines were supplied in profusion. The distinguished entertainer, and his guests, were pleased to express themselves in the highest terms of the entire arrangements made by Mr. Baker for the occasion. The fine band of the regiment played during the evening some of the newest and most admired pieces of music.

After the health of Her Majesty had been drunk,

Sir Thomas gave the health of Colonel Airey and the Officers of the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment. In introducing the toast, the gallant General spoke nearly as follows:--Colonel Airey and Officers of the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment,--I beg most unfeignedly to assure you, that this is a most gratifying occasion to me; and I have looked forward to it with the greatest pleasure. Ever since the regiment returned from foreign service, I have been most anxious to meet with the Officers of so gallant a corps, which has distinguished itself on every occasion, and in various quarters of the globe; although I never had the good fortune to have the regiment immediately under my command, yet I have fought with it in many of the same battles. Even as far back as 1796, I fought with it at the capture of the island of St. Lucia. I also served with it in the Peninsula, and in all the battles which they proudly bear upon their colours, with the exception of Albuhera. We fought together at Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, and Orthes; and I consider that the regiment ought to have had Toulouse added to the others, and I regret that the high authorities decided otherwise. But the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment occupied a most important situation during that action, of which I was an eye-witness, being the nearest division to that of Lord Hill’s; and the returns of the killed and wounded on these various occasions, amounting to nearly 1800 men, proclaim that the regiment had borne the brunt of many a severe and hard-fought battle. I assure you, gentlemen, it is a source of great gratification to me that I have been enabled to record all these gallant deeds, and more particularly that of Arroya de Molinos. In that brilliant affair the THIRTY-FOURTH Regiment took the French Thirty-fourth Regiment prisoners, together with its brass drum, and Drum-Major’s Staff, &c.; and in consequence, the gallant corps to which you belong is permitted to enjoy a distinction that has fallen to the lot of no other regiment--that of wearing the white and red tufts in their caps. But this and the other heroic deeds will be imperishably recorded in the History of the Regiment, a copy of which I intend to present to every Officer, and also some copies to the library, that when any officer or soldier joins the regiment, he may, on reading all these gallant exploits, be animated with the desire of upholding that _esprit de corps_ which has happily ever subsisted in the regiment, and which I hope will ever continue. I cannot here omit to notice how much we are indebted to Mr. Cannon, of the Adjutant-General’s Office, for the pains and labour he has bestowed, to enable us to print these records, and to give a faithful detail of all our early operations, deduced from the most authentic sources. Next to the bravery before the enemy, I admire the conduct which has marked the regiment, wherever it has been quartered; and it is with a feeling of pride I say, that in every place in which it has been, both Officers and men have left with the high opinion of the inhabitants. Gentlemen, I assure you this visit associates itself with many remote and pleasing recollections, as I consider myself one of the few connecting links left which unite the army of the last century with that of the present; and I am happy to think, in drawing a parallel betwixt the two, the contrast is all in favour of the latter. In the first place, we are now a much more scientific army; next, we are an infinitely better educated body, and much more sober, as relates both to Officers and soldiers; and thirdly, as to our movements,--When I first joined the army, there was no officer to be found in a regiment who could give a sketch of a country, or delineate a position; now, in consequence of the establishment at Sandhurst, there are few regiments without several of the officers who are qualified, not only to give a sketch of a country, or delineate a position, but to construct field-works, or to undertake the siege if necessary. With regard to education, it was then difficult to find even a serjeant who could read and write, or keep accounts; whereas, now, almost every soldier in a regiment is so far educated, and there are 700 out of the 800 men of which the THIRTY-FOURTH is composed, who can read and write. The period that I allude to was when I was quartered in this city, in 1792 and a part of 1793. Dundas’s system was then introduced into the service. Before that time no uniformity existed in our military movements, nor even in the words of command; for if an officer was sent from one regiment to another, he would not have understood them, since regiments moved according to the fancy of their respective commanding officers. Now, as the THIRTY-FOURTH, about the time I am speaking of, had been long in America, its movements were principally those of light troops; and a favourite one was that of moving from the centre and flanks of companies by files. I have had the advantage of serving in the first and second campaigns of the war with the Austrian and Prussian armies; and I may say I have seen almost the whole of the European armies in motion upon a large scale; and I consider that the British, in point of quickness and accuracy, stands foremost; and nobody will doubt that their physical strength and moral courage are superior to that of any other nation. It is all one to the British soldier where his enemy may be,--whether in his front, flanks, or rear,--he will fight him as long as his officer orders him, as at Waterloo, where whole faces of the squares were swept away with round shot, still the British soldier was found immovable. And although you may characterise the British soldier as the lion in the field, yet the most noble of all his traits, according to my estimation, is his humanity after a battle, when the lion suddenly changes to the lamb; and I never saw an instance in all my service in which the British soldier committed an act of cruelty upon his fallen enemy[17]. Next to the British soldier, I consider the Russian the most formidable while placed in position, although he cannot move[18]; and I may instance the fact in support of this, that at the battle of Borodino, the redoubts were five times taken by the French, and as often retaken by the Russians. Napoleon, finding he could make no impression on their iron front, made a flank movement with his army during the night, and got betwixt them and Moscow. It is too much the idea amongst the continental armies, that if their centre is pierced, or their flanks are turned, the battle is lost, as at the unfortunate battle of Jena, which the Prussians lost, and which decided the fate of their country. The same may be said with regard to the Austrians, at the battles of Wagram and Asperne, which led to the occupation of Vienna by the French, and to peace. How widely different with the British soldier! While in Paris, in the year 1815, I had many conversations with French officers of high rank, who argued strongly, that by all the laws of war, the English had lost the Battle of Waterloo, as their centre had been pierced, their flanks turned, and their artillery were in possession of the French. Could these gentlemen have possibly paid a higher compliment to the British army, although they wished to turn that compliment to their own account. When Napoleon saw the English army drawn up in position for the Battle of Waterloo, he remarked to Marshal Soult, “There are the English, I have got them at last, and I think it is nine chances out of ten that I have them all before night.” The Marshal, who had had a great deal of experience of the English, while opposed to them in Spain and in the South of France, replied to the Emperor, “Your Majesty certainly sees the English army, but you will find them like trees, rivetted to the ground.” I may here mention, in confirmation of this, that when the Kremlin was re-occupied by the Russians, the portfolio of Berthier, the War Minister, was found, giving a return of the French army in Russia, amounting to 400,000 infantry, and 80,000 cavalry. There were also found secret reports from the French Marshals opposed to the English in Spain, and addressed to Napoleon himself, stating that the French army could not be got to withstand the English when they came in close quarters! I have been long anxious to get the regiment to come to Scotland, that I might have an opportunity of uniting the bond of friendship and good understanding with myself and with the Officers more closely, and particularly as it is now ninety-eight years since it was in that country. In the year 1746, the regiment fought at the Battle of Culloden, and by a singular and rather extraordinary coincidence, my father fought with it in that action as _Aide-de-Camp_ to the Earl of Home. I felt exceedingly gratified in examining into the interior economy of the regiment, to find that it is perfect and complete, both as to barracks, hospitals, and school; and I regret that my right honourable friend, Sir Edward Blakeney, the Commander-in-Chief, is not here to receive the report, as also in reference to its movements in the field: It is impossible for me to express too high an opinion of Colonel Airey, and the hearty co-operation he must have received from his officers to have enabled him to have brought the regiment to its present state of perfection; he could only have accomplished it by establishing a chain of responsibility throughout all ranks, where every individual discharged his proper duty, and to which we may ascribe the brilliant victories we always obtained under our great and invincible leader, who strictly enforced this amongst all ranks of his army, and which enabled him to declare to me his conviction, after the battle of Toulouse, when the army was about to be broken up, that he had commanded the most perfect army that ever was in existence. In conclusion, I fear I have occupied a good deal of your time, but I was anxious that you should hear many of these important military facts, from an individual who has passed above fifty years in the service, and who, in following up his profession, has crossed the tropics twelve times, the equinoxial line twice, and circumnavigated the globe, besides having been in America and other parts of the world.

