Produced by Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been placed at the end of the book. Footnote [6] is referenced seven times from page 2. A superscript is denoted by ^x or ^{xx}, for example S^t. Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources. Misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE NINETEENTH, OR THE FIRST YORKSHIRE NORTH RIDING REGIMENT OF FOOT; CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT IN 1688, AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES TO 1848. COMPILED BY RICHARD CANNON, ESQ., ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS. ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES. LONDON: PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER, 30, CHARING-CROSS. MDCCCXLVIII. LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET, FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. GENERAL ORDERS. _HORSE-GUARDS_, _1st January, 1836_. His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of doing the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars, viz.:-- ---- The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any Achievement it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the Enemy. ---- The Names of the Officers, and the number of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the place and Date of the Action. ---- The Names of those Officers who, in consideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour. ---- The Names of all such Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in Action. And, ---- The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted. By Command of the Right Honorable GENERAL LORD HILL, _Commanding-in-Chief_. JOHN MACDONALD, _Adjutant-General_. PREFACE. The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted. Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable object than a full display of the noble deeds with which the Military History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in their honorable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication. The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the "London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery; and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes. It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic account of their origin and subsequent services. This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty having been pleased to command that every Regiment shall, in future, keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad. From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, being 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 well suited to show forth the brilliancy of military tactics calculated upon mathematical and scientific principles. Although the movements and evolutions have been copied from the continental armies, yet various improvements have from time to time been introduced, to ensure that simplicity and celerity by which the superiority of the national military character is maintained. The rank and influence which Great Britain has attained among the nations of the world have in a great measure been purchased by the valour of the Army, and to persons who have the welfare of their country at heart the records of the several regiments cannot fail to prove interesting. THE NINETEENTH, OR THE FIRST YORKSHIRE NORTH RIDING REGIMENT OF FOOT. NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT. CONTENTS OF THE HISTORICAL RECORD. PAGE YEAR INTRODUCTION 1688 Formation of the regiment 1 1689 Francis Lutterell appointed to be Colonel 2 ---- Names of Officers appointed to Commissions -- ---- Regiment marched to Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight -- ---- Embarked as Marines -- ---- Returned to Plymouth -- 1690 Embarked for Ireland 3 ---- Detachment sent to the West Indies -- 1691 Returned to England -- ---- Appointment of Thomas Erle to be Colonel, in succession to Colonel F. Lutterell, deceased -- 1692 Embarked for Flanders -- ---- Engaged at the battle of Steenkirk -- 1693 ---------- the battle of Landen 4 ---- Entered winter quarters at Malines -- 1694 Engaged in operations in Flanders and Brabant -- ---- Returned to Malines -- 1695 Engaged in the siege of Namur -- ---- Occupied winter quarters at Dendermond 5 1696 Returned to England in consequence of the expectation of invasion by France, and of the plan for assassinating King William 5 1697 Re-embarked for Flanders and encamped near Brussels -- ---- Treaty of Peace concluded at Ryswick -- ---- Returned to England -- 1698 Embarked for Ireland -- 1702 War recommenced with France -- ---- Embarked from Ireland for the Isle of Wight 6 ---- Proceeded on an expedition to Cadiz -- ---- --------- to the West Indies -- 1704 Returned to Ireland 7 1705 Embarked for England -- 1709 Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Freke to be Colonel, in succession to Lieut.