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// 4, 75-

H.R.H. EDWARD, DUKE OF KENT.
FATHER OF HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY, QUEEN VICTORIA,
Commanding the Queen's Regiment, at Gibraltar, from February to August, 1790.
pp. 212, 213.

T H E H IS TO RY
OF
THE SECONID,
Queen's Hopal Hegiment,
NOW THE
QUEEN'S (ROYAL WEST SURREY) REGIMENT.
— Q-Q-Q —
BY
COLONEL JOHN DAVIS, F.S.A.
Commanding 3rd Battalion. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment,
Author of “The History of The Second Royal Surrey Militia.”
— Q-O-O. —
ūlith flaps and 31ſustrations.
VOL. III.
Fronn 1715 to 1799.
II O N D O N :
RICHARD BENTLEY & SON, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,
35ublisberg in 89tuitary to #er ſäajesty (Tije (Bucen.
$E-ºº-ºººº-
1895.
()A
65
2d.
1)2.É.
V, 3
EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE,
GoverNMENT PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS,
EAST HARDING STREET, E.C.
[Entered at Stationers' Hall.]
A
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3 - 3 1 - 5
TO
H E R M A J E STY THE QUEEN,
E M P R ESS OF 1 ND I A,
THIS HISTORY
OF THE ORIGIN AND SERVICES
***
OF
THE SECOND,
S QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT
THE QUEEN'S (ROYAL WEST SURREY) REGIMENT,
IS
BY HER MAJESTY'S GRACIOUS PERMISSION,
MOST RESPECT FULLY
Jenitateh.
T H E S E CON D,
Queen's TRoyal Regiment of jFoot.
Raised as the Tangiers Regiment, 1661;
Returned Home and Placed on the Establishment May, 1684;
Became “The Queen Dowager's hºmº 1686;
“Royal,” 1703;
Her Royal Miami, The Princess of Wales's Own Regiment, 1714;
“The Queen's Own Regiment,” 1727;
The Queen's (Second) Royal Regiment of Foot, 1st July, 1751;
AND
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 1st July, 1881.
BAI)(ES AND DISTINCTIONS CONFERRED ON THE REGIMENT,
B A D G E S.
T H E PAS C H A L L A M B.
THE ROYAL CYPHER WITHIN
T H E S P HIN X.
THE GARTER.
MOTTO E.S.
“PRISTINAE VIRTUTIS MEMOR.” “WEL EXUVIAE TRIUMPHANT.”
DISTINCTIONS.
“ E G Y P T.” “T O U L O U S E.”
“ W IM I E. R. A.” . “P E N IN S U L A.”
“ C O B U N N A.” “A F G H A N T S T A N.”
“S A L A M A N C A ’’ “ G H U Z N E E.”
“ W IT TO R. I. A.” “ K H E L A T.”
“P Y R E N E E S.” “SOUTH AFRICA, 1851-2-3.”
“N IV E L L E.” “T A K U F O R T S.”
“P E K I N.”
CONTENTS.
_^_^*...*.
***
CEIAPTER I.
JAcOBITE INTRIGUES AND INSURRECTIONS UP to 1720.
1715.
+. . - - - . * PAGE
Nomination of the New Ministry by the King—Return asked for of the
Names of the Officers in the Regiment, with dates of their Commis-
sions—Four Companies sent from Berwick to Hull—The new Title
of the Regiment appears in the Gazette—Jacobite Intrigues of Tord
Bolingbroke—The Rebellion—The Scottish Efforts for the Pre-
tender—The Earl of Mar and the Pretender's cause—The Duke of
Argyle—Stanhope’s vigour and energy in crushing the Rebellion—
Oxford University surprised—Army ordered to be augmented—
Cost of new Establishment—The Troops under General Carpenter
and the Duke of Argyle—Castle of Holy Island captured by the -
Erringtons—Capture of Erringtons—Their Escape—Report of false
Musters—The Rebels march South and arrive at Preston–There
joined by the Catholic Gentry and their Retainers—Route of the
Invaders—Generals Carpenter and Wills join their Forces—Battle
at Preston—Defeat of Mar at Sheriffmuir by Duke of Argyle—
Retreat to Perth—Quarters of the Regiment—Off-reckonings and
Cost of Augmentation—London Gazette and the new Designation of
the Regiment—Pictures of Grenadiers of the Regiment at Carlisle—
Mr. Fergusson's Description of them—Company quartered at Bridge-
north shows Jacobite proclivities—Regiment ordered to Shrewsbury
—Marches to Manchester—Fictitious Names in Musters for benefit
of Widows of Soldiers—Disorders in consequence of an insufficiency
of Officers—Review ordered by the Prince of Wales of all the Troops
in South Britain—Disturbance at Shrewsbury—Establishment of
Regiment—Quota of Regiment reduced—The Triple Alliance—
Combination by Sweden, Russia, and Spain against England—
Preparations of the Government to meet the Danger—The Regiment
ordered to Newcastle—Detachments at Durham—List of Regiments
ordered for Service against threatened Invasion—Regulations on
Brevets—Pay and Stoppages--New Conspiracy—Count Gyllenborg
taken into Custody—Parliament indignant at the Conspiracy—
Insurrection collapses—Two Companies sent to Tynemouth—King
writes to Kirk about the incomplete Companies—Regiment reduced
by two Companies–Cost of Regimental Affairs of the late Lieu-
tenant-General Kirk—Regiment ordered to Manchester–Troubies
in Spain–Troops proposed to be sent to Spain–Colonel Stanhope
VOL. III. b
( / C.
X. CONTENTS.
— — — — — —--------------------- - - - - - - - -
FAGE
sent as Ambassador—Strength of intended Expedition from Spain
to England—Spain takes Sicily — Admiral Byng defeats the
Spaniards off Sicily—Regiment changes Quarters—Disturbances at
Chester—Quota of Regiment and Cost—Bermuda Company—List of
reduced Officers—Petition of Captain Gyles and Lieutenant Paul
Latour for reinstatement in Regiment—Off-reckonings and Cost of
Regiment—Order of Precedence of Regiments—Further Intrigues
of Spain with the Pretender—Preparations to meet the Danger–
Six Companies moved to Bristol and thence to Newcastle—Company
at the Scilly Islands landed at Pendennis—Lieutenant-General
Carpenter ordered to North Britain—Disturbances at Newcastle-
Failure of Spanish Scheme of Invasion by reason of Storms—Troops
landed on Kintail, Scotland—Attacked by General Wightman and
driven off — Spanish Contingent captured — Regiment ordered
into Yorkshire—To Birmingham, Lichfield, and Wolverhampton
—Major-General Evans put in command of all the Forces in the
South tº ſº º t & a tº a tº tº tº e tº gº º tº tº tº ... 1
CIIAPTER II.
REGIMENT ENCAMPED IN SCOTLAND–CoNTINUED JACOBITE INTRIGUES.
1720.
South Sea Bubble—Regiment much moved about in consequence of the
troublous times—Guard for King's Money—Regiment assisting in
Quarantine—Establishment of Regiment, Cost, and Subsistence—
Prices of Commissions in Regiment—Regiment goes into Barracks
at Berwick—Clothing and Off-reckonings—Regiment ordered to
Scotland–Guards from Brigadier Preston's Forces sent to the
Highlands—Agents ordered to resign their Commissions—Regi-
ment reviewed by General Sabine–Establishment and Allowances—
Off-reckonings, Clothing, and Arms–Regiment sent to Inverness—
Encamped there—Duel, and death of Captain Manning—Order of
the King for Men not to be allowed to labour in Civil Life—Detach-
ment sent in search of attainted Jacobites—King leaves for
Germany—Bishop Atterbury prosecuted for Treason and exiled—
Loyalty of the Jnhabitants of Portsmouth—Strength and Cost of
Begiment—Reviewed by General Sabine–Regiment augmented—
Off-reckonings and Clothing—Regiment ordered to Fort William—
Sir Patrick Strachan and Ensign Johnson—Petition by “Piercy
Rirk” for arrears of pay—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—
Marches to Edinburgh—New Clothing issued there—Desertions—
Returns of state of Regiment asked for—Swords for Officer and
Privates—Reduction of Strength ef Regiment—Quarters of all
Regiments in North Britain—Establishment, Off-reckonings, and
Cost—Regiments at Gibraltar to wear Swords—Troubles caused in
Glasgow by Malt Tax—Riots—Suggested move of Jacobites—
Foreign Men-of-War reported off Stornoway—General Wade
advises, in consequence of state of Affairs, Kirk and Macartney’s
Regiments remain at present Quarters—Wade goes to Glasgow–
Orders disarming of Inhabitants—Rioters captured and taken to
Glasgow—The Clans loyal—Riots in Edinburgh–Clans bring in
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Arms—War Vessel for Lake Ness—Rob Roy, and his Submission—
General Wade leaves for London—Number of Arms delivered up
by the Highland Clans—Establishment of Regiment—Threatenings
of War sº e tº gº © tº gº tº tº e tº tº ºn
CHAPTER III.
REGIMENT IN LONDON.—SEA SERVICE—PARMA SUCCESSION.—REGIMENT
SENT TO GIBRALTAR.
1727.
Regiment ordered to Shrewsbury—Moved to Chester and Namptwich—
After several Changes of Quarters moved to Bristol—Title of Regi-
ment altered to “Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot ”—Augmentation
of Regiment—Establishment and Cost—Kirk ordered Abroad on
service as Lieutenant-General—Off-reckonings—The Brighton
Maid's soldiering—Troubles with the Authorities at Bristol—Regi-
ment moved to Devizes, &c.—Deserter shot—Strength and Cost of
Regiment—Regiment ordered to London—Detailed for Guards in
London—Review by the King—Detachment ordered as a Guard of
Honour for the Princess Amelia at Tunbridge Wells—Regiment
ordered to Maidstone, Canterbury, Sandwich, and Deal—A Company
ordered to Ramsgate—Spain demands Restitution of Gibraltar—
House of Commons refuses—Aid to Civil Power—Desertions—Off-
reckonings—Regiment moved to Salisbury, Fisherton, Southampton,
Winchester, Lymington, and Ringwood—Treaty of Seville—Reduc-
tion of National Forces ordered—Discussion on Treaty—Two
Companies of the Regiment disbanded—Further Reduction of
Regiment—Particulars of Clothing—Establishment and Cost of
Regiment—Kirk ordered to make Regiment fit for Foreign Service
—The New Establishment—Embarkation of Regiment for Gibraltar
—Orders for New Clothing on King's Accession Day—Establish-
ment and Cost of Regiment—Troubles out of the Seville Treaty—
Emperor of Germany objects to Treaty–-Death of Duke of Parma
and commencement of Intrigues for Succession—Treaty between
the Emperor and England—Joint Treaty between the Emperor,
Great Britain, Spain, and the United Provinces—-England engages
to conduct Don Carlos to Parma—Sir Charles Wager appointed to
command the Fleet--The Queen’s one of the Regiments for the
Expedition—Names of Ships carrying the Queen's Regiment—Fleet
anchors in Gibraltar Bay—Embarkation of the Queen’s and other
Regiments—Fleet joined at Barcelona by the Spaniards—Arrival of
the allied Fleet at Leghorn—The English Fleet returns to Gibraltar
—Disembarkation of the English Regiments—Cost of Regiment—
Augmentation of Home Regiments—Strength of Regiment—Amount
of Off-reckonings—Warrant for Stoppages—Walpole's Financial
Schemes—Public Debt thought a Safeguard against the Pretender
——The Polish War—Strength of Regiment and Cost—Death of the
Duke of Berwick—Large number of Officers on leave—Strength of
Regiment—All Officers ordered to rejoin Regiment—General Muster
of Troops at Gibraltar—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—
Deficiencies in Numbers—Death of Queen Caroline—Establishment
b 2
2
5
xii
CONTENTS.
PAGE
and Cost of Regiment—Absent Officers ordered to join the Regiment—
Progress of Recruiting—Birth of Prince George of Wales, afterwards
George III.-Off-reckonings—Augmentation of Strength of Regi-
ment—Again augmented—Spain and our Colonies---Declaration of
War against Spain—Accession of Maria. Theresa—Spain threatens
to bombard Gibraltar—Establishment and Cost of Regiment
CHAPTER IV.
41
REGIMENT AS MARINEs—JACOBITE INSURRECTION IN 1745—REGIMENT ORDERED
TO TRELAND.
1740.
All Officers ordered to join the Regiment at Gibraltar—Order about
Regimental Facings, Colour, &c.—Regiment augmented–Establish-
ment and Cost of Regiment—Bermuda Company—Sickness in
Regiment—Orders re Deserters—Off-reckonings—Renewal of the
Jacobite Conspiracies—Gibraltar threatened by the Spaniards—
Death of General Kirk—Succeeded in command of the Regiment by
Colonel Thomas Fowke—Strength and Cost of Regiment—Off.
reckonings—Soldiers as Marines—Number of Effectives in Regiment
—Strength—Description of Clothing of Regiment—Regimental
Lace—Drafts of men from Highland Regiments—Tstablishment—
Off-reckonings—Orders for recruiting for Regiments at their “Plan-
tations”—Stations of recruiting Officers—War against France—
Victory of Dettingen—The Pretender's Schemes–Fowke appointed
to a command in the Forces sent to Scotland under Sir John Cope—
Prince Charles lands at Tullibardine in Scotland—Royal Troops
rendezvous at Stirling—Cope retreats to Inverness–Edinburgh
threatened—Skirmish with the Rebels—Retreat of the Dragoons to
Dunbar—Prince Charles enters Edinburgh—Sir John Cope arrives
at Dunbar—Battle of Preston Pans—Prince Charles returns to Edin-
burgh—Marches to invade England–Culloden–Suffering of Prince
Charles—His Escape—The Inquiry into the Conduct of Sir John
Cope and Brigadier Fowke—The Off-reckonings—Soldier Marines—
Officers and Recruits ordered to join the Regiment without delay—
Trial of Cope and Fowke—Verdict—Establishment and Off-reckon-
ings—Orders for Recruiting—Officers always to wear Uniform—
Loss of Antwerp, Mons, and Namur—Naval Victories—Battle of
Lauffeld—Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle–Its effect on the Pretender's
Cause—Recruits ordered to be sent by Men-of-War—Detachment of
the Regiment sent on board the Fleet under General Byng—
Strength, Cost, and Off-reckonings of Regiment—Regiment short
of Men and Officers—Fowke ordered to join Forces in Flanders—
Drawing lots for Deserters in Prison—State of Affairs in England—
The Regiment ordered to Ireland–Irish Establishment—Strength
of each Company in the Irish Establishment—General Fowke arrives
home—Proceeds to Ireland—Regiment leaves Gibraltar—The now
reduced Establishment—Particulars of the Pay and Subsistence of
Irish Establishment of Regiment—Right of Soldiers to be admitted
into Chelsea Hospital—List of Officers in Regiment—The Regiment
lands at Kinsale— Quarters of Regiment—Strength of Total
Effectives—New Clothing Regulations—Colours—Arms—Devices...
64
CONTENTS. xiii
CEIAPTER W.
REGIMENT IN IRELAND–LOSS OF MINORCA–CAMPAIGN IN AMERICA.
1750,
PAGE
Regiment at Dublin–Chelsea Hospital—T)etached Parties of the
Regiment—Drafts from Regiments in Ireland sent to recruit
Regiments in Germany—Camp formed of all the Regiments in
Ireland—Regiment quartered at Wicklow, Arklow, Enniscorthy,
and Bray—Inspection of the Regiment at Dublin—Return of state
of Regiment—-Clothing Regulations—Colours of Facings of Regi-
ments—Regiment sent into Camp near Wicklow—Reviewed by Lord
Rothes—Ordered to Galway—Strength of Regiment—Rates of
Pensions to Officers' Widows—Allowance for Clothing—Alterations
in Clothing—Regiment reviewed at Galway—Removed to Foxford
Barracks—State of Regiment—Regiment reviewed at Galway—
Quarters of Regiment— Officers present at Duty—All the Companies
ordered to Galway–Regiment moved to Waterford—Additional Pay
for Officers and Privates—Regiment reviewed by Earl of Rothes—
Strength of Regiment—General Fowke appointed Governor of
Gibraltar—Rivalry between French and English Colonists—French
action in Virginia—Washington–Troubles in Ireland—King orders
an Augmentation of the Forces—Troops ordered to Scotland—
Changes of the Quarters of the Regiment—Strength of Regiment—
Regiment augmented—Further Augmentation—Strength of Regiment
—A Camp formed for Inspection ordered at Thurles—Recruits from
Dublin–Fowke ordered to succeed General Braddock in command
of his Regiment—General Braddock's Expedition—Recruiting of
Regiment—Appointment of Honourable John Fitzwilliam to succeed
General Fowke—Fear of a French Invasion—Rumours of great
preparation in France—Minorca threatened—Admiral Byng sails for
Minorca—General Fowke refuses to help Byng with Troops–Byng
meets French—Unaccountable conduct of the Admiral–Siege of
Minorca—Gallant Defence by General Blakeney—Capitulation of
Minorca—Account of Siege—Fowke ordered home–Tried by Court-
martial for not giving Troops to Byng—His Defence—Is dismissed
the Service—Fowke's Memorial—Byng shot—The Declaration of
War against France popular—Drafts from the Regiments in Ireland
to be sent to America—Augmentation of two Companies to all the
Regiments in Ireland for the purpose of sending them to America
—Warrants for fitting out the Companies—Particulars of the
Companies sent from the Queen’s—Lord Toudoun's particulars of
the twenty-four Companies—Regiments serving in America—
Lieutenant-Colonel Molesworth superintended the shipment of the
twenty-four Companies—Expenses incurred by the Officers—The
failure of Campaign in America—Quarters of Regiments—Order for
recruiting the Regiment—The 3rd Battalion raised—Warrant for
sums to be allowed for the Drafts sent to America—Regiment
reviewed at Cork—Recruiting troubles in Worcester—Support of
Pitt in England–Opposition in Ireland—State of affairs in America
—Difficulties of procuring Recruits of the proper standard- State of
Regiment—Chaplain–Quarters of Regiment—Expedition to West
xiv
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Indies—Capture of Guadaloupe—General Wolfe sent to Canada–
Particulars of his Campaign there—Taking of Quebec—Wolfe's
tactics—Capture of Quebec and Wolfe's death—Drafts ordered to
America—Total armed strength of England—Movements of the
Regiment—Reviewed at Dublin by Lord Rothes—Quarters of the
Regiment ..., • s Q & 9 • * * it tº e tº $ tº tº º
84
CHAPTER WI.
REGIMENT REMAINS IN TRELAND–REVIEW OF PolſTICAL EVENTS.
1760.
The French Commodore, Thurot, lands at Carrickfergus, but re-embarks
his Troops—Is attacked at Sea by Captain Elliot and defeated—
Capture of Montreal—English Regiments under Prince Ferdinand
—Quarters of the Regiment—Encamps with other Regiments at
Rinsale–French Prisoners of War—Strength of Regiment—Death
of the King—Appointment of Colonel Sir Charles Montague to
command the Regiment—General Fowke reinstated in the Army—
Station of Regiment—Regiment removed to Waterford–New Colours
presented there—Recruiting Orders—State of Regiment—Fall of
the Pitt Ministry—Officers ordered to rejoin the Regiment—Regi-
ments ordered to be recruited to full strength—Two Six-pounder
Guns sent to each Irish Foot Regiment—Officers in Parliament to
get special leave—General Montague and the Rioters–Regiment
removed to Dublin, Enniskillen, and Belturbet—Conquest of the
Carribean Islands—Havanna captured—Value of Booty captured at
Havanna–Overtures for Peace made by the new English Minister,
Lord Bute—Particulars of Peace Proposals—France cedes Canada,
Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton—England restores to France Guada-
loupe, Martinique, and St. Lucia—Peace of Fontainbleau signed at
Taris–Reduction of Standing Army–National Debt—Pitt's in-
fluence—Vote of Thanks to the Army—Troops embarked at Holland
for Home—Reduction of Regiments in Ireland (including the
Queen’s)—Allowances to discharged Men—Reduced Establishment
of Regiment—Ordered to America—Order cancelled—Detachments
ordered to assist the Civil Powers—Regiment changes Quarters—
American Reliefs—Drafts from the Regiment—Regiment reduced
by one Company—Sent to Dublin—Sent to Wexford–Drogheda
CHAPTER VII.
BERMUDA ComPANY.
1701 to 1764.
Particulars of the Islands—Brigadier Selwyn ordered to embark the
Company for the Bermudas—Captain Sands to command the
Company—The Company embarks in Ship Lincoln, 17th February
1701—Arrives 28th April–Landing of the Governor Bennett—
Directed to instruct the Militia of the Islands—Account of the Drill
and Discipline of the Militia and Negroes—Unpopularity of Soldiers
in Bermudas—Difficulty of Subsistence Pay—Dispute between Mr.
... 113
CONTENTS.
XV
PAGE
Larkin, Admiralty Judge in Bermudas, and the Governor—Governor
made Captain, on the death of Sands in 1704–Complaint against
Lieutenant Henley—Discharged from confinement and sent to
Virginia—Henley and his Family drowned on the Passage—
Complaints against the Lieutenant-Governor and Captain—Governor
made Colonel—Soldiers conspire to seize a Ship and commence
Piracy—Trial and Condemnation of the Pirates—Proposal to double
the strength of the Company from fifty to 100 men—Raising of a
Troop of Horse Grenadiers—New Governor Pulleyn—Does not
consider it necessary to augment the Company—Lieutenant-Governor
Benjamin Bennet, made Governor, vice Pulleyn, dead—New
Governor advises the Company strength being increased up to 100
Men, in consequence of the practice of Piracy in the Island—
Governor Bennett retires–John Hope appointed—Reports on the
Defences of the Islands—Strength of Militia—Clothing of Troops—
Government, in 1723, direct full information of the state of Bermudas
to be sent home—John Pitt appointed Governor, vice John Hope—
Request for a Ship of War to be stationed at Bermudas—Good
Report of the Company—Company removed to Providence in the
Bahamas–Opposition against the removal of the Company—Arrival
at New Providence on 17th February 1730–Trouble in the Bermudas
in consequence of the absence of the Company—The Governor and
Inhabitants pray the King that it may be sent back—The Bahamas'
Governor petitions that it may not be sent back—The King orders
the Company to return to Bermudas—Report on the Military
Strength of the Islands—State of the Arms of the Company in 1737–
George Alured Popple appointed Governor vice Pitt–New Governor
advises Company strength to be 100 instead of fifty—Petitions for
New Arms—Attempted Capture of the Islands–Correspondence on
New Arms for the Company—Governor George Alured Popple
retires, and is succeeded by his brother, William Popple—House
hired to barrack the Company—Disturbances in St. George's—
Attempt to blow up Ships—Officers and Men of the Company ordered
to be ready for Service—Rioting—The Company ordered to be in-
creased to 200 Men for manning the Forts, and assisting the
Government in collecting Duties—Complaints against the Governor
—The Ensign of the Company also its Doctor–Differences with the
Governor settled—Another attempt to get the strength of the
Company increased—Great difficulty in recruiting—Ensign Clark
becomes insane—Is sent home—Last consignment of Clothing to
the Company—The Company disbanded
CHAPTER VIII.
SERVICE IN ISLE of MAN AND IN GIBRALTAR.
1765.
Recruits ordered to be raised by Beat of Drum—Regiment ordered to the
Isle of Man—Drafts from other Regiments to the Queen's—Regiment
Ordered to embark at Dublin for the Isle of Man—Marched from
Waterford to Dublin—Wood appointed Governor and Captain-
General of the Isle of Man—History of the Island–Its Statutes—
. 122
xvi
CONTENTS
IPAGE
The Regiment embarked at Dublin—List of Ships with number of
Troops on board—Arrival of Transports at Isle of Man—The Troops
encamp near Castle Town—Scarcity of Provisions—Formal Cere-
mony of taking over the Island—The Governor visits the Camp—
Scarcity of Forage—Establishment of the Regiment—Off-reckonings
—General Harvey inspects the Troops—Winter Quarters—General
IFowkes' Widow granted Pension of 200l. per Annum—Prices of
Commissions—Disagreement with the Governor—Major Penning-
ton's Dispute with the Governor——Guards against Smuggling—
General Harvey's Report on the Isle of Man Garrison—Lord
Barrington's proposition to reduce the Strength of Garrison—
Subsistence and Allowances to the Troops—Dragoons ordered to
return to Ireland—Drafts from Queen's ordered to Scotland—Order
countermanded—Major Alexander’s Claim—Strength of Regiment
and Cost——Off-reckonings—Review of the Disputes between the
Military and the Governor—Death of the Duke of York—Regi-
ment ordered to Gibraltar—To be relieved from Duty in Isle of
Man by Companies from Ireland—Strength, Pay, and Off-
reckonings—Notice that Officers' Commissions were for the future
to be in London Gazette—Order that the Number of Regiment
was to appear on the Regimental Buttons—Embarkation Orders
received—Regiment relieved by four Companies of 48th Foot—
Departure from the Island—Regiment arrives at Gibraltar—Orders
of General Montague for Discipline on board Transport—Clothing
Regulations—Regiments to continue on Irish Establishment—
Colour of Facings changed to Blue—-Patterms of Lace to be sent in
to War Office—Cost of Regiment and Off-reckonings—Particulars
of Clothing and Accoutrements of the Regiment
CHAPTER VIII.
GIBRALTAR.—REGIMENT RETURNS TO ENGLAND––CoMMENCEMENT OF
AMERICAN WAR.
1769,
Sergeants of Marching Regiments to have Fusils—Annual Allowance of
Powder—Strength of Regiment——Additional Officers sent on Re-
cruiting Duty—Warrant for augmenting the Regiment—Governor
Boyd reviews the Garrison—Off-reckonings—Complaint of Officers
being absent on Leave—Regiment reviewed by Lord Cornwallis—
Ordered to be augmented by a Light Company—New Establishment
—Contingent Men—Arms and Accoutrements for the Light Com-
pany—Cost of Regiment—Chelsea Hospital not to receive Soldiers
of less than Twenty-one Years’ Service—Strength of Regiment—
Off-reckonings—Regulations about Rank of Majors and Captain-
Lieutenants—New Colours issued—Establishment of Regiment—
Prices of Commissions——Court-martial on Lieutenants Raitt and
Campbell—New Pattern Hats issued——Strength of Regiment and
Cost of Subsistence—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—Order
with reference to Battalions on Irish Establishment being sent on
Foreign Service—Regulation as to Property of deceased Soldier—
Strength, Cost, and Subsistence of Regiment—Off-reckonings—
CONTENTS. xvii
--- - - - - - ------- - - - - -
- PAGE
Reported intended Assault on Gibraltar—Preparations to resist—
Regiment ordered Home—Arrangements for Transport–Regiment
changed from Irish to English Establishment—Order for Regiment
to be completed as soon as possible—Augmentation of Regiment—
Estimate for Augmentation—Strength and Cost of Regiment –
Arrival at Portsmouth —Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald's Orders—Seven
Companies landed and marched to Alton and Farnham—Off-
reckonings—Number of Effectives—Commencement of the American
War—Tax on Indian Teas—Revocation of the Royal Charters to
Massachusetts — Virginia, Boston, and Massachusetts coalesce
against the Mother Country—Lord Chatham endeavours to per-
suade Parliament to heal the Breach—Commencement of Hostilities
—Arrival of the remaining three Companies of the Queen's at
l'ortsmouth—Misconduct of Ensign Newport—Pardon offered to
Deserters—Regiment marches to London—Reviewed by the King–
Removed to Tynemouth and Newcastle–Bad state of the Arms of
the Regiment—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—Detachment
ordered to Sunderland—Officers of the Regiment request permission
to proceed to America to take part in the War—Regiment inspected
at Newcastle—New Agent appointed–Establishment and Pay—
Regiment again augmented—Death of Sir Charles Mordaunt and
Appointment of Colonel Daniel Jones to command—Large Towns
offer to raise Regiments at their own Expense——Lord Seaforth and
Regimental Badges--Regiment ordered to North Britain—Review of
State of Affairs in America—Over Regulation Prices for Commis-
sions—-Regulations for Camp—Officers' Rations—-Camp Necessaries
—Hospitals—Recruiting in Ireland—Regiment ordered to march to
Coxheath and encamp there—Quartered at Greenwich and Deptford—
Regiment again augmented–Establishment—Route of Regiment on
the march—Quarters of Regiment——Detachments sent from Hastings
to escort French Prisoners to Deal—All absent Officers ordered to
join their Regiments—Recruiting——Regiment ordered to march from
Hastings to Brentwood—Ensign Hovenden returns from America
and joins the Regiment—Food Allowances—Regiment reviewed at
Warley Common-Regiment removed to Woodford, Lower Leyton,
and adjacents—Some Companies changed to Waltham and Waltham
Abbey—Strength and Cost of Regiment—Defence of Gibraltar—
Dissensions in Parliament—Religious animosity—Spain joins France
in Alliance against England tº O ſº © tº º º º G * * * ... . ... 159
CHAPTER X,
GORDON R10Ts.-REGIMENT SERVES AS MARINEs —ARRIVAI, AT GIBRALTAR.
1780.
Detachment sent from Winchester to escort 1,000 Spanish Prisoners
from Portsmouth to Shrewsbury—Regiment ordered to Chelmsford
—Encamped at Tiptray Heath—Regiment sent to London to assist
in quelling the Gordon Riots—Encamp in Hyde Park—Orders about
Divine Service in Camp—List of Arms broken and lost in London
during the Riots—New Colours presented to Regiment in Hyde
Park—Camp breaks up, and Regiment sent to encamp on Finchley
xviii
CONTENTS.
PAGE
Common—Regiment removed to Buckinghamshire—Lieutenant
Fenwick raises an independent Company—Strength of the Army—
Rates of levy Money for Recruits—Regiment reduced by one
Company—Camp Equipage ordered for the Regiment—Order as to
levy Money—Regiment removed from Buckinghamshire to St.
Albans—Fincampment on Warley Common—Reviewed at Warley by
Lieutenant-General Parker—Camp breaks up, and Regiment returns
to St. Albans—Ordered to march and be quartered at Hilsea
|Barracks, Portsmouth—Holland joins the Federation of the
European Powers against England–Declaration of War against
Holland—Threatened Invasion by France and Spain—Admiral
Digby ordered to watch the united Fleets of France and Spain—
The Hostile Fleets depart—Strength of British Army—Company
of the Regiment serves as Marines on board the Ship Fortitude—
Drafts from the Regiment sent to other Ships to serve as Marines–
Description of the Detachments—The Bellona, with Detachment of
Queen's on board, goes with the Fleet under Lord Howe to relieve
Gibraltar—Review of Political Events——Intrigues about Gibraltar—
Particulars of the Siege——Arrival of Lord Howe's Fleet—Relief of
the Garrison—The Allied Hostile Fleets endeavour to cut off the
English Rear-guard, but fail—Regiment moved about considerably
——Desertions—Strength of the Army—More Detachments sent on
board the Fleet—Landing of the Detachments at Portsmouth—
Regiment much reduced by the detachments sent to the Fleet—
Particulars about Deserters—Regiment ordered to do duty at
Hampton Court–Regiment reduced to six Battalion Companies,
one Light, and one Grenadier Company—Establishment and Pay—
King decides to send the Regiment to Gibraltar—List of the Trans-
ports and the Companies embarked—List of Regiments sent to
Gibraltar——Raising of Siege of Gibraltar—Preliminaries of Peace—
Tºublication of the intention of the Government to declare the
American Colonies free—Popular Excitement—Preliminaries of
Peace signed at Versailles—Particulars of the Peace—First Meeting
of the American Ambassador and the King—Arrival of the Regiment
at Gibraltar—New Orders for Musters—Alterations in the
Accoutrements
CHAIPTER XI.
REGIMENT REMAINS AT GIBRALTAR.
1784.
Sale of Officers’ Commissions——The 60th Regiment to be allowed to
accept Foreign Recruits—Contingent Men disallowed—Regiment
reviewed at Gibraltar by General Sir George Augustus Elliot–
Strength of Regiment—Charge for Victualling—Cost of Regiment
—New Light Infantry Cap adopted—Alteration in the Gaiters—
Officers on leave ordered to join the Regiment—No Leave to be
given for a longer Period than Six Months—Rate of Field Allowance
—Deserters—Colonel Hamilton's charge for “Overslaugh”—Regi-
ment reduced——Strength of Regiment—Ciaims of Surgeons for
attendance on Detachment of the Queen's on board H.M.S. Atlas—
. 183
CONTENTS. xix
PAGE
Particulars of Pay and Allowances of Regiment—Quota of Regiment
reduced—Singular conduct of Lieutenant Greene—Regiment again
inspected by General Sir George Augustus Elliot—General com-
plains of the High Collars of the Officers—Regulations as to
Exchanges and Retirements —Officers ordered to lay aside the
Espontoon, and in all cases to use the Sword—Regulations as to
Officers newly appointed—Quota and Strength of Regiment—Colonel
Hamilton’s renewed Leave—Establishment—Two new Companies
to be raised—Allowance for Recruiting—Regiment reduced by One
Company—Quota reduced—Establishment and Pay—Regulations
as to Age of Ensigns —Recruits raised in England to be sent to
Chatham Barracks—Difficulties in Recruiting—Regiment again
inspected by General Sir George Augustus Elliot—Reported in
perfect order and fit for any Service—-New Pattern Hat ordered—
Complaint about Officers’ Leave—Correspondence on Arrears of Pay
—Number of Commissioned Officers in the Infantry—Cost of
Clothing—Order that the Children of Non-commissioned Officers
were not to be placed on the Muster Rolls—Regiment reviewed by
General O’Hara—Strength of the Regiment—Captain Ruston
allowed to retire—Establishment—Cost of Regiment—Complaint of
the quality of Recruits—Regiment inspected by General O'Hara—
Colours and Accoutrements reported unfit for Service—Particulars
of Cost of Regiment—H.R.H. Prince Edward (afterwards Duke of
kent) appointed to command 7th Fusiliers ... tº is e - tº 3 ... 200
CHAPTER, XII.
|His Roy AL HIGIINESS THE DUKE OF KENT COMMANDS THE REGIMENT—-
|REGIMENT RETURNS HOME–REVIEW OF POLITICAL EVENTS.
1790.
His Royal Highness Prince Edward (Duke of Kent) posted to temporary
command of the Regiment — Attestation of Recruits — Regiment
augmented—To be allowed to recruit in Ireland—Regiment reduced
—Regiment inspected by General O'Hara—Embarkation of Re-
cruits for Gibraltar—Field Officers to wear Epaulets—Reliefs—
Clothing—Strength—Progress of Affairs in France—Talleyrand
visits London—Popular Opinion on Affairs in France—Recall of
the French and English Ambassadors—Death of the French King
—War voted by the National Assembly of France against the
Empire of Austria—Dumouriez advances into the Low Countries—
The Duke of Brunswick’s Declaration—Prussians at Longwy and
Verdun—Massacre of 2nd September—Prussian Advance stopped
by Dumouriez—Arrival of Kellerman—Battle of Longwy—Retreat
of Duke of Brunswick—Assurances given that King’s life should be
spared—Dumouriezenters Flanders—Victory of Jennappes—Dumou-
riez enters Antwerp—French Successes in Italy and Savoy—King
informs Parliament that the Army must be augmented—The Alien
Bill–French Ambassador regards Bill as a violation of Treaty—
English Ministers reply to his Protest—French Ambassador leaves
England—Republic declares War against England—Regiment re-
duced––Serjeant David Bruce appointed Town Major of Gibraltar
XX
CONTENTS.
PAGE
—-Regiment ordered Home——Arrival at Plymouth--Sent on to
Portsmouth—Quartered at Hilsea Barracks—Reviewed by General
George Ainslie—Strength—Regiment encamped at Bagshot—Field
Equipage---Duke of Richmond in command of Camp—Sham Fights
—King reviews the Troops-—Regiment augmented—Arrangements
for Recruiting—King orders Augmentation to be taken in hand
without delay—Description of Uniform—Three independent Com-
panies raised by Officers of the Queen's——Establishment and Cost
of Regiment--Strength of National Forces—Regiment augmented
—Recruiting—Clothing and Accoutrements—Regiment ordered to
Hythe, Sandgate, and Folkestone–French Prisoners—Regiment at
Dover—Two Independent Companies inspected——Ordered to be in-
corporated into the Regiment—Detachment sent on board the
Brilliante at Folkestone to serve as Marines—Lord Dalhousie
ordered to report the Number of Men in Regiment fit to serve as
Marines—Return of Men serving in Charlotte, Royal George, Boyne,
Majestic, and Russell—Remnant of Regiment sent to Hilsea Barracks
—Rewards for Recruiting—New Establishment of the Regiment—
10l. given for a Recruit—Alteration in the Cocked Hat—Detach-
ment under Captain the Honourable James Ramsay leaves for
West Indies to take part in Expedition under Sir John Jervis and
Sir Charles Grey
CHAPTER XIII.
SERVICES OF THE DETACIIMENT IN THE WEST INDIES-
ACCOUNT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
1794.
Fleet arrives at Barbadoes—Sails for Martinique—First Division, under
General Dundas, lands at La Trinité Martinique–Second Division,
under Sir Charles Gordon, lands at Caisse de Navire, Martinique—
Third Division, under Lieutenant-General Prescott, lands near Trois
Rivières, Martinique—Commander-in-Chief with Third Division—
Queen's Detachment with First Division—Advance and Capture of
Morne le Brun and Trinité Fort—General Bellegrade evacuates Fort
Bellegrade—Capture of Fort Matilde—Colan and Fort Lemaître
occupied—Operations of the Third Division—Mount Mathurin domi-
nating Pigeon Island occupied—Pigeon Island surrenders—Opera-
tions of the Second Division under Sir C. Gordon—Capture of the
Four Batteries at Caisse de Navire–Port Royal free to the Fleet—
Advance against the Town of St. Pierre—Colonel Campbell advances
with 65th and the Queen's T)etachment to Montigne—Gallant advance
of the Queen's Detachment on the Heights above Montigne–Capture
of Montigne—Fight at Morne Rouge—Capture of St. Pierre—Opera-
tions against Fort Royal—Gallant Attack of General Bellegrade
upon the English—Capture of La Serrière—General Bellegrade and
his Men Prisoners—Joint Attack by Fleet and Troops upon Port
Royal and Fort Bourbon–Capitulation of the Town and Fort of
Port Royal—Prince Edward enters Town at Head of the Troops
—Heavy Losses of the Enemy—Expedition against the Island of St.
Lucia—Capture of Morne Fortunna—Prince Edward goes with the
. 212
CONTENTS. xxi
PAGE
Expedition to St. Lucia—Conquest of the Island—Expedition returns
to Martinique—Expedition to Guadaloupe—Troops land at Gosier
Bay—Capture of Fort Fleur d’Espée—Capture of Batteries covering
Morne Magdalen–French Commander capitulates—Prince Edward
occupies Fort St. Charles—English take possession of the Island—
Capture of Dominique—Feeling in England—Critical situation of
the English in West Indies—Sir Charles Grey relieved by Sir John
Vaughan—Report of new Commander-in-Chief on state of Affairs—
Treatment of the Prisoners taken at Guadaloupe—The Services of
Troops as Marines in the Fleet—Number of Men still left in the
Queen’s for Marine Service—French Prisoners in England––Plan
proposed for raising Money for Recruits by Promotion and by Sale
of Commissions—600 Men to be raised in the Regiment for Foreign
Service–Regiment to be increased to Twelve Companies and the
Companies augmented—500 Men for Queen's and 45th arrive at
Portsmouth—Inspection by Sir Hugh Dalrymple—Further Augmen-
tation—Arms supplied... gº º ſº tº a tº tº g tº e & 9 ... 227
CHAPTER XIV.
THE GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE.
1794.
Strength of French and English Navy—The Toulon Surrender—The
English besieged in Toulon—They evacuate the Town after destroy-
ing the Stores—Preparations at Brest—Bitter feeling of the French
—Departure of the English Fleet under Lord Howe from St. Helens—
Intelligence of the departure of the French Fleet from Brest—Lord
Howe captures the Lisbon Convoy—The French and English Fleets
come in sight of each other—Description of English Fleet, Arma-
ment and Number of Marines on each Ship—Lord Howe signals to
prepare for Battle—The Bellerophon engages the Revolutionnaire
—Marlborough, Thunderer, Leviathan and Audacious engaged—
Revolutionnaire draws away—Renewal of the Fight on the 29th—
Signal to engage—Queen Charlotte drives through French Line—
The Fleets manoeuvre–Losses on the 29th–French claim a Victory
—The French Fleet on the 20th seem on the Starboard tack—Fog
prevents Action on 31st—The Fleets manoeuvre for Position—The
Position of the Two Fleets on the morning of the 1st June—Com-
mencement of the Action–French open fire ou the English Wan—
The Queen Charlotte engages the French Admiral's Ship the Mon-
tagne–Montagne sheers off much damaged, followed by other
disabled Ships of the Enemy's Fleet—Barfleur, Thunderer, and
others go to assistance of the Queen—The French Admiral succeeds
in securing some of his disabled Ships—Ships captured by the
British–Ilosses on board the French and English Fleets—Details
of the Fighting of Ships with the “Queen’s” on board—Queen
Charlotte engaging is fired on by the Wengeur and Achille—Engages
the Montagne—The French Ship draws away terribly shattered—
The Queen Charlotte attacked by the Juste and Republicaine—The
latter disabled by the Gibraltar—Signal sent up for a general Chase
—Lieutenant Neville killed on board Queen Charlotte—Russell
xxii
CONTENTS.
engaged with the Temeraire, goes to the assistance of the Leviathan
engaged with the America—Russell captures the America—After-
wards the Impetueux—The Defence first through the French Line
—Engages the Mucius and Tourville—Defence disabled and towed
out of Action—Royal George and the Glory engage the Sans Pareil
and Republicaine–Report of Jean Bon St. Andre, the French second
in command of the Fight–Lord Howe's Report—The victorious
Fleet returns Home—Rewards to the Fleet—King visits Fleet and
presents Sword to Lord Howe–Rewards to other Officers—The
Detachments of the Queen's remain on the Fleet under Lord Hood
—Fleet endeavour to meet the Brest Fleet
CHAPTER, XV.
PAGE
, 240
ForMATION of 2N1) BATTALION.—1ST BATTALION SENT TO WEST INDIEs—Accounts
OF ACTIONS THERE–2ND BATTALION SENT TO WEST INDIES.
- - 1794.
Eormation of 2nd Battalion—Detachment landed from Fleet—King's
Letter about 2nd Battalion—Recruiting Difficulties—Old and New
Quota of Regiment—Letter of Adjutant-General about 2nd Battalion
—Cannon's Account of Formation of 2nd Battalion wrong—
Embarkation of the 1st Baujalion for West Indies—Strength on Em-
barkation—Lord Dalhousie complains of his best Sergeants being
taken from him—Intended despatch of a Detachment of the Queen's
with the Duke of York’s Column—Two Companies left in the Fleet
in Ships Russell and Venerable—English Ministry disturbed at the
progress of events on the Continent—Vigorous Campaign of the
French—They enter Amsterdam–English in West Indies—Victor
Hugues' Operations—Proclamation of the National Convention of
France freeing West Indian Slaves-Landing of the French at
Guadaloupe—Victor Hugues gains his first Victory--Carries Pointe
a Petre by storm—Drives the English from Grande Terre–Sir
Charles Grey's account of the state of Affairs—Sir John Jervis and
the Fleet return to Guadaloupe—They arrive too late-Capture of
Guadaloupe and Capitulation of the English—Cruelty of the Con-
queror—List of Camp Necessaries sent with Regiment to West
Indies—Strength of the National Forces—Draft of Men to complete
2nd Battalion—General Cayler's instructions—King's Letter and
Warrant to form a 2nd Battalion—Establishment of the two Bat-
talions—Establishment and cost of the two Battalions—Captain the
Honourable James Ramsay and the Detachment from the West Indies
arrive home-Order for Clothing for West Indies—Queen's Battalion
at home to go to Guernsey—Strength of Battalion—Specification of
Clothing—New Establishment of Regiment—Hair Powder discon-
tinued—Detachment of Regiment landed from the Fleet sent to
Guernsey—Detail of Officers—Monthly returns of Regiment at Guern-
sey—Parade of Troops at Guernsey–Fleet with the Queen's and other
Regiments delayed by contrary Winds—Breaking out of Fever—
Great Mortality in the Fleet—Fleet sets sail—Arrives at Barbadoes—
Queen's disembark at Martinique—The New Commander-in-Chief
advises formation of Regiments of Blacks—Affairs in Grenada—
Death of Brigadier Lindsay—Defeat of the Grenada Detachment—
Lieutenant-Colonel Seaton defeats the Enemy—Affairs in St. Lucia—
CONTENTS. xxiii
PAGE
General Stewart driven into Vieux Fort—Captain Hill, with a Detach-
ment of the 46th, defeated—lieutenant-Colonel Seaton recaptures the
|Position—General Stewart evacuates the Island of St. Lucia—Suc-
cess at Dominique—The Regiment very short of Officers—Sir John
Vaughan urges Reinforcements to be at once sent out—Minister re-
plies that 4,000 men are being sent—Death of Sir John Waughan—
Appointment of Sir Ralph Abercrombie—The Lieutenant-Governor of
Guernsey ordered to get the 2nd Battalion and 92nd Regiment ready
for Foreign Service—Field Day and Review of all the Troops at
Guernsey—Favourable Report of the Regiment—Detail of Strength
of Regiment—The 2nd Battalion embarks at Guernsey—Embarka-
tion Returns—Regiment arrives at Portsmouth—Reported upon
very favourably by General Cuyler—The King orders the 2nd
Battalion to West Indies, and to be incorporated with the other
Battalion and made into One --Establishment of the new single
Battalion—General Quota for Regiments going on Foreign Service... 254
CHAPTER XVI.
CAMPAIGN IN WEST INDIEs—THE MAROONs.
1795.
Strength of the Troops in the West Indies at the Death of Sir John
Vaughan—Great Sickness and Mortality—State of the Queen's—
Great Losses by Sickness—Return of Troops to be sent out with the
new Commander-in-Chief, Sir Ralph Abercrombie—Ships appointed
to carry the Queen's—Fleet caught by a terrible Storm—One of the
Transports, containing the two Flank Companies, lost—Survivors of
the Wreck collected at Plymouth–Great Losses on the Fleet—-
Orders of the Government to replace them—Sir Ralph ordered to
proceed with the Remnant of the Fleet—Soune particulars of the
Losses—Lieutenant-Colonel Harris with part of the Regiment
arrrives at West Indies–Activity of Victor Hugues—Lands a party
at Vauclin—Attempts to surprise a party of the Queen's at Narin–
T'arty reinforced—Lord Dalhousie attacks the French—Advances in
three small columns—Gallant Fight—Lord Dalhousie wounded—
Capture of Vauclin—Pursuit of the Enemy—Capture of the Colours
— Killed and wounded — Portable Telegraph — Payment of the
Troops in “Joes'' – Care of Sir Ralph Abercrombie for the
Conduct of the Campaign—Particulars of Preparation of Troops
for the Expedition—Complaint of the Ships carrying Trade Goods
to the Discomfort and Delay of the Expedition—Strength of the
Army in England and Ireland–Particulars of Jamaica and the
Maroons—Negroes sign the Articles of Pacification—Trelawney
Town Maroons break out-–Declare their intention to Wage war
against the White people—Earl of Balcarres, the Governor, keeps
back Troops to meet emergency–Maroons summoned to surrender—
Colonel Sandford falls into an Ambush, losing heavily, and is him-
self killed—Colonel Fitch, his Successor, wtih his Party, meets a
similar Fate—General Walpole cuts off the Water Supply to the
Nſaroon Camp—Inhuman Atrocities of the Maroons—Their terror
of Dogs—They sue for Peace—Deported to Nova Scotia—Arrive at
Halifax—Sword of Honour presented to the Earl of Balcarres—
Jamaica Assembly pass a Vote of Thanks for the Gallant Services of
the Regulars and Militia § º º tº e e & º & tº º ºs ... 276
xxiv. CONTENTS.
CHAPTER, XVII.
CAMPAIGN IN WEST INDIES-REMAINS OF REGIMENT RETURNs Homſ E–
MUTINY AT THE NORE.
1796.
PAGE
Successes of the French at St. Vincent—The Position in St. Vincent
and Grenada considered critical—Arrival of Sir Ralph Abercrombie
with Reinforcements—2,700 Troops sent to St. Vincent and Grenada
—Sir Ralph goes to St. Lucia—Island recaptured from the French
—The Commander-in-Chief and Admiral Christian start for St.
Vincent—Capture of St. Vincent—Strength of General Hugues at
Guadaloupe—Sir Ralph Abercrombie considers the French position
too strong to attack—The Commander-in-Chief goes Home after
capture of Grenada–Portion of 2nd Battalion that had arrived out
incorporated into the 1st Battalion—The Regiment removed to
Island of St. Kitts or St. Christopher in consequence of a Petition of
the Inhabitants—Black Regiment raised called the 2nd or Queen’s
Black Rangers—Report of Sir Ralph Abercrombie on the Strength
of the Troops in West Indies—Report of General Graham in tempo-
rary command during the absence of Abercrombie—Great Sickness
and Mortality of the Troops—Return of the State of the Queen's
Regiment—Officers and Men of the Regiment who arrived out
under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Harris—Drafts from 46th and
61st Regiments—Return of General Graham showing great Mortality
in the Troops—Clothing Alterations–Hats altered—Detachment of
Queen's on the Ship Venerable land at Portsmouth—They march to
Petersfield–Curious Letter on the Employment of Convicts in the
Army–New Regulations with respect to Chaplains–New Regula-
tions for the Medical Service in the Army—Sir Ralph Abercrombie
arrives at Martinique—The Capture of Trinidad—Details of the
Operations—The Queen's with other Troops quartered in the Island
of Trinidad—Nearly the whole of the serviceable Men of the Queen's
drafted into the 57th Regiment—Ten Men volunteer for promotion
into the Queen's Black Corps—Return of the remnant of the Regi-
ment to England–Monthly Return of the Regiment—Return of
Lord Dalhousie to England—He joins Headquarters of the new
Regiment—The Mutiny at the Note—Particulars of the Causes of
Dissatisfaction in the Fleet—The Seamen refuse to obey Orders— .
Seditious Publications disseminated amongst the Soldiery—Loyal
Declaration of Non-commissioned Officers and Men of the Queen’s-
Particulars of Formation of new Regiment –Orders to recruit up to
full strength—Regiment ordered to march to Tiverton–Reduction
of Quota of Regiment—Ordered to be encamped—Regiment ordered
to Truro in consequence of Report of intended landing of the French
on the Cornish Coast—Headquarters of the Regiment at Helston—
Detachment joins the Regiment at Falmouth from Hilsea Barracks
—Declaration of the Colonel and Staff Officers of the Regiment on
the Formation of new Battalion—Regiment marches from Cornwall
to Plymouth—Brigaded with 25th and 29th Regiments—Warrant
for increasing the Pay and Allowances of Officers and Privates—
Assistant Surgeon employed as Quartermaster—Officers of the two
recruiting Companies to be “en second *- Establishment of the
Regiment—Order for extra Lace to be put on the Coat tº tº º ... 289
CONTENT'S. XXV
-- T. "T"----- * *-*- :------_----------- . . . - - -
CHAPTER XVIII.
TITE IRISTI REBELLION,
1708.
* 1” AGE
Recruiting Parties at Bath, Devizes, and Marlborough—Regiment
quartered at Mill Bay Barracks—Moved to Barnstaple—New Arms
supplied to complete Regiment preparatory to departure for Ire-
land—Review of National Difficulties––Napoleon captures Malta
and occupies Egypt—Battle of the Nile–Effect of the Victory—The
Volunteer Army—Earl Moira on the state of Affairs in Ireland–
Duke of Leinster moves an Address in the House of Lords on the
state of Ireland—The Troops in Ireland reinforced—The united
Irishmen and the French Government—Review of the Irish Con-
spiracy——Plans of Conspirators overthrown by Naval Victories of
Lords St. Vincent and Duncan--Arrests at Margate—Capture and
Death of Lord Fitzgerald—Extensive seizure of Arms in Leinster
—Letter giving interesting details of the Irish Conspiracy—Sir
Ralph Abercrombie appointed Commander-in-Chief in Ireland—
His Orders—He condemns the Excesses of the Army—Resigns his
Command—General Lake appointed his Successor—Samuel Neilson
appointed Head of the Irish Conspiracy—He is captured—Dublin
saved from Testruction—Commencement of Operations by the
Conspirators--General Dundas defeats the Rebels at Killkullen–.
The Insurgents defeated at Kilthomas—They capture Enniscorthy
and arrive at Wexford–They issue a Proclamation—Main position
of Insurgents at Winegar Hill—Defeat of the Rebels at Ballycan-
new-–They defeat General Loftus and gain possession of the
North of Wexford–Defeat of the Rebels—The Rebel Leader Harvey
is defeated in his attack on Ross by General Johnson with great loss
—Father Murphy with the Northern Insurgents advances on Ark-
low—ſs there defeated by General Needham—The Rebel Force
driven back on Winegar Hill—General Lake decides to make a
general attack on the Rebel Stronghold—Disposition and Strength
of the Force—The attack on Winegar Hill—Defeat of the Rebels
with immense loss—Government resolve to send a strong Rein-
forcement to Ireland in consequence of news that large Supplies
were expected from France—List of the troops includes the Queen's
Regiment—Further supplies from Scotland—Commanders of the
Division and Brigades—Instructions to General Hunter — The
Queen's Regiment commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Eyre —
Letter of the Minister Dundas—Fleet with Troops arrive at Water-
ford—The Queen's Brigade ordered to Ross— Disembarkation
returns—Lord Dalhousie takes command of the Regiment—General
Moore advances on Wexford—Hunter's Brigade ordered to join
General Moore–Skirmish at Foulkes Hill—Fight at Goffs Bridge—
Capture of Wexford—Retreat of the Rebels—Troops enter Wexford
—Queen's and 29th Regiment left to garrison the Town—-
Father Murphy with his Force defeated and the Leader hanged—
Surrender of Fitzgerald and Byrne—General Welford and the Lord
Lieutenant—The French Directory send a Force to Ireland corn-
manded by General Humbert—Land at Killala Bay, County Sligo
VOL. III. C
xxvi CONTENTS.
PAGE
—The Lord-Lieutenant issues an Order offering pardon to Insur-
gents on laying down their Arms—Lord Castlereagh takes the Field
—Defeat of General Lake's Forces by General Humbert at Castlebar
—Lord Cornwallis at Athlone—Letter from John Croker—Gallantry
of Major Keir of the 6th Dragoon Guards—General Humbert
advances towards Sligo–Arrives at Ballynamuck—The English
prepare for a general attack on the French and Irish—Action at
Bally namuck—Defeat of Humbert, capture of all his French Troops,
and their Guns and Stores—Capture of the Ports at Ballina and
Rillala—Letter from General Humbert—The Queen's at Phillipstown
—Encamped at Cashell and at Tipperary—Landing of a French
Eorce at the Island of Rutland—The French re-embark on hearing
of the Capture of General Humbert–Another Expedition sails
from Brest for Ireland–Messengers from France to Ireland—The
French Fleet with the Troops on board defeated by Admiral Sir
John Borlase, near Loch Swilly—Wolfe Tone taken prisoner on
board the French Fleet—End of the Rebellion—Hunter’s Brigade
removed to Kilkenny—Quarters of the Queen’s Regiment—Taken
on to the Irish Establishment—Religious character of the Rebellion
—Protestant Leaders in the Rebellion—Warrant on Subsistence
and Arrears—Regulation Uniform for Surgeons in the Army—
Strength of National Forces—Strength of Irish Forces—The
Brigade ordered to Tullamore—Removed to Phillipstown—Back to
Kilkenny—Queen's moved to Cork and encamped at Monkstown—
Regiment ordered to return to England—Regiment put on English
Establishment—Lodging Allowance—Establishment of Regiment—
Dates of Regiments on Irish and English Establishments-—Irish
Militia sent to England—Pay of Subalterns increased—Strength of
the National Forces ... - - - e e e tº º ºs • * * ... 303
CHAPTER, XIX.
HELDER CAMPAIGN.
1799.
Regiment lands at Southampton from Ireland—Formed into a Brigade
under Major-General Sir Eyre Coote with 27th, 29th, 55th, and
85th Regiments preparatory to being sent to Holland–Camp at
Barham Downs—Regiment augmented by a Depôt Company—Cost
of Augmentation—The Government resolve to begin a Campaign in
Holland–Russia, asked to help, consents—Strength of Russian Con-
tingent—Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Duke of York appointed to
command—Prince of Orange's preparations—Vice-Admiral Sir
Edward Mitchell commands the Fleet—Sir Ralph Abercrombie's
instructions—Detail of the Forces—Consultations with the Ministers
—Strength of Troops to follow—Russian Troops—Queen’s Brigade
embark at Margate—Various Plans proposed for Expedition—Helder
Plan decided upon–Fleet arrive at the Texel–Plans for Disembark-
ation—Landing delayed by bad Weather—Reconnaissance by the
Fleet—The Dutch Fleet behind the Helder—Report of Reconnoi-
tring Party — Admiral Mitchell summons the Dutch Fleet to
surrender—They declare for the Prince of Orange, and surrender—
The Troops land—Coote's Brigade the first to land–Gallant advance
CONTENTS. xxvii
TAGE
up the Sand-hills — Lieutenant Swan of the Queen’s severely
wounded—The position carried, the Enemy falling back—Position
at the end of the day—Strength of Enemy opposing—The Enemy
retire, and the English occupy the position—Casualties in the first
day's Fighting—The losses of the Queen's—Warm approbation of
the King on the Conduct of the Troops—Advance of the English—
Position of the Dutch and French Forces—Difficulties of the Ad-
vance—Natives apathetic—General Abercrombie urges that Rein-
forcements be sent—Duke of York's Instructions—Disappointment
in England at the Dutch Troops not joining the English—The
French Army in Holland reinforced—The Enemy attack the
English on the 10th September—Severe Fighting—Generals Dan-
draels and Monceau attack right flank and centre—The French
advance on the left position of the English—Complete Defeat of
the Enemy—Encomiums on the Conduct of the Troops—The Prince
of Orange’s Dutch Troops sent to guard Texel Island—The Duke of
York leaves England, and arrives at the Helder—Landing of Re-
inforcements of Russians—The Duke urges further English Rein-
forcements—Description of the new Position taken up by the Enemy
—Difficulties of the Advance—Return of the Strength of the Troops
—Strength of the Queen's—The Russian contingent join the Head-
quarters of the English at Schager Brug—The Allies advance in
IFour Columns—Detail of the Strength of each Column and their
objective—Strength of the Enemy's Position—Sir Ralph Aber-
crombie captures Hoorn—Marches to Kolhorn and back to Schager
Brug—March of the Column under Sir James Pulteney–The opera-
tions of Coote's Brigade—March of the Queen's on Oude Caspell—
Major White, of the Queen's, with the Light Companies of the
Brigade, sent against a Wood covering the Battery--Obstinate Resist-
ance of the Enemy—General Don advances against the Village of
Oude Caspell–Gallant conduct of Colonel Spencer of the 40th Regi-
ment—General Pulteney determines to storm the Village—The
Entrenchments of the Village carried—The Light Companies of
Queen's and 29th capture the Battery—The Brigade advances and
bivouacs within a mile of Alkmaar—Operations of the Russian
Division—They are driven back and rallied by the English Troops
—Retire in good Order—Gallant Conduct of the Russians with
General Dundas’s Column at Krabbendam—The Allies fall back—
Exhaustion of the Troops—The Duke of York in his Despatches
praises highly the Operations of Pulteney Brigade-General Orders .
on Coote's Brigade—Failure of Operations due to falling back of
the Russians—Duke of York praises the Conduct of the Russians
in Dundas’s Column—King praises Conduct of the Troops—General
Abercrombie's Account of the Day's Fighting—The Allies capture
6) Officers and 3,000 Men with large supplies—Losses of the Enemy 327
CHAPTER, XX.
HELDER CAMPAIGN.—continued.
1799.
Arrival of the Third Contingent of the Russians—The Duke of York
orders Rewards to be paid for captured Cannon, &c.—Weekly state
G 2
xxviii CONTENTS.