“Quæque ipse miserrima vidi,
Et quorum pars magna fui.”

Colonel Airey, in reply to the toast, took occasion to remark, that it was owing entirely to the hearty co-operation and assistance he had derived from every officer in the regiment, he had been enabled to bring it to the state of perfection in which the gallant General, who was then Colonel, had found it.

Many other toasts were afterwards given, and the meeting broke up at a late hour, but not before health and long life to Sir Thomas had been drunk with at least nine times nine in the most cordial manner.

FOOTNOTES:

[17] There is no parallel in history of an army like the English marching through the South of France, then an enemy’s country, observing such rigid discipline and order that everything was paid for as scrupulously as if it had been in England; and that even the French officers and soldiers told the inhabitants not to quit their houses on the absence of the English army, as they had nothing to fear. I may be induced to make this remark, as none of the authors who have written on these campaigns have sufficiently dwelt on this important feature of the British army. It is a fact, that commissaries were left behind to pay for every article consumed by our army.

[18] In confirmation of this it may be mentioned, that when the late Emperor Alexander of Russia gave a grand review to the Duke of Wellington, at Vertus, about eighty miles from Paris, of 130,000 Russians, picquets were driven into the ground at every wheeling point. How widely different are the movements of the British army! Some time afterwards, when the whole army under the command of his Grace were reviewed in presence of the allied Sovereigns, Field-Marshals, and Commanders, he moved the whole of his forces from the position they had taken, to nearly a quarter of a mile in the rear, no doubt with the view of showing that there were no picquets driven into the ground to direct the movements of the troops.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

The roman page numbering at the front of the book goes from i to xix,
then from v to viii; this has not been changed.

Several illustrations have a printer’s note in the caption that says
“(To face page n)”; this page number n is sometimes incorrect but has
not been changed.

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
the text and consultation of external sources.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.

Pg v: ‘Returns to England 5’ replaced by ‘Returns to England 15’.
Pg viii: Entries for the first two Plate illustrations in the book have
been inserted in the list of Plates.
Pg viii: ‘Colours and Uniform of Officers’ replaced by ‘Uniform
of Officers’.
Pg 41: ‘sland of St.’ replaced by ‘island of St.’.
Pg 63: ‘to Bourdeaux,’ replaced by ‘to Bordeaux,’.
Pg 89: blank space for a missing date replaced by ‘____’.
Pg 98 Footnote 17: ‘as scruulously as’ replaced by ‘as scrupulously as’.
Pg 100: ‘the the brilliant’ replaced by ‘the brilliant’.
Pg 100: ‘had been drank’ replaced by ‘had been drunk’.