-General Erle, retired -- 1710 Embarked for Flanders -- ---- Engaged in forcing the French lines at Pont-à-Vendin -- ---- Siege and surrender of Douay -- ---- ---------------------- Bethune -- ---- ---------------------- Aire and St.-Venant -- ---- Entered winter quarters at Ghent -- 1711 Encamped at Warde 8 ---- Engaged in forcing the French lines at Arleux -- ---- Siege and surrender of Bouchain -- 1712 Appointment of Richard Sutton to be Colonel, in succession to Colonel G. Freke, deceased -- ---- The Duke of Ormond assumed the command of the army in Flanders -- ---- Suspension of hostilities -- ---- British troops retired to Ghent -- 1713 Regiment stationed in Flanders -- 1714 Returned to England -- 1715 Promotion of Lieut.-Colonel Grove to be Colonel, in place of Major-General Sutton, retired -- 1722 Encamped on Salisbury Plain 9 1723 Marched to Scotland -- 1729 Re-appointment of Major-General Sutton to be Colonel in succession to Colonel Grove, deceased -- ---- Embarked for Ireland -- 1738 Appointment of Colonel Honorable Charles Howard to be Colonel, in succession to Lieut.-General Sutton, deceased -- 1739 War declared against Spain -- ---- Removed from Ireland to North Britain -- 1742 War declared against France and Bavaria -- 1744 Embarked for Flanders -- ---- Quartered during the winter at Ghent -- 1745 Advanced to the relief of Tournay -- ---- Engaged at the battle of Fontenoy 10 ---- Retreated to Aeth -- 1746 Engaged at Roucoux 11 ---- Retreated to Maestricht -- 1747 Engaged at Val -- 1748 Treaty of Peace concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle 12 ---- Appointment of Colonel Lord George Beauclerk to be Colonel, in succession to Major-General Honorable Charles Howard, removed to the 3rd Dragoon Guards -- 1749 Regiment returned to England 13 ---- Embarked for Gibraltar -- 1751 The colours, clothing, &c., regulated by royal warrant of King George II. -- 1753 Returned to England -- 1755 Proceeded to Scotland -- 1756 Returned to England -- ---- War commenced with France -- ---- Regiment augmented to two battalions -- 1758 The second battalion formed into a distinct regiment, and numbered the 66th regiment. -- 1759 Encamped at Brentwood 14 1760 Encamped at Barham Down 14 1761 Formed part of an expedition against Belle-Isle on the coast of Bretagne -- ---- Capture of Belle-Isle 15 1762 Returned to England -- ---- Treaty of Peace concluded at Fontainebleau -- ---- Regiment embarked for Gibraltar -- 1768 Appointment of General David Graeme to be Colonel, in succession to Lord George Beauclerk, deceased -- 1771 Regiment returned to England 16 1773 Stationed in Scotland -- 1775 Embarked for Ireland -- 1781 ------------ America -- 1782 Designated the NINETEENTH, or the First Yorkshire North Riding Regiment -- ---- Peace concluded with America -- ---- Proceeded to the West Indies -- 1783 Removed to Jamaica -- 1791 Returned to England -- 1793 War commenced with France -- ---- Embarked under General the Earl of Moira to aid the French Royalists in La Vendée and La Loire 17 1794 Returned to England, and landed in Devonshire -- ---- Embarked for Ostend -- ---- Joined the army under the Duke of York at Malines -- ---- Retreated through Holland to Germany 18 ---- Engaged with the enemy at Tuyl -- 1795 Embarked from Bremen for England -- 1796 -------- for the East Indies and landed at Madras -- ---- Embarked for Ceylon, and landed at Columbo -- 1797 Appointment of General Samuel Hulse in succession to General Graeme, deceased 18 1799 Five companies embarked for India, and engaged in the storming and capture of Seringapatam, on the 4th of May, when Tippoo Saib was mortally wounded 19 ---- The five companies returned to Ceylon -- 1800 Marched from Columbo to Point de Galle -- 1801 Embarked for Trincomalee 20 1802 The Island of Ceylon retained by Great Britain on the conclusion of Peace between France and Holland -- 1803 War recommenced with France and Holland -- ---- Marched to Candy -- ---- Engaged on arduous service against the perfidious Candians 21 1804 Further engagement with the Candians 22 