IPAGE
of Army—Strength of Queen’s––Preparations for renewing the
Attack — Difficulties in consequence of the terrible state of the
Weather—The Allies advance in four Columns—Strength and
disposition of the Columns—The Queen's with the 3rd Column—-
Army to carry Ammunition and Provisions for three days—The
Bnemy's Position—The Troops advance at 6.30 a.m.—Coote's
Brigade with the advanced Guard of 1st Column—The Enemy
driven from the first Sand-hills—The Finemy driven from Schoorl
and Schoorldam—Turther Action on the Sand-hills—Tord Chat-
ham’s Brigade moves into the Sand-hills—The Sand-hills carried
—An Attempt by the Enemy to recapture the Hills fails—The
French attempt to turn the Position on the Right—This Attack
fails, and the Heights remained in the Possession of the English—
Gallant Advance of the 29th against a Sand-hill ridge—All the
Heights round Bergen occupied by the Allies—Sir Ralph Aber-
crombie's Marches along the Beach against the Enemy's Left–
His Advance delayed by the resistance on the Sand-hills—Meets
the French near Egmont op Zee—Strong Position of the French–
Desperate fighting—Sir James Pulteney's Advance on Oude Caspell
at end of the Day—The Enemy’s Position completely invested—
Quarters of the Queen's in a Palace near Alkmaar –Enemy retreat
in the Night, and General Abercrombie occupies Egmont op
Zee—Alkmaar occupied by the English—Retreat of the Enemy
to a new strong Position—Heavy Losses on both Sides—Duke of
York praises in high terms gallant Conduct of the Troops—The
Army obliged to wait for Supplies—Delay enables Enemy to
strengthen his Position— Reinforcements on the way to join the
Enemy—The Duke determines to attack the Position before
they arrive—Estimated Strength of the Enemy—The Allies advance
and soon become engaged—The Queen's suffer heavily—The Enemy
retire, leaving the Allies Masters of the Field–The Troops bivouac
on the Field—Terrible State of the Weather—The Enemy receive
Reinforcements—The Army retires — The Cavalry harass the
Retreat — Storms of Wind and Rain during the Retreat — The
Troops arrive at Schager Brug—Remarks of the Duke of York on
the Day's Operations—Losses on both Sides—Summary of Losses
in the Campaign---Council of War—Decide to abandon the Cam-
paign—The Duke of York sends Despatch to the Government giving
the Decision of the Council—The Allies secure their Position
from Attack—Government writes to Duke of York that they agree
with the decision of the Council—The Government orders the with-
drawal of the Troops from Holland—Disposition of the Troops—
The Duke of York makes Terms with the French Commander-
in-Chief—The Articles—King approves—Review of the Situation—
Major-General Coote expresses his Approbation of the Conduct of
the Regiment—March to the Helder and Embarkation of the Troops
—Continued bad weather—-Embarkation Returns of the Queen's—
Land at Yarmouth and quartered at Ashford–Prince William's
Brigade—His Orders—The Expense of the Expedition—Food for
the Troops—Loss and Damage to Arms in the Campaign—Review
of the Effects of the Campaign—Alteration of the Head Dress
of the Army—Order for Hair to be queued ... gº tº e tº tº ſº ... 352
CONTENTS. xxix
CHAPTER XXI.
COLOURS, BADGE, AND MOTTOES.
PAGE
Discussions on original Colours and Badge of the Regiment—Book of
Drawings of Colours in Windsor Castle—Warrant of King James re
original Colours—Payment for Colours—Description of them—
Cannon on adoption of three Colours—Each Regiment divided into
three Divisions—Theories on adoption of Queen’s Badge — Dr.
Toulmin’s account wrong — Sir Peter Lely's portrait of Queen
Catherine—Suggestion as to origin of the Badge of the Lamb—
Colours carried by Regiment in Irish Battles, 17th century—
Incident of Drummer at Investment of Charlemount — General
Donkin's account of third Colour, and its being ordered to be furled
in 1750–The Warrant of 1751 on the Colours—Facings of Regiment
—Third Colour and Facings of Regiment—Royal custom with third
Colour–Probable reason why the Regiment was allowed to continue
using third Colour—Petition to the King for the Regiment to be
again allowed to use third Colour approved—Presentation of new
third Colour by Lady Torrens—Again ordered to be discontinued—
Messrs. Webb & Co. make a aew third Colour—Richard Cannon
sends Sir Albert Woods particulars of Colours, Badge and distinc-
tions of Queen's Regiment — Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel the
Hon. J. A. Ramsay on Colours of Regiment—General Donkin's
recollections—Letter from General Sir Stanhope Jephson, Bart., on
third Colour— Letter from General Addison on same –Loss of
remains of old third Colour — Earliest drawings of Colours of
Regiment, particulars of — Addition of Harp and Crown –
Mottoes © º º e is ºt tº tº tº tº e º tº tº º tº tº dº ... 372
©-sº
E. R. R. A. T A.
V O L U M E | | I.
—£4–
p. 21, 1. 26. For “Riley" read “Ryley.”
p. 174, 1, 30. , “Mordaunt” read “Montague.”
p. 181, l. 39. ,, “Lieutenant-General ” read “Major-General.”
p. 202, l. 18. Before “Captain” insert “Lieutenant-Colonel and ”
p. 203, l. 29. For “ 1884 * read “ 1784.”
p. 213, l. 9. ,, “Woollicombe '’ read “Wollocombe.”
p. 216, l. 1. After “Jones” insert * and the note at bottom of page, “This officer was
succeeded in the command cf the “Queen’s” by Major-General
Stewart, 26th November 1793.”
p. 237, l. 22. Before “Major-General” insert * and also note at bottom of page,
“This officer succeeded General Jones in the command of the
* Queen’s ” on the 26th November 1793.”
p. 223, 1.40. Before “Charlotte” insert “Queen.”
p. 244, 1. 39. For “James’’ read “John.”
,, bottom line. For “Delnie” read “Delmé.”
p. 258, ll. 25, 27. For “Holliday ” read “Halliday.”
p. 272, l. 38. 3 y 35 35 35
p. 259, bottom line. For “Petre’ read “Pitre.”
p. 262, ll. 2, 7. For “Cayler” read “Cuyler.”
p. 264, l. 34. 99 53 5 * 95
p. 265, ll. 17, 23,31, 38. For “Cayler” read “Cuyler.”
p. 266, l. 9. For “Cayler” read “Cuyler.”
p. 262, 1.26. For “I’etrie” read “Peter.”
p. 267, ll. 25, 37, 38. For “Peters” read “Peter.”
p. 272, l. 18. For “Peters” read “Peter.”
p.266, l. 27. , “Kingsburg.” read “Kingsbury.”
& “sº- ? --------
PAPERS EXAMINED IN PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE,
FETTER LANE, LONDON.
FO R V O L U M ES II. A N D || |.
-—º--
ADMIRALTY.
Index to Fleets, 1693.
List Book, 1693.
3 * ,, Canada, 1711.
Log Book, “Lincoln,” 1701.
Log Books (various ships), 1731, August–December.
Muster Books (various ships), 1731.
Admiral Byng's fleet, 1742–1748.
“Boyne,” 1793–1794; “Russell,” 1793; “Venerable,”
1794–1797,
Muster Books, “Barfleur,” 1793–1795.
AUDIT OFFICE.
Comptrollers of Army Accounts, 1710–1799, Wols. 2–49.
Declared Accounts: Debentures, 1717–1724, Bundle 217, Nos. 727, 728.
Expeditions, 1711, Bundle 217, No. 730.
2 3 2 3 Transport Service, 1690–1704, Bundles 2305, 2306.
Enrolment Books, 1680–1799, Vols. 11–75.
Establishment Books, 1690, Vol. 12; 1703, Wols. 15, 17; 1705, Vol. 23;
1709–1710, Wols. 29–30; 1713, Vol. 33; 1714, Wols. 36, 37; 1714—1716,
Vol. 40; 1716, Wol. 43; 1718, Vol. 45; 1720, Vol. 48.
COLONIAL OFFICE LETTERS, PAPERS, &c.
Barbadoes, 1793–1799, Wols. 15, 16.
Gibraltar, 1730–1748, Wols. 6, 8, 10, 11; 1768–1775, Wols. 17–22; 1783–
1792, Wols. 31–37.
Leeward Island, 1793–1795, Wols. 30–32.
Malta, 1799, Vol. 1.
Martinique, 1797, Vol. 1.
Miscellaneous, 1794–1799, Wols. 154, 156, 157, 159, 191, 194.
St. Vincent, 1793–1797, Wols. 9–11.
Trinidad, 1797–1799, Vol. 1.
Windward and Leeward Islands, 1793–1798, Vols. 1–7.
COLONIAL OFFICE, AMERICA AND WEST INDIES, LETTERS,
PAPERS, &c.
Bahama Islands, 1730–1731, Vol. 57.
Bermudas, 1689–1751, Wols. 49–51, 477–479.
Canada Expedition, 1711, Vol. 58.
Expeditions, &c., 1755–1760, Wols. 82–85, 86–92.
Leeward Islands, &c., 1793, Vols. 554, 675.
Martinique, 1794, Vol. 555.
Military, West Indies, 1794, Vol. 447.
Rhode Island, 1730–1731, Wols. 5, 607.
St. Christophers, 1794, Vol. 609.
St. Kitts and Virgin Islands (George III), Vol. 682.
St. Vincent, 1794–1797, Vol. 619.
Trinidad, 1794–1797, Wol. 634.
2 3 2 3
5 3 3 3
3 3 5 *
xxxii
COLONIAL OFFICE, BOARD OF TRADE, LETTERS, PAPERS, &c.
Bahamas, 1730–1731, Wols. 2, 3. '
Barbadoes, Miscellaneous, 1783–1799, Vol. 40.
Bermuda, Original Papers, 1702–1766, Vols. 5–20.
5 3. Entry Books, 1700–1710, Wols. 30, 31.
9 3 Minutes of Council, 1757, Vol. 44.
COLONIAL OFFICE TRANSMISSIONS, LETTERS, PAPERS, &c.
Admiralty, 1794–1797, Vols, 115–119.
Commander-in-Chief, 1794–1797, Wols. 22, 23.
Foreign Department, 1793–1799, Vol. 3.
Guernsey, 1795–1799, Wols. 251–252.
Home Department, 1794–1798, Vols. 215–218.
Martinique, 1795–1797, Wols. 698–700.
Transport Office, 1794–1799, Wols. 83–85.
Transports, 1794–1799, Vol. 109.
Treasury, 1794–1797, Vols. 167–169.
War Office, 1794–1799, Wols. 72, 73.
Windward and Leeward Islands, Military Returns, 1792–1797, Wols. 352,
353.
J}OMESTIC STATE PAPERS, BOOKS, &c.
Admiralty, 1745–1748, Wols. 109, 114, 119 ; 1763, Vol. 150, Nos. 26, 27;
1798, Vol. 225.
Admiralty, Entry Book, 1766–1784, Vol. 13, page 28.
Channel Islands, Guernsey, 1797, Vol. 46.
2 3 2 3 5 3 Entry Book, 1797, Vol. 1.
Commander-in-Chief, Entry Book, 1766–1768, Vol. 1.
35 ,, (Letters and Papers), 1778–1799, Bundles 2, 3,
and 33.
Entry Books, Charles II., 74 Vols.
3 y 33 1686–1688, 1706–1728, Wols. 1–10; 1766–1775, Vol. 25,
page 193.
Ireland, 1685–1692, Wols. 367, 368; 1748–1769, Vols. 418–430, 435, 436.
3 3 Military, 1797–1799, Wols. 553, 559, 560, 571, 572.
2 3 93 Entry Books, 1768–1769, Vol. 1; 1798–1799, Vol. 14.
Isle of Man, 1765–1768, Wols. 1, 10.
Military, 1774–1793, Wols. 336, 337.
2 3 Entry Books, 1670–1799, 32 Vols.
Ordnance Entry Book, 1760–1763, Vol. 1.
Ordnance and War Office, Entry Books, 1776–1782, Vols. 1, 2.
Scotland, 1715, October–December, Vois. 9, 10; 1722–1727, Wols. 14–19.
* 3 (Letter Books), 1717–1725, Vols. 7–11.
Sealed Bag or “King William III.'s Chest,” 1670–1698, Bundles 1–18.
State Papers, 1685; 1689–1692; 1696; 1698–1701; 1708–1718, 44 Vols.;
1771, 1772, Vol. 8; 1773, Vol. 12; 1774, Vol. 14; 1782, Vol. 24.
Secretary of State's Letter Books, 1688–1714, 17 Wols.
5 3 5 * 2 3 2 3 Admiralty and Ordnance, 1702–1704.
5 2 35 5 5 2 3 Military, 1709–1711.
5 5 , , Entry Book, 1678.
3 9 ,, Under, Letter Books, 1714—1720, Wols. 76–78, 80,
81.
Signet Office, Irish Letter Books, 1747–1764, Wols. 20–22; 1769, Wol. 23;
1798–1799, Vol. 28. *
xxxiii
DOMESTIG STATE PAPERS, Books, &c.—continued.
Treasury, Entry Books, 1763–1775, Vol. 1, pp. 122, 124, 213.
Various, 1688–1710, 4 Vols.
3 3 Military, 1687, Vol. 100.
War Department Entry Book, 1795–1799.
War Office, 1716–1752, Vols. 1–15; 1763–1777, Vols. 23–26; 1776, Vol. 28;
1770, Vol. 30; 1778–1779, Vol. 33; 1780–1781, Vol. 36; 1782–1799,
Wols. 39–50.
FOREIGN OFFICE LETTERS, PAPERS, &c.
Flanders, 1689–1697, Wols. 127–129.
Bolland, 1702–1706, Wols. 331–337; 1799, Vol. 739.
Military Auxiliary Expeditions, 1695–1697; 1702; 1703, Vols. 1, 2.
Portugal, 1704–1708, Wols. 19, 20, 22–25.
Spain, 1704–1708, Wols. 131–136, 138.
Various, Commissioners for inspecting the Army abroad, 1708–1712,
Vol. 127.
Various, Secretary’s Letter Books, 1695; 1702–1709, Vols. 276–278.
3 3 Miscellaneous, William III., Wols. 36, 36a.
3 3 Drafts from and to the Earl of Galway, 1706–1710, Vol. 42.
TREASURY PAPERS, &c.
Establishment Books, 1700–1701, Wols. 1, 2 ; 1702, Vol. 5; 1705, Vols.
12, 13; 1706, Vol. 16; 1708, Vol. 17; 1713, Wols. 31, 33, 36; 1782,
Vol. 82.
Ireland, Miscellaneous Books, various dates, Vols. 1–8.
Irish Books, 1689–1693, Vol. 3; 1749–1764; 1769, Wols. 9–12; 1798–1799,
Vol. 15.
Military Miscellaneous, 1690–1703, various bundles.
Papers, 1702–1728.
Records, Lists of, various dates.
WAR OFFICE BOOKS, PAPERS, &c.
Account Letter Book, Miscellaneous, 1799, Vol. 2.
Agents Account Letter Book, 1799, Vol. 1.
America. Letter Books, 1794–1797, Vols. 699, 700.
9 3 North, Letter Book, 1760.
Clothing, Board of, General Officers of the, to inspect clothing, 1715–
1799, 13 Wols.
Commander-in-Chief Entry Book, 1794–1799.
Commissions, Army, 1728–1748.
3 3 Entry Book of Warrants for (to be given to officers as
vacancies shall arise), 1721–1725.
Commissions, Entry Books of Warrants for, 1719–1725.
Continental Letter Books, 1799.
Courts Martial Books, 1684–1799, 21 Wols.
Entry Books, 1794–1799.
Establishment Books, 1684–1692, Vols. 840–842; 1700–1740, Vol. 848;
1712–1719, Wols. 849–851; 1720–1799, 67 Wols.
Gibraltar, 1730–1734, No. 678; 1776, No. 679; 1788, No. 680.
Helder Correspondence, Secretary of State, 1799, Vols. 1–4.
Holland Expedition, Secretary of State, 1799, Wols. 1–4.
9 3 3 y 95 ,, Entry Book, 1799.
Intelligence Book, 1799.
35 Entry Book of, 1791–1799.
xxxiv.
WAR OFFICE Books, PAPERs, &c.—continued.
Inspection Returns to the Commander-in-Chief, Confidential, 1753–1799.
Ireland, 1757–1764; 1769–1775; 1798–1799.
,, Entry Books of (or King's Letter Books), 1749–1764, 1769,
1798–1799.
Ireland and North Britain, 1764–1765, 2 Wols.
93 5 9 Treasury, 1765.
Ireland and Treasury, 1769.
Irish Pay and Contingencies, 1689–1700, Nos. 771–774; 1703–1730,
INo. 775.
Journals, 1761–1799, Vols, 2–7.
Journals of General Correspondence, various dates, Wols. 1–7.
Letter Books, 1794–1799, Vol. 1.
y 3 ,, Common, 1689; 1690, Vol. 1; 1703–1799, 176 Vols.
Losses sustained on the Continent, 1793–1795, Vol. 1.
Losses, Entries of Warrants issued on, 1793–1799, Vol. 2.
Marching orders, 1685; 1697; 1700; 1702; 1710; 1776, &c.
Memorandum of removal of regiments, various dates.
Military correspondence, 1795–1797, Wols. 1, 2.
Minorca, 1775, &c., Vol. 1.
Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1757–1758, 2 Wols.
35 2 3 (arranged under Letters), 1757–1795, 119
Wols.
Miscellaneous Entry Books, 1794–1799.
Miscellany Books, 1698–1799, 29 Vols.
5 3 ,, Dutch, 1692–1695.
Monthly Returns, 1776–1799, 3 Bundles.
9 3 5 3 Gibraltar, 1789; 1791; 1792.
$ 2 $ 3 Leeward Islands, 1794–1797.
Orders to Deputy Commissioners, 1716–1747.
Orders and Letters, 1764–1767.
Pay and Contingencies, England, Warrants for, 1688–1700, Nos. 791–793.
Pay Lists, 1768–1797, 4 Vols.; 1768–1780, Bundle 2020; 1793, 1 Bundle;
1797–1799, Wols. 2022–2032.
Beport Books, 1685–1746, 3 Wols.
Scotland Entry Book, 1714—1725. Vols. 37, 38.
Secretaries of State Entry Books, 1794–1799, Wols. 1, 2.
2 3 5 3 3 * , Duke of York's Army, 1799.
Succession Books, Regimental, 1754–1788, Vols. 1–4.
West Indies, Secretary of State's Letter Book, 1793–1797, Nos. 688, 689.
PRINTED BOOKS EXAMINED IN PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE.
Journals of the House of Lords, 1684–1727, Vols. 9–20.
Journals of the House of Commons, 1796–1797, Wols. 50, 51.
London Gazettes, 1689.
Lists of Officers, 1740.
State Papers, Calendars to, Charles II.
Treasury Papers, Calendars to, 1702–1720.
LIST OF B00KS CONSULTED.”
—4-4--—
F OR VOLU M ES ||. A N D || |.
Archaeologia. Vol. 52. Part I. London, 1690. B. M., 2096 e., a to g.
Annual Registers, B. M. Periodical publications. London, 1714 to 1800.
B. M., 2086 a. to e.
Burke's Peerages, year 1839. B. M., 9917 g. 4. 8vo.
Burnet’s “Own Times,” B. M., 9525 c.c. Year 1725. 8vo.
Beaurain (Le Cheaverlier de). Histoire Militaire de Flandre. B. M., 187
f. i. 2. Fol. Paris, 1755.
Bain’s (Edward). History of the Wars of the French Revolution, also
comprehending the Civil History of Great Britain and France. B. M., 9.076
d. 13. Tondon, 1818.
Berwick (Duke of). Memoirs. B. M., 10,660., f. f. 8. 8vo. London,
1779. -
Boyer (Abel). History of Queen Anne. B. M., 609 m. 9. Fol. London,
1735.
Boyer (A.). Annals of Queen Anne. B. M., 9512 a. a. a. 8vo. London,
1703–13.
British Revenue Reports. British Museum, Journal Room.
British Museum. Harlean MSS., 7018.
British Military Library. B. M., 615 a. 36. London, 1840. 12mo.
British Museum. Additional MSS., 23,207.
British Museum. Official papers relating to the Army and Land Forces.
B. M., 22,616, 1698–1715.
Cox (W.). Life of Marlborough. (Bohm's Standard Library.) 3 vols and
atlas. B. M., 2504, 13. London, 1847–48.
Croker (Thomas Crofton). Narratives illustrative of the Contests in
Ireland, 1641–1690. Camden Society. B. M., Ac", 9480. London, 1841.
Collin's Peerage (Vol. II. in 2). B. M., 607 h. 3, 4. London, 1714. 8vo.
Coke (Roger). Delection of the Court and State of England, 3 vols.
London, 1719. B. M., 599 e. 21–23. 8vo.
Clarke (J. S.). Life of King James II. B. M., 2069 e. 4to. London,
1816.
Carleton (George), Capt. The Memoirs of an English Officer. B. M.,
g. 13,289. London, 1828. 8vo.
Calendar of Treasury Papers. Journal Room, B. M.
Cannon, R. Historical Records of the Carabineers, VI. D. G. B. M.,
8829 c. c. 13. London, 1888.
Cannon, R. Historical Records of the Queen's Regiment of Foot. B. M.,
8829 c. 30. Ilondon, 1838.
Cannon, R. Historical Records of the 4th Foot (King's Own). B. M.,
8829 c. c. London, 1839.
* Many of these books have been consulted in the Royal United Service Institute und other
libraries, but press marks in British Museum have been given so that nearly all the books may be
easily found there.
xxxvi
Cannon, R. Historical Records of the Seventh or Princess Royal's Regi-
ment of Dragoon Guards, from 1688 to 1839. B. M., 8829, 8vo. London,
1831. - -
Cannon, R. Historical Records of the 15th Yorkshire East Riding Regi
ment. B. M., 8829 c. c. London, 1848.
Cannon, R. Historical Records of the 39th Regiment. B. M., 8829.
London. 8vo. 1888.
Craik, George II., and Charles Macfarlane. Pictorial History of England.
B. M., 806, f. 4, 7. 4to. 1837. -
Campbell (Dr. John). Lives of the Admirals. Vol. IV. B. M., 599 e. 30.
London, 1750. 4 vols.
Dundas (Henry, 1st Viscount Melville). Facts relating to the Conduct of
the War in the West Indies. B. M., 9771, 6, 7. Tondon, 1796. 4to.
Duncan (Francis, Captain). History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.
. M., 8829, G. 28. London, 1872. 8vo.
D’Auvergne (Edward). Wars in Flanders. B. M., 291, G. 22 (1). 4to.
London, 1735.
“Derriana.” A collection of papers relating to the Siege of Derry. B. M.,
809, K. 29. Londonderry, 1794. 8vo.
Dartmouth MSS. Historical Manuscripts Commission, Catalogue Desk.
B. M., 1685–1687.
l)alrymple (Sir David). Memoirs and Letters relating to the History of
Great Britain. B. M., 599, G. 22. London, 1766. 8vo.
Dalrymple (Sir David). Memoirs and Appendix. B. M., 598, h. 9.
London, 1771-88. 4to.
Fountanshall (Sir J. Lauder). Historical Observer. B. M., A. c. 8248-67.
8vo. 1840. -
Fountanshall (Sir J. Lauder). Chronical Notes of Scottish Affairs. B. M.,
A. c. 8248–67. 8vo.
Fox (Right Hon. Charles James). History of King James II. B. M.,
2069 e. 4to. London, 1808.
Riverard (Major). History of the 29th Regiment. B. M., 8829, c. c. 1. 4to.
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ILLUSTRATIONS TO WOL.
————-Q-O-4----—— — .
His Roy AL HIGIINESS THE DUKE OF KENT, FATHER OF HER
Most GRACIOUs MAJESTY THE QUEEN
PRIVATE OF GRENADIERs (CARLISLE FIGURES), 1715 ...
PRIVATE, 1742 ...
COLOURS, 1747–1749
PRIVATE OF GRENADIER COMPANY, 1751
GRENADIER’s CAP, OFFICER, FRONT, 1757–1770
5 3 2 3 BACK, 1757–1770
BERMUDA ..., tº º & e tº º
PRIVATE OF GRENADIER COMPANY., 1768
WARLEY CAMP
ATTACK on PIGEON ISLAND, MARTINIQUE
Town AND BAY OF ST. PIERRE, MARTINIQUE...
SouTH-WEST VIEW OF ForT BOURBON AND LOUIS, MARTINIQUE
GUADALOUPE º
THE GLORIOUS FIRST of JUNE ...
MAP OF WEST INDIES
BREASTPLATES & a tº * * * tº tº a • * *
T’ACIFICATION WITH THE MAROONS tº a s
MAP OF TRELAND ...
MAP OF HOLLAND
TANDING OF THE TRoops AT THE HELDER, 1799
BLAN OF THE HELDER OPPERATIONS ... - - - e e e
— —6-e-4–––
III.
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To face 10
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H IS T O R. Y
O E T H E
SIET COINTID
QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT:
N O W T H E
Queen's #0)al Últst Surrey #egiment.
—2–sº-º-º-º--
C H A P T E R. I.
JACOBITE INTRIGUES AND INSURRECTIONS UP TO 1720.
1715.
CoNTENTS.–Nomination of the New Ministry by the King—Return asked for
of the Names of the Officers in the Regiment, with dates of their Commis-
sions—Four Companies sent from Berwick to Hull—The new Title of
the Regiment appears in the Gazette——Jacobite Intrigues of Lord
Bolingbroke—The Rebellion—The Scottish Efforts for the Pretender—
The Earl of Mar and the Pretender's cause—The Duke of Argyle—
Stanhope's vigour and energy in crushing the Rebellion — Oxford
University surprised—Army ordered to be augmented—Cost of new
Establishment—The Troops under General Carpenter and the Duke
of Argyle—Castle of Holy Island captured by the Erringtons—Capture
of Erringtons—Their Escape—Report of false Musters—The Rebels
march South and arrive at Preston—There joined by the Catholic
Gentry and their Retainers — Route of the Invaders —— Generals
Carpenter and Wills join their Forces — Battle at Preston—
Defeat of Mar at Sheriffmuir by Duke of Argyle—Retreat to Perth—
Quarters of the Regiment—Off-reckonings and Cost of Augmenta-
tion—London Gazette and the new Designation of the Regiment—
Pictures of Grenadiers of the Regiment at Carlisle—Mr. Fergusson's
Description of them—Company quartered at Bridgenorth shows Jacobite
proclivities—Regiment ordered to Shrewsbury–Marches to Manchester
VOL. III. A.
3 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: (1715
–Fictitious Names in Musters for benefit of Widows of Soldiers—Dis-
orders in consequence of an insufficiency of Officers—Review ordered by
the Prince of Wales of all the Troops in South Britain—Disturbance at
Shrewsbury—Establishment of Regiment—Quota of Regiment reduced
— The Triple Alliance — Combination by Sweden, Russia, and Spain
against England—Preparations of the Government to meet the Tanger
—The Regiment ordered to Newcastle—Detachments at Durham—List
of Regiments ordered for Service against threatened Invasion—Regu-
lations on Brevets—Pay and Stoppages—New Conspiracy—Count Gyllen-
borg taken into Custody—Parliament indignant at the Conspiracy—
Insurrection collapses—Two Companies sent to Tynemouth — King
writes to Kirk about the incomplete Companies—Regiment reduced
by two Companies – Cost of Regimental Affairs of the late Lieutenant-
General Kirk—Regiment ordered to Manchester——Troubles in Spain
—Troops proposed to be sent to Spain–Colonel Stanhope sent as
Ambassador—Strength of intended Expedition from Spain to Eng-
land—Spain takes Sicily—Admiral Byng defeats the Spaniards
off Sicily—Regiment changes Quarters—Disturbances at Chester—
‘Quota of Regiment and Cost—Bermuda Company—List of reduced
Officers—-Petition of Captain Gyles and Lieutenant Paul Latour
for reinstatement in Regiment—Off-reckonings and Cost of Regiment—
Order of Precedence of Regiments—Further Intrigues of Spain with the
Pretender-—Preparations to meet the Danger——Six Companies moved to
Bristol and thence to Newcastle.--Company at the Scilly Islands landed
: at Pendennis—Lieutenant-General Carpenter ordered to North Britain——
Disturbances at Newcastle—Failure of Spanish Scheme of Invasion by
reason of Storms—Troops landed on Kintail, Scotland–Attacked by
General Wightman and driven off—Spanish Contingent captured—
Regiment ordered into Yorkshire——To Birmingham, Lichfield, and
Wolverhampton—Major-General Evans put in command of all the
Forces in the South.
IN the nomination of the new Ministry by the King Mr. Pulteney
was made Secretary at War, the Duke of Marlborough resuming
his offices of Captain-General and Master of the Ordnance.
Early in January returns were required of the names of all officers
in the regiment who were foreigners, and Captain Gardener was
ordered to send in the names of any such who were serving in
Kirk's regiment.
On the 9th February the King issued an order that all officers in
the Army should register the date of their commissions “on pain of
losing all benefit of the rank they are entitled to by their com-
missions.” It does not appear, however, that proper attention was
paid to this order, as will be painfully noticed by anyone who
: attempts to make a complete list of the officers of any regiment
before the year 1768, when the commissions began to appear
regularly in the Gazette.
On the 1st March orders were sent to the governor of Berwick
to permit four companies of Colonel Kirk's regiment, then at
Berwick to march from thence to Hull. . . . . . . .
1715.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 3
On the 27th May the King was “pleased to declare that the
Regiment of Foot commanded by Piercy Kirk, Esq., (was) to be
(called) Her Royal Highnesses the Princess of Wales' Own Regiment
of Foot, and to sign a commission constituting the said Piercy
Kirk colonel of the said regiment.” The regiment was ordered on
the 25th June to be inspected by General Erle.
It is not within the province of this history to write an account
of the romantic and interesting events attending the efforts of the
Jacobites to secure the Crown of England, but a few of the incidents
relating to it are here given.
The Minister, Bolingbroke, had at last definitely cast in his lot
with the Pretender, but his hopes of success for the cause had been
much damped by the death of the French King; in a letter to
Sir William Wyndham he writes, “My hopes sank as he declined
and died when he expired.” -
The Stuart Papers give most interesting particulars of the rela-
tions of the late Minister of England to his new master. In a letter
of August 3rd he writes, “I dare not promise much, but this I
may venture to say, that the people here (Paris) endeavour to feel
Margaret's (England's) pulse, and determine to guide themselves
as that rises and falls.”
The Regent of France, though he could not entirely give up
the cause of his kinsman, was desirous not to offend the
Ministers of King George, as he hoped, should the Hanoverian
succession be permanent, to obtain some assistance from them
in his other designs. When, therefore, Admiral Sir George Byng
came to Havre with a squadron, and Lord Stair demanded that
certain ships designed for the purposes of invasion should be given
up, he ordered them to be unloaded of their arms and ammunition,
which were deposited in the King's magazines, but he refused to
deliver up the ships. The rebellion in England was no doubt
precipitated by the rising in Scotland, and before the “pulse.”
of England had risen to the fever heat of insurrection. The
Duke of Ormond's plans of a rising failed through the treachery
of his agent, Maclean, William Erskine, Eleventh Earl of
Mar, the leader of the insurrection in Scotland, was not an
estimable character. He had been a partisan of both Whigs
and Tories. On the accession of the King he had written a
warm letter of attachment and given professions of his loyalty,
but finding his bid for place not accepted he at once threw him-
self into the enemy's camp, and began to intrigue against the new
King. On the day before he left London to raise the rebellion in
Scotand he attended a levee of King George. He left London in
disguise the 2nd August (O.S.), and on the 27th, at a meeting of
A 2
4. HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1715.
noblemen and gentlemen at his house, he harangued his audience
in fervid language to rise in support of their rightful Sovereign,
who, he said, would soon be amongst them ; all present took an
oath to be faithful to the cause for which they were ready to risk
life and fortune.
On the day that Mar left London Colonel Kirk received an
order that he was to have his regiment ready to take the field,
and was to order his officers to provide themselves forthwith with
all the necessaries for that purpose. The Earl, with only sixty
men, raised the standard of the Pretender at a little village of Brae
Mar, named Kirkmichael. He was joined by his own vassals,
numbering some 500, and the “White Cockade" soon began to
flourish on the promising soil of the rebellion. James was pro-
claimed King, and in a short time nearly the whole of the country
north of the Tay was in the hands of the rebels. A scheme was
devised for the capture of Edinburgh Castle, which was only
defeated by an incautious confidence of one of the conspirators.
On the 28th September (O.S.) Mar entered into Perth with his army
swollen to 5,000 men. The Ministers of King George had a heavy
task before them to defeat the rebellion. The whole available
troops in Great Britain were not more than 8,000 men, but the King
was happy in having a clever minister, whom he could trust, and
who was also an able military commander.
Secretary Stanhope, after consultation with his colleagues, de-
cided to rely upon the troops that were in Scotland (about 1,500)
and to send the Duke of Argyle to command them, rightly calcu-
lating upon his influence in raising fresh troops for the Crown.
The Duke arrived about the middle of September at the camp at
Stirling. He found there only a force of 1,000 Infantry and 500
Cavalry, and his enemy, had he acted with promptitude and resolu-
tion, could have driven him headlong over the Tweed. Mar,
however, waited on events in England, while every day's delay
added to the strength of the King's position. Stanhope was too
vigorous a soldier to allow the chance thus given him by Mar to be
lost. Place after place which showed in favour of the insurrec-
tion was crushed. As an instance of his vigour and promptitude
may be cited his action at the University of Oxford. This
place had all along shown its sympathy with the Jacobite cause,
and as soon as the insurrection was launched it became a
hotbed of treason against the King. Stanhope heard of their
doings, and despatched one of his old comrades in arms, General
Pepper, to Oxford, who, marching all night, entered the place
at daybreak on the 6th October. He at once proceeded to the
University, and astonished the treasonable chancellor and the
1715.] NOW THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 5
mayor of the town by shewing them a letter of Stanhope's, ordering
them to deliver up eighteen suspected persons. Colonel Owen, one
of the suspects, escaped, but ten or twelve were taken and marched
away with the troops.
Stanhope, as soon as the troubles began, wrote to the Secretary
at War, Pulteney, on the 19th September, signifying the King's
pleasure that he should forthwith prepare the necessary orders for
augmenting the several regiments of Foot now in Great Britain
from their present numbers of ten companies of forty men to twelve
companies of fifty, with non-commissioned officers in proportion.
The order for the augmentation of the Queen's was dated 26th
September, the new establishment was to be twelve companies of
two sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and fifty private men
in each (including two men for the widows' fund, besides commis-
sioned officers, to be raised by volunteers in any county or part of
Great Britain.” The total cost of the new establishment of 725
men, officers included, is given as 38l. 4s. 10d., per diem, or for 366
days 13,996l.98.f The warrant for supplying the necessary arms
and equipment for the four sergeants, sixteen corporals, fourteen
drummers, and 196 privates added to the regiment is dated 22nd
September.;
Numerous letters appear in the War Office correspondence with
reference to the reliefs of the Queen's regiment in October.
Colonel Hotham's and Colonel Lucas's regiments were to join in
the duties. Two companies of invalids at Portsmouth were to
relieve the companies at Carlisle, and one from Plymouth was to
relieve the company at Tynemouth.
The insurgents having good grounds for believing that the
Roman Catholic gentry of Lancashire would help them, resolved
to begin the invasion of England by a march in that direction.
General Carpenter had been sent north with a body of Cavalry
about 900 strong, his head-quarters being at Newcastle. Argyle,
with his forces, was in the neighbourhood of Stirling, whither
he had marched from Edinburgh on hearing of the danger of an
advance by Macintosh, the rebel general, against the weaker forces
of General Witham, second in command at Stirling.
On 12th October a letter was sent by the mayor of Berwick
to Stanhope, informing him that on Monday, 10th (O.S.), the castle
on Holy Island was surprised by one Errington, master of a ship.
The evidence of Mark Errington, who assisted the accused Lancelot
* War Office, Miscellamy Book, 1712–1717, Vol. 522.
† War Office, Establishment Book, 1715–1717 (estimate for 1716).
† Domestic, Military Entry Book, 1714—1717, No. 10, p. 273.
6 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Roy AL REGIMENT, [1715.
Errington, was to the effect that on or about the 7th October
Lancelot came to him and asked him to assist in the taking of
the castle, promising him that he should be made by it. Lancelot,
Errington, it appears, had been cruising about the coast of North-
umberland, with his ship, the Mary, of Newcastle, and was rather
suspected of having landed arms for the Pretender. His papers
were dated 27th, and he appears to have sailed from the island
of Rhé, on the coast of France, pretending he was bound to Norway
with salt. On the 2nd October he came in with his ship to the
harbour of Holy Island, where he laid her aground. After
being several days in the place with his ship's company, he kept,
watch upon the castle, and taking occasion when the guard was
in the town, and the place only guarded by the gunner (with whom
he was acquainted) and one soldier of the Queen's, he went up
to the castle with the other Errington, surprised the gunner
and the sentinel, and after some resistance obtained posses-
sion of the castle. They then hoisted and lowered the flag, and
fired guns as a signal to their friends in the neighbourhood who
were in favour of the Pretender. The garrison, consisting of the
company of the Queen's, with the assistance of the townsmen, at
once took measures to retake the castle before any assistance could
come to the rebels, which they accomplished ; they also took
possession of the ship.
On the circumstance being reported to the Government, Stanhope
laid the papers before the King, who ordered his Minister to direct
that the officers and soldiers of the regiment who were engaged
in the affair should be kept in Berwick, if possible, until His
Majesty had decided what was to be done in the matter, and
in case the regiment was marched away they should be allowed
to return to the town if they were required.* The design of
the Erringtons was, from the evidence afterwards adduced, to
assist the forces of the Pretender coming south under Mr. Forster,
who had been commissioned by Lord Mar to act as general in the
forces to invade England. The evidence further disclosed a scheme
whereby the gates of Newcastle were to be opened to the rebels.
A letter, dated 3rd November, was sent by the War Secretary,
Pulteney, to General Carpenter, in which he is informed that the
mayor of Berwick had complained of the insufficiency of the troops,
in case the rebels were to attack it, only four companies of Kirk's.
regiment being there. General Carpenter is given fresh powers.
to strengthen the place if he finds it necessary.
A little trouble was caused in the regiment by a complaint.
made against Lieutenant Wm. Graham, who was accused by
Joseph Rendshaw, commissioner of customs at Newcastle, of
* Domestic Entry Book, 1714—1716, Vol. 6.
1715.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 7-
giving false musters. The judge advocate was ordered to inquire.
into the charges. .
In March next year further correspondence took place over the .
affair at Berwick. Captain Phillips sent a memorial to the Minister,
Stanhope, praying for the reimbursement of the money expended:
by him in the capture of the Erringtons, and the events afterwards.
The total amount of his disbursements appears to have been 132!.,
part of which was for provisioning the castle, and for expenses of
parties sent out to observe the rebels.
On the 24th, information was sent to Stanhope, from Berwick,
that the two Erringtons had escaped from prison, where they
were awaiting trial. It appears to have been a concerted affair,
for they were provided with a boat to cross the river. Stan-
hope sent down orders that the escape was to be strictly inquired
into, and the particulars sent to him to lay before the King ; but,
it does not appear that the men were re-arrested. .
On the 9th November the Army of the rebels had reached,
Preston, at which place they received a strong addition, nearly
1,200 of the Catholic gentry and their servants joining. A
body of the insurgents had entered England on the 1st of
November. About the 5th they passed near Kendal. Lord,
Lonsdale, with some gentlemen, had endeavoured to arrest the
invasion, but the local troops never made a stand against the insur-
gents. On the 4th Alan Chambre wrote to the mayor of Kendal,
informing him that on his arrival there he found Lord Lonsdale
with some Cumberland gentlemen and some half-pay officers, who had:
left Penrith and Lowther in possession of the rebels, and he pre-
sumed they mean to come to Kendal “to-morrow night.” He feared
the rebels would catch Lord Lonsdale, who had taken refuge in
Appleby Castle, and seize the militia arms in the town.” General
Carpenter had, on learning the intention of the insurgents, hurried
south by forced marches, and at Durham was joined by the
detachment of the Royal Forces under General Wills.
The latter general, who had arrived in front of the town,
having received intelligence that Carpenter was advancing from
the opposite side, determined to at once attack the rebels. He
put his forces in position in front of the town on Friday night,
the 11th, and found, to his surprise, that the insurgents had
neglected to secure the bridge over the Ribble, which led to a
narrow lane between steep banks, where Cromwell had been held.
at bay by the Royalists in the Civil War. Here in this confined.
pass a fierce struggle took place, but Wills pressed forward and,
+ Historical Manuscripts Commission, Twelfth Report, Apº., Part VII,
p. 355.
8 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1715.
soon came near the town, where Forster had attempted to erect
some sort of defence. The Royal troops here suffered much loss,
for they were met by a heavy fire from behind the barricades,
which rapidly thinned their ranks. Undeterred, they rushed at
the barricades, two of which were carried. They were galled also
by fire from the houses. The struggle went on nearly the whole
night, but the Highlanders fought so well that Wills thought it
prudent to withdraw. In the morning, Sunday, Carpenter arrived,
and Forster, without consulting his principal officers, sent Colonel
Oxburgh to propose terms of capitulation. Wills was not at first
disposed to treat, but agreed at last, if they would surrender at
discretion, he would do his best for them. The Highlanders were
at first very indignant, and wanted to cut their way through the
enemy, but were persuaded by their chiefs to yield, Lord Derwent-
water and Colonel Macintosh going over as hostages.
The Earl of Mar had no better luck in Scotland. On Sunday,
the 13th November, the day of the capitulation at Preston, the
forces of Argyle and Mar met in deadly conflict at Sheriffmuir.
Some letters in Lord Cathcart's possession give interesting
particulars of the rebellion. Boniton of Airlock, writing on
the 31st October to Lady Shaw, whose husband was with
Argyle, informs his correspondent that a trumpeter had come
in that morning from the Earl of Mar with letters for the Duke,
who sent back a reply that he neither would nor could treat with
him as a foreign prince. The troops with the Duke, the writer
says, are to be ready to march at two hours' notice.” On the 12th
November, just before Sheriffmuir, he writes again that the enemy
are plundering, and that they have managed to get arms into the
port of Dundee.
On the 10th November Mar woke up, and began his march
from Perth. He was joined on the 11th by General Gordon,
the united forces forming a motley Army of nearly 10,000 men.
On the 13th the two Armies faced each other. Argyle took the
command of his right wing, the centre was held by General
Wightman, and the left of the line by General Witham. Argyle
resolutely attacked the left of the rebel troops, and after a fierce
and obstimate resistance (it is said the Highlanders rallied ten
times in the fight at this part) he drove them back over the River
Allan. An equally determined onslaught had been made on the
Royalist left by the Highlanders, and so irresistible was it, that
the troops were hurled back like chaff before the wind, and
retreated on Stirling. The centre of Argyle's troops very nearly
* Historical MSS. Commission, Second Report, p. 26.
1715.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 9
shared the same fate as the left, but General Wightman drew off
three regiments, and marched forward to join Argyle. The two,
after collecting the troops that still remained in hand, marched
back to Sheriffmuir, where, had Mar had the wit and courage to
again attack Argyle, it is probable he might have defeated him,
His heart failed him, and he retreated to Perth, leaving his enemy
in possession of the field.
Mar now resumed his inaction at Perth, and his force began to
melt away, while Argyle's forces were increased by 6,000 Dutch
troops, who had landed from Holland about the middle of No-
vember. It was at this unhappy juncture that the unfortunate
Pretender arrived, but he was too late, the life of the insurrection
was over. The two leaders of the Armies remained in their
qualiters, the one at Stirling, the other at Perth. It was not till
the beginning of the year that the Royal Army began its march
towards Perth, which was the signal for the retreat of the rebels,
who, after the escape of the Pretender, melted away like snow
under a hot sun.
At the end of the year the regiment appears, by marching
orders dated 29th November, to have been disposed as
follows:—
One company from Tynemouth to Bridgenorth,
Two companies from Carlisle to Bewdley.
Five companies from Highwickham to Ludlow.
Four companies from Berwick to Bridgenorth and Ludlow.
The off-reckonings of the regiment on the old establishment
were ordered to be paid to the clothier, John Brock, on the 10th
August. The amount was 1,376!. 28.2%d.
On the 21st September the cost of the augmentation was
ordered to be paid, amounting to 8391. 4s. 1d. This included the
cost of the establishment of the two new companies, as well as the
cost of the increased strength of the companies.
On the 8th December Kirk was ordered to transmit a list of the
additional men raised in his regiment, and to inform the autho-
rities as soon as his regiment was complete. On the 27th a
circular letter was sent to all commanding officers, with reference
to disorders committed by the troops in their quarters. Also
another circular, requiring them to send in an account of vacancies
in the commissioned ranks as they occur, in order that the
vacancies might be filled up by half-pay officers of the same rank,
“ and thereby lessen the charge to the public.”
The following extract is made from the London Gazette of
9th May, relative to the new designation of the regiment. “His
10 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1715.
Majesty has been pleased to declare the regiment of Foot com-
manded by Piercy Kirk, to be Her Royal Highness the Princess.
of Wales' Own Regiment of Foot, and to sign a commission
constituting the said Piercy Kirk colonel of the said Regiment.”
While the regiment was in the north, and with two companies.
at Carlisle, life sized pictures appear to have been painted of the
Grenadiers of the regiment, which are amongst the most valuable.
evidence in existence of the soldiers' dress of this period. The
history of these figures, so far as can be, ascertained, has been
written by Mr. R. S. Fergusson, F.S.A., Chancellor of Carlisle.
The figures are now in the county hotel, whose property they are.
They are painted on wood, cut to the shape of the bodies on the
outline, and are striking and most interesting objects, seen in the
main staircase of the hotel.
For a long time they were supposed to represent two of the
Duke of Cumberland's guards, till some one more acquainted with
military history noticed that they bore the badge, motto, and
facings of the Queen's regiment. We cannot do better than
transcribe the complete and carefully detailed particulars of these
figures by Mr. Fergusson. +.
“No. 1 Figure, a Grenadier, total height to point of tuft, or pom-
pon, of his mitre-shaped cap, 7 feet 3 inches; as the cap is l foot
5 inches high, and covers the forehead down to the top of the line.
of the eyebrows, the wearer is 5 feet 10 inches in height to that
line, and must be at least 6 feet 2 inches in total height, par-
ticularly as he stands with his feet 18 inches apart, which was, at
the date of these figures, the position of attention.
He is dressed in a long broad skirted red coat, piped or edged
with white, now turned by age, or varnish, into yellow : the
piping is nearly 3 inch in breadth. His chest, down to his waist-
belt, is covered by a plastron of green cloth, piped or edged as the
coat; it has six buttons on either side, set two and two at the
ends of loops of white piping, nearly 2% inches long.
The buttons are plain, and whether of yellow or white metal it
is difficult now to say. The coat has large deep cuffs of green,
slit below the arm, and piped or edged as the coat. Each cuff is
nine inches in depth below the arm, and six inches above it.
Each has a row of buttons (four are shown) near the upper edge
of the cuff, going round the arm ; parallel to the piping is an
ornamental band, a broad white stripe between narrower stripes of
white and green. There are pockets in the front of each coat
skirt covered by immense pentagonal flags, each nearly a foot in
breadth by 10 inches in depth, and ornamented with the same
ornamentation as on the cuffs, One of these pocket flaps is well
º º
An exact reproduction of the wooden effigy at Carlisle.

1715.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. II'
—mºs
seen; the other is almost covered by the buff-leather pouch
presently to be described.
Below the waist-belt, the upper parts of the skirts are buttoned
together by two buttons, set at the end of loops as on the
plastron; the lowest of these buttons is about six inches below the
waist-belt.*
The coat is cut low at the neck, and there and at the wrists the
shirt is well in evidence. A cravat goes round the man's neck, and
its twisted ends (as seen in the other figure) hang down in front,
but are encircled in this case by the Grenadier's hands and fusil.
The breeches are covered by the skirts of the coat (Cannon's
historical records of the regiment show the breeches green in 1685,
and there is little doubt from other evidence that they were this.
colour in 1715).
The stockings are white, and drawn over the knees, and so over
the ends of the breeches, or venetians, as Grose calls them; they
are gartered below the knee, and apparently rolled over at the
tops. The garters are either black or green. The stockings are
actual stockings, not leggings, such as the grenadiers and drummers.
wear in Hogarth's ‘March to Finchley,' and ‘England,’ as proved
by the white straps going under the foot, distinctly visible in these
pictures. In the case of these dummies there is no footstrap, and
the stockings go inside the coverings of the feet, which are called
jack boots.f
The mitre-shaped cap, 1 foot 5 inches high, is of red cloth,
with a green flap or frontlet over the brow. The tuft on the top
is apparently green, but ages of varnish have made the paint almost
black. On the frontlet is the figure of a lamb, not a paschal lamb,
but a plain lamb, with a tail like a fox's brush. Round the edge
of the frontlet is the motto : -
PRISTINAE VIRTUTIS MEMOR.
Above the frontlet is the feather badge of the Princess of Wales,
and above that a croWh.
The accoutrements consist of waist-belt of buff leather, a sling
from the back must be required to further support the sword. A
# Three buttons are visible in this position on the second figure; probably
the number is four, set two and two, the upper one being concealed by the
hands, belts, &c.
# It is clear that during the last half of the seventeenth century and the
early part of the eighteenth, the English Army did not wear leggings or
gaiters over their stockings; but by the middle of the eighteenth century
they had adopted long white leggings or gaiters coming high up the thighs,
buttoned up thesides and strapped under the feet.
12 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1715.
buff leather pouch, about 1 foot square, hangs on the right front
by a cross-belt which passes over the left shoulder and comes
outside of the waist-belt. This cross-belt has a plain buckle in it
about the level of the waist-belt. From the second figure we find
it has another buckle at the level of the shoulder. We do not at
present see the object of two buckles in one cross-belt. The pouch
is plain, that is to say, it has not the royal cypher and crown dis-
played as on the pouches of the guardsmen in ‘The March to
Finchley in 1745°
The arms consist of a fusil with buff leather sling, socket,
bayonet, and basket-hilted sword, which last hangs in slings from
the waist belt at the left side. The bayonet is carried in front of
the left thigh (a very awkward position one would imagine) by the
foremost sword sling passing through a loop, we fancy, on its
inside. . . . The fusil is a snaphance, or a flint lock, with bright
barrel. The position is not known to the present manual and
platoon exercise; the feet are separated by about eighteen inches.
The butt of the fusil rests on the ground, barrel to the right, lock
to the front. The hands rest palm downwards, right hand upper-
most on the muzzle of the fusil, elbows squared level with the
shoulders, head slightly turned to the right.
The pouch will contain three grenades, and probably the
cartridges for the fusil, unless they are in one of the coat pockets.
The Grenadier of the Foot Guards in 1684 carried a cartouch box
and a ‘Granada pouch.”
The face is clean shaven and seems to be a portrait, the hair is
cut close at the sides of the head; what it may be behind it is
impossible to say.
No. 2, a Grenadier, originally of the same height, 7 feet 3
inches, as No. 1, but it has lost its feet and stands only 7 feet
high. The figure uniformed, accoutred, and armed exactly as the
other. The fusil is slung on the back, and is not visible with the
exception of its sling, which passes over it, i.e., outside of waist-
belt and cross-belt. The barrel of the fusil should appear over
the right shoulder, but has been broken off. The right arm is
extended downwards at the right side, knuckles outwards, and
holds a grenade. The left arm is doubled at the elbow, left hand
in front of the centre of the body, knuckles to the front, head a
little to the left. The basket hilt of the sword appears at the left
side.
Like the other, the face is clean shaven and seems a portrait.”
* See a general and complete list military, &c., of that date printed in
Appendix to Grose's Military Antiquities. First Edition.
1715.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 13
Mr. Fergusson goes on to say that little is known of the history of
these two figures, but they were brought to the county hotel by
Mr. Breach from the Bush Hotel in 1853, when he removed as
landlord from one to the other. They had been in the Bush Hotel
as long as the “oldest inhabitant” could remember. The late Lord
Lonsdale (Earl St. George) professed to have found at Lowther
Castle some memoranda, showing that these figures were made from
the wood of a tree grown in Lowther Park, but this clue is lost to
their history.
The Prince of Wales' feathers is a prominent object on the large
cap, which badge the regiment carried by right of its being made
by the King the Princess of Wales' Regiment. It retained this
designation until the Princess of Wales became Queen, by the
accession of her husband George II., when it became again the
Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot.
Mr. Fergusson surmises that probably, after the quaint fashion of
the early part of the eighteenth century, some ex-grenadier of the
Queen's settled as a landlord at Carlisle, and adorned his hostelrie
with picture board dummies of his old comrades, which have had
the good luck to be preserved to the present time and to become,
as they are, most valuable landmarks in the history of English
military costume. As there is a lamentable gap of evidence in
the uniform of our soldiers between 1700 and 1745, these figures,
representing, as they undoubtedly do, the uniform between 1714
and 1727, are unmistakeably valuable. We think it more probable
that the figures were painted in 1715, while the two companies
were at Carlisle, as it would be difficult for an artist to have been
So precise and accurate as the dummies are in all detail from a
description given by anyone, even if he had been a soldier who had
served in the regiment. It is probable they were painted for the
purpose Mr. Fergusson suggests, and from living soldiers who may
probably have been quartered at the house they were painted to
adorn.
During the closing scenes of the Jacobite insurrection, and the
punishment of the unhappy noblemen and gentlemen who had
nobly risked their lives and fortunes in what they had considered
a just and righteous cause, the regiment remained in the north.
Some trouble seems to have been caused in February 1716, by the
company quartered at Bridgenorth ; a party of the men, who had
evidently become imbued with Tory principles, being in the streets,
began to cry, “D—n the Whigs. Down with the Roundheads.” The
officer in charge weakly allowed the circumstance to pass without
punishment, but a strict inquiry was afterwards made, and the
delinquents punished. This event was the cause of all the
14 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1716.
officers on leave being ordered to rejoin their regiment on pain
of being “dismissed the service.” The chaplain of the regiment
seems also to have fallen into disgrace by his disaffection to the
|King, “he was considered unfit to be continued in his cure,” and
another appointed in his stead.
On the 24th March the regiment was ordered to proceed to
Shrewsbury. In August part of the regiment was sent to Whit-
church, Oswestry, Ellesmere, Welshpool, and Newtown, and in
October the whole regiment went into quarters at Manchester.
While in Manchester 108 men were sent from there to Lancaster,
to relieve the four companies of Brigadier Preston's regiment on
guard over rebel prisoners. -
A curious letter appears amongst the War Office Papers, instruct-
ing the Commissary-General to allow two fictitious names to appear
upon the muster rolls of the two additional companies of the
regiment for the benefit of the widows.”
On the 9th June a circular was sent to all commanding officers
of regiments, with reference to disorders committed by troops
which had been left without a sufficient number of officers, and
they were ordered to see that for the future no regiment was to be
left with a less proportion of officers than one field officer and two-
thirds of the other officers of every degree. Officers were directed
to at once repair to their quarters until this proportion was attained.
Following this, next month a list of all the officers, with the dates
of their commissions, was ordered to be sent in to the War
Office.
On the 25th July the Prince of Wales ordered a review of all
the forces in South Britain by general officers appointed for that
purpose, and Colonel Kirk was ordered forthwith to repair to his
regiment, to be present at the review. After the review, which
appears to have taken place early in August, Lieutenant-General
Wills being the inspecting officer of the Queen's regiment, six
companies of the Queen's were to be removed to Shrewsbury,
and sent to Welshpool, in consequence of the disaffection of the
inhabitants there. Lord Bradford, to whom the letter was addressed
on this duty, was ordered to send word how many companies
could be quartered at Welshpool, and they should be sent.
Some difficulties appear to have been created at Shrewsbury
by the men of the Queen's. From correspondence with Lord
Townshend, the Secretary at War, it would appear that a disturb-
ance took place on the 28th June. The papers do not explain the
. . . . .
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 146a, p. 120.
1716.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 15
cause or mature of the disturbances, particulars of which appear to
have been sent to the King.
The establishment of the regiment this year was twelve com-
panies of fifty men in each. The total cost for the year was
13,996. 9s.”
On the 11th August the regiment was ordered to be reduced by
five men per company,t this reduction applying to all regiments in
Great Britain. In the same regulation an order was issued that
no fictitious names for the widows should be allowed on the muster
rolls for the future, and in lieu of that, the saving of five men per
company should go to make a fund for paying the widows' allow-
ances, and also the customary allowance of one man out of each
company to the colonels and One man to the agents. The regulation
specially forbids for the future that any fictitious names be entered
on the muster rolls, but that the lists express only the effective
men that are fit for service. The distribution of the money in lieu
of the five men's pay out of each company of Foot was as follows:–
Colonel, one man's subsistence; allowance for widows, the like;
agent's allowance the like; chaplains, two men's subsistence.f
The assignment of the off reckonings this year was to
William Neaton, clothier. The amount from 25th May to 24th
March being 983l. 10s. 2d. The clothing provided was to be
“agreeable to the King's instructions.”
The famous triple alliance between France, England, and the
Dutch, which had with great difficulty been arranged, laid low
the help the Pretender still looked for from France to aid him in
his designs against England, for the restoration of his Kingdom.
He had, however, managed to interest the King of Sweden in his
cause, and the Czar of Russia was also not indifferent to his success.
Baron Gorty, the Minister and adviser of the King of Sweden, an
able and unscrupulous man, was the prime mover in a new
Scheme of invasion against England. He proposed a peace with
the Czar Peter, and arranged a perfect concert of measures between
the Czar and Sweden. The Regent of France, who for other
political reasons favoured a peace policy with England, was also to
be worsted in the new scheme. There was to be an insurrection
in England in favour of the Pretender, and an invasion of Scotland
by James Stuart in person. Spain entered warmly into the
* In the MSS. of the Queen's in the Royal United Service Institution, it
is stated that the establishment was sixty-one men per company, and that it
was reduced in 1716 to fifty-two men per company. This is undoubtedly an
error, unless officers and non-commissioned officers are included.
+ War Office, Miscellany Book, 1712–1717, Wol. 522.
f Ibid. - -
16 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1716.
scheme. Count Gyllenborg and Baron Spaar, were the Swedish
Ministers in England, and actively helped Gorty's plans. Happily
some intercepted letters of these noblemen came into the hands of
the English Ministers, and preparations were made to meet the
danger. Lieutenant-General Wills was appointed to command
the forces assembling, amongst which was the Queen's regiment.
The order for the appointment of General Wills, was as
follows:—“Whereas it is necessary for the service, upon the
advice received of an intended invasion from abroad, to
appoint him to command upon this occasion the several regi-
ments mentioned in the margin, with such other forces as shall
be thought fit to put under his command, signifies the King's
pleasure that he take upon him the command of the said forces
accordingly, and give them orders from time to time to march and
quarter in such place or places as he shall think requisite for the
service, &c.” Kirk was informed that he would receive directions
from General Wills from time to time, without instructions from
the War Office.f. The following is a list of the regiments that, on
the night of the 17th February, received Orders for their imme.
diate march from their present quarters to where their presence
might be required. Horse: Major-General Lumley and Lord
Windsor's 2nd Dragoons Royal Regiment; Earl of Stairs; Brigadier
Honywood's; Major-General Pepper's; Major-General Evans';
Colonel Kerr's; Brigadier Dormer's; Brigadier Gore's; Brigadier
Bowles'; Brigadier Manders'; Colonel Churchill's, and Colonel
Molesworth's. Foot: Brigadier Stearn's ; Colonel Harrison's :
Colonel Kirk's ; Colonel Du Bourgay's, and Colonel Peacock's.
Kirk was, by order of 16th February, directed to march to
Newcastle, if not otherwise commanded by Lieutenant-General
Wills. Early in the year, eighty of the detachment at Lan-
caster were ordered to join the regiment at Manchester. The
remainder of the detachment were relieved of their duty there on
the 15th February. During the stay of the regiment at Newcastle,
detachments were sent to Durham in July and to Hexham in
November. Gateshead was added to the quarters of the regiment
in June. -*
The innkeepers of Manchester and justices of the peace sent in a
complaint in February to the War Office of the hardships they had
to endure from the number of troops quartered upon them. As
Colonel Kirk's regiment had received orders to march, it was not
* War Office, Miscellany Book, 1712–1717, Vol. 522, February 15,
1716/7.
+ War Office, Common Letter Book, Vol. 147, p. 55.
1717.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 17
thought necessary to place the memorial before the King. In
March the King ordered “That all officers should do duty
in their respective regiments, according to the dates of their
commissions in the said regiments, notwithstanding their long
brevets entitling them to superior rank in the Army, but that they
should take part according to their brevets upon all detachments
courts-martial, or any other duties where more than that regiment
to which they belonged is concerned.”
A regulation of pay and stoppages for regiments was given in
April as follows:–
Sergeant, full pay 78, per week; stoppages 18,
Corporal and drummer, full pay 4s. 6d. per week; stoppages 6d.
