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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, end 32nd Regiments were formed as Marine corps
in 1702, end 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 forcibly impressed on the
consideration of every part of the army, that it has been a strict
observance of order, discipline, end 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. There have all been surmounted by the conduct of the
troops themselves: and the enemy has been taught, that whatever
advantages of position or numbers he may possess, there is inherent
in the British officers and soldiers a bravery that knows not how to
yield,—that no circumstances can appal,—and that will ensure victory,
when it is to be obtained by the exertion of any human means.”
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE NINETY-SECOND REGIMENT,
ORIGINALLY TERMED
“THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS”
AND NUMBERED
THE HUNDREDTH REGIMENT;
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1794
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1850.
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.
THE NINETY-SECOND REGIMENT
(HIGHLANDERS),
BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR AND APPOINTMENTS
THE WORD “EGMONT-OP-ZEE,”
IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS GALLANT CONDUCT IN ACTION ON THE
2ND OCTOBER, 1799;
THE WORD “MANDORA,”
IN CONSIDERATION OF ITS GALLANTRY AND GOOD CONDUCT
ON THE HEIGHTS OF MANDORA, NEAR ALEXANDRIA
ON THE 13TH OF MARCH, 1801;
AND THE SPHINX, WITH THE WORD “EGYPT,”
IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS SERVICES DURING THE CAMPAIGN IN EGYPT
IN THE YEAR 1801;
ALSO THE WORDS,
“CORUNNA,”—“FUENTES D’ONOR,”—“ALMARAZ,”—
“VITTORIA,”—“PYRENEES,”—“NIVE,”—
“ORTHES,”—AND “PENINSULA,”—
IN TESTIMONY OF ITS SERVICES IN SPAIN AND SOUTH OF FRANCE,
FROM 1808 TO 1814;
AND THE WORD “WATERLOO,”
IN HONOR OF ITS DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT
ON THE 18TH OF JUNE 1815.
THE
NINETY-SECOND REGIMENT
(HIGHLANDERS).
CONTENTS
OF THE
HISTORICAL RECORD.
Year Page
1793 INTRODUCTION 1
1794 Letter of Service to the Duke of Gordon,
authorizing His Grace to raise a regiment in
Scotland —
—— Appointment of the Marquis of Huntly to be
lieut.-colonel commandant —
—— Establishment of the regiment 2
—— Embodied at Aberdeen, and called _The Gordon
Highlanders_ —
—— Embarked from Scotland for Southampton —
—— Uniform of the regiment 3
—— Embarked for Gibraltar —
—— Received its colours at Gibraltar 4
1795 Embarked for Corsica —
—— Inspected by Lieut.-General Thomas Trigge —
1796 Reviewed by Lieut.-General Sir Gilbert Eliott 5
—— Proceeded to Corte to suppress a rebellion —
—— Received the thanks of Lieut.-General the
Honorable J. T. De Burgh, commanding in
Corsica —
1796 Lieut.-Colonel Commandant the Marquis of
Huntly promoted to the colonelcy of the
regiment; Major Charles Erskine to be
lieut.-colonel; and Captain Alexander Napier
to be major 5
—— Expedition against _Porto Ferrajo_ in the Isle of
Elba 6
—— The British troops withdrawn from Corsica, and
returned to Gibraltar —
—— Received the thanks of the Lieut.-General
commanding, on leaving Corsica 7
—— Landed at Gibraltar, and inspected by the
Lieut.-Governor —
—— Holland having leagued with France, declared
war against Great Britain —
—— Spain also joined France, and declared war —
1797 Attempts were made to negociate a pence with
France, but did not succeed 8
1798 Regiment embarked for England, and arrived at
Portsmouth —
—— Embarked for Ireland, and arrived at Dublin —
—— Serious disturbances took place in Ireland 9
—— Regiment conveyed in carriages to certain disturbed
places —
—— Encamped in the vicinity of Gorey —
—— Received the thanks of the inhabitants, through
the Dean of Ferns, for its conduct 10
—— Landing of a detachment of French under Gen.
Humbert at Bantry Bay 11
—— Surrender of the French and rebel forces to
Lieut.-General Lake —
—— Thanks of Parliament communicated to the
troops employed —
—— The numerical title changed from 100th, to
NINETY-SECOND regiment 12
1798 Proceeded into quarters at Athlone 12
—— Bonaparte’s invasion of Egypt —
—— Admiral Nelson’s victory over the French fleet
in Aboukir Bay —
—— War declared by the Sublime Porte against
France in consequence of the invasion of
Egypt —
—— Co-operation of Russia against France —
1799 Conjoined expedition of British and Russian
forces against the French in Holland 13
—— Regiment marched to Cork for embarkation —
—— Expression of thanks, and complimentary address
from the inhabitants of Athlone on the regiment
quitting that garrison —
—— Embarked at Ramsgate for Holland 14
—— Arrived on the Dutch coast, and advanced to
Oude Sluys 15
—— Engaged the French and Dutch forces under
General Brune on the 10th September —
—— H. R. H. the Duke of York joined and assumed
the command of the British and Russian forces
on the 14th of September 16
—— Attacked the French at _Alkmaar_ —
—— Retired to former position on the Zuype —
—— Again engaged the French at _Egmont-op-Zee_
on the 2nd of October —
—— Convention concluded for withdrawing the British
and Russian troops from Holland 19
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“_Egmont-op-Zee_,” on the regimental colour
and appointments —
—— Regiment returned to England 20
—— Proceeded to Chelmsford, and formed in brigade
under Major-General Moore —
1800 Marched to the Isle of Wight, and embarked for
the _Isle of Houat_ on the coast of France 21
—— Proceeded against _Belle-Isle_ —
—— Returned to the Isle of Houat —
—— Embarked for Minorca —
—— Assembled with other corps under the command
of General Sir Ralph Abercromby —
—— Embarked and proceeded to _Cadiz_, but abandoned
the enterprise on account of a disease
prevailing in that city —
—— Proceeded to Gibraltar and Minorca, and thence
to _Malta_, which had surrendered to Great
Britain 22
—— Sailed from Malta to _Egypt_ with the expedition
under General Sir Ralph Abercromby —
—— Arrived in Marmorice Bay —
1801 Proceeded to the Bay of Aboukir —
—— Landing of the British troops on the 8th of
March —
—— Engagement with the French troops on the
heights of _Mandora_, near Alexandria, on
the 13th of March 23
—— Lieut.-Colonel Erskine was killed; two captains,
six lieutenants (three of them mortally), and
two ensigns were wounded; 22 rank and file
were killed, and 77 were wounded 24
—— Received the Royal permission to bear the word
“_Mandora_,” on the regimental colour and
appointments —
—— Received the thanks of General Sir Ralph
Abercromby, for its conduct in the action of
Mandora 25
—— Furnished the guard at the head-quarters of the
Commander-in-Chief —
1801 _Battle of Alexandria_ on the 21st of March 26
—— Death of General Sir Ralph Abercromby on
28th of March —
—— Marched to Aboukir, thence to _Rosetta_, and arrived
before _Grand-Cairo_ —
—— Convention concluded at Cairo by which the
place was surrendered, and the French troops
were to be conveyed to France —
—— The thanks of His Majesty, and of both Houses
of Parliament, communicated to the army for
the bravery evinced at the landing at Aboukir,
and in the actions on the 13th and 21st of
March 27
—— Promotion of Major Alexander Napier to be
lieut.-colonel, in succession to Lieut.-Colonel
Erskine, killed in action on the 13th of
March —
—— Letter from H. R. H. the Duke of York,
Commander-in-Chief, announcing His Majesty’s
approval of the promotions taking place in
the regiment in filling up the vacancies
occasioned by the loss of Lieut.-Colonel
Erskine —
—— Regiment proceeded to Aboukir, and encamped
before Alexandria 28
—— Alexandria surrendered by capitulation, and the
campaign in Egypt terminated —
—— The thanks of His Majesty, King George III.,
and of the two Houses of Parliament, communicated
to the army employed in Egypt, and
the Royal authority given for the _Sphinx_
with the word “_Egypt_,” to be borne on the
regimental colours and appointments —
—— The Grand Seignior conferred the order of
Knighthood of the Crescent on the General
Officers, and presented gold medals to the
officers employed with the army in Egypt:
he also erected a palace at Constantinople for
the future residence of the British Ambassadors 29
1801 List of the names of the officers of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment, who received gold medals
for service in Egypt —
—— Regiment marched for Aboukir and embarked
for Malta, from whence it proceeded to
Ireland 30
1802 The Peace of Amiens concluded —
—— Regiment embarked from Ireland, and proceeded
to Glasgow 31
1803 War declared against France —
—— A second battalion added to the regiment formed
from men raised under the _Army of Reserve Act_ —
—— Regiment removed from Glasgow to Weeley,
where the second battalion was formed —
—— Great preparations made in France for the invasion
of England 32
1804 Napoleon Bonaparte created _Emperor of the
French_, and _King of Italy_ —
—— The _Additional Force Act_ passed as a further
measure of defense —
—— The two battalions marched to Colchester, and
encamped on Lexden Heath, from whence they
returned to Weeley 33
—— Second battalion proceeded to Ireland —
1805 First battalion brigaded with 42nd, 91st, and
95th (Rifle) regiments at Weeley —
—— Reviewed at Colchester by H. R. H. the Duke of
York, the commander-in-chief —
—— Marched from Weeley to Ospringe and thence
to Canterbury 34
1806 Marched to London and attended the public
funeral of Admiral Viscount Nelson at St.
Paul’s Cathedral 34
—— Major-General Honorable John Hope (afterwards
Earl of Hopetoun) appointed to be colonel in
succession to the Marquis of Huntly, removed
to the 42nd regiment —
1807 Embarked at Harwich on an expedition for
Elsineur, under Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart,
to take possession of the navy of Denmark 35
—— Advanced to attack the Danes at Kioge with the
troops under Major-General Sir Arthur Wellesley 36
—— Bombardment of Copenhagen, and surrender of
the Danish fleet and stores to the British
Government 37
—— General Orders expressing the approbation of
His Majesty King George III., and of the
Commander of the Forces, to the General and
Staff Officers, and troops employed 38
—— Re-embarked for England and marched to
Colchester 39
1808 Embarked at Harwich with an armament under
Lieut.-General Sir John Moore and proceeded
to Sweden 40
—— Returned to England and rendezvoused at
Yarmouth, from whence the fleet proceeded
to Spithead —
—— Embarked for Portugal and joined the British
army in that country —
—— Proceeded with the force employed in Spain
under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore 41
1809 Placed in position and bivouacked in front of
Lugo 42
1809 Arrived at Corunna, and engaged in action with
the French army 43
—— Lieut.-General Sir John Moore killed —
—— Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Napier killed at the
head of the NINETY-SECOND regiment, and
Lieut.-Colonel John Lamont succeeded to the
lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment —
—— Received the thanks of the two Houses of Parliament,
and the Royal permission to bear
the word “_Corunna_” on the regimental colour
and appointments 44
—— Embarked at Corunna and disembarked at
Portsmouth, from whence it marched to
Weeley Barracks —
—— Received orders to prepare again for foreign
service 45
—— Embarked with the expedition under Lieut.-General
the Earl of Chatham, for the
Scheldt —
—— The object of the expedition being thwarted, and
much disease occurring among the troops, they
re-embarked for England; the NINETY-SECOND
regiment proceeded to Woodbridge 46
1810 Embarked a second time for the Peninsula, and
joined the army under Lieut.-General the
Viscount Wellington 47
1811 Marched from Lisbon and joined the army under
Viscount Wellington in the lines of Torres
Vedras 48
—— Brigaded with the 50th and 71st regiments 49
—— Marshal Massena retreated from his position near
Santarem, and pursued by the troops under
Viscount Wellington —
—— The siege of Badajoz commenced 50
1811 Regiment engaged at the Battle of _Fuentes
d’Onor_ 50
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the words
“_Fuentes d’Onor_” on the regimental colour
and appointments 51
—— The French retreated towards Ciudad Rodrigo,
crossed the Agueda, and evacuated Almeida —
—— The siege of Badajoz raised 52
—— _The battle of Albuhera_ —
—— The siege of Badajoz again commenced —
—— The siege of Badajoz again relinquished —
—— The British army recrossed the Guadiana —
—— Marched to Elvas, and thence to Portalegre —
—— Investment of Ciudad Rodrigo —
—— Engagement at El Bodon —
—— Withdrew to Portalegre —
—— Advanced towards Arroyo del Molinos —
—— Attack and defeat of General Girard’s division
at Arroyo del Molinos 54
—— The thanks of Lieut.-General Hill to the troops
for their conduct in the action of Arroyo del
Molinos 55
—— The approbation of H. R. H. the Prince Regent,
and of H. R. H. the Commander-in-Chief,
conveyed to the troops for their services in
this action —
—— Preparations made by Viscount Wellington for
the recapture of _Ciudad Rodrigo_ 56
—— The British troops entered Merida —
1812 _Storm and capture of Ciudad Rodrigo_ 57
—— Regiment marched to Albuquerque —
—— Preparations made for the siege of Badajoz the
_third_ time —
—— _Capture of Badajoz by assault_ 58
1812 Marched to the attack of Almaraz 59
—— Destruction of the works and bridge at Almaraz 60
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“_Almaraz_” on the regimental colour and
appointments —
—— Marched to various stations preparatory to an
attack on the forts of Salamanca 61
—— _The Battle of Salamanca_ 62
—— The Marquis of Wellington entered Madrid 63
—— Regiment moved to Aranjuez —
—— Siege of the castle of Burgos, which was afterwards
raised 64
—— Defence of the town of Alba de Tormes 65
—— Marched into quarters at Coria 66
1813 The French blew up the _Castle of Burgos_, and
retreated 67
—— The French army took up a position in the
neighbourhood of Vittoria 68
—— _The Battle of Vittoria_ —
—— The Royal authority was granted for the regiment
to bear the word “_Vittoria_” on the regimental
colour and appointments 69
—— Skirmish at Almandoz 70
—— Siege of St. Sebastian —
—— Investment of Pampeluna by the Spaniards —
—— Marshal Soult appointed to the command of the
French army, with the title of _Lieutenant of
the Emperor_ 71
—— Regiment engaged at the Pass of Maya —
—— Lieut.-Colonel Cameron permitted by His Majesty
to bear the word _Maya_ on his shield 72
—— Number of officers and men killed and wounded
in the action at Maya Pass 73
—— Engaged at a village between Lizasso and
Eguaros 74
1814 Again engaged on a height at Dona Maria 74
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“_Pyrenees_” on the regimental colour and
appointments 75
—— Marched from Maya, and encamped near
Roncesvalles —
—— St. Sebastian and Pampeluna being taken, the
British commander resolved to carry the
war into France —
—— Attack of the position on the _Nivelle_ 76
—— Went into quarters at Cambo —
—— Crossed the river _Nive_ 77
—— Engaged in action at _St. Pierre_ —
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“_Nive_” on the regimental colour and appointments 78
—— Marched to St. Jean de Luz, and returned to
Urt 79
—— Attacked and defeated the enemy at _Hellette_ —
—— Also at _Garris_ —
—— Affair at _Arriverete_ 80
—— The Royal authority granted to Lieut.-Colonel
Cameron, to bear on his crest the figure of a
Highlander of the 92nd regiment, up to the
middle in water, &c., &c., with the word
_Arriverete_ —
—— Crossed the Gave d’Oleron, and moved on the
road to _Orthes_ 83
—— Engaged at the _battle of Orthes_ —
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“_Orthes_” on the regimental colour and
appointments —
—— Attack and defeat of the enemy at _Aire_ 84
—— Orders issued to the troops engaged in the action
at _Aire_ 85
1814 Address from the mayor and inhabitants of Aire 86
—— Regiment moved to Vic Bigorre, in pursuit;
thence to Tarbes and to Muret, on the road
to Toulouse 87
—— The French evacuated _Toulouse_, the white flag
was hoisted; and the British army entered
the city 88
—— Abdication of Napoleon announced —
—— The intelligence disbelieved at _Bayonne_, from
whence a desperate sortie was made by the
French garrison —
—— Regiment marched into Villa Franche, to Beziege,
and thence to Toulouse 89
—— Peace established between Great Britain and
France: Louis XVIII. placed on the throne of
France; and Napoleon Bonaparte proceeded to
the Isle of Elba —
—— Regiment marched to Blanchfort; thence to
Pouillac —
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“_Peninsula_,” on the regimental colour and
appointments —
—— Moved down the Garonne in small craft, and
embarked for Ireland —
—— Disembarked at Monkstown, and marched to
Fermoy —
—— Received the thanks of Parliament for its meritorious
and eminent services during the war —
—— Inspected at Fermoy by Major-General Sir
William Aylett, who testified his approbation
of its appearance and interior economy —
—— The second battalion disbanded at Edinburgh 90
1815 Napoleon Bonaparte quitted Elba, and returned
to Paris: Louis XVIII. withdrew to Ghent;
and _Napoleon_ resumed the dignity of _Emperor
of the French_ —
—— Preparations for war immediately recommenced —
—— Regiment embarked at Cork for Ostend;
from thence proceeded to Bruges, and to Ghent 91
—— Marched to Brussels and brigaded —
—— Reviewed by Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington —
—— Action at Quatre Bras 92
—— Colonel Cameron killed —
—— Received the particular commendations of the
Duke of Wellington 93
—— Number of officers and men killed and wounded
at Quatre Bras —
—— _The Battle of Waterloo_ 94
—— Destructive charge on a French column at _La
Haye Sainte_ by the Scots Greys and _92nd
Regiment_ 96
—— The boldness and intrepidity of “_Les Braves
Ecossais_” attracted the astonishment of Napoleon
Bonaparte —
—— The Prussian army on the road from Wavre —
—— The French made a last effort by a general
attack, and were repulsed —
—— The allied troops advanced in pursuit, and
forced the enemy to abandon every position,
his artillery, arms, stores, &c. &c. —
—— The victory at Waterloo thus was achieved, and
a lasting peace has ensued 97
—— Numbers of officers and men killed and
wounded at _Waterloo_ —
1815 Honors and rewards conferred on the officers
and men engaged in the battle of Waterloo 97
—— Received the Royal authority to bear the word
“_Waterloo_” on the regimental colour and
appointments —
—— The thanks of the Houses of Parliament communicated 98
—— Received also the thanks of the Highland
Society of Scotland —
—— The Allied army continued the pursuit of the
French to Paris —
—— General order issued by Field Marshal the
Duke of Wellington, announcing that, in concert
with Field Marshal the Prince Blucher,
he had concluded a military convention
with the Commander-in-Chief of the French
army near Paris, by which the French were
to evacuate St. Denis, St. Ouen, Clichy,
Neuilly, the heights of Monte Martre, and
Paris, at specific and immediate periods; and
congratulating the army upon the results of
their glorious victory —
—— Louis XVIII. returned to Paris, and was reinstated
on the throne of France 99
—— Napoleon Bonaparte fled to the South of France,
and surrendered himself to the Captain of the
British ship of war, the “Bellerophon.” He
was subsequently removed to the Island of
St. Helena, which was agreed upon to be
fixed as his future residence —
—— The British army was reviewed in camp near
Paris by the Emperors of Austria and Russia,
and other Sovereigns in alliance with Great
Britain —
1815 Regiment marched to St. Germains, and thence
to Boulogne 99
—— Complimentary orders issued by Major-General
Sir Denis Pack on the regiment quitting his
command —
—— Marched to Calais, and embarked for England 100
1816 Landed at Margate, and thence proceeded to
Colchester, and subsequently to Edinburgh —
—— The Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, while on a
visit at Edinburgh, was present at an inspection
of the regiment —
1817 Embarked for Ireland —
1819 Embarked for Jamaica 101
—— Sustained serious losses in officers and men from
yellow fever 102
1820 Appointment of Lieut.-General John Hope to
be Colonel in succession to General the Earl
of Hopetoun, removed to the 42nd regiment 103
1823 Appointment of Lieut.-General Hon. Alexander
Duff to be Colonel in succession to Lieut.-General
Sir John Hope, removed to the 72nd
Regiment 106
1824 Address from the magistrates and vestry of
Trelawny on the good conduct of the regiment
while stationed in that part of the island 107
1825 The regiment formed into six _service_, and four
_depôt_ companies 109
1827 Embarked for England on being relieved by the
84th regiment 110
—— Landed at Portsmouth, and proceeded to Edinburgh
castle —
1828 Embarked for Ireland 111
1829 Lieut.-Colonel John McDonald, appointed from
half-pay, assumed the command of the regiment 112
1830 Orders received for tartan trousers to be adopted
on all occasions, when the kilt is not worn 112
—— Inspected by Lieut.-General Sir John Byng,
commanding the forces in Ireland, by whom
great approbation was expressed on the state of
the regiment —
—— Address received from the magistrates of
_Queen’s County_ on the good conduct of the
regiment, particularly when called upon to aid
the civil power 114
—— New colours presented to the regiment by Lieut.-General
Sir John Byng, K.C.B., with a complimentary
address 115
1831 Orders expressive of the approbation of the
General Commanding in Chief of the conduct
of the regiment, and of the zeal and exertions
of Lieut.-Colonel McDonald 118
—— Appointment of Lieut.-General Sir John Hamilton
Dalrymple, Bart. (afterwards Earl of
Stair) to be Colonel in succession to Lieut.-General
Hon. Alexander Duff, removed to
the 37th regiment 119
—— Inspected by Major-General Sir Edward Blakeney,
K.C.B., by whom great commendation
was bestowed —
1832 Detachment employed in aid of the civil power,
and in the protection of the magistrates 120
1833 Regiment formed into six service and four depôt
companies preparatory for foreign service —
—— Depôt companies embarked for Scotland 121
1834 Service companies embarked for Gibraltar —
1836 Ditto for Malta —
—— Depôt companies embarked for Ireland —
1837 Service companies inspected by Major-General
Sir Henry Bouverie, K.C.B., commanding at
Malta —
1838 Inspected by H. R. H. Prince Maximilian of
Bavaria, on his visit at Malta 121
—— Furnished a Guard of Honor to receive Her
Majesty the Queen Dowager, on her arrival
at Malta 122
—— The Officers presented to Her Majesty —
—— The Regiment passed in review before Her
Majesty —
1840 Depôt companies embarked for Scotland 123
1841 Service companies embarked from Malta for the
West Indies —
1843 Appointment of Lieut.-General Sir William
Macbean, K.C.B., to be Colonel in succession
to General the Earl of Stair, removed to the
46th regiment 124
—— Service companies embarked from the West
Indies for England —
1844 Proceeded to Scotland, and joined by the depôt
companies at Aberdeen —
1846 Received the thanks of the Magistrates and
Commissioners of Police at Edinburgh —
—— Embarked for Ireland —
—— Colonel John McDonald promoted to the rank
of Major-General, and Major John Alexander
Forbes promoted to be Lieutenant-Colonel 125
1850 Stationed in Ireland, and moved to Kilkenny —
—— Received orders to prepare for Foreign Service —
—— Received complimentary address from the
Mayor and Citizens of Kilkenny —
1851 Embarked for Corfu —
—— THE CONCLUSION 126
PLATES.
Costume of the regiment _to face page_ 1
Colours of the regiment ” 28
Plan of Arroyo-del-Molinos ” 54
Two soldiers on duty ” 126
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF THE
NINETY-SECOND REGIMENT,
(HIGHLANDERS.)
Year Page
1796 George, Marquis of Huntly, G.C.B. 127
1806 John, Earl of Hopetoun, G.C.B. 129
1820 Sir John Hope, G.C.B. 131
1823 Honorable Sir Alexander Duff, G.C.B. 132
1831 John, Earl of Stair, K.T. —
1843 Sir William Macbean, K.C.B. —
SUCCESSION OF LIEUTENANT-COLONELS 133
SUCCESSION OF MAJORS 134
APPENDIX.
Page
General Order, dated 16th of May, 1801, relating to
the campaign in Egypt, and the death of
General Sir Ralph Abercromby 137
List of regiments, and names of the Commanding Officers,
employed in Egypt in 1801 139
List of regiments employed in the expedition to
Copenhagen in 1807 141
General Orders, dated 18th of January, and 1st of
February, 1809, relating to the _Battle of
Corunna_, and the death of Lieut.-General Sir
John Moore, on the 16th of January, 1809 142 & 144
List of regiments, and the names of the Commanding
Officers, which composed the army under
Lieut.-General Sir John Moore at Corunna 146
List of the British and Hanoverian regiments, as
formed in brigades and divisions, and the names
of the General Officers, and of the Commanding
Officers of Regiments, at the _Battle of Waterloo_,
on the 18th of June, 1815 147
[Illustration: 92nd REGIMENT (GORDON HIGHLANDERS.)
_For Cannon’s Military Records._
_Madeley Lith. 3, Wellington St. Strand._]
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE NINETY-SECOND REGIMENT,
(HIGHLANDERS.)
[Sidenote: 1793]
The French Revolution, which commenced in the year 1789, by its
destroying and sanguinary course, menaced Europe with universal
anarchy. On the 21st of January, 1793, Louis XVI. was decapitated,
and on the 1st of February the National Convention declared war
against Great Britain and Holland.
Augmentations were in consequence made to the army; volunteer
companies were formed by the patriotism of the British people, and
every exertion was made to defend those institutions which had raised
England to a high position among the nations of Europe.
[Sidenote: 1794]
To these events the NINETY-SECOND regiment owes its origin. A letter
of service was addressed to the Duke of Gordon on the 10th of
February, 1794, authorizing him to raise a regiment in Scotland, and
the commission of Lieut.-Colonel Commandant was conferred upon his
son the Marquis of Huntly.
The establishment of the regiment was directed to consist of
one lieut.-colonel commandant, two majors, ten captains, one
captain-lieutenant, twenty-one lieutenants, eight ensigns, one
adjutant, quarter-master, surgeon, assistant-surgeon, chaplain,
serjeant-major, quarter-master serjeant, forty serjeants, twenty
drummers, two fifers, and one thousand rank and file.
On the 24th of June, 1794, the regiment was embodied at Aberdeen,
and was generally known as “_The Gordon Highlanders_;” the regiment
was inspected on the following day by Lieut.-General Sir Hector
Munro, K.B., who expressed himself highly pleased with the general
appearance of the corps.
The following officers were present, namely:—
_Lieut.-Colonel Commandant_ George Marquis of Huntly.
_Major_ Charles Erskine.
_Captains._
Alexander Napier. | William McIntosh.
John Cameron. | Alexander Gordon.
Honorable John Ramsay. | Simon McDonald.
Andrew Patton. | John Gordon (_Capt.-Lieut._)
_Lieutenants._ | _Ensigns._
|
Peter Grant. | Charles Dowie.
Archibald McDonell. | George Davidson.
Alexander Stewart. | Archibald McDonald.
John McLean. | Alexander Fraser.
Patrick Gordon. | William Todd.
| James Mitchell.
_Adjutant_ John Henderson. | _Surgeon_ William Findlay.
_Quarter-Master_ Peter Wilkie. | _Assistant-Surgeon_ John Clark.
_Chaplain_ William Gordon.
On the 9th of July, the regiment embarked at Fort George for England,
and landed at Southampton on the 16th of August, when it was encamped
on Netley Common. About this period it was numbered the _Hundredth_
regiment.
The uniform of the officers was as follows:—
JACKET.—Scarlet, facings yellow, with lappels turned back, and laced
two and two; lace, silver, with a blue silk-worm in the centre; flat
buttons, silver or plated, with the number of the regiment ‘100’ in
the centre.
EPAULETS.—Two for all ranks, of silver bullion, having two stripes of
yellow silk in the centre of the strap, with a thistle, and a binding
of blue round the edge.
WAISTCOAT.—Scarlet, with regimental buttons, and laced with silver.
BELTED PLAID.—Twelve yards of blue, black, and green tartan, with a
narrow yellow stripe.
PURSE, SHOES, AND HOSE.—Badger skin, ornamented with six white
tassels, mounted with silver, and having a rim of silver round the
top. The shoes were low-quartered, with silver buckles. The rosettes
and garters were of red tape. The hose were tartan of white and red
chequer.
The sword was the Highland claymore; the sword belt of buff leather,
and the breastplate oval, of silver, ornamented with a crown and
thistle, encircled by the words “_Gordon Highlanders_.”
The sash was of crimson silk, and was worn across the left shoulder.
The bonnet was ornamented with black ostrich feathers, and the dirk
was silver mounted.
The dress of the serjeants and privates was similar, the arms of the
former being the claymore and halbert, and the latter had muskets;
queues were worn by officers and men.
On the 5th of September, the regiment embarked at Southampton for
Gibraltar, where it landed on the 27th of October: at this station
the drill of the regiment was completed, and it was immediately
placed on the garrison roster. The effective strength consisted of
three field officers, seven captains, nine lieutenants, six ensigns,
four staff, twenty-nine serjeants, twenty-one drummers, and seven
hundred and twenty-seven rank and file.
In December the regiment received its colours on Windmill Hill, after
being consecrated by the garrison chaplain; the regiment was marched
under them by files in ordinary time, previously to which the Marquis
of Huntly made a very impressive address, calling the attention of
the officers and men to the duties which their King and Country
expected from them, and to the honors which he trusted they would
acquire under these banners.
The first or King’s Colour was, as usual, the Great Union. The
second, or Regimental Colour, was composed of yellow silk; in the
centre of both, the number ‘100,’ surmounted with a crown, and the
words “_Gordon Highlanders_,” the whole within a wreath of thistles
and roses.
[Sidenote: 1795]
On the 11th of June, 1795, the regiment embarked for Corsica, and
landed at Bastia on the 11th of July.
In February of the previous year a landing was effected in Corsica by
the allied troops, and, through the influence of General Paoli, the
Commander-in-Chief of the island, a decree was made by the Assembly
of Deputies, declaring the separation of Corsica from France, and its
union to the British dominions.
In December, 1795, Lieut.-Colonel the Marquis of Huntly obtained
leave of absence, and the command of the regiment devolved on Major
Erskine.
[Sidenote: 1796]
The regiment was inspected on the 14th of April, 1796, at Bastia, by
Lieut.-General Thomas Trigge, commanding at Corsica, who expressed
his gratification at the appearance of the men, and the very correct
manner in which they performed the different movements.
On the 14th of May, His Excellency the Viceroy, Lieut.-General Sir
Gilbert Eliott reviewed the regiment, and signified his highest
approbation of its appearance.
On the following day, the greater portion of the regiment, under the
command of Major Alexander Napier, to which rank he had been promoted
in March of this year, proceeded to _Corte_, in order to suppress
a serious rebellion which broke out in that part of the island,
and upon the return of the troops, a general order was issued by
Lieut.-General the Honorable John Thomas De Burgh, who had succeeded
to the command of the forces in Corsica, expressive of his best
thanks for the exertions and good conduct displayed during the above
fatiguing service.