1805 The Candians again defeated -- ---- Embarked for Columbo -- 1806 Proceeded to Trincomalee -- ---- Marched back to Columbo -- 1809 Proceeded to Madras and joined a division of troops employed against the Rajah of Travancore -- ---- Returned to Ceylon, after compelling the Rajah of Travancore to submit 23 1810 Appointment of General Sir Hew Dalrymple, from 37th regiment, to the colonelcy, in succession to General Sir Samuel Hulse, removed to 62nd regiment -- ---- Four companies embarked with an expedition against the Isle of France -- ---- Capture of the Isle of France -- ---- The four companies returned to Ceylon -- 1811 Appointment of General Sir Hilgrove Turner to the colonelcy, in succession to Sir Hew Dalrymple, removed to 57th regiment 24 1814 Embarked for Trincomalee 24 1815 The British troops advanced against the King of Candy -- ---- The King of Candy brought prisoner to the British camp 25 ---- The Malbar dynasty deposed, and the provinces of Candy united to the dominions of the British Crown -- 1816 Remained at Trincomalee -- 1818 Returned to Columbo -- ---- Marched to Candy to suppress a rebellion of several native chiefs 26 ---- Returned to Columbo, and marched to Point de Galle -- 1820 Embarked for England -- 1821 ------------ Ireland -- 1826 Formed into six service and four depôt companies -- ---- Embarked for the West Indies -- 1830 Depôt companies embarked from Cork for England -- 1836 Service companies returned from the West Indies to Ireland 27 ---- Joined by the depôt companies from England -- 1839 Embarked from Dublin for Bristol -- 1840 Returned to Ireland -- ---- Formed into six service and four depôt companies -- ---- Service companies embarked for Malta -- 1841 Depôt companies embarked from Ireland for England -- 1843 Appointment of General Sir W. M. Peacocke to be Colonel, in succession to General Sir Hilgrove Turner, deceased -- ---- Service companies embarked for the Ionian Islands -- 1843 Depôt companies embarked for Jersey 27 1845 Depôt companies embarked for Ireland 28 ---- Service companies embarked from Corfu for the West Indies -- 1848 Service companies embarked from Barbadoes for Canada -- The Conclusion 29 APPENDIX. List of Battles, Sieges, &c. in the Netherlands from 1689 to 1697 31 List of Battles, Sieges, &c. in the Netherlands and Germany from 1702 to 1712 32 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS OF THE NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT. YEAR PAGE 1689 Francis Lutterell 33 1691 Thomas Erle -- 1709 George Freke 34 1712 Richard Sutton 35 1715 George Grove -- 1729 Richard Sutton _re-appointed_ 36 1738 _Hon._ Charles Howard -- 1748 Lord George Beauclerk -- 1768 David Graeme 37 1797 Sir Samuel Hulse, G.C.H. -- 1810 Sir Hew Dalrymple, Bart. 39 1811 Sir T. Hilgrove Turner -- 1843 Sir Warren M. Peacocke 40 PLATES. Colours of the Regiment to face 1 Costume of the Regiment " 30 [Illustration: NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT. QUEEN'S COLOR.] [Illustration: REGIMENTAL COLOR. FOR CANNON'S MILITARY RECORDS _Madeley lith. 3 Wellington S^t. Strand_] HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE NINETEENTH, OR THE FIRST YORKSHIRE NORTH RIDING REGIMENT OF FOOT. [Sidenote: 1688] The advances made by King James II. towards the subversion of the laws, and the established religion of the kingdom, occasioned the Prince of Orange to be invited to come to England with an army, to enable the nobility and other persons of property and influence to assert the inviolable character of the Constitution in parliament. The Prince landed in Devonshire on the 5th of November, 1688, and a number of persons afterwards joining his standard, they were formed into companies of musketeers and pikemen, and three regiments were embodied under Colonels Lord Mordaunt, Sir John Guise, and Sir Robert Peyton: troops of cavalry and companies of infantry were also raised, in the interest of the Prince of Orange, in various parts of England. [Sidenote: 1689] The flight of King James to France was followed by the elevation of the Prince and Princess of Orange to the throne, in February, 1689. At this period several of the companies of pikemen and musketeers raised when the Prince of Orange landed, were incorporated into a regiment under Colonel Francis Lutterell, whose commission, as colonel of this regiment, was dated the 28th of February, 1689; but the regiment, being formed of companies raised about the middle of November, 1688, was permitted to take rank from that date, and now bears the title of the "NINETEENTH REGIMENT OF FOOT." The following officers were appointed to commissions in the regiment:-- _Colonel_, Francis Lutterell. _Lieutenant-Colonel_, William Norcott. _Major_, Henry Hawley. _Captains._ _Lieutenants._ _Ensigns._ Baldwin Mallett. R. Williams (_Capt._). Joseph Lewis. Alexander Lutterell. John Dodington. Abraham Hancock. Edmund Bowyer.