Private soldiers, full pay 3s. 6d. per week; stoppages 6d.
These stoppages were made in order that the captain might
deduct for shoes, stockings, garters, medicines, shaving, mending of
arms, and loss by exchange on remittances of their pay, but for
nothing else except such things as were lost or spoiled by the
soldier's negligence.
On the 18th April the new Secretary of War, Mr. Craggs, wrote
to Kirk informing him of his appointment, and enclosing for him
a copy of Captain Reginald Ryley's petition for Kirk's consideration
and opinion thereon. Craggs finishes his note by an assurance that
he will embrace all occasions of evidencing his sincere respect for
him. A letter on 2nd May from Craggs to Kirk informs him
that the King had resolved that all vacancies in regiments shall be
filled up by officers on half-pay.
The Government had, early in the year, taken into custody the
Swedish Minister Count Gyllenborg, and the discovery of the papers
in his house laid bare completely the designs so happily crushed.
The Parliament, at its assembly on 20th February, expressed great
indignation at the conspiracy, and the members went so far as to
move that war should be declared against Sweden, to which
Stanhope replied, that King Charles must first approve publicly
of the conduct of his Ministers. -
On the 6th May, all danger of the invasion being over, the King
went to the House of Lords, and made a speech, in which he recom-
mended the reduction in the Army of 10,000 men.
On the 16th May two companies of the regiment were ordered
to march to Tynemouth Castle as soon as possible, in order “that
no time might be lost in disbanding the two companies of invalids
there.” They remained at Tynemouth till 10th September, when
they were ordered to return to head-quarters.
* War Office, Court-Martial Book, 1717-1723.
VOL. III. B
$8 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; 1717.
On the 20th September orders were sent to Kirk, with reference
to the attendance of officers with their men to help the civil
magistrates in hindering the exportation of wool. -
On the 23rd the King sent word to Kirk that he had noticed
in the month of August that there were thirty-eight men wanted
to complete the regiment, and that he was surprised that so old
a regiment should continue weak for so long a time. The King
signified to Kirk that if the companies which appear weakest by
the last returns were not in better condition by the next, “the
captains of them would certainly be broke.”
On the 8th October an order was sent to the deputy commis-
sioner to send musters of Colonel Kirk's regiment from the 25th
October to the 24th December 1717.
On the 5th November Kirk received orders for reducing his
regiment by two companies, the youngest companies and officers
to be selected for the reduction. The remaining ten companies
were also to be reduced, and were to consist of only one captain,
one lieutenant, One ensign, two sergeants, three corporals, one
drummer, and thirty-five effective private soldiers, “ and no more.”
Kirk was also directed to select the best men out of those disbanded
and discharge a like number of the others in the regiment. Great
care was to be exercised in satisfying the men discharged in their
accounts, and in Seeing that the arms were delivered safely and in
good condition. The disbanded soldiers were to be permitted to take
away with them their clothes and knapsacks, and were to be paid
38, each for their swords or bayonets. Each soldier and non-com-
missioned officer disbanded was to have fourteen days' subsistence
given to him as a bounty to carry him home. A marginal note
states:—“It is His Majesty's pleasure that these orders be
put in execution on or before the 23rd day of this month,
November.”
In another paper the reduction of the regiments is stated as
follows:—“Each regiment of Foot Guards, twenty men, one sergeant,
and one corporal per company. Each other regiment of Foot
throughout the country two entire companies, with the commissioned
and non-commissioned officers and ten men and one drummer out
of each of the remaining companies. All the Horse and Dragoon
regiments to be reduced ten men per troop without any officer.”
The assignment of Colonel Kirk to William Weston, clothier,
of the off-reckonings for the clothing for 1718 was made in March,
and the amount declared as 1,347 l. 12s. 3d.
The amount of the charge of the regiment for the year (not
taking into account the reduction) is given on 31st October as
13,958!, 48. 2d. for 365 days. The company at Bermuda cost
1718.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 19
2l. 148. 4d. per diem and 991. 11s. 8d. per annum, and consisted
of fifty-eight men.
A letter dated 16th January 1718 from Joseph Shaw gives
a statement of the accounts of the late Lieutenant-General Kirk, by
which it appears that Lady Mary Kirk claimed that there was due
to her late husband for his pay as “Lieutenant-General of all His
Majesty's Forces as well Horse as Foot,” from 24th December
1690 (the date of his commission as lieutenant-general) to 20th
October 1691, the date of his death, 301 days at 4!. per diem—
1,204l. : for the pay of his aide-de-camp, 301. ; total, 1,505l., out
df which he lad only received 245l. for his pay as major-general
and one aide-de-camp, leaving a balance due to her of 1,260l.
The Comptrollers' Court, when this was put before them, recom-
mended it to be paid ; but it does not appear why it had been
allowed to stand over for twenty-seven years.
On the 18th March the regiment was ordered to return to
Manchester, and the next month they were ordered to Portsmouth.
This was in view of a probable despatch of troops in consequence
of the critical state of affairs with Spain. During most of last
year this trouble had been brewing.
The restless Prime Minister of that country (Cardinal Alberoni)
had at last brought matters to such a point that the English
Ministers, on full consideration, foresaw that it would be necessary
to send a Fleet to “assist or resist " the designs of this crafty and
able diplomatist. Addresses were, in accordance with this secret
resolve, presented to both Houses, but in such a guarded manner
as to avoid any reference to a foreign Power. Preparations were
made for collecting a land force at Portsmouth and a Fleet for
the Mediterranean, the latter was to be placed under the comunand
of Sir George Byng.
While these preparations were being made, the English
TMinisters did all they could to avert a collision and prevent the
haughty and intriguing Spaniard from precipitating war. Lord
Stanhope had last year despatched his cousin, Colonel Stanhope
as ambassador to Spain, and the Regent of France had sent the
Marquis of Nancré. These two did all in their power to preserve
peace, while Lord Stanhope urged Alberoni in private letters to
agree in the negotiations that the ambassadors had in hand, but in
vain. The naval preparations of England had reached his ears,
and he had given instructions for the preparation of a strong
naval force, which was said to be as formidable as any that had
been sent forward by any King of Spain. The enumeration of
the strength does not, however, seem to bear out this assertion.
In Campbell's Lives of the Admirals, it is given as twenty-nine ships
B 2
20 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1718.
of war, with transports for 38,000 soldiers, 100 guns, forty mortars,
and a vast supply of stores and ammunition.” When news of these
preparations reached England, Admiral Byng received his final
instructions, and sailed for the Mediterranean with twenty sail of
the line.
Stanhope, in conjunction with the French Minister Dubois, had
strengthened their several Armies and had concerted and carried
into effect the treaty called the Quadruple Alliance between France,
the Dutch, Germany, and England, for the preservation of the peace
of Europe on the basis of the Utrecht treaty. The English
Minister also undertook a journey to Madrid, to endeavour to
subdue the stubbornness of Alberoni, all in vain. The Spanish
Fleet began operations by taking Sicily, to prevent the threatened
interposition of France and England in that quarter. The proba-
bility of this attack had not been overlooked, and Byng had been
instructed to obstruct it if possible. On the 11th August the two
Fleets were in sight of each other off Cape Passaro, the southern-
most point of Sicily, Byng at once sent Captain Walton to
intercept a division of the Spaniards which had gone in towards
the coast. Walton was successful, and the Spaniards completely
defeated.
The regiment, while on its march to Portsmouth, was ordered
to return to its former quarters; why is not stated, and four
companies were, on the 22nd May, sent to Chester, they remained
there until the 12th November, when they were ordered to join
the head-quarters of the regiment (which had been removed to
Plymouth on 26th October), to relieve Lord Hinchinbrook's
regiment there. A company, commanded by Captain Rudyerd,
was ordered to return to Chester, where it remained till next year,
and was then ordered to join the regiment at Bristol, to which
place the regiment had been removed.
While at Chester the company seems to have given a little
trouble, as shown by a letter of one Dr. Moore, who wrote to the
War Office of some “irregular proceedings by some soldiers of Colonel
Kirk's regiment.” Inquiry was ordered to be made with all pos-
sible speed, and an account transmitted to the War Office. The
papers do not relate what the irregular proceedings were, but in a
later letter it is stated that Kirk and his lieutenant-colonel have
been to see the authorities, and that “the unhappy affair is now
settled.”f
On the 27th March next year the company at Chester was
ordered to parade as a guard of honour to the Duke of Bolton, Lord
* Campbell’s Lives of the Admirals, Vol. IV., p. 437.
+ War Office. Common Totter Book, No. 149, pp. 187,219.
1718.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, 21
Lieutenant of Ireland, on his entrance into the town, which was
about noon on that day.
From correspondence it appears that the arrival of Kirk's
regiment at Plymouth was to be the signal for Lord Hinchin-
brook's regiment embarking on transports for foreign service.
They were ordered to embark “without loss of time.” One of the
Queen's companies was ordered, on the 24th December, to go
immediately to relieve one of Hinchinbrook's companies at the
Scilly Isles. They were to embark on board the Success, Captain
Clinton, commander. A letter of same date gave orders for the
governor of the Scilly Isles to receive the company.
In the War Office Establishment Books of this year the quota of
the regiment is given as 445 men in ten companies of thirty-five
men in each. The cost was 281. 15s. per diem, or 10,5021. 17s. 6d.
per annum, which includes the sum of 24!. 68. 8d. per annum for each
company's widows' allowance; 211. 58. 10d. per annum for clothing
lost by desertion; 18l. 5s. per annum for captain's expenses in
recruiting; and 91. 2s. 6d. allowance to agent. The Bermuda
company is given as fifty-seven (a reduction of one man), and the
cost 97.9l. 8s. 4d., with a widows' allowance per annum of
24l. 6s. 8d.
In the Treasury Papers is a list of the several reduced officers,
who, having been examined by the general officers appointed to
inquire into their titles and pretensions, were found qualified to
the benefit of half-pay on the British establishment. The captains
“en second,” Sir James Bourke, John Mercer, Reginald Riley, and
John Bickley, each 5s. per diem ; Lieutenant Nicholas Bourne,
2s. 4d. per diem; Ensign John Wyndham, 18, 10d. per diem.
Companies reduced 23rd November 1717: Captains Edward Daniel
and James Gyles, each 5s. per diem ; Lieutenants Paul Latour and
Lord William Beauclair (sic), each 2s. 4d. per diem; Ensigns Roger
Davies and Edmund Wiseman, each 18. 10d. per diem.*
A petition had been sent in in November from Captain Gyles
and Lieutenant Paul Latour for reinstatement in the regiment.
In this petition they plead that they ought not to have been placed
on the reduced establishment, as by brevet they were senior to
those who were retained. Captain Gyles and Lieutenant Latour
claimed that they ought to have been selected by their brevet rank
obtained by war service in Portugal, which would have made them
senior to others retained. Their petition was signed by a number of
gentlemen and supported by all the officers of the regiment.
On the 10th December the War Office sent Colonel Kirk a
* Treasury, Military Miscellany, Bundie 3, No. 18
22 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1718.
report of the Board of General Purposes on the case, in which they
recommend that Captain Gyles should be restored to the regiment,
and in the position he would have been had he not been reduced.
The captain who benefited by his reduction was to be reduced in his
place. This captain, as appears by letter in August next year, was
Rudyerd. This officer was next year reinstated by appointment
to Culliford's company. t -
A board of general officers in 1718 took into account a
petition of Colonels Egerton and Strong, wherein these officers
demur to the precedency of some regiments not named, which had
been broke, and then taken on to the establishment of the Army in
the precedence they formerly enjoyed. The board found, on reference
to the practices of former times, that at the Revolution King
William restored several regiments to their former rank, though
they had been broke by King James, and that the precedency of
rank has for special reasons been given by King Charles II. to the
several regiments following, viz., the Queen Dowager's, now Colonel
Kirk's : Earl of Dumbarton’s (1st Royal Scots), now Earl Orkney's;
and the Dutch Guards.”
The assignment of the off-reckonings for clothing, &c. this year
by Colonel Kirk to William Weston, of London, in March and
May, amounted to 1,244l. 5s. 5d.t
The intriguing and determined Spanish Minister Alberoni
could not relinquish his designs against England, and as he
rested his hopes more on internal factions than on foreign armies,
and knew the numbers and influence of the English Jacobites, he
did not hesitate to enter into the views of the Pretender in order
to strike a blow at England. James, who, by the rapprochement
between France and England, had been told that his presence in
France was not desirable, had taken up his residence “sometimes
at Urbino and sometimes at Rome.” He gladly acceded to the
overtures of Alberoni. The latter equipped a formidable armament
at Cadiz, which he entrusted to the Duke of Ormond. James' arrival
at Madrid was the signal for the despatch of the armament, which
“consisted of five men-of-war, and about twenty transports with
5,000 soldiers, partly Irish, on board, and arms for 30,000 more.”
Ormond, whose military title was Captain-General of the King of
Spain, was given full powers, and King Phillip promised, in case of
the ill success of the expedition, a secure retreat would be given in his
dominions to anyone who should require it. The design of the expedi-
tion was to land in some part of Great Britain. The King and his
* War Office, Court-Martial Book, 1717–1723.
+ War Office, Enrolments, Vol. 30.
f Lord Mahon's History, Vol. I., p. 333.
1719.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 23.
Ministers were not, however, behind in their preparations to resist.
this new attempt of the Pretender. The French offered assis-
tance, which was not taken, but six battalions were accepted from
the Austrians in the Netherlands, and 2,000 men from the States.
General.
In England, concentration of troops was made in the east and west.
On 3rd March 1719, Kirk was specially commanded to order all the
officers of his regiment to repair immediately to their respective.
posts. The five companies of the Queen's which had been moved
from Manchester to Chester were, on 6th March, ordered to Bristol.
An order a day later instructs General Wills and nine companies.
of Kirk's regiment to march to Bristol. Colonel Berkley's regiment
in the Isle of Wight was to relieve the five companies of Kirk's.
regiment at Plymouth.
On the 21st April the regiment was removed from Bristol to
Newcastle. One company was left at Bristol until 12th May. The
company at the Scilly Islands was ordered on 28th April to land at
Pºndennis and march to Newcastle. This company had been
ordered on 8th March to return to the regiment at Bristol by
Plymouth ; but the order appears to have been cancelled.
An order was sent on the 27th April to Lieutenant-General
Carpenter to proceed with all convenient speed to North Britain,
and to take under his command all the forces in that country,
together with those quartered near the border. Colonel Kirk, with
his regiment, was ordered to observe and follow all such orders as
he should receive from time to time from General Carpenter, during
the continuance of the regiment in the north.
The rumours of the intended landing of the Pretender with his
new allies had so excited the people, that riotous and tumultuous
assemblies took place. One of these occurring on the 21st May at .
Newcastle, Kirk was ordered, with his regiment, to aid the civil
power. Large numbers of keelmen on the Rivers Wear and Tyne
had been active in promoting tumults.
On 19th June an order was issued for all officers to join their
respective corps in twenty-one days from the date of the order, on
pain of being superseded by officers of the same rank on half-pay.
In the Gazette notice of this, the officers of Kirk's regiment who
are named as being absent are:—Major Fitzgerald, Captains Culli-
ford and Bosmorell (Du Boismorel ?), and Ensign Arnot. From the
appointment of Captain Rudyerd to Captain Culliford's company,
it would appear as if he had been superseded.
The good luck of King George, and the ill-luck of James, was
again to be exemplified in the failure of the new attempts, with
the help of Spain, to regain his kingdom. The Spanish Fleet had.
24 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1719.
not long set out before it was overtaken, in the Bay of Biscay, with
fearful storms. For twelve days the storms raged; guns, arms,
horses, and stores were cast overboard by the crews in terror at
their danger, and in a short time nearly all the ships, one by one,
returned to Spain “crippled wrecks.” Two only escaped, on which
were some Scotch Lords, who had, with 300 Spanish soldiers,
undertaken to raise the clansmen in rebellion. These landed at
Kintail in Rothshire; but only about 1,500 Highlanders joined
them. General Carpenter, who had been ennobled for his services,
directed General Wightman, with 1,000 men, to attack them. The
insurgents, about 2,000 in number, were soon dislodged from a strong
position, and driven off, with but slight loss to the Royal Army; the
Lords Tullibardine, Mareschal, and Seaforth escaping with most
of the Highland troops, but the whole of the Spanish contingent
was captured. Upon this the troops that had been massed in the
north were ordered to march away, the Queen's being at first
ordered to Leeds and Halifax, two companies being moved on
24th September to Huddersfield. *
On the 29th October the regiment moved to Litchfield and
Wolverhampton, and on 12th December the “five companies” were
marched from Litchfield to Birmingham. It would appear from
the expression “the five companies” that only that number of
companies was sent to Newcastle, though the marching order
says distinctly that “the regiment ’’ was ordered away.
Major-General Evans was, on 31st October, Crdered to Bristol to
take the command of the forces in the south, and amongst the
regiments put under his command was Kirk's, who was ordered to
obey such orders as he might receive from General Evans.
1720..] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 25
**—
C H A P T E R II.
REGIMENT ENCAMPED IN SCOTLAND-CONTINUED
JACOBITE INTRIGUES.
1720.
CoNTENTS.–South Sea Bubble—Regiment much moved about in consequence
of the troublous times—Guard for King's Money—Regiment assisting in
Quarantine—Establishment of Regiment, Cost, and Subsistence—Prices
of Commissions in Regiment-Regiment goes into Barracks at Berwick
—Clothing and Off-reckonings—Regiment ordered to Scotland–Guards
from Brigadier Preston's Forces sent to the Highlands—Agents ordered
to resign their Commissions—Regiment reviewed by General Sabine—
Establishment and Allowances—Off-reckonings, Clothing, and Arms—
Regiment sent to Inverness — Encamped there — Duel, and Death of
Captain Manning—Order of the King for Men not to be allowed to labour
in Civil Life—Detachment sent in search of attainted Jacobites—King
leaves for Germany — Bishop Atterbury prosecuted for Treason and
exiled—Loyalty of the Inhabitants of Portsmouth—Strength and Cost
of Regiment — Reviewed by General Sabine–Regiment augmented—
Off-reckonings and Clothing — Regiment ordered to Fort William—
Sir Patrick Stracham and Ensign Johnson—Petition by “Piercy Kirk”
for arrears of pay—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—Marches to
Edinburgh—New Clothing issued there—Desertions—Returns of state
of Regiment asked for—Swords for Officer and Privates—Reduction of
Strength of Regiment—Quarters of all Regiments in North Britain—
Establishment, Off-reckonings, and Cost—Regiments at Gibraltar to wear
Swords—Troubles caused in Glasgow by Malt Tax—Riots—Suggested
move of Jacobites—Foreign Men-of-War reported off Stornoway—
General Wade advises, in consequence of state of Affairs, Kirk and
Macartney’s Regiments remain at present Quarters—Wade goes to
Glasgow — Orders disarming of Inhabitants — Rioters captured and
taken to Glasgow—The Clans loyal —Riots in Edinburgh — Clans
bring in Arms—War Wessel for Lake Ness—Rob Roy, and his Sub-
mission—General Wade leaves for London—Number of Arms delivered
up by the Highland Clans—Establishment of Regiment—Threatenings
of War. -
THE year 1720 was famous for one of the most gigantic
financial bubbles that was ever floated on the air of speculation.
The nation had, in spite of the sanguinary and costly wars of
William and Anne, been advancing steadily in wealth and pros-
perity, and now that war was not engaging its attention, a war
of speculation set in, and wrought more ruin and desolation than
even the most costly campaign. The King, in November 1719,
had desired the Commons to turn their attention to the lessening
of the national debt. This comparatively new feature in the
26 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1720.
English national life was a great bugbear to the rulers of the
nation, and the statesmen of the period greatly feared its increase
and its duration. This dread induced the governors to entertain an
offer of the South Sea Company (which had been formed some years
before to carry on a monopoly of trade in South America) to buy
up the annuities. The Bank of England bid against the company,
but ultimately the South Sea Company's offer was accepted.
The holders of the annuities rushed to exchange their certain
income for the prospect of boundless wealth in the company’s
enterprises in South America, and the fever of speculation set in
in all directions. A similar feature, though not quite so disastrous,
has been experienced by the working of the law of limited lia-
bility in our own times. In each case the train was prepared by
a large amount of superfluous capital of the middle classes, and
the natural wish for its profitable employment; but the principal
speculators were gamblers, belonging to all classes of society,
and those who were unable to resist the surging tide of rash
investments. Companies of all kinds, no matter how absurd the
titles, were sure of investors. Money, money, money, was the
Only thought and cry.
During this troublesome and unhappy time the regiment was
moved about a good deal. On the 5th April they were ordered
to march from the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton and Bir-
mingham, where they had been since October last year, to Leeds,
Halifax, and Huddersfield. They remained in these places till the
7th June; when they were ordered to Berwick, with subsequent
instructions, upon arrival at Berwick, to send two companies on
detachment to Tweedmouth and Spittle. The regiment remained
quartered in Berwick and the neighbourhood for the remainder of
the year.
On the 29th October a small sergeant's party, of twelve men,
were ordered to safeguard the transport of a sum of money for
the King's use, which was being sent from Newcastle to Berwick.
On the 3rd of the next month “the officer in chief with Kirk's
regiment ’’ was ordered to assist the civil magistrates and officers
of customs in Berwick whenever required, to oblige all ships
coming from the Mediterranean, Bordeaux, and the other ports on
the coast of France, in the Bay of Biscay, as also from the Channel
Islands, to make quarantine pursuant to proclamation, and to
prevent persons landing from the ships before they had suffered
the quarantine.
It would seem that there was still trouble in keeping senior
officers with the head-quarters of the regiment, for a stringent
order was sent on 24th August that one field officer and two-
1720..] Now THE QUEEN's Roy AL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 27.
thirds of officers of inferior rank were to constantly attend in
quarters.”
The establishment of the regiment, and its charge, was as
follows:—Ten companies, thirty-five men in each. Total strength,
445, men and officers included. Cost per annum, 10,531, 13s.,
including an allowance for widows of 24l. 8s.f The allowances to
the colonel for clothing lost by deserters, 211. 78, per annum. To
captains for recruiting 18l. 6s., to the agent 91. 3s. per annum of
each company in each case. -
The regulation of subsistence was as follows:—
S. d.
To a colonel and captain, and in lieu of his servants 18 0 per diem.
,, lieutenant-colonel 2 3 3 * 13
,, major 2 3 2 3 II
,, captain, and in lieu of his servants ...
,, lieutenant 2 3 2 3
5 3 ensign 2 3 2 3
, chaplain ...
,, adjutant
,, quartermaster
, , Surgeon
2 3 , mate
, , Sergeant ...
, , corporal
,, drummer ...
,, private man
3 *
Revised printed regulations were this year issued for prices
of commissions. These regulations made by a board of general
officers, and approved by the King, and were as follows. “For
Kirk's regiment "-
f
Colonel and captain... tº º ſº e s e & © tº tº s & © tº ſº ... 6,000
Lieutenant-colonel and captain ... tº 8 ſº tº º º tº tº º ... 2,400
Major and captain ... tº $ tº & a tº tº s º tº £ tº 8 * * ... 1,800
Captain tº s tº e g g tº & s e tº º º tº ſº tº tº º tº ... 1,000
Captain-lieutenant ... e tº e © tº tº tº tº o • * * * * * ... 450
Lieutenant ... * * * tº º tº tº $ tº tº gº tº tº º is tº e & ... 300
Ensign tº º tº tº $ tº tº º tº tº 9 º' tº $ tº tº º º tº tº 150
Chaplain and adjutant ... * * * tº tº º tº tº º tº s º ... 150
Quartermaster e e e tº tº º * * * tº E tº tº $ tº g tº º ... 150
On the 21st January 1721 the regiment was ordered to march into
the barracks from the town where they had been quartered, where
they were to remain until further orders. The governor of the
town of Berwick was ordered to give the regiment any assistance
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 152, p. 120.
# Audit Office, Military Establishment Book, 1720, No. 48,
28 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1721.
that might be necessary, and to take care that they had fitting
accommodation. A curious entry, given early in the year, directs
that twenty-three tons of coals and eighteen dozens of candles
were to be given, “and no more,” to every company, to be used
from 29th September to 26th March.
In a letter dated 2nd February it is stated that the barracks
were not in a fit state to receive the regiment, but the writer
“cannot approve of the regiment remaining still in the town of
Berwick,” and he hopes the storekeeper will not be wanting in his
endeavours to lay in as Soon as possible a sufficient provision of
stores for the regiment.
A report was sent in in March, from the general officers appointed
to consider the matter, on the clothing of the Army. From an
assignment from Colonel Kirk to William Weston, empowering
him to receive from the Paymaster-General of the Forces all the
off-reckonings of the regiment commencing the 25th March 1721
and ending 24th March 1722, it would appear that the cost of the
clothing for the year was 1,244l. 5s. 5d.*
A complaint was made about this time of the great number
of women and children which accompanied regiments. It was,
therefore, ordered that all women not legally married were to be
“chased away from the forces,” and the commanding officer was to
see this order strictly obeyed. º
On the 6th April the regiment was ordered to be relieved at
Berwick by Colonel Montague's regiment. Colonel Kirk was to
march away by such routes as he would receive from Brigadier
Preston. The destination of the regiment was eight companies at
Aberdeen, one at Fraserburgh, and one at Banff.
Colonel Kirk was instructed, on 27th April, not to discharge any
soldiers recommended to Chelsea Hospital after the latter end of
the month, as the commissioners would not meet after that date
till next winter, and soldiers so discharged would be left destitute
and beg the streets for want of food.
Brigadier Preston was ordered, on the 11th May, to make a
detachment of 300 men from the forces under his command, and
dispose of them according to instructions for the preservation of
peace in the Highlands. The Jacobite spectre was again rearing
his gaunt head, the birth of a son to James Edward in the year
preceding having again risen the hopes of the exiled house, and
Charles Edward Louis Casimir was to be the cause of many
stirring scenes before the light of his pretensions was for ever
extinguished. -
* Audit Office, Enrolments, Vol. 31.
1721.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surkey REGIMENT. 29
The Guards ordered to be sent to the Highlands from Brigadier
Preston's forces were distributed as follows:—
At the head of Lockjern Achinliss ... ... 1 subaltern 30 foot
Glenorchy, Dany Beg ... * 9 & s & g ... 1 3 9 30 ,,
Head of Loch Rannock, inner Whimrie in
Struan Robertson's County ... & & e ... 1 3 3 30 ,,
Rillielachan in Weems' County tº º q ... 1 2 3 30 , ,
Brae of Mar Dubrach ... tº
& e tº e e ... 1 33 30 ,,
Auchnachill in Strathdown, Duke of Gordon's
County ... * * * & e º is is tº tº º º ... 1 2 3 30 ,,
Head of Lochguoch Glengaries' Land ... ... 1 9 3 30 ,,
Meunister in Brae Badenock, Duke of Gordon's
County ... tº tº e * ge & e * tº 'º ... 1 55 30 ,
Garramore, in Brae Badenock, Duke of
Gordon’s County tº $ tº gº tº º & 4 ºn ... 1 3 9 30 , ,
Glenmoriston's County ... * * * tº ſº º ... 1 5 5 30 , ,
300 , ,
On the 21st May all agents to the regiments in the service who
held commissions in the said regiments were ordered to resign
them. The Queen's was one of the regiments named.
On the 25th July the King ordered General Sabine to review
the Queen's, and Colonel Kirk was instructed to take measures to
have the regiment in readiness for the review, and “to take such
measures as he should judge most necessary upon the Occasion.”
Rirk had been ordered, on the 29th May, to send in an exact
return of the state and condition of the arms of the regiment, but
appears to have neglected to send it in, as a peremptory order is
sent on the 16th August for him to send it in “without delay.”
In the estimate for the Guards and Garrisons for 1721,
Colonel Kirk's charge for the regiment, consisting of 445 men, was
10,5021, 17s. 6d. The half-pay of the regiment is given as only
1l. 7s. 10d.” The allowances same as last year,
A warrant was sent out on the 24th January 1722 authorising
colonels of regiments of Foot (Kirk's regiment named) to make
two assignments of their off-reckonings for three years, towards
furnishing them with a new set of arms and accoutrements. It
appears from this document that the old arms and accoutrements
were quite worn out, and the King feared the expense of fur-
nishing new ones would be too onerous for the officers. In effect,
the arrangement proposed was that instead of clothing the
men in new clothing each year, they were to be made to last
eighteen months, and in this manner it was hoped to reduce the
expense of clothing the regiment.
* Treasury Papers, Vol. II. pp. 218, 271.
30 HISTORY OF THE SECONL, QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT ; [1722,
On the 3rd March orders were sent for the Queen's to march
to Inverness to relieve General Macartney's regiment there, and
Brigadier Preston, on the same day, was ordered to take care that
the regiment was settled in their new quarters by the 20th May,
in time for the project ºd review by the general officers. Kirk
received a letter lat r on, informing him that the intended review
was postponed till the beginning of August. On the 10th of the
same month, the brigadier was ordered to see that the regiments
under his command in the north marched out of their quarters in
town three days before the elections, and did not return till two
days after the election. -
The Queen's was, on the 8th May, ordered, with other regi-
ments, to be encamped near Inverness. Amongst the numbers of
orders for the conduct of the troops while in camp, was one by
the King that divine service should be regularly performed,
during the time the forces were encamped. Colonel Kirk was
directed to order his chaplain to repair forthwith to his duty
in camp. The regiments remained in camp till the 4th Sep-
tember, when the Queen's was marched into Inverness for winter
quarters.
While the regiment was at the camp at Inverness an unfortu-
nate circumstance happened, which lesulted in the death of one of
the officers. Kirk, writing in favour of Lieutenant-Colonel Graham,
enclosed the following account of the affair. In his letter he
writes, that as the laws of Scotland were so severe against duelling
“it leaveth no room for manslaughter,” and he fears if the sur-
viving officer comes up for trial he will be condemned to death.
Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, therefore, “flings himself at His
Majesty's feet for a pardon.” The account of the affair, as
stated in the memorial, was as follows:—Captain Manning
joined the regiment at Edinburgh, and three days after joining,
he came to Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, who was then in com-
mand, asking leave to go to England to recruit for his company.
As there were only eleven officers with the regiment, the rest
being on recruiting service, his application had to be refused,
upon which Captain Manning said he would apply to a
higher authority for leave. Another time, Colonel Graham had
to reprimand him for endeavouring to impose upon him at a
review, by having in his company one superannuated man and
two men from another regiment. From this time Captain Manning
according to the memorial, took every opportunity of aspersing
and maligning Colonel Graham, representing him as proud,
arbitrary, and tyrannical for calling out the regiment too often for
discipline and drill. A further injury was done to the Colonel
1722.] NOW THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 31
by Captain Manning spreading a report that Colonel Kirk had
severely reprimanded him for his treatment of the regiment,
which, Colonel Kirk wites, was as false as it was malicious,
tending to the creating of jealousies in weak minds, and the utter
dissolution of all discipline and good order. Another instance is
stated of bad conduct on the part of Captain Manning having,
when on duty at the camp, been absent when the picquet was to
turn out. Colonel Graham, meeting him afterwards, asked him
whether he was the officer for that command ; he answered he
was, but he had forgotten it, and then turned upon his heel, with
all the contempt and disdain he could show. The weakness
of Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, in not at once ordering him
under arrest, no doubt led to the final catastrophe. On the
24th August, Colonel Graham meeting Captain Manning, in-
formed him, he would like to talk over some affairs with him
which he had heard the day before, upon which Manning replied, if
he would walk towards the Strand, he would follow him. He then
went and endeavoured to borrow a sword from Captain Digg, who
refused it, and, being apprehensive of a quarrel, he went with him
to Colonel Graham, and asked both whether there was any
quarrel between them, which they both denied. Two hours after
this, Manning having been successful in getting a sword (the account
of the transaction does not say why Captain Manning was disarmed)
from another officer, went in Search of Colonel Graham, and
meeting him near the guard house, he said to him “Colonel, when
will you meet me,” upon which the other said, “I will follow you
to the Strand,” upon which Captain Manning went on to the fort.
When Colonel Graham arrived there, and asked Manning some
questions, the latter replied, “Are you come here to capitulate 2*
and immediately drew his sword. The encounter then took place,
Captain Manning being kille 1. Colonel Graham seems to have been
pardoned, as he was in the regiment up to the year 1743.”
On return to quarters in Inverness Kirk was, on 24th September,
ordered to send to Lord Cadogan, as soon as possible, an account of
what disbursements had been made by him for the services of the
regiment from the day of their encampment to the day they
marched into winter quarters. On the 29th of the same month he
was ordered to send in a list of the old men in the regiment that
were not fit for service, “so that able men might be enlisted in
their stead.” -
* Domestic State Papers, Scotland, 1725, September to December, No. 17.
There is no doubt an error in the Calendar of this paper, as the regiment
was in camp in Inverness in 1722. In 1723 they went to Fort William, and
in 1724 to Edinburgh; in 1725 they were ordered to Aberdeen.
32 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1722.
It appears to have been a practice, about this time, to allow the
private soldier to hire himself out to work at day labour. The
King having been informed of this, sent a strict order to the effect
that as this is “contrary to all discipline, and at this juncture
especially may be attended with very mischievous and dangerous
consequences,” particular care was to be taken for the future
to prevent any such practices.”
It appears to have been the intention of the authorities to have
sent detachments of the regiment into the Highlands, but the inten-
tion was abandoned, as Colonel Kirk was informed his regiment was
“to remain entire,” as it was not intended to make detachments
from there to relieve those now in the Highlands.f
A detachment was nevertheless sent in search of “the attainted
persons lately returned from beyond the seas,” who were re-
ported to have been lurking in the north of Scotland. A letter
dated 11th September, from Secretary Treby to the “officer
Commanding in Chief Colonel Kirk's regiment,” complains that the
party that had been with Captain MacNeil in the Highlands, had
neglected to send an account of what had been done by them either
to Lord Cadogan or to the writer, and he further writes, “It is not
necessary to give reasons why we desire such an account, but you
will take care to return the best account the officer of your
regiment can give.”f The attainted persons to whom the corres-
pondence refers were, amongst others, the Marquis Tullibardine, the
renowned Marshal Keith, the Earl of Seaforth, and Lord George
Murray. A fearful storm off Cape Finisterre on the 10th March
dispersed the ships that were bringing over the rebels, and the
weakened and dispirited forces commanded by the Scotch lords and
gentlemen that were able to land were afterwards defeated by the
King's troops at Glensheil on the 10th June.'
The King had left for his usual visit to his German dominions
early in the year, and the conspirators had agreed upon his
departure as a signal for the attempt to raise the standard of revolt.
Lord Mahon, in his history, ascribes this “second growth of
Jacobitism" to the effect produced on the public mind, by the
publication of Clarendon's History of the Rebellion. Bishop
Atterbury, one of its editors, was afterwards tried by the House of
Lords for his complicity in the treasonable attempt at rebellion, and
was convicted. He had to leave the kingdom (though his estates
were not forfeited), and died in Paris in 1732.
* Domestic Entry Book, 1721–1735, Vol. 8.
+ War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 152, p. 68.
† Ibid., p. 73.
§ Collins’ Peerage, Vol. I, p. 442.
| Lord Mahon, History, Vol. II., p. 51.
1723.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 33"
The loyal inhabitants of Portsmouth presented an address to the
King on the 16th June, congratulating him on the timely discovery-
of the traitorous designs made against him and his government.
The address, after the strongest expressions of dissent at the effort
of the conspirators to disturb the tranquillity of the kingdom, .
offered the services of the gentlemen and burgesses to discover and
defeat all designs against the King and his government. The
address contains the names of the Mayor, the Governor of Ports- .
mouth, Lieutenant-General Macartney, Sir John Morris, Sir Charles
Wager, who were severally introduced to the King when they
delivered their address by the Duke of Bolton, the Lord Lieutenant . .
of the county of Southampton.* -
In the estimate for the charges of guards, garrisons, &c. in
Great Britain, the regiment is given as having 445 men, and the
annual cost 10,502l. 17s.6d. The assignment by Colonel Kirk to .
Robert Mann and William Daye of the off-reckonings of the
regiment for the payment of clothing and accoutrements for the
year was 1,864l. 13s. 7d.
The regiment was again reviewed by Major-General Sabine on,
the 30th June.
On the 24th January 1723 orders were received that the regiment
was to be augmented by the addition of one sergeant, one drummer,
and nineteen men to each company, or a total augmentation of ten
sergeants, ten drummers, and 190 men. It is singular that the
order to provide the halberds, drums, muskets, and bayonets, “with,
all expedition ” for the augmentation is dated two days before the
order for the increase to the strength. The regiment had also been
augmented in January by an extra company, the establishment of
which was one captain, One lieutenant, one ensign, three corporals, ,
two drummers, and fifty-four private men. The total strength ,
of the regiment is given as 665, including officers. The cost of .
the clothing and accoutrements for the augmented men was to .
be 748l. 9s. 24d. The off-reckoning account for the clothing
of the whole regiment for the year was 1,871. 118. 10d. An
order was received on the 11th April for the regiment to be relieved
at Inverness by General Sabine's regiment, then stationed at Perth.
The Queen's were to proceed to Fort William, to relieve Lieutenant-
General Macartney's regiment. The orders for these reliefs .
must have been changed, as on the 14th April next year General
Sabine's regiment relieved the Queen's at Fort William, the Queen's .
going to Edinburgh to relieve General Macartney's regiment .
* St. James Evening Post, June 19, 1722.
+ Audit Office Enrolments, Vol. 33, 5 March 1721/2.
WOL. III. C:
34 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1723.
stationed there, the latter going on to Berwick. They were to be in
their new quarters by the 20th May. On arriving at Fort William
two sergeant parties were to be sent out, one to Awmore (?), the
other to Corran-Argower, each post within six miles of Fort
William. These detachments were “found to be of singular use in
stopping the thieves from boating and swimming off stolen cattle
and horses at the said places.” The commander-in-chief at Fort
William was ordered to supply the detachments with food from
the stores in Fort William, and for greater security it was to be
conveyed by a sergeant's party. A complaint was, on 21st May,
lodged against Ensign Johnson of the regiment by Sir Patrick
Strachan, Barrackmaster-General for North Britain, for hinder-
ing persons who had contracted to cut turf for the barrack-
master, “whereby he is disappointed of a year's firing.” The ensign
appears to have commanded a detachment at Bornera (?).
A petition was presented on the 2nd December to the Lords of
the Treasury by “Piercy Kirk, Esq.,” for payment to him of a sum
of 390l. 8s. 11}d., which he averred was due to him by Her late
Majesty Queen Anne for his salary as housekeeper from 25th
December 1713 to Ist August 1714, at the rate of 650l. per
2 Ill.) Ulſſ). -
An entry in the Journals of the House of Commons” refers to
a debt due by the Crown to the five English regiments “left
undetermined by the late commissioners for determining the debts
due to the army.” There is an order to pay the Queen's Regiment
the sum of 2,857l. 17s. 23d., owing for the period 24th June 1705
to 22nd December 1708.
Major-General Sabine again reviewed the regiment on the
25th July.
The establishment of the regiment in 1724 was 655 officers and
men, and the cost for the year 13,3071. 38. Another authority gives
<he cost as 13,270. 158. 10d. for 366 days. The King, on the 6th
february 1724, sent notice to the Board of General Officers that he
contemplated the reduction in the eleven regiments of Foot in
Great Britain, of two private men per company, from and after
the 23rd of the same month. The allowances were to be the same
as given in 1720.
General Sabine's regiment, on the 14th April, relieved the
Queen's at Fort William, and the latter marched to Edinburgh,
relieving General Macartney's regiment there, who marched to
Berwick for their summer quarters. On the Queen's arriving at
wº---—
4-
* Journals of the House of Commons, 1722–1727, Vol. 20, May 21st.
1724.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 35
Edinburgh, when they had got settled in their quarters, new
clothing was delivered to them.
There would seem to have been some desertions in the regiment
while in Edinburgh. A court-martial, held on 25th June, sentenced
a soldier of the Queen's named John Richardson to corporal punish-
ment for desertion. On the 24th and 27th returns were asked for
by Secretary Pelham of the officers and men of the regiment. The
returns were to specify the dates of the officers’ commissions, and
the number of years they had been in the Army, the number of
men who had died or deserted from the regiment since the date of
the last return.
On the 17th October Colonel Kirk was ordered to furnish the
non-commissioned officers and the privates with swords “as soon
as he possibly could.”
The establishment books contain a warrant dated 9th June
1724, “ for deducting the subsistence of two men per troop or
company from the captains, in case they do not keep them complete
according to the establishment.”
All the companies composing the regiment were mustered on the
23rd February 1725, each consisting of 54 effective private men.
From and after that date they were ordered to be reduced by the
discharge of two men per company, the quota having been fixed
at fifty-two.
On the 10th April instructions were sent of the future disposi-
tion of the various regiments of Foot in North Britain, as
follows:—
A disposition of the Cantonment of the several Regiments of Foot in North
Britain.
Major-General Sabine's to continue where they are.
Brigadier Groves to quarter six companies at Inverness, two at Nairn,
two at Forres, and to continue their detachment at Killieweemen till
further orders.
Major-General Whetham's to march six companies to Elgin, one to
Lochabars, near Gordon Castle, one to Cullen, and two to Bamph.
Colonel Kirk's to march to New and Old Aberdeen, leaving a detachment
of a subaltern and 24 men at Innersnate, till relieved by Cadogan's,
and a company at Leith till relieved from Berwick, at which time they
march and join the regiment.
Ilieutenant-General Macartney's to march five companies to Dundee, one
to Arbroth, two to Montrose, and two to Stonehive.
Colonel Cadogan's, O.le company to march to the barrack of Innersnate,
two to Stirling, and seven to Perth, till further orders.
Earl Deloraine's, four companies to march to the Canongate of Edin-
burgh, and one to Leith, to remain there until further orders.
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 153, p. 135.
C 2
36 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1725.
A detachment of twenty-four Dragoons from Campbell's regiment to
go to Forfar, and the same number from Stair's to Cooper in Angus,
each detachment to be commanded by a subaltern, a quartermaster,
and a serjeant with a drum.
A letter was sent to Kirk, informing him of this change of
quarters, and that in all probability there would be an encampment
of some of the regiments, his being one. He was to send his camp
equipage and such other necessaries for the regiment by sea to
Inverness, near which place it was intended to encamp the
troops.
Some little trouble seems to have been experienced in April in
consequence of the detention by the mayor and sheriffs of Notting-
ham of a deserter named Holmes, who was concerned in a suit
being tried there. The Attorney-General had to be appealed to,
for his decision in the case. -
The usual annual assignment of the off-reckonings of the
“Serjeants, corporals, drums, and sentinels" of the regiment for the
payment of the clothing, was made, on 9th April, by Colonel Kirk to
R. Mann and W. Daye. The amount is given as 1,906l. 10s. 7d.
The establishment of the regiment on the 31st May was 655
men, officers included, and the cost per diem 36l. 7s. 2d., and
for 365 days 13,270l. 158. 10d., including allowances to the
widows, to the colonel for clothing, to the captains for recruiting,
and to the agents, as given in the establishment of 27th March
1721.*
The King in the month of March decided that all the non-com-
missioned officers and private men should wear swords.
A letter from the Board of General Officers, who were reporting
on the clothing, as to whether this order was intended to apply to all
the regiments of Foot, including the Foot Guards and the men in
garrisons and independent companies, elicits the reply from the
War Secretary Pelham that “no positive instructions could be given.
till such time as it is known what regiments should be sent from
Ireland to relieve those at Port Mabon and Gibraltar.”f
A later letter in the same month directs that the regiments at
Majorca and Gibraltar should be by the King's orders, furnished
with Swords, the same as the troops at home.
On the 25th June a serious riot took place at Glasgow. The
cause of the disturbance was a decision of the House of Com-
mons, in opposition to the opinion of the Minister Walpole, to
* War Office, Establishment Book, 1725–1727, No. 84, and Journals of the
House of Commons, 1722–1727, Vol. 20.
f War Office, General Officers’ Letter Book, 1715–1742.
T725.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 37
put a duty of 3d. on every barrel of ale brewed. This tax was
to take the place of the malt duty, which the Scotchmen had
persistently evaded. The Excise officers who attempted to collect
the tax were maltreated, and the house of the member for
Glasgow, Daniel Campbell, was wrecked. The riot appearing to
be of a serious nature, Major-General Wade, who was in command
of the troops in the north, and who had been engaged in constructing
the great military roads of the Highlands, immediately ordered
up five companies of Colonel Clayton's regiment. Carpenter's
Dragoons were also ordered to the north, and the regiments en-
camped at Inverness ordered to hold themselves in readiness. In
the meantime two companies of Lord Deloraine's regiment had
entered the town at the request of the Provost, from whom the
officer in command was to take his orders.
Shortly after entering the town the soldiers were stoned, and
cries were heard of “Down with Walpole and up with Seaforth.”
The mob were further excited by being informed that the
Mackenzies were up in the north, and would soon come to their
assistance. The soldiers at last, having warned the mob, but
without effect, fired on them, killing and wounding several. This
further incensed the rioters, and the Provost most unaccountably
advised the officer to retire his men, which he did. The troops
were pursued as far as Dumbarton. At the instigation of the lioters,
they were refused admission into the town, and had to take refuge in
the castle. General Wade, in his report to the Duke of Roxburgh,
Secretary of State for Scotland, suggested that the riot was the
beginning of rebellion, and “is the usual way of the Jacobites, who
never fail to mix themselves with all mobs, and to take all advantages
of creating disturbances to the Government.” He enclosed a letter
which gave colour to the idea of rebellion, as it informed the autho-
rities that on the 16th three foreign men-of-war took harbour
two leagues south of Stornoway, Lewis, having on board about 280
men. Wade therefore advised that the two regiments of Kirk and
Macartney should not move from their quarters until it should
be seen what further designs those on board the ships should
have. “Kirk being at Aberdeen and Macartney at Dundee, Mont-
rose, &c., in case the ships landed men in the north, the regiments
are so far on their way to Inverness, and if they land in the
west towards Glasgow, they can soon be sent to form a camp there.”
General Wade's arrangements for the protection of the King's
interests met with the complete approval of the Government, and
he was thanked for his prompt and vigorous action.
On the 8th July he reported that the troops ordered up had
arrived at their respective quarters, and consisted of Lord Stair's
38 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMIENT; [1725.
regiment of Dragoons, four troops of Colonel Campbell's Dragoons,
eight companies of Lord Deloraine's Foot, and one of the newly raised
Highland companies, with four field pieces and eight cohorn
mortars. The two companies of Lord Deloraine's regiment that
took action against the rioters were not allowed to join their
regiment, for fear of incensing the mob. General Wade himself
went to Glasgow, leaving Edinburgh guarded by five companies
of Colonel Clayton's regiment, two companies of Highlanders, and
two troops of Campbell's Dragoons. On his arrival at Glasgow he
sent a letter to the magistrates, saying that he was ordered by the
Government to march a body of troops into the town to support
the civil power, and having been informed that some of the inhabi-
tants had armed themselves, he requested the magistrates to collect
these arms and lodge them in Some proper place or magazine, to
prevent any mischief that might arise between the townspeople and
the forces. Some slight disturbances occurred during the arrest
of the rioters at Irvine and Elgin, but the guard succeeded in
bringing twenty-one of the rioters to Edinburgh to be tried, and
sent the Provost and magistrates to Edinburgh under a guard. The
reports of the disaffection of the clans appear to have been false,
as they offered to General Wade, by letters and messages, to pay
a punctual obedience to the King's commands. The metropolis of
Scotland was also not free from a suspicion of disloyalty.
The Duke of Newcastle, on 5th August, writing to General
Wade, says he is sorry to find that the disturbances in Scotland were
far from being at an end, and that it was Scarce extinguished in
Glasgow before it showed itself in Edinburgh. He hoped by the
directions the general has given for quartering the troops in and
about Edinburgh, that the peace of the kingdom would be pre-
served. By the end of August the tumults were at an end and
the culprits punished, and on the 24th, the Duke of Newcastle
wrote to Wade that he was glad to find him back at the camp at
Inverness.
On the 25th September Wade wrote from the camp at Inver-
ness that the Clans MacIntosh and McPherson had delivered up
their arms at the barrack of Ruthven in Badenoch, and that he
had also issued summonses to Tarn, Bredalbane, and Duke of
Gordon's followers in Badenoch and the neighbouring counties.
He feared he would be soon obliged to break up his camp, as the
snow had begun to fall in the mountains, but he would do so by
detachments, and make a further progress in disarming the Clans
who were engaged in the rebellion.
On the 20th October he again wrote to the Duke, informing
him that he had completed what was to be done in the Northern
1725. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 39
Highlands and had arrived at Dunkeld, having on his way re-
ceived the arms of Bredalbane, and the Brae of Mar and those of
Athol, which latter were delivered up to him at Dunkeld. He
wrote that the Highlanders now travelled to their fairs and markets
with only a staff in their hands, instead of guns, broadswords, dirks,
and pistols. When the general first came to Inverness, he caused
Lake Ness to be accurately surveyed, and had had a vessel
built, which he hoped to launch at the beginning of November.
This vessel had been built to preserve communication between
Inverness and Killyhunin (supposed to be Fort Augustus), and
would carry a company of soldiers with all their arms. She was
built in the form of a galley with oars and sails. With this
precaution he trusted he had secured the navigation of the lake, “as
it never freezes even in the coldest weather, and the galley will,
except in storms and hurricanes, be able to patrol the lake.”
In this letter of 20th October, he informed the Duke that the
arms that were brought into Bredalbane included those of the
famous Rob Roy, who sent in a larger proportion, and in a hand-
Somer manner than his neighbours. The famous Scotch Chieftain.
came and made his submission to the general in the town, on the
19th October, and assured him (the general) he never had the
least thought of entering into the rebellion from any dislike he
had to the Government, and from any attachment he had to the
Pretender, but to avoid the prosecution of his enemy, the Duke of
Montrose, with whom he said he had since accommodated matters.
This, the general goes on to remark, “appears the more probable
from the civility with which he treated the King's soldiers when-
ever he met with them in the mountains, whom he never used to
part with, without drinking the health of King George. He has
just now sent in his letter of submission.” e
General Wade continued at his work in the pacification of the
Highland Clans until the 18th November, when he left Edinburgh
for London. The camp was broken up at the beginning of October
in consequence of the excessive bad weather that had then set in.
He had, when breaking up the camp, ordered detachments of the
troops to be sent to the various places appointed for arms to
be given up. The new Highland companies were also put on
duty. The total number of arms delivered up is stated to have been
upwards of 2,600. Upon General Wade's departure, Colonels James
Campbell and Clayton were left in command in the North.
The establishment of the regiment continued the same. Sum
voted for it was 13,270l. 15s. 10d.
* Domestic State Papers, Scotland, 1725. September to December
No. 17.
~40 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1726.
The regiment remained quartered in Scotland during the
whole of 1726. The amount paid for clothing, according to the
assignment of Colonel Kirk to Messrs. Mann and Daye, being
1,7591. 5s. 1d. The establishment of the regiment was the same
as before, the number given in the return on 9th May being
635 men, including officers; cost, 12,027l. 9s. 2d.
A muttering of war was heard in the land at the beginning of
the year, in consequence of the indignity supposed to have been
offered by France to Spain in the refusal to betroth the Infanta
to the youthful King of France. The courts of Madrid and
Vienna were by this petty quarrel placed in antagonism to the
courts of Versailles and St. James. A treaty had been made in
Vienna in the year before. One of the clauses was said to be an
agreement to place the Pretender on the throne of Great Britain.
This led the English to make preparations for war. It was a
curious commentary upon the changeful nature of the relations
of this country with the Powers on the continent. England now
found herself allied by the Hanover treaty with her former foes
in the Spanish Succession wars
1727.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 41
C H A P T E R III.
REGIMENT IN LONDON–SEA SERVICE–PARMA SUC-
CESSION.—REGIMENT SENT TO GIBRALTAR.
1727.
CONTENTS.—Regiment ordered to Shrewsbury — Moved to Chester and
Namptwich—After several Changes of Quarters moved to Bristol—
Title of Regiment altered to “Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot ”—
Augmentation of Regiment—Establishment and Cost—Kirk ordered
Abroad on service as Lieutenant-General—Off-reckonings—The Brighton
Maid's soldiering——Troubles with the Authorities at Bristol—Regiment
moved to Devizes, &c.—Deserter shot—Strength and Cost of Regiment
—Regiment ordered to London — Detailed for Guards in London—
Review by the King—Detachment ordered as a Guard of Honour
for the Princess Amelia at Tunbridge Wells—Regiment ordered to
Maidstone, Canterbury, Sandwich, and Deal——A Company ordered
to Ramsgate—Spain demands Restitution of Gibraltar—House of
Commons refuses—Aid to Civil Power—Desertions—Off-reckonings
—Regiment moved to Salisbury, Fisherton, Southampton, Winchester,
Lymington, and Ringwood—Treaty of Seville—Reduction of National
Forces ordered—Discussion on Treaty—Two Companies of the
Regiment disbanded—Further Reduction of Regiment—Particulars
of Clothing—Fstablishment and Cost of Regiment—Kirk ordered to
make Regiment fit for Foreign Service——The New Establishment—
Embarkation of Regiment for Gibraltar — Orders for New Clothing
on King's Accession Day—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—
Troubles out of the Sevile Treaty—Emperor of Germany objects to
Treaty—Death of Duke of Parma and commencement of Intrigues for
Succession—Treaty between the Emperor and England—Joint Treaty
between the Emperor, Great Britain, Spain, and the United Provinces—
England engages to conduct Don Carlos to Parma—Sir Charles Wager
appointed to command the Fleet—The Queen's one of the Regiments for
the Expedition—Names of Ships carrying the Queen's Regiment—Fleet
anchors in Gibraltar Bay—Embarkation of the Queen's and other Regi-
ments — Fleet joined at Barcelona by the Spaniards——Arrival of the allied
Fleet at Leghorn—The English Fleet returns to Gibraltar—Disembarka-
tion of the English Regiments—Cost of Regiment—Augmentation of
Home Regiments—Strength of Regiment—Amount of Off-reckonings—
Warrant for Stoppages—Walpole's Financial Schemes—Public Debt
thought a Safeguard against the Pretender—The Polish War—Strength
of Regiment and Cost—Death of the Duke of Berwick—Large
number of Officers on leave—Strength of Regiment—All Officers
ordered to rejoin Regiment—General Muster of Troops at Gibraltar
—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—Deficiencies in Numbers—
Death of Queen Caroline—Establishment and Cost of Regiment—
Absent Officers ordered to join the Regiment--Progress of Recruiting
—Birth of Prince George of Wales, afterwards George III.—Off-
reckonings—Augmentation of Strength of Regiment—-Again augmented
—Spain and our Colonies—-Declaration of War against Spain—Accession
42 HISTORY CFTIIE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1727.
of Maria Theresa—Spain threatens to bombard Gibraltar—Establishment
and Cost of Regiment.
ON the 2nd January Colonel Kirk was ordered to summon all
the absent officers to repair forthwith to their respective posts, as
the regiment and Macartney's were to be brought from Scotland,
and were to march at Cnce to Berwick, where they would
receive orders as to their further progress. The regiments of
Kirk and Macartney had been chosen out of all those in the north
to return home, as they had been the longest away from England.
On arriving at Berwick they found orders waiting for them
to march, vià Carlisle, direct to Shrewsbury. The King in these
orders wrote that as allowances have been made for the furnish-
ing an entire new set of arms and tents (the camp necessaries
having been formerly supplied),” he expects Kirk will have every-
thing needful in store at his head-quarters, in order to be in
readiness to march to take the field at an hour's notice.f
On arrival at Shrewsbury they were ordered to be quartered
in the town. Next month they had to leave the town during the
assizes. On the 18th April the regiment moved to Chester and
Namptwich ; the companies at the latter place on arrival were
ordered to Manchester. They were, after a short stay, moved on
to Sudbury and Stowmarket, and on 25th May again sent back to
Chester and Manchester, eight companies to the former and four
to the latter town. On the 4th July they removed to Wells,
Shepton Mallet, and Froom, and on the 27th the whole regiment
marched, and were quartered in Bristol. They were to relieve in
Somersetshire Colonels Groves' and Murray's regiments, who were to
be embarked for Ireland. The Queen's were directed to aid
the civil powers in suppressing any riots that might arise
with the colliers, who were apparently giving trouble. The
marching order of the 27th is the first time the regiment was
styled “The Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Foot,” the designation
having been altered from the “Princess of Wales' Own Regiment”
on the death of the King, which occurred on the 10th June 1727.f
The regiment, with others, had been ordered to be augmented
by eight men per company. This order is dated 25th February.
The total of the establishment of the regiment is, therefore,
increased this year, the numbers being given on the 9th May as
857, officers included, and the cost 451. 10s. per diem, and
16,622l. 14s. 2d. for the 365 days, including all allowances.
* The King, on 25th February, ordered forty-two tents, six halberds, and
four drums, with cartouch boxes for the regiment.
f War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 156, pp. 66 to 84.
† The regiment is sometimes styled “The Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot.”
1727.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 43

* ammºmºmº Per Diem. | For 365 Days.
A Regiment of Foot. Field and
Staff Officers. £ S. d. £ s. d.
e Colonel, as Colonel, 12s. - -> - * *
Fº: In lieu of his servants, 2s. - - 0 14 0 255 10 0
by Coll Kirk Lieut.-Col', as Lieut.-Col! - - 0 7 0 127 15 0
| Major, as Major - * - 0. 5 0 91 5 0
Chaplain - 4- º - O 6 8 121 13 4
Adjutant º - * - 0 4 0 73 0 0
Quarter-Master, 4s. e- -
In lieu of his servants, 8d. - - 0 4 8 85 3 4
Surgeon, 4d., and Mate, 2s. 6d. - 0 6 6 118 12 6
2 7 10 872 19 2
One Company.
Consisting of Captain, 8s. es ę -> }
twelve Companies In lieu of his servants, 2s. - - O 10 0 182 1 0 0
of 60 Private | Lieutenant, 4s. - - }
men in each. In lieu of his servant, 8d. * - 0 4 8 85 3 4.
Ensign, 3s. tº -> -
in lieu of his servant, 8d. - - } 0 3 8 66 18 4
Three Serjeants, each 18q. * 0 4 6 82 2 6
Three Corporals, each 12d. - - 0 3 0 54 15 0
Two Drummers, each 12d. - - 0 2 0 36 10 0
Sixty effective Private men, each 2 0 0 730 0 0
8d. -º-ey
3 7 10 | 1,237 19 2
In all 857 men, Allowance to the widows - - 0 1 4 24 6 8
Officers included. | Allowance to the Col' and for 0 1 2 21 5 10
clothing lost by deserters, &c.
Allowance to the Captain for re- 0 1 0 18 5 0
cruiting.
Allowance to the Agent - - 0 0 6 9 2 6
3 11 10 1,310 19 2
The pay of ten Companies more, 35 18 4 || 13,109 ll 8
of the like numbers and at the
same rates as the Company
above mentioned.
One Company of Granadiers.
Captain, 8s. gº sº º - -º
In lieu of his servants, 2s. - - 0 10 0 182 10 0
Two Lieutenants, each 4s. = 8s. - - -º
In lieu of their servants, 1s. 4d. - O 9 4 170 6 8
Three Serjeants, each 18d. * 0 4 6 82 2 6
Three Corporals, each 12d. - - O 3 O 54 15 0
Two Drummers, each 12d. º- 0 2 0 36 10 0
Sixty effective Private men, each 2 0 0 730 0 0
8q.
3 8 10 | 1,256 4 2
44 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1727.
gººmsºs tºº-ºº. | Per Diem. | For 365 Days.
£ s. d. £ s. d.
Carried forward - 3 8 10 1,256 4 2
Allowance to the widows - tºº 0 1 4 24 6 8
Allowance to the Col' and for O 1 2 2.1 5 10
clothing lost by deserters, &c.
Allowance to the Captain for re- 0 1 0 18 5 0
cruiting, &c.
Allowance to the Agent - iº 0 0 6 9 2 G
3 12 10 | 1,829 4 2
Total for this Regiment - || 45 10 10 |ca, 14 2
--~~~~
The establishment in January before the augmentation was 635,
and cost 13,0271. 9s. 2d. The augmentation to the regiment was not
only the eight men per company, but also two additional companies
to the battalion. The warrant for the supply of arms is dated
4th March. The Ordnance were also to supply forty-two tents,
six halberds, and four drums, with cartouch boxes in proportion.*
The King was anxious that the augmentation of the regiment
should be made quickly. On the 31st March he directs that a
letter be written to Kirk to ask him what progress he had made
in his recruiting for the augmentation. He was also ordered to
distinguish the new men from the old.