Lieut.-Colonel Commandant the Marquis of Huntly was promoted to
the rank of colonel of the regiment on the 3rd of May, 1796; Major
Charles Erskine was also promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel, the
commission of the latter being ante-dated 1st May of the previous
year.
In July Lieut.-Colonel Erskine obtained leave of absence, and the
command of the regiment devolved upon Major Napier.
On the 14th of August, a detachment, consisting of one field officer,
two captains, four subalterns, seven serjeants, eight corporals,
and two hundred privates, was ordered to be held in readiness at a
moment’s notice, to embark upon a secret expedition. The zeal and
spirit of the corps showed itself in a most conspicuous manner, by
the unanimous wish of the whole to be employed upon it; and in
consequence of which, Major Napier, then commanding the regiment,
made an offer to that effect to the Commander-in-Chief, who was
pleased to give the following answer:—
“The Commander-in-Chief is sensible of the zeal and laudable motive,
which have induced the officers and men of the Hundredth regiment to
offer their services on the present occasion, and he desires Major
Napier to express his best thanks to them, as well as his assurance,
that he will be ready at all times to testify his satisfaction at
their general good conduct and appearance, although circumstances
will not at this time allow him to avail himself of their services to
the extent they offer them.”
This expedition proved to be against _Porto Ferrajo_, in the Isle of
Elba, and was completely successful, without any loss on the part of
the troops employed.
Meanwhile the brilliant career of General Bonaparte in Italy had
produced a change of sentiment among the inhabitants of Corsica, of
which island he was a native. The Corsicans, therefore, gloried in
him as a man who reflected honor on their country, and they regretted
that the island had been annexed to Great Britain, as this event
placed them in hostility to their victorious countryman, and they
began to concert measures to effect its separation. It appearing
evident that the expense of the defence would exceed the advantage
derived from the possession of the island, the British troops were
withdrawn, and on the 6th of September the regiment embarked for
Gibraltar.
The regiment mustered one major, five captains, seven lieutenants,
five ensigns, three staff, thirty-seven serjeants, twenty-one
drummers, and seven hundred and six rank and file.
The following General Order was issued upon this occasion:—
_5th September, 1796._
“The Hundredth regiment being to embark for Gibraltar,
Lieut.-General De Burgh cannot suffer them to leave Corsica,
without testifying his approbation and satisfaction of their
general good conduct and soldier-like behaviour, since he had
the honor to command them; at the same time he desires they will
accept of his best wishes for their success and welfare on all
occasions.”
During the voyage, the British Admiral fell in with a large fleet of
Spanish men-of-war, and the first intimation he had of Spain being at
war with Great Britain, was their firing upon his ships. Perceiving
this, and the enemy being so superior in force, he made signal
to crowd all sail. The Spaniards, however, captured the “Granby”
transport, having on board two staff officers, three serjeants, and
forty-eight rank and file of the regiment.
The regiment landed at Gibraltar on the 4th of October, and on the
10th of that month was inspected by the Lieut.-Governor, who was much
pleased with its appearance.
In the previous year, Prussia had concluded a peace with the French
Republic, and in consequence of the United Provinces of Holland
having leagued with France, England had taken possession of the Cape
of Good Hope and of Ceylon. The former allies of England now became
converted into enemies. War was declared by Holland, which had been
constituted the Batavian Republic, against Great Britain, in May,
and Spain followed the example in October. In the same month, Lord
Malmsbury was sent to Paris to negociate a peace on the part of
the British Government; but the French insisted upon retaining, as
integral parts of the Republic, the conquests lately made; these
terms could not be acceded to consistently with the general interests
of Europe, and the negociation was discontinued.
[Sidenote: 1797]
In April, 1797, Lieut.-Colonel Erskine arrived at Gibraltar, and
assumed the command of the regiment.
In April, the preliminaries of peace were signed at Leoben, in
Styria, between Austria and the French Republic, so that Great
Britain was left to continue the contest single-handed with France
and her allies. In July Lord Malmsbury was sent a second time to
negociate a peace, but the demands of the French Directory rendered
the attempt abortive. On the 17th of October the definitive treaty
of peace between Austria and the French Republic was signed at Campo
Formio.
[Sidenote: 1798]
The regiment embarked in transports for England on the 16th of March,
1798. The ships put into the Tagus on the 9th of April, and sailed
again on the 15th. After a tedious and boisterous passage, the
regiment disembarked at Portsmouth on the 15th of May, and occupied
Hilsea Barracks.
The effective strength of the regiment at this period consisted of
two field officers, four captains, eleven subalterns, three staff,
thirty-seven serjeants, twenty-two drummers, and seven hundred and
forty-two rank and file.
By a General Order, dated 26th of May, 1798, it was directed that the
coats of the army should be worn buttoned over the body down to the
waist.
On the 31st of May, the regiment embarked in ships of war at Southsea
Beach, Portsmouth, for Ireland, and arrived at Dublin, on the 15th
of June, where it went into barracks.
His Majesty King George III., appointed Colonel the Marquis of
Huntly to serve as a Brigadier-General upon the Staff of the Army in
Ireland, in which country a spirit of discontent had been fomented
by a party of unprincipled men, who had expected aid from France
to carry out their designs. On the 21st of June, Lieut.-General
Lake defeated the main body of the rebels at Vinegar hill, and the
troubles in Ireland would have subsided, had it not been for the
expected aid to be derived from France.
On the 2nd of July, the regiment marched at a moment’s notice, in
consequence of the disturbed state of the country, the urgency of the
service being such that the troops were conveyed in carriages.
The regiment encamped in the vicinity of Gorey on the 7th of July,
and on the 18th marched suddenly to Blessington, where it encamped.
On the 29th it marched and encamped at the Glen of Emall.
On the 10th of August, Lieut.-Colonel Erskine and three hundred men
were detached and encamped at Torbay.
The following letter, expressive of the good conduct of the regiment
during their stay at Gorey, was addressed by the Dean of Ferns, to
Colonel the Marquis of Huntly:—
“MY LORD,
“I have the honor of enclosing to you that part of the
proceedings in the last vestry, held in Gorey, wherein your
Lordship and your regiment are mentioned. This mark of our
respect and gratitude should have been sooner expressed and
conveyed to you, had not our calamitous situation delayed the
calling of a vestry, which we conceived the most regular mode of
expressing our sentiments collectively.
“It may be pleasing to your Lordship to hear that, in the
attendance of my parish, I have heard all the poor loud in the
praise of the honesty and humanity of the privates of your
regiment. They not only did not rob them of the wretched pittance
that was left by the rebels, but refused such trifling presents
(of provisions, &c.,) as were offered them, saying their King
paid them nobly, and enabled them to supply every want at their
own expense.
“I have the honor to be,
“With great respect,
“Your Lordship’s obedient Servant,
(Signed) “PETER BROWN,
“_Dean of Ferns_.”
“We the loyal inhabitants of the parish and vicinity of Gorey,
in vestry assembled, beg leave thus publicly to acknowledge the
goodness and humanity evinced by the Marquis of Huntly, during
his short stay amongst us. We are proud to add, that during that
short stay, rapine ceased to be a system, and the confidence
of the people in the honor of government began to revive. We
should be wanting in gratitude if we omitted our testimony, that
the humanity of the colonel was emulated by the soldiers, and
we request the Hundredth regiment to accept our thanks for the
moderation and honor which marked the conduct of every individual
officer and private who composed it.
(Signed) “PETER BROWN, _Rector_.
“J. JERMAN, _Churchwarden_.”
The French, to the number of about nine hundred men, commanded
by General Humbert, landed at Killala, and being joined by a few
malcontents marched to Castlebar.
On the 24th of August the regiment marched to Blessington; on the
26th encamped at Kilbeggan; on the 28th at Athlone; on the 29th
at Ballymore, in a position in front of the town; on the 1st of
September it encamped at Crophill, and moved every day until the
16th, when it encamped near Moat.
Meanwhile the united French and rebel force had been attacked by
Lieut.-General Lake, at Ballinamuck, on the 8th of September, and the
French troops were compelled to surrender at discretion.
Major-General John Moore, in brigade orders, dated 25th of September,
1798, after detailing some irregularity on the part of the troops,
added—
“The Major-General must, in justice to the Hundredth regiment,
state, that hitherto he has had no complaint of any one of them,
nor has he ever met them in town after the retreat beating.”
The thanks of both Houses of Parliament were, on the 15th of October,
conveyed to the troops, “for their meritorious exertions on the
present important crisis.”
While the regiment was encamped near Moat, the following order
was received, by which the corps was numbered the NINETY-SECOND
regiment.[6]
_Adjutant-General’s Office, Dublin, 16th October, 1798._
“It is His Majesty’s pleasure, that the Hundredth regiment shall
in future be numbered the NINETY-SECOND, and that it be placed
on the same establishment with regard to field officers as other
regiments of the line.
(Signed) “G. HEWITT, _Adjutant-General_.”
On the 30th of October, 1798, the regiment broke up from camp, and
went into quarters at Athlone.
Napoleon Bonaparte, against whose legions in Egypt and the Peninsula,
the NINETY-SECOND regiment, in subsequent years, acquired great
renown, was now rising, step by step, to that imperial sway which he
afterwards attained. The National Convention had been succeeded in
October, 1795, by the French Directory, and the latter, jealous of
Bonaparte’s popularity, sent him, in May, 1798, on the expedition
to Egypt. Napoleon took Alexandria by storm, and soon established
himself at Cairo. The Sublime Porte, incensed by the invasion of
Egypt, declared war against France, and formed an alliance with
Russia. The fleet which had conveyed the expedition to Egypt, was
almost destroyed by Admiral Nelson in Aboukir Bay, on the 1st of
August. So large a portion of the French army, being thus secluded
in a distant land, gave fresh impulse to the allies, and in November
the island of Minorca surrendered to the British arms. In December,
1798, the co-operation of Russia against France was secured by Great
Britain.
[Sidenote: 1799]
War was declared by the French Directory against Austria, in March,
1799, and the combined Austrian and Russian armies recovered the
greater portion of Italy.
Great Britain now determined to make a corresponding attempt, in
conjunction with Russia, to recover Holland from the dominion of
France, and a numerous army was selected to proceed to that country
under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, previous to whose
arrival, the troops were to be commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph
Abercromby.
A plan of co-operation was concerted between Great Britain and
Russia, in the expectation that the Dutch would rise in arms
against the French, in favour of the Prince of Orange, and, aided
by the Anglo-Russian force, would exert themselves to effect their
emancipation.
On the 15th of June, the NINETY-SECOND regiment, which had been
selected to embark on the expedition to Holland, commenced its
march by divisions for Cork, on which day the following address was
received by the commanding officer:—
“At a numerous meeting of the inhabitants of Athlone and its
vicinity on the 15th June, 1799, Thomas Mitchell, Esq., in
the chair: the following Address to Lieut.-Colonel Erskine,
commanding His Majesty’s NINETY-SECOND regiment in this garrison,
was unanimously agreed to:—
“SIR,
“We heard with concern, that His Majesty’s NINETY-SECOND
regiment, which you have commanded in this garrison, has been
ordered to march for the purpose of joining those troops intended
for a foreign expedition: but however we may regret your
departure, we are not surprised that a regiment, so eminently
conspicuous for its steadiness and discipline, should be selected
for an arduous enterprise.
“We have during your continuance amongst us, experienced a
polite attention from the officers of your regiment, and the
uninterrupted peace and tranquillity, which have prevailed in
this town and neighbourhood, evince the attention of the soldiers
under your command.
“Permit us, therefore, to return you our thanks, and to request
that you will convey the same to the officers, non-commissioned
officers, and soldiers of your regiment.
“By order of the meeting,
(Signed) “THOMAS MITCHELL.”
The regiment arrived at Cork on the 24th and 25th of June, and
encamped at Monkstown, until orders for its embarkation should
arrive. On the 19th of July, the regiment embarked at Cove, and
arrived at Dover on the 30th, when it encamped on Barham Downs, where
the troops were assembling for the expedition to Holland under the
orders of Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby.
The NINETY-SECOND regiment was placed in the fourth brigade,
commanded by Major-General, afterwards Sir John Moore, which
consisted of the Royals (second battalion), twenty-fifth,
forty-ninth, seventy-ninth, and NINETY-SECOND regiments.
The regiment marched for Ramsgate on the 7th of August, and on the
following day embarked in transports, which sailed on the 11th
for the coast of Holland. Its effective strength consisted of one
colonel, one lieut.-colonel, two majors, six captains, twelve
lieutenants, seven ensigns, five staff, forty serjeants, twenty-one
drummers, and seven hundred and thirty rank and file.
The British troops landed on the Dutch coast, near the _Helder_,
on the 27th of August. A considerable body of French and Dutch
troops assembled near the point of debarkation; some sharp fighting
occurred, and in the evening the enemy retreated to a position six
miles in his rear. Although one of the first to get a footing on
the Dutch shores, it did not fall to the lot of the NINETY-SECOND
to be materially engaged this day in the affairs on the sand-hills.
The regiment had one serjeant and fourteen rank and file drowned
in the landing on the Dutch coast. The enemy having abandoned his
fortifications, and evacuated the town during the night, the regiment
moved into Helder on the 28th of August. A numerous train of heavy
and field artillery was found in this important post; two days
afterwards the Dutch fleet surrendered without striking a blow, and
hoisted the colours of the Prince of Orange.
On the 1st of September, the regiment marched out of Helder, and
on the 2nd advanced to Oude Sluys, on the Zuyder Zee, where the
army took up a position, along which the troops were placed in
cantonments, the NINETY-SECOND being in advance of the right.
The Dutch did not manifest a disposition to rise against the French.
At daylight, in the morning of the 10th of September, the united
French and Dutch forces, under General Brune, attacked the piquets;
the troops repaired to their alarm-posts, and the action soon became
general: the British troops repulsed the attack, and the orders of
that day directed the regiment to its cantonments at Oude Sluys,
and conveyed the thanks of General Sir Ralph Abercromby[7] for its
“noble and steady conduct during the day.”
Captain the Honorable John Ramsay was wounded in this action, which
was fought near the villages of _Crabbendam_ and _Schagen_.
Field Marshal His Royal Highness the Duke of York arrived at the
Helder on the 14th of September, and, having been reinforced by a
corps of twelve thousand Russians, under Lieut.-General Hermann,
resolved on attacking the French position in advance of _Alkmaar_,
reaching from Zuyder Zee, on the right, to Camperdown on the left,
and embracing the town of Bergen. The attack was made on the 19th of
September, in four columns, but the Russians having failed in holding
Bergen, after having entered it in gallant style, the places, which
had been acquired by the other columns, were abandoned, and His Royal
Highness withdrew his army to its former position on the Zuype.
From the 20th of September until the 1st of October both armies
remained within their entrenchments, strengthening their lines of
defence: the French had received reinforcements, and had inundated a
large tract of country on their right by cutting the sluices, thus
contracting the ground of operations to six or seven miles.
The Duke of York, on the 2nd of October, made another attempt on the
French position, between Bergen and _Egmont-op-Zee_. The combined
attacks were made in four columns: the division under General Sir
Ralph Abercromby being on the right, marched along the beach. The
left of the French army was posted and concentrated about Bergen, a
large village surrounded by extensive woods, through which passed
the great road leading to Haarlem; between which and the sea was an
extensive region of high sand-hills, impassable for artillery. Behind
the sand-hills, and to the enemy’s right, through the whole extent of
North Holland, lies a wet and low country, intersected with dykes,
canals, and ditches.
The army advanced before daylight to attack the enemy. The
NINETY-SECOND regiment was ordered to escort twenty pieces of
artillery to the front, along the sea-shore. In the performance of
this duty it was attacked by a column of nearly six thousand men at
_Egmont-op-Zee_, where a most sanguinary conflict ensued, immediately
under the eye of General Sir Ralph Abercromby.
Trusting to their superior numbers the French advanced with
resolution, and fairly met the bayonets of the regiment, now
commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, Colonel the Marquis of Huntly
having been wounded in the charge, which completely overthrew the
enemy, and preserved the guns.[8]
The French centre was supported by the town of _Alkmaar_, and General
Sir Ralph Abercromby had passed Bergen in order to turn the French
position at Alkmaar, to which place the NINETY-SECOND, immediately
after the brilliant affair, before recorded, advanced. As the men
fought hand-to-hand, the conflict was signalized by many feats of
individual bravery and devoted courage.
The action was maintained with great obstinacy on both sides until
night, when the enemy retired, leaving the British masters of the
field of battle.
In the despatch of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, dated
Zuyper Sluys, 4th of October, it was stated that, “the points where
this well-fought battle were principally contested, were from the
sea-shore in front of Egmont, extending along the sandy desert, or
hills, to the heights above Bergen, and it was sustained by the
British columns, under those highly distinguished officers, General
Sir Ralph Abercromby, and Lieut.-General Dundas, whose exertions, as
well as the gallantry of the brave troops they led, cannot have been
surpassed by any former instance of British valour.”
The NINETY-SECOND had Captain William McIntosh, Lieutenants George
Fraser, Gordon McCardy, and sixty-five rank and file killed; Colonel
the Marquis of Huntly, Captains John Cameron, Alexander Gordon, John
McLean, and Peter Grant, Lieutenants Norman McLeod, Charles Chad,
Donald McDonald, Charles Cameron, and John McPherson, Ensigns George
William Holmes, James Bent, and two hundred and eight rank and file
wounded.
The gallant conduct evinced by the NINETY-SECOND on this occasion
was afterwards rewarded with the Royal authority to bear the word
_Egmont-op-Zee_ on the regimental colour and appointments.
His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, in the General Order of
the 5th of October, at Alkmaar, expressed “his warmest thanks for the
steady persevering gallantry of their conduct in the general action
of the 2nd instant, and to which he ascribes the complete victory
gained over the enemy;” and, with the rest of the army, the regiment
received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament.
The regiment, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, subsequently
shared in the general operations of the army, but was not engaged in
any very serious affair.
The gallant exertions made on behalf of the Dutch were not seconded
by them; and in the meantime the French army had been reinforced.
Instead, therefore, of fighting for a people who were not resolved to
be free, it was decided that the British troops should be withdrawn
from Holland. A convention was ultimately concluded with General
Brune at Alkmaar on the 18th of October, and on the following day a
cessation of hostilities was proclaimed.
The regiment marched on the 28th of October to Colenzugby, near
the Helder, embarked the same day on board of His Majesty’s ships
“Kent” and “Monarch,” and landed at Yarmouth on the day following.
Its effective strength consisted of twenty-four serjeants, twenty
drummers, and four hundred and forty-six rank and file.
During the campaign from the 27th of August to the 28th of October,
the regiment sustained a loss of three officers and ninety-three rank
and file, several of the wounded soldiers having died.
On the 4th of November the regiment marched _en route_ to Chelmsford,
where it arrived on the 10th, and was placed in the eighth brigade,
the command of which Major-General Moore assumed on the 25th of
December 1799.
Here the regiment received canvas knapsacks, painted yellow, having a
circle of red in the centre, in which the Crown and Thistle, with the
words “_Gordon Highlanders_,” were inserted.
[Sidenote: 1800]
Napoleon Bonaparte having returned from Egypt to Paris in the
previous year, had been appointed First Consul of France, and made
overtures for peace; but the British Ministry, considering that the
French government had not acquired sufficient stability, showed no
desire to accede to the proposal.
On the 10th of April, 1800, orders were issued for the regiment to
hold itself in readiness to march at the shortest notice; the first
division marched on the 12th, and was followed by the others on the
14th and 15th, for the Isle of Wight, where it arrived on the 23rd of
April.
The regiment, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, marched
for Cowes on the 27th of May, and embarked on the same day in vessels
of war. The head-quarters, and five companies in His Majesty’s ship
“Diadem,” sailed on the 30th. The officers and men present with the
regiment consisted of one lieut.-colonel, two majors, seven captains,
sixteen lieutenants, six ensigns, six staff, thirty-six serjeants,
twenty-two drummers, and six hundred rank and file.
The regiment disembarked at the Isle de Houat, on the coast of
France, on the 7th of June, where it encamped, under the command of
Brigadier-General the Honorable Thomas Maitland.
On the 18th of June, the NINETY-SECOND regiment embarked on board His
Majesty’s ship “Terrible,” destined with others to make an attack
on Belle-Isle, but which was abandoned; on the 20th the regiment
disembarked, and occupied its former encampment on the Isle de Houat.
The NINETY-SECOND embarked on the 23rd of June, with other regiments
for the Mediterranean, under the command of Colonel the Earl of
Dalhousie, of the Second, or the Queen’s Royals, in His Majesty’s
ship “Diadem,” and arrived at Port Mahon, in the Island of Minorca,
on the 20th of July.
General Sir Ralph Abercromby, K.B., arrived at Minorca on the 4th
of August, and took the command of the troops there assembled. The
regiment disembarked on the 7th, and was inspected, on the 11th of
August, by Sir Ralph Abercromby.
The NINETY-SECOND regiment embarked at George’s Town on the 30th
of August, and sailed on the following day. After touching at
Gibraltar, it proceeded to _Cadiz_, arrived in the bay on the 3rd of
October,—and made preparations to land. The enemy, however, sent a
flag of truce, but a disease was ravaging the city at the time, and
the fleet quitted the coast in order to avoid infection, proceeding
afterwards to Gibraltar, where it arrived on the 29th of October.
The regiment arrived at Minorca on the 6th of November, sailed again
on the 21st, and anchored at Malta on the 1st of December. This
island, after a blockade of two years, had been compelled by famine,
to surrender in September, 1800, to Great Britain.
The British Government having resolved to effect the expulsion
of the French from Egypt, an army[9] amounting to about fifteen
thousand men, of which the NINETY-SECOND formed part, was assembled
under General Sir Ralph Abercromby, at Marmorice Bay, on the coast
of Asiatic Turkey. The regiment sailed from Malta on the 26th of
December, and arrived at Marmorice Bay on the 29th. During the
foregoing period, the regiment was occasionally landed for exercise
and practice, as if before an enemy.
[Sidenote: 1801]
Some weeks were lost at Marmorice, in expectation of receiving
reinforcements of Greeks and Turks; and the expedition did not
proceed to its final destination until the 23rd of February, 1801.
On the 2nd of March, it anchored in the Bay of Aboukir, eastward of
Alexandria; but notwithstanding all the exertions of the navy, under
Admiral Lord Keith’s orders, the necessary arrangements could not be
made for landing the troops, until a week afterwards, in consequence
of unfavorable weather, and other obstructions.
A landing was effected on the 8th of March; a body of French troops,
supported by several batteries, awaited the arrival of their
opponents, but were forced to give way in defiance of every exertion,
and after severe loss on both sides.
The NINETY-SECOND, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Erskine,
landed during the action, and took up a position for the night on the
heights of Aboukir. The regiment mustered one lieut.-colonel, two
majors, six captains, ten lieutenants, six ensigns, six staff, fifty
serjeants, twenty-two drummers, and six hundred and seventy-two rank
and file.
On the 9th of March, the regiment advanced about a mile further
towards _Alexandria_. On the day following, it marched to the heights
of _Mandora_, and remained in position, while the artillery and
stores were being landed. Nothing of importance occurred this day,
beyond a smart skirmish, as the enemy slowly retired.
The army again moved forward on the 12th of March, and came in sight
of the enemy, who was strongly posted with his right to the canal of
_Alexandria_, and his left to the sea.
About six o’clock in the morning of the 13th of March, the British
army advanced to attack the enemy’s position on the heights in front
of _Mandora_, the NINETY-SECOND being directed to lead the left
column into action. The enemy having opened a most destructive fire
from his artillery, enfiladed the column to its whole depth: orders
were consequently given to deploy into line. The enemy thought this
a favorable moment, and immediately advanced to the attack. The
NINETY-SECOND, being in advance of the line, was exposed to a very
galling fire of grape-shot, and at the same time was attacked by the
61st Demi-Brigade; the regiment, however, continued unshaken in its
advance to the very muzzles of the guns, and succeeded in taking two
field-pieces, and one howitzer, completely routing the enemy who
defended them, and possessing itself of the right of his position.
He was forced, therefore, to retire to the fortified heights of
Nicopolis, under the walls of Alexandria, to which they form the
principal defence from that side.
Lieut.-Colonel, afterwards General Sir Robert Thomas Wilson, in his
History of the British Expedition to Egypt, stated that—
“The British had not advanced out of the wood of date trees, which
was in front of Mandora Tower, before the enemy left the heights on
which they had been formed, and moved down by their right, commencing
a heavy fire of musketry, and from all their cannon, on the
NINETY-SECOND regiment, which formed the advanced guard of the left
column.” After eulogising the gallantry of the ninetieth regiment,
which formed the advanced guard of the right column, Lieut.-Colonel
Wilson, added:—
“The conduct of the NINETY-SECOND had been no less meritorious.
Opposed to a tremendous fire, and suffering severely from the
French line, they never receded a foot, but maintained the
contest alone, until the marines and the rest of the line came to
their support.”
The gallantry and good conduct of the regiment this day were most
conspicuous, and in commemoration thereof, the NINETY-SECOND
afterwards received the Royal Authority to bear the word “_Mandora_”
on the regimental colour and appointments.
His Majesty’s service, and the NINETY-SECOND regiment in particular,
sustained a great loss in the death of Lieut.-Colonel Charles
Erskine, who was mortally wounded early in the action, when the
command of the regiment devolved on Major Alexander Napier.
The following officers were wounded: Captains Hon. John Ramsay and
Archibald McDonell; Lieutenants, Norman McLeod, Charles Dowle
(mortally), Donald McDonald, Tomlin Campbell (mortally), Alexander
Clarke (mortally), and Ronald Macdonald; Ensigns, Peter Wilkie
and Alexander Cameron; twenty-two rank and file were killed, and
seventy-seven were wounded.
On the 14th of March, the army occupied the position, from which the
enemy was driven the day before, and the troops were employed in
throwing up works. On this day, General Sir Ralph Abercromby thanked
the troops for their soldier-like and intrepid conduct, in the
action of yesterday, and particularised the NINETY-SECOND regiment.
It may not be irrelevant to state, that he selected the regiment to
furnish the guard at his head-quarters from his first landing in
Egypt, to the hour of his death; and the regiment was continued by
Lieut.-General (afterwards Lord) Hutchinson, on that duty, until its
final departure from that country.
In consequence of the reduced state of the regiment from sickness,
and the casualties of the 13th of March, it was ordered on the 20th
of March (with the exception of the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard),
to march at three o’clock next morning to relieve the battalion of
marines at Aboukir Castle; where the following Brigade Order was
issued:—
“Major-General Coote feels extreme concern, that the
NINETY-SECOND regiment is ordered to march to Aboukir; he hopes
they will soon return to the army, and cannot part with that
corps without requesting, that the officers and men will accept
his best thanks, for their attention to their duty since they
have been under his command.”
About half an hour after the regiment commenced its march on the
21st of March for Aboukir, when the French forces at _Alexandria_,
having been augmented by the arrival of additional troops from
the interior, advanced under General Menou, to attack the British
position. Major Alexander Napier, upon hearing the firing,
immediately countermarched the regiment, and resumed his former
station in the line, in which it was hotly engaged throughout the
day: no sooner had the enemy retired from this struggle, and resigned
the victory to the British army, than the army became aware of the
loss it had sustained in the Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Ralph
Abercromby, who received a mortal wound at the commencement of the
action, but which he concealed until the battle was decided. Sir
Ralph Abercromby died on the 28th of March, and was buried at Malta.
The NINETY-SECOND had Captain John Cameron, and Lieutenant James
Stewart Mathison wounded; three rank and file killed; and forty-four
wounded.
Orders were again issued for the march of the regiment on the
following morning, provided no attack was made by the enemy, and it
accordingly marched to _Aboukir_.
On the 2nd of May, the regiment marched from Aboukir for _Rosetta_,
where a Turkish force joined the British; on the 5th it advanced
along the banks of the Nile, and continued in motion until the 16th
of June, when it arrived before _Grand-Cairo_.
The regiment moved to the right on the 21st of June, and encamped
before the town of _Gizeh_; one of the gates of which place was
delivered up by the French on the 28th of June.
A convention with the garrison of _Cairo_, was on the following
day announced as finally adjusted, by which that place was to
be delivered up to the allied army, and the French troops to be
transported to France.
On the 14th of July, Lieut.-General Hutchinson communicated to the
army the thanks of His Majesty, and of both Houses of Parliament,
for its determined bravery at the landing, and in the actions of
the 13th, and 21st of March, and concluded by a warm eulogium from
himself.
The army marched, and retraced its steps towards _Rosetta_. The
promotion of Major Alexander Napier to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy,
in succession to Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, killed in the action of
the 13th of March, was announced in a manner most flattering to
the corps on the 15th of July, as will appear from the following
extract of a letter from His Royal Highness the Duke of York, the
Commander-in-Chief, dated—
“_Horse Guards, 30th May, 1801._
“MY LORD,
“I need not assure you how sincerely I unite with you
in regretting the loss of so deserving an officer as
Lieutenant-Colonel Erskine, of the NINETY-SECOND regiment. I have
ever entertained too high a sense of the gallant services of
that corps, not to have recommended upon this occasion, that the
succession should go in the regiment, of which His Majesty has
been pleased to approve.
“I am, &c.
(Signed) “FREDERICK,
“_Commander-in-Chief_.
“_Major-General The Marquis of Huntly._”
The regiment arrived on the heights of _Aboukir_ on the 8th of
August, and on the following day marched to the same position which
it had left on the 22nd of March, and encamped before Alexandria.
The brigade under the orders of Brigadier-General John Doyle, Colonel
of the eighty-seventh regiment, advanced before daylight on the 17th
of August to attack two redoubts, situated on the green-hill in front
of the enemy’s right, which the thirtieth and fiftieth regiments were
directed against, while the NINETY-SECOND was placed as a reserve,
and ready to support either. This service was successfully performed
with little loss to the regiment.
Troops having been sent in boats on the 26th of August to land, and
break ground to the westward of _Alexandria_, the enemy this day sent
out a flag of truce, and hostilities ceased; on the 2nd of September,
Alexandria surrendered by capitulation, which event terminated the
campaign in Egypt.
The British troops received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament,
and His Majesty King George III., conferred upon the NINETY-SECOND,
and other regiments, which had thus exalted the military fame of
Great Britain, by the expulsion of the “invincible” legions of
Bonaparte from Egypt, from whence he had expected to extend his
conquests throughout Asia, the honor of bearing on their colours and
appointments the “SPHINX,” and the word “EGYPT,” as a distinguished
mark of His Majesty’s royal approbation of their conduct during the
campaign.[10]
[Illustration: 92^{ND} REGIMENT (GORDON HIGHLANDERS.)
_For Cannon’s Military Records_
Mssr M^cDonald del^t _Madeley Lith. 3 Wellington S^t._
]
The Grand Seignior established the Order of Knighthood of the
Crescent, of which the General Officers were made members; and large
gold medals were presented to the field officers, captains,
and subalterns. As a further proof of the estimation in which the
Grand Seignior held the services of the British soldiers in Egypt,
he ordered a palace to be built at Constantinople, for the future
residence of the British Ambassadors.