[6] N. Simmons. Capell Stocker. William Coward.[6] John Redmore. Thomas Adams. Joseph Pigman.[6] William Willoughby. -- Sidenham. Hopton Wynham. R. Wyndham. -- Ensate. Robert Carey.[6] George Prater. Robert Norcott. Walter Vincent.[6] William Webb. Thomas Robinson. Charles Burlington.[6] John Calmady. Thomas Freke. -- Simmons.[6] John West. Thomas Resdin. Hugh Mallett. -- Gregor. Lawrence Coward. _Adjutant_, John West. _Surgeon_, T. Allen. _Quarter-Master_, Arthur Balsam. In the summer of this year the regiment marched to Portsmouth; it was afterwards stationed in the Isle of Wight, and in September embarked on board the fleet to serve as marines; but landed at Plymouth in the winter. [Sidenote: 1690] The authority of King William being resisted in Ireland, an army was sent to that country under Marshal Duke Schomberg, and in March, 1690, the NINETEENTH received orders to send five hundred and twenty men to Ireland, to replace the losses sustained by many regiments at the unhealthy camp of Dundalk. The regiment afterwards sent a detachment to the West Indies, where nearly all the men died. The regiment also sustained the loss of its colonel, who died this year. [Sidenote: 1691] In 1691 the regiment was stationed in England recruiting, and the colonelcy was conferred on Colonel Thomas Erle, from a regiment which was raised in March, 1689, and disbanded after the treaty of Ryswick in 1697. [Sidenote: 1692] Having recruited its ranks and attained a state of efficiency, the regiment embarked for Flanders in the spring of 1692, and joined the confederate army, commanded by the British monarch in person, whose efforts were directed to arrest the progress of aggression pursued by Louis XIV.;--it served the campaign of this year against the French under Marshal Luxemburg. At the battle of _Steenkirk_, on the 3rd of August, the regiment was in the main body of the allied army, and the advance-guard being repulsed before the supporting columns arrived at the field of battle, King William ordered a retreat. Colonel ERLE's regiment was one of the corps which did not sustain any loss. [Sidenote: 1693] The NINETEENTH regiment was one of the corps assembled at Parck-camp, near Louvain, in May, 1693; and by taking possession of this post, King William defeated the designs of the French monarch on Brabant. The fourteenth, sixteenth, NINETEENTH, and two newly-raised regiments were formed in brigade under Brigadier-General Erle. This brigade was in position at _Landen_, on the 29th of July, when the confederate army was attacked by the superior numbers of the enemy. Brigadier-General Erle was ill of a fever, but hearing that an action was likely to take place, he quitted his bed, and was wounded at the head of his brigade. The French having, by their numerical strength, forced the position, the confederate army retreated. Both armies sustained severe loss, and the enemy derived little advantage from the victory, beyond an opportunity to besiege Charleroi, which was captured in the autumn. The NINETEENTH regiment passed the winter in quarters at Malines. [Sidenote: 1694] In the beginning of May, 1694, the regiment quitted its quarters, and pitched its tents near the cloister of Terbanck; it took part in the operations of the campaign, and performed many long marches in Flanders and Brabant, and in the autumn returned to the pleasant town of Malines, where it passed another winter in garrison, with the third and fourth regiments of foot. [Sidenote: 1695] Early in the spring of 1695 the regiment marched to the vicinity of Ghent, and was encamped near Marykirk until the army took the field. King William undertook the siege of the strong fortress of _Namur_, and the NINETEENTH formed part of the covering army under the Prince of Vaudemont, who acquired great reputation for the skilful retreat he effected in the presence of a French army, of very superior numbers, under Marshal Villeroy. After taking part in covering this retreat, the regiment was employed in several operations for the protection of the maritime and other towns of Flanders, and to cover