A warrant was drawn on 27th April for 120l., to be distributed
equally in the several companies of the regiment for the expense
of raising the additional men. The officers were to be diligent
in recruiting, and they were to take care that their respective
companies were complete by the 24th May, when a review of the
regiment would be made by a general officer, who was to report
how far they had obeyed the King's order.
- On the 12th May Kirk received notice that, as the King had
designed to send a body of troops abroad, he had appointed him
to serve with the said troops in the quality of lieutenant-general.
He was to be in readiness to start cn the first notice. On the
15th June Kirk was ordered to return the strength of his regi-
ment, and a list of the officers, specifying how long and where
they had served abroad, and the dates of their commissions.
The amount charged as off-reckonings, and paid for clothing this
year, was 2,3381. 38. 6d. The cost of the additional men's clothing
is given as 1891. 158. 11d. The levy money for the augmentation.
was 400l.
One of the soldiers of the regiment inspired a grand passion in
the heart of a Brighton damsel. She could not resist following
* War Office Miscellany Book, 1724–1730, Vol. 524.
1728.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 45
him. Being unable to join the Queen's, she, after disguising her-
self, enlisted as a private in the 5th Regiment, when she was
about eighteen years of age. She lived far on into the present
century, dying in 1821 at the grand age of 107 years.
General Sir Frederick Hamilton, in his History of the Guards,”
notices a review of the Guards which he says took place on the
22nd June 1727, and he writes that the Queen's regiment and
the fifteenth were ordered up to London to take the Guard's duties
in town while they were being reviewed by the King. The
Guards’ historian seems to have been in error as to the year this
took place. The Queen's were not in London in 1727, but, as will
be seen later, they were ordered up to town next year to be reviewed
at Blackheath, precise instructions being given as to their
quarters. Cannon, not usually very accurate, gives the date of
the review of the 2nd and 15th and 29th regiments, June 1728,
and this date corresponds with the orders given.f A further
corroboration is given in an order to the magistrates, justices of the
peace, &c. to impress waggons and carriages to convey the clothing
of the regiment from London to Chester and Manchester on their
return. If the regiment had been ordered for this duty in London
only nineteen days after the death of the old King, some record
would have been found of their march,
In February 1728 Brigadier Kirk received orders to transmit an
account of the strength of the regiment to the War Office, and he
was ordered to send a similar return on the 1st of every succeeding
month. The return was to be by companies, each company being
distinguished by the name of its captain.
There seems to have been considerable friction between the
officers and the civil magistrates during the time the regiment was
at Bristol. The officers complained to the War Office that they
had met with great discouragement from the magistrates in
recruiting, “one Humphrey Trustram having been discharged and
stripped of the King's clothes although admitted to be fairly
enlisted.” Secretary Pelham expressed surprise at these proceed-
ings, and having had occasion to write on this subject in March
and May of the previous year, when Brigadier Pocock's regiment
was at Bristol, he reproaches the magistrates with their action,
and expresses his opinion that the officers might reasonably expect
the assistance of the magistrates, seeing that the regiment was
* Hamilton's Guards, Vol. II., p. 88.
+ Cannon's Fifteenth Foot, pp. 29, 30.
i War Office, Miscellany Book, 1724–173), Vol. 524.
46 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1728.
ordered to assist them when they were not able of their own
authority to protect the city against the outrages of the colliers,
In a letter to Lieutenant-Colonel Graham he incloses the ex-
planation of the mayor of Bristol, which was to the effect that the
man Trustram had not been taken for a soldier. The Minister
adds a postscript to his letter, “If you can put an end to this
squabble without any further complaint on either side, I should
think you acted prudently and right.” It does not seem that
the commanding officer was successful, for on the 27th March
Kirk wrote a letter to Secretary Pelham asking that the regiment
should be removed from Bristol, in reply to which he is informed
on 2nd April that orders had been sent for them to be relieved
by Lord Trelawney's regiment. The order to the Queen's to
march away was dated 2nd April. They were to march
and be quartered as follows:–Two companies at Devizes,
one at Marlborough, two at Warminster, one at Hindon, six
at Wilton and Salisbury. The service at Bristol must have
been very distasteful, as desertions were very numerous, and
furnished strong proof of the desirability of removing the regi-
ment. Two of the deserters were tried at Salisbury and sentenced
to death, but “the King not being inclined to punish both of them "
directed Lieutenant-Colonel Graham to let him know which of the
two appeared to the court to be the most notorious offender.
Cross was pardoned by the King's clemency, and Richard Bent
shot.
The establishment of the regiment on the 27th May was twelve
companies of sixty men in each, total including officers, 857. The
cost per diem, 45ſ. 10s. 10d., and for 366 days, 16,668. 5s.
On the 5th June the regiment was ordered up to London,
particulars of the route being given. They were to be quartered
at Blackheath, Greenwich, Woolwich and Charlton, and were to
remain in those quarters till they had been reviewed by the Ring.
His Majesty fixed upon Blackheath as the place for the review.
Colonel Harrison's, the 15th Regiment, was ordered to be reviewed
at the same time. The 22nd June (O.S.), was the date first fixed
for the review, but was afterwards altered to the 29th (O.S.), the
alteration being in consequence of the King reviewing his three
regiments of Foot Guards on that day. The Queen's and the
15th Regiment were detached to do the Guards’ duties in London
during the time the Guards were absent at the review. The
-ms-
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 157, pp. 162, 165.
1728.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 47
following is the detail of these duties and the strength of the
detachments:—
Tower ... 1 officer, non-com" officers proportionate, 70 sentinels
Windsor ... ... 1 officer, 2 serg", 2 corp", 2 drum", 40 5 5
Bampton Court 1 × 2 × 2 × 2 s, 24 33
Greenwich ... 1 , 2 × 2 × 2 ×, 20 3 3
154
A list of the towns most convenient for quartering the regi-
ments pending the review was sent to Kirk, and included Deptford,
Greenwich, Woolwich, Lewisham, Eltham, Peckham, and Camber-
well, and he was requested to send word by messenger what place
he made choice of.
The London Gazette of 29th June contains the following short
account of the review.
“This day their Majesties went from Richmond to Blackheath,
when the Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot commanded by Brigadier
Piercy Kirk and the regiment of Foot commanded by Colonel
Henry Harrison (the 15th) passed in review before His Majesty
and made a very fine appearance, after which their Majesties
returned to Richmond.”
After the review a detachment of the regiment was ordered to
march to Tunbridge Wells as a guard of honour to the Princess
Amelia. The following is a copy of the order:-
IT is his Majesty's Pleasure that after the Queen's Cwn Royal
Regiment of Foot under your Command hath been Reviewed by His Majesty
upon Blackheath you cause a Detachm' to be made from thence consisting
of Fifty Men with Non Comm” Officers proportionable, and march under the
Command of One Captain, One Lieutenant and One Ensign with the Colours
to Tunbridge and Tunbridge Wells, there to attend as a Guard upon Her
Highness The Princess Amelia during the time of her continuance there,
And you are to take Care that in your March thither, they rest but one
Night in a Place, the Sundays excepted, Wherein &". Given at Whitehall
this 27th day of June 1728.
Hy his Majºs Command,
To Brig' Kirke Colonel of the Queen’s H. PELHAM.
Own Royal Reg' of Foot; or to
the Officer Commanding in Chief
the said Reg" and Detachment
above mention'd.*
The chief constable of Tunbridge Wells was ordered to appoint
them a guard room for their better convenience and accommodation.
* War Office, Marching Book, 1728, Vol. 30, p. 146.
48 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Royal REGIMENT, [1728.
The regiment was ordered to march and to start “as soon as
the review was over” to the following places:—Four companies to
Maidstone, six to Canterbury, one to Sandwich, and one to Deal.
The companies at Maidstone were ordered to march out of the
town during the assizes in July. On the 23rd July the guard of
honour to the Princess Amelia was ordered to join the head-quarters
of the regiment, the Princess having left for Hampton Court.
The inhabitants of Tunbridge Wells complained that the
quartering of the detachment on them was a grievous burden,
they averred they had always been exempt from this duty “on
account of their giving the greater convenience to the persons who
repair to the Wells” (a rather curious reason ). The detachment
was therefore ordered to encamp near the town.” In November
the company at Sandwich was ordered to Ramsgate.
An event happened this year which concerns our history only in a
small degree. Signor Como, resident at St. James from the Court of
Parma, was ordered to quit the kingdom because his master paid
to the Pretender the honours due to the King of Great Britain.
The Duke of Parma's death, which occurred in the beginning of
1731 and the interest of England in the accession of Don Carlos
to the ancient Duchies of Parma and Placentia, caused the regiment,
as will be seen in the account of events in that year, to have its
first service at sea, the regiment forming part of the troops sent in
the Fleet to protect Don Carlos and enforce his claims to the
Duchies.
Considerable discussion took place in the House this year upon
the positive demand made by the Court of Spain for the restitution
of Gibraltar, to which the King had, it was said, consented. A
resolution was passed that the House entirely relied upon His
Majesty taking effectual care in the treaty at Seville, then being
arranged (but which was not definitely signed until the 9th
November next year), to secure his undoubted right to Gibraltar
and Minorca, so as to ensure, by the possession of those places, the
safety of the trade and commerce of the United Kingdom.
The assignment of the off-reckonings of the regiment for
payment of clothing, &c. was this year 2,331. 158. 5d., the money
being assigned to R. Mann and Wm. Daye as before, the assign-
ment was made on 5th February.
In January a company of the regiment that had been sent to
Feversham was, during the fair at that place, moved to Sitting-
bourne and Milton. An order was sent on the 19th February
to the officer commanding the regiment, that they were to aid the
*-----ms.
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 157, p. 283.
1729..] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 49
civil power at Sandwich or Ramsgate without waiting for orders
from head quarters.
Numerous cases of desertions from the regiment are noted in the
War Office Papers in the three months ending June, but no indication
is given as to cause.
On the 9th May a warrant of attorney was given by Kirk,
nominating and appointing William Adair of St. Martins-in-the-
Fields, “agent for him and the said regiment.” A later power
gave the said agent authority to receive Kirk's salary as house-
keeper of the palace of Whitehall. In both cases the witnesses
were William Weston and Frederick Hodgson.
In the middle of April orders were sent for the regiment to move
from their “present quarters” to places as follows:—Four companies
to Salisbury and Fisherton; three companies to Southampton;
three to Winchester; one to Lymington, and one to Ringwood.
The Lymington company was moved at the end of the month to
Ramsey. A sergeant's party that had been sent on duty to Wye
did not rejoin the regiment till November. -
Immediately after the signing of the treaty of Sevile—negotiated
by the plenipotentiaries of England, France, and Spain, which
treaty had been arranged without the concurrence of the Emperor of
Germany, and contrary to his right as established by the quadruple
alliance—the King gave orders for a reduction of his land forces and
of his Fleet. The treaty, which was not received with favour by
the Houses of Parliament, was to secure the free uninterrupted
exercise of the commerce of England, and contained, amongst other
conditions, an agreement that the Court of Spain should make ample
restitution for unlawful seizures and depredations. The Lords in
opposition urged that the clause for the help given to Spain, to secure
Don Carlos to the succession of the Duchies of Parma, Tuscany, and
Placentia, was an alfront to the Emperor, and was likely to involve
us in an expensive war; also that throughout the whole treaty there
seemed to be an artful omission of any express stipulation to secure
Great Britain in her right to Gibraltar and Minorca.”
In accordance with the order for the reduction of the Army, Kirk
was, on 12th November, ordered to disband his two youngest
companies; later on in the month a further reduction was ordered
of ten men per company. The orders were imperative, and notice
was to be sent to Secretary Pelham as soon as the reduction was
carried out. The arms of the disbanded companies were to be sent to
Portsmouth. The reduced establishment was to be ten companies,
* Smollett, History of England, Vol. III., p. 139.
VOL. III. D
50 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1730.
each company to consist of one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign,
three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and fifty private
soldiers. The best men of the two disbanded companies were to be
retained. - - ,
In the new regulations for the clothing of the forces “in time of
peace,” it is again stated that a foot soldier is to be fitted with “a good
full bodied cloth coat well lined, which may serve for a waistcoat
the second year, a waistcoat, a pair of good kersey breeches, a pair
of good strong stockings, a pair of good strong shoes, two good
shirts and two good neck-cloths, also a good wig.”
The agent, Mr. Adair, was ordered to send a list of the quarters
of the regiment as soon as the two companies were disbanded.
This list he forwarded to the War Office on the 13th of December.
In the War Office papers is an abstract of the number of officers.
and soldiers which the several regiments of dragoons, foot guards,
and regiments of foot were to consist of as follows:–For foot :
colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, chaplain, adjutant, quarter-
master, surgeon and mate ; one company, captain, lieutenant and
ensign, three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and fifty-
eight private men, eleven more of the companies to consist of the
like numbers, but this is evidently before the reduction of the two
companies.
The companies at Winchester were in January and February
1730 ordered to encamp out near the town during the assizes. The
disposition of the regiment at this time was, two companies at
Southampton, two at Manchester, four at Salisbury, one at Ring-
wood, and one at Rumsey. A detachment, consisting of one ensign
and twenty men, was sent from Southampton on the 19th February
to Battle, in Sussex, and rejoined their company at Southampton
in April. On the 18th of that month Kirk received orders that
all officers absent on leave were to join at once, and he was also
ordered to report his regiment as soon as possible in a fit condition
for foreign service.
In June the regiment, with two others, was put under orders for
foreign service. On the 3rd June a return was sent in giving the
number of men and officers that was to form the establishment in
each regiment—Brigadier Kirk's, Lord Trelawney's, and Lord Mark
Kerr's (which had been exchanged for Major-General Groves' first
ordered). The establishment was to be as follows:—One colonel
and captain, one lieutenant-colonel and captain, one major and
captain, seven captains, eleven lieutenants, nine ensigns, thirty
sergeants, thirty corporals, twenty drummers, and 500 private men,
1730.] Now THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 51
Staff: one chaplain, one adjutant, one quartermaster, one surgeon
and one surgeon's mate. Total in each regiment 615; in the three,
1,845. Twenty women per regiment were to be allowed to go, or
two women per company. Trelawney's regiment was to be shipped
at Plymouth.
A number of letters were received in June with respect to
the preparations to be made for the transport of the regiment.
The four companies at Salisbury were, on 20th June, ordered to
march to Southampton, and at the end of the month the order
for the embarkation of the regiment was received, and was as
follows:–
IT is His Majesty's Pleasure, that you Cause the several Companys belong-
ing to the Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Foot under your Command, to
March forthwith from their present Quarters to Portsmouth, there to Embark
for Foreign Service, on board such Transport Ships as shall be there and at
Spithead on purpose to receive them.
Wherein &". Given at Whitehall this 30th day of June 1730.*
By His Majº" Command,
To Brig. Piercy Kirke, Colonel of the WM. STRICKLAND.
Queen's Own Regiment of Foot, or to
the Officer Commanding in Chief the
said Regiment.
The order to the Master-General of the Ordinance for the supply
of tents is dated 10th June. In this order the strength of the
regiment is given as ten companies, each containing three sergeants,
three corporals, two drummers, and fifty effective private men.t
Later on they were allowed to enlarge their quarters, in case
there was not sufficient room at Portsmouth, to Gosport.
A double chest of medicine was ordered to be put on board the
transports for the use of the non-commissioned officers and the
private men, and two months’ subsistence money was to be issued
in advance to enable them to provide themselves with camp and
other necessaries before they embarked. It would appear that
the regiment was delayed by the transports not being ready,
as they were still at Winchester in July, but were ordered to
leave for Portsmouth before the assizes came on. They did not
actually embark until the 4th August. Some of the transports,
even at that date, were still in the Thames, loading up with
clothing and necessaries. An order was received on that date for
* War Office, Marching Book, 1730, Wol. 32, p. 29.
+ War Office, Miscellany Book, 1730–1734, No. 525.
D 2
52 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1730.
Ensign Musters, with his servant, to go on board, and to join his
regiment at Gibraltar. Ensign Samuel Chaplain was left behind
with the sick men at Portsmouth, and was, by order of 15th
September, ordered to go by first ship to join his regiment.
Lieutenant-General Sabine, commanding at Gibraltar, was ordered,
on 4th August, to permit the three regiments to land, and march
into the garrison. He was to give them the best accommodation
he could until further orders. Letters of later date give full and
precise instructions as to subsistence and clothing. It would seem
as if the troops in Gibraltar were in a bad state for clothing, as in
a letter written in December the writer apprehends that the soldiers
will be uneasy “when they see the last three regiments in their new
clothes, and they so badly in want of theirs.”
On the 1st October the King sent an order to all regiments
that his soldiers should not forget his Accession Day. Kirk received
an order that he was to be careful to send a requisition for the
clothing for his men while abroad, so that “the same may be put
on their backs annually on the 11th June, Accession Day.”
Another order on the 16th February 1731 is more peremptory
on this matter, as it recites, “The King admits of no excuse on this
subject, and the field officers who are present with the regiment
are to sign a certificate that the said clothing is issued, and to recite
the particulars of every species thereof, which certificates, when
signed by them, are to be given to the governor or officer com-
manding at Gibraltar, to be also signed by him and transmitted
here (London) to be laid before the King.
The chaplain of the regiment seems to have had an objection to
going abroad. A letter was sent to him on the 29th December,
informing him that “unless he departs in six weeks' time another
chaplain will be appointed in his room.”
The establishment of the regiment was generally the same as in
1727, with the exception already noted that the total of the
companies had been reduced from twelve to ten, and the number of
men in each company from sixty to fifty. According to a return
dated 14th December the total number of effectives on that date
was 584, or thirty-one below their establishment.
The cost of the regiment was 35l. 0s. 6d. per diem, and
12,784l. 2s. 6d. for 365 days, including all allowances. Out of this
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1730–1734, No. 618.
† Audit Office, Enrolments, Vol. 37., and War Office, Establishment
Book, 1730–1732, No. 856.
1731.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 53
sum 1,713]. 5s. 7d., the off-reckonings, was assigned from Kirk to
Messrs. Mann and Daye for the clothing and accoutrements of the
regiment.
The number of effective men at the beginning of 1731 was
574. The cost of each man weekly was 38.14d. The total pay
for four weeks was 356l. 7s. 2d. The assignment of the off-
reckonings for the clothing this year was 1,717. 19S. 6d.
In this year the regiment took part in a little expedition from
Gibraltar to Parma. The equivocal conduct of Charles VI., Emperor
of Austria, with Spain, after the treaties of Vienna, also his private
intrigues with the allies, so irritated the Court of Spain, thataseparate
treaty was arranged and signed at Seville on the 9th of November
between Spain, England, and France, and which was necessarily
quite behind the interests of Charles. By this alliance and treaty,
which confirmed the treaty of Utrecht, the new allies guaranteed
each other's possessions in every quarter of the globe, and agreed to
secure the Infante Don Carlos in the succession to the Duchies of
Parma, and also to defend him against any attempt to disturb him.
By a clause of this new treaty the King of Spain relinquished his
claims on Gibraltar and Minorca. The Emperor Charles was not
long kept in ignorance of this, to him, damaging treaty, and issuel
instant orders for his troops to hold themselves in readiness for
service.
On 23rd January Anthony Farnese, Duke of Parm
and Tuscany, died, and England was called upon to fulfil
that part of the Seville treaty relating to Don Carlos, the
son of the King of Spain. The Duke had left a curious will,
declaring that his wife was emceinte, and entreating the allied
Powers of Europe to have compassion upon his people, and to
defer the execution of their projects until the truth or otherwise
of his assertion would be proved by time. Spain, doubting the
truth of the late Duke of Parma's assertion, at once took steps to
secure the Duchies for Don Carlos, but the Emperor Charles,
encouraged by the disunion which he saw between the allies
(caused by their diverse and complicated interests), had taken the
bold step of at once sending troops into the Duchies, making
the late Duke of Parma's will the pretext for this action. He
publicly proclaimed that he took possession of the Duchies
for the Infant, Don Carlos, who was to be invested only in case
the Duchess Dowager should not be delivered of a prince. At
this juncture England interposed, and the Imperial ministers
being anxious for a reconciliation with England, another treaty
was concluded on the 16th of March between the Emperor and
54 HISTORY OF THE SFCOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1731.
England, by which the former engaged not to oppose the intro-
duction of 6,000 troops into the fortresses of Tuscany and Parma,
and to abolish the Ostend Company, which had given such
umbrage to the great maritime Powers. In return for this con-
cession England on her part guaranteed the Pragmatic sanction,
“a succession of the Austrian hereditary dominion to the heirs
female of the Emperor, in case he should die without male issue.”
Spain had, in the meantime, impatient of delay, declared herself
free from all engagements, but was induced, by the action of
England and the new arrangement that had been made with the
Emperor, to revoke this hasty act, and acceded to the new treaty
on the 6th June. A joint treaty was now signed by all the
Powers, viz., Great Britain, Spain, the United Provinces, and the
empire, which terminated the disputes concerning the Spanish
succession. England engaged to equip an armament to convey
Don Carlos to his new dominions. The King appointed Sir
Charles Wager to command the Fleet appointed for this purpose
and he sailed with a strong squadron from Spithead about the
12th of July. On the 26th of June Kirk had received the King's
commands to prepare his regiment with all speed, as it had been
appointed as one to go with the expedition. Brigadier Clayton,
whose regiment had also been chosen to go, was appointed to
command the two regiments, and was, on the same date, ordered
to proceed with all expedition to Gibraltar. He was to superintend
the embarkation, and in order that they might be complete, they
were to be allowed to take drafts from other regiments, proper
allowances being made to each man on exchange. Officers
were informed that as “this service required all possible
expedition, the commanding officer of each corps was to have
his regiment in readiness to embark upon the first notice.”
No matter what leave the officers had, “ or by whom granted,”
they were at once to rejoin their corps at Gibraltar.
The ships appointed to carry the troops, were for Kirk's regi-
ment, the Buckingham, the Dreadnought, Hampton Court, Kent,
Canterbury, and Princess Amelia, and for Brigadier Clayton's
regiment, the Namur, Cornwall, York, Edinburgh and Grafton.
The Exeter took some of the troops on board, but it is not stated
for which regiment. Sir Charles hoisted his flag on board the
Namur, but on arriving at Cape Spartel on the 17th August he
changed to the Cornwall. On the 18th the Fleet anchored in
• Domestic, State Papers, War Office, 1731–1732, No. 2.
1731.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 55
Gibraltar Bay, and at 5 p.m. the admiral was saluted with twenty-
one guns from the town. By the 24th all the troops had been
embarked, and at 3 p.m. the Fleet weighed anchor by signal.
Brigadier Clayton wrote on 22nd August (O.S.), to the Duke of
Newcastle, giving account of the arrival of Sir Charles Wager
and the embarkation of the troops, who, he says, “are in perfect
order in every respect, and by drafts completed to a man.”
The Duke wrote in reply on the 21st of October informing
him that the King was pleased with the good account he gave
of the two battalions under his command, and to find by his last
letter of 3rd inst. (O.S.), that he expected the Fleet would sail very
Soon for Leghorn. The King granted a request he had made
to bring his regiment home, and informed him that Kirk's
regiment and Lord Trelawney's regiment were to accompany him.
The regiment while at sea from 23rd August to 14th November
were paid as marines and not on Army establishment. At Barce-
lona, where they arrived on the 13th September, they were joined
by the Spanish Fleet, and the united expedition sailed for Leg-
horn, arriving in the Roads about the 23rd of October. The
Spanish Fleet and troops were commanded by the Marquis de
Maire and M. Cornejo. Brigadier Clayton wrote home from
Barcelona that both his regiment and the Queen's were in a very
good state of health and quite ready for service.* On the 24th, it
being Don Carlos' birthday, the whole of the united Fleets spread
their colours, and at 11 a.m. the town fired a treble discharge of
artillery, “in all 422.” The Spanish Fleet replied with a treble, and
at noon the Admiral's flag ship and the Princess Amelia fired a
salute of twenty-one guns, the rest of the Fleet nineteen.
After Don Carlos had landed the English took their depar-
ture, and the troops returned to Gibraltar on the 17th of November,
the disembarkation commencing at once. The admiral returned
direct to England. *
The Queen's, with Brigadier Clayton's and Trelawney's regi-
ment, had been ordered to return to England with Sir Charles
Wager and the Fleet, but by some mischance the order did not
arrive in time. In a letter dated 1st December from Ensign
Petitot, an officer in Trelawney's regiment, writing to his friend
James Payrant, he says, “If Sir Charles Wager had not been
in such a hurry to get home to show his expeditiousness, we
-º-º-º:
* Domestic, State Papers, War Office, 1731–1732, No. 2.
56 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Royal REGIMENT, [1782.
should have had the honour to have been on board his Fleet.
The carrier from London arrived here but six hours after he was
sailed with the order for Kirk's regiment, Clayton's, and ours
to go with him, upon which the general dispatched a sloop after
him with the order, but unluckily for us it was too late, he was
gone too far, still, we are in hopes to go in the spring, be it as it
will we must be content.”
Arrangements had been made at home for the arrival of the
Queen's, as we find a marching order dated 27th November
which directed the regiment, after landing from the Fleet at
Portsmouth, to march and be quartered at Winchester, Basingstoke
and Farnham. The letter ordering Sir Charles Wager to bring home
with him the two regiments, Kirk's and Clayton's, and also “Lord
Trelawney's Regiment from the garrison,” was dated 20th October.
Drafts were not allowed to be made out of the three regiments
ordered home to the four regiments remaining at Gibraltar unless
the men were willing, but the men who had been drafted into
Kirk's and Clayton's regiment for the expedition to Parma
were to be sent back to their own regiment at Gibraltar. A
later order of the King transferred the three regiments, Kirk's,
Clayton's, and Groves, to the Gibraltar establishment, and in order
to make up for the re-transfer of these regiments and to keep up
the establishment of Great Britain to its usual numbers, the
strength of each regiment in Great Britain was increased as
follows:—Ten additional men to every troop of Dragoons, ten men
to every company of the Foot Guards, and nine men to each
company in the marching regiments of foot.
The cost of the regiment in 1732 was 12,784l. 2s. 6d., and
the strength at the beginning of the year (7th February) is
given in the Colonial Office Papers as one lieutenant-colonel, one
major, four captains, eight lieutenants, seven ensigns, one ad-
jutant, one surgeon, one surgeon's mate, twenty-eight sergeants
well and two sick, thirty corporals well, eighteen drummers
well and one sick, 468 privates well and five sick in hospital, and
three sick in quarters on furlough, three ; total, 479. Six men
had died since the date of the last return in November 1731. An
order issued on 16th March for the supply of provisions for three
months mentions the names of the regiments, Major-General
Groves', Brigadier Kirk's, Lord Trelawney's, and Colonel Middle-
ton's. In the three first the quota for each was 615, and for
Middleton's regiment 425,
1733.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 57
--------sº
On the 6th June, and again on 12th September, Kirk was
ordered to transmit a list of the officers under his command, with
the date of their commissions by which they took rank in the
Army. . . . - - -
On the 12th August he was informed that the whole of the
clothing for the regiment was to be sent to Gibraltar, “as it is not
yet known but that the whole regiment may be continued in that
garrison a long while.” -
The King wrote, on the 12th October, expressing his surprise
that so many men were wanting to complete, and orders Kirk to
at once take measures to, “with all possible expedition, complete
the companies to the numbers allowed by the establishment.”
An assignment of the off-reckonings of the regiment for the
clothing was made on the 24th April 1732. The amount is given as
1,713!. 5s. 7d. The establishment of the regiment remained the
same as before, viz., ten companies of fifty men in each ; total
establishment, 615, Cost, 35l. 0s. 6d. per day, and 12,819. 3s.
for 366 days.
There is little to note in our history in the year 1733, which is
memorable only for the fierce political fights over the financial
schemes launched by the great Minister Walpole. The first was a
proposal to take half a million for the service of the year from a sink-
ing fund established by the Ministers Stanhope and Walpole in 1717.
This scheme was carried by large majorities, though it was false
and wrong in principle ; but his second Bill, the Excise scheme,
though a wise one, raised such a ferment of indignation that he
was ultimately compelled to withdraw it. The success of his piracy
on the sinking fund was its ruin, for next year the whole produce
of the fund was taken from it, and thus, as the historian, Lord
Mahon, puts it, by the absorption of this fund for current expenses,
“Our debts were always augmented in moments of difficulty, never
diminished in a period of peace.”f Happily for the nation, the
errors made in this way have been in later years corrected. At
this time, when fear of the success of the Pretender coloured
everything, it was a fancy that the public debt was a safeguard
against him, from an idea very prevalent that if the Pretender
was successful he would repudiate the public debt, as having been
contracted principally in fighting against him.
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 159, p. 369.
† History of England, by Lord Mahon, Vol. II., p. 158.
58 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1733.
Walpole's other financial scheme, the Excise Bill, was a wise and
politic one, and it is difficult now, in looking at it, to understand
its failure and the indignation levelled against it. The ferment
against the measure became at last So great that Queen Caroline,
solicitous for the King's anxiety, applied to Lord Scarborough for
his advice, who is reputed to have said, “I will answer for my
regiment against the Pretender, but not against the opposers
of the Excise.”
A new war began this year, and, although England took no part
in it, one of the chief actors had, two years before, had some little
service performed for him by the Queen's regiment. The war was
caused by the death of the King of Poland, and the attempt to put
King Stanislaus upon the throne instead of the son of the late King.
The Emperor Charles of Austria and the Russian Czar were in
favour of Prince Augustus, while Stanislaus was supported by
France. Walpole had persuaded the Emperor not to take an active
part in the war, but he could not prevent his indirect help,
and the result of this was, that he became involved in a war with
France and Spain, who took advantage of the successes they
obtained over the Emperor to place Don Carlos on the throne of
Naples. This was the young Prince, who, in 1731, Sir Charles
Wager had taken over to plant in the Dukedom of Parma, and
who became now King of Naples, with the title of Charles the
Third.
An evidence of the popularity of the Orange dynasty is shown
in Colonel Kane changing the facings of his regiment from bright
green to orange. In an entry in some War Office Papers, dated
13th November, giving the King's permission for the change, it is
stated that the facings are to be changed “from a bright green to
a bright orange colour, whereby the colonel may show his great
regard and respect to the House of Orange.”f
The regiment remained quartered at Gibraltar. The effective
strength was, in the beginning of the year 1733, 511, and in
December 546. The assignments of the off-reckonings on account
of clothing and accoutrements was 1,713!. 5s. 7d. The total charge
for the estalishment was 12,784l. 2s. 6d. for 365 days.
The European war commenced last year continued during 1734,
and it was with difficulty that the Minister could keep the King
* Maly's Life of Chesterfield, p. 124.
+ War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 159, p. 400, and War Office,
General Officers’ Letter Book, 1715–1742, -
1734.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 59
from meddling in it. An old antagonist of our arms fell in this
struggle, leaving a name to posterity second only to Marlborough,
and who, had he been the legitimate son of James, might have won
the kingdom for himself. Montesquieu said of the Duke of
Berwick, “I have seen at a distance in the works of Plutarch
what great men were, in Marshal Berwick, I see what they
are.”
The danger of our being engaged in the conflict made the
authorities look sharply to the completeness of the regiments.
Kirk was ordered to give directions to his officers who were at
home to raise the sixty-five men wanted to complete the establish-
ment, and to send them over to Gibraltar the first opportunity.
From letters, it seems that there were a large number of officers
on leave. The duties of the garrison were, in consequence of the
scarcity of officers so onerous, that General Sabine wrote home
complaining. Orders were sent that officers were to return imme-
diately to Gibraltar, bringing with them all the recruits which
they had raised. The strength of the regiment in January 1734
was 551, and on the 9th December, 449. The expenses same as
last year.
On the 31st July, the commanding officer of the Queen's, was
ordered to allow Lieutenant-General Sabine to make a draft of
such number of non-commissioned officers and men, as he thought
neeessary, towards forming six independent companies for the
service and defence of Jamaica. 5l. was allowed to each man
drafted.
Early in August, a letter was sent ordering all officers to proceed
at once to join their regiments, as a greater desertion than usual
had happened to the regiments at Gibraltar, which was thought to
proceed from a belief of the soldiers that they were to remain there for
life. The King therefore decided to change the stations of regiments
as opportunity offered. Later in the month, the King ordered a
general muster of all the regiments in Gibraltar, on whom drafts
had been made for the companies for Jamaica, with a view of
ascertaining the deficiency in the establishments, and to enable the
colonels and captains to raise men to fill the vacancies.
Establishment of regiment and cost the same as before.
Returns were asked for by the War Office, in May 1735, of the
names of officers and dates of their commissions, to lay before
the King. It appears by the papers next year that there had been
some neglect on the part of the commanding officer of the Queen's
* History of England, Lord Mahon, Vol. II. p. 172.
60 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1735.
with respect to this, as a sharp letter was sent again asking for
it, the Queen's and two other regiments being the last three
sent in.
Lieutenant-General Sabine wrote to the War Office on the 21st
May to say that though a number of recruits had arrived at
Gibraltar, the regiments were still 759 short of their quota,
and which number exceeded the total of the draft sent to Jamaica,
The Queen's were stated to be short by one drummer and 150
men. The officers were ordered to complete the establishment with
all possible expedition. On the 1st August the deficit was still 77.
Kirk was therefore informed that the King would be greatly
displeased when he came to know how short the regiment was
after the repeated orders that had been sent.
On the 5th of January 1736 the effective strength of the regiment
was 586, and on the 6th December, the last return of the year, it
was 563. The cost of the establishment and the number of
companies and men were the same as arranged in 1730. The
Bermuda Company was still included in the estimates, and at the
same cost as formerly, and the same number of men. Establish-
ment same as before, viz., 6.15 men; cost, 12,8191. 38.
There was no change in either the establishment or cost of the
regiment in 1737. The effectives on the 3rd January was 560,
and on 5th December, 567. The Bermuda Company still bore its
part in the estimates, and in this way continued its connexion with
the regiment. No doubt there were occasionally exchanges of
men from the depôt or regiment into the Bermuda Company, but
there does not appear to have been any notice of it in the pape's
that have been examined.
The event of the year was the death of the able consort of the
King, who died on Sunday, the 20th November. In the death of
Queen Caroline the King lost a wise councillor and faithful friend.
Sir Robert Walpole, the Minister, found in her an able and
sagacious help in the many difficult tasks he had to perform, and
writers of the times relate how he feared the loss of her
influence.
On the 6th April 1738 Major-General Kirk was ordered to see
that all absent officers of the regiment had notice to repair at once
to Gibraltar to resume their duties, or give the reasons for their
absence in writing to be placed before the King. A week later
Mr. Adair, the agent to the regiment at Gibraltar, was informed
that four men-of-war would sail in a fortnight's time from Eng-
land, and he was to send all recruits possible by them. Means
were to be taken to fill up the regiment to full strength at once;
1738.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 61
other war ships would follow, and would bring the recruits that
might still be required. On the 25th April a list was sent of the
officers ready to embark: Captains William Degg, Demock Lister,
Lieutenant Giffard Lawson, and Ensign Stacy. A piece of luck
seems to have fallen upon a private of the regiment named Jaspar
Woodhouse. The man had been arrested at home as a deserter.
The agent, in writing about the case, stated the man was on fur-
lough, “having come over to take possession of estate, therefore he
is to be set at liberty that he may follow his private affairs.”
The establishment, charges, and assignments of off-reckonings for
clothing remained the same.
On the 24th May (O.S.) a child was born to Prince Frederick of
Wales, who was to preside over the kingdom for the longest period
in its history, and was to see the nation's very existence menaced
by the most commanding presence that has appeared in history
since Alexander the Great. The regiment, after a long in-
terval of rest, took its part in the great struggle which marked
the closing year, of George III. and added glorious names to the
old colours. Those who look for stirring incidents by flood and
field must pass over this history till towards the close of the cen-
tury, when the French troubles commenced and Napoleon's great
personality began to be felt.
The assignment of the off-reckoning for clothing to the
Sergeants, corporals, drummers, and private men of the regiment was
this year made by the paymaster to Golfridus Man, of St.-Martin’s-
in-the Field, woollen draper, and amounted to 1,713!. 5s. 7d. f
On the 12th June 1739 a warrant was issued for the augmenta-
tion of the regiment by 100 men. The order for this augmentation
is dated 29th and 30th June. The men were to be raised “in any
county or part of Great Britain.”f The order applied to all
the five regiments in Gibraltar. A warrant was ordered to be
prepared for the Commissary-General of the Musters to make out
the muster rolls complete from 25th June to 24th December.
A second augmentation of the five regiments at Gibraltar was
ordered on the 27th September, bringing the strength of each
company to 70 men per company, exclusive of officers and non-
commissioned officers. The former augmentation had brought the
ten companies up to 60 men in each. Lieutenant-General Kirk
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 161, p. 579.
# Audit Office Enrolments, No. 40.
† War Office, Miscellany Book, 1735–1743, Vol. 526, 12 June 1739.
62 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Roy AL REGIMENT. [1789.
(this is the first time he is called lieutenant-general in the official
papers) was to take care to have his regiment complete as soon as
possible. Warrants were issued on the 1st August and 1st October
for the payment by the regular assignments of the off-reckonings
for the clothing of the men newly raised for the augmentation.
1!. 12s. 6d. was the amount charged for the leather accoutrements
of each man.
A curious paper appears in the War Office books, ordering a
strict inquiry to be made as to the enlistment in the Queen's Regi-
ment of Foot at Gibraltar. It had been reported to the King that
great numbers of Irish had come over and attempted to enlist in
His Majesty's land forces, both at home and abroad. General Kirk
was ordered that, if he found any Irish amongst the newly-joined
men, he was at once to discharge them, and was to take “particular
care that no such be entertained.” The number of effectives in
the regiment on the 1st January was 572, and on the 31st
December 700.
The year did not close without the mutterings of war. Spain
had been acting in a haughty and aggressive manner to our
colonists in America, and it had become a burning question in the
Legislative Houses in Westminster whether the time had not come
to put an end to it. Walpole, the Minister, opposed the idea of a
war with all his power and might, but the nation was disgusted
at Spanish arrogance and cruelty. The King was in favour of it.
At last Walpole was driven to make demands on Spain for a re-
nunciation of the right of searching vessels, and an acknowledg-
ment of the British claims to the disputed territory in North
America. Spain unceremoniously rejected the demands. On the
19th of October a declaration of war against Spain was pro-
claimed in London. This war lasted for eight years, till the peace
of Aix-la-Chapelle, and during its continuance we had to fight the
French nation. The succession to the German Empire of Maria
Theresa (by virtue of the Pragmatic sanction), instead of the Elector
of Bavaria, who claimed the purple by right of the will of
Frederick I., involved most of the European Powers in war. The
Kings of Spain and Poland denied the right of the Pragmatic
sanction, and opposed the election of Maria. Theresa to the throne
of Germany. During the whole of this trying period the regiment
remained in Gibraltar. The Spaniards next year threatened a
blockade of the fortress, but nothing was done.
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 162, p. 199.
1739.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 63
The cost of the clothing of the regiment, in consequence of
the augmentation, is given in the Audit Office Enrolments as
2,1731. 0s. 1d. -
The increased establishment is given at 815 men. Total cost of
establishment, 15,2591. 38.
64 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Roy AL REGIMENT. [1740.
C H A P T E R IV.
REGIMENT AS MARINES-J AcOBITE INSURRECTION IN
1745—REGIMENT ORDERED TO TRELAND.
1740.
CONTENTs.--All Officers ordered to join the Regiment at Gibraltar—Order
about Regimental Facings, Colour, &c.—Regiment augmented—Estab-
lishment and Cost of Regiment — Bermuda Company — Sickness in
Regiment — Orders re Deserters—Off-reckonings — Renewal of the
Jacobite Conspiracies—Gibraltar threatened by the Spaniards—Death
of General Kirk——Succeeded in command of the Regiment by Colonel
Thomas Fowke—Strength and Cost of Regiment — Off-reckonings
—Soldiers as Marines—Number of Effectives in Regiment—Strength—
Description of Clothing of Regiment—Regimental Lace—Drafts of Men
from Highland Regiments -- Establishment — Off-reckonings —
Orders for recruiting for Regiments at their “Plantations"—Stations
of recruiting Officers—War against France—Victory of Dettingen—
The Pretender's Schemes–Fowke appointed to a command in the Forces
sent to Scotland under Sir John Cope—Prince Charles lands at Tulli-
bardine in Scotland—Royal Troops rendezvous at Stirling—Cope retreats
to Inverness—Edinburgh threatened—Skirmish with the Rebels—
Retreat of the Dragoons to Dunbar—Prince Charles enters Edinburgh—
Sir John Cope arrives at Dunbar—Battle of Preston Pans—Prince
Charles returns to Edinburgh—Marches to invade England––Culloden
—Suffering of Prince Charles—His Escape—The Inquiry into the Con-
duct of Sir John Cope and Brigadier Fowke——The Off-reckonings
—Soldier Marines—Officers and Recruits ordered to join the Regiment
without delay––Trial of Cope and Fowke—Verdict—Establishment and
Off-reckonings — Orders for recruiting –— Officers always to wear
Uniform——Loss of Antwerp, Mons, and Namur—Naval Victories—
Battle of Lauffeld—Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle–Its effect on the Pre-
tender’s Cause——Recruits ordered to be sent by Men-of-War—Detach-
ment of the Regiment sent on board the Fleet under General Byng--
Strength, Cost, and Off-reckonings of Regiment—Regiment short
of Men and Officers——Fowke ordered to join Forces in Flanders—
Drawing lots for Deserters in Prison—State of Affairs in England—
The Regiment ordered to Ireland–Irish Establishment—Strength of
each Company in the Irish Establishment—General Fowke arrives home
—Proceeds to Ireland—Regiment leaves Gibratar—The now reduced
Establishment—Particulars of the Pay and Subsistence of Irish Estab-
lishment of Regiment—Right of Soldiers to be admitted into Chelsea
Hospital——List of Officers in Regiment--The Regiment lands at Kinsale
––Quarters of Regiment—Strength of Total Effectives—New Clothing
Regulations—Colours—Arms——Devices.
THE state of the war with Spain caused the authorities to look
sharply after the officers on leave from this regiment. On the 17th
February an order was issued for all officers on leave to repair
forthwith to Gibraltar, none to be excused but such as had the
King's special leave.
1740.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 65
Mr. Adair, agent to the regiment, had received special orders to
send forthwith the names of ships going to Gibraltar with arms and
recruits, so that a convoy might be prepared. On the 13th April
1740 Kirk was ordered to send next day an account of what officers
went by the convoy, and the names of those absent. In a letter
a few days later, Lieutenant-Colonel Graham, Captain William
Whitmore, and Captain John Howe, who were absent on leave,
were ordered to join the regiment forthwith, unless they were sick
or on recruiting duty, in which latter case the King's leave was to
be obtained.*
A letter was written on the 10th March to Mr. Mann, the clothing
contractor to the regiment, ordering him to send particulars of the
colour of the facings, trimmings, &c., as a book was being prepared
of the successions of colonels, and it was proposed to head each
regiment with a description of the particular clothing, &c. Before
this date, the facings and trimmings of the uniforms had been, in
a great measure, left to the decision of the colonel of the regiment.
On the 12th May an order was received that ten men were to be
added to each company of the ten regiments of Foot in the garri-
sons of Minorca and Gibraltar, the augmentation to commence from
the 25th August last year inclusive. The new establishment of the
regiment was to be ten companies of seventy private men in
each company, in all 815 men, officers included. The augmented
establishment was to date from 25th December 1739. The cost
per annum was to be 15,259l. 3s.t. The company at Bermuda is
estimated at fifty-nine men and officers; the cost 2l. 15s. per diem,
l,006!. 10s. for 366 days, including 24l. 8s. to the widows.
There was a considerable amount of sickness in the regiment
in June, and a number of men died. A return made by Major-
General Hargreaves, dated 19th September, gives 124 private men
as wanting to complete the regimental quota, the cause of the
deficiency was said to be owing to sickness. A single medicine
chest which was sent in a ship sailing on 24th June was
unfortunately captured by a Spanish privateer. It was not till
6th December that the agent, Mr. Adair, received notice of the
loss, and was ordered to send another chest to replace it. The
regiment was thus six months at least without medicine.
A Gazette was published in June, containing a pardon for all
deserters who had enlisted themselves again into the Service before
the 30th May.
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 162, p. 468.
+ War Office, Establishment Book, 1737–1740, No. 858.
WOL. III, E
466 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT ; [1740.
Two assignments of the off-reckonings were made to Golfridus
Man for the clothing and accoutrements of the regiment, one in
February amounting to 2,1731. 0s. 1d., the other on December 2nd
for. 2,1791. The number of effectives in the regiment on 28th
January was 698, and on 29th December, 767. The cost was 5}d.
per man per day.
The war with Spain, and the apprehensions of a more extended
conflagration, lighted up the hopes of the exiled Stuarts. An
association had been formed in Scotland in favour of the exiled
family. In the articles of association were found the signatures
of wealthy and powerful persons, including Lord Lovat and young
Lochiel. Lord Barrymore undertook a Jacobite mission to Paris.
"The death of Charles, Emperor of Germany, added still further to
the hopes of the Stuarts. By the end of the year, the move-
ment had become a formidable Jacobite conspiracy,” and before
this last effort of the Stuarts was ended much blood was shed,
and many a romantic page of history added to our annals. It
seemed at one time that the regiment would be likely to have hot
work, as the Spaniards naturally cast their attention on the capture
of Gibraltar. It was said to have been blockaded by the Spanish
Fleet, but no serious attempt at capture seems to have been
made, nor was it at any time in the year seriously threatened.
The regiment early in 1741 sustained a great loss by the death
of Lieutenant-General Kirk, who had commanded it for a period
of thirty years. He died on the 1st of January, and was succeeded
in the command by Colonel Thomas Fowke, transferred from the
43rd Regiment; and so the name of Kirk, which had designated
the regiment nearly forty years, disappears from our history.f
The first Kirk ruled the regiment in its most stormy times,
Whatever may have been his faults, and they were many, he
was a gallant soldier, fond and proud of his regiment, and his
public acts ought to be judged impartially, taking into account
the loose habits of the times. The second Piercy Kirk in his
longer command of thirty years saw little war service, though
plenty of promise of it. During his eighteen years in Gibraltar,
opposite the old home of the regiment, he must often have looked
across towards Tangiers, and thought of the struggles of his father
* Mahon's History of England, Vol. III., p. 32.
# The first Piercy Kirk, commanded the Regiment
from 1682 to 1691 s & tº * : * tº £ tº © º & ... 9 years.
The second Piercy Kirk from 1711 to 1741 ... ... 30
Total tº ſº º ... 39
55
55
1741.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 67
in the old troublous times, when the very existence of the colony
he was guarding was threatened, and when hardly a week passed
without some brush with the fanatical Moors.
Upon Kirk's death the War Office instructed Mr. Pelham to
continue the pay of the Queen's Regiment of Foot unto Mr. Wm.
Adams, “late agent,” until such times as the King should think fit
to appoint another colonel to succeed to the command.
The new commander of the Queen's was not appointed until the
12th August. A letter in the War Office Papers contains the
following notice with respect to it: “The King having been
pleased to appoint Colonel Fowke to the command of the regiment,
late Lieutenant-General Kirk's, Lieutenant-Colonel Graham was
to be appointed to command the 43rd Regiment, in place of
Colonel Fowke.”
In the establishment book the regiment is stated to consist of
ten companies of seventy men in each company, or a total strength,
including officers, of 815 men. The number of effectives at the
end of the year was 762 men. The cost per diem was 41 l. 13s. 10d.,
and per annum, 15,217. 9s. 2d., including allowances to the
widows, to the colonel for clothing, to the captains for recruiting,
and to the agent. The company at Bermuda, 57 men, costing
1,003!. 15s. per annum.
In the accounts for clothing it is stated that the assignments
of all the off-reckonings from Colonel Thomas Fowke were to
be paid to Golfridus Man, until the sum of 3,256l. 9s. 10d.
was reached, from which it appears that the bill for last year's
clothing had not been paid. This account is dated 8th April.”
Mr. Edward Lloyd was appointed the new agent of the regiment,
as appears from a power of attorney dated 25th August, and
another dated 17th November, the one giving him power to
receive the off-reckonings, and the other to contract for clothing
for the regiment. On the 16th December certificates were sent
from Gibraltar of the receipt of the clothing that had arrived there.
In this year the following scheme was drawn out for the service
of soldiers as marines on board His Majesty's ships:–On board a
ship of ninety to 100 guns, a complement of one captain, one
lieutenant, and 100 men; in a ship of eighty guns, two lieutenants
and eighty men; in one of seventy guns, two lieutenants and
eighty men; in one of fifty to sixty guns, one lieutenant and
sixty men; in one of forty guns, one lieutenant and fifty men;
in one of twenty guns, one lieutenant and thirty men. In sloops,
fifteen men, supernumerary to their complement of 150 ment
* Audit Office Enrolments, Vol. 41.
+ War Office, Miscellany Book, 1735–1743, Vol. 526,
E 2
68 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1742
This regulation for the employment of soldiers on board His
Majesty's Fleet would appear to have been at once acted upon, for
we find in the Miscellany Book the entry of an order to Lieutenant
William Caster, who with fifty-four soldiers, including officers, were
to be put on board the Mary galley on the 9th May 1742 from the
Gibraltar garrison. They appear to have been discharged to the
Panther on the 17th October, same year.
The number of effective men in the regiment on 25th January
1742 was 789, and on 27th December 706, so it is probable from
this that the Queen's had furnished the above quota of men to His
Majesty's Navy, as there is no account in the Gibraltar Papers of
any epidemic in the regiment that would account for such a large
loss of men.
On the 9th July the agent was ordered to pay to Colonel
Fowke on his order all the pay which he had received from the
Paymaster-General belonging to the regiment from the date of
Lieutenant-General Kirk's death on 23rd February 1741, also the
subsistence of the said Kirk from the 25th June 1741 to the 11th
August following. The establishment and cost of the regiment
and the Bermuda Company remained the same as last year, viz.,
ten companies of seventy men in each; total, with officers, 815.
Bermuda Company, fifty-Seven.
In the British Museum is a work entitled “A Representation of
the Clothing of His Majesty's Household, &c., &c.” In this work
drawings of the uniforms of the soldiers in the various regiments
existing at this time are given. The private of the Queen's
is there shown, with a voluminous red coat similar in many
respects to that worn in 1715, only that the skirt is hooked
back and shows the colour of the facings sea-green. “The
edging of the coat, the lappels, the large cuffs, the pocket
flaps, and the red waistcoat are trimmed with distinctive regi-
mental lace,” which was white with black, blue, or yellow spots,
varied, no doubt, according to the taste of the colonel of the regi-
ment, to whom was left the choice as he provided the clothing.
This distinctive pattern of the lace for a long time—and, indeed,
until comparatively recent times—constituted a very great distinc-
tion between regiments, and was often changed when the colonel
changed his regiment. This party coloured lace for the rank and
file was discontinued in 1836, and plain white lace substituted.
The hat of the soldier was the regulation three-cornered hat of the
period trimmed with white lace. A white neck-cloth was worn,
and high white gaiters fastened round the knees with garters,
probably of the colour of the facings of the regiment. A broad
leather belt over the left shoulder carried the ammunition pouch.
The breeches were red. &
º * 2
º º

1742.] Now THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 69
On the 12th April 1743 Colonel Fowke wrote for and obtained
the King's permission to return home “to settle his private affairs.”
He was to be allowed to come the first opportunity.
On the 11th August a warrant was sent for incorporating
thirteen private men who had deserted from Lord Semphill's Scotch
regiment into the four regiments of Foot in Gibraltar. Two of
these men, Patrick McDermott and Peter Grant, were sent to the
Queen's. They were to be substituted for recruits from the date
of the warrant, and 5l. was to be paid for each “Highlander”
incorporated, which sum was to be paid over to the Highland
regiment to enable the officer to replace them “with good and able
recruits.” More men seem to have joined the Queen's in like
manner in September. A War Office letter in the latter month
orders that none were to be discharged without first acquainting
the Secretary of War.
The establishment of the regiment remained the same as before.
The effectives in January were 714, and at the end of the year 652.
The cost of the regiment was increased by two-sevenths of a
penny per man per day. The assignments of the off-reckonings
for clothing, &c. was, this year, 2,1731.
On the 16th March 1744 an order was issued for recruiting the
regiment up to the numbers allowed on the establishment; and,
on the 11th April, the War Office sent the King's commands to
colonels of the regiments of Foot serving in Minorca, Gibraltar,
and the plantations, that they were to cause a sufficient number of
commissioned and non-commissioned officers to repair without loss
of time, to the counties of Oxfordshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Middle-
sex, London, Westminster, and Southwark, there to receive “such
able bodied volunteers and pressed men, as shall be delivered over
to them respectively, by the commissioners appointed by the
Act now in force for the speedy and effectual recruiting of His
Majesty's land forces and Marines.”
Lieutenant Taylor was the officer appointed to recruit in Middlesex,
and held his head-quarters at Staines. Lieutenant Arnot appears to
have been the recruiting officer in Southwark, with his head-
quarters at the “Three, Tuns Tavern,” St. Margaret's Hill,
Southwark. +
This activity in recruiting the forces was in consequence of Eng-
land's declaration of war against France. The two nations had for
some time been intriguing against each other in the continental
quarrels. When the King prorogued Parliament in April last year,
he announced that he had, at the requisition of the Queen of
Hungary, ordered his Army to assist her against the French forces.
70 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1744.
In May the allies crossed the Rhine. King George, with his second
son the Duke of Cumberland, joined Lord Stair, who was in
command, on the 19th June, both the King and his son displaying
conspicuous bravery in the battle of Dettingen, which ended in a
victory for the allies. This victory completely changed the aspect
of affairs, and before the end of the campaign, the allied Army,
commanded by Prince Charles of Lorraine, had driven the French
forces out of Germany.
The hopes of the Pretender had again become centered in France.
The fall of the Minister Walpole, and the declaration of war with
France which followed it, was Charles Edward's opportunity, and
England becaume again the scene of the warring elements of the
rival dynasties. Happily for the nation, it was the closing scene for
the Stuarts.
The establishment and cost of the regiment and the company
at Bermuda remained the same as last year.
On the 11th March 1745 Colonel Fowke was ordered to make
a return of the officers who were in England, distinguishing those
who were on the recruiting Service, and stating where these latter
were serving.
The romantic and interesting events of this famous year do not
immediately concern the regiment, but as Fowke, the colonel of
the Queen's, was appointed to command a brigade during the
insurrection, Some short account of the events may not be out of
place in our history.
On the 7th September Fowke received an order to proceed
“with the utmost expedition " to Edinburgh, to take command of
the forces he would find there, more particularly of a Dutch
battalion that was expected to land at Leith upon his arrival.
He was to act as brigadier, under the commands of General Sir
John Cope. Upon his arrival at Edinburgh he was to report
himself to Sir John Cope. On the 25th September an express was
sent to Berwick that the Dutch regiment, under the command of
Major-General Oglethorpe and Brigadier-General Fowke, was to
march at once to Newcastle; however, this order was counter-
manded, and they were Ordered to remain at Berwick, “as well
as the Dragoons and the other regiment who were in the late
engagement.” The late engagement refers to the unfortunate
battle of Preston Pans, where the Pretender, Prince Charles, with
his Highlanders, drove off in shameful rout the Royal Army
commanded by Cope.
Prince Charles had landed in Scotland from a perilous voyage in
a little vessel called La Doutelle. The only gentleman of mark
1745.j NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 7F:
with the royal adventurer when he landed on the Scottish coast,
was old Tullibardine, called by the Jacobites the Duke of Athol.
By the 19th August he had reached Glenfinnan on the border of
Loch Shiel, after a slight skirmish with a part of the Royal Scots,
who were on their way to Fort William, and here he raised his
standard, and issued his proclamation, dated from Rome 1743, and
in which he was appointed Prince Regent. There were reported
to have been less than 3,000 Royal troops in Scotland when he
landed.
Sir John Cope, commanding the forces in Scotland, on hearing of
the landing of the Prince Charles, sent orders for the troops to
rendezvous at Stirling. He himself set out from Edinburgh on the
19th August, the very day Charles raised his standard at Glenfinnan.
He had with him about 1,500 Foot. On arriving at Daluhinnie he
found the pass leading to Fort Augustus in the hands of the rebels,
and from either excessive prudence or stupidity, he retraced his
steps, so that when Charles Edward next morning began to ,
descend the mountain, which dominates the pass, he found no
enemy, and the way open to him to enter the Lowlands. Cope
was on his way to Inverness. When the tidings of this came to.
Edinburgh and also that Charles had entered Perth, and that he
had driven the King's Dragoons before him and was only a few
miles from the town, the surprise and consternation of the loyal
inhabitants and the secret joy of the Jacobites may be better
imagined than described. -
The command of the troops in the city had, on Sunday night
the 15th (O.S.), been assumed by Fowke, and he had placed the
Dragoons and Foot at Colt Bridge. On Monday morning some
mounted patrols of the rebels came in sight reconnoitring. As
they rode up they discharged their pistols at the patrols. A panic
at once set in, and became general, the officers vainly attempting
to reform the men, also fled, hardly halting till they got to
Preston. Here they had intended to halt for the night, but,
either from some other alarm or from prudence, the march
was resumed, and no further halt was made until they arrived
at Dunbar. In the trial of Sir John Cope and General Fowke
next year, the council of officers approved of the march of
Fowke to Dunbar, but it is to be doubted if it was a march
of strategy, it seemed more like a panic stricken retreat. One
historian relates, that after arriving at Preston, where they were
to be quartered near the house and grounds of their old chief, .
Colonel Gardener, one of the Dragoons going in quest of forage, ,
fell into an old disused coal pit, “and his cries for help, were:
72 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1745.
mistaken for an alarm that the Highlanders were coming, upon
which, they instantly remounted their horses, and resumed the race
through the might, never resting till they reached the shores at
Dunbar.” It is at the same time probable and most possible, that
although in the first place there may have been panic, the Board of
Officers would not have put it on record, that they approved of
Fowke with his Dragoons proceeding to Dunbar, if the evidence
bore out that it was only a pusillanimous retreat. Fowke was
greatly blamed, but it is hard to see how any commander could
have made a fight with the materials he had.
It was not much trouble after this for Charles to get possession
of the Scottish capital. On the 17th he entered the town, and in the
evening he celebrated the event by a splendid ball in Holyrood,
the palace of his ancestors.
Sir John Cope had been reinforced at Inverness by 200 of Lord
Loudon's men. From here he took ship to Dunbar, where he was
joined by the runaway Dragoons. Hearing that the rebels had
left Edinburgh, he marched to meet them, but while feeling for
them to the west, he suddenly saw them appear “ on a ridge to the
southward.” He at once changed his front and took up a position,
intending to wait an attack. The position at Preston Pans was
skilfully chosen. On his right and front were some enciosures,
including Colonel Gardener's park wall, six or seven feet high,
in front was a deep ditch, 12 feet wide, filled with water,
which served as a drain to the marshy ground in front. The
marsh extended to the left, where it terminated in a deep
pond. Behind the position was the sea. Had this been defended
with the least skill it was impregnable, at all events from the
attack of the raw troops of the Pretender. The evidence taken at
the trial of Sir John Cope and his chief officers, including Fowke,
revealed evidence of great carelessness in the Government of the
day in not furnishing the Royal Army with proper support. It
is reported that the only gunners that Cope had at Preston Pans
were one man of the old Scotch train and three Scotch soldiers
of the companies in Edinburgh Castle, and so incompetent were
they, that as soon as the battle began, they fired their guns and
fled, and in so great a hurry that they took their powder flasks
with them, and thus hindered any one from serving the guns. Six
gunners that had been borrowed from the men-of-war behaved
even worse, for they were generally drunk during the march, and
discreetly bolted before the action began.
* Mahon, Wol. III., p. 229.
1745.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 73
The rebel Army was guided through the morass in the night
before the battle by a proprietor named Anderson, and by daylight
they were close to the troops, their advance being concealed even
after the day broke by a frosty mist. By the time the sun rose
the Highlanders were so near their foes that their rush quite
paralysed the troops, and the fierce Northerners literally cut the
Royalists in pieces with their claymores and scythes. “None of the
soldiers,” says an historian of the event, “attempted to load their
pieces again, and not one bayonet was stained with blood.”
On the 22nd September Prince Charles was back in Edinburgh,
but his Army was sadly diminished, for the Highlanders could not
resist the joy of returning home with the “spoils of war.” The
booty captured at Preston Pans was very great. The victory,
however, was so pronounced, that the Pretender soon had his Army
replenished, and before the 31st October had enrolled under his
banner double the number of men he had with him before the battle.