Names of the officers of the NINETY-SECOND regiment, who received
gold medals for service in Egypt.
_Lieutenant-Colonel_ Alexander Napier.
_Major_ John Gordon.
_Captains._
John Cameron. | Archibald McDonell.
The Hon. John Ramsay. | Peter Grant.
Andrew Patten. | Patrick Gordon.
_Lieutenants._
Norman McLeod. | James Bent.
Charles Dowle. | Ronald Macdonald.
Donald McDonald. | James Stewart Mathison.
John Forman. | Charles Straubenzie.
James Lee. | William Phipps.
George W. Holmes. |
_Ensigns._
Peter Wilkie. | Charles Duddingstone.
William Mackay. | Alexander Cameron.
Alexander Anderson. | William Logie.
_Paymaster_ Archibald Campbell.
_Adjutant_ Dugald Campbell.
_Quarter-Master_ Peter Wilkie.
_Surgeon_ Archibald Hamilton.
_Assist.-Surgeons._ { Wm. Cook.
{ J. R. Hume.
The regiment marched for Aboukir on the 6th of October, 1801, and
embarked in ships of war, which sailed on the following day.
Upon the guard of the NINETY-SECOND, which had been doing duty at
head-quarters, being ordered to rejoin, the officer commanding the
regiment received a letter expressive of Lieut.-General Hutchinson’s
“entire approbation of the exemplary conduct of the guard, and of
Serjeant Mark in particular.”
On the 19th of October, the regiment arrived at Malta, and remained
in harbour until the 15th of November, when the ships sailed for the
shores of Great Britain.
[Sidenote: 1802]
The regiment arrived at Cork on the 30th of January, 1802, and
remained under quarantine at Cove, until the 12th of February,
when it landed and marched to Kilkenny. The effective strength
consisted of one lieut.-colonel, two majors, four captains, fifteen
lieutenants, five ensigns, six staff, forty-two serjeants, twenty-two
drummers, and five hundred and fifty-nine rank and file.
On the 27th of March, 1802, a definitive treaty of peace was signed
at Amiens between the French Republic, Spain, and the Batavian
Republic, on the one part, and Great Britain on the other. The
principal features of the treaty were, that Great Britain restored
all her conquests during the war, excepting Trinidad and Ceylon,
which were ceded to her, the former by Spain, and the latter by
the Batavian Republic. Portugal was maintained in its integrity,
excepting that some of its possessions in Guiana were ceded to
France. The territories of the Ottoman Porte were likewise maintained
in their integrity. The Ionian Republic was recognised, and Malta was
to be restored to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. The French
agreed to evacuate the Neapolitan and Roman States, and Great Britain
all the ports that she held in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean.
The regiment on the 5th of April received orders to fire a
_feu-de-joie_, in consequence of the treaty of peace concluded at
Amiens. On the 12th of April, the regiment marched from Kilkenny, and
arrived at Belfast on the 28th of that month, where it remained until
the 2nd of June, when it embarked for Scotland.
On the 4th of June, the regiment arrived in Scotland for the first
time since it was raised, and proceeded to Glasgow.
[Sidenote: 1803]
The peace of Amiens was of short duration; it inspired no confidence
of ultimate tranquillity, and both parties remained prepared to
renew the contest. The chief complaint on the part of France was
the non-evacuation of Malta by the British troops, and the asylum
afforded to the enemies of the French government. Circumstances
had, however, occurred which would have rendered the restoration of
Malta to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem equivalent to ceding
that island to France. Other grounds of irritation existed, and
the designs of Napoleon Bonaparte to raise the power of France by
an extension of territorial dominion, to which England appeared a
barrier, caused the struggle to be renewed; and the contest was
not settled until the final defeat of the French at the battle of
Waterloo, on the memorable 18th of June, 1815, by the allied troops
under the Duke of Wellington.
On the 18th of May, 1803, war was declared against France; Hanover
was overrun by the French, and severed for a time from the British
crown; and the First Consul ordered the arrest of all British
subjects in the territories of the French and Batavian republics.
Preparations were made by the British Government to meet the
emergency; the “_Army of Reserve Act_” was passed in June, 1803, for
raising men for home service by ballot, by which a second battalion
was added to the NINETY-SECOND regiment. The second battalion was
to be composed from the balloted men raised in Scotland for limited
service, and was placed on the Establishment from the 9th of July
following.
In June, the regiment was removed from Glasgow to Colchester, and on
the 1st of July it marched to Weeley, where it encamped while the
barracks were being prepared, which were occupied by the regiment
during the winter.
The second battalion of the regiment was formed at Weeley, on the
24th of November, 1803; officers and non-commissioned officers, with
a proportion of old soldiers, being posted to it from the first
battalion for the purpose of instruction. Both battalions were
commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Napier.
Each battalion was to have ten companies, consisting of fifty-four
serjeants, twenty drummers, two fifers, and a thousand rank and file.
At this period Bonaparte was making preparations for the invasion
of England, for which purpose he collected an immense flotilla at
Boulogne. The threat of invasion aroused the patriotism of the
British people, and the most strenuous measures were pursued to
defeat the designs of the French Ruler; volunteer and yeomanry corps
were formed in every part of the kingdom, and all parties united in
one grand effort for the preservation of Great Britain.
[Sidenote: 1804]
In May, 1804, Napoleon was invested with the dignity of _Emperor of
the French_, and on the 26th of May, of the following year, he was
crowned at Milan as _King of Italy_.
Further measures of defence were adopted by Great Britain, and the
“_Additional Force Act_” was passed on the 14th July, 1804.
Both battalions marched to Colchester on the 24th of July, and on the
6th of August were encamped on Lexden Heath.
On the 24th of October orders were issued for the march of one
captain, one subaltern, four serjeants, four corporals, and one
drummer to Elgin, from the second battalion, to receive the men to be
raised under the “_Additional Force Act_.”
Both battalions broke up from Lexden camp on the 26th of October, and
marched to Weeley barracks.
Orders were received on the 25th of November for the second battalion
to be held in readiness to march from Weeley barracks, and proceed by
the inland navigation to Liverpool, from whence it was to embark for
Ireland. The second battalion accordingly marched in three divisions,
on the 29th of November and on the two following days.
The first battalion, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Napier,
remained in Weeley barracks during the winter.
[Sidenote: 1805]
During the summer of 1805, the first battalion was brigaded with
the forty-second, ninety-first, and ninety-fifth (Rifle) regiments.
On the 2nd of September, the battalion marched from Weeley to
Colchester; on the 4th of September the first battalion was ordered
to hold itself in readiness for embarkation, but on the 6th of
September it returned to Weeley barracks.
The first battalion marched, on the 7th of October, to Colchester
with other troops, and was reviewed by His Royal Highness the Duke
of York, the Commander-in-Chief, who expressed himself particularly
pleased with the appearance of the battalion, which returned to its
quarters at Weeley on the 18th of October.
While the French were pursuing their victorious career in Germany,
they experienced great reverses from the British navy. On the 21st
of October, the combined fleets of France and Spain were defeated
off Cape Trafalgar; but the victory was purchased with the loss of
Admiral Viscount Nelson, whose remains were honored with a public
funeral at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the first battalion of the
NINETY-SECOND regiment attended the ceremony.
On the 29th of October, the first battalion marched from Weeley, and
arrived at Ospringe barracks on the 6th of November; on the 26th of
November it marched to Canterbury.
[Sidenote: 1806]
The first battalion marched, on the 2nd of January, 1806, to
London, to attend the public funeral of Admiral Viscount Nelson,
whose remains were interred, on the 9th of January, in St. Paul’s
Cathedral, where a monument was erected by authority of Parliament at
the public expense.
Major-General the Hon. John Hope, from the sixtieth regiment,
(afterwards the Earl of Hopetoun,) was appointed by His Majesty
King George III. to be colonel of the NINETY-SECOND regiment,
on the 3rd of January, 1806, in succession to Major-General the
Marquis of Huntly, who was removed to the forty-second, or the Royal
Highlanders, on the decease of General Sir Hector Munro, K.B.
The first battalion marched, on the 11th of January, from London for
Colchester, where it arrived on the 15th of that month: it marched
to Weeley barracks on the 29th of May, where it remained stationary,
with the exception of occasional marches to and from Colchester, for
the purpose of being exercised with other brigades.
[Sidenote: 1807]
On the 3rd of February, 1807, the first battalion marched from Weeley
for Harwich, with the view of checking the infection of ophthalmia,
which then prevailed among the troops at Weeley. The first battalion
returned to Weeley on the 27th of April.
Information having been obtained that Napoleon purposed employing the
navy of _Denmark_ against Great Britain, an armament was prepared
for obtaining possession of the Danish fleet by treaty or force, on
the assurance that it should be restored at the conclusion of the
war with France. The first battalion was destined to share in this
enterprise, and it received orders, on the 22nd of July, to be in
readiness for foreign service.
The battalion, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Napier, marched for
Harwich on the 26th of July, and embarked on the same day, after
being inspected by Lieut.-General Sir David Baird. On the 27th a
draft of one hundred and three rank and file joined from the second
battalion: the effective strength of the first battalion consisted
of forty-eight serjeants, nineteen drummers, and nine hundred and
eighty-one rank and file.
On the 1st of August, the expedition sailed, and on the 8th anchored
in the Sound near Elsineur. On the following day, Lieut.-General
Harry Burrard[11] directed the army assembling in the Sound to
be formed in brigades and divisions, and that the forty-third,
fifty-second, NINETY-SECOND, and ninety-fifth (Rifle) regiments
should compose the reserve, under Major-General Sir Arthur Wellesley,
until the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief.
Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart arrived on the 12th of August, and
assumed the command of the army; on the 14th the fleet sailed towards
_Copenhagen_, and on the 16th of August the army landed at Vedeck,
in Zealand, situated about half-way between Elsineur and Copenhagen,
without opposition, and on the following day the regiment went into
cantonments in Hassan, and Broomskoy. Its movements were various, and
dependent upon circumstances during this period.
The NINETY-SECOND regiment advanced towards Roeskelde on the 26th of
August, in consequence of the enemy collecting a large force at the
town of _Kioge_ and its vicinity, for the purpose of being thrown
into _Copenhagen_, which was at this time invested by the British
army.
On the 29th of August, the division under Major-General Sir Arthur
Wellesley advanced to attack the Danes in their position. The
NINETY-SECOND regiment, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Alexander
Napier, was appointed to lead the infantry against the enemy’s camp,
in which the regiment charged him, driving him out of it, and through
the town of Kioge, with the loss of his artillery. The regiment had
two rank and file killed, and one wounded.
On the 30th of August, the British troops marched to Osted, and
went into cantonments. On this day, after expressing in orders his
satisfaction at the conduct of the troops in the action of the 29th,
Major-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, in particularizing those who had
an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, alluded to the conduct
of the NINETY-SECOND regiment, and of _Lieut.-Colonel Napier_, in
the attack of the enemy in his camp, and to the regular and orderly
manner in which the troops marched through Kioge, and formed beyond
the town.
The conduct of the troops employed in the action before _Kioge_ was
thus alluded to in General Orders by Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart:—
“_Head Quarters, Hellerup_,
_“1st September, 1807._
“The Commander of the Forces desires to express, in the strongest
manner, his thanks to Major-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, and to
the officers and men of the division under his command, for the
judgment, valour, and discipline exhibited in the two attacks
made upon the enemy in the general action of the 29th of August
at Kioge.
“The details of this affair, as reported by the Major-General,
will be laid before His Majesty by the earliest opportunity.”
The bombardment of Copenhagen induced the Crown Prince to listen to
terms; and on the 7th of September the Danish fleet and stores were
surrendered to the British government on condition of being restored,
when a general pacification should take place.
The following General Order was issued to the troops on the same day:—
“_7th September, 1807._
“The Commander of the Forces congratulates the army on the
capitulation of Copenhagen, which includes the surrender of the
Danish fleet.”
A detachment of grenadiers took possession of the citadel, and
hostilities ceased.
The object of the expedition having been accomplished, Copenhagen
was evacuated, and the NINETY-SECOND regiment marched from Osted to
Roeskelde Kroe on the 23rd of September, and on the next day joined
the army before Copenhagen, and went into cantonments.
The approbation of His Majesty, King George III., for the services
performed during the expedition, was expressed in the following
extract from a despatch, dated 16th September, 1807, addressed to
Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart by Viscount Castlereagh, Principal
Secretary of State for the War Department:—
“His Majesty has received, with great satisfaction, the account
of the particular services rendered in their detached commands by
Major-General the Right Hon. Sir Arthur Wellesley, Major-General
Von Linsingen, and Brigadier-General Von Decken.
“I am further to express His Royal pleasure, that you do convey
to the general officers under your command His Majesty’s full
approbation of the zeal, ability, and valour they have displayed
in their several departments; and your Lordship will make it
known to the army, that the conduct of all his troops, both
British and Hanoverian, who have so much distinguished themselves
by their valour and good conduct, is highly acceptable to His
Majesty.[12]
“It is also a matter highly pleasing to His Majesty, that through
the whole of this expedition, such a perfect harmony, and such a
zealous spirit of co-operation, have pervaded all departments of
the naval and military service.”
Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart in communicating the above to the army
under his command, on the 28th of September, 1807, added,—
“The Commander of the Forces cannot make this communication,
without renewing his thanks to the army, for the assistance
he has received from the zeal, advice, and active services
of the generals, staff, and commanding officers, and for the
patience, discipline, and exertions of all regiments, corps, and
departments, to which, under the blessing of Providence, he is
indebted for the complete success of the expedition, and for the
most gracious approbation, which His Majesty has been pleased to
declare of the whole service.”
On the 17th of October, the first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment embarked for England in the _Minotaur_, _Neptunis_, and
_Iris_, ships of war, and sailed on the 21st. During the passage
they encountered very boisterous weather, in which the ships parted
company: unfortunately the _Neptunis_, of ninety-eight guns (one of
the captured Danish ships), with six hundred of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment on board, got aground, and was totally lost. The men were
landed on the island of Hewan, where they remained for fourteen days,
until vessels arrived for them from England.
The men on board the head-quarter ship landed in England on the
12th of November; and on the arrival of the different detachments,
orders were waiting for them to proceed to Weeley barracks. The
effective strength of the first battalion at this period consisted
of forty-nine serjeants, twenty-two drummers, and nine hundred and
sixty-four rank and file.
[Sidenote: 1808]
The first battalion marched to Colchester barracks on the 23rd of
March, 1808. Volunteers from the militia of the northern counties
were, about this time, received, and taken on the strength of the
second battalion, which continued in Ireland.
On the 19th of April, the first battalion of the regiment was
directed to be held in readiness for immediate embarkation
for foreign service, and on the 29th of April, it marched
from Colchester, and embarked in transports at Harwich, under
Lieut.-Colonel Napier.
The battalion sailed for Yarmouth on the 4th of May, and arrived
there on the 6th, where an armament, under the command of
Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, was assembling, destined to proceed to
Sweden.
The armament sailed from Yarmouth on the 10th of May, and anchored
off _Gottenburg_ on the 17th. The Swedes did not show any inclination
to avail themselves of British assistance on shore, consequently the
troops did not disembark, but during their stay were occasionally
exercised in practising to land from launches and flat-bottomed boats.
The fleet sailed for England on the 3rd of July, with orders to
rendezvous at Yarmouth. A vessel, with orders from England, however,
changed the place of rendezvous to the Downs, where the fleet arrived
on the 20th of July, and proceeded to Spithead. A draft of seventy
rank and file was received from the second battalion.
Spain was at this period the centre of political interest. Portugal,
deserted by her government, and Spain betrayed, the people of each
rose in arms to recover the national independence. Dissensions had
arisen in the royal family of Spain, occasioned by the sway of
Emanuel Godoy, who bore the title of Prince of Peace. This minister
was dismissed, but the Court was unable to restore tranquillity. In
this emergency, the French Emperor was solicited to be umpire; and
Napoleon ultimately seized the crown of Spain, which he placed on the
head of his brother Joseph, who was transferred from the throne of
Naples. Europe was indignant, and Spain furious, at this usurpation.
The Spaniards flew to arms, and the British government resolved to
aid the Spanish and Portuguese patriots; a British army accordingly
proceeded to the Peninsula in June, 1808, the command of which was
held by Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley.
On the 31st of July, having received on board a fresh supply of
provisions and water, the first battalion sailed for Portugal, and
on the 19th of August arrived in Mondego Bay. Marshal Junot and the
French army having been defeated by the troops under Lieut.-General
Sir Arthur Wellesley, in the battles at _Roliça_ on the 17th, and
_Vimiera_ on the 21st of August, sued for a cessation of hostilities.
The battalion landed at Maciera Bay on the 27th of August, and the
convention of Cintra was signed on the 30th of that month, by which
it was stipulated that the French should evacuate Portugal.
Portugal, being thus rescued from the presence of hostile troops,
orders arrived from England for Lieut.-General Sir John Moore to take
the chief command of a part of the army, which was to be employed
in Spain; with a notification that a force from England, under the
command of Lieut.-General Sir David Baird, was to land at Corunna,
and co-operate with him. The first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment was immediately put in motion towards the frontiers, and
arrived at Portalegre on the 11th of October, 1808.
On the 26th of October, the first battalion, being placed in the
division commanded by Lieut.-General Sir John Hope, moved from
Portalegre, and on the 2nd of November entered Spain, at Badajoz;
marching by Merida, Truxillo, and Talavera, it arrived at the
Escurial on the 22nd of November, and halted.
The enemy having pressed forward to Valladolid and Tordesillas,
thereby threatening to cut off Lieut.-General Sir John Hope’s
communication with the army under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, who
was then at Salamanca, the battalion marched from the Escurial, on
the 27th of November, across the Guadarama mountains, and moving by
Villa Castin and Avila, it arrived at Alva de Tormes on the 4th of
December.
The battalion advanced from Alva de Tormes towards Tordesillas, on
the 11th of December, and Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, learning
that the French were moving upon him from the direction of Madrid,
which had by this time surrendered, while another column was
advancing from the direction of Burgos, moved to the left, to form a
junction with Lieut.-General Sir David Baird, crossed the Douro at
Toro, and arrived at Vallada on the 21st of December. On the 24th of
that month, the battalion marched by Benevente, Astorga, and Villa
Franca, arriving at Lugo on the 4th of January, 1809.
[Sidenote: 1809]
The troops took up a position in front of Lugo, on the 6th of
January, 1809, and remained bivouacked, in order of battle, until the
8th, when they marched in the night, and arrived at _Corunna_ on the
11th. During these marches, in common with the rest of the army, the
battalion suffered from fatigue and the severity of the weather.
On the 12th of January, the battalion was placed in position in front
of _Corunna_; and on the 14th and 15th the women, sick men, and
baggage, were embarked for England.
The British army having accomplished one of the most celebrated
retreats recorded in modern history, repulsing the pursuing enemy
in all his attacks, and having traversed two hundred and fifty
miles of mountainous country under very disheartening circumstances,
accompanied by severe privation, was not destined to embark for
England without a battle.
Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia, having taken up a position above
the town of _Corunna_, made arrangements for attacking the British
army as soon as the troops should commence their embarkation. The
sick men, women, and baggage having been conveyed on board ship,
preparations were made for embarking the troops on the 16th of
January, 1809. The French instantly descended from the heights
in three columns, and advanced about two o’clock to attack the
British position in front of _Corunna_; a sanguinary action ensued,
and before dark, the French were defeated in all their attacks.
Lieut.-General Sir John Moore was killed; and the battle was scarcely
ended, when, wrapped in a military cloak, his remains were interred
in the citadel of Corunna, over which Marshal Soult, with the true
feeling of a soldier, erected a monument.
This victory enabled the British troops to be embarked without
further molestation. In this battle the first battalion of the
NINETY-SECOND was posted towards the left of the army, on the road
leading to Betanzas, and throughout the day supported its former
reputation.
The NINETY-SECOND, together with the rest of the army, had not only
to lament the death of Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, but also
that of their own commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel Alexander
Napier, who was killed at its head: the command therefore devolved
on Brevet Lieut.-Colonel John Lamont, who was afterwards promoted
lieut.-colonel in the regiment. Lieutenant Archibald McDonald was
severely wounded on this occasion, and died shortly afterwards. Only
two rank and file of the battalion were killed, and four wounded.
This army received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, “for its
distinguished discipline, firmness, and valour, in the battle of
CORUNNA,” which were communicated to the regiment, with the following
letter, addressed to the commanding officer by Lieut.-General Sir
David Baird:—
“_Portsmouth, 30th January, 1809._
“SIR,
“In communicating to you this most signal mark of the approbation
of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, allow me to add my warmest congratulations upon a
distinction, which you, and the corps under your command on that
day, had a share in obtaining for His Majesty’s service.
“I have, &c.,
(Signed) “DAVID BAIRD, _Lieut.-General_.
“_Officer Commanding First Battalion_,
NINETY-SECOND _regiment_.”
The conduct of the battalion during the expedition, and its gallantry
at the battle of Corunna, were rewarded by the Royal authority
for the word “CORUNNA” to be borne on the regimental colour and
appointments of the NINETY-SECOND, in common with the army employed
under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore.[13]
On the 17th of January, the battalion embarked at Corunna, and on
the 26th disembarked at Portsmouth, marching immediately for Weeley
Barracks, where the several divisions arrived on the 13th, 14th, and
15th of February.
On the 16th of February, orders were issued that every exertion
should be made to clothe and equip the regiment again for foreign
service. The regiment received black painted canvas knapsacks, having
the Sphinx and number on the back.
About this period, Lieut.-Colonel John Cameron joined from the second
battalion, which continued in Ireland.
The first battalion marched on the 29th of June for Dover, where it
arrived on the 6th and 7th of July, and was joined by two hundred and
twenty rank and file from the second battalion.
During the summer of 1809 great preparations were made by the British
Government for fitting out the most formidable armament that had, for
a long time, issued from England. It consisted of an army of forty
thousand men, commanded by Lieut.-General the Earl of Chatham, and
of thirty-nine ships of the line, thirty-six frigates, and numerous
gun-boats, bomb-vessels, with other small craft, under Admiral Sir
Richard Strachan. The object of the expedition was to gain possession
of the islands at the mouth of the Scheldt, and to destroy the French
ships in that river, with the docks and arsenals at Antwerp.
On the 14th of July, the first battalion marched to Deal, and
embarked in ships of war with other troops there assembled, under
Lieut.-General the Earl of Chatham. The battalion, under the command
of Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, was placed in Major-General Sir William
Erskine’s brigade, and in the division commanded by Lieut.-General
Sir John Hope. The NINETY-SECOND mustered forty-four serjeants,
twenty drummers, and nine hundred and seventy-four rank and file.
The expedition sailed from the Downs on the 28th of July, and landed
on the 1st of August on the Island of South Beveland, near Goes, and
went into cantonments in that place and Capelle. Flushing surrendered
on the 15th of August; but during the siege Marshal Bernadotte had
arrived at Antwerp, put the place in a posture of defence, and
removed the ships higher up the river. In consequence of these
preparations, the reduction of Antwerp was deemed impracticable by
a Council of War, and on the 1st of September the NINETY-SECOND
embarked for England.
The battalion landed at Landguard Fort near Harwich, and proceeded
to Woodbridge barracks. During the time it was in South Beveland, it
suffered much from fever and ague, with other diseases peculiar to
that place; consequently every attention was now paid to restore the
men, and to render them again fit for service.
[Sidenote: 1810]
On the 11th of July, 1810, the first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND
embarked at Landguard Fort, landed at Ramsgate, and arrived at
Canterbury on the 20th of that month.
The battalion was shortly afterwards destined to proceed a second
time to the Peninsula, and it embarked from Deal for Lisbon on the
24th of September. Since its embarkation at Corunna, in January,
1809, great events had occurred in Spain, and the French had obtained
possession of Corunna, Bilboa, and all the important places on the
northern coast of that country. Saragossa, after a gallant defence,
had also fallen, and Marshal Soult having overrun Gallicia, marched
into the northern provinces of Portugal, and obtained possession of
Oporto. The small British force which had been left in Portugal, when
Lieut.-General Sir John Moore advanced into Spain, was concentrated
by Lieut.-General Sir John Cradock for the defence of Lisbon.
The British Government resolved to make another effort to save
Portugal from invasion, and also to assist the Spaniards in their
struggle for independence. Accordingly in April 1809, Lieut.-General
Sir Arthur Wellesley was sent with reinforcements to Portugal, and
was appointed to the command of the British army in the Peninsula.
His first object was to dislodge Marshal Soult from Oporto. The
famous passage of the Douro led to the fall of Oporto, and the French
Marshal was compelled to retreat. The Spanish General Cuesta having
been defeated, with great loss, by the division of the French army
under Marshal Victor, Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley was obliged
to desist from the pursuit of Marshal Soult.
In the beginning of July, the British army advanced into Spain, and
a junction being effected with General Cuesta, the combined forces
occupied a strong position at _Talavera_. Here they were attacked
on the 27th and 28th of July, 1809, and the French army, commanded
by Joseph Bonaparte in person, was defeated; for which victory
Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley was raised to the peerage by the
title of _Viscount Wellington_.
After this victory it was deemed necessary to make a retrograde
movement on Badajoz, information having been received that Marshals
Soult, Ney, and Victor had united their forces, and were advancing to
fall on the rear of the allied army.
Viscount Wellington now became occupied with the defence of
Portugal. The French armies in Spain had been reinforced during
the winter of 1809-10 with troops from Germany, peace having been
concluded between France and Austria; and in April, 1810, the Emperor
Napoleon espoused the Archduchess Maria Louisa, daughter of the
Emperor of Austria.
Spain having been reduced to French domination, Napoleon resolved to
subjugate Portugal, and Marshal Massena, Prince of Essling, assumed
the command of the “_Army of Portugal_” in May. Ciudad Rodrigo and
Almeida were captured by the French, who were, however, gallantly
repulsed at the _Sierra de Busaco_ on the 27th of September, 1810,
after which Viscount Wellington occupied the strong position of
Torres Vedras, about thirty miles from Lisbon.
This was the state of affairs in the Peninsula when the NINETY-SECOND
arrived in the Tagus. On the 8th of October, the battalion landed,
and the necessary camp equipage, on taking the field, was immediately
issued.
[Sidenote: 1811]
The NINETY-SECOND, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel John Cameron,
marched from Lisbon to join the army under Viscount Wellington, then
in the fortified lines of Torres Vedras, and arrived at Cruzandera
on the 15th of October, where the battalion remained until the 15th
of November. At this period it was attached to the first division of
the army, and was brigaded with the _fiftieth_ and _seventy-first_
regiments, under Major-General Howard.
Marshal Massena having abandoned his position in front of the
British, and retired upon Santarem, the NINETY-SECOND advanced on the
15th of November, and occupied the village of Almostal on the 19th of
November, moving on the 28th to Alcantrinha, the enemy occupying a
strong position at Santarem, immediately in front of the British army.
At the commencement of the year 1811, Lisbon was the point on
which the interests of the British nation in foreign affairs were
concentrated, and the question whether Portugal should remain
independent, or become subject to France, was to be decided by the
two great armies posted near Lisbon, the one for attack, the other
for defence.
The difficulty of supplying his troops with necessaries in a
devastated country, and the impracticability of forcing the fortified
lines of Viscount Wellington, at Torres Vedras, at length compelled
Marshal Massena to consult the safety of his army by a seasonable
retreat.
During the night of the 5th of March, the enemy broke up from his
position near Santarem, and retreated in the direction of Almeida.
Viscount Wellington immediately pursued Marshal Massena by Thomar,
Pombal, Redinha, and Espinhal, at each of which places some sharp
affairs took place, honorable to the British arms, as well as at
Sabugal on the 3rd of April, immediately after which the French
continued their retreat into Spain.
The first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND regiment entered Spain on
the 9th of April, and was cantoned in Albergaria, where a detachment
of one lieutenant and forty-four rank and file joined from the second
battalion, then in Ireland. At this period, the sixth division of
the British army invested _Almeida_, and a force of British and
Portuguese under Marshal Beresford was employed in the Alemtejo and
Spanish Estremadura, which compelled the enemy to abandon Campo
Mayor. _Olivenza_ was next besieged by Marshal Beresford, and
retaken on the 15th of April, after which he broke ground before
_Badajoz_.
Marshal Massena had reached Ciudad Rodrigo on the 25th of April,
and, having concentrated his forces, crossed the Agueda on the 2nd
of May, and advanced towards the allied army, posted between that
river and the Coa, in order to relieve _Almeida_. On the approach of
the French, the British light division and cavalry fell back upon
_Fuentes d’Onor_, where three other divisions were posted, and in
which Viscount Wellington determined to receive the attack of the
enemy.
The village of _Fuentes d’Onor_ is situated on low ground, at the
bottom of a ravine, with an old chapel and some buildings on a
craggy eminence which overhang one end. In the afternoon of the 3rd
of May, the enemy attacked the village with a very large force,
and was repulsed with loss. On this occasion, the light company of
the NINETY-SECOND distinguished itself. Lieutenant James Hill was
wounded; nine rank and file were likewise wounded.
The main body of the British army was concentrated in the vicinity of
Fuentes d’Onor in the course of the evening and following day. On the
5th of May, the enemy, very superior to the British in numbers, made
an attack on the right of the allied position early in the morning,
and also on the village, which he repeated during the day, and the
action became general. Each of his attacks was successively repulsed,
and towards the evening, the victory being decidedly in favour of the
British, the French retired to their original position.
On this occasion, the first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND regiment,
commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, was stationed to the right
of _Fuentes d’Onor_, covering a brigade of nine-pounders, and
was exposed to a very heavy cannonade. The light company, and
a subdivision of each of the others in its front, were warmly
engaged throughout the day, and eminently distinguished themselves.
Major Archibald McDonnell, who commanded them, was in consequence
promoted to the brevet rank of Lieut.-Colonel. Major Peter Grant and
Lieutenant Allan McNab were severely wounded; the latter died two
days afterwards. The battalion had also seven rank and file killed
and thirty-five wounded.
The NINETY-SECOND afterwards received the Royal Authority to bear the
words “FUENTES D’ONOR” on the regimental colour and appointments, in
commemoration of the gallantry displayed by the first battalion in
that battle.
Both armies continued in their positions during the 6th and 7th of
May without any particular occurrence, and on the morning of the
8th, the rear of the enemy’s columns was seen retreating on the road
towards Ciudad Rodrigo. The NINETY-SECOND still remained bivouacked
near Fuentes d’Onor.
The French crossed the Agueda and left _Almeida_ to its fate. That
place was evacuated by General Brennier at midnight of the 10th of
May, when the enemy blew up the works, and the greater part of the
garrison succeeded in effecting its escape during the night.
On the 14th of May, the battalion returned to its former cantonments
in Albergaria, where orders were received increasing its
establishment to twelve hundred rank and file.