the troops carrying on the siege of Namur, which fortress was captured by the troops under King William, and that event terminated the campaign. The NINETEENTH regiment passed the winter at Dendermond. [Sidenote: 1696] Finding the progress of his arms arrested, and the fortune of war in favour of the confederates, the French monarch contemplated detaching England from the alliance against his interests, by replacing King James on the throne, for which purpose preparations were made for invading England, and a conspiracy was formed in London for assassinating King William. In consequence of the preparations in France, the NINETEENTH, and a number of other regiments, were ordered to return to England. The regiment embarked from Sas-van-Ghent in March, 1696, and sailed to Gravesend, where it landed. The assassination plot was discovered, and the designs of the French monarch frustrated. [Sidenote: 1697] The regiment remained in England until the summer of 1697, when it again proceeded to Flanders, and joined the army encamped near Brussels on the 14th of July; two days afterwards it was reviewed by King William. The treaty of Ryswick was signed in September, and the British monarch saw his efforts for the preservation of liberty, and the balance of power in Europe, attended with success. The regiment returned to England in November. [Sidenote: 1698] [Sidenote: 1702] In 1698 the NINETEENTH regiment was stationed in Ireland, where it remained until 1702, when the succession of the Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV., to the throne of Spain had produced another war. Early in 1702 an expedition against the port and city of _Cadiz_ was resolved upon by the British government, and the NINETEENTH regiment was withdrawn from Ireland to take part in the enterprise; the fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Rooke, and the land forces were placed under the orders of the Duke of Ormond. The regiment proceeded to the Isle of Wight, where it embarked on board the fleet,[7] which sailed for Cadiz, and a landing was effected between Rota and Fort St. Catherine in the middle of August. Fort St. Mary's was taken possession of, and some advantages were gained; but the expedition proved of insufficient force for the reduction of Cadiz, and the troops re-embarked. The NINETEENTH regiment was detached from Cadiz to the West Indies with the squadron of the royal navy under Commander Walker. [Sidenote: 1703] A powerful armament was prepared for the attack of the French and Spanish settlements in the West Indies in 1703, but this enterprise was afterwards laid aside. An unsuccessful attempt was made on Guadaloupe in March of this year, by a few men under Colonel Codrington. [Sidenote: 1704] [Sidenote: 1705] Having lost a number of men from the effects of the climate, the regiment was withdrawn from the West Indies, and was stationed in Ireland in 1704; in 1705 it embarked for England, and landed near Chester in October. [Sidenote: 1706] The regiment was employed on home service during the years 1706, 1707, 1708, and 1709. [Sidenote: 1709] In May, 1709, Lieut.-General Erle disposed of the colonelcy of the regiment to the lieut.-colonel, George Freke. [Sidenote: 1710] Early in the spring of 1710 the regiment embarked for Flanders, to join the allied army in that country under the celebrated JOHN, DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH; it advanced up the country to the vicinity of Tournay, and afterwards took part in the movements by which the French lines were forced at _Pont-à-Vendin_. When the siege of _Douay_ was undertaken, the NINETEENTH regiment was one of the corps selected to take part in this service. Some severe fighting took place in carrying on the attacks, and in storming the outworks, in which the regiment was engaged, and sustained severe loss. On the 25th of June the garrison beat a parley, and afterwards surrendered the fortress. The NINETEENTH regiment had three serjeants and ninety-one rank and file killed at the siege of Douay; and one major, two captains, eight subalterns, ten serjeants, and one hundred and ninety-seven rank and file wounded. The regiment formed part of the covering army during the siege of _Bethune_, which fortress surrendered on the 29th of August. _Aire_ and _St.