The march of the Prince southward; the taking of Carlisle, after the
laughable report of the mayor to the Secretary for War, that he
had forced the rebels to retire, and had done more by this valliant
defence for His Majesty than “all Scotland together”; the entry
into Manchester, and the terror and dismay in London when the
rebels were known to have reached Derby, are all incidents so well
known in the history of these times, and being only remotely related
to the history of the regiment by Colonel Fowke being an actor in
the opening scenes, that it is not necessary to refer further to them.
It was not until the fatal field of Culloden had been fought on
the 16th April 1746, that the Pretender was finally defeated, and a
dynastic contest of fifty-seven years ended. The Highlanders' fatal
rush, that had carried them so well through all the fights, was at
Culloden of no use. The Duke of Cumberland, who commanded
the Royal forces, did not spare the survivors of the rebel Army,
and the records of events, after the fifty-seven Ininutes' fight on
Culloden Moor, are not pleasant reading. The unfortunate Prince
after the battle had to endure great perils, for some time
actually hiding in the vicinity of Fort Augustus, where the
Duke of Cumberland had fixed his head-quarters. For five
months he lived the life of a hunted animal, and during this
period, went through as varied adventures as any hero of romance.
Many times recognised he was never betrayed. The escape to Skye
by the heroic courage of Flora Macdonald, has been often and well
told; hunted out of there he landed in another island, returned
again to Skye, and early in July was again on the mainland. It
was not until the 20th of September that he finally escaped in a
74 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1745
French vessel from the country which he had hoped to rule, and to
which he was fated never to return.
Letters in the Record Office, dated 13th and 15th August next
year, give particulars and names of the officers who were appointed
to inquire into the conduct and behaviour of Sir John Cope and
Brigadier Fowke “at and before Preston Pans, and of the names.
of the officers Fowke desired to call,”* Fowke was Ordered to
London on the 9th October, to assist in the inquiry being made
into the conduct of the chief officers “in the late unfortunate affair
near Edinburgh.”f The full inquiry was, however, not made until
next year. -
The establishment and cost of the regiment and also of the
Bermuda Company remained the same as before. Two assignments.
of the off-reckonings took place this year, one on 1st February,
the other on 13th November, the amount in each case being the
same, viz., 2,1731.
The number of effective men on the 21st January was 644, and
on the 23rd December, 605.
On the 8th December a letter was sent by T. Medley to the
Duke of Newcastle, giving particulars of soldiers from the garrison
of Gibraltar, doing duty as Marines on board His Majesty's Fleet.
In this paper it is stated, that Lord Forbes, major to General
Fuller's regiment, had been appointed to command the detachment.
of soldiers doing duty on the Fleet in the Mediterranean.j
Certificates for the delivery of clothing for the regiment were
sent in on 8th February 1746. The recruits and all officers not
on recruiting duty were ordered on same date to join the regiment.
without delay. -
Mr. Lloyd, the regimental agent, was instructed to send home
an exact account of the officers, and the number of recruits sent.
out with the last convoy. A letter is amongst the War Office
Papers in the Record Office, which gives curious particulars of two
men who had enlisted in the French service, and were pardoned.
on condition that they took service in the Queen's regiment at
Gibraltar. Colonel Fowke agreed to accept them, and gave orders.
for them to be sent on to the head-quarters of the regiment at
Gibraltar.
On the 5th August a warrant was issued for a meeting of a
“ Board of General Officers to examine into the conduct and
# War Office, Common Letter Book, 1746, No. 168, pp. 183 and 192-
+ Ibid., p. 11.
† Domestic State Papers, Admiralty, 1745–1747, No. 109.
1746.) NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 75
behaviour of Lieutenant-General Sir John Cope, Colonel Lascelles,
and Brigadier. General Fowke, from the time of the breaking out,
of the Rebellion in North Britain, until the action was over at,
Preston near Seaton, and of Brigadier-General Fowke from the
time he took the command of the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons, then
in the city of Edinburgh, until the said action was over at Preston,
which happened on 21st September 1745, between the King's
Forces and the Rebells.”
Several examinations were made and meetings of the Board
held, and the officers having finished the analysis of the evidence
that had been placed before them, and having duly weighed and
considered the several matters laid before them, reported to the
Ring “ that having made all the enquiry we could after Proper
Persons who were able to give us any information relating to the
matters aforesaid, and having examined all such as could be
brought before us (there being several others whose duty in Your
Majesty's service in Scotland would not admit of their leaving it
to come before us).
It doth appear to us and we are unanimously of opinion :
As to Brigadier-General Thomas Fowke, we are of opinion that
his march from Coatbridge to Dunbar was right, and the offers he
made twice to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to march into the
city with the Dragoons for its defence (though refused) were com-
mendable, and that his personal behaviour in the action was also
without reproach, and that he did not quit the field of action before
the troops were entirely broke and dispersed.
Upon the whole, we are unanimously of opinion, that Sir John
Cope's behaviour has been unblameable, and that there is no
ground for accusation against the said Sir John Cope, Colonel
Peregrine Lascelles, or Brigadier-General Thomas Fowke, all which
is most humbly submitted to Your Majesty.
(Signed) GEORGE WADE,
CADOGAN,
JOHN FOLLIOTT,
RICHMOND,
LENNOX AND AUBIGNY,
JOHN GUISE.” -
The establishment of the regiment and cost was the same this
year as last and in 1740. The number of effectives on 21st
January was 604, and on 22nd December, 609.
The assignments of the off-reckonings for clothing, &c., from
Brigadier-General Fowke, was sent on the 15th November. The
amount given was 2,1791. 0s. 11d.
* War Office, Miscellamy Book, 1743–1751, Wol. 528.
76 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1747.
In January 1747 a list of private gentlemen of the 3rd and 4th
troops of Horse Guards recommended for commissions was issued.
The number of names given was twenty-six. James Barker,
serving in the 3rd troop, was recommended for a commission as
ensign in the Queen's.
Orders for recruiting the regiment up to its full strength were
issued in March.
An order appears in the books this year that “no officer under
the degree of a brigadier shall ever appear, either in quarters
or in camp, whether on duty or off, in any other coat than his
regiment or uniform, either old or new. No officer under the
degree of a brigadier shall have either chariot or chaise.”
The drawing home of our troops from the operations on the
continent, for the defence of the kingdom from rebellion, had
been disastrous. The French were not slow to take advantage
of it. In the Low Countries the old towns of Antwerp, Mons, and
Namur that had so often echoed to the march of our troops, were
again in our rival's hands, the latter historical place making this
time only a poor defence. The naval power of England had
however, shown itself again paramount by the two victories gained
over the French, one at Cape Finisterre by Admiral Anson, and the
other by Admiral Hawke off Belleisle.
Before the year was over the French, though they had had great
successes and had ended the campaign by the capture of Bergen-op-
Zoom, the fortress key of Holland, were desirous of peace. The
|battle of Lauffeld, though a victory for the French, was a bloody
and disastrous one, to both them and the allies. The Duke of
Cumberland and his brother, though gallant soldiers, were no match
for the genius of the French soldier Marshal Saxe. Over 8,000
Foot and 1,000 Horse were lost on the side of the French, the losses
of the allies being about the same. The famous Huguenot General
Ligonier, fighting on the side of the English, his adopted country,
was taken prisoner by the French, and was sent by King Louis to
the Duke of Cumberland to say that he desired to put an end to
the war.
These overtures led to the celebrated peace of Aix-la-Chapelle,
which, after considerable negotiation, was signed on the 30th April.
Amongst its other minor stipulations, it confirmed the former
treaties of Ryswick, 1697, Utretcht, 1713, Triple alliance, 1717,
and Quadruple alliance, 1718, as well as the treaty of Vienna in
1738. The English people, however, grumbled much about one of
the minor clauses of the new treaty, viz., the restitution of Cape
Breton. Another of the clauses, however, of the new treaty cannot
* War Office, Miscellany Book, 1746–1751, Vol. 528.
1747.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 77
be said to be a minor one, for it extinguished for ever the hopes
of the Pretender and his adherents, who were to be renounced by
the French, and the Pretender himself banished from the country
that had so long upheld his cause.
Complaints appear to have been made of the recruits who had
been sent out for the service of the troops abroad, and who were
said to be difficult “to keep within the bounds of their duty.” A
consideration by the Government of these complaints, which had
been made by merchants whose ships had conveyed recruits,
seemed to bear out the idea that they were only made as a pretext
for charging higher freight. The Government, therefore, ordered
that for the future the recruits were to be sent by men-of-war
who might be ordered to the Mediterranean.
On the 4th November a detachment of the regiment was ordered
to embark from the garrison of Gibraltar on board the Fleet under
the command of Admiral Byng. The detachment was to be under
the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Forbes, of the Queen's.
It would appear from this order” that there was a detachment of
the regiment at Minorca. An urgent letter was at the same time
sent to the agent of the regiment, Edward Lloyd, to send parti-
culars of the officers who were absent from their duties at Gibraltar.
The total number of effectives on 19th January was 604, and
on 21st December, 608. Charges same as before. Establishment
same as before, viz., ten companies, seventy men in each. The
off-reckonings for clothing, &c. this year were 2,1731. 0s. 1d.
In January 1748 the governor of Gibraltar sent a letter giving
the state of the troops in the garrison. In that statement the
regiment appears to have been 101 short of its establishment,
The King, therefore, ordered that all officers of regiments serving
abroad and who were on leave at home, were to go upon the
recruiting service to raise the men wanted, and were then to repair
with the recruits so raised to join their regiment, the governor of
the garrison having reported that they were as much wanted as
the men.
In August the recruiting officer of the regiment was ordered to
repair to the Savoy prison to draw lots, with other recruiting
officers of the regiments at Gibraltar and Minorca, for the choice
of deserters in the said prison, who were ordered to serve in the
said garrisons. Some of the men posted with this order were from
the 3rd Regiment of Guards. The sum of 31. 108, was to be
—e
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1747, No. 170.
78 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1748.
paid to each man taken, to enable the recruiting officer of the
Guards to replace him.” -
On the 18th June Admiral Byng wrote to the Duke of Bedford,
asking for instructions as to the disposal of the several detach-
ments of troops from the garrisons of Minorca and Gibraltar who
were still on board the Fleet. On the 25th July he writes again
to the Duke, referring to his former letter, to which his Grace had
not replied, and goes on to say, “having received directions to
repair home, with so considerable part of the Fleet under my
command, I apprehend there will not be a necessity to keep those
detachments on board the few ships that will remain.”f Instruc-
tions appear to have been at last sent, as a later letter, on 22nd
August, reports that Byng had sailed, with the intention, on his
way home, to drop the detachments that had been borrowed from
the garrisons. *.
As soon as it was known that peace would be made, prepara-
tions were made to reduce the fearful expenses that had for so long
burdened the country.
As an instance of the state of the country, Lord Chesterfield, the
Minister, in a letter to a friend, writes “money was never So
Scarce in the city, nor the stocks so low, even during the
Rebellion, as now ; twelve per cent. is offered for money, and even
that will not do.”f
In the discussion as to the disposition of the troops, it had been
decided to send the Queen's to Ireland, but it was not till the end
of the year (December) that the news reached the garrison that its
long term of service abroad was ended.
The order for the removal of the regiment, dated 18th November,
instructed Fowke to make an assignment of the off-reckonings
of the regiment from the termination of their last assignment,
and at the same time informed him that the regiment would be
transferred to the Irish establishment from the 25th December.S
The establishment proposed for Ireland was twenty-six battalions.
Each battalion was to consist of ten companies of thirty-eight
men in each, officers included, making 384 per regiment. In
the War Office Letter Book the quota of each company is
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1748–1749, No. 172, pp. 104–119.
f Domestic State Papers, Admiralty, 1747–1748, No. 119.
† Mahon, Vol. III., p. 344.
§ War Office, Common Letter Book, 1748–1749, No. 171, pp. 211, 212, 254,
and 340.
1748.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 79
given as two sergeants, two corporals, one drummer, and twenty-
nine private men, besides officers. In a letter dated 31st October,
referring to the plan approved by the King for the reduction of the
troops in Ireland “now upon the conclusion of the general peace,”
the troops to be kept in Ireland is given as five regiments of Dragoons,
of 182 men each, and the 6th, as 272, and twenty-six battalions
of Infantry, of 384 each, ten companies in each battalion, thirty
men in each company, officers included. In a letter dated 8th
November from the Lords Justices, they recommend that instead
of the establishment above quoted, there should be twenty-seven
battalions of infantry, twenty-nine men per company. The
Army in Ireland to consist of 11,964 men.” In this order for the
establishment in Ireland, one of the regiments is elected to be
the Queen's regiment, “its present place being at Gibraltar.”f
The establishment and pay of the regiment and of the Bermuda.
company was the same as last year.
It was not until the 3rd May 1749 that the order was sent for
the regiment to leave Gibraltar for Ireland. In the order instruc-
tions were given that the men to be reduced cut of the regiment
were to be landed at Portsmouth. The regiment itself was ordered
to Ireland. The reduced men were to be paid on discharge in
England fourteen days' subsistence, and to be given 3s, in lieu of
their swords. The total number of men reduced was four sergeants,
five corporals, five drummers, and 132 men. Lieutenant-General
Bland, governor of Gibraltar, had received full instructions in
April with respect to the reductions in the English regiments
designed for Ireland. It had been finally decided that the estab-
lishment for each regiment should be ten companies, each Company
to consist of two sergeants, two corporals, one drummer, and twenty-
nine effective men. The quartermaster, also, was to be reduced.
The men of the regiment were allowed the difference of pay
between the English and Irish establishment from the 28th
December 1748, (when they were to be put upon the new estab-
lishment,) to the 22nd July, when they landed in Ireland.
The reduced men appear by an order of the War Office to have
been admitted into the gallison at Portsmouth on the 24th
December 1749.
There are some precise and particular orders in the Treasury
Books for July regulating the pay and subsistence of the newly
arrived troops in Ireland, and especially dealing with the case of
* Domestic, Ireland, Entry Book, 1734–1750.
# Ireland, Correspondence, Entry Book, 1734–1750, p. 333.
80 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1749.
same-m--
the new effective men, as detailed in the order already quoted of
April 1740. The total number of regiments sent from the Mediter-
ranean, including the Queen's, was eight, but we have not the
names of the others.
Some correspondence took place in April next year as to the
right of discharged soldiers from the regiment being admitted
into Chelsea Hospital, General Fowke having sent twenty-five
men, who he desired should be admitted into the hospital, after he
was supposed to have received instructions that they could not be
received. Mr. Fox, the War Minister, had sent to General Fowke
that the King was displeased with it, and forbade him sending any
more on pain of the King's displeasure.
The return, giving the names of the officers when the regiment
landed at Kinsale, was as follows:—
Colonel’s Company:—Captain, W. Wightman ; Ensign, Michael Nickson ;
Chaplain, Duncan Acmoty (Auchmuty) (absent in
Britain);
Adjutant, Robt. Cleiland; Surgeon, Geo. Majore-
banks (Majoribanks); Surgeon-Mate, Duncan Forbes.
Lt.-Col. Lord Geo. Forbes’ Company:—Lt., Robt. Cleiland; Ensign,
Jas. Barker.
Major, Ben. Rudyerd (dead); Lt., John Ridge; Ensign, vacant.
Capt., Robt. Napier (absent in Britain); Lt., Geo. Alexander ; Ensign,
Isaac Hamon.
Capt., B. Theaker (absent in Britain); Lt., R. Lamb (absent in Britain);
Ensign, W. Mompesson.
Capt., W. Singleton (absent in Britain); Lt., Ed. Randall; Ensign, Thos.
Massey.
Capt., John Arnott (absent in Britain); Lt., Rob. Barton; Lt., Robt.
Simes.
Capt., E. Windus; Lt., Thos. Lindsay; Ensign, Jas. Hokenhull.
Capt., Thos. Fletcher (absent in Britain); Lt., Rob. Raitt (absent in
Britain); Ensign, Jos. Williams.
Capt., Gilfred Lawson; Lt., Charles Jackson; Ensign, Rob. Dunkin (absent
in Britain).*
The return of the strength of the regiment in December was
fifty non-commissioned officers and 285 private men, the full quota,
according to the establishment, being 290 men. In July, when the
regiment landed, it was stated to have been up to its full quota.f
In the King's and Queen's letters in the Record Tower, Dublin
Castle, is an entry giving particulars of a corps that filled the part
of “Sovereign Guards” at a cost of 246!. 13s. 4d. per annum. They
were called “Battle-axe Guards,” and wore a quaint blue uniform.
* Military Lists, Returns and Miscellaneous, 1746–1749, Carton 52, Record
Tower, Dublin Castle.
f Army States, Record Tower, Dublin Castle.
1749.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 81
On landing at Kinsale the regiment received orders to march and
be quartered as follows:—
Four companies at Bandon;
Two 52 , Dungannon ;
Three ,, , Cashell, and
One company o Roscrea.
Changes of quarters were afterwards made to Clogheen and
Ballyporeen. One of the companies at Dungannon town was
taken into barracks in January next year.
Lord Forbes appears to have been in command of the regiment
in August. The strength is given as nineteen sergeants, ten drum-
mers, and 306 privates fit for duty, four on furlough; total, 310.
From this it would appear that the quota was thirty-one, though it
is given in some papers as twenty-nine.” The regiment remained
in the south of Ireland until the end of the year. In the next
year, when they were doing duty in Dublin, the Regiment was
allowed extra pay at the rate of 4l. 19S. each day.
The total of effectives at the beginning of the year was 692, and
on the date of embarkation for Ireland the state is given as 683.
The charge was 38.14d. per man per week.
On the 11th November important instructionst about clothing
and colours were delivered to the clothing board by Robert Napier,
Adjutant-General. No colonel was to put his arms, crest, device,
or livery on any part of the appointments of his regiment. No
part of the clothing or ornaments of the regiment was to be altered
after the following regulations were put in execution, “but by his
Majesty or H.R.H. the Duke's" (Cumberland) permission. The
regulations were as follows:–
“Ist. The first colour of every marching regiment of Foot is to be
the great Union. The second colour to be the colour of the facing
of the regiment, with the Union in the upper canton, except those
regiments which are faced with white or red, whose second colour
is to be the red cross of St. George in a white field, with the Union
in the upper canton. In the centre of each colour is to be painted
in gold, Roman figures, the number of the rank of the regiment,
except those regiments which have royal devices or ancient badges;
the number of their rank is to be painted towards the upper canton,
# Military Lists, Returns and Miscellaneous, 1746–1749, Carton, 52,
Record Tower, Dublin Castle.
+ War Office, General Officers’ Letter Book, 1742–1757.
VOL. III. F
82 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1749.
The length of the pike, and the colour itself, to be the same size as
those of the royal regiments of Foot Guards. The cords and tassels
of all colours to be crimson and gold.
“2nd. The drummers of all royal regiments are allowed to wear the
royal livery, viz., red; lined, faced, and lapelled with blue. The
drummers of all other regiments are to be clothed with the colour
of the facing of their regiment, lined, faced, and lapelled with red,
and laced in such manner as the colonel shall think fit for dis-
tinction's sake, the lace being of the colours of that on the Soldiers'
coats.
“3rd. The front of the grenadiers' caps to be the same colour as the
facing of the regiment, with G.R. embroidered on it, the little flaps
to be red, with the white horse, and the motto over it, “Nec aspera
terrent.’ The number of the regiment may be figured on the black
part of the cap. The royal regiments and the six old corps differ
from the above rule, and are specified hereafter.
“4th. The belts of arms to have G.R., and the number of the
regiment under it, painted on a ground of the same colour as the
facing of the regiment.
“ 5th. The drums to be painted in the same manner.
“ 6th. The camp colours to be the colours of the facing of the
regiment, with the rank of the regiment upon them.”
In the devices and badges of the royal regiments and the six old
corps the Queen's regiment is given as follows:—
“2nd Regiment. The Queen's Own Royal Regiment—In the centre
of each colour the Queen's cipher Ca Ra on a red ground, within the
garter and crown; in the three corners of the second colours the
lamb, being the ancient badge of the regiment; on the grenadier
caps the Queen's cipher as in the colours; white horse on the flaps.
The same on the belts of arms and drums, with the lamb under it.”
(The other regiments given are the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th,
8th, 21st, 23rd, 27th, and 41st ; also the Marine regiments.)
“The grenadiers of the two Highland regiments are allowed to
wear bearskin fur caps, with the King's cipher and crown on a red
ground in the front.”
On the 17th November a copy of the new regulations was
sent to the clothier of the Queen's regiment, Mr. Mann, with
orders that he was strictly to preserve the patterns now sent him,
and also that the shoes should be made in exact pattern with the
fusilier regiments, “with the same high quarters. That the coats
should be lapelled (if not so already). . . . That the coats were
King's Colour.
From the Adjutant-General's MS. Order, 1747.
Regimental Colour.
From the Adjutant-General's MS. Order, 1747.


1749.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 83:
to be made with the same sort of pocket as the Scotch Fusiliers,
viz., in the pleats of the coat, according to the Duke's direction.”
On the 20th November next year an order was sent that the
gold lace was to be taken off the sergeants' coats belonging to .
Colonel Bockland's regiment of Foot (11th Regiment), and white
metal buttons put thereon, conformable to the other marching
regiments.
* See also War Office, General Officers' Letter Book, 1742–1757, of 9th,
11th, 15th, and 16th November 1751, about breeches, drummers’ staves, and .
the cocking of hats.
F 2"
84
HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1750.
C H A P T E R. W.
REGIMENT IN IRELAND–LOSS OF MINORCA–
CAMPAIGN IN AMERICA.
1750.
CoNTENTS.—Regiment at Dublin–Chelsea Hospital—Detached Parties of
the Regiment—Drafts from Regiments in Ireland sent to recruit Regi-
ments in Germany—Camp formed of all the Regiments in Ireland—
Regiment quartered at Wicklow, Arklow, Enniscorthy, and Bray—
Inspection of the Regiment at Dublin—Return of state of Regiment—
Clothing Regulations—Colours of Facings of Regiments–Regiment sent
into Camp near Wicklow—Reviewed by Lord Rothes––Ordered to Galway
—Strength of Regiment——Rates of Pensions to Officers' Widows—Allow-
ance for Clothing—Alterations in Clothing——Regiment reviewed at
Galway——Removed to Foxford Barracks—State of Regiment—Regiment
reviewed at Galway—Quarters of Regiment—Officers present at Duty
—All the Companies ordered to Galway—Regiment moved to Water-
ford—Additional Pay for Officers and Privates—Regiment reviewed by
Earl of Rothes—Strength of Regiment—General Fowke appointed
Governor of Gibraltar—Rivalry between French and English Colonists—
French action in Virginia—Washington–Troubles in Ireland––King
orders an Augmentation of the Forces—Troops ordered to Scotland—
Changes of the Quarters of the Regiment—Strength of Regiment—
Regiment augmented—Further Augmentation—Strength of Regiment
—A Camp formed for Inspection ordered at Thurles—Recruits from
I)ublim—Fowke ordered to succeed General Braddock in command of
his Regiment—General Braddock's Expedition—Recruiting of Regi-
ment—Appointment of Honourable John Fitzwilliam to succeed General
Fowke—Fear of a French Invasion—Rumours of great preparation in
France—Minorca threatened—Admiral Byng Sails for Minorca—General
Fowke refuses to help Byng with Troops––Byng meets French—
Unaccountable conduct of the Admiral—Siege of Minorca—Gallant
Defence by General Blakeney—Capitulation of Minorca—Account of
Siege—Fowke ordered home–Tried by Court-martial for not giving
Troops to Byng—His Defence—Is dismissed the Service—Fowke's
Memorial–Byng shot—The Declaration of War against France
popular—Drafts from the Regiments in Ireland to be sent to America—
Augmentation of two Companies to all the Regiments in Ireland for the
purpose of sending them to America–Warrants for fitting out the
Companies—Particulars of the Companies sent from the Queen’s—Lord
Loudoun's particulars of the twenty-four Companies—Regiments
serving in America—Lieutenant-Colonel Molesworth Superintended the
shipment of the twenty-four Companies—Expenses incurred by the
Officers—The failure of Campaign in America—Quarters of Regiments
--Order for recruiting the Regiment—The 3rd Battalion raised—
Warrant for sums to be allowed for the Drafts sent to America—Regi-
ment reviewed at Cork—Recruiting troubles in Worcester—Support of
Pitt in England—Opposition in Ireland—State of affairs in America—
Difficulties of procuring Recruits of the proper standard—State of
1750.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 85
Regiment—Chaplain — Quarters of Regiment—Expedition to West
Indies—Capture of Guadaloupe —General Wolfe sent to Canada–Particu-
lars of his Campaign there—Taking of Quebec—Wolfe's tactics—
Capture of Quebec and Wolfe's death–Drafts ordered to America—-
Total armed strength of England—Movements of the Regiment—
Reviewed at Dublin by Lord Rothes—Quarters of the Regiment.
THE regiment, as far as can be ascertained, appears to have been
for a short time in 1750 quartered in Dublin Castle with the
1st Battalion of the Royals, Irvine's Regiment (the 5th), and
Hargreaves Regiment (the 7th). It must have been marched into
Dublin quarters very early in the year, from a return of military
lists preserved in Dublin Castle, dated 23rd January, which gives a
list of the field officers in that garrison. In this list Lord Forbes is
stated to be on leave from September 1749. Captain Napier is
stated also to be on leave with “H.R.H. the Duke of Cumberland.”
On the 12th April there is a letter in the War Office Papers from
the Minister Fox to Major-General Fowke, with reference to the
despatch of discharged soldiers from the regiment to Greenwich
Hospital. Fowke had evidently commissioned Captain Napier to
endeavour to obtain the Duke's sanction to his men being received
there, but, as the letter testified, with no success.f
On the 22nd February a corporal and four men were ordered to
conduct a deserter of Colonel Blakeney's regiment from Dungarvon
to Kilkenny, passing by Waterford, leaving Dungarvon on the 14th
February, resting Sunday 18th at Kilkenny, and back to Dungarvon
by 22nd February. A similar party was sent from Cashell to Clonmell
to receive a prisoner there, and to return after duty to Clonmell on
2nd March. Two sergeants' parties and a corporal were sent in March
from Dublin to Bandon, and a company was sent on 18th September
from Bandon to Dungarvon. From these duties it would appear
that the permanent head-quarters of the regiment were still in
the south. Marching parties appear to have been sent from Dublin
to Drogheda and Waterford in October and November to bring up
deserters arrested there.t.
On the 2nd September an order was sent for a draft to be made
of two men from each company of Foot in Ireland to recruit the
British corps in Germany. A return of these drafts was ordered to
be made and sent in to the authorities. In this return the Queen's
draft is given as one captain, one sergeant, one corporal, and twenty
* Military Lists, Returns and Miscellaneous, 1730–1754, Record Tower,
Dublin Castle, Carton, 53. -
+ War Office, Letter Book, 12th April 1750.
f Public Record Office, Dublin. Routes.
° 36 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1750.
mem. The drafts left Ireland on the 3rd of October on board the
William and Mary transport. º
In September a warrant was issued by the Lords Justices to the
Paymaster-General of the Forces to receive from the paymaster in
Ireland 69,313l. 7s. 9d., a sum due by the Irish establishment to
the Paymaster-General for the subsistence advanced to a regiment
of Dragoons and for the twenty regiments of Foot on the Irish
establishment. From this paper it is shown that the Queen's formed
one of the eight regiments sent to add to the Irish establishment.
Major-General Fowke received out of this sum 4,894l. 1s. 8d. for
subsistence for 209 days, dating from 25th December 1748, when
the regiment was placed on the Irish establishment till the 22nd
July 1749, when they landed in Ireland.*
There appears to have been a camp formed of all the troops in
Ireland, during which encampment the regiment was inspected by
| Lord Molesworth. In the list from which this fact is noted the
date of the inspection is not given. The King on the 2nd
November, according to a letter from the Minister Pitt to the
Duke of Bedford, expressed his satisfaction that the encampment
of the troops in Ireland had had the desired effect in settling
discipline in those regiments that wanted it before, and confirming
the others in a greater degree in what they were not before
deficient.
It is curious to notice in the old papers the method of payment
‘sometimes made to the men. In Dublin, 1st November, this year
Captain George Alexander, of General Fowke's regiment, goes
before a justice to make oath that “he received nine Quadruples
and one Pistol Spanish on account of the subsistence of Captain
Napier's company of the said regiment for the month of October
1750, the deficiency of which amounts to 15s. 5d.”f
It would seem from the papers that the regiment was, for the
first two or three years after its arrival in Ireland, marched each
year to Dublin, no doubt with other regiments, for inspection.
On the 11th July 1751 it received an order to march from Dublim
and be quartered in Wicklow, Arklow, Enniscorthy, and Bray
Barracks. The disposition was four companies at Wicklow, two
and a half in Arklow, two and a half in Enniscorthy, and one at
Bray. Lord Molesworth again inspected the regiment this year,
the place of inspection being given as Dublin.
* Audit Office Enrolments, Vol. 44, and Treasury Records, Irish Bock,
1749–1761, Vol. 10.
f Officers' Boards and other Military Correspondence, 1747–1755, Bundle 4,
[Record Tower, Dublin Castle.
º - -
º Zºº
After the picture by Morter at windsor Castle.

I751.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 87
The return of the state of the regiment in December was:
officers present, one lieutenant-colonel, three captains, eight
lieutenants, three ensigns, One adjutant, One Surgeon and one mate,
twenty sergeants, ten drummers, and 265 privates fit for duty;
sick and absent, twenty-eight ; wanting to complete, seventeen;
total, 310. &
Some further regulations were on 9th, 11th, 15th, and 16th
November issued as to clothing. The breeches of the marching
regiments were to be made to button and tie at the knee in the
same manner as those of the Foot Guards. The drummers were to
have hanging sleeves same as the Foot Guards, and the King,
having noticed that the hats of several regiments were cocked in a
different manner, ordered “that all the hats of the Army were to
be cocked in the same manner as those of the First Regiment of
Foot Guards.”
In Windsor Castle is a picture of a grenadier of the Queen's
regiment, one of a series which gives an excellent idea of the dress
of the regiment at this time. There was little change in it from
the dress of 1742, only the coat, which was still as ample as before,
was buttoned up higher. In addition to the pouch carried by a
belt over the left shoulder as in 1742 the soldier carried a small one
on his waist belt in front. The coat was still hooked back at the
skirt; white neck-cloth and white garters as before. The high
mitre cap with its rich and picturesque embroidery looked very
imposing. The front was of Sea-green cloth, the colour of the
facings of the regiment, and in the centre in front was a blue
garter with the Royal motto “Honi soit qui mal y pense * in the
centre, on a red ground with the Queen's cypher Ca Ra; above the
garter was the Royal Crown worked in colours. At the bottom of
the hat in front was a red flap with the white horse of Hanover
worked on it, and above it was embroidered the motto, “Nec aspera
terrent.” The badge of the white horse and the motto, “Nec aspera
terrent,” was common to the grenadier companies of all Infantry
regiments of the line. The lace of the grenadier was white, orna-
mented with a green and white worm. The breeches of the whole
regiment red, with white gaiters and a green garter at the knee.
By the kindness of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Waring, who retired
from the Queen's regiment in 1880, we are enabled to exhibit a
photograph of one of the old mitre caps, which was worn by his great
grandfather Averell Daniell, who joined the regiment on 4th January
1757 as an ensign, and retired as lieutenant on 22nd March 1770.
The following is a description of the cap as given us by Colonel
-
* War Office, General Officers’ Letter Book, 1742–1757.
88 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1751.
* *—
Waring :-"The front of the cap is of light blue velvet. The em-
broidery is for the most part silver, but is slightly interspersed with
gold. The crown has a good deal of gold on a red velvet ground.
The Queen's cypher is of gold on a crimson velvet ground. The
motto ‘Honi soit quinial y pense ’ is worked in gold on a royal
blue circle of Satin. The mottoes ‘Pristinae virtutis memor' and
‘Nec aspera terrent ’ are worked in black silk on bands of silver
embroidery. The white horse is silver embroidery on crimson
velvet. The back of the cap is of crimson velvet with a light blue
band, on which is embroidered a gold grenade with the number 2
in silver. The rest of the embroidery on back is about half gold,
half silver. The bob on top is silver.”
The following particulars of the colours of the facings of the
regiments are taken from the War Office Miscellany Book, dated
1st July 1751, which represents the well-known and often quoted
warrant of this year. In this warrant full particulars are given of
the King's and regimental colours, devices, and badges of the royal
regiments, and of the six old corps, i.e., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th,
7th, 8th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 27th, 41st, and Highland regiment. The
“Queen's Royal Regiment’ is described as follows:—“In the centre
of each colour the Queen's cypher on a red ground within the
garter and crown over it. In the three corners of the second
colour the lamb, being the ancient badge of the regiment. On the
grenadier caps the Queen's cypher and crown as in the colours,
white horse, and motto “Nec aspera terrent’ on the flap. The
drums and belts of arms to have the Queen's cypher painted
on them in the same manner, and the rank of the regiment
underneath.”
1751, July 1.—GENERAL VIEw of the FACINGs of the several MARCHING
REGIMENTs of FOOT.
Colours Rank and Title of the Distinctions Names of the present
of the Regiments in the Colonels
Facings. gl *-we same Colour. º
ſ| 1st or the Royal Regiment - Lt.-Gen. St. Clair.
4th or King's Own Regt. - Col. Rich.
7th or the Royal Fusiliers - Col. Mostyn.
8th or the King's Regt. - Lieut.-Gen. Wolfe.
Blue s 18th or the lèoyal Irish - Col. Folliott.
º 21st or the Royal N.B. Lieut.-Gen. Campbell.
Fusiliers.
23rd or the Royal Welsh Lieut.-Gen. Huske.
Fusiliers.
l 41st or the Invalids - “Colour" [? Colonel]
Wardour.
* War Office, Miscellany Book, 1746–1758, No. 528.
FRONT OF MITRE CAP.
Worn by Lieutenant Averell Daniel; joined the Regiment as Ensign, 4th January, 1757; retired
as Lieutenant, 22nd March, 1770,
From Photograph kindly lent to the Author by Lieut.-Colonel Henry Waring, great grandson of Lieutenant Averell Daniel.
pp. 87, 88,

BACK OF MITRE CAP.
Worn by Lieutenant Averell Daniel; joined the Regiment as Ensign, 4th January, 1757; retired
as Lieutenant, 22nd March, 1770
From Photograph kindly lent to the Author by Lieut.-Colonel Henry Waring, great grandson of Lieutenant Averell Daniel
pp. 87, 88

1751.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 89
º Rank and Title of the Dijºn: Names of the present
Facings. Regiments. same Colour. Colonels.
ſ|| 2nd or Queen's Royal Regt. Sea Green - || Major-Gen. Fowke.
5th Regiment - - - | Goslin Green - || Lieut.-Gen. Irvine.
11th 92 sº - | Full Green - Col. Bocland.
19th 55 sº - - || Yellowish Green Col. Lord Geo. Beauclerk.
24th 35 (lined with Willow Green - || Col. Earl of Ancram.
Green - - White).
36th 53 * &=º º Col. Lord Robert
- e Manners.
39th 5 y sº :-} Brigr. Richbell.
45th 33 sº - - || Deep Green - || Col. Warburton.
l 49th , , tº - | Full Green - || Col. Trelawny.
Col. Howard.
Col. Herbert.
Pale Buff - Brigr. O’Farrell.
14th 5 * sº
22nd 92
ſ 3rd Regiment or Buffs
27th 5 £nniskiin Lieut.-Gen. Blakeney.
JBuff - { 31st º gº Col. Holmes.
| 40th 53 gº tº º Col. Cornwallis.
42nd , • . • Col. Lord John Murray.
U 48th 39 ° tº sm. Col. Earl of Home.
17th Regiment - - || Greyish White - || Lt.-Gen. Wynyard.
Whit 32nd , - « . * * Col Leighton.
Ite = 43rd 33 gº * Col. Kennedy.
47th 55 gº sº sº Col Lascelles.
Red - || 33rd Regiment (white Lieut.-Gen. Johnson.
lining).
Orange - || 35th Regiment
Lieut.-Gen. Otway.
ſ| 6th Regiment - - - || Deep Yellow - || Lieut.-Gen. Guise.
9th 59 sº gº Col. Waldegrave.
10th 33 wº - - || Bright Yellow - || Col. Pole.
12th 5: sº º Lieut.-Gen. Skelton.
13th 2, - - - || Philemot Yellow Lieut.-Gen. Pulteney.
15th 99 *º º - Col Jorden.
16th , - gº tº Lieut.-Gen. Handasyde.
20th 99 gº - | Pale Yellow - || Col. Lord Viscount Bury.
Yellow - - 25th 23 ° - - | Deep Yellow - || Col. Earl of Panmure.
26th 25 gº - | Pale Yellow - | Lieut.-Gen. Anstruther.
28th 3.9 ° - - || Bright Yellow - Lieut.-Gen. Bragg.
29th 99 gº tºº Col. Hopson.
30th 29 º - - || Pale Yellow - | Col. Earl of Loudon.
34th 99 tº º - || Bright Yellow - || Col. Conway.
37th »; " gº ºs Col. Dejean.
38th 20 º º Col. Duroure.
44th , gº tº mº Col.Sir PeterHalket, Bar'.
U 46th 92 º tº Col. Murray.
Red with Royal Regt. of Artillery - Col. Belford.
Blue Coats.
9 0 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1752.
The regiment was ordered in April 1752 to march from its present
quarters at Enniscorthy, Wicklow, Arklow, and Bray, to a camp
that had been formed near Wicklow. The troops there assembled
seemed to have remained in camp some time, as they were not
reviewed until the 13th May by General Lord Rothes.
After the review the regiment was ordered to march and be
quartered at Galway. Their route was to be vid Ballyboys,
Banagher, and Loughrea, to Galway. Three companies were to
march on the 15th May and were to arrive 23rd, another three on
the 16th May and to arrive on the 24th, and the remaining four on
the 18th May and were to arrive 26th.*
A warrant was issued on 14th September to exempt Major-
General Fowke from a tax of 4s. in the pound, as colonel of a
regiment of Foot in Ireland.t
General Fowke does not appear to have visited the regiment in
Ireland. On the 2nd October this year he inspected all the troops
in the northern district of England.
The state of the regiment in June is given as; officers present on
duty, one major, four captains, seven lieutenants, seven ensigns,
one adjutant, one surgeon, twenty Sergeants, ten drummers, and 256
private men; eighteen sick and absent, wanting to complete, thirty-
six; total, 312. From these returns it appears that the quota of thirty-
one men per company had been finally ordered for the regiment.
The following particulars respecting the regiment may be
interesting to note.
A letter signed by the Duke of Dorset, dated Dublin Castle,
12th May, fixes the rates of pensions to officers' widows:—
#.
Colonel's widow ... ... 50 per annum.
Lt.-Colonel’s , ... ... 40 , : 3
Major's 22 e • * ... 30 , 55
Captain's , ... ... 26 , ,
Lieutenant's , ... ... 20 » f
Ensign's, cornet's, quartermaster's, surgeon's, and chaplain's
widows, each 16l. per annum.
In the warrant for clothing for this year, the contractor was
Captain Thomas Desbrisay (who was also agent to the regiment),
* From this, all the dates are new style.
# Dom. State Papers, Signet Office, Irish Letter Book, 1747–1755.
t Martial Affairs, Four Courts, Dublin, April 1752 to May 1754, p. 15,
i.e. 3/30.
1752.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 91
and the “clothiers” John Nixon and Son. The amount of
allowance for the clothing for the period 25th June 1752 to 5th
July 1753 is given as 1,1421. 0s. 63d. The annual allowance
of powder for “Watch ammunition for ten companies was ,
barrel for each company.”
Orders were issued on the 4th December that the Grenadier
Corps of all the marching regiments were to have the usual little
ornament on the point of shoulder, but it does not specify what this
ornament was. The drummers' coats were to have short hanging
sleeves similar to the Foot Guards. The sergeants' coats were to
be lapelled on the breast, with the colours of the facings of the
regiment, and have white or yellow buttons and holes according
as the clothing of the officers is laced with silver or gold.*
Orders for recruiting the regiment were issued on 25th
November.
The regiment was reviewed in May 1752 at Galway by Brigadier-
General Richbell. He was ordered to begin his tour of review on 4th
May. The head-quarters of the regiment at this time was at Galway.
After the review companies were sent to the following places:—
Two to Ballinrobe, passing through Headford, leaving Galway 29th
May and arriving 30th May, and two to Foxford Barracks.
The recruiting for the regiment seems to have been principally in
Dublin, as the Irish Papers show constant parties being sent off from
that place to the head-quarters of the regiment. An order for
recruiting the regiment this year was issued 3rd November. In
December the state of the regiment was: officers present, five captains,
seven lieutenants, and five ensigns, eighteen Sergeants, nine drummers,
and 258 private men, sick and absent twenty-three, wanting to
complete, twenty-nine; total, 310.f
The regiment was again reviewed at Galway in 1753 by General
Richbell. The general was ordered to begin his tour of review on
4th May. The quarters of the regiment are stated to have been as
follows:—
Four companies at Galway;
Two at Ballinasloe;
Two at Newport, and
Two at Foxford.
# War Office, General Officers’ Letter Book, iſ 42–1757.
+ Army States, Record Tower, Dublin Castle.
92 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1754.
The officers and men present at the review were: five captains,
seven lieutenants, five ensigns, eighteen Sergeants, nine drummers,
and 258 private men; the total of sick and absent, twenty-three ;
wanting to complete, twenty-nine.
Captain Desbrisay and the clothiers John Nixon and Sons seem
to have supplied the regiment with clothing in this year and next.
The regiment, according to the record of the routes in the books
of Public Record Office, Dublin, appears in 1753 to have been in
Wicklow in January, and Galway in February.
The following is notice of changes of quarters from the same
authority, six companies marched from Galway to the following
quarters:–Two companies to Ballinrobe, passing through Headford,
29th May to 30th. Two companies to Foxford Barracks, vić
Headford and Ballinrobe 30th May to 1st June. Two companies
to Newport, vid Headford, Ballinrobe, and Castlebar, 31st May to
4th June.
On the 22nd January 1754 one of the companies of the regiment,
commanded by Captain Windus, was ordered to march from
Newport to Galway, and to be quartered in the town (inhabitants
consenting !) till barracks were prepared for them. The route was
to be vid Castlebar, Ballinrobe, Headford, and Galway. In April
the whole of the regiment was quartered in Galway. The two
companies at Foxford having been ordered to leave for Galway on
26th April, and the company at Newport to leave on 27th April,
the three companies were to rest at Castlebar on Sunday, 28th,
and to march together next day, passing through Ballinrobe, by
Headford, and arriving at Galway, 1st May. The two companies
at Ballinrobe were to leave there on the 29th April, and, going
by same route, were to arrive at Galway next day. Recruits
continued to be sent from Dublin.
In June the regiment was again marched to Waterford; four
companies leaving Galway on 5th June, and arriving at Waterford
on the 14th ; three companies on the 7th, arriving on the 15th ;
and three on the 10th, arriving on the 18th, June. The route
was, vić, Ennis, Limerick, Tipperary, Clonmell, Carrick-on-Sure.
Two first divisions made a rest at Tipperary on the 9th and
12th. The third division rested at Limerick on the 13th June.
Amongst the parties leaving Dublin for the head-quarters of the
regiment this year were, on 29th November, a fifer-major and
four fifers.
1755.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 93
A warrant was issued on the 1st March for additional pay for
officers and privates of the regiment quartered in Ireland at the
following rates, viz., captains, 6d. per diem; subalterns, 2d.; and
privates 1d. per diem,
The regiment was reviewed on the 9th May this year by
the Earl of Rothes while quartered at Galway, to which place
it appears to have been moved for the review.
The state of the regiment in September was : officers
present, one major, six captains, seven lieutenants, four ensigns,
one adjutant, one surgeon and one mate, with nineteen sergeants,
ten drummers, and 248 private men; sick and absent, thirty-two;
wanting to complete, thirty; total, 310.
In the rolls of musters in Dublin is the following:—
9th January.—Captain John Lloyd's company at Galway,
strength, two sergeants, two corporals, one drummer, and twenty-
nine private men. Captain John Morris' company, quarters not
stated, same strength.
In July General Fowke was appointed governor of Gibraltar,
an unfortunate appointment, as it proved, for from his refusing to
give assistance, as he was ordered, to Admiral Byng, Minorca was
lost to the British Crown. Fowke appears, by a letter of the
Minister Fox, to have arrived at his new command on the 25th
July 1754.
The year 1755 was not to close without events pregnant to the
welfare and honour of the country. The political horizon had been
lowering with black clouds, in which could be discerned the lurid
light of coming warfare. The feelings of antipathy that long years
of rivalry had created between the French and English people had
shown itself in many a little fight in the far away colonies of
both, but it was in North America that this feeling was wider and
stronger. The Indians in Canada were as a base ball thrown
at one or another of the parties. A skirmish in Virginia,
in which a British Colonial Officer was beaten, was one of
the principal causes of the war which soon followed. The French,
it appears, had surprised and attacked Logs Town, a settlement of
the Virginians. Major George Washington was sent forward with
400 men to occupy a small fort on the Ohio. The French,
however, had taken possession of it before Washington got there,
and he therefore went on to a place called Great Meadows. Here
he was, after taking up a position in a small fort, surrounded by the
French, and though he fought very gallantly, was compelled to
94 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1755.
capitulate, but was allowed to march out with the honours
of war. The name of Washington was to shine brilliantly after-
wards in history, and though his genius was exerted to tear away
this promising colony from the mother country, his name is
honoured in the old country as much as in the new nation he
was mainly instrumental in creating.
The Irish part of the United Kingdom was also not without its
troubles. The Duke of Dorset, Lord Lieutenant, not being
found equal to regulate the confusion caused by the cabals of the
speaker, in the Irish Commons, was recalled, and the Marquis of
Hartington sent out in his place. In March the King sent a
message to the English Commons that the state of affairs, both
at home and abroad, required an augmentation of his forces.
The House at once voted a million of credit for the service.
In March an augmentation was ordered to be made in the regiments
in Ireland. The order to Fowke was dated 12th March, the
augmentation in the Queen's was to be six men per company. In
the other battalions it was to be five. The amount allowed for the
expense in raising the quota was 5l. 8s. 4d. per man. On 16th
April a further augmentation was ordered of nineteen men per
company. Other regiments were to be augmented by eighteen men
per company.”
In another set of papers, is given the names of regiments
that were to be discontinued on the Irish establishment, and the
names of the regiments that were to be augmented. Those
having an addition of nineteen men per company were two
battalions of St. Clair's (1st Royals), Fowke's, Boscawen's, Otway's,
Lord John Murray's, Kennedy's, and Murray's. Those augmented
by eighteen men per company were Colonels Pole's, Handyside's,
Richbell's, O’Farrell's, Blakeney's, and Bragg's.f The two
augmentations brought up the strength of each company in the
Queen's from thirty-one to fifty-six men.
In March urgent letters were sent directing some regiment to
be sent from Ireland to the Lowlands of Scotland, “without loss of
time,” and for other regiments to be sent to Liverpool, Bideford,
and Bristol in the most expeditious manner. It was also ordered
* King's and Queen's Letters, Four Courts, Dublin, Wol. 5, p. 39, and
Treasury Records, Vol. 10.
† Dom. State Papers, Signet Office, Irish Letter Book, 1747–1755.
f Domestic, Ireland, Entry Book, 1750–1756.
1755.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 95.
that the Several regiments remaining in Ireland were to be
recruited with the utmost diligence. Drafts were taken out of the
Irish regiments to complete the regiments of Sir Peter Halket.
and Colonel Dunbar, who were under Orders for North America.
The number sent from the Queen's was sixty-eight.*
Early in the year the regiment was quartered, six companies at
Cork and four at Waterford. On the 8th April the Waterford
companies were directed to march to Cork, and the Cork com-
panies to march to Wexford. The four companies that were at
Waterford appear part of the time to have been quartered as
follows: two at Ballinrobe, one at Athenry, and one at Foxford.
There seems to have been much more activity in recruiting in
some companies than in others. In the Rolls of Musters, Captains
Lawson's and Reed's companies on 5th April consisted of two.
sergeants, two corporals, one drummer and thirty-five men, while
Captain Lloyd, at Galway, on 10th July, had a strength of two.
sergeants, two corporals, and seventy-nine men,f The state of the
regiment in December was officers present, one major, three
captains, six lieutenants, six ensigns, one adjutant, one surgeon,
one surgeon's mate, with thirteen Sergeants, seven corporals, and
426 private men; sick and absent, forty-seven; wanting to
complete, seventy-six; total, 560.
An abstract of the Return of the Infantry in Ireland, gives.
the ages of the men from eighteen to fifty-five years, height 5 feet
6 inches to 6 feet 2 inches and upwards ! ! Length of service,
from one year to thirty-five and upwards ! ! The Queen's in
this return is shewn 229 short of its new quota.
In the summer a camp for inspection was formed at Thurles, the
Queen's being one of the regiments sent there. The quarters of the
regiment in July was as follows:—Six companies at Cork, two in
Cork Harbour, one in Youghall, and one at Dungarvon. They
were ordered to march to the camp at Thurles in four detachments,
of two companies in each. The first detachment was to leave
Cork on the 25th July, and the others each a day later.
Bight companies on arriving at Clonmel (vid Kilworth) were
to rendezvous there until 31st July, when the whole eight
companies were to march together to the camp vid Cashell,
* Treasury Records, Irish Book, 1749–1761, Vol. 10.
+ Rolls of Musters, 1749–1770, Four Courts, Dublin.
96 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1755.
arriving at Thurles on 2nd August. The two companies
from Youghall and Dungarvon were to leave their quarters on
30th and 31st July, and arrive at Thurles on 2nd August. A
warrant for the use of 153 tents and marquees for the camp at
Thurles was issued on 23rd July, in order that they might be
landed in Ireland “duty free.” The recruits for the regiment seem,
from the routes' papers, to have been still principally obtained
from Dublin, the total number of recruits sent from that place
to the different quarters of the regiment during the year,
amounting to 260 men.
On the 20th November, Fox, the Minister, wrote to Lord
Hartington, informing him that the King had appointed Lieutenant
General Fowke to the command of the late Major-General
Braddock's regiment of Foot (the 14th), and had appointed
Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable John Fitzwilliam to be Colonel
of the regiment in his place, his commission being dated the 12th
of the same month. This appointment of General Fowke's, and
the fact that a draft of the Queen's served in the expedition to
America, gives an excuse for a short account of it.
This disastrous expedition against the French in America in 1755
was the beginning of a sad page of English history, for though
it was organised to help the colonists against their natural enemy,
the French, the experience gained gave sufficient evidence that the
relations of the colonists with the mother country were already
somewhat strained, for they did not give the expedition the help
it certainly deserved. In February Braddock landed on the Potomac
River, having been brought over from England with his troops by
Commander Keppel. As soon as the troops and stores were landed,
and he could complete his arrangements, Braddock marched to
Annapolis in Maryland, and then set off on his last fatal march.
The troops were said to have marched with the usual military
caution, but the commander had, without doubt, entirely mis-
calculated the value of the Indian tactics. His troops were
completely out-manoeuvred by the French and their subtle allies,
who had prepared such a successful ambuscade that there was
no escape from it. The fatal fight took place on the 9th July, in
a field now called “ Braddock's Field,” situated in Creek, on the
N.E. bank of the Monongahela River, six miles E.S.E. from Pittsburg,
in a valley between the woods. The Indians did most of the
fighting; only a few French soldiers were there. - -
Braddock himself fought with great bravery and resolution, four
horses were shot under him. At last, desperately wounded, he was
1755..] Now THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 97
carried off the field, only to die a few days after. Half the
troops fled in utter confusion, nothing could resist the terrible and
murderous fire which came from behind every bush and tree;
and though desperate efforts were made to advance, the grip
was held too tight, the plans had been laid too well; in a short
time, nothing remained of the two. British regiments and their
Militia auxiliaries but a disordered and fugitive mass of men. So
great was the terror made upon the defeated troops by the Indian's
scalping knife, that a number of them reached Dunbar's camp,
fifty miles from the fatal field, the next day, bringing news of the
direful disaster. The American hero, Washington, one of Braddock's
aides-de-camp, was wounded in the fight, which was also the fate of
nearly all the officers who were not killed. Some accounts state
that the militia, who had been placed in rear, remained unbroken,
and preserved the regulars from being entirely cut off. All the
artillery was lost, and 700 men put hors de combat.
An order was issued on the 9th December, which was to remain
in force for twelve months, for the recruiting of the regiment.
From this order, it would appear that a large part of the recruits
were now obtained from England.
During the whole of the winter of 1755–56 the dread of a
French invasion kept the nation in a state of nervous fever.
The timid weak councils of the Prime Minister, the Duke of
Newcastle, seemed to have affected the nation. The French did
not disguise their open contempt, and continually boasted of their
intention to invade the country, but, happily for England, there
was one lion heart in her councils, and his firm high spirit
kept the nation from despair. “I am sure that I can save this
country,” said Pitt, “and that nobody else can.” It was not
long before a severe blow was dealt against us by our old enemy.
Rumours had reached the Cabinet that large forces were gathering
together on the Rhone, and of a French squadron equipping at
Toulon. The British envoys who forwarded the information more
than hinted that the expedition, from its composition and strength,
was intended for an attack on Minorca. The Supreme Government
that had the conduct of the State refused to credit it, and it was
not until they had again and again been warned that they bestirred
themselves, and sent out Admiral Byng to the succour of the
garrison.
The governor, Lord Trelawney, was in England, but his deputy,
General Blakeney, a gallant but decrepit old veteran, who had been
warned by a fast sailing sloop of the approach of the invading
* Mahon, Wol. IX., p. 52.
WOI, III. G
98 History of THE SECOND QUEEN's Royal REGIMENT, [1756.
French squadron, did the best he could with the 2,800 men he had
to defend his post. Byng, who sailed on the 7th April 1756, on his
way called at Gibraltar. Here he learnt of the French descent
upon Majorca. General Fowke had received orders from Lord
Barrington, the Secretary of War, on 26th March, 1st April, and
12th May, instructing him to give help out of the garrison to
Byng on the arrival of the Fleet. Fowke called a council of war
and laid before them his instructions, and also the demands of
Admiral Byng. After a long consultation he unhappily decided
to refuse to let any of the troops go, alleging as a reason that if he
did, the garrison under his command would be dangerously depleted.
Byng, on this, sailed, and on the 19th May came in sight of St.
Phillips, pleased to see the British flag still flying from the
castle.
The same evening the French Fleet came in sight, and the next
day Byng began the engagement by Ordering his second in
command, Rear Admiral West, to attack. This officer, by his
resolute and intrepid advance, soon drove the French ships out of
their line of battle, but for some unaccountable reason his chief,
at this critical time, did not advance to his assistance, and he was
unable to pursue his advantage. In the morning the French Fleet
was nowhere to be seen. Byng then called a council of war, and
weakly concluding that he could not assist the garrison sailed back
to Gibraltar, which he thought might be in equal need of
protection.
The siege then went on, the defence being conducted with um-
abated spirit. Reinforcements had been sent from France, and
it is stated that 20,000 men were engaged in the final assault.
On the 27th June the grand assault was delivered, and, though
desperately resisted by the garrison, who inflicted terrible slaughter,
the besiegers gained the principal outwork, the Queen's redoubt,
and the place was lost. The gallant Blakeney capitulated, but
with all the honours of War, and was allowed safe conduct for
himself and troops to Gibraltar.
An excellent account is given of the gallant defence of the fort
in a paper published in London next year.” On the 17th April
the garrison was alarmed by news of the French Fleet being close
to the place with a large Army. The news was confirmed next
day by the arrival of a detachment of Colonel Rich's regiment, who
reported that the French had landed at a place called Cieutadella.
-msms
2 * Account of the Siege of St. Phillips Fort. London, 1757. B.M. 9076.
See also Cannon's History of the Fourth Foot, pp. 49, 53. -
1756.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 99.
*-ms
Upon this every preparation was made to resist, all troops being
drawn into the garrison, which was also rapidly provisioned for a
long siege. Sailors and marines were also landed to strengthen the
forces. On the 25th a large party of the enemy were seen marching
towards Cape Mola on the opposite side of the harbour. On Tues-
day, the 27th, the enemy took possession of the town of St. Phillips,
and the siege may be said to have begun.
An instance of the old-fashioned courtesy of combatants in
those days took place as soon as they got in front of each other.
The Duke of Richelieu sent a drummer with a courteous letter to:
the governor, sending him a present of dry fruit, the governor in
return sending a very courteous letter of thanks, and begging the
duke to accept from him six bottles of English beer.
Some of the French soldiers having begun firing without orders.
were whipped through the camp.
By the 5th May the garrison could see the batteries that had been
erected at Cape Mola, and two days later the French Fleet, consisting
of twenty-four ships, appeared in sight. A French soldier that.
was made prisoner on the 14th May gave the garrison an account of
the strength of the enemy, and informed them that they had sent off.
transports for further reinforcements. Up to this time, though the
batteries on each side had kept up a continuous cannonading
no serious attack had been made on the garrison, and but little loss :
had been sustained.
On the 19th May, in the afternoon, the garrison saw with delight.
the English Fleet appearing, and the governor sent off a boat to
endeavour to board the Fleet. To the surprise and chagrin of
both the brave officer (Mr. Boyd) who ventured the service and of
the governor, the Fleet, instead of lying to for him, made sail away
without rendering the garrison any assistance. The boat with
much difficulty escaped the efforts of the French to capture her.
Throughout the remainder of the month the bombardment.
continued with vigour, and by the erection of numerous new
batteries the garrison was hardly pressed; they continued, however,
in spite of severe losses, to keep up a gallant defence. A deserter
came in from the French on the 13th June. He brought news that
the besieged had already caused the enemy a loss of over 2,000 men.
Fresh reinforcements had, however arrived, and more were expected.
The diary of the siege shows the most resolute determination
of the garrison to keep up the defence to the last extremity. Day.
by day is recorded the same melancholy chronicle of incessant.
bombardment, daily losses, met by the increased efforts to hold
the place of those who remained.
G 2
100 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1756.
By the 27th June the defences of the place were in such a
shattered condition that hardly any cover remained for the
gunners, and a large number of guns had been rendered useless.
The enemy judging from the feeble fire the garrison kept up that
the time had come for a grand assault, issued out of their camp on
the 27th, to the number of about 3,000, and made for Anstruther
Fort, driving back a small party that were holding the ditch in
front of the place, and gaining possession of the fort. The whole
garrison was soon alarmed, and made the most desperate efforts to
repel the assault, some of the sick and wounded in the hospital
coming out to help in the fray. The enemy were at last
arrested in their advance, but retained possession of the fort and
approaches. The loss of the besieged in the assault was forty
killed and wounded, but it is said in the account that they inflicted
a loss on the enemy of 1,500 men killed and wounded.
The next day the enemy held a parley, but the “men of the
garrison were so difficult to restrain, that our officers had to menace
them, sword in hand, to prevent their resuming the fight.”
The heroic governor, seeing it was useless to attempt to
continue the defence, capitulated. His courteous adversary, in
arranging terms, wrote in the second article of the capitulation,
the following:—
“The noble and vigorous defence which the English have made,
having deserved all the marks of esteem and veneration that every
military power ought to show to such actions, and Marshal
Richelieu, being desirous also to show General Blakeney the regard
due to the brave defence he has made, grants to the garrison all
the honours of war that they can enjoy under the circumstances,
of their going out for embarkation, with firelocks on their
shoulders, drums beating, colours flying, twenty cartouches
each man, and also lighted match ; he consents likewise, that
Lieutenant-General Blakeney and his garrison, shall carry away
all the effects that belong to them, and that can be put into
trunks.”
The terms were signed on the 28th June by Blakeney, and
ratified by the Duke of Richelieu on the 29th.
The regiments, besides the company of Artillery, taking part in
this gallant defence were—
King's Regiment (4th) ... © C. e. tº ſº º 610 men.