Marshal Beresford, in the meantime, was continuing the blockade
of _Badajoz_; but receiving information that Marshal Soult was
advancing from Seville to its relief, he raised the siege on the 15th
of May, and having concentrated his force, marched to meet the enemy.
On the following day, the battle of _Albuhera_ was fought, and the
British gained a brilliant but hard-earned victory. In the night of
the 17th, Marshal Soult left Badajoz to its fate, and commenced his
retreat towards Seville.
Viscount Wellington now gave orders for _Badajoz_ to be again closely
invested. To assist in these operations, the brigade, of which the
NINETY-SECOND formed part, was appointed the first in the second
division of the army, under Lieut.-General Rowland (afterwards
Viscount) Hill, at this time in Spanish Estremadura, covering the
siege of Badajoz.
The battalion, under Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, marched, on the 25th of
May, from Albergaria for the Alemtejo, crossed the Tagus at Villa
Velha, and the Guadiana above Badajoz, and joined the second division
in front of Albuhera, on the 10th of June, about ten days after the
second siege of Badajoz had been commenced. Its effective strength
consisted of fifty-six serjeants, sixteen drummers, and eight hundred
and twenty-five rank and file.
Marshal Marmont, with the French army of Portugal, having effected a
junction with that of the south, under Marshal Soult, they advanced
to relieve Badajoz; Viscount Wellington found it therefore necessary
to relinquish the siege, and to withdraw the allied army across the
Guadiana.
Accordingly, the second division, on the 16th of June, broke up from
its bivouac in front of Albuhera, marched by Valverde, recrossed the
Guadiana, and arrived at Torre do Mouro on the 20th of June, where
the principal part of the British army was drawn up in position, with
its right upon Elvas and the left on Campo Mayor. The division broke
up from the bivouac at Torre do Mouro on the 21st of July, marched
to Elvas, and on the following day went into quarters in Borba, from
whence it marched on the 1st of September, arriving on the 3rd of
that month at Portalegre.
Meanwhile the main body of the army, under Viscount Wellington, had
crossed the Tagus and invested _Ciudad Rodrigo_. Towards the end of
September, Marshal Marmont, having received large reinforcements,
advanced to Ciudad Rodrigo, and, after a partial engagement at El
Bodon on the 25th of September, Viscount Wellington withdrew his army
to his former position on the Coa.
On the 7th of October, a draft of one hundred and ninety-nine rank
and file was received from the second battalion.
The second battalion embarked at Belfast on the 10th of October, and
arrived on the following day at Irvine in North Britain.
General Girard’s division of the fifth French corps having taken post
at Caceres, Lieut.-General Rowland Hill determined to drive the enemy
from thence, and on the approach of the British troops the French
retired, halting at _Arroyo-del-Molinos_.
On the 22nd of October, the first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND
marched from Portalegre to Codesiera; on the 23rd to Albuquerque; on
the 24th to the Sierra de San Pedro; on the 25th to Aliseda; on the
26th to Malpartida; on the following day to Alcuesca, and bivouacked
without fires about a league from _Arroyo-del-Molinos_. During the
whole of this fatiguing march, the weather was extremely severe, with
constant rain.
The British troops, under Lieut.-General Hill, marched about
two o’clock in the morning of the 28th of October, towards
_Arroyo-del-Molinos_, a village situated in a plain at the foot of a
ridge of rocks rising in the form of a crescent, their approach being
concealed by a thick mist with heavy rain. The French infantry were
assembling outside the village to commence their march to Merida,
the baggage was being loaded, and General Girard was waiting at
his quarters for his horse, when suddenly the _seventy-first_ and
NINETY-SECOND regiments charged into the village, capturing much
baggage and many prisoners; at the same time the _twenty-eighth_
and _thirty-fourth_ regiments made a detour, supported by the
_thirty-ninth_, to cut off the enemy’s retreat.
The French formed two squares and commenced retreating. The
NINETY-SECOND attacked, and broke one of the enemy’s squares, which
was formed on the other side of the village, and thereby completed
his overthrow.
In this brilliant affair the enemy lost all his artillery and
baggage; and several officers of rank and consideration, with
about fourteen hundred men, were taken prisoners. General Brun and
Colonel the Prince d’Aremberg were among the prisoners. The ninth
and thirteenth light dragoons, and the second Hussars, King’s German
Legion, also shared in the action.
The NINETY-SECOND had Lieut.-Colonel John Cameron, Captains Donald
McDonald, John McPherson, and Robert Nugent Dunbar (Brevet-Major),
wounded; three rank and file were killed and seven wounded.
[Illustration: Plan of the Action
at
ARROYO DEL MOLINOS
28^{TH} OCTOBER, 1811.
_Madeley Lith. 3, Wellington St. Strand._]
In the evening the battalion marched to San Pedro, and on the 29th of
October proceeded to Merida; on the 31st to Montejo; on the 1st of
November to Campo Mayor; on the 3rd to Arronches; and arrived at
Portalegre on the 4th of November.
Lieut.-General Hill, on the 7th of November, issued the following
General Order:—
“Portalegre, 7th November, 1811.
“Lieut.-General Hill has great satisfaction in congratulating the
troops on the success which has attended their recent operations
in Estremadura, and in so doing, he cannot but endeavour to do
justice to the merits of those through whose exertions it has
been obtained. A patient willing endurance of forced and night
marches, during the worst of weather and over bad roads, of
bivouacs in wet weather, oftentimes without cover and without
fire, and a strict observance of discipline, are qualities,
however common in British soldiers, which the Lieut.-General
cannot pass unnoticed. Having on this occasion witnessed the
exertion of them in no ordinary degree, he feels that nothing
but the most zealous attention of commanding officers, the
good-will and zealous spirit of the non-commissioned officers
and soldiers, could produce such an effect, and he requests they
will, generally and individually, accept his warmest thanks,
particularly those corps which were engaged in the action of
_Arroyo-del-Molinos_, whose silent attention to orders, when
preparing to attack, and when manœuvring before the enemy, could
not but excite his notice, and give them an additional claim on
him.”
Letters from the Secretary of State, dated the 2nd, and from His
Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, dated the 6th December, were
promulgated, expressive of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent’s
approbation and thanks to Lieut.-General Hill, and the troops under
his command, for their brilliant operations on the recent expedition
in Spanish Estremadura, in having totally surprised and defeated the
enemy under General Girard.
Viscount Wellington having made preparations for the recapture
of _Ciudad Rodrigo_, concentrated the main body of the army in
that neighbourhood, and the troops under Lieut.-General Hill were
therefore ordered to divert the enemy’s attention in the south.
Lieut.-General Hill marched from Portalegre on the 26th of December,
and proceeded on the 29th to a bivouac about a league beyond La Nava,
at which village about three hundred French infantry were discovered
running to their arms upon the approach of the head of the British
cavalry column. They, however, effected their escape to Merida, from
which place they had been that morning detached, and acquainted
General Dombrouski of the approach of the British troops.
On the 30th of December, the NINETY-SECOND and other British troops
entered Merida, the French having retreated during the night, where
they halted during the following day.
[Sidenote: 1812]
On the 1st of January, 1812, the British troops moved upon
Almendralejos, beyond which, and close to the town, the enemy’s
columns were formed, and seen immediately retreating to Azauchal. On
the 3rd, Lieut.-General Hill matched his force to Villa Franca. A
brigade of infantry, and the cavalry, were pushed forward to Fuentes
del Maestre, where a smart affair took place, the enemy retreating
upon Llerena with the loss of some prisoners.
Lieut.-General Hill’s division returned to Almendralejos on the 4th
of January, and the NINETY-SECOND marched on the following day to
Merida, where the troops went into quarters. The siege of _Ciudad
Rodrigo_, which commenced on the 8th of January, being in a state of
forwardness, it was expected that the French would make an effort
to relieve the place. Lieut.-General Hill was therefore directed to
throw a part of his force across the Tagus.
The troops accordingly marched on the 13th of January from Merida
to La Nava; on the 14th to Zogalla; on the 15th to Albuquerque; on
the 16th to Codesiera; on the 17th to Portalegre; on the 19th to
Alpalhao; on the 20th to Niza; and on the following day they crossed
the Tagus at Villa Velha; marched from thence to Sarnadas, and on the
22nd to Castello Branco. During this march intelligence was received
of the storm and capture of _Ciudad Rodrigo_ by the British on the
19th of January.
On the 2nd of February, the NINETY-SECOND and other regiments under
Lieut.-General Hill, were directed to return to Portalegre, where
they arrived on the 5th of that month.
The strength of the first battalion at this period consisted of
forty-three serjeants, sixteen drummers, and seven hundred and thirty
rank and file. On the 4th of March the battalion marched to Alegrete,
and on the following day to Albuquerque.
Previously to this time, a large quantity of artillery stores and the
battering train had been embarked at Lisbon for the Mediterranean
(as it was then reported), but the vessels put into the Bay of
Setuval; the whole being landed at Alcacer de Sal, and conveyed up
the Alemtejo, soon appeared moving on the plains in front and to the
right of Elvas, in one long and continued chain towards the Guadiana.
The army now became aware that the third siege of _Badajoz_ was to
be undertaken.
Lieut.-General Hill’s corps marched from Albuquerque on the 15th of
March, and arrived at La Nava on the 16th;—proceeded on the following
day to Merida, where some officers and men of the enemy were made
prisoners. The division continued its march to Almendralejos on
the 18th of March, where the NINETY-SECOND and other troops were
stationed to cover the siege of Badajoz, before which ground had been
broken on the previous day.
The division proceeded on the 21st of March from Almendralejos to
Merida, and on the 26th advanced towards Medellin and Don Benito,
from which places it forced the enemy to retire. Advices were here
received, that the enemy, under Marshal Soult, was advancing to
Llerena, with a view to relieve Badajoz, to the vicinity of which
place the covering army was directed to retire.
On the 31st of March, the division proceeded towards Merida, where
it arrived on the 2nd of April; it marched on the 5th to a position
near Talavera Real. On the night of the 6th of April, Badajoz was
assaulted and carried by the troops under the Earl of Wellington,
Marshal Soult consequently retraced his steps towards Seville.
The battalion marched into quarters in Almendralejos on the 13th of
April. A French force having made an irruption into the province
of Beira, the Earl of Wellington, with the main body of the army,
crossed the Tagus immediately after the fall of Badajoz.
On the 12th of May, the battalion marched from Almendralejos, and
bivouacked near Merida; on the 13th near Arroyo-del-Molinos; on the
14th near Villa Mesias; on the 15th entered Truxillo, and marched
again about midnight; on the 16th bivouacked near Jaraicejo, and on
the following day proceeded to the mountains near Casas del Puerto.
On the 18th of May, the NINETY-SECOND marched at night to attack
the enemy’s fortifications covering the bridge of _Almaraz_. The
ruggedness of the footpath through the mountains, and the darkness
of the night, presented serious obstacles to a rapid march; it was
consequently daylight before the troops were formed in the Valle de
Canas.
The fiftieth regiment and a wing of the seventy-first were formed
in one column, and were destined to assault Fort Napoleon on the
19th of May; while the NINETY-SECOND under Lieut.-Colonel Cameron,
and the other wing of the seventy-first, were formed in a second
column, ready to support the attack on Fort Napoleon, or to carry the
_tête-de-pont_ at the same moment, both columns being provided with
scaling ladders.
Fort Napoleon was carried in gallant style by the column sent
against it, the enemy flying from it towards the _tête-de-pont_; the
NINETY-SECOND dashed forward and entered with him. The commandant of
Fort Ragusa, on the opposite bank of the Tagus, being seized with
a panic, had cut away the bridge of boats; many of his countrymen
consequently were either drowned or made prisoners.
The attention of all was now directed to the passage of the river.
Some of the NINETY-SECOND immediately leaped in, and swam to the
opposite side, bringing the boats back with them.[14] Thus was
the bridge secured, together with Fort Ragusa, which the enemy
immediately abandoned.
The enemy attached great importance to his establishment at this
place, which secured the only direct communication between his two
armies, and its destruction had the effect of placing them several
days’ march more distant from each other, and over mountainous roads
hardly passable by artillery. The works and bridge at _Almaraz_
having been destroyed, and about five hundred prisoners secured, the
troops returned to Jaraicejo.
To commemorate the gallantry of the NINETY-SECOND in the above
enterprise, the Royal Authority was afterwards received for the word
“ALMARAZ” to be borne on the Regimental Colour and Appointments.
On the 21st of May, the troops marched to Truxillo, where they halted
for two days. At this period intelligence was received that the
French had pressed forward towards Almendralejos.
On the 24th of May, the corps under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill
marched to a bivouac near Villa Mesias; on the 25th proceeded to the
vicinity of Rio del Agua; on the 26th to near San Pedro, and occupied
quarters in Merida on the day following.
The NINETY-SECOND marched from Merida on the 5th of June, and went
into quarters in Almendralejos. On the 12th of June it marched
to Fuentes del Maestre, and on the following day proceeded to
Puebla de Sancho Perez. The enemy having moved from Andalusia in
some force, evinced an inclination to bring on an action in this
advanced position, probably to divert the Earl of Wellington from
his operations upon Salamanca, with which place Marshal Soult had no
direct communication since the loss of the bridge of Almaraz, and
every movement in advance threw him farther from co-operating with
Marshal Marmont.
The battalion retired to Los Santos on the 16th of June; on the 17th
to Santa Martha; and on the 18th to a wood in front of Albuhera,
where all the infantry under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill were
assembled; some field-works were immediately thrown up to strengthen
the position, and enable the Earl of Wellington, without apprehension
for the safety of that corps, to prosecute his attack upon the
enemy’s forts at _Salamanca_, which were captured on the 27th of June.
On the 2nd of July, the battalion advanced to Santa Martha; on the
3rd it marched to a bivouac near Villa Alva, where the enemy brought
up some guns, and cannonaded the troops; on the 4th it bivouacked
near Feria; on the 5th near Bienvenida; on the 6th near Villa Garcia;
and on the 7th it entered Llerena.
The NINETY-SECOND marched from Llerena, by Arlones, on the 8th of
July to Berlenga, where some cannonading and a cavalry skirmish took
place, after which the enemy retired, and the battalion returned on
the following day to Llerena.
The battalion again marched from Llerena on the 20th of July to
Bienvenida, and on the following day to Zafra. The enemy at this time
moved to his right, and had a force near Fuentes del Maestre.
During the night of the 26th of July, the NINETY-SECOND marched
towards Villa Franca, near which place the battalion bivouacked about
daylight. The French were about a league in front at Fuentes del
Maestre. Between nine and ten o’clock in the morning of the 29th of
July, a brigade of French guns was drawn up on a height, in front of
their position, and fired a royal salute. Many were the surmises as
to the cause of this rejoicing, until some of the British officers
ascertained at the outposts, that the salute was in honor of a
victory supposed to have been gained by the French at _Salamanca_.
Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, however, received more authentic
intelligence from the scene of action, and immediately afterwards
issued the following order:—
“_Villa Franca, 29th July, 1812._
“Captain Maxwell’s brigade of artillery will fire a salute of
twenty-one guns at twelve o’clock, being in honor of the glorious
and important victory gained over the enemy at _Salamanca_, by
the army under the immediate command of the Earl of Wellington,
on the 22nd instant.
“An extra ration of wine or spirits is to be issued to the
British and Portuguese troops, to enable them to drink the Earl
of Wellington’s health.
(Signed) “J. C. ROOK,
“_Assistant Adjutant-General_.”
The troops were under arms, and after the salute, Lieut.-General Sir
Rowland Hill advanced; the enemy, however, did not await this proof
that the victory was on the side of the Allies, but immediately
retired, and Fuentes del Maestre was occupied by the British troops.
On the 1st of August, the battalion went into quarters in Villa
Franca.
The allied army under the Marquis of Wellington, which title was
conferred upon him after the victory of Salamanca, entered Madrid on
the 12th of August, and was received with every demonstration of joy
by the inhabitants. Marshal Soult, in consequence of this movement,
raised the blockade of Cadiz, and abandoning Western Andalusia, moved
towards Grenada.
Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill’s corps, of which the NINETY-SECOND
formed part, advanced on the 28th of August to Usagre; on the 29th to
Villa Garcia; on the 30th proceeded to the left to Maquilla; on the
31st to El Campillo; on the 1st of September the troops marched to
Zalamea; on the 2nd to Quintana; on the 3rd to La Nava; and on the
4th to quarters in Don Benito.
On the 13th of September, Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill crossed the
Guadiana, and marched to Mojadas; on the 14th to Villa Mesias; and on
the 15th to Truxillo, where the troops halted.
The troops resumed their march from Truxillo to a bivouac near
Jaraicejo on the 19th of September, and on the day following crossed
a pontoon bridge thrown over the Tagus, where that of the enemy
formerly stood, and bivouacked near Almaraz; on the 21st the division
proceeded to Naval Moral; on the 22nd marched to Calzada de Oropeza;
on the 23rd to La Gartera, and there halted.
On the 26th of September, Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill’s division
marched to Talavera de la Reinha; on the 27th to Cebolla; on the 28th
to Torrijos; on the 29th to Toledo; on the 30th to a bivouac near
Villa Mejor; and on the 1st of October to quarters in Aranjuez.
At this period, the Marquis of Wellington was engaged in the siege
of the Castle of Burgos. Information was also received that Marshal
Soult and King Joseph, with their united armies, were advancing from
Valencia, and that their advanced guard was in the neighbourhood of
Ocanna, and moving on Madrid.
In consequence of the necessity of raising the siege of the Castle
of Burgos, and retreating, the NINETY-SECOND, and other corps under
Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, moved from Aranjuez on the 23rd
of October, crossed the Tagus, and marched to Colominarde Orejo;
on the 25th advanced to the bridge of Fuentes Duenna; on the 27th
of October, the enemy appeared on the opposite bank of the river
and reconnoitred. The troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill
marched on the following day to Villa Conejos, and on the same
evening crossed the Jarama at Puente Larga, and went into position;
on the 29th they marched to a bivouac near Valle de Moro; on the
30th near Abavaca; and on the 31st to El Escurial. The Marquis of
Wellington, with the main body of the army, was at this period
returning from the neighbourhood of Burgos towards Salamanca.
The NINETY-SECOND marched to a bivouac near the village of Guadarama
on the 1st of November; on the 2nd crossed the Guadarama mountains,
and bivouacked at Villa Castine; on the 3rd at Blasco Sancho; on
the 4th at Naveos Duenna; on the 5th at Canaracillo; on the 7th
crossed the river at _Alba de Tormes_, and bivouacked. On the 8th of
November, the battalion was ordered into the town of Alba de Tormes
to defend it, the allied army being at this time concentrated between
that place and Salamanca.
The French, under Joseph Buonaparte, appeared on the 10th of
November in great force on the heights above, and close to _Alba de
Tormes_; after reconnoitring the place, the enemy commenced a very
hot cannonade from a numerous artillery; at the same time pushing
forward his light troops close under the old walls of the town, his
columns ready to advance at the first appearance of the British being
staggered by the effects of his artillery and numerous sharpshooters.
No such opportunity occurred, and the enemy withdrew his guns, after
firing upwards of fifteen hundred shot and shell in about three
hours. Such was the steadiness of the brigade, that he could not
venture on the assault of a place surrounded by an old Moorish wall,
in a state of perfect ruin, assailable at all points, and without any
other defence than the brave troops that lined it. A strong force was
kept watching the motions of the allies, and the enemy’s light troops
kept up a skirmish during the 11th, 12th, and 13th of November.
The NINETY-SECOND had eight rank and file killed; Lieutenant Andrew
Will and thirty-three rank and file were wounded.
At daylight on the morning of the 14th of November, the enemy’s
cavalry were seen crossing the Tormes, about a league above the
town, which was evacuated in the course of the day; the bridge blown
up, and a small Spanish garrison left in the castle. This night the
NINETY-SECOND bivouacked on the Arapiles, the whole army being there
in position.
On the 15th of November, the enemy appeared in force about Mozarbes,
and his numerous cavalry was observed moving to its left, upon the
British line of communication with Ciudad Rodrigo. Towards evening
the allied troops were directed to retire from the right, and the
NINETY-SECOND bivouacked in a wood behind the Rio Valmuza; on the
16th near Matilla; and on the 17th behind the Rio Cuebra. During
these days, the rear-guard was engaged in affairs with the enemy’s
cavalry and light artillery. On the 18th the battalion bivouacked
near Moraesverde; on the 19th marched to Zamarra; on the 20th to
Robledo, and halted.
The weather had been very severe during the last few days, and the
troops suffered much from its effects, being obliged several times
in each day to wade through rivers, which had no existence at other
seasons of the year.
The NINETY-SECOND marched to San Payo on the 28th of November; on the
following day to Perales; and on the 30th to Casas de Don Gomez. On
the 1st of December it went into winter quarters in Coria, where a
detachment of two serjeants and thirty-six rank and file joined from
the second battalion, which was at this period stationed in Scotland.
The strength of the first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND regiment
now consisted of thirty-seven serjeants, fourteen drummers, and six
hundred and forty-five rank and file.
[Sidenote: 1813]
On the 17th of January, 1813, the battalion marched from Coria to
Montehermosa, and on the 13th of February it marched to Guejo,
thence to Aldea Nueva, and on the 15th to Puerta de Bannos. This
movement took place in consequence of the advance of a French force
from Salamanca towards Bejar, into which place some troops were
thrown, and the enemy, then close to the town, retired. He, however,
returned with an increased force shortly afterwards, and in the
night attempted to surprise the garrison of Bejar, consisting of the
_fiftieth regiment_, and the _sixth Portugese Caçadores_, by which
he was repulsed with loss. The first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment was put in motion to their support, and the same evening
returned to its quarters in Bannos.
While stationed at Bannos in April, the NINETY-SECOND received a
draft of forty-six men from the second battalion. The effective
strength at this period consisted of forty-four serjeants, fifteen
drummers, and eight hundred and seventeen rank and file.
On the 20th of May, the NINETY-SECOND marched from Bannos to Bejar;
on the 21st to Valle de Fuentes; on the 24th to Fuenteroble; on the
25th to Calzadilla; and on the following day crossed the Tormes,
above Salamanca, from which place the enemy retired with the loss of
some men and artillery. On the 27th of May, the NINETY-SECOND, and
other corps under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, passed the Marquis
of Wellington in review-order, and marched to Orvado, where they
halted.
The NINETY-SECOND marched on the 3rd of June from the camp at Orvado,
crossed the Guarena, and encamped near Villa Buena; on the 4th the
battalion crossed the Douro at Toro, and marched to Morales; on the
5th to Villa Sexmil; on the 6th to Mucientes, leaving Valladolid to
the right; on the 7th to Duenas; on the 8th to Torre Quemada; on the
9th to Quintana del Ponte; on the 10th crossed the Pisuerga, and
marched to Pedroza; on the 11th to Valbases; on the 12th to Celada
del Camino; and on the 13th to Villa Ricos, on which morning, about
daylight, the enemy blew up the Castle of Burgos, and retreated.
On the 14th of June, the battalion marched to Villa Toro; on the
15th to Villa Esquiar; on the 16th it crossed the Ebro, and marched
to Pesquez; on the 17th it marched to Villa Mor; on the 18th to
Boveano; on the 19th to Alcoide; and on the 20th to Robeo.
In the meantime, the French army, commanded by King Joseph, had taken
up a position in the neighbourhood of _Vittoria_, where the Marquis
of Wellington determined to attack the enemy.
Accordingly, on the 21st of June, the first battalion of the
NINETY-SECOND regiment, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Cameron,
quitted its encampment early in the morning, and moved to La Puebla,
where it crossed the river Zadorra, and ascended the mountain behind
the village, which the Spaniards named “_Alturas de los Inglezes_,”
from an action fought there by the English in 1367, when Edward the
Black Prince proceeded to Spain to assist Peter, King of Castile, to
recover his throne.[15]
The memorable battle of _Vittoria_ commenced by Lieut.-General Sir
Rowland Hill obtaining possession of the heights of _La Puebla_,
on which the enemy’s left rested. The enemy immediately sent a
reinforcement of about seven thousand men, with some artillery to
this point, and made several attempts to recover his lost ground, but
was as frequently repulsed by the troops which were opposed to him;
and by that means they covered the remainder of the second division,
while filing across the Zadorra, and in its movement to attack the
enemy in the village of _Subijana de Alava_. Each corps kept its
ground with coolness and steadiness, until everything was prepared on
the left, and the allied army advanced across the plain.
At this juncture, the NINETY-SECOND was again directed to advance,
and drive the enemy from every post in its front, which duty it
performed in its usual manner, and the French having given way at all
points, the battalion continued a rapid pursuit along the Pampeluna
road, until about midnight, when it was halted near Ganuz.
On this occasion, the French suffered a great loss of men, together
with all their artillery, baggage, and stores. King Joseph, whose
carriage and court-equipage being seized, had barely time to escape
on horseback. The defeat was the most complete that the French had
experienced in Spain.
The bâton of Marshal Jourdan was taken by the eighty-seventh
regiment, and the Prince Regent, in the name and behalf of His
Majesty, appointed the Marquis of Wellington a Field Marshal. In a
most flattering letter, the Prince thus conferred the honor: “You
have sent me among the trophies of your unrivalled fame, the staff of
a French Marshal, and I send you in return that of England.”
In commemoration of the share the NINETY-SECOND bore in gaining this
signal victory, the royal authority was afterwards received for
the word “VITTORIA,” to be inscribed on the regimental colour and
appointments. A medal was also conferred on the commanding officer,
Lieut.-Colonel John Cameron.
The NINETY-SECOND had four rank and file killed, and sixteen wounded.
On the 22nd of June, the allies followed the retreating enemy, on
which day the NINETY-SECOND marched to about a league in front of
Salvatierra, and encamped; on the 23rd proceeded to near Arbeniz; on
the 24th to near Araquil; on the 25th to near Stormende; on the 26th
to near Zuaza; and on the 27th marched to Orcayen, about three miles
from _Pampeluna_, which latter place was afterwards invested.
The NINETY-SECOND marched to a wood near Lizasso on the 2nd of
July; on the 3rd to Puerta Velate; on the 4th to _Almandoz_, where
a skirmish took place, the enemy being in position between Beruete
and Aniz. On the 5th, after some movements to turn the left of his
position, he retreated, and the NINETY-SECOND bivouacked in front of
Elizondo, halting there during the following day.
On the 7th of July, the enemy was seen in a strong position on the
heights of _Maya_, and troops were sent across the Bidassoa to attack
his right. The NINETY-SECOND marched through the village of Maya in
the afternoon, and a good deal of fighting took place during the
day, the light troops continuing to skirmish until dark, when the
battalion bivouacked.
Advancing early in the morning of the 8th of July, the French retired
from their _own_ frontier, which the pursuing troops occupied with
three British cheers. The light troops continued the pursuit towards
the village of Urdax.
On the 9th of July, the troops marched to the village of Maya.
The siege of _St. Sebastian_ was undertaken, and the garrison of
_Pampeluna_ was closely invested by the Spaniards at this period.
Upon Napoleon receiving the news of the defeat of the French at
Vittoria, he immediately sent Marshal Soult to Spain, with the rank
of “Lieutenant of the Emperor,” and the Marshal assumed the command
of the army of Spain on the 12th of July. All his energies were
directed to retrieve its disasters, and to drive the British across
the Ebro.
On the 13th of July, the first brigade, at this period under the
command of Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, of the NINETY-SECOND, marched to
occupy the heights of _Maya_.
The effective strength of the battalion, under the command of Major
James Mitchell, consisted of forty serjeants, fifteen drummers, and
seven hundred and sixty-two rank and file, on the 25th of July, on
which day the fiftieth regiment was stationed on the right of the
brigade, to the left of a pass leading to the village of Maya, which
was occupied by a piquet from the second brigade.
The NINETY-SECOND were stationed in the Maya Pass, to the right of
the road leading from Urdax, and the seventy-first regiment still
further to the left. The enemy collected a force of about fifteen
thousand men behind some rocky ground in front of the British right,
and with this overwhelming force drove in the light companies of the
second brigade, gaining the high rock on the right of the allied
position before the arrival of the second brigade from Maya, which
was, therefore, compelled to retrace its steps towards the village,
instead of falling back to its left on the first brigade.
Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, detached the fiftieth to the right the
moment the action commenced. That regiment was severely engaged,
and was forced to retire along the ridge; the right wing of the
NINETY-SECOND, under Major John McPherson, was sent to its support,
and for some time had to stand the whole brunt of the enemy’s
column. The right wing of the seventy-first regiment was also brought
up, but such was the advantage of the position the enemy had gained
by separating the two brigades, and in a manner descending upon the
Pass of Maya, while a fresh division was pushing up to it from the
direction of Urdax, that the small body of troops received orders to
retire to a high rock on the left of the position.
This movement was covered by the left wings of the seventy-first
and NINETY-SECOND regiments, which, relieving each other with the
utmost order and regularity, and disputing every inch of ground, left
nothing for the enemy to boast of. The brigade continued to hold the
rock until the arrival of Major-General Edward Barnes’s brigade, when
a general charge was made, and every inch of ground recovered as far
as the Maya Pass.
On this occasion the NINETY-SECOND was ordered by Lieut.-General
the Honorable Sir William Stewart not to charge, the battalion
having been hotly engaged for ten successive hours, and in want
of ammunition. The NINETY-SECOND, however, for the first time
disregarded an order, and not only charged, but led the charge.
During the whole of the action on the 25th of July, the conduct of
the NINETY-SECOND was most noble and devoted; and in commemoration
of which His Majesty was pleased to permit Lieut.-Colonel Cameron to
bear on his shield the word “MAYA.” Lieut.-Colonel John Cameron and
Major James Mitchell were both wounded at the head of the battalion,
and the command devolved on Major John McPherson, who was also
wounded, but did not leave the field. The other officers wounded
were Captains George W. Holmes, Ronald McDonald, and Samuel Bevan,
Lieutenants William Fyfe, Donald McPherson, John A. Durie, James John
Chisholm, Robert Winchester, Donald McDonald, James Ker Ross, George
Gordon, John Grant, and Alexander McDonald, (died) and Ensigns Thomas
Mitchell and George Mitchell.
Ensign Ewen Kennedy was killed. The other casualties were thirty-four
rank and file killed, and two hundred and sixty eight rank and file
wounded; and twenty-two rank and file missing.
Major-General Sir William Napier, in his History of the Peninsular
War, in narrating the action in the Pass of Maya, has alluded to the
loss of the battalion, and its gallantry, in the following terms:—
“And that officer (Lieut.-Colonel Cameron) still holding the
Pass of Maya with the left wings of the seventy-first and
NINETY-SECOND regiments, brought their right wings and the
Portuguese guns into action, and thus maintained the fight; but
so dreadful was the slaughter, especially of the NINETY-SECOND,
that it is said the advancing enemy was actually stopped by the
heaped mass of dead and dying.”
* * * * *
“The stern valour of the NINETY-SECOND would have graced
Thermopylæ.”