-Venant_ were afterwards invested and taken, and the regiment marched to Ghent, where it passed the winter. [Sidenote: 1711] Advancing up the country in the spring of 1711, the regiment encamped a short time at Warde, where it was joined by a fine body of recruits from England. It took part in the operations by which the enemy's fortified lines were passed at _Arleux_ on the 5th of August, and it was afterwards engaged in the siege of _Bouchain_, which proved a difficult service; but every obstacle was overcome by the skill and perseverance of the generals and engineers, and the innate bravery of the soldiers, who, on more than one occasion, fought up to their waists in water. This fortress was surrendered on the 13th of September. [Sidenote: 1712] In the spring of 1712 the regiment quitted its winter quarters. Before the army was assembled, Colonel Freke was succeeded in the colonelcy of the regiment by Major-General Richard Sutton, from a newly-raised corps, which was afterwards disbanded. The army in Flanders was this year commanded by the Duke of Ormond, and advanced to the frontiers of France; but negotiations for a treaty of peace having commenced, a suspension of hostilities was proclaimed, and the British troops retired to the vicinity of Ghent. [Sidenote: 1713] During the year 1713 the regiment was stationed in Flanders. [Sidenote: 1714] The decease of Queen Anne took place on the 1st of August, 1714, when the regiment was ordered to return to England, and it was placed in garrison at Tilbury fort, Landguard fort, and Hull, with a detachment at Sheerness. [Sidenote: 1715] In August, 1715, the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Lieut.-Colonel Grove, from the foot guards, in succession to Major-General Sutton, who withdrew from active service. [Sidenote: 1716] [Sidenote: 1722] [Sidenote: 1723] The regiment was employed on home service many years; in 1722 it was encamped on Salisbury Plain, where it was reviewed by King George I.; and in the following year it marched to Scotland. [Sidenote: 1727] In 1727 the regiment was held in readiness to assist the Dutch in the expected war with the Emperor of Germany; but no embarkation took place. [Sidenote: 1729] Colonel Grove died on the 13th of October, 1729, and King George II. restored Major-General Sutton to the colonelcy of the regiment. At this period the regiment was removed to Ireland. [Sidenote: 1735] [Sidenote: 1738] Major-General Sutton was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general in 1735, and died in 1738, when the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Colonel the Honorable Charles Howard, from captain and lieut.-colonel in the foot guards. [Sidenote: 1739] In 1739 war was proclaimed against Spain, and the NINETEENTH regiment was withdrawn from Ireland, and stationed in North Britain. [Sidenote: 1742] [Sidenote: 1744] A British army proceeded to Flanders in 1742, to support the interests of the House of Austria against France and Bavaria; but the NINETEENTH were employed on home service until 1744, when they proceeded to Flanders, and served the campaign of that year with the army under Field-Marshal Wade. The regiment was encamped some time on the banks of the Scheldt, and afterwards advanced into the territory subject to France, as far as Lisle; but no serious fighting took place, and it passed the winter in quarters at Ghent. [Sidenote: 1745] The regiment was called from its winter quarters in April, 1745, and advanced with the army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, to the relief of Tournay, which fortress was besieged by a numerous French force, and on the approach of the allied army the enemy took up a formidable position near the village of _Fontenoy_. This position was attacked on the 11th of May, and the gallant bearing of the British infantry was conspicuous; by a determined charge they broke the French lines and overthrew all opposition at their point of attack; but the Dutch failed in their attempts to capture the village of Fontenoy, and the English were exposed to a destructive flank fire which forced them to retreat. The attack was repeated, and British valour and intrepidity triumphed once more; but the Dutch again failed, and the English battalions, which had broken the enemy's lines, were exposed to so destructive a fire from batteries on both flanks, that a retreat was ordered, and the army withdrew from the field of battle to Aeth. The regiment had Lieutenant Le Grand, Ensign Gibson, and seventeen private soldiers killed; Major Petitot, Captains Cochran and Douglas, Lieutenant Coote, Ensigns Cheape, Martin, and Potterfield, one serjeant, and sixty-nine rank and file