Royal Welsh Fusiliers (23rd) ... g º ºs 60S
Colonel Cornwallis’ 55 * @ e. e G & 605
Lord Effingham's 32 tº º º e is e 637 ,
53
Total e e f ... 2,460
1756.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 101
Of these, seventy-one were killed outright, twenty-five died of
their wounds, 301 were wounded, ten deserted, and seventeen were
missing. 32,706 round shot, and 959 grape, were fired during the
siege. -
The news of the loss of Minorca caused the greatest excitement in
England. A letter was sent to General Fowke on the 5th June, in-
forming him that he had incurred the King's high displeasure for not
obeying his orders in giving assistance to relieve Minorca, and that,
in consequence, the King had no further need of his services. He was
ordered to return home the first opportunity. His trial at a general
court-martial took place on the 10th August. The court adjudged
that he should be suspended for the space of one year. The trial was
long and protracted, and for a time the court was equally divided
upon the question, whether he should be acquitted or suspended, the
President at last giving the casting vote against him. The King,
exercising his prerogative, set aside the verdict, and on Saturday,
17th August, ordered him to be dismissed from the service. It can
hardly be denied that Fowke was treated harshly. The historian,
Smollett, gives in detail the particulars of his defence, and the evidence
and the particulars of the council of war held at Gibraltar. From
these particulars it would appear that had he sent away the troops
demanded, he would actually not have been able to relieve his
guards, and had the garrison while in that state been attacked by
the French, it would have been in great danger, and if lost, in the
temper the nation was in, Fowke would have been, as Byng was,
deemed worthy of death. The popular fury was not appeased by
the death of the poor admiral, and the ruin of a gallant and
unfortunate soldier was added to the punishment meted out by the
nation.
In the War Office Papers of 1759 there is a warrant for the
payment to Fowke of the sum of 11. 18. a day, from the 25th
December 1758, and in this warrant reference is made to the court-
martial, trial, and sentence.
A memorial from Fowke is noted, wherein he acknowledges
the justice of the sentence, but prays for the King's compassion to
him, in consideration of his long and faithful services, as likewise
for the distress caused him by the loss of employment in the Army,
which loss he estimates at upwards of 5,000l. He protests that
his disobedience to the orders he received was mainly by error
# Smollett, Vol. IV., p. 306. Sayer's History of Gibraltar, p. 242.
T102 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1756.
of judgment, and his zeal for the safety of the post that he was in
command of.
The declaration of war against France had been issued on the
18th May, almost as soon as the French descent upon Minorca had
become known. The French did not declare war until the beginning
of June, but when it was made it was couched in terms of uncommon
asperity. England entered upon the campaign with alacrity.
The defeat of Braddock in America and the loss of Minorca had
irritated the nation in the highest degree, and all were anxious to
wipe out the disgrace.
On the 4th August Fox, the Minister, wrote to the Duke of
Devonshire (Lord Hartington had succeeded to the title on the
death of his father in December), ordering him to give immediate
directions that as many private men as possible be forthwith
drafted out of the twelve regiments of Foot in Ireland, leaving in
each of the old ten companies seventy rank and file. These
drafts were to march immediately to Cork, and were to be sent at
the earliest possible date to England. On 27th April 1756 two addi-
tional companies had been ordered to be added to all the regiments
serving in Ireland. The officers posted to these new companies in
the Queen's regiment were—First company: Robert Cleiland, cap-
tain ; Henry Shaw, lieutenant, and William Gray, ensign. Second
company: Obadiah Browne, captain (?); George Ford, lieutenant,
and William Morrison, ensign (? Mompesson).”
The warrant for these two additional companies is dated 4th
May, and states that each company is to consist of one captain,
one lieutenant, one ensign, four sergeants, four corporals, two
drummers, and eighty-seven private men. They were to be raised
from amongst the Protestant subjects in the northern parts of
‘Ireland, and 40s. per man was to be paid to each colonel for the
expense of raising them.f
These two companies, with all the additional companies in the
other eleven regiments in Ireland, were, with their officers and
non-commissioned officers, ordered to repair at once to Cork, by
such routes and under such orders as the Duke of Devonshire
might direct. On arrival at Cork, they were to wait for the
transport ships that the Admiralty were sending, but only one
captain and two subalterns were to be chosen by lot to go with
* Dom. Mil. Entry Book, 1754–1758, Vol. 23, p. 272.
# Treasury Records, Irish Book, 1749–1761, Vol. 10.
1756.] Now THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 103
each draft on board each ship, all embarked were to enter from
the day of their embarkation into British pay.”
Each of the ten old companies had, early in the year, been
ordered to be augmented by one sergeant, one corporal, one
drummer, and sixteen private men, and these, no doubt, were the
detachments ordered to England with the two additional companies
that were raised.
An order was made on 30th July for the issue of six months'
allowance of ammunition for the Army in Ireland. The quantity
allowed to each troop or company was half barrel for the usual
allowance of watch ammunition, quarter barrel on account of the
new method of firing, and one barrel on account of the late
augmentation. Two and a quarter barrels were ordered to be
given to each of the newly raised twenty-four additional com-
panies, “for the better disciplining of the newly raised recruits,
and for the extraordinary occasions that the service may require.”
Warrants were issued in October for payment of money for the
accoutrements of the newly raised men, and for “819 hilted
swords, provided in England, to be delivered duty free to
Colonel Fitzwilliam's regiment.”
The number of recruits sent for the regiment in the year from
Dublin to the head-quarters of the regiment was 240, as shown
in the route return in Dublin.
Various warrants were issued during 1757 for and on
account of the troops in Ireland. The first, on 11th March, was
for the discontinuing on the Irish establishment the twenty-four
companies newly raised, and placing them on the English estab-
lishment.
On the 18th May a supply of tents was ordered for the use of
the forces in Ireland, at a cost of 2,000l., and, on the 14th June, a
warrant was issued for the payment of the sum of 1,221, 198. 1d.
to the officers of the ordnance for camp necessaries.
Another warrant, on 9th September, ordered that the colonels of
the twelve regiments were to be repaid the expense incurred in
fitting the twenty-four new companies with clothing, &c. The
amount paid to the 2nd (Queen's) Royal Regiment of Fitzwilliam's
was 488l. 12s. 1d.
Of the two companies to be raised by the Queen's, we have only
loeen able to find record of the embarkation of one. It appears to
have embarked in the transport Martha, Cork Harbour, in
October. . - -
* Dom. Ireland, Entry Book, 1750–1760.
104 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1757.
Its strength is stated to have been three officers, and 100 non-
commissioned officers and men.” In another place we find the
names of the following officers, who are stated to have “gone with
drafts to America,”f and in another set of papers they are stated
to be on leave, “on command with drafts to America.”f The
officers named are Lieutenants Donkin, Malcher, and Ensign
Phillips. The most diligent search amongst the Colonial Office
Papers in relation to the expedition has failed to find the names
of these officers, or any reference to the Queen's drafts, so it is
probable that the officers only conducted the drafts to America,
and delivered them over to the regiment they were destined to
augment. A letter of Lord Loudoun, Commander-in-Chief in
America, to the Minister Fox, dated 22nd November 1756, relates
that he had ordered Major-General O’Farrel's regiment to Nova
Scotia,” and the twenty-four additional companies from Ireland
to complete the regiment there by the present establishment.”
On the 10th March he gives particulars of the arrival of transports
with troops in different parts of America. The transports seem
to have been dispersed by storms and some of them captured. The
regiments mentioned in the volume of Colonial Papers from which
this is taken are the 44th, 48th, 42nd, 35th Royal Americans,
50th, 51st, O’Farrel's, Hobson’s, Meserne's, 27th, 28th, 43rd,
46th, 1st Battalion Royals, 17th, 22nd, 55th, 45th, Lord
Blakeney's, Murray's, Kennedy's, Bragg's, and the Provincials.
In letters dated 23rd and 27th July it is there stated that forty
men were to be drafted from each battalion in Ireland.]]
Lieutenant-Colonel Molesworth, of the Queen's, was appointed to
superintend the transport of the troops ordered to be shipped in
Cork Harbour for America. The total of the troops, according to
the papers, was 906 officers and men. A large portion of them
were Highlanders, who had been brought over from Greenock by
Major Vignolles in the Jenny transport. Colonel Whitmore
was the officer placed in command of the detachments. Colonel
Molesworth seems to have given great satisfaction to the Scotch
troops. Sir Allan McLean, one of the officers commanding the
Highlanders, wrote to him in the name of his corps, giving their
best thanks for the civilities he had shown to them.
* War Office Correspondence Miscellany, 1757–1758.
f Military Notifications, Miscellamy, Record Tower, Dublin Castle.
j. Army States, Record Tower, Dublin Castle.
§ Colonial Office, America and West Indies Expedition, 1755–1757,
No. 84.
| Ireland, Correspondence Entry Book, 1750–1760, p. 152.
1757.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 105
On the 27th September Colonel Molesworth wrote to Lord
Barrington on behalf of the captains of the drafts for America,
begging him to see that the sum they had advanced to the men
was repaid to them, as it was through zeal for the service that
they had advanced it. It appears that the money was for the equip-
ment they had provided, “three good shirts, three pairs socks, three
pairs stockings, two pairs shoes, two pairs spatterdushes 2 besides
fatigue caps, buckles, and Smaller necessaries.” As far as can be
ascertained, it appears probable that the twenty-four companies
were formed into three regiments, the 61st, 75th, and 80th
Regiments.
Colonel Molesworth, who was both son-in-law and nephew of
Lord Molesworth, wrote next year, soliciting Lord Barrington's
interest to obtain for him the post of Quartermaster-General in
Ireland, which had become vacant on the promotion of Colonel
Sandford to a regimental command. In his letter he refers him to
his 20 years' service in the Army.
The campaign of 1757, in America was not successful. Lord
Loudoun was no match for the able French General, the Marquis de
Montcalm, and both Lord Loudoun and Admiral Holbourne, who
commanded the Fleet, appear to have been a little wanting in the
dash and enterprise that has always been a glory of this mation,
and which has shone with even greater lustre in our own times.
To “dare all” should be the motto of every soldier and sailor who
owns to the name of Englishman. It was the bright star that
blazed forth in the Indian Mutiny.
The two companies which, for the sake of the drafts to America,
had been added to the regiment in Ireland, was, by an order
dated 21st October, discontinued from the establishment, and
the regiment reduced to its former establishment of ten
companies.
A further draft appears, according to the Irish Papers, to have
been ordered in July from the regiments in Ireland. Forty men were
to be taken from each, and sent under care of a subaltern to Cork,
there to be embarked.* According to the MSS. of the Queen's
Regiment, in United Service Institution, these drafts were to form
“Lord Forbes' regiment.”
The quarters of the regiment this year appear to have been as
follows:—Five companies in Charles Fort, one and a half in Kinsale,
one in Rosscarberry, one in Clonakilty, one in Inchigeela, and half
—--"
# Dom. Ireland, Entry Book, 1750–1760.
106 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1758.
a company in Macroom. Early in the year some companies
were in Kinsale and Bandon Barracks, and three and a half
companies were ordered to go from Bandon to Macroom and Kinsale
Barracks. The date of this removal is not given.
A detachment of one subaltern, two sergeants, two corporals,
one drummer, and twenty-eight privates, were on 29th July
ordered from Cork to Dublin, “with their firelocks and side-
arms,” no doubt for a guard of honour, but the occasion is not
stated.
An order for recruiting the regiment commanded by Colonel
John Fitzwilliams was issued on the 10th December, and was
similar to an order dated 9th December last year.
From the year 1756 dates the re-organisation of the English
Militia. The Bill brought in by Parliament received the Royal assent
on the 28th June.” The quota was fixed at 60,000, afterwards
reduced to 32,040. The third battalion of the Queen's was one
of the first of the battalions raised.
A warrant was issued on the 1st February 1758 for the following
sums to be added to the amounts allowed for recruiting, viz.,
5l. per man for the replacement of the drafts sent from the
regiment last year, 76l., 8s. 9d., representing the saving made in
the pay of the men (pay being drawn for them as on the
establishment and until they were changed), 5417. 13s. 4d. for
replacing the drafted men, and 185l. for clothing.
The regiment appears to have been reviewed in Cork this year
in May. They were ordered to leave their quarters for this
purpose on the 1st May, and were to arrive in Cork on 4th of
same month.
A letter appears in the War Office correspondence signed by
Lieutenant Isaac Hamon, who, with two other officers of the regi-
ment, was out on recruiting duty, complaining of the conduct of
the publicans of the city of Worcester, who had combined together
to refuse to diet the soldiers according to the rate specified by Act of
Parliament. The magistrates appear to have supported the publicans,
giving as their reason that recruits had once before been billeted
in the city, and they considered that the publicans were free for
“ever” from a similar impost.f
The state of politics in England, when all seemed to recognise
the lofty patriotism of the great statesman Pitt and agreed to
* Act, 30 Geo. II. c. 25.
# War Office, Miscellany, 1757-1758.
1758.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY It EGIMENT. 107.
stop their cabals and to support him, was, unhappily, not the
same in Ireland. The Duke of Bedford, who was now Lord
Lieutenant, was an honest and honourable man, but he was too
much given to be guided by others who had not his high character.
Dublin, being the seat of power, was agitated by constant tumults
caused by the animosities of the rival parties in the Irish House of
Commons. This of course necessitated the presence of more troops in
Dublin than usual, so we find that part of the regiment was quartered
there this year. In the rolls of musters, it is there stated that the
companies of Captains J. Morris, George Alexander Tabbillier, (?) and
the colonel's company were there in October. Captain Tabbillier's
company seems to have left for Dublin after the 1st October.
The year 1758 was a year of warfare, great events were
taking place in India under Clive and in America under the
brave and resolute Abercrombie, who had become commander-in-
chief in the place of Lord Loudoun. Abercrombie, suffered a
reverse at Ticonderoga, between Lakes George and Champlain,
from the capable French General who had fought against
Lord Loudoun, Brigadier Forbes, who commanded the troops
in Philadelphia, had, however, a success in the capture of Fort
Duquesne. The Navy had been very successful in their operations
this year, having captured and destroyed in their various actions
sixteen French men-of-war, forty-nine privateers, and 104 merchant
ships. Our loss in merchant ships was much greater, over 300
having been captured and destroyed by the French.” The drain
by the warlike operations in all quarters was being severely felt by
the nation. Then, as now, it was a question as to how low down
the stature of the men recruited might be reduced to. A letter of
Pitt to the Duke of Bedford, informs him that having placed
before the King the Duke's letter, enclosing the memorial of Lord
Rothes that the standard of height of recruits in Ireland night
be lowered to what it was in England, signified the King's
approbation to the proposal, the standard of recruits for the
future being fixed at five feet three inches.f
The state of the regiment in December was as follows:–
Officers and non-commissioned officers present and fit for duty,
one major, five captains, five lieutenants, eight ensigns, one chaplain,
one adjutant, one surgeon and one mate, twenty Sergeants, thirteen
drummers, and 499 private men; sick and absent, ninety-six;
wanting to complete, 135; total, 730.
* Mahon, Vol. IV., p. 146.
+ Dom. Ireland, Entry Book, 1750–1760,
108 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1759.
This is the first year that the chaplain appears as being present
for duty since the regiment came to Ireland in 1749, though he
may have been present in 1756 and 1757, the returns for which
years are missing. He appears to have remained till June next
year, when he is again absent from the returns, and up to 1761
continues so. There does not seem to have been much earnestness
in the discharge of his duties by the chaplain in these times,
and it is somewhat singular that the Reverend Achmulty was not
sooner called to account for neglect of his duties.
Instructions were issued on the 6th November for the supply of
colours to the new regiments, 61st, 75th, and 80th. The 1st or
King's colour was to be the union, with the rank of the regiment
in the centre, within a wreath of roses and thistle.
The Queen's appear, according to the MSS. of the Royal
United Service Institution, to have been during some portion of
the year at Waterford.
The great Minister Pitt, amongst the multitudinous cares of pro-
viding for the safety of affairs at home, was, above all, anxious
that we should strike some telling blows at France abroad. An
expedition was fitted out and despatched against the French
islands, resulting in the capture of Guadaloupe in West Indies, on
the 1st May. But the enterprise which above all engaged his atten-
tion was the conquest of Canada, and towards this he directed his
best energies and skill. The French General Montcalm, in command
there, had already shown his skill against Our troops, and it was
necessary that a capable man should be found to cope with him.
A happy and most fortunate selection was made in General Wolfe,
one of England's heroes, whose name will for ever shine in her
history as one of her noblest and most gallant sons. But the
scheme for the conquest of Canada, according to Pitt's deliberations,
required three separate expeditions, Quebec being arranged as the
point where the three Armies should meet. General Amherst, who
had succeeded General Abercrombie, was again to try his luck against
Ticonderoga, and, having secured the navigation of Lake Cham-
plain, was to push on to join Wolfe. General Prideaux, with a body
of Provincials, assisted by friendly Indians under the command of
Sir William Johnson, was to act on the left against Niagara, and,
after reducing the fortress there, was to embark his forces on Lake
Ontario and attack Montreal. Prideaux was killed, but Johnson
cleverly carried out the instructions, and the garrison of Niagara
fell into his hands. He was, however, not able to advance further,
Amherst, on his part, drove the enemy from Ticonderoga, and again
from Crown Point, another fort, but, from the want of naval force,
1759.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 109
was unable to dislodge the enemy from a strong position they had
taken up on the Isle aux Noix at the upper end of the lake, and
was thus unable to advance up to the junction he had been ordered
to.
The taking of Quebec by Wolfe is one of the most gallant
and stirring episodes in our national history. He embarked
on board the Fleet of Admiral Saunders, and after a successful
voyage, arrived in the St. Lawrence. Having captured a ship that
had on board some excellent charts of the river, he was enabled to
sail up in safety, and on 27th June laned his troops on the Isle
d'Orleans in front of the town. Wolfe's whole force consisted of
some 8,000 men. In the Colonial Office Papers is a complete list of
the troops, with the names of the regiments, who were to
rendezvous at Louisburg, Montcalm's strength is stated to have
been about 10,000 men, composed principally of Canadians and
Indians, and but few regular soldiers. He, however, posted
his forces in a position immensely strong by nature, and on
the only accessible side of Quebec, and entrenched himself securely
on the steep ground. “On his front were the river and its
sandbanks, in his rear impenetrable roads. Thus posted, he
was able, without running any risk or hazard, to prevent either
an investment of the city or a battle on equal terms.” Wolfe
tried his best to draw the Frenchman from his strong position,
but failed, and at last determined to attack him in his entrench-
ments. Accordingly, on 31st June, he landed the first of his
men at the mouth of the Montmorency, but after a gallant
attempt to advance, was forced to retire. After a long delay,
caused principally by the severe illness of Wolfe, it was determined
to break up the camp which had been established at Montmorency,
and endeavour to draw out Montcalm by a change of attack on
the heights above the town. On the 13th September, at one o'clock
in the morning, after having carefully surveyed the position, Wolfe
landed his troops in a small bay or inlet two miles above the city,
and under some heights named the Heights of Abraham. The Fleet
had at the same time been ordered to make feints opposite the
French camp at Beauport, on the opposite side.
Wolfe was the first to leap on shore, and in the darkness they
began the ascent, and with such success, that at daybreak the whole
of his force was drawn up in order of battle on the heights. As
soon as the French general sºw them, he made his disposition to
attack, confident of victory. After driving in the picquets with
his marksmen, he advanced ; Wolfe ordering his troops to
* Colonial Office, America and West Indies, 1758, No. 87.
+ Mahon, Wol. IV., p. 159.
110 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Royal REGIMENT, [1759.
reserve their fire till the French were within forty yards, when a
deadly volley was poured forth into the advancing enemy with
terrific effect. The French wavered, when Wolfe, who had already
been wounded in the wrist, rushed forward, cheering his men on to.
a charge. Again shot, this time in the groin, he still shouted his.
orders, when a third shot in the breast felled him, and he was borne
off the field. The battle was, however, won. As the hero lay
dying, an officer who stood by, cried out, “See, they run.” “Who
run ?” cried Wolfe eagerly. “The chemy,” was the reply. “Then
God be praised,” said the hero, and, after a short pause, “I shall die
happy.” The hero's remains were received with almost royal
honours, and the national Valhalla holds the dust of as gallant
a soldier as ever buckled on a sword. The French General,
himself a hero, fell on the field of battle, his end embittered by the
defeat. When told his end was approaching he remarked, “So,
much the better; I shall not live, then, to see the surrender of
Quebec.””
The losses of the English were 640, the French 1,500. Four days.
after the battle the capitulation of Quebec was signed, and the
Army remained to garrison the new possession.
The Colonial Office Papers contain full and particular accounts.
of the attack and capture of Quebec. The regiments
taking part in this immortal action were the 15th, 28th,
35th, 43rd, 47th, 48th, 58th, 60th, 78th, and some Louisburg
companies.f
Early in the year Pitt wrote to the Duke of Bedford, ordering that
drafts of 300 men should be made from such of the regiments of Foot
in Ireland as the Duke should think proper, such drafts to be sound
able bodied men 5 ft. 6 in. high, and not under twenty nor more than
forty years of age. A captain and subaltern officer was to go in
charge of each 100 men, and the whole was to be sent under the
command of a field officer; 5!. per man was to be paid to the
regiments they were taken from. They were to be embarked at
Donachadee and landed at Port Patrick. These drafts were to
replace a like number of men sent from the regiments in North
Britain to recruit the regiments in Germany. Later in the year,
in September, a draft was made of two men per company from
all the regiments in Ireland for further recruiting the English
regiments in Germany.
* Mahon, Vol. IV., p. 166.
+ Colonial Office, America and West Indies, 1759, No. 88.
# Dom. Ireland, Entry Book, 1750–1760, and Ireland, Correspondence
Entry Book, March 1750 to October 1760, p. 187.
1759.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 111
The total armed strength of England at this time in regular
troops was — * . -
At home ... . . . . . . . ... ... ... 27:350
On foreign stations tº º ſº tº ſº tº tº tº º ... 40,609
- Total ... 67,959
The movements of the regiment this year were as follows:—
From Dublin to the following places on the dates as shown :
2 companies to Cork on 19th June;
1 company to Waterford Barracks, 7th to 12th June;
I 2J Youghall 2 3 7th to 18th June;
6 companies to Waterford 2 2 8th to 18th June ;
in three detachments.
This order was followed by another for the whole regiment to
march from Dublin to Waterford, there to remain till ordered to
encamp. In the account for extraordinary expenses is a sum of
1,500l. for camping of troops in Ireland. The regiment appears to
have moved from Waterford Barracks to the camp at Ballynakall,
near Waterford, between the 5th and 16th June.
Seven companies were marched back to Waterford Barracks and
town on 19th July. The remaining three companies left the camp
between the 10th and 21st July, and were ordered to Oughterard to
relieve Colonel Sebright's regiment there.
A captain, two subalterns, three corporals, two drummers, and
fifty privates, marched from Waterford to Clonmell, 10th to 12th
November; and a subaltern, one Sergeant, one corporal, one drummer,
and twenty privates were sent from Waterford to Dublin.
While the regiment was in Dublin it was reviewed by the Earl
of Rothes.
The state of regiment in December was: officers present, one
major, six captains, seven lieutenants, eight ensigns, one adjutant,
one surgeon and one mate, with twenty-seven sergeants, eighteen
drummers, and 631 private men; sick and absent, 49; wanting to
complete, 50; total, 730.
In the Irish Papers is an entry of a payment to Mr. Rigby,
secretary to the Duke of Bedford, on behalf of the Duke as lord
lieutenant, of a sum of 101, 68.3}d. for the purchase of battalion
horses for the light companies to be made out of the twelve
battalions in Ireland, the Queen's regiment being one.”
In the record of routes for this year is one of the light company
of the Queen's being ordered to march from Cork on 26th.
December, arriving at Waterford on 2nd January 1760.
wº-
* Martial affairs, 1753–1754, 1 E. 3/32, p. 7.
112 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1759.
--~~~~-º
In Rolls of Musters in January this year Major Windus’ and
Captain T. Sime's companies are given as quartered in Dublin, the
strength of each being three sergeants, three corporals, two
drummers, and seventy men. *
On 27th November a warrant was issued placing Major-General
Fitzwilliam upon the Military establishment of Ireland in that
rank, with pay at 11.10s, per diem.
1760.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. II3
C H A P T E R W I.
REGIMENT REMAINS IN IRELAND–REVIEW OF
POLITICAL EVENTS.
1760.
CONTENTs.-The French Commodore, Thurot, lands at Carrickfergus, but re-
embarks his Troops—Is attacked at Sea by Captain Elliot and defeated
—Capture of Montreal—English Regiments under Prince Ferdinand—
Quarters of the Regiment—Encamps with other Regiments at Kinsale
—French Prisoners of War—Strength of Regiment—Death of the King
—Appointment of Colonel Sir Charles Montague to command the
Regiment—General Fowke reinstated in the Army—Station of Regi-
ment—Regiment removed to Waterford–New Colours presented there
—Recruiting Orders—State of Regiment—Fall of the Pitt Ministry—
—Officers ordered to rejoin the Regiment—Regiments ordered to be
recruited to full strength—Two Six-pounder Guns sent to each Irish
Foot Regiment—Officers in Parliament to get special leave—General
Montague and the Rioters—Regiment removed to Dublin, Enniskillen,
and Belturbet—Conquest of the Caribbean Islands—Havanna captured
—Value of Booty captured at Havanna—Overtures for Peace made by
the new English Minister, Lord Bute–Particulars of Peace Proposals
—France cedes Canada, Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton—England re-
stores to France Guadaloupe, Martinique, and St. Lucia—Peace of
Fontainbleau signed at Paris–Reduction of Standing Army—National
Debt—Pitt's influence.—Vote of Thanks to the Army—Troops embarked
at Holland for Home—Reduction of Regiments in Ireland (including
the Queen's)—Allowances to discharged Men—Reduced Establishment
of Regiment—Ordered to America—Order cancelled—Detachments
ordered to assist the Civil Powers—Regiment changes Quarters—
American Reliefs—Drafts from the Regiment— Regiment reduced by
one Company—Sent to Dublin—Sent to Wexford—Drogheda.
THE French design for an English invasion in 1759 had received
a great blow by the defeat of the Toulon Fleet at Lagos and
at Quiberon, but a small squadron under Commodore Thurot, which
had been designed early in this year to make a descent upon
Ireland, had managed to avoid contact with the victorious English
Fleets. Thurot, on the 28th February landed at historic Carrick-
fergus, which town, after some resistance, he took, but hearing
of the disasters to the other part of the French Fleet he hastily
re-embarked his troops and sailed away. News of his operations
had, however, reached the Duke of Bedford, who ordered a small
squadron under the command of Captain Elliot to follow and attack
VOL. III, H
114 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1760.
him. Thurot was met by Elliot not many hours after his sailing
from Carrickfergus, the Frenchman being killed and his ships
captured.
In America our troops had crowned the glorious victory of the
immortal Wolfe by the capture of Montreal. General Amherst's
skilful advance and capture of that place completing the conquest
of Canada.
On the continent also the English troops had had seriotis work,
and had acquitted themselves in a manner worthy of the high
renown of the British Army. In the subsidiary actions of the
troops under Prince Ferdinand the English regiments “were con-
stantly put forward in the posts of greatest honour—that is, of
danger—and their loss in killed and wounded was, therefore,
much greater in proportion than the other divisions his (Prince
Ferdinand's) army sustained.” The number of English troops,
according to returns of the month of March, serving abroad was
42,632, and at home 40,801.
The Queen's remained quartered in different parts of Ireland,
part of the year at Foxford and adjacents. At the end of the year
they were quartered as follows: six companies at Limerick and
four companies at Galway. They appear to have been in Dublin
in May, and received orders to march as under:-
3 companies, Dublin to Kinsale, 31st May, arrive 12th June
3 5 3 3 3 2 3 2nd June ,, 14th , ,
4. 35 33 2 3 3rd , ,, 16th , ,f
This march would seem to have been made with reference to the
formation of a camp in the neighbourhood of Kinsale. On the
30th May a letter was sent from Dublin Castle to Lord Rothes,
instructing him to make arrangements for a camp and directing
him to order the march of the troops thither.f
The Duke of Bedford wrote to Pitt on the 8th April, giving a list
of the number of battalions proposed to be encamped during the
summer. In this list the Queen's regiment is named.
A considerable number of letters appear in the Dublin Papers
relative to the care and conduct of the French prisoners of war.
Two hundred and fifteen were to be lodged in the Sessions House
at Longford. They were removed from Longford into barracks at
Phillipstown, to make way for the business of the session.
The state of the regiment in December was as follows:—Officers
and non-commissioned officers and men present and fit for duty,
one major, five captains, seven lieutenants, and six ensigns, one
* Mahon, Vol. IV. p. 203.
f Routes, Dublin Castle, and State Papers, Ireland, 1760–1761, No. 424.
£ Dublin, Public Record Office, Country Letters, 4/14, p. 122.
1761..] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 115
adjutant, one surgeon and one mate, twenty-eight Sergeants, ten
drummers and 619 private men ; sick and absent, fifty-eight;
wanting to complete fifty-three ; total quota, 730.*
On the 25th October the King, who had had a serious illness two
years before, since which he had been gradually failing, died
suddenly just as he had risen from bed, and the long and eventful
reign of his grandson, George the Third, began.
On the 27th November Colonel the Honourable John Fitzwilliam
was removed to command the 2nd Irish Horse (now 5th Dragoon
Guards), Sir Charles Montague being appointed to succeed him in
command of the Queen's, his commission being dated the same day.
The prayer of General Fowke to be reinstated in his former
position in the Army was, on 10th August 1761, granted. A
warrant was issued on that date authorising him to take rank as
a lieutenant-general next after John Earl Delawarr, and before
Lieutenant-General Sir John Mordaunt, who was a younger
lieutenant-general than General Fowke when he was dismissed the
service on the 14th August 1756. A warrant on the 17th August
was issued, appointing him a major-general on the Irish establish-
ment, and to allow him the sum of 11. 108, a day, in the room of
Major-General Archibald Douglas, “now employed in Germany,”
to commence from 29th July 1761.f -
At the beginning of the year, according to the Rolls of Musters
the regiment was still at Limerick and Galway, and was distributed
as follows:—f
The Colonel's Company, Limerick (mustered there till 13th April).
Lieutenant-Colonel Molesworth's Company, Limerick (mustered there
till 2nd October). -
Major John Morris's Company, Limerick (mustered at Galway till
13th April).
Captain Geo. Alexander's Company, Limerick.
55 JHodson Bernard’s 2 3 3 y
55 J. Barker’s 55 3 3
95 R. Raitt's 3 3 Galway.
35 T. Simes's 3 * 9 3
2 3 M. Nickson’s 2 3 2 3
33 H. Bailey's 35 9 3
In March a draft, consisting of one captain, two subalterns
three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and 137 privates
were sent from the head-quarters of the regiment to Dublin. These
officers and men (names of officers not given) were volunteers from
* Army States, Record Tower, Dublin Castle.
+ War Office, Miscellany Book, 1761–1762, No. 532.
j. Rolls of Musters, Four Courts, Dublin.
H 2
116 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1761.
the regiment for service abroad. It is not stated where they were
sent to.
While at Limerick the regiment was with other regiments placed
in camp to be reviewed. On 10th May the keeper of military
stores received an order to take in the camp equipage of the
regiment. From this it would appear that the regiment was
reviewed with others some time in May. On the 28th General
Montague was sent to review the regiments in Cork garrison and
ICinsale.*
In June the regiment was removed from Limerick (the four
companies at Galway had a short time before been moved to
Limerick) to Waterford, and quartered five companies in the town
and five in the barracks. The former detachment marched on 9th
June, and arrived on the 12th, the latter a day later. While at
Waterford the new colours were issued to the regiment, according
to the regulation pattern as settled in 1747.
Orders for recruiting the regiment were issued on 15th October.
The state of the regiment in November was as follows:—Officers,
non-commissioned officers, and men present and fit for duty, one
major, four captains, six lieutenants, six ensigns, one adjutant, one
surgeon and one mate, twenty-two sergeants, thirteen drummers,
and 504 private men; sick and absent, forty-nine ; wanting to
complete, 177; total quota, 730.
This year saw the end of the grand ministry of Pitt, who may
justly be said to have been the Saviour of his country in this critical
period of our national history. France, through her able Minister
the Duc de Choiseul, had concluded a treaty with Spain, which
Pitt rightly considered was a blow against Engand. In this treaty
each State bound itself to consider every “Power as their enemy
which might become the enemy of either,” and this following the
open avowal of a desire for peace by France, was regarded by
Pitt as a cause for war with Spain, a measure he proposed, and
which, not being accepted, caused his fall. The wisdom of his
policy was soon seen, and, in spite of the opposition, England
was obliged to declare a war against Spain on the 4th January
next year.
Orders were sent out early in 1762 for all officers absent in
Great Britain, recruiting or otherwise, to return to duty with their
regiment in Ireland. A letter from the Lord Lieutenant to the
Earl of Egremont, the newly appointed Secretary of State, informed
him that he had taken this precaution “in case of an attempt from
-------- ~~~ *
---,
* Public Records, Dublin, Country Letters, 4|16, p. 27.
1762. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 117
abroad.” Orders were at the same time issued that officers absent
in other parts of Ireland from their regiments were to return at
once, exception being made in this case to officers recruiting. Strict
orders were also sent out that the several corps were at once to be
recruited up to their full quota.
The numbers required to complete all the regiments were 1,800,
this large vacancy having been caused by the drafts that had been
sent away. An order was sent that the regiments were to be
completed by the next March musters.
Two light six-pounder guns were to be sent, with ammunition
carts, &c., to every battalion which had not already received
them.*
Any officer having a seat in Parliament was to have special
leave, after the King had decided whether he was to remain in
England or not.
Major George Alexander was in command of the regiment at
the beginning of the year.
General Montague, who had a command in Cork, was, on the
15th April, written to with respect to his treatment of rioters
there. The Government appear to have feared a famine in
consequence of the men having gone to the hills to escape arrest,
and the land not being therefore tilled. Montague was ordered
to relax his vigilance according to his discretion.
The regiment remained at Waterford till about the middle of the
year, when they were removed, and five companies sent to Dublin,
three to Enniskillen, and two to Belturbet. The light infantry
company, which had been sent from Waterford to Bandon, was
moved from there to Enniskillen on 11th August.
The results of the war this year were again favourable to the
English. Martinique fell to our arms, and the surrender of Grenada,
St. Lucia, and St. Vincent completed the conquest of the Caribbean
Islands. The Spaniards, also, were to feel the might of England's
power. Havanna had been attacked by General the Earl of
Albemarle and Admiral Sir George Pocock, and after an obstinate
resistance capitulated on the 13th August, one day after the first
birthday of the Prince of Wales, the Queen having given birth to
a son, afterwards George IV., on the 12th August. -
With the capture of the Havannas an immense booty was taken
possession of ; according to the Annual Register not far short of the
value of 3,000,000 sterling.f
Some Spanish ships, freighted with immense treasures, were also
captured. -
- * State Papers, Domestic, Ireland, 1762–1763, No. 427.
+ Annual Register, 1762, Part I., p. 43.
118 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1763.
Lord Bute, the successor to Pitt, had, since his accession to the
head of the State, been very desirous of peace. He now made
overtures to the Court of Versailles, through the neutral Court of
Sardinia, and it was not long before the preliminaries were
arranged, as the French were even more desirous of peace than
the English. One of the first conditions made was that France
and England were no longer to furnish any succour to the
Germans in their war. France ceded to England Canada, Nova
Scotia, and Cape Breton, but kept to herself the rights of fishing
on the coasts of Newfoundland and on the Gulf of St. Lawrence;
England restored Guadaloupe, Martinique, and St. Lucia, retaining
Tobago, Dominica, St. Vincent, and Grenada, with other conditions
relative to India and Africa. Minorca was to be exchanged for
Belleisle, which had been captured by the English. Havanna was
restored to the Spaniards in exchange for Florida, much to the
disgust of the English, who naturally grudged the expenditure of
blood and treasure in the capture of such an important place, and
which was restored with what was thought to have been an
inadequate compensation. -
On the 3rd November the preliminaries of peace were signed at
Fontainbleau, but it was not till the 10th February 1763 that
the definite treaty was signed in Paris.
No sooner had the peace been signed than preparations were at
once made to reduce the standing Army. The nation had, with
their own contests, the subsidies to the Germans, and the cost
of their help in men and materials, advanced far on the road to
national bankruptcy. Our national debt had been doubled, and
now amounted to 122,260,000l., and this only refers to the funded
debt. The nation, however, rejoiced that the “seven years’.” war
was over. The great statesman's (Pitt) boast in the hour of
England's danger, that he was “sure he could save his country
and that nobody else could,” had been achieved, and the nation
could now rest on its laurels. It is difficult to imagine what would
have been the position of England, had she not been aroused by
the clarion voice and animated by the glorious spirit of the great
commoner Pitt. In all places was his magic spirit felt, and it
may truly be said that no warrior ever did more for his country
than the man whose hand guided the helm in these troublous
times. º
There was great rejoicing in England at the termination of the
war. Votes of thanks were given in both Houses of Parliament
to the Army that had taken part in all the stirring scenes of
the late war. The troops in Holland were on the 25th January
embarked at Willelmstadt in transports for England. The total
1763.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 119
*-*-
number returning home was about 700 officers, 17,000 men, and
7,400 horses.”
A letter was sent by Lord Egremont to the Lord Lieutenant on
30th March, ordering that the 2nd, 10th, 16th, 18th, 26th, 29th,
39th, 52nd, and 59th regiments were to be reduced one captain,
one lieutenant, one ensign, twelve sergeants, twelve corporals,
eleven drummers, and 448 private men in each, and in the 62nd
regiment the reduction was to be nine lieutenants, two surgeons'
mates, eighteen sergeants, eighteen corporals, two fifers, nine
drummers, and 648 private men.f This contemplated reduction
was a little altered, the warrant when issued making the reduction
ten sergeants, ten corporals, ten drummers, and 420 private men.
The reduction was to take effect from the 5th December.f
An Order was issued on 20th April that the non-effective men
that had hitherto been borne on the establishment in Ireland were
to be discontinued. * - " ;
In November orders were issued with reference to regulating
the allowance of pay to the discharged men. Those returning
to England were to be allowed twenty-eight days’ pay, those
remaining in Ireland fourteen days’ pay and 38. for their swords.
The reduced establishment of the regiment is stated in one set
of papers to be one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, seven
captains, eleven lieutenants (including the captain-lieutenant), nine
ensigns, one chaplain, one adjutant, One surgeon and one mate,
twenty sergeants, twenty corporals, ten drummers, and 280 effective
men. § In another the number of effective men per company is
given as twenty-seven instead of as above, twenty-eight.|| The
Treasury Records give the total men per company as twenty-
eight."
An order, subsequently cancelled, was sent to Ireland that
in case it should be found necessary to send troops to America,
the three regiments of Foot under the command of Major-
General Montague, Lord Forbes, and Colonel Owens should be
recruited up to the old establishment, and be ready to embark on
orders being received.* Lord Halifax sent a note to the Lord
Lieutenant on 23rd August, informing him that accounts had been
* Hamilton’s Guards, Vol. II., p. 192.
# Ireland, Correspondence, Entry Book, 1761–1770, p. 23, also State Papers,
, Dom. Ireland, 1763, No. 428. -
f Dom. State Papers, Signet Office, Irish Letter Book, 1760–1764.
§ Ibid.
| Martial Affairs, 1 E. 3/33, p. 85.
* Treasury Records, Irish Book, 1761–1769, Vol. II.
* Ireland, Correspondence, Entry Book, 1760–1770, p. 25.
120 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1764.
received that the orders that had been despatched to Governor
Keppel to send a certain part of the troops from the Havanna to
North America had reached him in time, and that the three regi-
ments ordered to be in readiness in Ireland would not now be
required.
In the Muster Rolls in Four Courts, Dublin, there is noted a
change of quarters in July. The regiment was at that time
quartered five companies in Dublin, three at Enniskillen, and two
at Belturbet. They were, after the change in July, quartered
three companies at Ballyshannon, two at Belturbet, one at Foxford,
two at Galway and two at Beeleek.
The usual yearly recruiting order for the regiment is this year
dated 20th May. . -
Early in 1764 orders were issued as to a general plan of rotation
for the relief of the troops in America. In pursuance of the plan,
the 62nd, 66th, and 68th regiments were to be augmented to
forty-seven men per company. These regiments were to relieve
the 38th at Antigua, 49th at Jamaica, and the 63rd in the Grenada
Islands. The 70th Regiment was to be augmented by drafts like
the three regiments above named.
It is not known to what regiments some drafts ordered later in
the year to be made from the Queen's, and other ten regiments in
Ireland was sent to. The order was dated 15th September, and
was to the effect that the non-commissioned officers, drummers,
and private men in the 10th company of the regiment (and the
other regiments named) were to be drafted and transferred to
the remaining nine companies, or into any other corps which
furnished drafts to the regiments which embarked from Ireland
for America.” The other regiments, besides the Queen's, were
the 1st, 10th, 16th 18th, 26th, 29th, 39th, 52nd, and 59th.f
The regiment, with the other nine above named, were ordered
to be reduced by one company, but the warrant for this does
not appear to have been issued till 22nd October. The warrant
states that the Queen's regiment is to be reduced by one company,
consisting of one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, two sergeants,
two corporals, one drummer, and twenty-eight private men.f The
reduced officers were Captain H. Bailey, Lieutenant William Alcock,
and Ensign Hardy Eustace. They were allowed by a later warrant
to remain on the establishment of the regiment, but on half-pay.
Their rates of half-pay were respectively 5s., 2s. 4d., and 18. 10d.
* War Office, Irish Entry Book, King's Letters, 1761–1769.
† Treasury Records, Irish Book, 1761–1769, Vol. II.
f Dom. State Papers, Signet Office (Irish Letter Book), 1765-1770.
1764.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 121
per diem. Lieutenant Alcock was afterwards given a company in
the 52nd Foot, Lieutenant John Seely of that regiment being at
the same time put on half-pay.
The regiment was, according to the Muster Rolls, in Dublin on
25th January. The regiment left Dublin about the end of July,
and were quartered five companies in Wexford, and the rest
between Duncannon and Arklow.”
From their orders of embarkation next year, the regiment
appears to have been moved to Drogheda and adjacent places.
* Muster Rolls, Four Courts, Dublin.
122 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1701.
C H A P T E R W II.
BEIRMUDA (OMPANY.
1701.
CoNTENTS.–Particulars of the Islands—Brigadier Selwyn ordered to embark
the Company for the Bermudas—Captain Sands to command the Com-
bany—The Company embarks in Ship Lincoln, 17th February 1701—-
Arrives 28th April–Landing of the Governor Bennett—Directed to
instruct the Militia of the Islands--Account of the Drill and Discipline
of the Militia and Negroes—Unpopularity of Soldiers in Bermudas—
Difficulty of Subsistence Pay——Dispute between Mr. Larkin, Admiralty
Judge in Bermudas, and the Governor—Governor made Captain, on the
death of Sands in 1704–Complaint against Lieutenant Henley—Dis-
charged from confinement and sent to Virginia—Henley and his Family
drowned on the Passage—Complaints against the Lieutenant-Governor
and Captain—Governor made Colonel—Soldiers conspire to seize a Ship
and commence Piracy–Trial and Condemnation of the Pirates––Proposal
to double the strength of the Company from fifty to 100 men—Raising of
a Troop of Horse Grenadiers–New Governor Pulleyn–Does not consider
it necessary to augment the Company—Lieutenant-Governor Benjamin
Bennet, made Governor, vice Pulleyn, dead—New Governor advises the
Company strength being increased up to 100 Men, in consequence of the
practice of Piracy in the Island—Governor Bennett retires—John
Hope appointed—Reports on the Defences of the Islands—Strength of
Militia—Clothing of Troops—Government, in 1723, direct full informa-
tion of the state of Bermudas to be sent home—John Pitt appointed
Governor, vice John Hope—Request for a Ship of War to be stationed at
Bermudas—Good Report of the Company—Company removed to Provi-
dence in the Bahamas–Opposition against the removal of the Company
—Arrival at New Providence on 17th February 1730–Trouble in the
Bermudas in consequence of the absence of the Company—The Governor
and Inhabitants pray the King that it may be sent back—The Bahamas'
Governor petitions that it may not be sent back—The King orders the
Company to return to Bermudas—Report on the Military Strength of
the Islands—State of the Arms of the company in 1737.-George Alured
Popple appointed Governor vice Pitt–New Governor advises Company
strength to be 100 instead of fifty—Petitions for New Arms—Attempted
Capture of the Islands—Correspondence on New Arms for the Com-
pany—Governor George Alured Popple retires, and is succeeded by his
brother, William Popple—House hired to barrack the Company—Dis-
turbances in St. George's—Attempt to blow up Ships—Officers and Men
of the Company ordered to be ready for Service --Rioting—The Com-
pany ordered to be increased to 200 Men for manning the Forts,
and assisting the Government in collecting Duties—-Complaints against
1701.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 123
the Governor—The Ensign of the Company also its Doctor—Differences
with the Governor settled—Another attempt to get the strength of the
Company increased—Great difficulty in recruiting—Ensign Clark be-
comes insane——Is sent Home—Last consignment of Clothing to the
Company——The Company disbanded.
THE history of the company of the Queen's that in the year
1701 was ordered to proceed to the Bermudas, from which it never
returned, is a curious one, and worthy a chapter to itself.
The Bermudas, which have been to a maritime nation like
England a most valuable post, consist of a cluster of about 100
small islands in the Atlantic Ocean, distant about 580 miles from
the coast of Carolina. Only about fifteen of these islands are in-
habited. They are named Bermuda, from their first discoverer, John
Bermudez, a Spaniard, but they are also called Summer or Somers'
Islands, so named from an Englishman, Sir George Somers, who
was wrecked there in the year 1609. He lived on the island for
about nine months. From the favourable report made of the
beauty and fertility of the islands by the forced colonist, the
Virginian Company claimed, and afterwards sold them to some
settlers, to whom King James the First granted a charter. They
were made great use of in the American War of Independence for
fitting out privateers, which were manned by Negroes. The area
of the islands is about nineteen square miles, and the popula-
tion to-day is about 15,000, one-third being whites, the rest
Negroes.
The islands are situated on the west of the Atlantic Ocean, in
32° 15' N. latitude and 64° 51" W. longitude.
On the 8th of February 1701 Brigadier Selwyn received an
order to embark a company of the regiment on board the ship
Lincoln then at Spithead.
The order was as follows:—
Our Will and Pleasure is, that you cause a Company of our Reg' of Foot
under your command now in garrison at Portsmouth, to embark with their
arms and cloathing on board our Ship the Lincoln at Spithead, and you are
to take care that such Company before their going on Ship board be
compleated to the full Numbers upon your establishment. Given at our
Court at Kensington the 8” of February 1700/1. In the 12th year of our
reign.*
By, &c.
WILLIAM BLATHWAYT.
To Brigad' Selwyn
or the officer-in-chief
with his Regiment.
* Marching Orders, 1697, Vol. 12, p. 415.
124 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1701.
Another order followed on the 14th, instructing the officer in
command of the company, that on landing at the islands he was
to report himself to the governor or commander-in-chief there, and
obey such orders as he should from time to time receive from
him.
Captain Sands was appointed to command the company, but his
appointment having caused some little jealousy, it was ordered by
the King that Captains Sands, Phillips, Culliford, and Laton should
cast lots for the command, and upon this being done, Captain Sands
was successful. -
The company embarked on the 17th February, and, on the
evening of the 28th, the lieutenant-governor of the Bermudas,
Captain Bennett, came on board. -
The Lincoln left Spithead at 4 a.m. on the 3rd of March, and,
after an uneventful voyage, arrived safely at the islands on the
28th of April. The lieutenant-governor, Bennett, lauded at
11 a.m., under a salute of twenty-one guns,” and the next day, the
ship having been anchored near the town of St. George, the com-
pany was landed and marched into quarters, which had been
temporarily prepared for them. There seems to have been con-
siderable delay in arranging permanent quarters for the company
in the castle and forts, as, on the 2nd of September, the lieutenant-
governor writes that they are not yet in a condition to receive
them.
1702.
The company, besides their garrison duty, were daily practised
in grenadier exercise, but the practice must have been rather
limited, as the lieutenant-governor complains that he had only forty
grenade shells in the garrison.
The instruction of the Militia of the islands, numbering 750 men,
was part of the work assigned to the company.
A regiment of slaves was also formed, consisting of 600 men
armed with lances.
Referring to his forces, the lieutenant-governor writes, in the
early part of the year, that he has done his best to prepare for all
eventualities in case of war, and that he believes even the slaves
may be able to give a good account of themselves, if they come
close to an enemy.i.
* Log Book, Lincoln, 1695–1702, No. 277, P.R.O.
+ Board of Trade Book, Bermuda, 1700–1704, B. No. 30, p. 203, P.R.O.
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1702.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 125
An interesting letter of Governor Bennett in August gives some
articulars of the drilling of the Militia and the Negroes, which is
p sº 85 - " -->
here given in part —
8->
“The discipline I accustom the Indians and Negroes to is :-
Some time when the company is drawn out, I order the soldiers to
bring their staves and lances with them, and after the battalion or
company is exercised, I Order the Negroes to be intermixed with
them, and practice them together in their marchings and wheelings.
The Negroes having their lances shouldered (which are about seven
feet long), and then I generally march them into the trenches, where
I show the soldiers the way of firing, wheeling off to the right and
left, ranks advancing, and what else is necessary to learn them.
The Negroes being all this time intermixed, and wheel and ad-
vance with them, that they may know what to do if an enemy
should jump hastily on shore and endeavour to force the trenches
and in such case the Negroes' lances would be much more serviceable
than club muskets.
“From the trenches I march them to some open bay and draw
them up either three, four, or six deep, as the ground admits, and
show them how to oppose an enemy in landing, by ordering the
front rank to make ready, at the same word of command, the
Negroes from their shoulder recover their lances right before them,
and when the word of command to present is given, the Negroes
fall back with their right legs and charge with their lances, and
stand so till the musketeers are ordered to fire, when they recover
their spears at the same time the soldiers do their firelocks, and
wheel off with them (with their spears advanced), and then the
next rank advances and does the same.”
A letter to the Lords Commissioners of Trade, written in April,
complains that money had not been sent to pay the troops, and
that the lieutenant-governor had had to pay for their subsistence
for the last six months, or they would have starved, “nobody here
loving a soldier so well as to give him credit.”
This delay in sending subsistence made the position of the com-
pany in the island very unpleasant, and it was represented to the
authorities at home, that in order that injustice might not be done
to the lieutenant-governor by his having to provide subsistence for
the company and have no military charge over them, it would be
better to give the company to him, so as to encourage him and give
him some addition of profits for the better support of the charge
and dignity of his post. It was also proposed to make the com-
pany one of the companies of the new regiment of Militia that
was proposed to be raised.
126 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1702.
-----
Later on the company, on the death of Captain Sands in 1704,
was put under the Lieutenant-Governor's charge, but it never
formed part of any new regiment, retaining its old independent
character during the whole period of its existence.
In the Treasury Papers of 1702 is an account for subsistence
“for the company at Bermudas, from 26th April 1700 to 24th
December 1702, amounting to 6,501'. 12s.,” also an entry, “paid
one company at Bermudas 991. 11s. 8d. from 25th December.”
On this date also is an entry of the “Regulation and subsistence
of the Troops and Regiments in England, &c., commencing 25th
December 1702 inclusive.”
The full quota and pay of the company was as follows:–
£ s. d.
Captain g º e tº tº 3 § $ $ tº s tº ... 0 4 0 per diem.
Lieutenant tº º tº tº ºn º © tº , tº a tº ... O 2 0 5 3
Ensign * 0 1 6 5 *
Total 0 7 6 3 2
or 2 12 6 per week.
2 serjeants, each 68. per week tº e tº ... () 12 () * 9
2 corporals and 1 drummer each 4s. 6d.
per week ... * @ º * † tº tº $ 4 ... () 13 6 3 *
50 private men at 3s. 6d. per week ... ... 8 15 () 3 3
Total cost of company per week = 12 12 0° 3 *
1703.
A very pretty quarrel commenced at the end of 1702 between
the lieutenant-governor and Mr. Larkin, a gentleman who had
been sent to regulate and settle Courts of Admiralty for the trials
of pirates, and which was continued with great bitterness all
through this and the next year. This gentleman had reported
some slight he imagined the lieutenant-governor had put upon
him. Writing home, he charges the lieutenant-governor, amongst
other matters, with allowing soldiers in the company for a small
bribe to marry and get their discharge, while others were sent
on board wrecked ships “and knocked on the head.” Another
of the various charges made by Mr. Larkin was the ill-disposition
of the troops, more particularly the Militia, to protect the islands
when the French Fleets appeared before them. He writes, “I
went upon a hill, where I had the opportunity of observing of what
service the Militia and people of these islands are upon an emer-
gency,” and he asserts “that if out of the French Fleet 200 men
had been sent on shore, they would have carried the island with all
the ease imaginable.”
% Calendar of Treasury Papers, Vol. 83., Nos. 38, 39, and 42.
1703.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 127
It is amusing to note in the voluminous correspondence on this
dispute the various recriminating charges made ºn each side.
A French vessel was wrecked on the islands, the crew were held
as prisoners. Larkin, by some means having released them,
paraded them about the town of St. George's, and meeting with
Captain Sands, endeavoured to persuade him to sanction his pro-
ceedings, but without success. Had the Frenchmen during their
temporary liberty been able to procure arms, there would have been
Some smart work for the little garrison, particularly if at this
juncture some other French ships had put in an appearance, and
had been warned to help their countrymen on shore.
The company officers seem to have taken a part in the quarrel
between Larkin and the governor, Ensign Russell giving affidavits
in favour of the former, while Captain Sands and Lieutenant
Henley gave evidence against him. With regard to the latter
officer Larkin writes that, “This Henley is famed as a notorious
liar, and a man that will swear anything,” a charge that ought to
have, according to the manner of those times, led to a personal
encounter.
There is a voluminous correspondence in the Bermuda Board of
Trade Books of this date concerning this Lieutenant Henley, who,
after Mr. Larkin was disposed of, entered the lists against the
Lieutenant-Governor. -
The annual cost of the Bermuda Company is given in the
Treasury Papers at 659l. 12s.
1704.
In the early part of this year Captain Sands died, and in May
the lieutenant-governor wrote to the Lords Commissioners of
Trade,” begging them to forward his petition to the Queen, praying
Her to grant him a commission to command the company. He
urges his claims for this consideration, having “all along suffered in
subsisting the officers and soldiers,” and that he had always been
six months out of pocket, and sometimes a year. He has been
obliged to run into debt 400l. on account of what he had done for
the company, on which he pays interest, which he considers “is
very hard, considering he bas no manner of advantage by the
company.” The lieutenant-governor petitioned the home authorities
on the 22nd of July, asking'for the company, and urging his claims
of former service as captain of the Marines, both by Sea and land,
in the last war. On thepe tition is an endorsement, “The Prince
* Board of Trade Book, Bermuda, 1703–1704, No. 7.
agrees,” and signed Geo. Clarke. The letter conferring the com-
mand must have arrived early in October, as on the 9th Bennett
writes expressing his deep sense of the favour shown to him, and
his promise of paying all attention to the trust reposed in him.”
In November a petition was presented to the lieutenant-
governor by the soldiers of the company, praying for relief from
the acts of Lieutenant Henley. The petition was signed by
two sergeants, two corporals, one drummer, and thirty-six men.
In the petition he is accused of inciting the soldiers to pilfer,
and the petitioners go on further to state that “in general the said
lieutenant is of such a morose, severe, and treacherous spirit that
they dread the continuance of his command over them.”
The lieutenant-governor had received notice of Lieutenant
Henley's expressed intention to kill him. Evidence had also been
given of his having been guilty of coining. The whole matter of his
conduct was therefore submitted to a court of assize, and, the
evidence being overwhelming, he confessed, and threw himself upon
the mercy of the court, asking compassion for the sake of his
wife and five children. The court found him guilty of coining (a
sample of the money was sent home by the governor), and
sentenced him to a fine of 500l.
1705–6.
The unfortunate Ilieutenant Henley was, it appears by the fur-
ther correspondence, kept in confinement altogether for nearly
twelve months.
A letter from Mr. Secretary Hedges arrived in March 1706,
remitting the offence and discharging him from confinement. The
lieutenant-governor at once took measures to send him and his
family to Virginia, and supplied them with provisions for the
voyage. The misfortunes of the family were, however, not yet at
an end. The vessel in which they sailed was lost, and all were
drowned.
It would appear as if the Lords Commissioners of Trade had
written to Governor Bennett with reference to the treatment of
Lieutenant Henley, for Bennett writes on the 9th October, “and
as for treating Lieutenant Henley with humanity in regard to his
wife and children, my Lords, it was his own fault he continued
six days in the castle (which was the place he petitioned to be sent
to), for I ordered the captain there to offer him as from himself
that he would endeavour to prevail with the judges to let him be
* Colonial Office Papers, America and West Indies, Bermudas, 1703–1728,
Bundle 479.
1705–6.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 129
in Tuckerstown (a very pleasant place), provided he would behave
himself regularly, but he sullenly refused that proposal and
continued in his confinement about a month (I think it was), and
then desired that liberty which he has had ever since.” The
governor goes on to say that he had obtained for him a grant of
ten shillings a week “in consideration of his family,” so that he
hopes he may not be thought cruel or uncharitable.
In the Treasury Papers of 1706, dated 11th March, is a petition
from Charles Noden on behalf of Henley, praying that as the
Queen had been pleased to remit the fine of 500l., and the imprison-
ment which had been imposed on him for threatening the life of
the Governor, the respite of pay should be taken off for the time he
was imprisoned. The respite, which was from the 15th October
1704 to 24th June 1705, and amounted to 44l. 16s., was not
allowed.*
In the light given by the full correspondence of Governor
Bennett, he does not appear to have been too well fitted for the post.
It was not long before another complaint was lodged against
him by the provost marshal of Bermuda, Edward Jones. This
formidable indictment comprised seventy-two paragraphs, imputing
almost every fault possible in a governor and commanding officer,
such as encouraging idle soldiers, defrauding the Queen by enlisting
felons, taking money from good soldiers for their discharge,
borrowing subsistence money and when repaid by Government
keeping the money, &c., &c. The indictment finished up by a strong
condemnation of his treatment of Lieutenant Henley. Nothing
appears to have been dome on the complaint, so it is fair to assume
that the governor was not so bad as he was painted, and as he
continued in his post till November 1712, he no doubt had some
of the qualities required for the duties required of him. It is
not stated in the correspondence why he was ultimately removed,
1709–10,
Nothing appears in the correspondence until the middle of 1710,
when Governor Bennett, who had been promoted to the rank of
colonel, though the date of his commission has not been ascertained,
wrote on 13th June to Lord Sunderland, giving the results of a
trial by court-martial of soldiers belonging to the company who
had conspired with some sailors to seize a sloop called the Flying
Fame, Captain Hobart, commander, and carry her off on a pirating
cruise, and who also when released from this charge again conspired
to seize another vessel in order to go with her to France and take
# Calendar of Treasury Papers, Vol. 97, No. 97.
WOL. III. I
130 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1709–10.
measures with the King of France to bring a force over and capture
the islands. After a full trial four of the soldiers were convicted
and sentenced to death, three were pardoned, and two sentenced to
be whipped; the execution of the three who were condemned to
death was suspended, waiting confirmation by the Queen. The
court-martial was held in the sessions house in the town of St.
George, and presided over by Colonel Tucker. The governor wrote
on the 13th June to Lord Dartmouth, sending home full reports
of the trial. In his letter he strongly recommended Antony
Henty, one of the soldiers, for the Queen's pardon. Lord Dart-
mouth wrote to the Lords Commissioners that, on the recom-
mendation of Colonel Bennett, which he forwarded, he advised that
his prayer be granted.”
1711.
On the 22nd June 1711 the governor wrote to Lord Dartmouth,
thanking him for the Queen's mercy having been granted to
Henty. In the trial it was clearly shewn that the man had intended
to save the governor's life when the attempt to take the island was
made. The remaining three men were brought to the gallows to
be executed, but in consequence of a discretion given in the Queen's
letter and of the desire of the governor to save their lives they
were reprieved, their future punishment being left to the council
for decision. They were ultimately pardoned and allowed to join
the company. In the same letter in which the governor gives an
aecount to Lord -Dartmouth of this painful scene, he proposed to
increase the strength of the company from fifty men, its present
establishment, to 100 with an allowance of three serjeants, three
corporals, and two drummers.
A troop of Horse Grenadiers had been formed out of the in-
habitants of the town. The governor wrote that with the proposed
augmentation and the assistance of these Horse Grenadiers he
would always have about 160 Grenadiers ready, “which may
entertain and prevent an enemy's landing till the Militia regiment
of Foot could march to their assistance.” In his petition he also
prays that in case the augmentation was allowed, it might be done
by drafts from the regiments quartered at Portsmouth and Plymouth,
and that the men come out perfectly equipped.
The cost of the Bermuda company, according to Audit Office Ac-
counts, was this year 991, 11s. 8d.; out of which the respites were
60l. 16s. 4d.