* * * * *
The enemy having turned the British position at Roncesvalles, the
troops were withdrawn. The first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND was
ordered to march from Puerto de Maya, and arrived in position at
Iruite early in the morning of the 26th of July.
The troops composing the right of the allied army at Roncesvalles,
having retired towards Pampeluna, the NINETY-SECOND marched, on the
27th of July, from its position near Iruite, and halted between
Puerta Velate and Lanz. On the following day, the battalion marched
to a bivouac near Lizasso, and, on the 29th, marched somewhat further
towards Pampeluna.
On the 30th of July, the battalion advanced to a position between the
village of _Lizasso_ and _Eguaros_, when the enemy appeared at the
former place, and commenced an extended movement upon the British
left. The NINETY-SECOND, under the command of Major John McPherson,
was directed against him, and found itself opposed to a column of
about two thousand men, which the battalion immediately charged, and
drove from the ridge in a most gallant style. After this the French
moved still further to their right, and accordingly the left of the
allies was thrown back in the direction of Arestegui. The action
ceased about dark.
The NINETY-SECOND had Captain George W. Holmes wounded. Nine rank and
file were killed, and twenty-six wounded.
The NINETY-SECOND advanced, and on the 31st of July, came up with the
enemy strongly posted on a hill at _Dona Maria_, which could only be
approached by a narrow ziz-zag road through very close underwood.
In this favorable position the enemy made great resistance, but was
ultimately driven from the heights, and his defeat was particularly
ascribed to the persevering bravery individually displayed in the
ranks of the NINETY-SECOND regiment.
Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, under whose eye the battalion was
this day engaged, bestowed the most flattering encomiums on its
gallantry. On this occasion Major McPherson was wounded, and Captain
James Seaton assumed the command. Captains James Lee and Dugald
Campbell, Lieutenant James Hope, and Ensign Thomas Mitchell, were
also wounded. Ten rank and file were killed, and sixty-nine wounded.
After carrying this post, the NINETY-SECOND moved towards Lanz, and,
on the 1st of August, marched through the pass at Lanz to Ariscun,
and on the 2nd, again occupied the heights of Maya.
The royal authority was subsequently granted for the NINETY-SECOND to
bear the word “PYRENEES” on the regimental colour and appointments,
to commemorate the services of the first battalion in these combats,
which have been designated the “_Battles of the Pyrenees_.” Medals,
bearing the word “PYRENEES,” were conferred on Major John McPherson
and Captain James Seaton; and the former was promoted to the brevet
rank of Lieut.-Colonel.
The effective strength of the NINETY-SECOND was now reduced to
twenty-seven serjeants, fifteen drummers, and three hundred and
twenty rank and file. The battalion marched on the evening of the 2nd
of August to the village of Erassu, and on the 5th reoccupied the
heights of Maya.
On the 8th of August, the NINETY-SECOND marched from Maya to the
valley of Alduides, and the next day to Roncesvalles, between which
place and the heights of Don Carlos, the battalion remained encamped
until the beginning of November.
In the meantime, _St. Sebastian_ and _Pampeluna_ had been captured,
and the British commander, looking down from the lofty Pyrenees on
the well-guarded territory of France, resolved to carry the war into
the heart of that country.
On the 7th of November, the enemy made an attempt to cut off a
piquet of the NINETY-SECOND, but was foiled. On the following day,
the battalion marched from Roncesvalles to Alduides, and on the 9th
proceeded through Maya to Urdax, in which neighbourhood the whole
division was assembled.
The British army was put in motion at an early hour in the morning
of the 10th of November, and advanced to attack the enemy in his
fortified position on the _Nivelle_. The NINETY-SECOND, under the
command of Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, forded that river a little below
Ainhoe, and was ordered to attack the strong redoubts on the heights
immediately in rear of the village.
The action became very warm towards the centre of the British line,
and the sixth division, with the Portuguese division immediately on
the left, having turned the redoubts to the right of the enemy’s
position on the heights of Ainhoe, the French in front of the
NINETY-SECOND made little resistance, running out of the redoubts
in the utmost confusion; the enemy giving way at all points, left
the allies a complete victory, and abandoned all his artillery and
stores. The NINETY-SECOND occupied the huts in the French position
for the night, and the next day advanced to Espelette.
On the 12th of November, the division moved in advance to reconnoitre
the enemy at Cambo, and after driving in his outposts and effecting
the object in view, the NINETY-SECOND bivouacked at a short distance
from the town.
The battalion went into quarters in Cambo on the 16th of November;
the enemy having previously blown up the bridge, retired across the
_Nive_, leaving some pieces of heavy artillery behind.
On the 27th of November, a detachment of one hundred men joined from
the second battalion, which still remained in Scotland.
The rivers, which had been greatly swollen by the rains, having
partly subsided, the allied army was put in motion across the
_Nive_ on the 9th of December. The NINETY-SECOND, commanded by
Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, forded that river near Cambo, but did not
meet with much opposition, as the enemy retired to prevent his
retreat to Bayonne from being cut off by the sixth division, which
was crossing lower down the river. The NINETY-SECOND advanced on the
same day to Urcuray: on the 10th and 11th, the French attacked the
troops on the left of the Nive, but on each day were repulsed.
On the 11th of December, the NINETY-SECOND advanced to Petite
Moguerre, a small village near Bayonne, situated between the rivers
Nive and Adour.
The enemy was observed at daylight in the morning of the 13th of
December, formed in very heavy columns between his entrenched camp at
Bayonne, and the village of St. Pierre, on the road leading to St.
Jean-Pied-de-Port.
The NINETY-SECOND, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, was
ordered to advance to the centre of the position at _St. Pierre_,
against which the enemy appeared to direct his principal attack.
The battalion had scarcely arrived on its ground, when it was led
into action, and by a most opportune and determined charge, drove
the French from the British position (of which they had for a moment
possessed themselves) to the very point from whence they had started.
The NINETY-SECOND was recalled to its proper position, and no sooner
was it formed there, than the enemy again attacked, and was again
repulsed. Besides being exposed during this day to a continued
fire of musketry and artillery, the battalion made _four_ distinct
charges with the bayonet, each time driving the enemy to his original
position in front of his entrenchments.
Lieut.-General the Honorable Sir William Stewart, K.B., in his
report of the action, stated, that “several brilliant charges were
made by our troops in the centre, against which the enemy’s principal
attack was directed, more particularly that by the NINETY-SECOND
Highlanders.”
In speaking of the defeat of the enemy’s principal attack on the road
to St. Jean Pied-de-Port, where the first brigade was stationed, the
Marquis of Wellington said in his despatch, “they were particularly
engaged in the contest with the enemy at that point, and these troops
conducted themselves admirably.”
On this occasion Lieutenants Duncan McPherson, Thomas Mitchell,
and Alan McDonald were killed. Major John McPherson (mortally),
Captains George W. Holmes, Ronald McDonald, and Donald McPherson;
Lieutenants John Catenaugh, Ronald McDonald, James John Chisholm,
Robert Winchester, and George Mitchell, and Ensign William Fraser
were wounded. Twenty-eight rank and file were killed, and one hundred
and forty-three wounded.
In commemoration of this action, an honorary badge was conferred
by His Majesty on Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, bearing the word “NIVE,”
and the senior captain of the regiment (Captain James Seaton) was
promoted to the brevet rank of major. The royal authority was
also granted for the NINETY-SECOND to bear the word “NIVE” on the
regimental colour and appointments.
The enemy retired into Bayonne a little before dark, and the
NINETY-SECOND went into its former quarters in Petite Moguerre.
On the 14th of December, the following order was issued by
Lieut.-General the Honorable Sir William Stewart, K.B.:—
“Head Quarters, near Petite Moguerre,
“14th December, 1813.
“The second division has greatly distinguished themselves, and
its gallantry in yesterday’s action is avowed by the Commander of
the forces and the allied army.”
The NINETY-SECOND marched from Petite Moguerre on the 17th of
December, and on the 19th occupied cantonments in Arquite.
[Sidenote: 1814]
On the 4th of January, 1814, the battalion marched from Arquite,
and encamped near Urt; on the 8th it went into cantonments in that
village. On the 20th of January the battalion marched from Urt for
St. Jean de Luz, where it received new clothing, and on the 20th
returned to Urt.
The enemy attacked on the 27th of January a piquet of the
NINETY-SECOND, stationed in an island on the Adour, but was driven
back.
At this period the allied army was put in motion, and the
NINETY-SECOND marched from Urt to Urcuray.
The NINETY-SECOND, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Cameron,
marched on the 14th of February to attack a considerable body of the
enemy under General Harispe at _Hellette_, which was forced to retire
to Meharin. On this occasion Lieutenant Richard McDonell was wounded;
one private was killed, and seven rank and file wounded.
On the morning of the 15th of February, the NINETY-SECOND marched
in pursuit of the enemy, who was discovered, late in the evening,
strongly posted on the heights in front of _Garris_, which the
division attacked and carried in gallant style. The French
obstinately disputed their ground, and made several attempts to
recover it after dark, but finding the British troops immovable,
they retreated with considerable loss through St. Palais. On this
occasion Major James Seaton was mortally wounded, and expired on the
22nd of the following month. The other casualties were three rank and
file wounded.
During the night the enemy destroyed the bridge at St. Palais, and
every exertion was made to repair it. On the 16th of February, the
NINETY-SECOND crossed in the afternoon, and occupied a position in
advance.
On the 17th of February, the enemy was discovered in the village of
_Arriverete_, on the right bank of the Gave de Mauleon, endeavouring
to destroy the bridge over it. A ford was discovered a little higher
up, which the NINETY-SECOND crossed under cover of the British
artillery, and immediately attacking the troops in the village
with its usual success, drove the enemy out of it, and secured the
bridge by which the troops were enabled to cross. The enemy retired
across the Gave d’Oleron, and the battalion, which had ten rank and
file wounded in this enterprise, was cantoned in Arriverete and the
neighbouring villages.
In honor of this occasion, it was granted by royal warrant, that
Lieut.-Colonel Cameron should bear for his crest a Highlander of
the NINETY-SECOND regiment, up to the middle in water, grasping in
his right hand a broad sword, and in his left a banner inscribed
92nd, within a wreath of laurel; and as a motto over it the word
“_Arriverete_.”
The following is an extract of the Marquis of Wellington’s despatch
on this occasion:—
“St. Jean de Luz, 20th February, 1814.
“The enemy retired across the river at St. Palais in the night,
destroying the bridges, which, however, were repaired so that
the troops under Sir Rowland Hill crossed on the 16th, and on the
17th the enemy were driven across the Gave de Mauleon.
“They attempted to destroy the bridge at Arriverete, but they had
not time to complete its destruction; and a ford being discovered
above the bridge, the NINETY-SECOND regiment under the command of
Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, supported by the fire of Captain Beane’s
troop of horse artillery, crossed the ford, and made a most
gallant attack upon two battalions of French infantry posted in
the village, from which the latter were driven with considerable
loss.”
The Marquis of Wellington addressed the following letter to
Lieut.-General Lord Niddry (afterwards Earl of Hopetoun), colonel of
the NINETY-SECOND, relative to an application to be permitted to bear
the word “ARRIVERETE” on the regimental colour and appointments:—
“Cambray, 13th April, 1816.
“MY DEAR LORD,
“I have received your letter of the 2nd, regarding the desire of
the NINETY-SECOND regiment to bear the word “_Arriverete_” on
their colour, &c., to which I have no objection, and I will apply
for the distinction, if after this explanation they should still
desire it.
“Arriverete is a village on the Gave de Mauleon, at which there
is a wooden bridge. We had passed the river at other points, but
our communication across it was difficult, and the enemy was of
such a force at Sauveterre, in the neighbourhood, that we could
not venture to move along it, and I wished to get possession of
the bridge before the enemy could destroy it. The NINETY-SECOND
forded the river, and attacked and took the village, against a
very superior force of the enemy, in the most gallant style, (in
the manner in which they have always performed every service in
which they have been employed), but without much loss; there the
affair ended; we were not prepared at that time to do more, and
we held that village as a _tête-de-pont_ till our means were in
readiness for our further operations.
“There is no doubt but the troops behaved as gallantly in this
affair as they could in any of greater importance, but the
result was not of that consequence to the ulterior operations of
the army, to have rendered it notorious to the army at large;
and although I reported it as I ought, I know there are many
belonging to the army, some even who were present, have no
recollection of the name of the place which was the scene of the
action, and some not even of the action itself.
“It appears to me to be beneath the reputation of the
NINETY-SECOND to have to explain for what cause the name of
a particular place has been inserted in their colours; and
notwithstanding that on no occasion could they or any other
troops behave better than they did upon that, I acknowledge that
I am anxious they should not press the request. But if after this
explanation they continue to wish it, I will take care it shall
be granted.
“I have, &c.,
(Signed) “WELLINGTON.
“Lieut.-General Lord Niddry, K.B.,
&c., &c.”
The NINETY-SECOND marched in the morning of the 24th of February,
1814, and crossed the Gave d’Oleron by a ford near Villeneuve, and
on the 25th moved on the road towards _Orthes_, and encamped near
Laas, where the battalion halted. The allied army was at this period
crossing the Gave de Pau, near Peyrehorade, with the exception of the
corps under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill.
On the 27th of February, the army under the Marquis of Wellington,
on the right bank of the Gave de Pau advanced to attack the French
position near _Orthes_, and the action soon became general. The first
brigade, to which the NINETY-SECOND under Lieut.-Colonel Cameron
belonged, was directed to a ford above the town of Orthes, and had
the honor of leading the second division across the Gave de Pau,
under a very heavy fire of musketry and artillery, and possessing
itself of the road from Orthes to the town of Pau, immediately
in rear of the enemy’s left flank, his retreat on that line was
consequently cut off. The NINETY-SECOND was ordered to move upon the
road to St. Sever, along the rear of the enemy, whose retreat, which
had been conducted hitherto with some degree of order, now became a
perfectly confused flight. The pursuit was at an equally rapid pace,
in which the battalion was conspicuous for several miles, until it
halted at Sault de Navailles.
In commemoration of this victory, which cost the enemy twelve pieces
of cannon, and about seven thousand men, the NINETY-SECOND received
the royal authority to bear the word “ORTHES” on the regimental
colour and appointments. His Majesty was also pleased to confer
honorary badges, bearing the word “_Orthes_,” on Lieut.-Colonel
John Cameron, who commanded the first battalion, and on Major James
Mitchell, who commanded the light companies; the latter officer was
promoted to the brevet rank of lieut.-colonel.
The NINETY-SECOND had only three rank and file wounded, and one
killed, in the battle of Orthes.
On the 28th of February, the NINETY-SECOND marched to St. Medard, and
on the 1st of March proceeded to Grenade; the main body of the allied
army had at this period crossed the Adour at St. Sever.
The enemy, on the 2nd of March, was seen strongly posted on a
ridge in front of the town of _Aire_, with his right resting on
the Adour. The allied army advanced to the attack, and compelled
him to retire; but a brigade of Portuguese troops on the British
flank giving way, the French became encouraged, and in their turn
advanced. The _fiftieth_ and NINETY-SECOND regiments, after clearing
their own front, were moved rapidly to the point where the enemy was
successful, and by a most splendid charge immediately put him to
flight.
These regiments now became considerably separated from each other,
from having to occupy the ground destined for the Portuguese troops,
and the NINETY-SECOND was again opposed to a strong column on its
flank, which it immediately charged, and pursued through the town of
Aire, in which the battalion was afterwards cantoned.
Captain William Fyfe, Lieutenants John A. Durie and Richard McDonell
were wounded. The other casualties of the battalion were three rank
and file killed, and twenty-nine wounded.
His Majesty, in honor of this occasion, granted permission for
Lieut.-Colonel Cameron to bear upon his shield a view of the town,
with the word “AIRE.”
The following Division and General Orders were issued, alluding to
the action of this day:—
“DIVISION ORDERS. Aire, March 3rd, 1814.
“Lieut.-General Sir William Stewart congratulates the division
on its further advance and success against the enemy. To the
admirable conduct of the fiftieth and NINETY-SECOND regiments led
by their gallant commanders, and by Major-General Barnes, the
good fortune of yesterday’s action is decidedly attributed, which
the Lieut.-General has to state to Lieut.-General Sir Rowland
Hill, for the information of the Commander of the Forces.”
“GENERAL ORDERS. Aire, March 5th, 1814.
Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill congratulates Lieut.-General Sir
William Stewart, Major-General Barnes, and Major-General Byng,
on the brilliant part which they bore in the action of the 2nd
instant.
“The gallant and steady conduct of the fiftieth regiment, under
Lieut.-Colonel Harrison, and of the NINETY-SECOND regiment, under
Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, excited the admiration of all who were
witnesses of it.”
On the 10th of March, a letter and address, of which the following
are copies, were received, and promulgated to the first battalion of
the NINETY-SECOND regiment.
“DEAR SIR, Aire, March 10th, 1814.
“The mayor and inhabitants of this town having requested me
to convey to you, with their sentiments of gratitude, the
accompanying address, I feel infinite pleasure in so doing; as I
deem the sentiments expressed in it justly due towards you, and
the distinguished regiment under your command.
“I have &c.,
(Signed) “WILLIAM STEWART,
“_Lieut.-General_.
“Lieut.-Colonel Cameron,
Commanding NINETY-SECOND Highlanders.”
(Translation.)
“SIR, Aire, 9th March, 1814.
“The inhabitants of the town of Aire are not ignorant that if
they were preserved from pillage and destruction at the close
of the obstinate and sanguinary conflict of the 2nd of March,
they are indebted for such preservation from that calamity to
your honorable conduct, and the strict discipline which you have
maintained amongst the troops under your command.
“Penetrated by sentiments of the liveliest gratitude towards a
commander distinguished by such noble qualities, the town of Aire
has charged me to be their interpreter in communicating their
thanks, and to offer you the homage of their esteem.
“I have, &c.,
(Signed) “CODROY, _Mayor_.
“To Lieut.-Colonel Cameron,
Commanding NINETY-SECOND Highlanders.”
Information having been received that the enemy was making a movement
to his left, and attempting to throw himself upon the right flank
of the British, a corresponding move was made by the Marquis of
Wellington, and the NINETY-SECOND marched from Aire on the 13th of
March, by the road to Pau, and halted in a position near Garlin, the
French being posted behind the river Gros Lees. On the 18th, the
battalion marched to Conchez, the enemy retiring towards Lembege on
the approach of the allies.
The NINETY-SECOND moved upon Lembege on the 19th of March, where a
skirmish took place, the enemy falling back to Vic Bigorre; here he
seemed determined to make a stand, but the third division, which
moved by a road to the British left, drove him in excellent style
from his position, and he retired across the Adour. The battalion
halted for the night in front of Vic Bigorre.
On the 20th of March, the left of the army crossed the Adour, and
moved upon the enemy’s right near Rabastens, while the right marched
upon Tarbes, the French having retired from it, as the allied columns
were forming for their attack.
The NINETY-SECOND continued in pursuit of the enemy on the main road
from Tarbes to Toulouse, by St. Gaudens, Mariemont, and St. Julien,
and halted on the 26th of March at Muret: there had been constant
rain for several days previous, which impeded operations; on the
27th, the troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill were withdrawn
to St. Roque.
On the 31st of March, 1814, the division crossed the Garonne by a
pontoon bridge, and proceeded to Miremont; on the 1st of April to
Cintegabelle, and crossed the Arriege. No road for artillery could
be discovered from this place to Toulouse, and the NINETY-SECOND
recrossed the Garonne at St. Roque, the pontoons being removed
towards Grenade.
The NINETY-SECOND marched on the 5th of April to cantonments at
St. Simon. At this period the river Garonne had swollen, and this
circumstance made it necessary to remove the pontoons by which part
of the allied army had crossed; they were however replaced, and on
the evening of the 9th of April the main body of the British army was
on the right of the Garonne.
On the 10th of April, the NINETY-SECOND advanced by the Muret road to
the vicinity of _Toulouse_, and drove Marshal Soult’s outposts into
his entrenchments on that side. The services of the battalion were
not again required during this day; it however witnessed the gallant
conduct of its comrades on the opposite bank of the river, driving
the enemy from his redoubts above the town, and gaining a complete
victory.
During the 11th of April nothing particular occurred beyond a
skirmish, and confining the enemy to the suburbs. The French
evacuated Toulouse during the night, and the white flag was hoisted.
On the 12th of April the Marquis of Wellington entered the city
amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants. The NINETY-SECOND
followed the enemy on the Villa Franche road, and encamped in advance
of that town.
In the course of the afternoon of the 12th of April, intelligence
was received of the abdication of Napoleon: had not the express been
delayed on the journey by the French police, the sacrifice of many
valuable lives would have been prevented.
A disbelief in the truth of this intelligence occasioned much
unnecessary bloodshed at _Bayonne_, the garrison of which made a
desperate sortie on the 14th of April, and Lieut.-General Sir John
Hope (afterwards Earl of Hopetoun), the Colonel of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment, was taken prisoner. Major-General Andrew Hay was killed,
and Major-General Stopford was wounded. This was the last action of
the Peninsular war.
On the 20th of April, 1814, the NINETY-SECOND marched into Villa
Franche; on the 24th to Beziege; and on the 25th occupied quarters in
Toulouse.
A treaty of peace was established between Great Britain and France;
Louis XVIII. was restored to the throne of France, and Napoleon
Buonaparte was permitted to reside at Elba, the sovereignty of that
island having been conferred upon him by the allied powers.
The war being ended, the NINETY-SECOND marched from Toulouse on the
5th of June, and continued on the move until the 19th of that month,
when it encamped at Blanchfort, about two leagues from Bourdeaux.
In addition to the other distinctions acquired during the war in
Spain, Portugal, and the south of France the NINETY-SECOND received
the royal authority to bear, the word “PENINSULA” on the Regimental
Colour and Appointments.
On the 9th of July, the NINETY-SECOND marched from Blanchfort, and
encamped near Pouillac. On the 17th of July, the battalion was
conveyed down the Garonne in small craft, and embarked in H. M.’s
ship “Norge,” which sailed immediately, and on the 26th entered Cove
of Cork harbour.
The NINETY-SECOND disembarked at Monkstown on the 29th of July, and
marched to Fermoy barracks, where the thanks of Parliament were
communicated to the officers and soldiers for “the meritorious and
eminent services which they had rendered to their King and Country
during the course of the war.”
On the 6th of August, the first battalion of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment, commanded by Colonel Cameron, was inspected at Fermoy
by Major-General Sir William Aylett, who expressed in orders his
great satisfaction at its appearance under arms, as well as of
its interior economy. Its effective strength consisted of fifty
serjeants, sixteen drummers, and seven hundred rank and file.
Two captains and three lieutenants were ordered on the 12th of
October to proceed to Scotland to take under their charge the
non-commissioned officers and men of the second battalion, about to
be transferred to the first battalion.
On the 24th of October, the second battalion of the NINETY-SECOND
regiment was disbanded at Edinburgh, and twelve serjeants, thirteen
drummers, and one hundred and sixty-one rank and file were
transferred to the first battalion, which they joined at Fermoy in
January following.
[Sidenote: 1815]
The NINETY-SECOND regiment marched on the 27th of January, 1815, from
Fermoy to Cork barracks, where an authority was received for the
establishment to be one thousand rank and file.
The NINETY-SECOND regiment was not destined to remain long on
home service. The peace of Europe was again disturbed. Napoleon
Bonaparte returned from Elba, landed at Cannes, in Provence, on the
1st of March, 1815, with a handful of men, and on the 20th of that
month entered Paris at the head of an army which had joined him on
the road. Louis XVIII. withdrew from Paris to Ghent, and Napoleon
assumed his former dignity of Emperor of the French; but the allied
Powers refused to acknowledge his sovereignty, and determined on his
dethronement. Preparations for war commenced accordingly, and the
NINETY-SECOND regiment was ordered to proceed on foreign service.
The regiment marched to the Cove of Cork on the 1st of May, and
embarked in transports, which sailed on the 3rd of May. Its effective
strength consisted of forty-seven serjeants, sixteen drummers, and
six hundred and twenty-one rank and file. The regiment anchored near
Ostend on the 9th of May, was removed in boats on the following day,
and subsequently proceeded by the canal to Bruges.
On the 11th of May the regiment proceeded to Ghent, where it landed,
and was quartered. Louis XVIII. was residing there at this period.
The regiment marched from Ghent to Alost on the 27th of May, and
on the 28th to Brussels, where it was placed in Major-General Sir
Denis Pack’s brigade, with the third battalion of the Royals,
the forty-second Highlanders, and the second battalion of the
forty-fourth regiment.
On the 3rd of June the British brigades of the fifth division, to
which the NINETY-SECOND belonged, were reviewed by Field Marshal the
Duke of Wellington, who expressed his entire approbation of their
appearance, and his happiness at again seeing those that had served
with such reputation in the Peninsula.
Napoleon left Paris on the 12th of June, and conformably to his usual
plan of directing at once his whole force against some important
point, he determined to attack the British and Prussian armies
before the arrival of the Austrians and Russians, who were already
in movement towards the frontiers. On the 15th, intelligence having
been received that the French had entered the Netherlands, the
NINETY-SECOND lay upon their arms during the night.
On the 16th of June, the division under Lieut.-General Sir Thomas
Picton marched at daylight, and about two o’clock came within range
of the enemy’s artillery in front of Genappe, at some farm-houses
denominated _Les Quatre Bras_, where the main road from Charleroi
to Brussels is crossed by another from Nivelles to Namur, and which
served as the British communication with the Prussians on the left.
The NINETY-SECOND regiment was ordered to line a ditch in the front
of this latter road, to the left of the farm-houses, and the Duke
of Wellington took his station with it. The enemy poured a very
hot fire of artillery on this post, and his cavalry charged it,
but was received by a well-directed volley from the regiment, and
forced to retire with great loss of men and horses. His cannonade
still continued, and his cavalry again charged, and were repulsed as
before. In the meantime the French infantry had been forming under
cover of their cavalry attacks, assisted by their artillery, and
now advanced upon the regiment, when the Duke of Wellington said,
“NINETY-SECOND, you must charge these fellows!” These words were
scarcely uttered, when every man of the regiment sprang over the
ditch, and his orders were fully and literally obeyed. The enemy was
not only driven from the houses and gardens about Quatre Bras, but
chased for half a mile beyond it, until the regiment was recalled
about nightfall, and the action ceased.
On this occasion the regiment had to lament the loss of its
commanding officer, Colonel Cameron,[16] an officer who had led the
NINETY-SECOND in many a sanguinary field. He fell as he had lived,
with honor; and the Duke of Wellington thus expressed himself in his
despatch to Earl Bathurst of the 29th of June, transmitting lists of
the killed and wounded:—
“Your Lordship will see in the enclosed lists the names of some
most valuable officers lost to His Majesty’s service. Among them
I cannot avoid to mention Colonel Cameron, of the NINETY-SECOND,
and Colonel Sir Henry Ellis, of the twenty-third regiments, to
whose conduct I have frequently drawn your Lordship’s attention,
and who at last fell distinguishing themselves at the head of the
brave troops which they commanded.
“Notwithstanding the glory of the occasion, it is impossible
not to lament such men, both on account of the public, and as
friends.”
The Duke of Wellington particularly mentioned the twenty-eighth,
forty-second, seventy-ninth, and NINETY-SECOND regiments in his
account of the action at Quatre Bras.
The NINETY-SECOND regiment during the action was successively
commanded by Colonel Cameron, Lieut.-Colonel James Mitchell, and
Major Donald Macdonald. Colonel Cameron, Captain William Little,
Lieutenant James John Chisholm, Ensigns Abel Becher, and John Ross
McPherson were killed. Lieut.-Colonel James Mitchell, Captains George
W. Holmes, Dugald Campbell, and William Charles Grant; Lieutenants
Robert Winchester, Thomas Hobbs, Thomas McIntosh, James Ker Ross,
Ronald McDonald, Hector Munro Innes, George Logan, John McKinlay,
George Mackie, Alexander McPherson, Ewen Ross, Ensigns John Branwell,
Robert Logan, Angus McDonald, Robert Hewitt, and assistant-surgeon
John Stewart were wounded. Thirty-five rank and file were killed, and
two hundred and forty-five were wounded.
The following is a copy of Major McDonald’s report of the action,
written on the spot, to Major-General Sir Denis Pack, K.C.B.—
“SIR,
“Colonel Cameron and Lieut.-Colonel Mitchell having been
both severely wounded, I have the honor to report, for your
information, (not having been under your eye during the whole
of the day,) that the NINETY-SECOND regiment repulsed repeated
attacks of cavalry, and by a rapid movement charged a column of
the enemy, and drove them to the extremity of the wood on our
right.
“Our loss has been severe, as will be seen by the return of
killed and wounded.
“I have, &c.,
(Signed) “DONALD MCDONALD,
“_Major 92nd, Commanding_.
“Major-General
Sir Denis Pack, K.C.B.”
The Prussians had been attacked on the 16th of June at Ligny, and
were forced to retreat to Wavre, and the Duke of Wellington made
a corresponding movement to keep up his communication with them.
In the course of the morning of the 17th of June, the troops were
withdrawn from Quatre Bras, and the regiment was directed to form
the rear-guard of the infantry, until it occupied its position in
front of _Waterloo_, at a place named Mont St. Jean, where it arrived
without being molested by the enemy.
At the beginning of the memorable battle of Waterloo, which
commenced about ten o’clock in the morning of the 18th of June,
the NINETY-SECOND regiment, under the command of Major McDonald,
with the rest of Sir Denis Pack’s brigade, was placed in support of
some Belgian troops on the left of the main road to Brussels, and
throughout the day was exposed to the fire of the enemy’s artillery
and sharpshooters.
The allied troops to the right having repulsed the repeated attacks
in that quarter, the enemy directed his attention in a more
particular manner to this part of the British line; and after having
succeeded in carrying the farm-house of _La Haye Sainte_, under a
most tremendous fire of artillery, he drove the Belgians from their
post, and established himself in that part of the position. The
moment the Belgians were seen running past the regiment to the rear,
the third battalion of the Royals, and the second battalion of the
forty-fourth regiment on its right in brigade, moved to the point
which had thus been abandoned, and for some time maintained their
ground in a manner becoming British soldiers, although ultimately
obliged to give way. The NINETY-SECOND at this time was reduced to
less than three hundred men. A column of three thousand French was
formed in the position in front of the regiment, which was concealed
by the nature of the ground. The French Commander having possessed
himself of so advantageous a post, and seeing the troops give way,
considered everything gained, and ordered arms.
This was the state of affairs, when Major-General Sir Denis Pack
galloped up to the regiment, and called out “NINETY-SECOND, you must
charge, for all the troops to your right and left have given way.”
Three cheers from the regiment expressed the devoted readiness of
every individual in its ranks.
The French column did not show a large front. The regiment formed
four deep, and in that compact order advanced, until within twenty
paces, when it fired a volley, and instantly darted into the heart of
the French column, in which it became almost invisible, in the midst
of the mass opposed to it.