wounded; thirteen men missing. The subsequent operations of the campaign were of a defensive character, and the allied army was so much inferior in numbers to the enemy, that it was unable to prevent the capture of several fortified towns in the Austrian Netherlands. This year a rebellion broke out in Scotland, and Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, gained some advantages at the head of the Highland clans, when several corps were ordered to return to England, but the NINETEENTH remained in the Netherlands. [Sidenote: 1746] Taking the field in the spring of 1746, the regiment was employed in various services; but the allied army, being very inferior in numbers to the force which the French monarch employed in the Netherlands, was necessarily restricted in its operations. On the 11th of October the allied army was formed on the beautiful plain of Liege, and the NINETEENTH regiment was stationed, with two other corps, in the village of _Roucoux_. About noon the superior numbers of the enemy under Marshal Saxe were seen advancing, and about three in the afternoon a numerous body of infantry and artillery attacked three villages, which were occupied by eight battalions of British, Dutch, and Hessians. The disparity of numbers was about one to six, yet the allies stood their ground gallantly, and repulsed the leading brigades of the enemy. New combatants rushed forward, and the allies were again victorious; but they were eventually forced to quit the villages. After defending their post with great bravery for some time, the NINETEENTH, and other corps in Roucoux, quitted the village, and took post in a hollow way, where they defended themselves until a retreat was ordered, when the army withdrew to the vicinity of Maestricht. One serjeant, one drummer, and thirty-three rank and file of the regiment were killed on this occasion; Lieutenant Cuthbert, Ensign M'Farlane, three serjeants, and nineteen rank and file wounded; Captain Leake, Lieutenant Campbell, and several private soldiers taken prisoners. [Sidenote: 1747] After passing the winter in cantonments in Holland, the regiment took the field with the army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, and distinguished itself at the battle of _Val_, on the 2nd of July in that year. The enemy attacked the village of Val, which was occupied by the thirteenth, twenty-fifth, and thirty-seventh regiments, and a battalion of Hanoverians, who repulsed the attacks of their numerous opponents some time, but were eventually forced to give way. They were reinforced by the eighth, NINETEENTH, and forty-eighth regiments, and a foreign corps, and returning to the charge, recovered the village. The fighting at this point was very severe; several French brigades were nearly annihilated, and the village was lost and won several times. During this protracted contest the innate valour of the British troops was very conspicuous; but the enemy at length succeeded in breaking the line, and the army was ordered to retreat to Maestricht, where it arrived on the same evening. Lieut.-Colonel Williams, two serjeants, one drummer, and thirty-two rank and file of the regiment were killed; Major Petitot, Captain Masters, Lieutenants Goddard, Brown, Martin, and Phillips, Ensigns Dobson and Fuller, three serjeants, and one hundred and three rank and file wounded; fifteen rank and file missing.[8] [Sidenote: 1748] The regiment again took the field in 1748. Preliminary articles for a treaty of peace were signed at Aix-la-Chapelle, and a suspension of hostilities took place. In this year Major-General the Honorable Charles Howard was removed to the third dragoon guards, and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the NINETEENTH regiment by Colonel Lord George Beauclerk, from the eighth marines. [Sidenote: 1749] The regiment returned to England during the winter of 1748-9, and immediately proceeded to Gibraltar, where it was stationed four years. [Sidenote: 1751] On the 1st of July, 1751, a warrant was issued by authority of King George II., for establishing uniformity in the clothing, standards, and colours of the several regiments, by which the facing of the NINETEENTH was directed to be _green_. The First, or the King's colour, was directed to be the Great Union; the Second, or Regimental colour, to be the colour of the facings of the
{'title': 'Historical Record of the Nineteenth, or the First Yorkshire North Riding', 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}