* Dom. Entry Book, 1710–1711, Vol. 2,
1712.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 131
1712.
Colonel Bennett, the governor, on August 15th, wrote home
praying that consideration might be given to his request to increase
the company to 100 men, and to add another company to the
forces, “verily believing,” he writes, “that the French have resolved
to attempt this country.”
Colonel Tucker was, on the 31st October 1712, appointed secre-
tary and provost marshal of the islands, and on the 21st November
Henry Pulleyn was appointed governor vice Bennett.
1714.
The new governor, Pulleyn (sometimes spelt Pulleine), was
evidently not in accord with the late governor in respect to the
forces required to protect the islands, as, in reporting home on the
22nd April of this year to the Lords Commissioners of Trade, he
wrote that the company “the Queen is pleased to leave here,” with
the assistance of its present inhabitants, was, he considered, sufficient
against any ordinary attempt to capture the place.
He reported that the island of Bermuda was at that time very
populous considering its extent, and that if encouragement was
given to the Bermudians to settle in the Bahamas, he believed a
third of the inhabitants would go there. He, therefore, proposed
to unite the government of the Bahamas to that of Bermuda.
Governor Pulleyn seems to have been an improvement upon the
former governor, as the correspondence is quite free from the
voluminous and acrimonious complaints and disagreements that
must have made the service of the company under Bennett's ruling
one of great difficulty and even danger. Pulleyn was, unfortunately,
taken ill of the fever common to the islands, and died on the 25th
April next year.
1715.
The inhabitants, upon the death of Governor Pulleyn, petitioned
that Mr. Benjamin Bennett, who had only been appointed lieu-
tenant-governor on the 23rd February, might be appointed governor,
which was acceded to by the authorities.
* Colonial Office Papers, America and West Indies, Bermuda, 1703–1728,
No. 49, P.R.O.
I 2
132 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1715.
In the account of the establishment of the regiment, dated
July 11th, 1715, there is an entry of “one company at Bermuda
consisting of one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, two sergeants,
two corporals, one drummer, and fifty soldiers.”
1716.
In the account of the Treasury Minutes of this year the cost of
the Bermuda company is stated to be 994l. 6s. for 366 days, or
21. 14s. 4d. per diem. In each year of the estimates the total
number of the company, including officers, is given as fifty-eight,
and the cost about the same as above.f
1718 to 1721.
The new governor, on the 21st May 1718, wrote home calling
attention to the large number of vessels fitting out for piracy, and
the danger the islands were under from the insubordination and
insolence of the Negroes. In order to guard against these dangers,
he proposed to make up the numbers of the independent company
to 100 men, which number was to include the non-commissioned
officers, four sergeants, four corporals, and two drummers. He
also strongly urged the necessity of another company of soldiers,
to consist of the same numbers of officers and men, and he
advised that a fourth or fifth rate man-of-war should be kept at
Bermuda. He urged that better provision should be made for the
subsistence of the soldiers, as he found it impossible to quarter them
on to the inhabitants, who, he states, “are generally so poor that
they neither lodge nor provide for them.”
On the 25th April 1721 the governor again called attention to
the want of an adequate military force on the islands. In his
letter he expresses his regret that his request for more troops had
not been granted, feeling very conscious of the general insecurity of
the islands.
On the 23rd August 1721 Governor Bennett retired, and John
Hope was appointed on the same date to succeed him.
1722.
The new governor, on being appointed, at once carefully inspected
the means of defence, and reported home that there were “ninety
guns in bad enough order mounted in the forts, and at places most
accessible by ships or boats, and an independent company of forty-
nine men,” which he considered gave the greatest security to the
islands against invasion. The new governor evidently did not
consider the military force inadequate.
* Audit Office, Military Establishment Book, 1715, No. 40.
f Calendar of Treasury Papers, Wol. 198, No. 11.
1722.j NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 133
He seemed to place little reliance on the Militia, for he writes
that on a late alarm “they could not get twenty of them together
at the town of St. George.” The Militia was said to consist of two
battalions and one troop of Horse. The number of militiamen on
the muster rolls was stated to be 1,091, out of which 1,015 were
Foot and seventy-six Horse.
1723.
In a book preserved in the Public Record Office is an entry, dated
12th February, with respect to the clothing of the regiment.
In the document there is an entry that the schedule of clothing
was to include that for “the Bermuda company.” The letter
of instructions was addressed to Colonel Kirk, who was ordered
to send patterns of the clothing, which were to be laid before the
board of general officers. From this entry it appears that the
Bermuda company was still considered part of the regiment.
1724,
Governor Hope, in sending home his report on the island for this
year, recommends the place as a Sanatorium for soldiers and sailors
stationed in the West Indies. He writes that the wholesome
climate there is found particularly beneficial; in every other
place in the West Indies he states men are so liable to contract
the “fatal distemper,” and if not cured at once they “die like
flies.”
A curious account is shown in the Board of Trade Papers f of the
quantity of powder used in the company from 28th August 1707.
Amongst the items are —“4th April 1709–By powder delivered
at the burial of a soldier, 14 lbs. July 1709.-By powder delivered
to the soldier to raise an alarm, 22 lbs. 4th July 1711.-By
powder to Sergeant Glaisbrook for the King's Company, 42 lbs.
9th June 1712–By powder expended to Sergeant Glaisbrook to
load the guns at Katherine's Point, 16 lbs.” The total quantity of
powder that was delivered to the company from 1707 to 1722
appears by the book to have been 233 lbs., or a little over two
cwts :
1725 to 1730.
There is little to record of the company or of the affairs of the
islands during the next seven years.
* War Office, General Officers’ Letter Book, 1715–1742.
+ Board of Trade Book, Bermuda. No. 12, P.R.O.
134 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1725–30.
The Home Government had sent a series of questions relative to
the state of the Bermudas. In answer to one of the questions,
relating to the Militia, the governor writes, that “The greatest
security this place has against invasion is the independent company
of fifty men, which company have likewise produced another good
effect, for the inhabitants, since their arrival, are very respectful
to the governor.” The history of the early squabbles appears to
have been quite forgotten.
On 12th October 1727 John Pitt was appointed governor vice
John Hope. In 1729, answering a similar series of questions that
were before put as to the state of the islands, the new governor,
in referring to the Militia, makes no mention of the company, nor is
it mentioned in the entry of the military establishment, which is
given as consisting of nine companies of Militia and a troop of
Horse.
On the 18th October 1729 the governor, council, and assembly
of Bermuda, requested, on account of the damages the in-
habitants sustained by pirates, to have a ship of war stationed
there; they also prayed that an independent company of soldiers
sent by King William III. for a garrison in the place may be
continued, as “they have contributed to the good and safety of
the island, and have on all occasions exerted themselves when
our coasts have been infested with privateers and pirates, and being
always ready upon such occasions.” This request was no doubt
made because of the rumoured removal of the company to the
Bahamas.
The estimate for the cost of the company in the Treasury Papers
of 1727 is given as 1,003!. 15s., and the number fifty-seven.f
Governor Pitt and his council seem to have been indignant at
the governor of New Providence, Wood, persuading the Home
Government to allow the company to be removed by Admiral Sir
Charles Wager from the Bermudas to New Providence. Pitt
writes, on the 11th October to Charles Cholmonley, that “as the
company was settled by King William here at the request of all the
inhabitants in time of peace and by Act of Parliament, being the
only security to the magazines and the town of St. George, and, if
occasion requires it, to surprise the Negroes, who are very numerous,
and that as most of the male inhabitants are usually at sea the
company is the whole support of the island ten months in the
year.”f The New Providence governor endeavoured to allay the
disquietude of the Bermuda governor by alleging that he only
* Board of Trade Book, Bermuda, Vol. 13.
t Treasury Papers, Vol. 261, No. 6.
† Colonial Office, America and West Indies, Bermuda, 1738–1744, No. 50.
1725–30.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 135
wanted to borrow the company for twelve months; all the repre-
sentations and petitions sent home however failed to keep the
company at Bermuda. It left Bermuda for New Providence on the
17th February 1730, under the charge of Mr. John White and Mr.
Woodes Rogers, who had been chosen by the Government of Bahama
to go to Bermuda and escort the company. They took with them
the King's warrant for the removal.” Mr. Rogers reported to
the Duke of Newcastle, on the 11th October 1730, that “the
independent company from Bermuda was very short of their com-
plement and mostly old men, so that it will be a great charge to
recruit them.” Mr. Rogers seems to have been afterwards made
governor of the Settlement.
1731.
It was not long after the company had been removed to the
Bahamas before the governor of Bermuda began to have trouble
with the Negro population. At the end of 1730, and the beginning
of 1731, the governor and his council and assembly wrote home,
praying for relief from the many hardships they have laboured
under from the attacks of the Spaniards, and begging that the
Ring may be asked to send back the old independent company
“for the better safeguard of the colony.” The merchants also
sent in a strong petition for the company to be brought back,
alleging “That since the removal of the said company the Negroes
on that island (who are more numerous than the white people) have
destroyed many of Her Majesty's subjects by poison, many more
are now lingering under that misfortune, whose lives are despaired
of . . . the violence of the Negroes was never known while your
Majesty's independent company remained there, but on the contrary
kept them in due subjection, and were esteemed the greatest
preservation to that colony in defending it from rebellion within,
and insults from enemies and pirates from abroad.” The island
during the absence of the company narrowly escaped capture by
a Spanish ship from Porto Rico, which had been sent to plunder the
place. A storm having driven the ship off, the island escaped
capture. On the 23rd December the Privy Council, after duly
considering all that had been urged, decided to order the return of
the company to Bermuda, and reporting to the King this decision,
His Majesty ordered the company to be sent back, the Secretary
of War being instructed to give the necessary directions for its
immediate return.
* Colonial Papers, America and West Indies, Bahamas, 1728–1746,
No. 57.
136 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1731.
The governor, Rogers, of the Bahamas had not, up to October,
been able to do much for the accommodation of the company. All
that was done was to build a guard room and “ lodgement " for
the officers. The governor complaimed that he could not get the
least assistance from the inhabitants.
Great efforts had been made by the people of the Bahamas to retain
the company. R. Montague wrote to the Lords Commissioners of
Trade on the 3rd December, with reference to the agitation for
their removal, that he “does not doubt that the reasons given for
the removal of that company from Bermuda to Bahama will equally
hold good for their continuance there.”
An order was sent to Ralph Noden, agent of “the independent
company of Foot in the Bermudas, commanded by John Pitt, Esq.,
and to Lieutenant Heron of the same company,” authorising them
to appoint such person or persons as they should think proper, by
beat of drum or otherwise, to raise so many volunteers in any part
of Great Britain as are or shall be wanting to recruit and fill up the
independent company of Foot in the Bermudas to the numbers
allowed upon the establishment.* Next year a memorial was sent
from the Bahamas asking that a company of invalids might be sent
in lieu of the Bermuda company sent back, which was apparently
done. In August 1733 the Lords of Trade, in reply to a memorial,
allowed the governor there to increase his company to 150 effective
men. He was thus more fortunate than the Bermuda governor,
who, as will be seen, could get no accession to his numbers, though
the most urgent and repeated applications were made year after
year.
1732 to 1736.
Little of interest is recorded during this period in the Colonial
Papers of the affairs in the islands. The governor transmitted
regularly his report on the state of the island and the troops.
Sometimes the independent company is given as having a strength
of forty-nine men, and sometimes as fifty men, so the numbers
did not vary much. The Militia consisting of nine companies of
Eoot—about 600 men, and a troop of Horse.
The man-of-war that had been asked for so often does not seem
to have been sent ; as in October 1734 the governor is still
urging that “it is entirely necessary, and another independent
company to guard the forts.”
1737 to 1739.
A curious memorandum appears in the correspondence of 1787,
as to the state of the arms of the company. William Smith, store-
* War Office, Miscellany Book, 1730–1734, Vol. 525.
1737–39.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 137
keeper, writes, under date of the 29th October, “That Bermuda has
not been supplied with stores of ammunition since 1701 or there-
abouts, so that a new supply was never more wanted for the support
of the island in case of invasion "; aunong other things required
are “musket and pistol flints for the independent company,” there
being none in store.
The next year, in a letter referring to the military appointments
and charges in the British Colonies in America, the cost of the
company at Bermuda is estimated at 1,003!. 15s. per annum. The
writer, Robert Dinwiddie, suggests that this and other amounts of
a like nature be paid by a new coinage, to be sent to each colony
where the said appointments are.
A new governor, George Alured Popple, appears by the corres-
pondence to have been appointed this year vice Pitt. He seems to
have been alarmed at the inadequacy of his means of defence.
Writing on the 27th September 1738 to the Lords Commissioners
of Trade, he suggests that for the safety and defence of the islands,
the independent company should be increased from fifty to 100 men,
which would enable him to man the four forts at the entrance of
the two harbours, and leave a sufficient number of the King's
company “at the platform for further service.” He also sent a
memorial to the Duke of Newcastle on the same subject, and asked
for a set of new arms. He reported both to the Duke and the Lords
Commissioners of Trade, that the arms of the company were
so thin as to be generally unsafe to fire ; not a third of them had
bayonets, and those they had were in a sad condition.
1739.
After about a year's delay the Lords of the Council requested
that an account should be sent of the forces which were ordered
to the Bermuda Islands during the reigns of King William and
Queen Anne, but beyond this request nothing more was done.
The governor sent home a report on the 20th December of an
alarm, caused by two sloops standing off and on the entrance of
St. Georges Harbour, and of his action in sending two sloops to
go out and if necessary engage them. On the sloops he sent 150
men “as well armed as possible out of the King's independent
company, and the company belonging to the town commanded by
their proper officers.’ The unfortunate King's company having no
arms, the governor reports that he was obliged to borrow arms for
them, those they have not being fit to fire.” The show of defence
made by the governor drove off the sloops.
138 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1740–44.
1740 to 1744.
It is rather sad to relate that the efforts of the governor to
get the company armed, only led to long and fruitless corres-
pondence. In March 1740 William Popple, brother of the governor
and agent of the company in England, wrote to the Duke of
Newcastle, that having heard from his brother that the Duke
had signed an order for furnishing his company with their arms, he
now finds, on inquiring, that such is not the case, and urges most
strongly that no more delay may take place, “as the company has
not received a supply of alms since its first establishment there,”
and on a late alarm they had to borrow arms to go on duty.
He again writes on July 20th, referring to his former letter and
reiterating all the reasons against further delay, he goes on to
say that, “The people of Bermuda are by no Acts of assembly
obliged to furnish the King's company with arms, which is done
by an order directed to the officer of ordinance to furnish the arms
to the agent of the company. They have never had a supply of
arms since King William's reign; there are few left, and those not
fit for use, nor is it expected by the King that the captain should
furnish the King's Company with arms out of his own pocket.”
He begs, that as he has a vessel going out, that the order may
be signed, “ and he will get Brigadier-General Armstrong to get
it expedited so that the ship may take them.” It was all in vain.
A new appeal goes in again in 1741, two letters being written on
the subject in January (one letter gives the strength of the com-
pany as one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, two sergeants, two
corporals, and forty-nine men). At the end of the year,
December 21, the governor writes despairingly, “It was no small
baulk to me, I assure you, that Robinson brought no arms for
my company. I can say no more upon the subject, if what I have
wrote already has no weight.”
The governor writes again in 1743, October and December, in the
latter letter, which was to the Duke of Newcastle, he says, “Your
Grace will excuse my mentioning once more the want His Majesty's
independent company here is in of arms, not having at this time
one single musket that will bear firing, no bayonets, nor any part of
the usual accoutrements belonging to soldiers. They have never
been supplied since the company was sent hele forty years ago.”
Governor George Alured Popple seems to have retired about this
time, and his brother William Popple succeeded him about the
beginning of the year 1743. The new governor continued to urge
the Government to supply new arms to the company, but
1740–44. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 139
-------------.
with apparently the same amount of success. He writes, “I do not
make my application again to the Secretary of War, because he
has already reported to his Grace in favour of my petition, as you
will find in your books. The letters, if I remember well, were
dated in January and February 1739 or 1739/40.” This was when
the governor was agent to the company in England.
1745 to 1750.
A petition was sent home on September 26th, 1747, from
Henry Tucker, which was laid before the Council, praying that
12l. per annum instead of 11!. be paid for the rent of a house for
the King's soldiers to dwell in, and that the house he kept in
repair at the expense of the islands. The Council ordered that 14l.
should be paid annually for the rent out of the Public Treasury
and the house kept in sufficient repair at the expense of the
OWI) el’S.
An order was made on the 6th March 1746 for recruiting the
company “under the command of Captain William Popple to the
numbers allowed in the establishment.”
On the 9th August 1748 the governor, writing home to the
Lords Commissioners of Trade, gives an account of a disturbance
that had taken place in the town of St. George, in consequence of a
decision of his that as a ship named the Mjetj's Lieffe had been
unlawfully taken, he should not allow her to be destroyed. The
malcontents in town, who he calls “privateers,” had, so it was
reported, intended to blow up the ship, and after that to break
open the storehouse and to arm themselves with the cutlasses that
were therein. The governor's house was then to be destroyed. The
officers of the company were sent for, and Ordered to be in readiness
with all their men. They were also commanded to send a sergeant
to warn the Militia to be in readiness to assemble on their parade
ground. The company was to remain under arms in their
barracks. The plotters finding that precautions had been taken
against a surprise, demanded that a deputation of four or five
headed by a Major Browne, should have an audience with the
governor to present a petition. Lieutenant Mitchell and Ensign
Forbes, the officers of the company, seeing from the appearance
of the people who accompanied the deputation that mischief
was intended, attended the governor armed, and warned the
company that they might be immediately required. The rioters,
on being admitted to the governor's presence, demanded the cut-
lasses, and the major who led the rioters endeavoured to incite
them to attack the company, insulting the officers by speaking
contemptuously of the services of the company. Several officers
140 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; 1745–50.
of the Militia and the Horse troops were present at the interview,
and endeavoured to persuade the rioters, some of whom were from
their ranks, to retire. Fortunately this was at last accomplished
without bloodshed, but the company and the Militia were kept
under arms all night, in case the rioters re-assembled; nothing,
however, happened, and the rioting ceased as suddenly as it began.
On the 23rd August 1748 an order was issued from the Audit
Office for the supply of a chest of medicines for the independent
company at the Bermudas. The chest was to be shipped on board
the Diana lying in the Thames. The cost of the chest is given as
50l. 3s. 9/l.
In 1749 efforts were again made to increase the strength of
the company to 100 men. The petition, which was received
by the Government on the 31st July, prayed that the company
might be augmented so that there would be sufficient to man
the several forts, and particularly that in Daniels Island,
as a safeguard to those who are wrecked, and “thrown amongst
an unmerciful people, and also as a guard against the intro-
duction of illicit goods brought from the islands of St. Eustatia,
St. Thomas, St. Cruz, &c.” It is also added, as a further necessity
for the augmentation, that the major part of the inhabitants being
generally on the desert islands raking salt, turtling, wrecking,
and navigating their vessels, the place is “ left exposed with
the governor to the insults of a rabble, as has heretofore been
experienced.”
In March complaints were made against the governor by the
assembly and principal inhabitants. One cause of complaint
was that he had sent the surgeon of the company (who was also
the ensign) on a mission, leaving the company without medical aid,
and that for want of his assistance the soldiers suffered greatly. IIe
was also accused of having, in order to fill up the muster rolls,
entered cadets who served without pay, by which act the “ original
intention of the company to be a defence of the islands is rendered
ineffectual. As the governor also receives pay for them, he
defrauds the Government.”
The governor, in his reply, sent in November, writes, that until
he procured a commission for a surgeon the company had never
had one for over forty years, and that he rightly considers he has a
right to grant leave or furlough to an officer. With regard to the
cadets, he writes, admitting having engaged them when he could
not get men. The governor seems to have made himself very
unpopular. In the same month he wrote to the company's agent,
Mr. Vincent Mathias, that he had discovered a base attempt to
assassinate him, the speaker of the assembly having bribed a soldier
1745-50.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 141
to shoot him. His position must have become very irksome, as
in the same letter he asks to be removed from the government of
the island. It would appear that the differences which had reached
so acute a crisis at last became settled, as Popple remained governor
until the old company was broken up.
1749 to 1764.
There is little to record of the last days of the company, the
colonial correspondence, which has been diligently searched, is
silent on its closing days.
Another and final attempt was made to increase the Company to
100 men in 1757, the address, sent on the 24th June, setting
forth that “as the repairing of the present fortifications so as to
render them defensible and the large expense in maintaining a
sufficient number of matrosses to serve them, unless the inde.
pendent company now doing duty here might be augmented to
100 men, part of which might serve as matrosses to the said fort,
greatly exceed the power of the distressed circumstances of the
inhabitants.”
The Constitution of the islands rendered every man liable to
serve in the Militia, the consequence of this was that great diffi-
culty was experienced in rec. jing for the King's company, which
had to depend entirely for its recruits on the strangers landing on
islands or by recruits sent from home.
Ensign Clark, one of the officers of the company, in the year
1757, became insane, and was after considerable difficulty (there
being no laws in Bermuda against lunatics) sent home. He was
ordered to be delivered into the hands of the agent of the company,
Vincent Mathias, who was directed to wait on the Secretary at
War with the voluminous papers relating to the case and an
account of the expenses that had been incurred. Lieutenant
Parker, another of the officers of the company, made the proper
affidavits of Clark’s incapacity to discharge his duties, and the
governor as the captain of the company indorsed the report. Clark
was conveyed to England in the custody of Captain Barker, com-
manding the war ship Duke of Marlborough, and duly delivered
into the agent's hands.
The last entry in the books of the clothing board with reference
to the Bermuda company is dated 5th November 1761, on which
date patterns of their clothing was sent to the general officers of
the board to inspect.”
# War Office, General Officers' Letter Bock, 1757–1767.
142 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1749–64.
On the 3rd November 1762 the war with France came to an
end, and on the 10th of February 1763 the definitive treaty of
peace was signed at Paris. The Government began at once to
reduce the expenses, one of these reductions being the King's
company at Bermuda.
On the 7th May 1763 Governor Popple wrote to the Lords
Commissioners of Trade, “that the independent company being
broke will take away from the governor of Bermuda a thousand
pounds a year.” His successor next year, Governor George James
Bruere (Governor Popple having died sometime in 1764), writes on
the 1st June, sending a memorial, in which he states “that the
salary and emoluments of the governor of Bermuda since the
reduction cf the independent company, of which the governor was
always captain, which enabled him to support the dignity of
the Government, are become too small for that purpose,” he there-
fore prays for an augmentation of salary. And so the Bermuda
company of the Queen's disappears from our history. Its officers
and men missed all the stirring scenes of the wars in Spain and
Portugal, and lived and died in this remote appendage of the
British Crown.
The final instructions to the Government as to the disbandment
of the company is dated the 25th May 1763.”
* War Office, Miscellamy Book, 1763–1704, Vol. 533.
1765.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 143
C H A P T E R W I I I.
SERVICE IN ISLE OF MAN AND IN GIBRAILTAR.
1765.
CONTENTs.—Recruits ordered to be raised by Beat of Drum—Regiment ordered
to the Isle of Man—Drafts from other Regiments to the Queen’s-—Regi-
ment Ordered to embark at Dublin for the Isle of Man—Marched from
Waterford to Dublin—Wood appointed Governor and Captain-General
of the Isle of Man—History of the Island–Its Statutes—The Regiment
embarked at Dublin—List of Ships with number of Troops on board—
Arrival of Transports at Isle of Man—The Troops encamp near Castle
Town—Scarcity of Provisions—Formal Ceremony of taking over the
Island—The Governor visits the Camp—Scarcity of Forage—Establish-
ment of the Regiment—Off-reckonings--General Harvey inspects the
Troops—Winter Quarters—General Fowkes' Widow granted Pension of
200l. per Annum — Prices of Commissions—Disagreement with the
Governor — Major Pennington's Dispute with the Governor—Guards
against Smuggling—General Harvey’s Report on the Isle of Man Garrison
—Lord Barrington’s proposition to reduce the Strength of Garrison—
Subsistence and Allowances to the Troops—Dragoons ordered to return
to Ireland— Drafts from Queen's ordered to Scotland—Order counter-
manded—Major Alexander's Claim—Strength of Regiment and Cost—
Off-reckonings—Review of the Disputes between the Military and the
Governor—Death of the Duke of York—Regiment ordered to Gibraltar
—To be relieved from Duty in Isle of Man by Companies from Ireland
—Strength, Pay, and Off-reckonings—Notice that Officers’ Commissions
were for the future to be in London Gazette—Order that the Number
of Regiment was to appear on the Regimental Buttons-—Embarkation
Orders received—Regiment relieved by four Companies of 48th Foot–
Departure from the Island—Regiment arrives at Gibraltar—Orders of
General Montague for Discipline on board Transport—Clothing Regu.
lations—Regiments to continue on Irish Establishment—Colour of
Facings changed to Blue—Patterns of Lace to be sent in to War Office
—Cost of Regiment and Off-reckonings—Particulars of Clothing and
Accoutrements of the Regiment.
AN order was issued on the 8th April 1765 to raise men by beat
of drum to complete the twenty-one regiments in Ireland to their
full quota. These regiments were the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 10th, 16th, 18th,
26th, 38th, 29th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 51st, 56th, 58th, 61st
63rd, 64th, 65th, and 69th.
On the 4th June Lord Halifax wrote to the Lords Justices
desiring them to give the necessary directions for embarking, as
soon as possible, for the Isle of Man two troops of Colonel John
Hale's regiment of Light Dragoons and the 2nd or Queen's regiment
of Foot, the latter being said to be quartered at “Drogheda or
thereabouts,” thus being very conveniently situated for being
144 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1765.
marched to ports adjacent for shipment on the transports which
had been ordered to be in readiness. The troops were to be
made up to the Irish establishment by drafts from the other regi-
ments in Ireland. Upon their arrival in the Isle of Man, they were
informed that they would find orders from the Secretary at War
for their further proceedings.
Forty-one men were drafted into the Queen's, according to orders
dated 1st February, viz. –six from 5th Foot, four from 10th, eight
from 50th, five each from 56th, 61st, 64th, and four each from
65th and 69th. The sum paid by the regiment for each man was
5l. 8s. 4d., the amount being paid over to the regiments drawn
upon.
The expense of the service was to be borne by Great Britain,
but two months’ subsistence was to be advanced to the men.
In case their arms were on examination found not fit for service,
they were to be returned into stores in Ireland and good and
serviceable arms issued. Full and complete camp equipment was
to be furnished to the troops for encamping while the quarters in the
castle were being prepared for them. On the 13th Lord Halifax
was informed that it would be—according to the advice of General
Sandport commanding the troops in Dublin—more convenient to
ship the troops from Dublin. The Queen's, having been moved from
Drogheda to Waterford, was therefore ordered to march from Water-
ford to Dublin. They were to arrive on the 24th June, by which
time shipping would be ready to receive them and the Dragoons.
Their place of disembarkation in the Isle of Man was to be Douglas.
John Wood, Esquire, was appointed captain-general and governor,
and in his instructions he was directed to take every precaution
that the troops were properly lodged and cared for, and to prevent
any uneasiness or alarm on the part of the inhabitants by reason
of the change in their state (on the island being taken over by the
Crown), he was also to make such regulations as would encourage
a friendly and familiar intercourse between the civil and military
power, and to himself set an example in this and other respects.
The Isle of Man, according to received tradition, was originally
colonised by the ancient Britons, the early government being no
doubt druidical. From the isolation of the island this form of
government seems to have been preserved as late as the end of the
fourth century, when St. Patrick introduced the light of christianity
into the island. Writers such as Boetius assert that it was soon
after celebrated as the “fountain of all pure learning, and the
acknowledged residence of all the muses.” The line of bishops
started by St. Patrick governed the island until Orry took upon
himself the title of king. In 580 Brennus descended from the
1765.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 145
blood royal of Scotland became king. After him the island appears to
have been annexed to the Scottish kingdom until taken possession
of by Edwin, King of Northumberland, about A.D. 614. From this
time it has a chequered history. It was in the 10th century under
the rule of another Orry, son of a King of Demark and Norway,
who governed long and prosperously, and who is stated to have
established the House of Keys, the Constitutional Parliament of
the island. It was taken about the time William the Conqueror
landed in England by a Norwegian chief, and remained, with
varying fortunes, attached to Norway till 1268, when the then
King surrendered the western islands to Alexander III., King of
Scotland, when it became a bone of contention between England
and Scotland. Ultimately, on the 6th April 1406, it was, by
gift of King Henry the IV., bestowed on an ancestor of the Earl of
Derby, Sir John de Stanley, in whose family it remained until
1735, when it became the inheritance of the Duke of Athole by
reason of his marriage with a daughter of the then Earl of Derby.
Henry IV., by letters patent, granted to Sir John de Stanley on
6th April, the 7th year of his reign (1406), the “island castle pell
and lordship of Man and all the islands and lordships of the said
Isle of Man appertaining which did not exceed the value of four
hundred pounds by the year.” The service fºr this grant was to
be two falcons on the day of the King of England's coronation.
The island became at last a thorn in the side of the mother
country, in consequence of the facility with which contraband
trade could be carried on between it and Great Britain. An Act
was therefore passed authorising the “Lord of Man” to resign
his royalties, and the island was sold to the British Government
on the 7th of March 1765.
The following particulars, taken from the Statutes,” of the
transfer of the island to the Crown are interesting. The Act
and deed of sale cites all the changes of ownership and the
grants, &c. of the various kings to the various owners amongst
others it recites “an Act for the assuring and establishing of
the Isle of Man” “in the name and biood of Wm. Earl
of Derby and Elizabeth his wife and their heirs,” 7 Jac. I.,
Chap. IV., 1609), and then goes on to recite the sale of the island
and all its rights, &c. by the Duke of Athole, the heir of the Earl of
Derby, successor of Sir John de Stanley, to King George III. for
the price fixed, the money so paid by the King was to be invested
in lands in Scotland or Great Britain or in proper securities.
* The Statutes, Revised Edition, Vol. 2, A.D. 1765, 51% of Geo. III.,
Chap. 26, p. 659. - -
VOL. III. K
146 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL 18EGIMEN T (1765
The deed, a long and curious document, ends with the recital
of the sale or, as it is called, “a treaty” between the “Right
Honourable the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury and the
said John Duke of Athole and Charlotte, duchess of Athole and
Baroness Strange, his wife, for the sale of their estate and interest
on the island and premises, or such part thereof as should be found
expedient to vest in His Majesty for the public service, they the
said Duke and Duchess did, in their letter bearing date the 27th
day of February 1765, enclose an abstract of the clear revenue of
the Isle of Man for ten years” from 1754 to 1764, and declared their
readiness to sell their rights and property to the King for the
public service, the price named being 70,000l., the family retaining
the right to present the two falcons on coronation and their landed
property and rights as lord of the manor. The contract or agree-
ment for the sale is dated 7th March 1765, and is made between
four of the Commissioners of the Treasury and the Duke and
Duchess of Athole and others. The Duke of Athole at the time
of the sale was the British ambassador at Vienna. The contract
was to be on the terms of an indenture or “deed of feoffment,”
bearing date 6th April 1756, and referring to the duties of the
various charters and deeds of conveyance as follows:–
6th April 1406 (7th of Henry IV.);
28th June 1609 (7th of James I.);
2nd May 1610 (8th of James I.), also Statutes or Act of
Parliament in this year.
property rights were reserved to the Duke and Duchess, as also the
right of presenting two falcons at the coronation on the payment
of 101l. 158. 11d. yearly, which seems to have been the total
royalty sum fixed on all the compound semi-royal leases granted
by the Lords of Man and now sold to the King for the use of the
Crown. This, of course, does not represent the revenue, which is
not given in the Act.
The Queen's regiment and the Dragoons embarked at Dublin
for the Isle of Man on the 25th June. In the Irish Papers a
jist of the ships with their complement of troops is given. The
ship William and Thomas carried two captains, one lieutenant,
two ensigns, one adjutant, one surgeon's mate, four sergeants,
four corporals, two drummers, fifty-four privates, thirty women,
and three servants; total, 104. The ship Europa, two captains,
three lieutenants, three ensigns, five sergeants, six corporals, three
drummers, eighty-one privates, fifty women, and seven servants ;
total, 160.
1765. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 147
The ship Dove, one lieutenant-colonel, three captains, four lieu-
tenants, two ensigns, six sergeants, six corporals, three drummers,
eighty-one privates, forty-five women, and six servants; total, 157.
The ship Harpy, one lieutenant, one ensign, two sergeants, two
corporals, one drummer, twenty-seven privates, twelve women,
two servants; total, 48. The officers absent were, besides Lieu-
tenant-General Montague, in England, Major John Pennington,
Chaplain John Auchmuty; and Surgeon John Marshall, sick in
Dublin. -
The troops arrived at the Isle of Man on the 26th, and disem-
barked the same day. They were marched to a field, which
Lieutenant-Colonel Raitt had been obliged to hire near Douglas,
and pitched their camp there the same day. Colonel Raitt, who
was in command, found letters waiting dated 15th and 21st June,
giving full instructions as to his command, and of his duty to
the governor. The same day the colonel waited upon the governor
at Castle Town to present his report, and the disposition he had
made of the troops, which the governor was pleased to approve.
The place chosen for the encampment of the troops was very central,
being about ten miles from Castle Town, fourteen from Ramsay, and
twelve from Peel. Colonel Raitt had been instructed to make his
own arrangements for the commissariat, but he notes in his report
that he wished to be excused from that duty, as he was entirely
ignorant of the business of a commissary, and begged that a proper
person should be appointed for the duty. There does not appear,
from his letter, to have been a sufficiency of provisions in the
island for the troops. Bread in particular was very scarce, there
was very little hay and no oats, straw, or wood. The Lords
Justices had, however, fortunately sent with the transports
sufficient hay, straw, and oats to last the troops one month.
On the 11th July the troops took part in the formal ceremony
of taking possession of the island. They were ordered to be
drawn up in the Market Place. When all was ready, the National
Colours “with the arms of Ireland on ” were run up on the castle
flag staff, and the proclamation was read. A procession was then
formed for the purpose of escorting the governor. The procession
passed along the front of the troops, who paid the governor, as
representing the King's authority, the proper salute.
The governor wrote on the 22nd July, that he had taken the
first opportunity of visiting the troops, and writes that he found
the camp in a very healthy state, and was pleased to be able
to report that the greatest harmony existed between the troops
K 2
148 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1765.
and the inhabitants. He continued, “I could not help being highly
satisfied with their (the troops) appearance. They are, both Infantry
and Cavalry, well disciplined and fit for any duty, and by their
regular and orderly behaviour do honor to their commanding
Officer.” f 8
Colonel Raitt wrote on the 1st August to the Secretary at War,
informing him that the forage he brought from Ireland being all
expended, he had been obliged to buy at great cost small
quantities to go on with till supplies were forwarded. He begs
that proper provision may at once be made for them. In this
letter he informs the Secretary of State for War of the disposition
which had been made by the governor for the winter quarters of
the troops.
It had been proposed by the governor, that as the barracks
which were being prepared would only hold three companies of
Foot and one troop of Dragoons, to quarter one company at
Ramsay, four companies and one troop of Dragoons at Douglas,
and one company at Peel; 6d. per week was the sum asked by
the inhabitants of these places for the lodging of each soldier,
and the same amount per week for each horse. The governor's
letter to the Duke of Grafton upon the subject of the housing of
the troops is dated 5th September. Mr. Lutwidge appears to have
been the receiver-general in the Isle of Man. In a letter of his to
the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, dated 27th October,
he states that the regiment of Foot in the island does not exceed
280 men, and the two troops of Dragoons forty-six men.
The full establishment of each company of the Queen's was ; two
sergeants, two corporals, one drummer, and twenty-nine men;
total for the nine companies, 306.
In another place the number per company is given as twenty-
eight, and this seems to have been the proper establishment.
At the end of August General Harvey was sent to inspect the
troops in the island, and was ordered to see that everything was
done to make them comfortable. All was to be done to the
satisfaction of Colonel Raitt.
On the 6th September General Montague appointed John Winter,
of Hanover Square, the agent of the regiment. On the 30th
November Winter received an assignment of the off-reckonings,
from 6th May 1766 to 5th May 1767, amounting to 930l. 6s. 8d.:f
* Dom. State Papers, Isle of Man, 1761–1774, No. 13b.
+ Audit Office Enrolments.
1765.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 149
The following is an account of the daily pay of all ranks at this
time :— • *
ESTIMATE of the Charge of the Pay of the 2nd (or Queen's) Regiment of
Foot, from 24th June 1765 inclusive.*
£ s. d.
1 Colonel and Captain ... * * * 1 4 0
I Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain 0 17 ()
1 Major and Captain 0 15 ()
6 Captains more, each 10s. 3 O ()
10 Lieutenants, each 4s. 8d. 2 6 8
8 Ensigns, each 3s. 8d. ... s a - & ſº tº * * * 1 9 4.
1 Chaplain - © tº tº º ſº tº & 4 s a º e tº ºn s & O () 6 8
1 Adjutant 0 4 (A
1 Surgeon tº a 0 4 0
1 Surgeon's Mate 0 3 6
18 Sergeants, each 1s. 6d. 1 7 O
18 Corporals, each 18. 0 18 O
9 Drummers, each 18. 0 9 0
252 private men, each 8d. 8 8 ()
328 21 12 2
Allowances to the Widows ... e = - • * - 0 12 ()
Allowance to the Colonel g w tº tº º q e º 'º () 10 6
Allowance to the Captain e tº tº * * * a º º O 9 ()
Allowance to the Agent º, e - s & © e e 0 4 6
23 8 2
It was not until the 14th October that the troops left their camp
to go into their winter quarters. They would not even then have
been put under cover had not Colonel Raitt sent an urgent repre-
sentation that it was absolutely necessary, in consequence of the
severity of the weather, that they should be removed.
Those intended for the barracks must have been found temporary
shelter elsewhere, for it was not until the 2nd December that they
actually marched into the barracks. - -
The widow of General Fowke was, on 1st June this year,
granted a pension of 200l. per annum, to commence from the death
of her late husband.
On the 31st January 1766 a report was issued by a board of
general officers, relative to the prices of commissions in His Majesty's
army.
* War office. Common Letter Book, 1765, May to October, No. 205,
p. 397,
150 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1766.
In this report the prices for a marching regiment of Foot are
stated to be as follows:—
Commanders. Prices. Differences, &c.
£ 39
Lieutenant-Colonel • ' - • - 3,500 900
Major - - *- ſº- -- 2,600 1,100
Captain - - * - sº - 1,500 700
Captain-Lieutenant G- - cº- - 800 250
Lieutenant - - - * - 550 I 50
Ensign - Gº º * - 400 400
3,500
*º *..." º 1st Lieutenant - 550 100
1. ºx ºf tº 2nd Lieutenant - 450 450
2nd Lieutenants .. *
About this time (either late in 1765 or early in 1766) Colonel
Raitt was away on leave in England, and Major Pennington was
left in command. This officer does not seem to have acted with
tact in his dealings with the inhabitants, for he very soon managed
to change the warm feelings shown at first to the troops into open
hostility. Governor Wood wrote to the Duke of Grafton on the
subject, and a court of inquiry was ordered to be held on the 28th
February. One of the captains of the regiment (Barker) had
written to the governor, justifying himself from some insinuations
reflecting on his character that had been
Pennington. It would seem that Major Pennington was unpopular
with the officers of the regiment.
made by Major
The dispute of the major with the governor appears, from the
correspondence, to have been, as to whether the troops were to
be made liable for punishment for offences against the civil law.
Pennington had complained, also, of orders having been given to
the troops direct by the governor; this, the latter denied ; Lord
Barrington, in judging upon the case, wrote that the major had
acted “inconsistently.”
The principal duties of the troops in the island seem to have
been the prevention of smuggling. The Queen's company at Peel
got into considerable trouble with the inhabitants, there in conse-
quence of their exertions to put a stop to this unlawful proceeding.
Letters were constantly passing between the governor and the
commanding officer, with reference to disturbances caused by the
action of the troops, and the determination of the inhabitants to
continue their habit of smuggling.
General Harvey's report on the troops in the island being
satisfactory, Lord Barrington considered that a less force would
1766.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 151
meet the requirements of the island. In the War Office Papers
is the following report of a conversation with the general.
“Lord Barrington states, that upon conversation with General
Harvey, lately returned from the Isle of Man, he is fully informed
of the situation of the forces lately stationed there, and the nature
of the duty to be done by them. It appears to Lord Barrington that
one company of Foot stationed at Castle Town, Douglas, Ramsay,
and Peel, will sufficiently answer the ends and designs of sending
the troops to that island, i.e., the preventing of smuggling. If
their Lordships approve of this, asks whether it may not be proper
to move the King for the removal of the remainder of the forces,
viz., the two troops of Light Dragoons and five companies of the
Queen's, from thence back to Ireland as soon as possible, whereby a
considerable saving may be made in the articles which the ensuing
season will call for, to be furnished to the troops in a great
measure at the public expense, viz., bread, forage, lodging, coals,
and candles, likewise the difference between the British and Irish
pay for the said forces, so long as they shall be on service on the
island, &c.” The following regulation of the proportions of the several
articles to be delivered by the contractors had been settled by the
adjutant-general, &c. “Forage when in quarters : 83d. to be stopped
for each ration which is delivered to officers of Cavalry or Infantry,
as well for those of the non-commissioned officers and private men
of the Dragoons, and to be paid when demanded. The ration to be
18 lbs. of hay, 6 lbs. of oats, 6 lbs of straw. No allowance of forage
will be given for either bat. horses or officers' horses. Bread: A
loaf of 6 lbs. of bread is to be delivered for four days to each
soldier or officer's servant. Five pence to be stopped for each loaf.
Coals : From 29th September to 25th March, three bushels of coals
and 1 lb. of candles per week, to be delivered to each officer who is
present at quarters. The other part of the year, one bushel of coals.
Every eight men, including non-commissioned officers, to have
the same allowance as an officer. Each guard room, one busheh of
coals and 1 lb. of candles per week during the winter months.
Allowance of money to pay for quarters: 5s. 6d. to each field
officer and captain, 3s. 6d. to each subaltern who is present at
quarters for lodging; 6d. for each non-commissioned officer and
private man (the contingent man not to be included); 6d. for
standing of each horse.”
Following the recommendation of Lord Barrington, the two
troops of Dragoons were ordered to return to Ireland on the 20th
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1765, October, 1766, March, No. 206,
2
p. 4.
152 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1766.
March, but the recommendation to return part of the Queen's regi-
ment was not acted upon. On the 26th Major Pennington wrote
to the governor for orders with reference to the return of the
Dragoons. On the 15th April he was informed that the Duke of
Grafton had arranged for a transport to be got ready for them,
and for a draft which had been ordered from the Queen's regiment
to reinforce some troops—not named—in Scotland. Each man
was to receive 5l. for the service. Drafts were also to be sent
from eleven other regiments in North Britain. The latter orders
were subsequently countermanded. The Dragoons arrived in
Ireland on 21st April.
A claim was made in March by Major George Alexander,
who had retired from the service in 1762 (receiving 500l. and a
pension of 10s. 4d. a day), for the extra 18, a day which had been
allowed to majors of Foot on the Irish establishment to place them
on an equal footing with other majors in the Service. Lieutenant-
General Montague, to whom the claim was referred, replied
“that he was clearly of opinion that the present acting major was
entitled to the said 18. a day, and not the major who had received
500l. and retired upon 10s. 4d. a day.” The warrant for this extra
1s, a day is dated 16th July 1766.
In the establishment books of this year, the regimental quota is
328 men officers included, with a total cost of 231. 8s. 2d. per diem
allowance; 12l. 5s. 4d. for 184 days was paid to the widows of
officers dead, and 10l. 14s. 8d. to the colonel, for loss of clothing by
deserters.
Mr. John Winter received the assignment of the off-reckonings
on the 14th November, covering the clothing accounts up to 5th May
1768.
Mr. John Younger appears to have been appointed commissary
to the troops in the island. His charge for this duty of 5s, a day
cannot be considered exorbitant
Lieutenant-Colonel Raitt seems to have returned to resume the
command towards the end of 1766. In the beginning of 1767 he
took up the correspondence with reference to the disputes of the
military authorities and the governor. The governor complained
to Colonel Raitt that, in his absence, leave of absence had been
granted to Ensign Greives of the Queen's regiment without his
being informed of it. Ensign Greives had, however, been granted
his leave by the Marquis of Granby, General-in-Chief of His
Majesty's Forces. Lord Granby, in reply to a note addressed to
him on the matter, wrote, that in virtue of his office, he thought
himself empowered to grant leave to any officer stationed in the
1767.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 153
Isle of Man; at the same time he acknowledged that the governor
should have been acquainted with it, an omission that he promises
should be remedied in future.
Early in the year Major Pennington and Ensign Wray applied,
through Lieutenant-General Montague, for leave of absence. This
application opened up a correspondence with the War Office with
reference to the new regulations that had been made, which
required that all officers were to join their regiments before the
10th March. Lord Barrington asks General Montague to excuse
his laying the applications for leave before the King. In a later
letter he states that he is clearly of opinion that the Isle of Man
is now to be considered as part of Great Britain, and that there-
fore the King's regulations for the attendance of officers extends
to the troops there.”
On the 9th October the governor gave orders that the news of
the death of the Duke of York, which took place on the 17th
September, should be communicated to the troops.
On the 5th December General Montague received a letter
informing him that it had been decided to send the regiment to
Gibraltar to relieve the 50th Regiment. By another letter of same
date, he was informed that a transport had been prepared. It was
not until the 24th that instructions were sent to the “officer
commanding the forces in the Isle of Man,” that as the “2nd or
Queen's regiment was destined to embark this season for Gibraltar,”
he was to make preparations.
The regiment was first to proceed to Cork, from whence it was
intended that they should sail for Gibraltar about the beginning of
February 1768.
A chest of medicines and one and a half years' supply of
ammunition were sent from Portsmouth with a recruiting
party, with orders to wait for the arrival of the regiment at
Cork.
Lord Shelburne, writing to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
with reference to the removal of the Queen's regiment, proposed
that three companies from any of the regiments in Ireland should
be sent to the Isle of Man to take up the duties there. A Govern-
ment letter of 22nd December, to the Lord Lieutenant, was to the
effect that the King desired that four companies should be sent
to the island. Later correspondence next year shows that the
companies were sent from the 48th Regiment. They were to be
sent to the Isle of Man in transports, which were then to take the
- -****
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1766, No. 9, pp. 30.5–370.
154 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1767.
Queen's to any port in Ireland as might be thought proper,
but they were to be at Cork before the 6th February, and to
embark there with the 1st battalion of the 1st Regiment and the
69th Regiment. The expense of the service was to be borne by
Great Britain. The Lord Lieutenant was also informed that the
regiments proceeding to Gibraltar, being most likely incomplete,
were to be permitted to recruit from Prostestants in Ireland.
The same proportion of women, servants, and baggage as allowed
on British establishments sent on foreign service were to be allowed
to the three regiments, viz.: 45 women, 50 servants, and 40 tons
baggage.
The quota and pay of the regiment was fixed the same as before,
viz., nine companies of twenty-eight men in each ; total, inclusive
of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, 329. The total
pay per diem, 231. 12s. 10d. The assignment of the off-reckonings
to John Winter for the year was 930l. 68.3d.
Notice was given in the London Gazette of 10th January this
year that, in consequence of the inconveniences and mistakes
that had arisen from the want of an authentic publication of
officers' commissions, for the future they would be published in
the Gazette.
On the 21st September a warrant was issued that, for the
future, the number of the regiment was to appear on the
regimental buttons, which up to this date had been quite
plain.
A considerable amount of correspondence took place in January
1768 about the arrangements for the transport of the troops to
Gibraltar, John Winter, the agent, was ordered to issue subsistence
in advance to the 24th April. The paymaster was to detain 3d. a day
from each officer and soldier whilst they continued on board the
vessels on their passage to Gibraltar. Volunteers were to be
allowed to join the regiment from those going home, viz., the 53rd
and 54th Regiments. Each volunteer was to be allowed a guinea
and a half, besides 5l. to be paid him out of the non-effective fund
of the regiment that received him.
It was not till the 1st February 1768 that the governor was
able to report the embarkation of the regiment. They left the
Isle of Man in the transports that brought over the four companies
of the 48th Foot, sent to relieve them. The transports with the
detachment of the 48th Regiment left Dublin on the 19th January,
but did not all arrive at the island till the 25th. The Queen's
commenced to embark on the 30th January, and were all on board
by 3 p.m. the same day. They were to have sailed in the afternoon,
1768.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 155
but the ships were unable to clear until 9 o'clock the next evening.”
The charges of the regiment were settled before sailing for
Gibraltar by a board of general officers that assembled at Cork
on 30th June this year.f The Barford and the Superb, carrying
the 1st Royals and the 69th Regiment, arrived at Gibraltar on
the 26th March. The Belleisle, with the Queen's, arrived on the
31st March.
Particular and precise instructions had been sent to General
Montague for the conduct of the men on board the ships. The men
were to be kept on deck as much as possible, no smoking was to
be allowed between decks, no gaming allowed, and no person was
to be allowed to distribute “drams or spirituous liquors.” If the
vessels put into any port or harbour, no man was to be allowed on
shore unless accompanied by a non-commissioned officer.
The governor of Gibraltar, Lord Cornwallis, following instructions
he had received from Lord Barrington, completed the establishment
of the three regiments arriving by volunteers out of the regiments
going home. Eight men came to the Queen's out of the 54th Regi-
ment. It appears from the papers that while the regiment was
at the Isle of Man it was without a quartermaster. On 15th
February it was ordered that on arrival at Gibraltar that vacancy
was to be filled up by a promotion from the 54th Regiment.
In the general orders by Major-General O’Hara, commanding at
Gibraltar, the Queen's were posted as relieving the 53rd Regiment.
The total number of men of the Queen's taken on to the Gibraltar
accounts on the arrival of the regiments, is given as 354. On the
4th December the number was 336. The charges were at the rate of
4} and # lbs. per man per day, with a charge for additional expenses
of #d. per day.f
In July instructions were sent out as to alterations it had been
decided to make in the clothing of Infantry regiments. The
warrant is dated 27th July, and states that for the next clothing
issue, a foot soldier was to have “a good cloth coat, well lined,
looped with worsted lace, a waistcoat, a pair of good cloth breeches,
a pair of good strong stockings, a pair of good strong shoes, a
good shirt and a good neckcloth, a good strong hat, bound with
white tape. For the next and every succeeding year, a good cloth
coat, well lined, looped with worsted lace, the forepart of a waist-
coat, the hind part to be made out of that of the preceding year,
-—
* Dom. State Papers, Isle of Man, 1761–1774, No. I., p. 59.
+ King and Queen's Letters, Vol. VII., p. 63, and Dom., Admiralty,
Entry Book, 1766–1784.
† Army Office, Comptroller's Account, Army, 1768–1770, Vol. 23.
156 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1768.
a pair of good cloth breeches, a pair of good strong stockings, a
pair of good strong shoes, a good shirt and a good neckcloth, a
good strong hat bound with white tape.” For the Fusilier regi-
ments, companies of grenadiers, and drummers, black bear skin
caps were to be furnished as often as necessary.” It was generally
ordered that all the waistcoats should be either buff or white.
The authorities requested to know before November which colour
the Queen's desired to adopt. On 21st September the agents of
all the regiments (except the Horse Guards, Grenadier Guards,
young corps and independent companies of invalids) were ordered
to inform the colonels of regiments that patterms of the new
clothing were to be deposited at the Comptroller's Office at Whitehall
by the 9th November, according to the new regulations, and that
the colonels were to give directions that all new clothing and
accoutrements were for the future to be in accordance with the
new regulations. According to a MSS. in the Royal United Service
Institution, the regiment this year altered the colour of its facings
from sea green to blue.
The adjutant-general wrote on the 26th September to the
several army clothiers, ordering that as soon as the colonels of
each regiment had fixed on the patterns of worsted lace which he
proposed for the looping of the next clothing, a piece of the lace
was to be left at the Comptroller's Office as pattern, in Order that
it might be shown to His Majesty. If the King approved of it,
orders would be issued that for the future no alterations should be
made either in the “colour, ground, stripes, or breadth.” A piece of
the cloth out of which the lappels for the pattern coat were to be
made was to be left at the office at the same time.* -
Warrants were issued on 9th September, 21st October, and
10th November, with reference to continuing on the Irish estab-
lishment the following regiments, viz., 2nd, 53rd, 54th, 57th,
69th, and the four companies of the 48th Regiment. The
establishment of each Regiment was to be one colonel, one
lieutenant-colonel, one major, six captains, ten lieutenants, eight
ensigns, one chaplain, one adjutant, one surgeon's mate, eighteen
sergeants, eighteen corporals, nine drummers, and 252 private men;
total, 328. In the War Office Establishment Books, the total
number is given as 329.
The regiment continued on the Irish establishment till 24th
September 1771,f though according to another account it continued
on the Irish establishment till 4th August 1775. The cost of the
* War Office, General Officers’ Letter Books, 1768–1780.
+ Dom. State Papers, Signet Office (Irish Letter Book), 1771–1776.
£ MSS. of the British Army, Royal United Service Institution, Vol. III.
|
-
º
-
-

1768. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 157
regiment per diem was 231. 12s., and for 366 days 8,652l. 17s.
The assignment of the off reckonings, made on 17th November for
the term from 6th May 1769 to 5th May 1770, was 930". 6s. 3
There is an excellent coloured drawing of the dress of one of
the Queen's Grenadiers in the Prince Consort's Library at Alder-
shot. It is one of a series illustrating a grenadier of every
regiment in the service. A great change had taken place since
1751 in the fashion and cut of the dress. Instead of the old
fashioned coat, cut low in the neck and showing the white scarf,
there was now a turned down collar, a “cape,” as it was described,
the coat was scantier, and was cut away to show the waist. The
skirts were still worn turned back, but were now lined with
white, the lapels were simply ornaments, and the coat pockets,
instead of the large heavy flaps of former years, were now small,
the cuffs als) were made smaller and neater, but made round and
without the slits. There were wings of red cloth on the shoulders
of the coat, with six loops of regimental lace, and a border of the
same round the bottom. The colour of the facings of the regi-
ment having just been changed to blue, the lace was altered, it
was still white, but now had a blue stripe down the centre, and
the loops of lace on the lapels, cuffs, and pockets were square headed
and placed at equal distances. The sword, which had up to now,
always been worn by the rank and file, disappeared, only the
sergeants and grenadiers wearing them. The waistcoat with sleeves
was now shorter, and made of white cloth. The handsome old
mitre cap had also gone, and in its place the Grenadiers wore the
new bearskin cap which had just been introduced. On the front
was a badge of the King's crest, in white metal on a black ground.
The accoutrements remained the same, viz., a shoulder belt with
pouch. Frog waist belt, but of lighter make and pipe-clayed, the
brass match box still occupied its old position as an Ornament on the
shoulder belt. The gaiters were shorter and were now black. The
following is a description of the officers' dress given to the author by
Mr. Milne. Scarlet coats, lapelled blue to the waist, the lapels three
inches wide, fastened back by silver buttons at equal distances, the
regimental number thereon, the button holes laced round with
narrow silver loops, the cape (or collar) of blue cloth turned down
and fastened by one button and loop at each end to the top of the
lapel; small round blue cuffs three and a half inches deep, without
slit thereon, four lace loops and buttons, cross pockets (in line with
the waist), with four buttons and short loops, two loops and one
button on each side of the slit at the back of the coat, skirts lined
white and turned back. Officers of Grenadiers wore an epaulette
of silver lace and fringe on each shoulder, battalion officers one on
158 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1768.
the right shoulder only; waistcoat and breeches white, black limen
gaiters with black buttons; the sash crimson and tied round the
waist (till recently this ornament had been worn over the shoulder).
Gorget gilt, with the King's arms engraved thereon and fastened to
the neck with blue rosettes and ribbons, sword hilt gilt, with a
crimson and gold striped sword knot. Hats laced with gold, and
black cockades. The officers of the Grenadier company wore black
bearskin caps, in the front the King's crest in gilt metal on a black
ground ; they carried fusils and had white shoulder belts and
pouches. The other officers carriel the espontoon, a light steel-
headed pike with a small cross bar below the blade, about seven
feet in length. The sergeants had buttons of white metal and plain
white loops, hats laced with silver, crimson and blue worsted
sashes. They carried swords and halberds, the latter a light
ornamental kind of battle axe with a long handle or shaft.
1769.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 159
C H A P T E R V III.
GTBRALTAR.—REGIMENT RETURNS TO ENGIAND–
COMMENCEMENT OF AMERICAN WAR.
1769.
CONTENTS.–Sergeants of Marching Regiments to have Fusils—Annual Allow-
ance of Powder—Strength of Regiment—Additional Officers sent on
Recruiting Duty—Warrant for augmenting the Regiment—Governor
Boyd reviews the Garrison — Off-reckonings — Complaint of Officers
being absent on Tleave—Regiment reviewed by Lord Cornwallis—
Ordered to be augmented by a Light Company—New Establishment—
Contingent Men—Arms and Accoutrements for the Light Company—
Cost of Regiment—Chelsea Hospital not to receive Soldiers of less
than Twenty-one Years' Service—Strength of Regiment—Off-reckonings
—Regulations about Rank of Majors and Captain-Lieutenants—New
Colours issued—Establishment of Regiment—Prices of Commissions—
Court-martial on Lieutenants Raitt and Campbell—New Pattern Hats
issued—Strength of Regiment and Cost of Subsistence—Establish-
ment and Cost of Regiment—Order with reference to Battalions on
Irish Establishment being sent on Foreign Service—Regulation as
to Property of deceased Soldier–Strength, Cost, and Subsistence of
Regiment—Off-reckonings—Reported intended Assault on Gibraltar—
Preparations to resist—Regiment ordered Home—Arrangements for
Transport–Regiment changed from Irish to English Establishment—
Order for Regiment to be completed as soon as possible—Augmentation
of Regiment—Estimate for Augmentation—Strength and Cost of Regi-
ment—Arrival at Portsmouth—Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald's Orders—
Seven Companies landed and marched to Alton and Farnham—Off-
reckonings—Number of Effectives—Commencement of the American
War—Tax on Indian Teas—Revocation of the Royal Charters to
Massachusetts—Virginia, Boston, and Massachusetts coalesce against
the Mother Country—Lord Chatham endeavours to persuade Parlia-
ment to heal the Breach—Commencement of Hostilities — Arrival
of the remaining three Companies of the Queen's at Portsmouth-
Misconduct of Ensign Newport—Pardon offered to Deserters —
Regiment marches to London—Reviewed by the King—Removed to
Tynemouth and Newcastle–Bad state of the Arms of the Regiment—
Establishment and Cost of Regiment—Detachment ordered to Sunder-
land – Officers of the Regiment request permission to proceed to
America to take part in the War—Regiment inspected at Newcastle—
New Agent appointed—Establishment and Pay — Regiment again
augmented—Death of Sir Charles Mordaunt and Appointment of Colonel
Daniel Jones to command—Large Towns offer to raise Regiments at their
own Expense—Lord Seaforth and Regimental Badges—Regiment ordered
to North Britain—Review of State of Affairs in America—Over Regu-
lation Prices for Commissions—Regulations for Camp—Officers' Rations
— Camp Necessaries—Hospitals — Recruiting in Ireland—Regiment
ordered to march to Coxheath and encamp there—Quartered at Greenwich
160 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1769.
and Deptford—Regiment again augmented–Establishment—Route of
Regiment on the march—Quarters of Regiment–Detachments sent from
Hastings to escort French Prisoners to Deal—All absent Officers ordered
to join their Regiments—Recruiting—Regiment ordered to march from
IHastings to Brentwood–Ensign Hovenden returns from America and
joins the Regiment-Food Allowances—Regiment reviewed at Warley
Common–Regiment removed to Woodford, Lower Leyton, and adjacents
—Some Companies changed to Waltham and Waltham Abbey—Strength
and Cost of Regiment—Defence of Gibraltar—Dissensions in Parliament
— Religious animosity — Spain joins France in Alliance against
England.
By the new clothing regulations sergeants in marching regi-
ments were to have fusils and pouches. The annual allowance of
powder for each battalion of Foot was increased from nine to
twelve barrels.
On the 1st January the number of men charged on accounts was
336, and on 31st December 325. The cost of sustenance was the
same as last year, with the exception of the “additional charges
being reduced from #d. to #d.” Total cost of the regiment
remained the same.