While the regiment was in the act of charging, and the instant before
it came in contact with the enemy, the Scots Greys (second dragoons)
came trotting up in rear of its flanks, when both corps shouted
“_Scotland for ever!_” the column was instantaneously broken, and in
its flight the cavalry rode over it. The result of this dash, which
only occupied a few minutes, was a loss to the enemy of two Eagles,
and two thousand prisoners, those that escaped doing so without arms
or knapsacks.
After this brilliant affair, Sir Denis Pack rode up to the regiment,
and said, “You have saved the day Highlanders, but you must return to
your position; there is more work to be done!”
It would be superfluous to detail every part that the regiment
had to act on this eventful day; how it stood in square, in line,
and in column, never yielding an inch to enemies who considered
themselves invincible when fighting, as in the present instance,
under the direction and in the presence of their Emperor Napoleon
Bonaparte, who frequently expressed his astonishment and admiration
at the manner in which the British fought, particularly “_Les Braves
Ecossais_,” as he termed them.
Towards evening two Prussian officers rode past the regiment
inquiring for the Duke of Wellington, and their columns began to
appear moving upon the enemy’s right, by the road from Wavre. At this
time the French made a last effort by a general attack throughout
the whole line, and the moment they were repulsed, the allied troops
advanced, drove them from every position, and forced them to seek
safety in flight, leaving their artillery, and everything that
constitutes an army in the field.
The regiment was directed to desist from the pursuit, and return
to its original ground, after giving three British cheers to the
Prussian army. In this manner was achieved the Battle of Waterloo,
the importance of which may be best estimated by the lengthened peace
which has ensued; and the memory of this eventful victory will ever
survive as a proud monument of the national glory of the British army.
On the 18th of June, the NINETY-SECOND regiment had Captains Peter
Wilkie and Archibald Ferrier, Lieutenants Robert Winchester, Donald
McDonald, James Ker Ross, and James Hope wounded. Fourteen rank and
file were killed, and ninety-six wounded.
In acknowledgment of the services which the army performed in the
battle of Waterloo, and the actions immediately preceding it, each
subaltern officer and soldier present was permitted to count two
years additional service, and silver medals were conferred on all
ranks, bearing on the one side an impression of His Royal Highness
the Prince Regent, and on the reverse the figure of Victory, holding
the palm in the right hand, and the olive branch in the left, with
the word “WELLINGTON,” over its head, and “WATERLOO,” 18th June,
1815, at its feet.
Lieut.-Colonel James Mitchell, who succeeded to the command of the
regiment at Quatre Bras, was appointed a companion of the Most
Honorable Order of the Bath, and had the Order of St. Anne of Russia
conferred upon him. Major Donald McDonald, who commanded the regiment
during the whole of the battle of Waterloo, was promoted to the
brevet rank of Lieut.-Colonel, appointed a companion of the Bath,
and received the order of St. Wladimir of Russia.
The thanks of both Houses of Parliament were voted to the army with
the greatest enthusiasm “for its distinguished valour at Waterloo;”
and the NINETY-SECOND, and other regiments engaged, were permitted to
bear the word “WATERLOO” on their colours and appointments.
The Highland Society of Scotland unanimously passed a vote of thanks
“for the determined valour and exertions displayed by the regiment,
and for the credit which it did its country in the memorable battles
of the 16th and 18th of June, 1815.”
On the 19th of June, the allied army resumed its triumphant pursuit
of the French towards Paris, in the neighbourhood of which city the
regiment encamped on the 3rd of July, without having been employed on
any affair of consequence during the march.
The following General Order was issued by the Duke of Wellington, on
the 4th of July:—
“The Field Marshal has great satisfaction in announcing to the
troops under his command, that he has, in concert with Field
Marshal Prince Blucher, concluded a military convention with the
Commander-in-Chief of the French army near Paris, by which the
enemy is to evacuate St. Denis, St. Ouen, Clichy, and Neuilly,
this day at noon, the heights of Monte Martre to-morrow at noon,
and Paris next day.
“The Field Marshal congratulates the army upon this result of
their glorious victory. He desires that the troops may employ the
leisure of this day and to-morrow, to clean their arms, clothes,
and appointments, as it is his intention that they should pass
him in review.”
Louis XVIII. entered Paris on the 8th of July, and was once more
reinstated on the throne of France. Napoleon Bonaparte having fled
to the south of France surrendered himself a prisoner on the 15th of
July to Captain Maitland, commanding the “Bellerophon” British ship
of war, and the island of St. Helena was afterwards appointed for his
residence.
While in camp near Paris, the British army was reviewed by the
Emperors of Austria and Russia, and other Sovereigns in alliance with
Great Britain, who paid very high compliments to the regiment, and
greatly admired its Highland costume.
On the 28th of October, the regiment, under the command of
Lieut.-Colonel Mitchell, broke up from its encampment, and marched
to St. Germains; on the 30th to Montain Ville; and on the 2nd of
November to Neuf le Vieux.
The regiment marched on the 10th of November to occupy the following
villages—Monfort, Neuf de Vieux, Creçy, Mareile, and Mere.
The Brigade orders of the 29th of November, directed the regiment to
proceed en route to Boulogne, and Major-General Sir Denis Pack, after
alluding to the orderly and soldier-like conduct of the regiment both
in camp and quarters, and expressing his regret at losing it from
under his command, concluded as follows:—
“The services rendered by the NINETY-SECOND regiment in the Duke
of Wellington’s campaigns in the Peninsula, and His Grace’s
late short and triumphant one in Belgium, are so generally and
so highly appreciated, as to make praise from him almost idle;
nevertheless, he cannot help adding his tribute of applause.”
On the 30th of November, the regiment marched to Meulan, and arrived
on the 15th of December at St. Leonard, near Boulogne; on the 17th it
arrived at Calais, and embarked the same day for England.
The effective strength of the regiment consisted of thirty-six
serjeants, sixteen drummers, and four hundred and forty-nine rank and
file.
On the 19th of December, the regiment landed at Margate; on the
20th marched to Deal; on the 21st to Dover; and on the 22nd to
Braebournlees Barracks, from whence it proceeded _en route_ to
Colchester on the 28th of December.
[Sidenote: 1816]
The regiment arrived at Colchester on the 1st of January, 1816,
where an authority was received to reduce its establishment to eight
hundred rank and file.
On the 19th of February, the regiment marched from Colchester _en
route_ to Hull, where it arrived on the 2nd of March. On the 22nd of
August, the regiment proceeded to Berwick-upon-Tweed,—from whence it
marched to Edinburgh on the 7th of September, and on the 12th went
into quarters in Edinburgh Castle, being the second visit to its
native country since the original formation of the regiment.
The Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, having expressed a wish to see
the NINETY-SECOND regiment, it was paraded on the 22nd of December
accordingly, and His Imperial Highness expressed his admiration of
the corps.
[Sidenote: 1817]
On the 7th of April, 1817, the regiment commenced its march by
divisions to Port Patrick, there to embark for Ireland. It arrived at
Belfast on the 24th of April, and on the 26th, detachments were sent
to occupy barracks at Carrickfergus, Downpatrick, Crumlin, Ballimony,
Newton Glens, Castle Dawson, Ballycastle, and Randalstown.
[Sidenote: 1818]
Major-General Sir Sidney Beckwith inspected the NINETY-SECOND
regiment on the 28th of April, 1818, who issued a very complimentary
order regarding its appearance.
On the 17th of June, the regiment commenced its march in two
divisions for Castlebar, where the head-quarters arrived on the 28th,
having about twenty detachments in various places.
The regiment was inspected on the 14th of October by Major-General
Buller, who expressed his approbation of its appearance.
On the 4th of November, orders were received for the regiment to be
held in readiness for embarkation at Cork, for Jamaica.
[Sidenote: 1819]
The regiment marched on the 8th of January, 1819, for Fermoy, where
it arrived on the 20th of that month. On the 12th of April, it
marched from Fermoy to Middleton barracks, and on the following day
it embarked, at the Cove of Cork, on board the “Chapman,” “Nautilus,”
and “Ocean” transports. The effective strength consisted of
thirty-one serjeants, twenty-one drummers, and six hundred and three
rank and file.
On the 14th of April, Major-General Benjamin Gordon expressed “his
marked approbation of the steadiness and very soldier-like appearance
of the regiment, and the regularity with which its embarkation was
conducted yesterday.”
The regiment sailed on the 16th of April, and arrived at Jamaica on
the 2nd of June. It disembarked at Kingston on the 4th of that month,
and proceeded to Up-Park Camp, followed by the whole population of
the town and its vicinity, who crowded from all quarters to witness
so novel a sight as a Highland regiment in Jamaica.
Shortly after its arrival in Jamaica, the regiment was attacked by
yellow fever in its most virulent form, and three companies, under
the command of Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Blainey, marched, on the 5th of
July, to Stony Hill barracks.
Such was the mortality and sickness in the regiment, that it was,
in August, in a manner ordered to be dispersed. Another company
marched on the 26th of August to Stony Hill, and a part of one to
the Apostles’ battery. On the 28th of August a strong detachment,
chiefly composed of convalescents, embarked on board the “Serapis”
guard-ship, then at anchor off Port Royal.
Major Archibald Ferrier died at Up-Park Camp on the 22nd of
September, and Brevet Lieut.-Colonel John Blainey having died
on the 28th of August at Stony Hill, Brevet-Major Peter Wilkie
assumed the command of the regiment, and on the 23rd of September
removed with the head-quarters on board the “Serapis.” Nothing can
depict the state of the regiment better than the following letter
from Brevet-Major Wilkie to Lieut.-Colonel Campbell, Assistant
Adjutant-General at Jamaica:—
“H. M. Ship Serapis,
“25th September, 1819.
“SIR,
“From the very peculiar situation of the NINETY-SECOND at the
present moment, I am much afraid it will not be in my power to
send in the returns required by the different public offices
before Tuesday or Wednesday next, as having unfortunately lost
the Adjutant, and every one acquainted with the important duty
of the orderly room, in the course of the present month, I have
consequently been necessitated to take into it any one that could
write. Under these circumstances, I trust you will grant me all
the time you can, to enable me to give them in with some degree
of accuracy.
“I have, &c.,
(Signed) “PETER WILKIE,
“_Captain 92nd regiment_.
“Lieut.-Colonel Campbell,
Assistant Adjutant-General, Jamaica.”
The head-quarters were removed on the 9th of November from on board
the “Serapis,” and returned to Up-Park Camp, where the several
detachments joined, and the regiment was again assembled. It was
remarked that the men who had been on board ship continued perfectly
healthy after their return, whereas those who had been stationed at
Stony Hill and the Apostles’ Battery, suffered considerably.
The total loss sustained by the regiment from the 25th of June to
the 24th of December, 1819, consisted of ten officers,—namely,
Majors Archibald Ferrier, and John Blainey (Brevet Lieut.-Colonel),
Lieutenants Andrew Will, Thomas Gordon, Hector Innes, George Logan,
Richard McDonnell, and George Mackie (Adjutant), Ensign Francis
Reynolds, and Assistant Surgeon David Thomas; thirteen serjeants,
eight drummers, and two hundred and fifty-four rank and file.
[Sidenote: 1820]
Lieut.-General John Hope was appointed colonel of the NINETY-SECOND
on the 29th of January, 1820, in succession to General the Earl of
Hopetoun, G.C.B., who was removed to the Forty-second, Royal Highland
regiment.
The regiment was inspected on the 16th of February by Major-General
Henry Conran, who expressed himself much pleased with the appearance
and steadiness of the men under arms.
On the 10th of March, the head-quarters and five companies were
removed from Up-Park Camp to Fort Augusta; and on the 14th of that
month the other five companies proceeded to Port Royal. In both
places the regiment enjoyed comparatively good health.
A detachment of fifty-five rank and file joined the regiment from
Scotland on the 24th of May.
Lieut.-Colonel Sir Frederick Stovin, K.C.B., who was promoted from
the twenty-eighth to the NINETY-SECOND regiment on the 2nd of
September of the previous year, in succession to Lieut.-Colonel James
Mitchell, who retired from the service, joined at Jamaica on the 24th
of October 1820.
The regimental orders of the 30th of October directed that the dress,
on parades and duties, should be white trousers, and that no other
dress would be permitted.
On the 21st of December, two companies of the regiment marched from
Fort Augusta to Spanish Town.
[Sidenote: 1821]
The head-quarters and three companies at Fort Augusta marched on
the 3rd of January, 1821, to Spanish Town, and on the 4th, the five
companies at Port Royal were removed to Fort Augusta: one of them was
shortly afterwards ordered to join the head-quarters at Spanish Town.
A detachment of one hundred and eighty-five rank and file joined at
Jamaica from the regimental depôt on the 13th of January, and on the
5th of February another detachment of twenty-nine joined, making a
total of two hundred and fourteen men.
On the 8th of March, the regiment was again inspected by
Major-General Henry Conran, commanding the forces at Jamaica, who
expressed his approbation of the correct field movements and interior
regularity of all its departments.
Lieut.-Colonel Sir Frederick Stovin, having on the 21st of June
obtained leave of absence to return to England, Major Peter Wilkie
assumed the command of the regiment. On the 18th of August one of
the four companies stationed at Fort Augusta marched to join the
head-quarters at Spanish Town; and on the 17th of October, the three
companies at Fort Augusta, were removed to Port Royal.
On the 24th of October, orders were received from the Secretary at
War to reduce the regiment to an establishment of eight companies,
consisting of twenty-nine serjeants, twelve drummers, and five
hundred and seventy-six rank and file. In consequence of this order,
the regiment was formed into eight companies, six being stationed at
head-quarters in Spanish Town, and two at Port Royal.
On the 10th of November, a detachment of the regiment, consisting of
two subalterns, two serjeants, one drummer, and thirty-two rank and
file, embarked for New Providence.
The fifty-eighth and sixty-first regiments being about to return
to Europe, a general order was issued on the 28th of November,
permitting the men to volunteer to other corps serving in Jamaica;
consequently, thirty-three men from the fifty-eighth, and forty-seven
from the sixty-first, joined the NINETY-SECOND regiment.
[Sidenote: 1822]
On the 15th of February, 1822, the two companies of the regiment
stationed at Port Royal embarked for Port Antonio, where they were
detached. On the 19th of February, the head-quarters and three
companies marched from Spanish Town, embarked on the same day at Port
Henderson, and landed at Falmouth on the 24th of that month; the
other three companies embarked shortly afterwards for Montego Bay.
In March the regiment was stationed as follows: head-quarters and two
companies at Falmouth, two companies at Port Antonio, two companies
at Lucca, and two companies at Maroon Town.
Lieut.-Colonel David Williamson joined at Falmouth, in Jamaica, on
the 10th of April, and assumed the command of the NINETY-SECOND, to
which he had been appointed from half-pay of the fourth regiment, on
the 4th of October of the previous year.
A detachment of recruits, consisting of sixty-nine rank and file,
joined on the 25th of April. At this period the officers of the
NINETY-SECOND were directed to wear wings, instead of two bullion
epaulets for all ranks as heretofore.
One of the two companies stationed at Lucea marched on the 23rd of
August to Montego Bay, and on the 27th of November was moved from
thence to Maroon Town.
[Sidenote: 1823]
Major-General Sir John Keane, K.C.B., assumed the command of the
troops in Jamaica, on the 1st of May, 1823, and in the early part of
June visited the different stations of the regiment, when he approved
highly of its discipline and appearance.
Lieut.-General the Honorable Alexander Duff was appointed colonel
of the NINETY-SECOND on the 6th of September, 1823, in succession
to Lieut.-General Sir John Hope, G.C.H., who was removed to the
seventy-second regiment.
[Sidenote: 1824]
A detachment of thirty recruits joined on the 10th of February, 1824,
and they were stationed at Fort Augusta.
The head-quarters of the regiment marched from Falmouth to Montego
Bay on the 5th of April, where they arrived at daylight on the
following morning; and on the 7th embarked in H. M. ship “Pyramus,”
the other two divisions embarking about the same time. The regiment
landed at Fort Augusta on the 10th, 12th, and 16th of April. Six
companies and the head-quarters remained at Fort Augusta, and two
companies were detached to Kingston Barracks.
During the two years the regiment was stationed on the north side,
the men enjoyed a high state of health, considering the climate
of Jamaica. Of their conduct in quarters, the best judgment may
be formed from the following address presented to Lieut.-Colonel
Williamson, by a committee of the magistrates and vestry of Trelawny
appointed for that purpose:—
“Court House, Falmouth.
“5th April, 1824.
“SIR,
“We, the magistrates and vestry of Trelawny, cannot permit the
departure from this post, of the distinguished regiment under
your command, without declaring our sense of the exemplary
conduct of the officers and orderly demeanour of the men, during
the time they have been stationed among us. In expressing our
satisfaction at the cordiality that has prevailed between your
regiment and the inhabitants of the district, we cannot but
ascribe to you the excellent state of discipline which has led to
this desirable result.
“We beg to offer our best wishes for the health of yourself and
officers, in whatever part of the world your military duties may
call you to.
(Signed) “HENRY GORDON.
“_Magistrate Presiding._
“Lieut.-Colonel Williamson,
Commanding NINETY-SECOND regiment.”
About the middle of April, the recruits which had lately joined were
attacked by fever, which carried off one-third of their number.
On the 21st of June, the regiment, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel
Williamson, was inspected by Major-General Sir John Keane, who
expressed himself highly pleased with the movements, and the
attention which the men appeared to have paid to the new system of
drill, prescribed by the General Order of the 10th of March, 1824,
according to the improvements introduced by Major-General Sir Henry
Torrens, K.C.B., Adjutant-General of the Forces.
Symptoms of insurrection having appeared among the slaves on the
north side of the island, four companies of the regiment were
embarked on the 25th of June on board His Majesty’s ship “Hussar”;
two of them were landed on the 28th at Savanna la Mar, and were
stationed there; and on the 30th another was landed at Black River;
while the fourth remained on board the frigate on its cruise
round the island, and was again landed at Fort Augusta, where the
detachments at Savanna la Mar, and Lacovia, joined the head-quarters
on the 6th and 7th of August.
On the 13th of September, Major Andrew Robert Charlton assumed the
command of the regiment, Lieut.-Colonel Williamson having obtained
leave of absence to return to Europe.
[Sidenote: 1825]
The head-quarters and the six companies at Fort Augusta proceeded on
the 13th of January, 1825, to Up-Park Camp, where the two companies
stationed at Kingston joined on the following day, and the regiment
became united, having been more or less detached since the 10th of
March, 1820.
On the 14th of February, a detachment of twenty-four recruits
arrived from England; and a detachment of two officers and sixteen
recruits joined from England on the 25th of June.
In July orders were received fixing the establishment of the regiment
at ten companies; six _service_ and four _depôt_ companies.
About the middle of July, the regiment was attacked with fever,
which, in the course of two months, carried off Major Andrew Robert
Charlton, Captain Andrew Donaldson, Lieutenant and Adjutant James
Deans, and sixty men; the command then devolved on Captain Robert
Winchester, who was subsequently promoted to the rank of major in the
regiment.
[Sidenote: 1826]
On the 10th of February, 1826, Lieut.-Colonel Williamson and a
detachment of three officers and sixty men arrived from England on
board of His Majesty’s ship “Magnificent.”
Major-General Sir John Keane, K.C.B., on the 11th of March, inspected
the head-quarters of the regiment, at Fort Augusta, under Major
Winchester, he having been in command the greater part of the
time since the last annual inspection, and expressed his entire
satisfaction at the soldier-like appearance of the men, and their
correct performance of the field exercises: the flourishing state of
the regimental school attracted his particular notice amongst the
various points of interior economy.
In August the regiment received orders to be in readiness for
embarkation for England upon being relieved by the eighty-fourth
regiment.
The two companies at Kingston, marched, on the 23rd of December, to
Up-Park Camp; two companies from Fort Augusta replaced them; and, on
the 24th, the other two companies proceeded to Kingston Barracks,
where the head-quarters were established, leaving the sick and
hospital establishment at Fort Augusta, a station which had been
found an excellent convalescent post.
Sickness prevailed to a considerable extent at Kingston, and
therefore changes continually took place between the three stations,
Fort Augusta, Kingston, and Up-Park Camp.
[Sidenote: 1827]
The first division of the eighty-fourth regiment having arrived
at Fort Augusta on the 3rd of February, 1827, the convalescents
of the NINETY-SECOND were removed to Up-Park Camp, to await their
embarkation for Europe.
On the 19th of February, the head-quarters of the regiment, under
Lieut.-Colonel Williamson, embarked, at Kingston, on board the “Arab”
transport, and sailed on the 24th, arriving at Spithead on the 25th
of April.
The head-quarter division was transshipped from the “Arab” to the
“Amphitrite” and “Zephyr” transports, in Portsmouth harbour, and
sailed for Leith Roads. It landed at Leith on the 10th of May, and
marched to Edinburgh Castle, where the four depôt companies, from
Glasgow, joined on the 23rd of that month, and were consolidated with
the regiment.
The three companies which had been left at Up-Park Camp, under the
command of Major Winchester, embarked at Kingston on the 30th of
March, sailed on the 3rd of April, landed at Portsmouth on the 21st
of May, and were quartered in Forton Barracks, re-embarked on the
25th of May, and on the 31st, joined the head-quarters at Edinburgh
Castle, where the regiment was assembled.
On the 27th of June, the regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel Williamson,
was inspected by Major-General Sir Robert W. O’Callaghan, K.C.B.,
commanding in North Britain. Its strength consisted of thirty-seven
serjeants, eleven drummers, and six hundred and thirty-one rank and
file.
[Sidenote: 1828]
Four companies, under the command of Major Winchester, marched on the
25th of February, 1828, for Glasgow Barracks.
The six companies at head-quarters in Edinburgh Castle, were
inspected by Major-General Sir Robert O’Callaghan on the 3rd
of April; on the 23rd, two companies marched for Glasgow, and
on the 24th were followed by the other two companies with the
head-quarters. Two companies being left at Edinburgh Castle, joined
the head-quarters at Glasgow on the 30th of April.
Lieut.-Colonel Williamson having, on the 26th of May, obtained leave
of absence until further orders, the command of the regiment devolved
on Major Winchester.
The regiment embarked on the 29th of July, and two following days, on
board the “Eclipse,” “Sheffield,” and “Frolic” steam-boats, arriving
at Belfast on the 30th of July, and the two following days, where the
regiment was billeted.
On the 3rd of August, the regiment embarked at Belfast, and landed on
the following day at Dublin.
The regiment, commanded by Major Winchester, was inspected on the
5th of August, in the Phœnix Park, by Lieut.-General Sir John Byng,
K.C.B., commanding the forces in Ireland, and on the 6th and 7th of
that month marched for Fermoy, where the divisions arrived on the
15th and 16th of August.
[Sidenote: 1829]
On the 19th of January, 1829, Lieut.-Colonel John McDonald,[17]
joined and assumed the command of the NINETY-SECOND, he having been
appointed to the regiment from the half-pay on the 21st of November
of the previous year.
Orders having been received directing that steel-mounted swords
should be adopted by Highland regiments, the officers of the
NINETY-SECOND, immediately supplied themselves with “_Claidheamh
mor_,” similar to those originally used in the regiment.
[Sidenote: 1830]
A letter, dated 13th of April, 1830, was at this period received
from the Adjutant-General of the Forces, authorising the adoption of
regimental tartan trousers for all occasions when the kilt is not
worn.
On the 11th of May, the first division of the regiment marched for
Kilkenny, and was followed next day by the head-quarters, at which
place they arrived on the 14th and 15th of May; detaching a company
to each of the following places—Carlow, Athy, and Maryborough. On the
8th of June, another company marched from head-quarters for New Ross.
The regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel John McDonald, was reviewed on the
5th November, by Lieut.-General Sir John Byng, K.C.B., commanding the
forces in Ireland, who directed the commanding officer to make known
“the gratification which he felt at witnessing their soldier-like
appearance, and the correctness of their movements, as well as
the excellent style and cleanliness in which their barracks are
kept.
“That from their former services together, he considers them to
be old friends, and was therefore the more pleased to find the
NINETY-SECOND greatly improved since he last saw them, and in a
state, which, in their best days, they never surpassed; and that
immediately on his return to Dublin, he would make a point of
reporting the very high state of discipline in which he found the
regiment, and which, he was sure, would also afford to General
Lord Hill, a pleasure the most sincere.”
The head-quarter division, consisting of three companies, marched,
on the 26th of May, _en route_ to Birr, and the remaining three
companies, under the command of Major Winchester, marched next day
for the same place, detaching one company to Nenagh.
The head-quarters arrived at Birr on the 29th of May, and the second
division on the 31st of that month; the companies from Maryborough,
Carlow, Athy, and Wexford arrived about the same period.
The following is an extract from the regimental orders, of the 9th of
June, relative to the receipt of an address from the magistrates of
Queen’s County:—
“The commanding officer directs the following address from the
magistrates of Queen’s County may be entered in the orderly
books, and is confident that every soldier will feel proud
at the high estimation in which the regiment is held by the
inhabitants of every quarter where it has been stationed, and
that the approbation[18] so lately expressed by His Majesty’s
representative, and the Commander of the forces in this country,
will act upon their minds as a strong stimulus to persevere in
the same steady and unerring line of conduct.”
“SIR, Maryborough, June 7, 1830.
“We, the undersigned magistrates of Maryborough district, at
petty sessions assembled, avail ourselves of this, the earliest
opportunity of expressing our high approbation of the conduct
of the different detachments of the NINETY-SECOND Highlanders,
quartered in the town of Maryborough for the last twelve months.
In justice to the excellent character of the men, we feel called
upon to testify, that not a single complaint was made by the
inhabitants against any of them, and that their conduct was
uniformly correct and exemplary.
“The general zeal and intelligence of the officers, supported
by the steadiness and discipline of the men, when co-operating
with the civil power, particularly during the last winter (in
suppressing outrages of a _white-boy_ nature, which unhappily
extended to our hitherto peaceable county), demand our cordial
thanks; and we beg that you, Sir, will be pleased to make known
to the officers and men these our sentiments, and to assure them
that their services will long be gratefully remembered by every
respectable inhabitant of this town and vicinity.
“We have, &c.,
(Signed) “W. PERCEVAL, J. P.
“D. O’DONOGHUE, J. P.
“MATT. CASSAN, J. P.
“Lieut.-Colonel McDonald,
Commanding NINETY-SECOND Highlanders,
&c. &c. &c.”
On the 18th of June, the regiment was reviewed by Major-General
Sir Thomas Arbuthnot, K.C.B., commanding the Western District. It
being the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, the regiments
performed a variety of movements, as executed on that memorable day;
the NINETY-SECOND afterwards went through the sword exercise, &c.,
and the Major-General was pleased to express his approbation of the
splendid appearance which the regiment made on that occasion.
On the 8th of October, the head-quarter division, under the command
of Lieut.-Colonel McDonald, and, on the following day, the second
division, under Major Winchester, marched from Birr _en route_ to
Dublin, arriving there on the 13th and 14th October respectively, and
were quartered in the Royal Barracks.
The regiment was inspected on the 30th of October by Major-General
Sir Edward Blakeney, K.C.B., who expressed his unqualified
approbation of its appearance and interior arrangements.
At this period an address was received from the magistrates of
Nenagh, (Lord Dunally in the chair,) relative to the good conduct of
the detachment of the regiment, under Captain William Prittie Bayly,
lately stationed at that place.
On the 13th of December, the regiment was formed in the Palatine
Square to receive His Excellency Lieut.-General the Right Honorable
Sir John Byng, K.C.B., commanding the forces in Ireland. A new stand
of colours (the gift of the officers) was escorted by the grenadier
company from the Lieut.-Colonel’s quarters. His Excellency then made
a most appropriate and flattering speech, in which he alluded to the
anniversary of that day (the battle of the Nive), and the brilliant
and distinguished conduct of the NINETY-SECOND on the occasion,
as well as on many others of which he himself was an eye-witness.
After receiving the colours from the officers of the grenadiers,
and remarking how delighted he was to see the names of so many
well-earned battles emblazoned on them, he placed them in the hands
of the ensigns, and the regiment saluted.
Addressing Lieut.-Colonel McDonald, His Excellency observed,
“that he made no allusion to the necessity of defending those
colours,—that any such remark would be out of place when addressing
the NINETY-SECOND,—however, he could not give the young officers
and soldiers better advice, than to follow the steps of those who
preceded them.”
To which the Lieut.-Colonel replied, “That if anything could enhance
the value attached to those colours by the regiment, it was their
being placed in the hands of the ensigns by one who had that day
seventeen years shown himself so very conspicuous in planting the
colours of a regiment on the enemy’s redoubts,[19] and that he
pledged himself in the name of his brother officers and soldiers for
their honor and safety.”
On the 23rd of December, the troops in garrison at Dublin, were
paraded in review-order to receive General the Marquis of Anglesey,
K.G., on his arrival to assume the government of Ireland, and lined
the streets through which the procession passed to the Castle.
[Sidenote: 1831]
A company of the regiment, in light marching order, under the command
of Captain James McIntosh, proceeded on the 22nd of February, 1831,
by forced marches to Drumcondra, in the county of Meath, which was
in a state of disturbance, and where immense assemblages of the
population were traversing the country.
The following letter was received from the Assistant Adjutant-General
(Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Charles Fitzroy) on the 23rd of February:—
“Royal Barracks, Dublin, 23rd February, 1831.
“SIR,
“I have the honor to enclose an extract of a letter from the
Adjutant-General of the Forces, that the same may be entered
in your regimental order book, and read to the regiment; and
moreover, to express the infinite satisfaction Major-General Sir
Edward Blakeney feels in the good opinion, therein expressed,
of the General Commanding in Chief, for your zeal and exertions
in the command of the NINETY-SECOND regiment (Highlanders), and
to congratulate the regiment on having so well merited this
testimony.
“I have, &c.
(Signed) “CHARLES FITZROY, _Lieut.-Colonel_,
“_Assistant Adjutant-General_.
“Lieut.-Colonel McDonald,
Commanding NINETY-SECOND Highlanders.”
Extract from a letter, dated 9th of February, 1831 (before alluded
to), addressed by the Adjutant-General, to the Lieut.-General
commanding in Ireland:—
“_9th February, 1831._
“The Report on the NINETY-SECOND regiment, so creditable
throughout to the zeal and successful exertions of Lieut.-Colonel
McDonald in the management of his command, is very satisfactory
to His Lordship the General Commanding in Chief.”
(Signed) “JOHN MACDONALD,
“_Adjutant-General_.”
The company which had been detached in the county of Meath returned
to its quarters on the 22nd of March, and on the following day a
letter was received, expressive of the entire approbation of the Lord
Lieutenant of the services performed in the disturbed district by the
troops employed.
The regiment was removed from the Royal Barracks on the 19th of
April: the head-quarters, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel
McDonald, consisting of four companies, with the recruits, were
stationed in the New Barracks, and six companies, under Major
Winchester, at George-street.
Major-General Sir Edward Blakeney, K.C.B., inspected the regiment on
the 3rd of May, in the Phœnix Park, in the presence of His Excellency
the Lord Lieutenant and a great concourse of spectators, on which
occasion its movements and appearance drew forth the admiration of
its military superiors.
The head-quarters and four companies from the New Barracks, and
four companies from George-street, marched, on the 18th of May, to
Richmond Barracks, leaving two companies stationed in George-street,
under the command of Major Hugh Henry Rose.
Lieut.-General Sir John Hamilton Dalrymple, Bart., (afterwards the
Earl of Stair) was appointed by His Majesty King William IV., to
be Colonel of the NINETY-SECOND on the 20th of July, in succession
to Lieut.-General the Honorable Alexander Duff, removed to the
thirty-seventh regiment.
Major-General Sir Edward Blakeney, K.C.B., again reviewed the
regiment in the Phœnix Park, on the 10th of September, in heavy
marching order, and addressing the officers and men, he said, “that
they were all he could wish, and that their movements excelled
everything he had ever seen.”
On the 26th of September, His Majesty conferred the honorary
distinction of a Knight Companion of the most Honorable Military
Order of the Bath on Lieut.-Colonel John McDonald, of the
NINETY-SECOND regiment.
The first division, consisting of four companies, under the command
of Brevet-Major Stephen Noel, embarked on the 13th of October, and
proceeded by canal-conveyance to Killaloe: two companies followed on
the 17th, and the head-quarters and remaining companies, on the 18th
of October, under the command of Major Winchester, Lieut.-Colonel
McDonald, having proceeded direct to the head-quarters at Clare
Castle, where they were stationed on the 22nd of October, and the
regiment was distributed at several places in the county of Clare.
[Sidenote: 1832]
On the 9th of February, 1832, the head-quarter division from Clare
Castle marched into Limerick, and was quartered in the New Barracks,
where it was joined by the several detachments in the course of
February and March.
A company, under the command of Captain John Gilbert Ogilvie,
proceeded, on the 22nd of March, to Mount Pleasant, near Askeaton,
in the county of Limerick, for the protection of property: it
rejoined at head-quarters on the 4th of April.
Major-General Sir George Bingham, K.C.B., made his inspection of
the regiment on the 7th of May, and stated that he was particularly
gratified by the manner in which the officers and men went through
the whole of the sword and stick exercise, being the first time he
had ever seen it performed by an entire regiment. The appearance,
movements, and interior economy of the regiment drew forth his
commendation.
On the 9th of May, the regiment marched from Limerick for Fermoy.
Lieut.-General the Right Honorable Sir Hussey Vivian, Bart., K.C.B.,
commanding the forces in Ireland, inspected the regiment on the 6th
of August, and expressed himself highly pleased with its appearance.
The subaltern’s detachment, stationed at Galbally, in the county of
Limerick, was, on the 21st of December, called upon to protect the
persons of two magistrates whose lives were endangered by the attack
of a mob, while proceeding from thence towards Tipperary; at a place
called Knockballinamaloo-Cross, the party were assailed with stones,
and a general assault made on the troops, to their imminent danger.
The magistrates ordered them to fire, and the result was that two of
the mob were killed and several wounded.
The regiment was frequently employed in aid of the civil power, in
keeping the peace, and in enforcing the collection of tithes; and
in every instance its conduct and discipline received unqualified
approval.
[Sidenote: 1833]
On the 1st of August, 1833, the regiment was divided into six service
and four depôt companies, preparatory to the embarkation of the
former for Gibraltar.
The depôt companies marched from Fermoy to Cork, and embarked for
Londonderry, where they arrived on the 17th of August.
The depôt companies embarked at Londonderry on the 28th of October,
and arrived at Glasgow on the 29th of that month; on the 30th of
November they marched for Greenlaw.
[Sidenote: 1834]
The service companies having marched from Fermoy to Middleton, were
conveyed in boats to Cork Harbour, where they embarked on the 21st of
February, 1834, and arrived at _Gibraltar_ on the 10th of March.
On the 1st of May, 1834, the depôt companies were removed to Fort
George.
[Sidenote: 1835]
The depôt companies were stationed at Fort George during the first
six months of the year 1835, and in June were removed to Perth.
[Sidenote: 1836]
In January, 1836, the service companies proceeded from Gibraltar to
_Malta_, where they arrived in February.
The depôt companies were removed in July from Perth to Ireland, and
were stationed at Londonderry.
[Sidenote: 1837]
During the year 1837, the NINETY-SECOND remained stationed at Malta.
The regiment was inspected by Major-General Sir Henry Bouverie,
K.C.B., commanding at Malta, on the 28th of November, when he
remarked “the singular intelligence and steadiness shown by all the
officers and men;” and added, “that the field-day had the best effect
of any he had ever witnessed.”
In May the depôt companies proceeded from Londonderry to Armagh, and
in September following to Mullingar.
[Sidenote: 1838]
The depôt companies were removed from Mullingar to Nenagh in May, and
in September proceeded to Limerick.
On the 12th of July, 1838, His Royal Highness the Prince Maximilian
of Bavaria landed at Malta, and attended a parade of the garrison:
on the day following he examined the barracks occupied by the
NINETY-SECOND, and expressed himself much pleased with every part of
the interior economy of the regiment.
On the 30th of November, 1838, the regiment lined the ramparts at
St. Elmo, while the “Hastings” (seventy-four guns,) entered the
harbour with Her Majesty the Queen Dowager on board. On the following
day the regiment was formed as a Guard of Honor in the square in
front of the palace to receive Her Majesty, who landed to examine
the accommodation prepared for her, and returned again on board the
“Hastings.”
On the 4th of December, the Queen Dowager landed amidst the
rejoicings of the inhabitants, and occupied the palace. The field
officers, and the heads of departments, were presented to Her Majesty
by the Governor in the evening, and the town and public buildings
were splendidly illuminated.
The Queen Dowager held a levée at the palace on the 12th of
December, when all the officers were presented. The Earl Howe,
Lord Chamberlain, having previously intimated Her Majesty’s desire
to see the NINETY-SECOND HIGHLAND REGIMENT, whenever it might be
convenient, the officers, immediately after the levée, repaired to
their companies, and the regiment was formed in review-order on the
Floriana Parade. After the regiment had marched past in slow and
quick time, and performed several movements, Her Majesty expressed
herself highly pleased with the appearance of the corps.
[Sidenote: 1839]
In January, 1839, the depôt companies proceeded from Limerick to
Birr, where they were stationed during the year.
[Sidenote: 1840]
The depôt companies were removed from Birr to Mullingar in January,
1840; and in May proceeded to Glasgow, from whence in July they
marched to Stirling.
[Sidenote: 1841]
The first division of the regiment, consisting of two companies,
under the command of Brevet-Major Stephen Noel, embarked on board the
“Somersetshire” transport, at Malta, on the morning of the 9th of
January 1841, for _Barbadoes_, and arrived there on the 4th of April.
The head-quarters, with four companies under the command of Brevet
Lieut.-Colonel Robert Winchester, embarked on board the “Cornwall”
transport, at Malta, on the morning of the 21st of January, for
_Barbadoes_, and arrived there on the 4th of April with the first
division.
The head-quarters and two companies were afterwards stationed at
St. Vincent, two companies at St. Lucia and Pigeon Island, and two
companies detached to Dominica. On the 24th of May, a requisition
was received for military aid to suppress a serious disturbance at
Kingstown, St. Vincent; the conduct of the NINETY-SECOND on this
occasion received the thanks of the President of the Council and the
House of Assembly of St. Vincent.
In May, 1841, the depôt companies were removed from Stirling to Fort
George, near Inverness.
[Sidenote: 1842]
The service companies of the NINETY-SECOND regiment were concentrated
at Barbadoes on the 6th of February, 1842, where they continued
during the remainder of that year.
In June, 1842, the depôt companies proceeded from Fort George to
Dundee.
[Sidenote: 1843]
On the 22nd of May, 1843, the head-quarters and one company of the
regiment, under the command of Colonel McDonald, C.B., embarked
in the “Crocodile” troop-ship for Trinidad; detachments were also
stationed at Grenada and Tobago.
Her Majesty was pleased to appoint Lieut.-General Sir William
Macbean, K.C.B., to be colonel of the NINETY-SECOND regiment on the
31st of May, in succession to General the Earl of Stair, who was
removed to the forty-sixth regiment.
The company at Tobago embarked on board the “Java” transport on the
5th of December; the head-quarters and three companies at Trinidad
embarked in the same ship on the 8th of December; the two companies
at Grenada embarked also in the “Java” on the 15th of December, and
the ship sailed for Portsmouth on the 25th of December.
[Sidenote: 1844]
The service companies disembarked at Aberdeen on the 16th, 17th, and
18th of February, 1844, and were joined by the depôt companies from
Dundee.
The regiment proceeded from Aberdeen to Glasgow in September. On the
8th of October, the regiment formed part of the procession for the
inauguration of an equestrian statue of Field Marshal the Duke of
Wellington, erected in front of the Exchange at Glasgow.
[Sidenote: 1845]
In July, 1845, the regiment marched to Edinburgh Castle, where it was
stationed during that year.
[Sidenote: 1846]
On the 6th of April, 1846, a letter of thanks was received from
the Magistrates and Commissioners of Police of Edinburgh, for the
promptness and efficiency with which a piquet of the regiment, under
Captain Sutherland, attended, and assisted in saving property, and
preserving order, during a calamitous fire at night in the New Town
of Edinburgh.
The NINETY-SECOND regiment embarked for Belfast in April, 1846, and
in August following was removed to Enniskillen.
Major John Alexander Forbes was promoted to the rank of
lieut.-colonel in the NINETY-SECOND regiment on the 9th of November,
1846, in succession to Colonel John McDonald, C.B., who was promoted
major-general on the same date.
[Sidenote: 1847]
In May, 1847, the regiment was removed from Enniskillen to Dublin,
and in December it proceeded to Limerick.
[Sidenote: 1848]
The regiment proceeded in December, 1848, from Limerick to
Clonmel, in the Kilkenny district, which was under the command of
Major-General John McDonald; his former regiment thus became again
under his orders.
[Sidenote: 1849]
The regiment remained at Clonmel during the year 1849.
[Sidenote: 1850]
On the 2nd of April, 1850, the NINETY-SECOND regiment marched from
Clonmel to Kilkenny.
On the 9th of December, orders were given for the regiment to be
formed into six service and four depôt companies, preparatory to the
embarkation of the former for the Ionian Islands.
[Sidenote: 1851]
In February, 1851, the service companies proceeded from Kilkenny
to Fermoy, and the depôt companies to Carlow: a complimentary
address was received from the mayor and citizens of Kilkenny, on
the NINETY-SECOND quitting that city, expressive of the regret they
experienced in parting with the regiment, the conduct of which had
gained the esteem of all classes.
The service companies embarked at Cork on the 14th of April, on
board of Her Majesty’s troop-ship “Apollo” and the freight ship
“Edmonstone” for Corfu, the head-quarters being under the command of
Lieut.-Colonel Mark Kerr Atherley.
CONCLUSION.
The foregoing pages contain a detail of the services of the
NINETY-SECOND HIGHLAND REGIMENT for fifty-eight years from the period
of its formation in 1793, during which it has shared in the honors
acquired in many of the arduous and distinguished actions, which have
largely increased the fame of the British army.
The distinctions, which it has gained on active foreign service, are
duly attested by the inscriptions on the regimental colour, and the
national credit of the regiment has been maintained by its correct
and orderly conduct, and its attention to the rules of discipline,
in every station at which it has been employed, whether at home or
abroad.
1851.
FOOTNOTES:
[6] The ninety-first, ninety-second, ninety-third, ninety-fourth,
ninety-fifth, ninety-sixth, ninety-seventh, and ninety-ninth
regiments, which were directed to be raised at the commencement of
the war with France in 1793, were afterwards disbanded, so that the
_ninety-eighth_ was numbered the _ninety-first_, and the _Hundredth_
became the NINETY-SECOND regiment.
[7] Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, K.B., was promoted to the
local rank of General on the Continent of Europe, on the 13th of
August 1799.
[8] Colonel the Marquis of Huntly commanded the regiment in
this memorable charge, which began and decided the action at
Egmont-op-Zee: all the rest was a pursuit. The Marquis of Huntly,
and Major-General (afterwards Sir John) Moore, were wounded, and the
command of the regiment devolved upon Lieut.-Colonel Erskine.
Major-General Moore was carried to the surgeon by two soldiers of the
regiment; and a few years afterwards, when writing for a drawing of
the uniform, for the purpose of having a soldier of the NINETY-SECOND
as one of the supporters to his coat of arms, on being made a
Knight of the Bath, he mentioned the circumstance of their having
remarked—“There is the General, we must take him to the doctor:” and
then added, “We can do no more; we must join the lads, for every
man is wanted!!” Major-General Moore, on his recovery, inquired for
those men in order to reward them, and offered twenty pounds, but
no one claimed it; and he remarked, that “it was a noble trait of
the regiment, that no men in its ranks came forward to personate the
parties, or to claim the reward.”—It was, therefore, supposed they
were killed.
It may be observed, that this is one of the few instances on record
of _crossing bayonets_ by large bodies. Even the supernumerary rank
of the NINETY-SECOND on this occasion was bayoneted; among the number
Lieutenant McCardy was killed, and Lieutenant Donald McDonald (who
afterwards succeeded to the command of the regiment at Waterloo)
received three bayonet wounds.
[9] List of regiments which served in Egypt in 1801, is inserted in
the Appendix, page 139.
[10] _Vide_ General Order, dated Horse Guards, 16th of May, 1801, and
List of regiments employed in Egypt, inserted in pages 137, &c. of
the Appendix.
[11] Lieut.-General Burrard was created a Baronet in November 1807.
[12] A list of the regiments employed in the expedition to
_Copenhagen_ it inserted in the Appendix, page 141.
[13] Vide General Orders of the 18th of January and 1st of February,
1809; also a list of regiments employed under Lieut.-General Sir John
Moore at Corunna, inserted in pages 142, &c., of the Appendix.
[14] At Almaraz on the 19th of May, 1812, the individual merit and
gallantry of Privates James Gall and John Somerville of the Grenadier
Company of the NINETY-SECOND regiment, were brought under the notice
of the Commander-in-Chief as having tended to forward, in a very
considerable degree, the object of Lord Hill upon Fort Ragusa: his
Lordship ordered two doubloons to be given to these soldiers on the
field, being the first men who leaped into the river.
[15] “The hill this carried was called the Englishmen’s Hill, not,
as some recent writers have supposed, in commemoration of a victory
gained by the Black Prince, but because of a disaster which there
befel a part of his army. His battle was fought between Navarrette
and Najera, many leagues from Vittoria, and beyond the Ebro; but
on this hill the two gallant knights, Sir Thomas and Sir William
Felton, took post with two hundred companions, and being surrounded
by Don Tello with six thousand, all died or were taken after a long,
desperate, and heroic resistance.”—(History of the Peninsular War, by
Major-General Sir William Napier, K.C.B.)
[16] On the 30th of September, 1815, His Royal Highness the Prince
Regent, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, was pleased to
grant the dignity of a baronet of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, to Ewen Cameron, Esq., of Fassifern and Callart, in
the county of Argyll, and of Arthurstone, in the county of Angus,
to commemorate the services of his son, Colonel Cameron, of the
NINETY-SECOND regiment.
[17] Now Major-General McDonald, commanding the Kilkenny district in
Ireland.
[18] Referring to an expression of thanks and approbation from the
Lord Lieutenant to Lieut.-General the Right Honorable Sir John
Byng, K.C.B., and from him to the regiment, for the spontaneous
interference of some soldiers of the grenadier company in saving the
life of a police constable, and retaking a prisoner, who had been
rescued from him by a mob at Maryborough, on the 20th of May, 1830.
[19] Lieut.-General Sir John Byng, the present General the Earl of
Strafford, and Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, in consideration of
his gallantry in the action of the 13th of December, 1813,—wherein he
led his troops, under a most galling fire, to the assault of a strong
height occupied in great force by the enemy, and having himself
ascended the hill first with the colour of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment
of foot in his hand, he planted the colour upon the summit, and drove
the enemy (far superior in numbers) down the ridge to the suburbs
of _St. Pierre_,—received the Royal Authority, on the 7th of July,
1815, to bear the following honorable augmentation, namely, “Over the
arms of the family of Byng, in bend sinister, a representation of
the colour of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment,” and the following crest,
namely, “Out of a mural crown an arm embowed, grasping the colour of
the aforesaid THIRTY-FIRST regiment, and pendent from the wrist by a
riband, the Gold Cross presented to him by His Majesty’s command, as
a mark of his royal approbation of his distinguished services,” and
in an escrol above the word “_Mouguerre_,” being the name of a height
near the hamlet of _St. Pierre_.
[Illustration: 92^{ND} REGIMENT (GORDON HIGHLANDERS.)
_The Advanced Post at Sunrise.—The Sentry sees something suspicious
and calls the Corporal._
_For Cannon’s Military Records._
_Madeley Lith. 3, Wellington St. Strand._]
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF
THE NINETY-SECOND REGIMENT
(HIGHLANDERS).
GEORGE, MARQUIS OF HUNTLY.
_Appointed 3rd May, 1796._
George, Marquis of Huntly, son of Alexander, fourth Duke of Gordon,
choosing the profession of arms, was appointed to a commission in
the thirty-fifth regiment in 1790. In the same year he raised an
independent company of Highlanders; and exchanging, in January,
1791, to the forty-second regiment, he brought with him a fine band
of young Highlanders. On the 11th of July, 1792, he was promoted to
captain-lieutenant and lieutenant-colonel in the third Foot Guards.
He accompanied the detachment of Foot Guards to Flanders in the
spring of 1793, was at the action of St. Amand on the 8th of May, and
was engaged in driving the French from the position at the village
of Famars on the 23rd of May. He was subsequently employed at the
siege of Valenciennes, which fortress surrendered to the Duke of
York in July. On the 18th of August he was engaged at Lincelles; and
he afterwards served at the siege of Dunkirk. When the army went
into winter quarters, the MARQUIS OF HUNTLY returned to England, and
in the following year was raised a corps of Highlanders, which was
numbered the _hundredth_ regiment, now the NINETY-SECOND, of which he
was appointed lieutenant-colonel commandant on the 10th of February,
1794. He accompanied his regiment to Gibraltar; and on his return
to England, he was captured by a French privateer. He afterwards
rejoined his regiment at the island of Corsica, where he served
upwards of a year; and on the 3rd of May, 1796, he was promoted to
the rank of colonel. On the breaking out of the rebellion in Ireland,
in 1798, he joined his regiment in that country, where he served as
brigadier-general, and was actively employed against the rebels,
particularly in Wexford. He accompanied the expedition to Holland
in 1799, was at the landing at the Helder, and continued actively
employed until the 2nd of October, when he was wounded at the battle
of Egmont-op-Zee. On the 1st of January, 1801, he was promoted to
the rank of major-general; and in 1803 he was appointed to the staff
of North Britain, where he served three years. In January, 1806, he
was appointed to the colonelcy of the forty-second, or the Royal
Highlanders; and in April, 1808, he was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant-general. He commanded a division in the expedition to
Holland in 1809; and in August, 1819, he was advanced to the rank
of general. In 1820 he was removed to the first,—the Royal Regiment
of Foot,—and in a few months afterwards he was nominated a Knight
Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. In 1827
he succeeded, on the decease of his father, to the dignity of DUKE
OF GORDON: he was also appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle, and
Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. In 1834 he was removed to the
Scots Fusilier Guards. He was distinguished as a kind-hearted and
gallant nobleman and soldier,—contributing largely to many charitable
institutions. His social, private, and public virtues, endeared him
to his family and friends; and a succession of uninterrupted acts
of philanthropy procured him universal esteem. He died on the 28th
of May, 1836; and his remains, by especial command of his Majesty
King William IV., were escorted by the first battalion of the Scots
Fusilier Guards from London to Greenwich, where they were placed on
board a steam-vessel, for the purpose of being conveyed to Scotland
for interment in a mausoleum erected on the paternal estate. By his
Grace’s decease the dukedom became extinct.
JOHN, EARL OF HOPETOUN, G.C.B.
_Appointed 3rd January, 1806._
The Honorable John Hope, son of John, second Earl of Hopetoun,
evinced a predilection for the profession of arms from his youth,
and served as a volunteer in his fifteenth year. On the 28th of May,
1784, he was appointed cornet in the tenth Light Dragoons; two years
afterwards, he was nominated lieutenant in the twenty-seventh foot,
and in 1789, captain in the seventeenth Light Dragoons; in 1792, he
was promoted major in the first foot, and in the following year,
lieutenant-colonel in the twenty-fifth regiment, with which corps he
served in the West Indies, where he was appointed adjutant-general,
and served the campaigns of 1794, 1795, 1796, and 1797, with great
distinction, being particularly noticed in the orders and public
despatches of Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, and other
commanders. In 1796, he was elected a member of parliament for the
county of Linlithgow. He was nominated deputy adjutant-general to
the expedition to Holland in 1799, and was severely wounded at
the landing in North Holland on the 27th of August. In 1800, he
was appointed adjutant-general to the army in the Mediterranean,
under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, and served in the
expedition to Egypt: he was at the actions of the 8th and 13th of
March, 1801, and was wounded before Alexandria on the 21st of March,
when Sir Ralph Abercromby received a wound, of which he died on the
28th of March. Brigadier-General Hope recovered, and requesting
to have a brigade, was succeeded as adjutant-general by Colonel
Abercromby. On the 16th of June, he joined the army before Cairo,
with the twenty-eighth and forty-second regiments, and he afterwards
evinced ability in conducting the negotiations for the surrender of
the capital of Egypt by the French troops, under General Belliard.
He continued in the command of a brigade until the deliverance
of Egypt was accomplished, and received the second class of the
Order of the Crescent established by the Grand Seignior. In 1802,
his services were rewarded by the colonelcy of the North Lowland
Fencible Infantry, and the rank of major-general; to which was added,
in June, 1805, the appointment of deputy-governor of Portsmouth;
but he resigned this appointment soon afterwards, to accompany the
troops sent to Hanover under Lieutenant-General Lord Cathcart. In
October, 1805, he was appointed colonel commandant of a battalion
of the sixtieth regiment; and in 1806, he succeeded the Marquis of
Huntly in the colonelcy of the NINETY-SECOND regiment. On the 25th
of April, 1808, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general.
He was nominated second in command of the expedition to the
Baltic, under Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, and afterwards
accompanied the troops to Portugal. He commanded a division of the
army which advanced into Spain, under Sir John Moore, and shared
in that campaign; and in the battle of Corunna, when he succeeded
to the command of the army,—Sir John Moore being killed, and Sir
David Baird wounded—he was successful in repulsing the attack of
the French under Marshal Soult. On the embarkation of the army,
he took particular care to prevent any soldier being left behind,
and was the last man who went on board the fleet. His despatch
contains an interesting account of the battle.[20] He was thanked
for his distinguished services by parliament, was honored with the
approbation of his Sovereign, and the admiration and applause of his
country; and was nominated a Knight of the Most Honorable Military
Order of the Bath. After his return from Spain, he served with the
Walcheren expedition, under General the Earl of Chatham, and was
subsequently appointed commander-in-chief in Ireland, from which he
was removed, in 1813, to the appointment of second in command in the
peninsula. Lieutenant-General SIR JOHN HOPE, commanded the left wing
of the army at the battle of the Nivelle on the 10th of November,
and signalized himself at the battle of the Nive, in December; on
which occasion the British commander stated in his public despatch—“I
cannot sufficiently applaud the ability, coolness, and judgment,
of Lieutenant-General Sir John Hope.” He passed the Adour with the
left wing of the army in February, 1814, and blockaded the important
fortress of Bayonne,—in which service he evinced great ability and
perseverance: and he remained in the command of the blockading force
until the termination of the war. After Napoleon had abdicated,
the French commandant at Bayonne not believing the news, made a
sortie on the night of the 14th of April, and gained some advantage.
Lieutenant-General SIR JOHN HOPE coming up with some troops in the
dark, encountered the enemy, when his horse being shot, fell upon
him, and he was wounded and taken prisoner. The French were, however,
repulsed. At the restoration of peace, he returned to England with
a high reputation. He received the thanks of parliament; a medal
and a clasp for the battles of Corunna and the Nive; was elevated
to the peerage of the United Kingdom by the title of BARON NIDDRY,
of Niddry, in the county of Linlithgow, and was nominated a Knight
Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. He
afterwards succeeded to the dignity of EARL OF HOPETOUN. In 1819, he
was promoted to the rank of General, and was appointed colonel of the
forty-second, or the Royal Highlanders, in 1820. He died at Paris on
the 27th of August, 1823.
SIR JOHN HOPE, G.C.H.
_Appointed 29th January, 1820._
John Hope entered the Dutch service, as a cadet, in one of the
regiments of the _Scots Brigade_ (Houston’s) in the service of
the United Provinces, in 1778, and served at Bergen-op-Zoom and
Maestretcht, going through the subordinate ranks of corporal and
serjeant. In 1779 he was appointed ensign, and in 1782 he was
promoted captain of a company; but, being called upon to renounce
his allegiance to the British monarch, he quitted the Dutch service,
and in 1787 he was appointed captain in the sixtieth foot, but his
company was soon afterwards reduced. On the 30th of June, 1788,
he was appointed captain in the thirteenth Light Dragoons, and in
1792 he was nominated aide-de-camp to Lieut.-General Sir William
Erskine, in which capacity he served the campaigns of 1793 and 1794,
in Holland, and returned to England in 1795, when he was promoted
to the majority of the twenty-eighth Light Dragoons, and in 1796
to the lieut.-colonelcy of the same corps, with which he embarked
for the Cape of Good Hope in the same year. He served at the Cape
until 1799, when his regiment was incorporated in other corps, and
he returned to England. In April, 1799, he was appointed to the
thirty-seventh foot, which corps he joined, in 1800, in the West
Indies, where he remained until 1804, when he returned to England,
and exchanged to the sixtieth regiment. In 1805 he was nominated
assistant adjutant-general in Scotland, and in 1807 he served as
deputy adjutant-general to the expedition to Copenhagen, under
Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart. He was appointed brigadier-general
on the staff of North Britain in 1808, and subsequently deputy
adjutant-general in that part of the United Kingdom. He was promoted
to the rank of major-general in 1810, and appointed to the staff
of the Severn district, from whence he was removed to the staff of
the Peninsula in 1812, and served with the army under the Duke of
Wellington at the battle of Salamanca, for which he received a medal.
He subsequently served on the staff of Ireland and North Britain
until 1819, when he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general. He
was honored with the dignity of Knight Grand Cross of the Royal
Hanoverian Guelphic Order. In 1820 he was appointed colonel of the
NINETY-SECOND regiment, from which he was removed, in 1823, to the
seventy-second Highlanders. He died in August 1836.
HONORABLE SIR ALEXANDER DUFF, G.C.H.
_Appointed 6th September, 1823._
Removed to the thirty-seventh regiment on the 20th of July, 1831.
JOHN EARL OF STAIR, K.T.
_Appointed 20th July, 1831._
Removed to the forty-sixth regiment on the 31st May, 1843.
SIR WILLIAM MACBEAN, K.C.B.
_Appointed 31st May, 1843._
Succession of LIEUTENANT-COLONELS in the NINETY-SECOND Regiment
(HIGHLANDERS).
+---------------------+--------------+--------------+---------------------+
| Name. | Date of | Date of | Remarks. |
| | Appointment. | Removal. | |
+---------------------+--------------+--------------+---------------------+
| The Marquis of | 10 Feb. 1794 | 3 May 1796 | Promoted Colonel of |
| Huntly(_Lieut.-Col.| | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| Commandant_.) | | | Regiment on the |
| | | | 3rd of May, 1796. |
| | | | |
| Charles Erskine | 1 May 1795 | | Died of wounds |
| | | | received in action |
| | | | near _Alexandria_, |
| | | | on the 13th of |
| | | | March, 1801. |
| | | | |
| James Robertson | 11 Oct. 1798 | 3 Aug. 1804 | Retired on half-pay.|
| | | | |
| Alexander Napier | 5 Apr. 1801 | | Killed at the battle|
| | | | of _Corunna_, |
| | | | on the 16th of |
| | | | January, 1809. |
| | | | |
| James Willoughby | 4 Aug. 1804 | 13 June 1808 | Promoted Lieut.- |
| Gordon, | | | Colonel Commandant |
| (_afterwards | | | of the Royal |
| Quarter-Master Gen.| | | African Corps |
| to the Forces_) | | | |
| | | | |
| John Cameron | 23 June 1808 | | Killed at _Quatre |
| | | | Bras_, on the 16th |
| | | | of June 1815. |
| | | | |
| John Lamont | 30 Mar. 1809 | 25 Dec. 1814 | Retired on half-pay.|
| | | | |
| James Mitchell | 13 June 1815 | 1 Sept. 1819 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Sir Frederick Stovin| 2 Sept. 1819 | 8 Aug. 1821 | Removed to the 90th |
| | | | Foot. |
| | | | |
| Wm. Brydges Neynoe | 9 Aug. 1821 | 3 Oct. 1821 |Exchanged to half-pay|
| | | | of the 4th Foot. |
| | | | |
| David Williamson | 4 Oct. 1821 | 20 Nov. 1828 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| John McDonald | 21 Nov. 1828 | 8 Nov. 1846 | Promoted Major- |
| | | | General on the 9th |
| | | | of November, 1846. |
| | | | |
| John Alex. Forbes | 9 Nov. 1846 | 22 Nov. 1849 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Mark Kerr Atherley | 23 Nov. 1849 | | |
+---------------------+--------------+--------------+---------------------+
Succession of MAJORS of NINETY-SECOND Regiment (HIGHLANDERS).
+---------------------+--------------+--------------+---------------------+
| Name. | Date of | Date of | Remarks. |
| | Appointment. | Removal. | |
+---------------------+--------------+--------------+---------------------+
| | | | |
| Charles Erskine | 10 Feb. 1794 | 30 Apr. 1795 | Promoted Lt.-Col of |
| | | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| | | | regiment. |
| | | | |
| Donald McDonald | 20 Aug. 1794 | 11 Mar. 1796 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Simon McDonald | 1 May 1795 | 16 Jan. 1799 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Alexander Napier | 12 Mar. 1796 | 4 Apr. 1801 | Promoted Lt.-Col. of|
| | | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| | | | regiment. |
| | | | |
| John Gordon | 17 Jan. 1799 | 22 Jan. 1806 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| John Cameron | 5 Apr. 1801 | 22 June 1808 | Promoted Lt.-Col. of|
| | | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| | | | regiment. |
| | | | |
| William Morris | 9 July 1803 | 15 Aug. 1805 | Removed to the 8th |
| | | | Veteran Battalion. |
| | | | |
| Hon. John Ramsay | ” | 1 June 1804 | Exchanged to half |
| | | | pay. |
| | | | |
| John Lamont | 2 June 1804 | 29 Mar. 1809 | Promoted Lt.-Col. of|
| | | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| | | | regiment. |
| | | | |
| Archibald McDonnell | 29 Aug. 1805 | 25 Jan. 1813 | Promoted Lt.-Col. |
| | | | 13th Veteran Batt. |
| | | | |
| James Watson | 23 Jan. 1806 | 23 May 1810 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Peter Grant | 23 June 1808 | 25 Nov. 1812 | Retired upon full |
| | | | pay. |
| | | | |
| James Mitchell | 30 Mar. 1809 | 13 June 1815 | Promoted Lt.-Col. of|
| | | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| | | | regiment. |
| | | | |
| Archibald Campbell | 24 May 1810 | 6 Jan. 1813 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Donald Macdonald | 26 Nov. 1812 | 25 Nov. 1818 | Exchanged to half |
| | | | pay of the Malta |
| | | | Regiment. |
| | | | |
| William Phipps | 7 Jan. 1813 | 25 Dec. 1814 | Retired on half-pay.|
| | | | |
| John Macpherson | 15 Apr. 1813 | | Died on 1st January,|
| | | | 1814. |
| | | | |
| James Seaton | 10 Feb. 1814 | | Died of wounds |
| | | | received in the |
| | | | action at _Garris_ |
| | | | on 22nd of March |
| | | | 1814. |
| | | | |
| James Lee | 28 Apr. 1814 | 25 Dec. 1814 | Retired on half-pay.|
| | | | |
| George W. Holmes | 18 June 1815 | 21 Oct. 1818 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Archibald Ferrier | 22 Oct. 1818 | | Died on the 23rd of |
| | | | September 1819. |
| | | | |
| John Blainey | 26 Nov. 1818 | | Died on the 28th of |
| | | | August 1819. |
| | | | |
| Peter Wilkie | 4 Nov. 1819 | 24 Sept. 1823| Retired. |
| | | | |
| George Couper | 30 Dec. 1819 | 19 Mar. 1823 | Exchanged to the |
| | | | half-pay of the |
| | | | Canadian Fencibles.|
| | | | |
| James Forrest Fulton| 20 Mar. 1823 | 12 May 1824 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Andr. Robt. Charlton| 25 Sept. 1823| | Died in Aug. 1825. |
| | | | |
| John Spink | 13 May 1824 | 20 May 1826 | Promoted Lt.-Col. |
| | | | Unattached. |
| | | | |
| Robert Winchester | 16 Aug. 1825 | 31 Oct. 1842 | Retired on full pay.|
| | | | |
|Isaiah Linwood Verity| 9 Feb. 1826 | 21 Mar. 1827 | Retired. |
| | | | |
| Hon. James Sinclair | 22 Mar. 1827 | 18 Feb. 1829 | Exchanged to half |
| | | | pay. |
| | | | |
| Hugh Henry Rose | 19 Feb. 1829 |16 Sept. 1839 | Promoted Lt.-Col. |
| | | | Unattached. |
| | | | |
| Jno. Alex. Forbes | 17 Sept. 1839| 8 Nov. 1846 | Promoted Lt.-Col. of|
| | | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| | | | regiment. |
| | | | |
| Geo. Edward Thorold | 1 Nov. 1842 | | |
| | | | |
| Mark Kerr Atherley | 9 Nov. 1846 | 22 Nov. 1849 | Promoted Lt.-Col. of|
| | | | the NINETY-SECOND |
| | | | regiment. |
| | | | |
|Arch. Inglis Lockhart| 23 Nov. 1849 | | |
+---------------------+--------------+--------------+---------------------+
FOOTNOTES:
[20] Inserted in Appendix, pages 142 and 143.
APPENDIX.
“_Horse Guards_,
“_16th May, 1801._
“GENERAL ORDERS.
“The recent events which have occurred in Egypt have induced His
Majesty to lay his most gracious commands on His Royal Highness
the Commander-in-Chief, to convey to the troops employed in that
country His Majesty’s highest approbation of their conduct; and
at the same time His Majesty has deemed it expedient that these
his gracious sentiments should be communicated to every part of
his army, not doubting that all ranks will thereby be inspired
with an honorable spirit of emulation, and an eager desire of
distinguishing themselves in their country’s service.
“Under the blessing of Divine Providence, His Majesty ascribes
the successes that 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 most 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 its 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.
“The illustrious example of their Commander cannot fail to have
made an indelible impression on the gallant troops, at whose
head, crowned with victory and glory, he terminated his honorable
career; and His Majesty trusts that a due contemplation of the
talents and virtues which he uniformly displayed in the course of
his valuable life, will for ever endear the memory of SIR RALPH
ABERCROMBY to the British army.
“His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief having thus obeyed
His Majesty’s commands, cannot forbear to avail himself of this
opportunity of recapitulating the leading features of a series of
operations so honorable to the British arms.
“The boldness of the approach to the coast of Aboukir, in
defiance of a powerful and well-directed artillery; the orderly
formation upon the beach, under the heaviest fire of grape and
musketry; the reception and repulse of the enemy’s cavalry and
infantry; the subsequent charge of our troops, which decided the
victory, and established a footing on the shores of Egypt, are
circumstances of glory never surpassed in the military annals of
the world.
“The advance of the army, on the 13th of March, towards
ALEXANDRIA, presents the spectacle of a movement of infantry
through an open country, who, being attacked upon their march,
_formed_, and _repulsed_ the enemy; then advanced in line
for three miles, engaged along their whole front, until they
drove the enemy to seek his safety under the protection of his
entrenched position. Such had been the order and regularity of
the advance.
“Upon the 21st of March, the united force of the French in Egypt
attacked the position of the British army.
“An attack, begun an hour before daylight, could derive no
advantage over the vigilance of an army ever ready to receive
it. The enemy’s most vigorous and repeated efforts were directed
against the right and centre. Our infantry fought in the plain,
greatly inferior in the number of their artillery, and unaided by
cavalry.
“They relied upon their discipline and their courage. The
desperate attacks of a veteran cavalry, joined to those of a
numerous infantry, which had vainly styled itself ‘_Invincible_,’
were everywhere repulsed; and a conflict the most severe
terminated in one of the most signal victories which ever adorned
the annals of the British nation.
“In bringing forward these details, the Commander-in-Chief does
not call upon the army merely _to admire_ but _to emulate_
such conduct. Every soldier who feels for the honor of his
country, while he exults in events so splendid and important in
themselves, will henceforth have fresh motives for cherishing
and enforcing the practice of discipline, and by uniting, in
the greatest perfection, order and precision with activity and
courage, will seek to uphold, and transmit undiminished to
posterity, the _Glory_ and _Honor_ of the _British Arms_.
“Nor is a less useful example to be derived from the conduct of
the distinguished Commander who fell in the field. His steady
observance of discipline, his ever-watchful attention to the
health and wants of his troops, the persevering and unconquerable
spirit which marked his military career, the splendour of his
actions in the field, and the heroism of his death, are worthy
the imitation of all who desire, like him, a life of honor and a
death of glory.
“By Order of His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief,
“HARRY CALVERT,
“_Colonel and Adjutant-General_.”
The following Regiments were employed in EGYPT, in 1801, and were
permitted by His Majesty King George the Third, to bear on their
colours the _Sphinx_, with the word “EGYPT,” as a distinguished mark
of His Majesty’s Royal approbation, and as a lasting memorial of the
glory acquired to His Majesty’s arms by the zeal, discipline, and
intrepidity of his troops in that arduous and important campaign,
_viz._:—
_Corps._ _Commanding Officers._
‡8th Light Dragoons, 1 Troop Captain Hawkins.
11th Light Dragoons, 1 Troop Captain A. Money.
12th ” Colonel Mervyn Archdall.
†22nd ” Lieut.-Col. Hon. Wm. Lumley.
26th (afterwards 23rd) Light } Lieut.-Colonel Robert Gordon.
Dragoons }
Hompesch’s Hussars (detachment) Major Sir Robert T. Wilson.
Coldstream Guards, 1st Battalion Lieut.-Colonel Arthur Brice.
3rd Foot Guards, 1st Battalion Lieut.-Colonel T. Hilgrove Turner.
Royals, 2nd Battalion Lieut.-Colonel Duncan Campbell.
2nd Queen’s Royal Colonel the Earl of Dalhousie.
8th Foot, King’s Colonel Gordon Drummond.
*10th ” Lieut.-Colonel Richard Quarrell.
13th ” ” Hon. Chas. Colville.
18th, Royal Irish ” Henry T. Montresor.
†20th Foot, 1st and 2nd Battalions ” George Smith.
23rd, Royal Welsh Fusiliers ” John Hall.
†24th Foot Lieut.-Colonel John R. Forster.
†25th ” Colonel William Dyott.
†26th ” ” Lord Elphinstone.
27th, Inniskilling, 1st & 2nd Bns. Lieut.-Colonel Samuel Graham.
28th Foot Colonel Hon. Edward Paget.
30th ” Lieut.-Colonel Wm. Wilkinson.
40th ” (Flank Companies) Colonel Brent Spencer.
42nd, Royal Highland Regt. Lieut.-Colonel William Dickson.
44th Foot ” David Ogilvie.
50th Foot Colonel Patrick Wauchope.
54th ” 1st and 2nd Battalions Lieut.-Colonel John Thos. Layard.
58th ” ” William Houston.
‡61st ” ” Francis Carruthers.
79th ” Colonel Alan Cameron.
*80th ” Lieut.-Colonel John Montresor.
*86th ” ” James P. Lloyd.
*88th ” Colonel Wm. Carr Beresford.
89th ” ” William Stewart.
90th ” ” Rowland Hill.
92nd ” Lieut.-Colonel Charles Erskine.
†De Watteville’s Regiment Lieut.-Col. Louis de Watteville.
The Queen’s German Regiment Lt.-Col. Peter John James Dutens.
De Roll’s Regiment ” The Baron De Dürler.
Dillon’s Regiment ” The Baron Perponcher.
Royal Corsican Rangers Major Hudson Lowe.
†Ancient Irish Fencibles
†Chasseurs Britanniques Colonel John Ramsay.
Staff Corps (detachment)
* The 10th, 80th, 86th, and 88th Regiments proceeded from the
East Indies, under the orders of Major-General David Baird, to
join the army in Egypt.
† The 22nd Light Dragoons, 20th (two battalions), 24th, 25th,
and 26th Regiments, the Ancient Irish Fencibles, and the foreign
corps of De Watteville and Chasseurs Britanniques, joined the
Army in Egypt in July, 1801.
‡ One troop of the 8th Light Dragoons and the 61st Regiment,
embarked from the Cape of Good Hope, joined the army under
Major-General Baird at Cosseir in July, 1801, and proceeded
through the Desert to Ghench, or Kenneh, on the Nile, where the
troops embarked for Cairo.
List of Regiments which composed the army under Lieut.-General Lord
Cathcart, employed in the Expedition to COPENHAGEN in the year 1807.
Corps. Officers. Men.
Royal Artillery 65 1,545
Royal Engineers 15 53
Coldstream Guards, 1st Battalion 44 1,300
Scots Fusilier Guards ” 40 1,292
4th Regiment of Foot ” 46 1,061
7th Royal Fusiliers ” 37 786
8th Foot ” 36 859
23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers ” 46 1,054
28th Regiment ” 48 1,158
32nd ” ” 36 727
43rd ” ” 51 1,065
50th ” ” 36 957
52nd ” 2nd Battalion 31 712
79th ” 1st Battalion 44 1,044
82nd ” ” 38 826
92nd ” ” 38 1,039
95th (Rifle Brigade) part of 1st and 2nd Battalions 49 967
--- ------
Total British 700 16,445
=== ======
KING’S GERMAN LEGION.
Officers. Men.
1st Light Dragoons 36 610
2nd ” 41 620
3rd ” 40 621
Royal Artillery 34 675
1st Battalion of the Line 39 824
2nd ” 38 837
3rd ” 41 815
4th ” 41 813
5th ” 41 802
6th ” 42 835
7th ” 39 830
8th ” 41 726
1st Battalion Light Infantry 40 825
2nd ” 24 532
Depôt Company 3 130
Garrison Company 2 60
--- ------
Total King’s German Legion 542 10,555
--- ------
General Total 1,242 27,000
===== ======
“_His Majesty’s Ship, ‘Audacious,’_
“_18th January, 1809._
“GENERAL ORDERS.
“The irreparable loss that has been sustained by the fall of the
Commander of the Forces (Lieut.-General Sir John Moore), and the
severe wound which has removed Lieut.-General Sir David Baird
from his station, render it the duty of Lieut.-General Hope to
congratulate the army upon the successful result of the action of
the 16th instant.
“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 employ, 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 Lieut.-General has the greatest satisfaction in
distinguishing such meritorious services, as came within his
observation, or have been brought to his knowledge.
“His acknowledgments are, in a peculiar manner, due to
Lieut.-General Lord William Bentinck, and the brigade under his
command, consisting of the fourth, forty-second, and fiftieth
regiments, and which sustained the weight of the attack.
“Major-General Manningham, with his brigade, consisting of
the Royals, the twenty-sixth and eighty-first regiments, and
Major-General Warde, with the brigade of Guards, will also be
pleased to accept his best thanks for their steady and gallant
conduct during the action.
“To Major-General Paget, who, by a judicious movement of the
reserve, effectually contributed to check the progress of
the enemy on the right; and to the first battalion of the
fifty-second and ninety-fifth regiments, which were thereby
engaged, the greatest praise is justly due.
“That part of Major-General Leith’s brigade which was engaged,
consisting of the fifty-ninth regiment, under the conduct of the
Major-General, also claims marked approbation.
“The enemy not having rendered the attack on the left a serious
one, did not afford to the troops stationed in that quarter an
opportunity of displaying that gallantry which must have made him
repent the attempt.
“The piquets and advanced posts, however, of the brigades
under the command of _Major-Generals Hill and Leith_, and
_Colonel Catlin Craufurd_, conducted themselves with determined
resolution; and were ably supported by the officers commanding
these brigades, and by the troops of which they were composed.
“It is peculiarly incumbent upon the Lieut.-General to notice the
vigorous attack made by the second battalion of the _fourteenth_
regiment under _Lieut.-Colonel Nicolls_, which drove the enemy
out of the village, of the left of which he had possessed himself.
“The exertions of _Lieut.-Colonel Murray_, Quarter-Master
General, and of the other officers of the General Staff, during
the action, were unremitted, and deserve every degree of
approbation.
“The illness of _Brigadier-General Clinton_, Adjutant-General,
unfortunately deprived the army of the benefit of his services.
“The Lieut.-General hopes the loss in point of numbers is not so
considerable as might have been expected; he laments, however,
the fall of the gallant soldiers and valuable officers who have
suffered.
“The Lieut.-General knows that it is impossible, in any language
he can use, to enhance the esteem, or diminish the regret, that
the army feels with him for its late Commander. His career has
been unfortunately too limited for his country, but has been
sufficient for his own fame. Beloved by the army, honored by his
Sovereign, and respected by his country, he has terminated a life
devoted to her service, by a glorious death,—leaving his name as
a memorial, an example, and an incitement, to those who shall
follow him in the path of honor, and it is from his country alone
that his memory can receive the tribute which is its due.
(Signed) “JOHN HOPE, _Lieut.-General_.”
“_Horse Guards_,
“_1st February, 1809._
“GENERAL ORDERS.
“The benefits derived to an army from the example of a
distinguished Commander, do not terminate at his death; his
virtues live in the recollection of his associates, and his fame
remains the strongest incentive to great and glorious actions.
“In this view, the Commander-in-Chief, amidst the deep and
universal regret which the death of Lieut.-General Sir JOHN MOORE
has occasioned, recalls to the troops the military career of that
illustrious officer for their instruction and imitation.
“Sir JOHN MOORE from his youth embraced the profession with the
feelings and sentiments of a soldier; he felt that a perfect
knowledge, and an exact performance of the humble, but important
duties of a subaltern officer, are the best foundations for
subsequent military fame; and his ardent mind, while it looked
forward to those brilliant achievements for which it was formed,
applied itself, with energy and exemplary assiduity, to the
duties of that station.
“In the school of regimental duty, he obtained that correct
knowledge of his profession so essential to the proper direction
of the gallant spirit of the soldier; and he was enabled to
establish a characteristic order and regularity of conduct,
because the troops found in their leader a striking example of
the discipline which he enforced on others.
“Having risen to command, he signalized his name in the West
Indies, in Holland, and in Egypt. The unremitting attention with
which he devoted himself to the duties of every branch of his
profession, obtained him the confidence of Sir Ralph Abercromby,
and he became the companion in arms of that illustrious officer,
who fell at the head of his victorious troops, in an action which
maintained our national superiority over the arms of France.
“Thus Sir JOHN MOORE at an early period obtained, with general
approbation, that conspicuous station, in which he gloriously
terminated his useful and honorable life.
“In a military character obtained amidst the dangers of climate,
the privations incident to service, and the sufferings of
repeated wounds, it is difficult to select any one point as a
preferable subject for praise; it exhibits, however, one feature
so particularly characteristic of the man, and so important to
the best interests of the service, that the Commander-in-Chief is
pleased to mark it with his peculiar approbation—
“THE LIFE OF SIR JOHN MOORE WAS SPENT AMONG THE TROOPS.
“During the season of repose, his time was devoted to the care
and instruction of the officer and soldier; in war he courted
service in every quarter of the globe. Regardless of personal
considerations, he esteemed that to which his country called
him, _the post of honor_, and by his undaunted spirit and
unconquerable perseverance, he pointed the way to victory.
“His country, the object of his latest solicitude, will rear a
monument to his lamented memory, and the Commander-in-Chief feels
he is paying the best tribute to his fame by thus holding him
forth as an EXAMPLE to the ARMY.
“By order of His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief,
“HARRY CALVERT, _Adjutant-General_.”
The following Regiments composed the Army under Lieut.-General Sir
JOHN MOORE, at CORUNNA, on the 16th January, 1809.
_Corps._ _Commanding Officers._
7th Light Dragoons Lieut.-Colonel Vivian.
10th ” ” Leigh.
15th ” ” Grant.
18th ” ” Jones.
3rd ” (King’s Germ. Leg.) Major Burgwesel.
Artillery Colonel Harding.
Engineers Major Fletcher.
Waggon Train Detachment Lieut.-Colonel Langley.
1st Foot Guards, 1st Battalion ” Cocks.
” 3rd ” ” Wheatley.
1st Foot 3rd ” Major Muller.
2nd ” 1st ” Lieut.-Colonel Iremonger.
4th ” 1st ” ” Wynch.
5th ” 1st ” ” Mackenzie.
6th ” 1st ” Major Gordon.
9th ” 1st ” Lieut.-Colonel Cameron.
14th ” 2nd ” ” Nicolls.
20th ” ” Ross.
23rd ” 2nd ” ” Wyatt.
26th ” 1st ” ” Maxwell.
28th ” 1st ” ” Belson.
32nd ” 1st ” ” Hinde.
36th ” 1st ” ” Burn.
38th ” 1st ” ” Hon. Chas. Greville.
42nd ” 1st ” ” Stirling.
43rd ” 1st ” ” Gifford.
43rd ” 2nd ” ” Hull.
50th ” 1st ” Major Charles Napier.
51st ” Lieut.-Colonel Darling.
52nd ” 1st ” ” Barclay.
52nd ” 2nd ” ” John Ross.
59th ” 2nd ” ” Fane.
60th ” 2nd ” ” Codd.
60th ” 5th ” Major Davy.
71st ” 1st ” Lieut.-Colonel Pack.
76th ” 1st ” ” Symes.
79th ” 1st ” ” Cameron.
81st ” 2nd ” Major Williams.
82nd ” ” M‘Donald.
91st ” 1st ” ” Douglas.
92nd ” 1st ” Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Napier.
95th (Rifle Reg.) 1st ” ” Beckwith.
” ” 2nd ” ” Wade.
Staff Corps Detachment ” Nicolay.
1st Light Batt. King’s German ” Leonhart.
Legion
2nd ” ” ” Halkett.
BRITISH AND HANOVERIAN ARMY AT WATERLOO _as formed in Divisions and
Brigades on the 18th of June, 1815._
CAVALRY.
Commanded by Lieut.-General the EARL OF UXBRIDGE G.C.B.
_1st Brigade._—Commanded by Major-General LORD EDWARD SOMERSET, K.C.B.
1st Life Guards | Lieut.-Colonel Ferrior.
2nd ” | ” the Hon. E. P. Lygon.
Royal Horse Guards, Blue | ” Sir Robert Hill.
1st Dragoon Guards | ” Fuller (Colonel).
_2nd Brigade._—Major-General SIR WILLIAM PONSONBY, K.C.B.
1st or Royal Dragoons. | Lieut.-Colonel, A. B. Clifton.
2nd or Royal North British | ” J. J. Hamilton.
Dragoons |
6th or Inniskilling Dragoons | ” J. Muter (Colonel).
_3rd Brigade._—Major-General W. B. DOMBERG.
23rd Light Dragoons | Lieut.-Colonel the Earl of
| Portarlington (Colonel).
1st ” King’s German Legion | ” J. Bulow.
|
2nd ” ” | ” C. de Jonquiera.
_4th Brigade._—Major-General SIR JOHN O. VANDELEUR, K.C.B.
11th Light Dragoons | Lieut.-Colonel J. W. Sleigh.
12th ” | ” the Honorable F. C.
| Ponsonby (Colonel).
16th ” | ” J. Hay.
_5th Brigade._—Major-General SIR COLQUHOUN GRANT, K.C.B.
7th Hussars | Colonel Sir Edward Kerrison.
15th ” | Lieut.-Colonel L. C. Dalrymple.
2nd ” King’s German Legion. | ” Linsingen.
_6th Brigade._—Major-General SIR HUSSEY VIVIAN, K.C.B.
10th Royal Hussars. | Lieut.-Colonel Quentin (Colonel).
18th Hussars. | ” _Hon._ H. Murray.
1st ” King’s German Legion. | ” A. Wissell.
_7th Brigade._—Colonel SIR FREDERICK ARENSCHILDT, K.C.B.
13th Light Dragoons. | Lieut.-Colonel Doherty.
3rd Hussars King’s German | ” Meyer.
Legion. |
Colonel ESTORFF.
Prince Regent’s Hussars. | Lieut.-Colonel Kielmansegge.
Bremen and Verden Hussars | Colonel Busche.
INFANTRY.
FIRST DIVISION.—Major-General G. COOKE.
_1st Brigade._—Major-General P. MAITLAND.
1st Foot Guards, 2nd Battalion. | Major H. Askew (Colonel).
” 3rd ” | ” the Honorable W. Stewart
| (Colonel).
_2nd Brigade._—Major-General J. BYNG.
Coldstream Guards, 2nd Battalion. | Major A. G. Woodford (Colonel).
3rd Foot Guards, ” | ” F. Hepburn (Colonel).
SECOND DIVISION.—Lieut.-General SIR H. CLINTON, G.C.B.
_3rd Brigade._—Major-General F. ADAM.
52nd Foot, 1st Battalion. | Lieut.-Colonel Sir John Colborne,
| K.C.B. (Colonel).
71st ” ” | ” T. Reynell (Col.)
95th ” 2nd ” } Rifles. | Major J. Ross (Lieut.-Colonel).
95th ” 3rd ” } | Major A. G. Norcott (Lieut.-Col).
_1st Brigade, King’s German Legion._—Colonel DU PLAT.
1st Line Battalion, King’s |
German Legion. | Major W. Robertson.
2nd ” ” | ” G. Muller.
3rd ” ” | Lieut.-Colonel F. de Wissell.
4th ” ” | Major F. Reh.
_3rd Hanoverian Brigade._—Colonel HALKETT.
Militia Battalion Bremervorde. | Lieut.-Colonel Schulenberg.
Duke of York’s 2nd Battalion. | Major Count Munster.
” 3rd ” | ” Baron Hunefeld.
Militia Battalion Salzgitter. | ” Hammerstein.
THIRD DIVISION.—Lieut.-General Baron ALTEN.
_5th Brigade._—Major-General SIR COLIN HALKETT, K.C.B.
30th Foot, 2nd Battalion. | Major W. Bailey (Lieut.-Colonel).
33rd ” | Lieut.-Colonel W. K. Elphinstone.
69th ” 2nd Battalion. | ” C. Morice (Col.)
73rd ” 2nd Battalion. | ” W. G. Harris
| (Colonel).
_2nd Brigade.—King’s German Legion._—Colonel BARON OMPTEDA.
1st Light Battalion, K.G.L. | Lieut.-Colonel L. Bussche.
2nd ” ” | Major G. Baring.
5th Line ” ” | Lieut.-Colonel W. B. Linsingen.
8th ” ” ” | Major Schroeder (Lieut.-Colonel).
_1st Hanoverian Brigade._—Major-General COUNT KIELMANSEGGE.
Duke of York’s 1st Battalion. | Major Bulow.
Field Battalion Grubenhagen. | Lieut.-Colonel Wurmb.
” Bremen. | ” Langrehr.
” Luneburg. | ” Kleucke.
” Verden. | Major De Senkopp.
FOURTH DIVISION.—Lieut.-General SIR CHARLES COLVILLE, K.C.B.
_4th Brigade._—Colonel MITCHELL.
14th Foot, 3rd Battalion. | Major F. S. Tidy (Lieut.-Col.)
23rd ” 1st ” | Lieut.-Colonel Sir Henry W.
| Ellis, K.C.B.
51st ” ” | ” H. Mitchell (Colonel).
_6th Brigade._—Major-General JOHNSTONE.
35th Foot, 2nd Battalion. | Major C. M‘Alister.
54th ” | Lieut.-Col. J. Earl of Waldegrave.
59th ” 2nd Battalion. | ” H. Austin.
91st ” 1st ” | ” Sir W. Douglas,
| K.C.B., (Colonel).
_6th Hanoverian Brigade._—Major-General LYON.
Field Battalion, Calenberg. | ——
” Lanenberg. | Lieut.-Colonel Benort.
Militia Battalion, Hoya. | ” Grote.
” Nieuberg. | ——
” Bentheim. | Major Croupp.
FIFTH DIVISION.—Lieut.-General SIR THOMAS PICTON, K.C.B.
_5th Brigade._—Major-General SIR JAMES KEMPT, K.C.B.
28th Foot, 1st Battalion. | Major R. Nixon (Lieut.-Colonel).
32nd ” ” | ” J. Hicks (Lieut.-Colonel).
79th ” ” | Lieut.-Colonel Neil Douglas.
95th Rifles ” | ” Sir A. F. Barnard,
| K.C.B., (Colonel).
_9th Brigade._—Major-General SIR DENIS PACK, K.C.B.
1st Foot, 3rd Battalion. | Major C. Campbell.
42nd ” 1st ” | Lieut.-Colonel Sir Robert Macara,
| K.C.B.
44th ” 2nd ” | ” J. M. Hamerton.
92nd ” 1st ” | Major Donald M‘Donald.
_5th Hanoverian Brigade._—Colonel VINCKE.
Militia Battalion, Hameln. | Lieut.-Colonel Kleucke.
” Hildesheim. | Major Rheden.
” Peina. | Major Westphalen.
” Giffhorn. | Major Hammerstein.
SIXTH DIVISION.
_10th Brigade._—Major-General J. LAMBERT.
4th Foot, 1st Battalion. | Lieut.-Colonel F. Brooke.
27th ” ” | Captain Sir J. Reade (Major).
40th ” ” | Major F. Browne.
81st ” 2nd ” | ” P. Waterhouse.
_4th Hanoverian Brigade._—Colonel BEST.
Militia Battalion, Luneburg. | Lieut.-Colonel De Ramdohr.
” Verden. | Major Decken.
” Osterode. | ” Baron Reden.
” Minden. | ” De Schmidt.
_7th Brigade._—Major-General M‘KENZIE.
25th Foot, 2nd Battalion. | Lieut.-Colonel A. W. Light.
37th ” ” | ” S. Hart.
78th ” ” | ” M. Lindsay.
Cavalry 8,883
Infantry 29,622
Artillery 5,434
------
Total 43,939
======
LONDON:
Printed by W. CLOWES and Sons, Stamford Street.
For Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
the text and consultation of external sources.
Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added,
when a predominant preference was found in the original book.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.
Pg xxviii: ‘France 2’ replaced by ‘France 21’.
Pg xxix: ‘of Knightood’ replaced by ‘of Knighthood’.
Pg xxxiii: ‘of General Gerard’ replaced by ‘of General Girard’.
Pg xxxvi: ‘Fermoy’ replaced by ‘Fermoy —’.
Pg xxxvi: ‘economy’ replaced by ‘economy —’.
Pg xxxvii: ‘Quartre-Bas’ replaced by ‘Quatre Bras’.
Pg xxxviii: ‘commumunicated’ replaced by ‘communicated’.
Pg 9: ‘three hunded’ replaced by ‘three hundred’.
Pg 45: ‘equip the the regiment’ replaced by ‘equip the regiment’.
Pg 54: ‘there march to’ replaced by ‘their march to’.
Pg 97: ‘at Quartre Bras’ replaced by ‘at Quatre Bras’.
Pg 101: Sidenote ‘1819’ moved down to its relevant paragraph.
Pg 108: Sidenote ‘1825’ moved down to its relevant paragraph.
Pg 112: Paragraph break inserted after ‘to make known’.
Pg 114: ‘inhatant of this’ replaced by ‘inhabitant of this’.
Pg 139: Three Notes specific to this table have anchors * † and ‡.
Pg 142: ‘to congratulute the’ replaced by ‘to congratulate the’.
Pg 142: ‘of British troop’ replaced by ‘of British troops’.
Footnote [9]: ‘page 133’ replaced by ‘page 139’.
Footnote [10]: ‘pages 131’ replaced by ‘pages 137’.
Footnote [12]: ‘page 135’ replaced by ‘page 141’.
Footnote [13]: ‘pages 136’ replaced by ‘pages 142’.
Footnote [20]: ‘pages 136 and 137’ replaced by ‘pages 142 and 143’.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 74891 ***
Historical record of the Ninety-second Regiment, originally termed "The Gordon Highlanders" and numbered the Hundredth Regiment
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_HORSE GUARDS_,
_1st January, 1836._
His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of doing
the fullest justice to...
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— End of Historical record of the Ninety-second Regiment, originally termed "The Gordon Highlanders" and numbered the Hundredth Regiment —
Book Information
- Title
- Historical record of the Ninety-second Regiment, originally termed "The Gordon Highlanders" and numbered the Hundredth Regiment
- Author(s)
- Cannon, Richard
- Language
- English
- Type
- Text
- Release Date
- December 14, 2024
- Word Count
- 47,372 words
- Library of Congress Classification
- UA
- Bookshelves
- Browsing: History - British, Browsing: History - Warfare
- Rights
- Public domain in the USA.
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