A considerable correspondence took place in the early part of
this year with reference to the completion of the quotas for the
three regiments, viz., the 1st Royals, the 2nd Queen's, and the 69th
Regiment, lately sent to the garrison of Gibraltar. A letter on
this subject from Lord Barrington, dated 30th April, having been
sent to Lieutenant-Governor Boyd at Gibraltar, he ordered the
commanding officers of each of the regiments to report to him on
the proposals contained in the letter, and these reports he sent on
to the War Office. The commanding officers were unanimous in con-
demning the plan sent out by the Government for raising the 400
men required to complete the three regiments. The governor wrote,
in his reply to Lord Barrington, “If one half of that number is not
supplied by drafts it appears to me highly improbable that they
should be complete for years, as there is very little chance of raising
men in summer time.” He also assured the Minister that not a
single officer could be spared for the recruiting, “That duty must
be done by those who are absent by leave.” In a subsequent letter
the governor complains that no less than twenty-eight officers of
the three battalions were then at home, some of whom had been
permitted to stay after having been returned as absent without
leave.
Letters were sent on 3rd April and 31st May ordering that
additional officers were to be sent out on recruiting service, in
* Army Office, Comptrollers’ Account, Army, 1768–1770, No. 23.
1770.] Now THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 161
order that the regiment might be made up to its new establish-
ment. The utmost diligence was to be used in the service.
Lord Barrington, writing to the lieutenant-governor with
reference to the request of the latter that some officers might be
granted leave to visit the British Consul at Morocco, remarks that
he cannot help thinking that the recruiting service calls for imme-
diate attention, and the industry of every officer that could be
spared from the necessary duties.
The state of the Queen's Regiment on the 25th June was as
follows:–Sergeants, twenty-seven ; corporals, twenty-seven ; drum-
mers, eighteen ; fifers, two ; privates, 217; wanting to complete, 143
men.” The number of men proposed to be employed on recruiting
service was three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and
five privates, of which, at the date of the return, only two sergeants,
one drummer, and one private were on the duty, the rest having
to be sent from Gibraltar.
On 28th February a warrant was issued for augmenting the
regiment. The quota in each company was ordered to be increased
to three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and forty-two
private men, together with two fifers to the grenadier company,
and the requisite commissioned officers. A quartermaster was also
ordered to be added to the establishment. The augmentation was
to date from 25th December last year. The total quota was now
484 men, officers included; the cost, 291. 10s. 4d. per diem. The
proposed augmentation necessitated the supply to the regiment of
eight halberds, one grenadier sergeant's fusil, 126 firelocks with
iron ramrods, 126 cartouche boxes with straps.
Colonel Boyd, the lieutenant-governor, was given instructions
on the 14th March for reviewing the several corps of Infantry in
the garrison of Gibraltar.
Another letter sent on 23rd March ordered him to make a careful
annual inspection of the troops in the garrison, with respect to
their “appointments, strength, and discipline.”
Three assignments of the off-reckonings were made this year,
one from 25th December 1769 to 5th May 1770, 164l. 18s. 9d (this
was no doubt for the augmentation); and one on 3rd February for the
period 6th May 1770 to 5th May 1771, 1,386l. 7s. 9d.; and one on
1st December from 6th May 1771 to 5th May 1772, 1,390l. 4s. 9d.
The Regiment still suffered from the old complaint about officers
absent on leave. On 25th January General Montague was in-
structed to order all officers not on recruiting duty to join the
regiment. The names of any officers not punctually obeying this
* War Office, Correspondence, Gibraltar, 1755–1787.
VOL. III. L
162 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1771.
order were to be sent at once to Lord Barrington. In another
letter the Minister desires to know if any officers have disobeyed
the order, and instructs General Montague to take what steps he
deems expedient against the absent officers.
It was ordered on 18th December that from the 25th five
guineas instead of three and a half should be allowed out of the
non-effective fund to officers employed on recruiting service, two
and a half guineas out of this being given to the recruit on enlist-
ment. This was changed, in March 1771, to three and a half
guineas for officers, and one and a half for recruits.
In the early part of 1771 a considerable correspondence took
place respecting the poundage on the Soldiers' pay. This poundage
—one shilling in the pound—was to be taken out of a fund given,
by the King's bounty, to the agents of the regiments, and which
was to be subjected to drafts by the regimental paymaster as he
should require them. The fund was also to be used to reimburse
the non-commissioned officers and men for the deductions made
upon them for the paymaster and Surgeon. The saving to the
soldier by this fund was calculated to be about 16s. 6d. per
all Illllll. -
On the 6th May the regiment was reviewed by the governor
Lieutenant-General Lord Cornwallis. The following is a copy of
the remarks on the inspection :--
REMARKs on the 2nd Regiment of Foot.
Officers º ºg e * tº º tº tº tº ... Salute well and are attentive, uniforms
proper.
Non-commissioned Officers ... | Did well.
T)rummers and Fifers ... ... Tolerable good.
Men ... © tº º º tº º tº º º ... Not so large a size as the Royal.
Recruits since last Review ... Ninety-six.
Manual Exercise ... tº € $ ... Well and steady.
Marching ... * * * s & º ... | Well.
Firings e º º g is 3 * * * ... Well.
Manoeuvres ... is s : tº e a ... | Tolerable well.
Arms ... e is e tº dº tº tº º ºs ... | Good.
Accoutrements ... tº e e ... | Good.
Cloathing ... tº & Cº. a 4 tº ... Good.
Gayters & ºn tº gº tº is a tº ... Compleat.
Regimental Book for ontry of
General Orders tº e ge ... Properly kept.
Regimental Accounts ... ... Regular kept.
Complaints tº º º E º ſº ... | None.
Officers absent without 1eave ..., | None.
General observations it tº g ... This Regiment is in good order and fit
for service.
1771.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 163
PARTICULARs of the FIRINGS and MANOEUVREs.
General Salute—Manual Exercise—March'd past by Grand Divisions—
Fired by Companies and Grand Divisions from the Flanks to the center
Twice each—Fired by Companys and Grand Divisions from the Center to
the Flanks Twice each, to the Rear—Fired the Battalion to the Right and to
the Left obliquely and the Front—Advanced from the center of Wings—
Retreated from the Flanks of Wings–Advanced from the Center of the
Battalion, faced outwards and fired by Company's twice—Retreated from the
flanks of the Battalion—Formed Column from the Center by Company's—
Formed and Fired by Companies twice—Formed the wings opposite each
other, and fired by Company's twice—Changed the Front to the Right and
fired by Company's twice—The same to the Left–By Companys formed
Ranks intire—Formed two lines—Retreated and Fired by Company's twice—
Formed Two Deep—Line Works and each man fired 4 rounds—Retreated
from the Works—Fired a volley and charged Bayonets—General Salute.
ED. CoRNWALLIS.
On the 2nd September the regiment was ordered to be augmented
by a light company. The new augmented establishment was to be
One colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, seven captains, twelve
lieutenants, eight ensigns, one chaplain, one adjutant, one quarter-
master, one surgeon, one surgeon's mate, twenty Sergeants, twenty
corporals, eleven drummers, two fifers for the grenadier company,
and three hundred and eighty private men. The new state was to
commence from 1st September. The pattern gaiter for the new
light company was ordered to be as high as the calf of the leg, and
no higher. The waist belt was to have two frogs in it, one for
the bayonet, and another for the hatchet when the soldier was out
for duty. At other times, on the march, it was to be tied upon the
knapsack.
Two contingent men were to be allowed to each company, and,
as there were seven supernumerary Sergeants, three were to serve as
corporals, three corporals being wanted to complete the new estab-
lishment. The remaining four sergeants were to continue to act as
sergeants, but to be mustered as privates. The difference of pay
between the ranks thus dealt with was to be allowed out of the con-
tingent fund, until the said sergeants succeeded to “vacant halberds.”
A board of general officers assembled in November to inspect the
clothing and accoutrements for the additional men for the new light
company. The following is a list of the arms for the company,
viz., two sergeants' fusils with bayonets and scabbards, thirty-nine
firelocks with iron ramrods, forty-one cartouche boxes with straps,
and thirty-nine bayonet scabbards.
A warrant discontinuing the regiment on the Irish establishment
was issued on the 24th September this year.” This warrant also
* As will be seen later on this warrant was not acted upon, as the regiment,
according to War Office papers, continued for several years longer on the
Irish establishment.
L 2
164 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT ; [1771.
contained instructions for the addition of the light company to
the establishment, and gives the strength of same as already
enumerated.* In the Establishment Books the regiment is given as
ten companies, thirty-eight men in each ; total, with officers, 477.
The total cost of the regiment per diem, 291, 198. 6d. The pay
of captains, lieutenants, non-commissioned officers, and privates as
follows:— . . "
Captain, 8s., and in lieu of servant, 28.-10s. per diem.
2 lieutenants, each 4s., and in lieu of servant, 1s. 4d.-9s. 4d. per diem.
2 Sergeants, each 18. 6d. =3s. per diem.
3 corporals, each 1s.=3s. per diem.
1 drummer, 1s.=1s. per diem.
38 private men, each 8d.-25s. 4d. per diem.
On the 4th December an order was issued that the hats for Cavalry
and Infantry were to be cocked conformable to the pattern hat left
at the Comptroller's office.f.
A letter of 5th September complains of several men of the
regiment having been sent to Chelsea Hospital who were in “bodily
health,” and with only fifteen to seventeen years' service. The
colonel in command was requested to observe the unalterable rule
of the board not to receive any soldier of less than twenty-one
years' service, unless he had been wounded, was disabled, or worn
out in the service.
The number of men victualled on 27th January was 370, and on
29th December 439. The cost per man same as last year, 4} d. and
# pence per man per day, with additional charges of ; pence per
man per day. The off-reckonings from 6th May 1772 to 5th
May 1773, amounting to 1,323. 3s. 4d., were assigned on 22nd
November.
Some correspondence took place early in 1772 with the
War Office upon the subject of field officers' rank and that of
captains-lieutenant. On the 19th of May the board of general
officers that had been called together on the subject, reported
that, with reference to majors of Cavalry and Infantry regiments
having the rank of lieutenant-colonels, and captain-lieutenants
having the rank of captain, they offer as their opinion, that
there might be great inconvenience in the majors of all regi-
ments having the rank of lieutenant-colonel, but they “conceive
that if the King shall be pleased to give the rank of lieutenant-
colonel to such old majors as he should think fit, it might be of
advantage to the Army and a proper reward to them of Service
and merit.” With regard to captain-lieutenants, they were of
* Dom. State Papers, Signet Office (Irish Letter Book), 1771–1776.
† War Office, General Officers’ Letter Books, 1768–1780.
1772.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 165
opinion “that they should have rank as well in the Army as in
their respective regiments as captains, and take rank from such
day as the King should be pleased by royal warrant or by the
dates of their future commissions as captain-lieutenants.” The
latter recommendation was ordered to be acted upon from the
26th May 1771, but the warrant is dated 25th May next year.
New colours were issued to the regiment this year at Gibraltar,
but no particulars have been obtained beyond the mention of the
fact in the British Review Reports, or Inspection Returns.'
The establishment of the regiment remained at the increased
quota, ten companies. Total of officers and men, 477. The total
cost for 366 days, 10,970l. 178. The allowance for widows, to
the colonel for clothing, captains for recruiting, and agents the
same as in establishment for 7th June 1720.
A warrant regulating the prices of “Commissions in marching
Regiments of Foot,” was issued on 24th July this year, and was as
follows:—
#3 #3
Captain & e Price 1,600 Difference 650
Capt.-Lt. having rank as -
Captain ... tº tº º tº tº º 9 3 950 2 3 400
Lieutenant ... tº ſº tº tº º 'º 3 5 550 3 2 150
Jºnsign tº ſº tº tº 3 ºf ge º e 3 y 400 5 5 400
According to the MSS. in the Royal United Service Institution
the light company was added this year, but this was an error; it
was added, as shown on page 163, in 1771.
A court-martial was held in May 1773 on Lieutenants Raitt
and Blaney Campbell, two officers of the Queen's. On the finding
of the court-martial, the former officer was honourably acquitted,
but Lieutenant Blaney Campbell was ordered to be dismissed the
service. Strong efforts were made to get this sentence reversed,
the officer himself sending a memorial, backed by the colonel of
the regiment, stating that his crime being caused by a sudden
excess of passion, he prayed for consideration. He urged his
claims as an officer who had served fourteen years, and had
always behaved as an officer and a gentleman. His uncle, Lord
Blaney, also wrote to the War Minister about his nephew, but the
correspondence does not show if he was ultimately pardoned.
In a letter of 22nd June to Lord Barrington the writer expressed
* War Office Miscellany Book, 1768–1774, Vol. 535.
+ War Office, Common Letter Book, 1771–1772, No. 217.
† War Office Miscellany Book, 1768–1774, Wol. 535.
§ Inspection Return for 1772.
166 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1774.
the hope that the King would confirm the finding of the court-
martial. -
On the 13th September Lieutenant-Colonel Raitt obtained leave
to come home, leaving Gibraltar by the ship Neptune, which sailed
on the 20th.
New pattern hats were this year introduced into all Foot regi-
ments, according to a letter of the clothing board dated 19th
November, but the new pattern is not described.
The number of men victualled on 24th January was 440,
and on 26th December 445. The cost of subsistence of men
was the same, but additional charge were increased to 1; d. per
day.
The establishment was not altered this year, the total cost of
the regiment being 291. 19s. 6d. per diem, or 10,940l. 17s 6d. for
365 days. All other charges were the same as in the establishment
dated 27th March 1721.
A letter appears in the War Office Papers, dated 2nd February
1774, in which it was proposed that for the future twenty-four
battalions of Foot should remain on the Irish establishment, and
“ that kingdom send only three battalions for foreign service, viz.,
1st battalion of the Royals, the 2nd Regiment, Montague's, stationed
at Gibraltar, and the 61st, Barlow's, stationed at Minorca, instead
of five battalions as formerly.”
An order for recruiting the regiment was sent out on the 10th
May. On the 17th of the same month it was ordered that on the
death of a non-commissioned officer or Soldier, a report was to be
sent to the general officer commanding whether the deceased left
any wife or children, and if any examination was to be made into
their settlement. The paymaster of the regiment was to pay the
passage money of the wife and children, if any existed, and the
expense was to be borne on the contingent bill of the regiment.
The number of men victualled on the 23rd January 1775 was 443,
and on the 26th December, 446. The cost of subsistence same as
before. Additional charges reduced to 14. per man per day
Establishment and cost of regiment the same as before. The
assignment of the off-reckonings from 6th May 1775 to 5th May
1776 was made on the 25th November by the Honourable Sir
Charles Montague, K.B., the amount being 1,326l. 16s. 10d.
It would appear from correspondence that the Spaniards had
had some intention of trying in June, by an unexpected coup de
main, to regain possession of the renowned fortress where the
regiment had been so long stationed. Fortunately the garrison
had timely warning, and made preparations to resist the intended
attack. It is probable that the Spaniards received information
1775.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 167
that the garrison was alert and in a proper state of defence, so
the attempt was not made.
Major-General Boyd, writing home on 17th August, referred
to the intended attempt, and writes that the affair would “ have
been soon determined to the honour of His Majesty's Arms.”
He sent copies of the orders he had given out on the 23rd
June, and the disposition he had made of the seven regi-
ments, which were to be formed into two brigades. The town
brigade consisted of the Queen's regiment, the 39th, 56th, and
58th Regiments, and the immediate objects of attention for
the Queen's were the lines and landpost.* A few days later
General Boyd received orders to send home the 1st battalion
of the Royals, the Queen's, and the 69th Regiment, but he was
ordered to await the arrival of the Hanoverian regiments before
allowing them to embark. These regiments did not arrive till
about the 27th November, and were not all disembarked until
the 30th. There would seem to have been great difficulty in
obtaining transports for the troops, as the owners of the transports,
seeing that there was great anxiety to get the regiments to England,
took every advantage they could, and so embarrassed the authorities
that three companies of the Queen's had to be left behind, and a
ship was ordered to be sent for them. On the 4th December General
Boyd writes, that the baggage of the three regiments was on board,
and on the 6th the Queen's, except the three companies, embarked
on board the transport Lively, and sailed for England on Friday the
8th, with a fair wind. They arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th of
the same month. Ensign Newport, who had got into some difficulty
with the authorities in consequence of debts, was ordered to remain
with the three companies left behind. The Colonel of the regi-
ment had been informed on the 7th August of the intention
of the authorities to send home the regiment to Great Britain.
On the 22nd of the same month a letter was written desiring
to know whether the 1st Royals and the 2nd Queen's were to be
exchanged from the Irish to the British establishment from the
4th instant inclusive, in place of the 15th and the 37th Regiments
intended for service abroad. It would appear from the papers that
the transfer of the Queen's to the British establishment was not
effected in 1771, but on the 4th August this year. A further
confirmation of this is given in the War Office Papers, where it
is ordered that as long as the 2nd Foot continues on the Irish
* Colonial Office Papers, Gibraltar, 1775, No. 22.
# Major-General Boyd's, Orders, Gibraltar, 5th December 1775.
I68 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1775.
establishment, Colonel Montague was to direct that the clothing and
accoutrements of the said regiment were provided in Ireland, and
exported from there to the garrison where the regiment was
quartered. In further reference thereto the colonel is again re-
minded, on the 1st August, that he is on the Irish establishment.
Considerable correspondence took place in September with
reference to the change of the regiment from the Irish to the
British establishment. The change was actually sanctioned as
from the 4th August, the 15th and 37th Regiments taking the
place of the 1st Royals, and the Queen's, as part of the Irish
establishment, sent for foreign Service.
A letter was sent on the 5th October from the Secretary of State
for War, informing the commanding officer that as it was con-
sidered absolutely necessary that the several regiments of Foot
should be kept as complete as possible, directions should be given
that “till further orders no discharges be granted to any men of the
2nd Foot who from length of service may think themselves entitled
to Chelsea, in case they shall appear able to serve.”
Later in the month orders were received that the regiment was
to be completed with as much expedition as possible, and further
that it was to be augmented by an addition to each company of
one sergeant, one drummer, and eighteen private men. The
augmentation was to be allowed as from the 25th August last.
Each company was to be allowed three contingent men. Levy
money at five guineas per man was to be issued immediately, and
all officers were expected, “at this juncture,” to attend to regimental
duty, or be employed in the recruiting service.
On the 4th November estimates for the augmentation were sent
in, the total being—
S. d. S.
For 10 sergeants at 1 6 each = 15 per diem;
10 drummers , 1 0 , = 10 25
180 men , () 8 ,, . = 120 }}
or a total of 7 l. 5s. per diem.
The arms supplied for the augmentation were eight halberds, two
sergeant's fusils with bayonets, cartouche boxes, and straps, for
grenadier and light companies; 153 firelocks with iron ramrods,
bayonets, cartouche boxes and straps ; seventeen firelocks, &c.
for light company and ten drums. A board of officers was
ordered, on the same date, to inspect the patterns of clothing and
accoutrements for the augmentation, which brought the regiment
1775.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 169
up to a strength of 677 men, with an estimated cost per annum
of 13,624!. 7s.
The destination of the regiments on arrival in England was
Portsmouth. Precise instructions were sent off to the governor
there, who was to give every assistance at the disembarkation of
the three regiments on their arrival.
Lieutenant-Colonel Oswald, who was in command of the Queen's,
arrived at Portsmouth with the seven companies on the 26th
December. He found letters awaiting him from Lord Barrington,
which informed him that advertisements had been inserted in
the papers relative to enlisting men for the regiment, and he was
ordered to at once send out recruiting parties, to attend at such
places as the justices of the peace might order to receive the men,
and to choose such as were considered fit for service.
Previously to landing, Lieutenant-Colonel Cswald issued orders,
in which he expressed a hope that the regiment would insure
its welcome in England, after an absence of half a century, by the
closest attention to both its military and civil duties.
The seven companies of the regiment were landed on the 27th
October, and at once marched to Alton and Farnham, where they
remained till the 9th May next year, on which date they marched
to London and were quartered at Kensington. Instructions were
left at Portsmouth with the postmaster, that on the arrival of the
three remaining companies, he was to give them their marching
orders to join the regiment.
A warrant was signed on the 28th November to allow the
assignments of the off-reckonings to include the augmentation of
the regiment, for which it was found necessary to advance money
on account of the future assignments. The usual assignment of
the off-reckonings was made on 19th November from 6th May
1776 to 5th May 1777, the amount being 1,861. 2s. 8d., and an
additional one of 375l. 16s.
The number of effectives victualled on 22nd January was 446,
and on 24th December, 454. The charges were the same as last
year.
The year 1775 is memorable for the breaking out of the civil
war in America, which was, alas, not to end until the revolted
the colonies were for ever cut off from connexion with the mother
country. The irritation produced in England by the attack of the
people on the tea ships, and the destruction of the cargoes, was
great. The American colonists had, however, some cause for their
irritation by the attempt to reimpose a tax of three pence
in the pound for all tea landed in the ports. This tax, which
had been originally started in 1767, and was ostensibly made to help
17() HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1775.
the East India Company (whose affairs had fallen into confusion
mainly through their own mismanagement), may be said to have
cost England her brighest colonial jewel, and entailed costs and
Sacrifices that cannot be estimated. The sale of Indian teas in
America had been a great source of revenue to the Indian States,
but it was alleged that there was a large illicit trade in these and
other teas which created a loss to the revenue.
The arrival of the India tea ships in America was met by the
most determined hostility of the Bostonians, and the spirit of
opposition to the mother country now thoroughly roused, was not
long before it culminated in armed resistance.
Another cause of irritation was given by Lord North's Govern-
ment. A Bill was passed which revoked a large portion of the
charter that had been granted to the province of Massachusetts by
King William. The council of the colony, instead of being elected
by the people, was to be in the nomination of the governor. The
judges, magistrates, and sheriffs might be nominated, and in some
cases also removed, by the governor without reference to the
council.
Virginia was not long before it joined in the coalition now
being formed by Boston and Massachusetts against the Crown,
and the idea of a general congress spread rapidly through all the
American colonies, and before the year 1774 was over, fifty-five
members who had been elected met in Philadelphia, and elected
as their president, Peyton Randolph, of Virginia. The congress
was divided a good deal in sentiment, the separatists being in the
minority, and it is sad to note that had our destinies been in the
hands of far-seeing and capable men, the rift might still have been
closed, and the catastrophe of separation averted. The colonial
congress separated on the 26th October, but their deliberations had
not been successful in healing the breach between tº e people of
Massachusetts and the administration. The breach in effect had
grown wider.
The new Parliament elected in 1774 met on 29th November, and
in the amendments to the address claimed the fullest information
on the American affairs. Chatham, in noble and persuasive words,
called upon Parliament to undo the mischievous Acis, and to try
and win back the colonists, but his motion was deſent-d. Again
he brought it forward, and again it was defeate , but with a
diminished majority. Alas, it was not to be, the nation was resolute
in its ill-doing. It is sad to read the concluding sentence of
Chatham's Bill, “so shall true reconcilement avert impending
calamities.” -
1775.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 171
It is not too much to say that had this wise and conciliatory
measure been passed, America might still have been an integral
part of the British Empire. “The sword,” writes a great historian,
“was then slumbering in its scabbard, on both sides there were
injuries to redress, but not as yet bloodshed to avenge.”
Washington himself, who was destined to lead his country into an
unique position in the community of nations, presided at a meeting
where a resolution was passed, which, while asking that their
grievances might be redressed, urged “that it is our greatest
wish and inclination, as well as interest, to continue our con-
nexion with, and dependence on, the British Government.”f
The war, which only wanted a spark to light it, was begun by
the determination of General Gage to destroy Some military stores
that the ardent fighting colonists had collected at a place called
Concord. The detachment on their way to Concord met a body of
Militia at a place called Lexington, and on the commander calling
to them to lay down their arms, some shots were fired—it is not
clear who fired first — and some of the Militia were killed.
The Englishmen then went on to Concord, and destroyed what
stores they found, the larger part having been removed. On their
return they were met by overwhelming numbers of Militiamen who
harassed their march to Lexington so much, and inflicted such
losses, that had not General Gage sent another force to meet them,
fearing some contretemps, it is probable not a man would have
returned. As it was, the united force lost 273 in killed, wounded,
and taken prisoners before they arrived at Boston Harbour, while
the American loss was only ninety.
This small affair was the beginning of the American War.
As the regiment took no part in this fratricidal struggle (except
that a small detachment was sent over), the events of the war will
not form part of our history, but it was thought proper to add this
slight sketch of one of the most disastrous pages in the history of
England, and to account for the preparations made in the Army
for the war, and for the augmentation in the establishment of the
regiment.
In the monthly returns dated ist January 1776, it is stated
that four companies of the regiment were quartered at Farnham and
three at Alton. In a note at foot it is stated that three companies
are detained at Gibraltar on account of one of the Hanoverian
transports being missing.
Lieutenant-Governor Boyd wrote on the 18th January about the
troops that left Gibraltar in December, and promising to send the
* Lord Mahon's History of England, Vol. VI., p. 29.
+ Ibid, note on p. 29.
172 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1776.
three companies that he had been obliged to detain by the first
Opportunity.
It is curious to see the number of warrants issued to transfer the
regiment from the Irish to the British establishment. Again this
year is there a warrant relating to this matter, dated 5th
January. It is presumed that the transfer was not made till the
regiment had taken up its quarters in England.
The three cºmpanies left at Gibraltar arrived at Portsmouth on
the 1st April under the command of Captain Peter Dambon. On
his arrival he wrote to General Sir Charles Montague, reporting
the insubordination of Ensign Newport in refusing to obey orders
to remain on board ship while he (Captain Dambon) was on shore.
After having been put under arrest he broke out and escaped from
the ship. He was tried by court-martial on the 29th April, Major
Charles Thorn, of the 25th Regiment, being president, but the
regiment changing quarters Major Michael Nickson, of the Queen's
Regiment, was made president, and the offending officer was
condemned to be dismissed the service. The King was appealed to
to allow Newport to sell his commission, but the petition does not
appear to have been granted. There was a considerable amount of
correspondence about this officer, who seems to have been guilty of
many irregularities of conduct.
On the 27th February a notice was issued offering pardon to all
deserters who should render themselves up before the 10th April.
Ensign Charles Du Perre, who was recruiting for the regiment at
Bath, seems, from a letter of his to Lord Barrington, to have had
some difficulties in consequence of the disinclination of the
inhabitants to allow the men to be billeted in the town.
On the 9th May the regiment proceeded to London, and was
quartered in Kensington. They were reviewed while there on the
14th May by the colonel, Sir Charles Montague, and again on the
17th by the King.
Orders were sent on the 14th May for the regiment to march to
Doncaster (the route being left to the discretion of the command-
ing officer), for which place they started after the review by the
King, and continued on the march till their arrival on the 29th
July in Newcastle and Tynemouth. They were ordered to be
quartered, seven companies at Tynemouth and three at Newcastle.
A return was sent on to the War Office in the first quarter of
the year, complaining of the bad state of the arms of the regiment,
and praying for a King's warrant for a complete new set. From
the return here shown it would seem that new arms were much
required.
1777. Now THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST surrBY REGIMENT. 173

Halberd Cartouch
*mmm-wº and Drums. | Firelocks. Bayonets. i. Muche
- OX62S.
Fusils.
Good ... is tº a e s tº tº a tº 10 10 170 170 187
Bad ... tº t → tº 9 tº º, º º 20 10 390 390 429
30 20 560 560 616
|
The arms returned as good were those that had recently been
received for the augmentation of the regiment, and had not yet
been used. The old arms condemned had been in use since 1765.
Major Dalrymple, who was in command, appears to have had a
great deal of work on his hands from the number of detachments
that were out ; so many recruits joining made it almost, as he writes
to Lord Barrington, like a new regiment. -
The quarters occupied by the regiment at Tynemouth seem to
have been pleasant ones. A rumour having been circulated that
they were going to be changed, Sir Charles Montague, at the request
of his officers, wrote to the War Office, begging they might be
allowed to stay there, as he considered it would be very beneficial
for the regiment. -
The establishment of the regiment was now ten companies of
fifty-six men in each, or a total strength, officers included, of 677.
The cost per diem was 371.4s. 6d., and for 366 days 13,624l. 7s,
including the grenadier and light company, and all the allow-
ances to the widows, colonels for clothing, and captains for
recruiting.
The agency of the regiment was, on the 11th October, given into
the hands of Richard Cox and Arthur Marr, of Craig's Court,
Westminster.
In February 1777 Captain Shaw was ordered to Durham with a
party of the Queen's. From that place he was ordered to Sunder-
land, where disturbances were taking place, and had to assist the
magistrates in preserving order. His conduct in this duty was, by a
letter of the War Office dated 10th February, approved.
In March some of the officers of the regiment had applied to be
allowed to volunteer to go to the American War. The Government,
however, refused to sanction their request.
On the 26th April Major-General Lord Adam Gordon was
instructed to inspect the Queen's Regiment at Newcastle. In the
report he writes that the men were fit, and attentive to their duty.
In his general observations he reported the regiment very much
improved since last inspection. In the particulars of the exercise
174 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1778.
of the inspection prominence is given to the work of the light
company. The inspection did not take place till the 18th June.
It would seem that Lieutenant-Colonel Barker, the commanding
officer of the regiment, had been having considerable leave, as in
a letter of Major Dalrymple dated 25th June, asking for leave of
absence, for himself, he states he has been on continuous duty with
the regiment for twelve months, and now asks for leave in conse-
quence of ill-health. Colonel Barker was asked to rejoin his regiment,
though the leave granted to him was not up till 14th August.
Colonel Barker was allowed to retire on 3rd March next year.
A warrant for augmenting the regiment by one corporal and
fourteen men was issued on 25th December. The order for arming
the augmented men was dated the 6th January 1778, and
was for 150 firelocks, with bayonets, scabbards, cartouche boxes,
and snaps. The increase to the daily cost of the regiment was
5l. 3s. 4d.
On the 9th August the agency of the regiment was given by
the colonel to James Meyrick, James Meyrick, jun., and John
Meyrick, of Parliament Street, Westminster, with power to them
to make all payments, to contract for the clothing, and assign and
make over the off-reckonings for the same. This seems to be the
last entry relating to the agency and off-reckonings of the regiment
that appears in the Audit Office Enrolment Book.”
In the Establishment Book for this year the Queen's is given as
comprising ten companies of fifty-six men in each, in all 677 men,
officers included. The pay from 25th December 1777 to 24th
December 1778 was 37 l. 4s. 6d. per diem, or a total cost for 365
days of 13,5871. 2s. 6d. All other allowances same as establishment
for 27th March 1721.
On the 1st August Colonel Sir Charles Mordaunt died, and
Colonel Daniel Jones, from the 3rd Foot Guards, was appointed to
command the regiment.
A gratifying spirit of loyalty was shown in January by the
towns of Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, offering
to raise regiments at their own expense. Lieutenant John Murray,
of the Queen's regiment, was offered a company in the proposed
new regiment for Glasgow, and in case he should accept it the
officer commanding was asked to allow him to go at once to
Glasgow to assist in recruiting and completing the said proposed
new corps.
Murray was gazetted to his new regiment (83rd) on 25th July,
Lieutenant-Colonel Ogilvy commanding. London was not behind
* Audit Office, Enrolment Book, Wol. 63.
1778.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 175
the great towns in loyal offers of assistance. Large subscriptions
were raised by the loyal inhabitants for paying the expenses of
recruiting men for His Majesty's service.
In a letter of Lord Seaforth's asking permission for a certain
badge, not described, to be put on the regimental appointments, he
was informed that the King could not allow it. Lord Seaforth was
referred to the King's express regulations, which directs that “no
colonel is to put his arms, crest, device, or livery on any part of
the regiment under his command.” The six old corps (including
the Queen's) and royal regiments only excepted.
On the 14th March orders were sent for the Queen's to march to
the north, the first rest to be at Berwick. These orders were
afterwards countermanded. Before the end of March they were
informed that they would be sent south, to take part in a large
proposed camp to be formed at Coxheath. In a letter dated 31st
March Major-General Jones was ordered to provide the camp
equipment for his regiment.
The state of affairs caused by the fratricidal war in America
was such as to cause every Englishman to tremble for the ultimate
fate of his country. Not only had we this terrible struggle on
our hands, but the French showed signs of continued hostility,
and it was foreseen that there was a great probability of Our
hereditary foes joining hands with our revolted kinsmen. Lord
North, whose blunders caused the war, at the beginning of the session
in February brought in two Bills one was a renunciation of the
right of the mother country to impose any tax on the Americans, and
another was to appoint commissioners to treat with the American
Congress as if it were a legal body. All this was too late, and the
Commons had not long begun these deliberations before the shell
that was expected burst over their heads. A royal message being
presented on the 17th March by the King that a treaty of “amity
and commerce’ had been concluded between the court of France
and our revolted colony, our ambassador was at once Ordered to
withdraw from the French Court, and the great war against Our
old enemy, France, and the American colony commenced, a fierce
struggle both by land and sea.
The regiment does not seem to have been moved south until
after April, for we find in that month Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple
(who had been given the command of the regiment on Colonel
Barker retiring) being applied to for assistance in resisting an
attempt, made by some men landed from a privateer at Whitehaven,
to burn the shipping at that place.
176 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1778.
A considerable amount of correspondence took place in the early
part of the year with reference to the promotions consequent on
the retirement of Colonel Barker, the papers revealing the fact that
over-regulation prices had for some time been paid in the regiment
for commissions, which the King had ordered to be discontinued.
In March the King issued a declaration offering pardon to all
deserters who should surrender themselves before the 11th May;
20s. was to be paid by the regiment which the deserter joined to
the regiment he had deserted from.
A number of regulations were issued in April for the troops that
had been ordered to go into camp. Rations were to be fixed at
6d. per diem. The number of rations allowed to each rank was as
follows:—
I
Colonel, as colonel and captain
Lieutenant-colonel and captain
Major and captain
Seven captains, each five
Captain-lieutenant g tº E &
Nineteen subalterns, each one tº 8 & tº G & tº g tº ë e º * - ſº
Adjutant, chaplain, quartermaster, and Surgeon’s mate, each
Orle tº & 9 * * * tº a tº gº tº tº -
Surgeon and medicine chest ...
3
I
i
Total
The proportion of bread allowed in caump was a six pound loaf
to each man every four days. A regiment of ten companies,
seventy men in each, was to have 160 tents, 160 tin kettles and
bags, 160 wood hatchets, twelve bell tents, twelve camp colours,
twenty drum cases, ten powder bags, 792 water bottles, 792
haversacks, and 792 knapsacks. -
The prices were:–
Bell tents for arms
Silk camp colours ...
Drum cases tº e. & a
Tin kettles with canvas bags
Hand hatchets
Water flasks
Haversacks ...
Knapsacks ...
Powder bags
:
55.
5
5
Messrs. Meyrick were instructed to inform the officers that they
were to provide themselves with tents,
1778.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 177
On the 15th May Messrs. Meyrick were asked by the War Office
if the camp equipage for the regiment was ready, as it was
intended to order the troops to take the field immediately.
Hospitals were to be established in camp, a sum of 7l. 10s. per
month for Infantry and 4l. 10s. for Cavalry was to be given to
each regimental surgeon in lieu of horse hire, nurses, and the
contingent expenses of the hospital, the usual annual hospital
allowance being discºntinued while the regiment was in camp.
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple having obtained permission, on
the 6th February, to send a recruiting officer to Ireland to enlist
men for the battalion, appears to have given the idea to others to
endeavour to obtain recruits in Ireland. The Lord Lieutenant
thereupon wrote to Lord Barrington on 3rd August complaining of
this innovation, which he said prevented regiments on the Irish
establishment recruiting to their full strength. In reply the
Minister informed his Excellency that the only regiments on the
British establishment that had obtained the permission to recruit
in Ireland for a long time past, were the 2nd, 18th, and 59th,
and that the only regiment now actually recruiting there was
Dalrymple's (the Queen's).
About the end of May the regiment set out on its march to
Coxheath camp, the agents to the regiment having arranged that the
officers’ tents and camp necessaries should be ready by the 10th June.
On 26th June Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple wrote to Lord
Barrington from Coxheath camp, recommending that Lieutenant
Fothergill, the quartermaster of the regiment, who was incapable
of the active work required in that rank, and having faithfully
served in the Army for upwards of forty years, should be promoted
to an ensigncy in the Invalids. He recommended Lieutenant Holt
to succeed him as quartermaster, Lord Barrington promised to
lay the recommendation before the King the first opportunity, at
the same time informing Colonel Dalrymple that His Majesty
expected that the commission of quartermaster should always be
given to some meritorious non-commissioned officer recommended
by the colonel.
In the orders sent to Colonel Dalrymple in May he was informed
that his regiment was to be quartered in Greenwich, Deptford, &c.,
from whence they were to march to Coxheath. Great preparation:
had been made for the comfort and convenience of the troops
in camp. The following is a list of the regiments, their strength,
and their disposition —
VOL. III. M
178 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Roy AL REGIMENT: [1778.
PLAN of the CAMP at CoxIIEATH on the 6th June 1778.

tºmimºsanº tº No. Regiments. Commanders. Strength.
+: # [T] | st Royals - - | Frazer - * tº 500
#, 3 [T] 59th Hamilton - tº 50ſ)
à 3 l D 1St 2nd Batt. Royals – 500
'. .# # ſ [] 1st | South Hampshire - || Sir Simon Stewart- 420
# S = { [] 6th West Middlesex - | Cook - *-*. - 534
§ § § { [T] l6th Surrey - - Hodges º tº 800
•gº-ºº! $-
# .# S .5 D 23rd | South Lincoln - || Sibthorp - º 600
; , ; ; : D 3 || 32nd | Hertford - - || Ld. Cranborn - 560
i. s tº l [] 93rd | West Suffolk - | Duke of Grafton - 480
gºd S
$.
3. R . . A ſ D 41st | Cheshire - - || Ld. Cholmondley - 560
+s ; , ; ; D 3 || 34th Berkshire - || Vansittart * 560
§ = S. * l D 25th Shropshire - - 642
+3 5 §
- F = [[] 17th | East Essex - Rebow - º 480
# As # 4 D 14th | Derbyshire - | Duke of Devonshire 700
§ § H L D 4th West Yorkshire - || Harvey - - 600
C a *
à E. ſ. D | 2nd “Queen's ’’ - | Dalrymple - *- 500
‘ā ā 3 D 65th Bruce º º 350
2 £ U D l 18th Royal Irish - || Williamson – º 700
H Also the 1st Regiment of Dragoons.” 9,986
* Lady's Magazine, Vol. 9, 1778.
On the 15th December a further augmentation to the regiment
was made of two extra companies. The establishment was now
twelve companies of three sergeants, four corporals, two drummers,
and seventy private men to each company, with two fifers to the
Grenadier company. The augmentation was to date from the 25th
December inclusive, the warrant being issued on that date.
The camp at Coxheath was not broken up till late in the
autumn.
On 4th November Lieutenant-General Keppel received the
routes for the regiments to march away, the order for the Queen's
to leave camp was issued the same day. The quarters were to
be as follows:–
Two companies at Rye and Winchelsea.
Two 3 5 Tenderton and Appledore.
Two 5 § Eath.
One company at Salehurst and Robertsbridge.
One 33 Eastbourne and Bevensey.
Two companies at Hastings.
They were to arrive and be quartered at the several places
named on the 9th November.
On the 29th December a detachment was sent from Hastings to
escort twenty-six French prisoners to Deal.
1779.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 179
Every effort was now being made by the nation to meet the
dangers that surrounded its destinies, and nothing was allowed to
stand in the way of making the services fit for the arduous duties
that might be expected from them. All absent officers of regiments
in South Britain were ordered to immediately join their regiments,
except those out on recruiting duty. Preparations were again made
early in 1779 for a large camp, which this year was fixed to be at
Warley.
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple had been appointed early in 1779
to command the recruiting Service in the county of Hampshire.
Great activity was shown all over the kingdom in this service.
A letter appears on the 27th March from a Mr. Lamb at Rye,
to the effect that the justices of that town had enlisted “some
very proper persons to serve His Majesty,” and requiring instruc-
tions as to where these “very proper persons were to be sent.”
Colonel Dalrymple does not seem to have been very pleased with
the men he obtained in Hampshire. He writes, on 1st April from
Winchester, that those he had impressed were not fit for service,
and requested that more officers might be sent to help him in his
work of recruiting.
Ensign W. Hovendon, who had been sent to America with drafts
from the regiment, returned in August, and joined at Warley. He
seems to have had some difficulty in getting allowances for his
expenses. A letter dated 13th August, allotted the volunteers raised
by means of a special bounty to the following regiments, viz., two
battalions the Royals, the Queen's regiment, and the 13th and
14th regiments, with the additional companies of the 6th, 7th,
20th, 24th, 37th, and 54th regiments.
On the 16th April Colonel Dalrymple received orders to get
ready all the camp necessaries. Messrs. Meyrick were at once
written to to apply to the stores for tents and equipment similar
to that supplied last year. -
On the 31st May the regiment received its orders to march to
the place of encampment. They were to assemble at Battle, and
march from Hastings vià Brentwood to Warley. The same allow-
ance of bread as before was provided, viz., a six pound loaf for four
days for each man. The regiment arrived in camp on the 12th June.
According to a letter addressed to the commanding officer of the
regiment at the camp, dated 12th June, relative to a private who,
having fulfilled the conditions of his enlistment, requested his
discharge, it appears that recruits as well as trained soldiers were
required by proclamation of the King to serve for three years,
“ or during the American rebellion, at the option of his Majesty.”
M 2
180 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1779.
An old officer of the regiment, Colonel Raitt, appears to have
requested to be allowed to serve again during the emergency; his
letter was referred to Lord Amherst. -
Tetters were sent in June ordering all deserters from the
camp to be sent back at Once to their regiments, instead of being
detained in gaol.
Some correspondence took place between Colonel Dalrymple
and the War Office, relative to Some contingent charges that been
made. An extra waggon was charged, and disallowed, one per
company being considered sufficient. Horses to carry arms were
disallowed, as every article that was thought necessary for a regi-
ment in camp that could not be carried by One soldier had been
supplied by the War Office. Storehouses were not allowed, charges
of this nature not being found in the last war. Spirits for the
men “disallowed no such charge known as a contingent charge.”
On the 13th August the troops were reviewed at Warley
camp by the Honourable Lieutenant-General Parker, who was in
command. The total strength of the Queen's at the review was
twenty-nine officers, five staff officers, and 643 non-commissioned
officers and men. An entry on the review state of the Queen's
is as follows:–
“Received colors and part of accoutrements at Gibraltar in 1772,
part at Tynemouth in 1776, and part in Coxheath in 1778. Pioneer
accoutrements, part in Cork in 1778.” The clothing of the year
1778 was reported to be good, “hats well cocked.” The regiment
was reported as “fit for immediate service.”f
In November the regiment was ordered to break up the
quarters at Warley camp, and march to the following places:–
Four companies to Woodford, Lower Leyton, Walthamstow, Wan-
stead, and Chigwell; four companies to Romford, Howe Street,
Hornhurch, and Upminster; one company to Chipping Ongar;
and one company to Cheshunt and Cheshunt Street. Later in the
month, the four companies at Woodford and adjacents were
changed, and two companies were sent to Waltham and Waltham
Abbey, and two companies to Epping.
In the War Office Establishment Books of this year two estab-
lishments of the regiment are given, one before the augmentation
of the two extra companies, and the other after the augmentation.
In the former, dated 15th March, the establishment is given as
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1779, No 234, p. 215.
† British Review Reports. º
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1779.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. I8]
—-
ten companies of seventy private men in each; in all 827 men
officers included. The total cost of the regiment per diem is stated
to be 421. 7s. 10d., and for 365 days 15,472l. 19s. 2d., from 25th
December 1777 to 24th December 1778, including one company of
Grenadiers and one company of Light Infantry. The allowances
to widows, &c., &c. same as in Establishment for 27th March 1721.
In the latter Establishment list, dated 7th December, the figures are
given as twelve companies, seventy private men in each, in all 991
men, officers included, commencing from 25th December 1778 to
24th December 1779. The total cost per diem 50l. 68. 10d., and for
365 days 18,374l. 148. 2d., including the Grenadier company and
the Light company. Allowances Same as in establishment of
21st March 1721.
This year was not to end without another event happening
which added a glorious page to English history. The regiment
did not take part in this event, the ever memorable siege of
Gibraltar, which, after two years of threatening, was commenced
this year, yet as they were ordered to the renowned fortress
very soon after peace was signed, and before any of the effects of
the terrible siege had been repaired, the officers would, no doubt,
have had related to them many incidents of the great fight, and
the many deeds of heroism and gallantry done by their brethren
in arms would no doubt be recited, which would quicken the
pulses, and make the regret great that they had not been there to
take a share in this heroic siege. Lord North characterised it as .
“One of those astonishing instances of British valour, discipline,
military skill, and humanity, that no age or country could produce
an example of.” The duration of the siege was three years,
seven months, and twelve days.” During the whole of this time
the devoted garrison, aided by our gallant Fleets, successfully
resisted the cºmbined efforts of the united Powers of France and
Spain. General George Augustus Eliott, who, fortunately for us,
had in 1777 been appointed Governor of Gibraltar, was an officer
well equal to the command that had in so critical a time devolved
on him. He had distinguished himself in his educational career,
and had seen plenty of service, had been wounded at Dettingen,
and during the Seven Years' War had greatly distinguished himself
under the Duke of Cumberland. He had for his lieutenant-
governor, Lieutenant-General R. Boyd. For those who have not
made themselves acquainted with a most memorable page of English
history, the perusal of the journals of Ancell and Drinkwater will
--~~
* Sayer's Gibraltar, p. 405.
182 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1779.
be most interesting reading. The latter relates an anecdote of
Prince William, afterwards William the Fourth, who served as
midshipman on board the Royal George, in the Fleet under the
command of Admiral Sir George Digby, which was sent to the
relief of the garrison. The admiral, having captured the Spanish
Admiral Don Juan de Langara in the fight off Cape St. Vincent,
the Spanish Admiral, when the Fleet and its prizes arrived at the
Rock, paid a visit to the admiral, and was introduced to the Prince.
During the conference of the two admirals, the young Prince retired,
and, when the interview was over, he reappeared in his character as
midshipman, and respectfully informed his admiral that the boat
was ready, which so astonished the Spaniard, seeing the King of
England's son doing the duty of a simple warrant officer, that he
exclaimed, “Well does Great Britain merit the empire of the sea
when the humblest stations in her navy are supported by princes
of the blood.”
The troubles of England at this period were such as to try
to the utmost the endurance and spirit of both prince and peasant.
The year had been an anxious one. Our Fleets, whom the nation
had become used to see victorious, had not maintained their
supremacy, and the rival parties in the nation made the non-
success of our Fleets an ignoble fighting ground for their
animosities.
Religious animosity, too, was added to the national troubles.
Riots took place both in Edinburgh and Glasgow against Roman
Catholics, their houses and property were destroyed, and their
lives threatened. But another political event was to materially
add to the national danger. Spain, which had for a long time
threatened it, joined the league against us. The King had long
foreseen this, and had, as early as October last year, foreshadowed
it in a letter to his Minister Lord North.
It was a curious and rather an incongruous sight to see two
despotic monarchies, France and Spain, arrayed together to support
a revolutionary republic which was being erected on the revolted
colonies of England.
1780.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 183.
C H A PT E R X.
GORD ON RIOTS – REGIMENT SERVES AS MARINES–
ARRIVAL AT GIBRALTAR.
1780.
CONTENTs.—Detachment sent from Winchester to escort 1,000 Spanish
Prisoners from Portsmouth to Shrewsbury—Regiment ordered to
Chelmsford—Encamped at Tiptray Heath—Regiment sent to London to
assist in quelling the Gordon Riots—Encamp in Hyde Park—Orders
about Divine Service in Camp—List of Arms broken and lost in London
during the Riots—New Colours presented to Regiment in Hyde Park–
Camp breaks up, and Regiment sent to encamp on Finchley Common—
Tegiment removed to Buckinghamshire—Lieutenant Fenwick raises an
independent Company—Strength of the Army—Rates of levy Money
for Recruits—Regiment reduced by one Company—Camp Equipage
ordered for the Regiment—Order as to levy Money—Regiment removed
from Buckinghamshire to St. Albans–Encampment on Warley Common
—Reviewed at Warley by Lieutenant-General Parker—Camp breaks
up, and Regiment returns to St. Albans—Ordered to march and be
quartered at Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth—Holland joins the Federa-
tion of the European Powers against England–Declaration of War
against Holland—Threatened Invasion by France and Spain—Admiral
Digby ordered to watch the united Fleets of France and Spain—The
Hostile Fleets depart—Strength of British Army—Company of the -
Regiment serves as Marines on board the Ship Fortitude—Drafts from
the Regiment sent to other Ships to serve as Marines—Description of the
Detachments—The Bellona, with Detachment of Queen’s on board,
goes with the Fleet under Lord Howe to relieve Gibraltar—Review
of Political Events—Intrigues about Gibraltar—Particulars of the
Siege—Arrival of Lord Howe's Fleet—Relief of the Garrison—The
Allied Hostile Fleets endeavour to cut of the English Rear-guard, but
fail—Regiment moved about considerably—Desertions—Strength of the
Army-–More Detachments sent on board the Fleet—Landing of the
Detachments at Portsmouth—Regiment much reduced by the Detach-
ments sent to the Fleet—Particulars about Deserters—Regiment ordered
to do duty at Hampton Court–Regiment reduced to six Battalion.
Companies, one Light, and one Grenadier Company—Establishment and
Pay—King decides to send the Regiment to Gibraltar—List of the
Transports and the Companies embarked—List of Regiments sent to
Gibraltar—Raising of Siege of Gibraltar—Preliminaries of Peace---
Publication of the intention of the Government to declare the American
Colonies free—Popular Excitement—Preliminaries of Peace signed at
Versailles—Particulars of the Peace—First Meeting of the American.
Ambassador and the King—Arrival of the Regiment at Gibraltar—
New Orders for Musters—Alterations in the Accoutrements.
ON the 9th March 1780 an order was sent to the officer command-
ing the forces at Winchester to send a strong detachment of troops.
184 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1780.
–3– --mm mºsºmº
to escort 1,000 Spanish prisoners from Portsmouth to Shrews-
bury. The convoy was to be divided into four parties, and the
prisoners were to be delivered over by the Queen's, on arrival at
Reading, to the Berkshire Militia for their further conduct and
C:l I’é.
A letter was sent to the colonel of the regiment on the 21st
April, ordering him, as it was intended the regiment should form
part of a large encampment of troops, to see that all were pro-
vided with camp necessaries. The Secretary of State had written
for tents to be supplied, and orders had been given that the
officers were to be allowed 100 days' forage money on their taking
the field. The regiment afterwards proceeded to Chelmsford.
On the 29th May they were at Romford and adjacents, when
they received orders to march to a place called Tiptray Heath. The
regiment remained but a short time there, for events were happen-
ing in the metropolis which necessitated a large assemblage of
troops, the Queen's receiving orders on the 7th June to march
the next day and be encamped in Hyde Park. The unhappy
event of the Gordon riots, due to the famatical zeal of Lord
George Gordon, are a sad blot on our vaunted civilization.
The religious riots, already noticed, in Scotland in 1778 were
followed by an extension of the ill-will against the Catholics in
England and the formation of a Protestant association for the
purpose of, if possible, hindering the Catholics from enjoying
the same liberties as they, the Protestants, had. Lord George
Gordon was elected the chief of the association, and he was well
chosen as the leader of such a bigoted and benighted league.
He had throughout the year before in his place in the House of
Commons obtained most unenviable notoriety by his speeches,
which were said to have been characterised by “ignorant fanaticism
and often by low buffoonery.” A petition got up in support
of his views was presented by him to the House of Commons.
He ordered his followers to assemble in large numbers on the day
of its presentation, wearing blue cockades in their caps to distin-
guish “all true Protestants from their foes.” The numbers
assembled were estimated at from 60,000 to 100,000 people, and
the signatures to the petition contained not less than 120,000
In all 16°S.
The assemblage of this immense mass of fanatics led by such a
man as Lord George Gordon, could have but one result, and the
records of the time from the 2nd of June, when the petition was
presented, present scenes of bloodshed and riot that would be a
disgrace to any country, and is a page of our history that we would
1780.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 185
willingly expunge. The cry of “No Popery " was at last but the
cloak to cover the most lawless acts, and for a time it seemed that
the metropolis was doomed to be destroyed in the name of religion.
Nothing but the bravery and resolution of the troops called up
saved the metropolis from complete destruction and from the
anarchy that not long after raged in Paris and has been repeated
in our own times.
The Queen's took its part in this dreadful work, remaining
encamped in Hyde Park with the other troops called up, which
included the 2nd battalion of the Royals (1st Foot), the North-
umberland regiment (5th), and others. The Surrey Militia was also
engaged in this arduous duty, and fought side by side with the
Queen's in saving the metropolis of the empire from pillage and
fire. The numbers killed by the troops was estimated at 210.
Seventy-five more died in hospitals from their wounds. This is
exclusive of numbers who were wounded and carried away. The
rioting was happily over by Friday, 9th June, a week from
the date of the commencement, and the harassed troops were at last
able to take their well earned rest.
A curious letter appears in the War Office correspondence,
which is indicative how carefully the religious observances of the
troops were watched. The letter is dated 17th June, 11 a.m., and
is addressed to the Bishop of London. It appears that a representa-
tion had been made to the Government that divine Service was
not performed in camp on Sunday, the 11th, by the chaplains.
The most positive orders were thereupon given to General Rains-
ford, who was in command of the troops, for the attendance of the
chaplains for service with the troops on Sunday following, as it
was considered “that at this particular crisis the least appearance
of want of attention to the duties of religion might be miscon-
strued.”
Captain G. A. Chetwynd acted as brigade-major to the
regiments encamped in Hyde Park from 7th June until they
were removed. An order was issued on the 30th August for the
Queen's to have supplied to them two Sergeant's fusils and bayonets,
five firelocks, seven bayonets, eleven cartridge boxes and straps,
and five drums, to replace a like number lost or broken in the
course of their hasty march and subsequent duty in London.
While the regiment was encamped in Hyde Park new colours
were presented, but beyond the bare fact of this being recorded in
the inspection return of next year, no details of the ceremony have
been found.
186 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1780.
While encamped at Hyde Park the regiment was complimented
by Major-General Rainsford for its regularity and good conduct.
The camp in Hyde Park was broken up in August, and many of
the troops, including the Queen's removed to a camp on Finchley
Common. The Queen's left Hyde Park on the 11th August. On
29th of that month, Colonel Dalrymple wrote with reference to
the arms broken and lost in the last service in London.
In October the regiment was removed to Buckinghamshire,
marching through Birmingham, and was quartered at Winslow,
Buckingham, Brackley, Aylesbury, Wendover, and adjacents. They
were ordered to be in their quarters at the several places by the
20th October.
On the 30th the commanding officer received a notice from the
War Office that the bat, horses were to be no longer kept up,
but in case the regiment should be called upon to take the field
fresh allowances of bat, baggage and forage would be issued to the
officers, to enable them to provide themselves with tents, camp
equipage, and horses.
Lieutenant Fenwick, an officer of the regiment, on the 27th
December asked permission to raise an independent company, to
consist of two lieutenants, “who are already commanding officers,”
one ensign, five sergeants, five corporals, two drummers, and one
hundred private men. The whole to be under his command as
captain. The pay of the officers to commence from the date of their
command and of the men from the date of their attestations.
The next day an order was sent to supply “Captain Fenwick’s ”
Company of Foot with five halberds, two drums, 101 firelocks,
with scabbards, cartouche boxes and straps, and the next day an
estimate of the pay for the proposed company was sent to the Lords
of the Treasury. The pay to be as follows:–
1.
1 captain, 10s. per diem ... tº e e
2 lieutenants, each 4s. 8d. per diem
1 ensign, 38. 8d. per diem tº 4
5 sergeants, each 18. 6d. per diem ..
5 corporals, each 18, per diem
2 drummers, each 18. per diem
100 private men, each 8d. per diem
tº-
*
Total 5 4, 2
Allowance to widows 0 1 4
Commandant 0 1 2
Captain ... gº º º tº e & 0 1 0
Agent ... e Q & 0 0 & 0 () 6
---
-
8
2
Total
1781.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 187
A letter to Lieutenant Fenwick, dated 18th January next year,
informs him that he would be allowed to sell his lieutenancy in
the Queen's on completing the independent company. “The King
grants him this further encouragement, in confidence he will exert
his utmost zeal and activity to complete his company with stout
and able recruits within the time specified in his letter of service.”
The strength of the British Army is given in 1780 as:–
Regulars...34,029 Foreign Stations....75,083 Totals...109,112
Militia...... 36,821 36,821
*=" sºmy *mºsºmºsºs
70,850 75,083 145,933
Hºmºmºrºs
An order was issued on 29th April 1781 to the effect that over
and above the three and a half guineas allowed to the officer who
enlisted the recruit at the time of enlistment, he was to receive, after
the 13th May, a further sum of three guineas, a guinea at the end
of the recruit's first twelve months' service, and another guinea
at the end of his second year's service, making five guineas
addition in all. On the 15th April a further circular was addressed
by the adjutant-general to all regiments of infantry in Great Britain,
“to the 62 inclusive,” giving instructions that the usual levy
money in time of peace of three and a half guineas should be
immediately given, one and a half only to go to the recruit. The
commanding officers were to use their utmost diligence to complete
their regiments to ten companies of two sergeants, three corporals,
two drummers, and thirty-eight effective men per company. No
man was to be enlisted under 5 feet 7 inches high, he was to be
“straight and well made,” and was not to be over twenty-seven
years of age. Growing boys might be enlisted at seventeen, but
not under 5 feet 5 inches in height.
An Order was given on 25th December to reduce the Queen's
by one company. The regiment in the field was to consist of ten
companies, with one extra company for recruiting purposes. The
latter company was to consist of two sergeants, three corporals,
two drummers, and thirty private men.f
The establishment books of this year give the quota of the
regiment as twelve companies, but the notice is dated 19th
December, six days before the order for the reduction.
An order was issued on 7th March for a camp to be formed.
The camp equipment of the Queen's, which was one of the regi-
ments named, was to consist of 166 private tents, 166 tin kettles
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1780, Wol. 240.
+ War Office, Miscellany Book, 1781–1783, Vol. 538.
188 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1781.
*-
with covers and bags, 166 hand hatchets, twelve bell tents, twelve
Camp colours, twenty drum cases, ten powder bags, 792 canteems,
and 792 haversacks. ,
The independent company raised by Captain Fenwick was
reviewed and approved on the 17th May, and ordered to be placed
on the establishment from the 19th April inclusive.
Another order was issued on 18th May, with reference to the
allowance to recruits, referred to in the order of 29th April. In
this later order it is stated that the three guineas are only to be paid
to the officer on the recruit being approved, whether within the
month or afterwards. In case the recruit ceased to be under
the recruiting officer's command by being embarked or exchanged,
the officer was to receive the other two guineas named.
The regiment removed in May from Buckingham to St. Alban's
and places adjacent, and on the 7th June they were ordered to
encamp on Warley Common, where they were to arrive on the
9th. On the 12th September the regiment was reviewed by
the Honourable Lieutenant-General Parker, and was reported as
“very fit for immediate service.”
Seventy-six recruits joined in 1780, and 216 in 1781. The
total strength of the regiment is given in the establishment returns
as thirty officers, five staff officers, and 730 non-commissioned officers
and men.
The regiment left Warley camp in October and returned to
St. Alban's. It appears, from a petition of the innholders of that
place, that the quartering of the troops had been pressing hardly
upon them. The Queen's were, therefore, ordered to enlarge their
quarters to Sandridge, Wheathampstead, and Harpenden.
On the 24th December they were ordered from St. Alban’s to
Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth. They were to march in two
divisions, vià Guildford and Godalming, and were to arrive at
Hilsea on the 8th January next year.
Our old ally the States of Holland in 1780 joined the
Federation of the European Powers against us. This discovery
was made by the capture of an American vessel, in which
Mr. Henry Laurens was a passenger. In his papers was found
the plan of a treaty of alliance dated as far back as 1778,
before we had had any cause of quarrel with the States. There
had been some disagreement between the powers on some of the
details of the alliance, but Laurens had been commissioned to
settle all the points, and to ratify it. There were at this date two
parties in Holland, the most powerful one was avowedly hostile
to England and favourable to the designs of France.
1781.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 189
A firm demand by the English Government that the States should
disavow the actions that had been made inimical to England being
met with only evasive answers, our ambassador, Sir Joseph
York, was ordered to withdraw, and a declaration of war was
made against Holland on the 20th December. Before the end of
the year the Fleets of Holland and England came into collision.
An obstinate battle was fought near the Dogger Bank, in which
the honour of the day was said to have been equally divided,
both Fleets, the English under Admiral Hyde Parker, being glad
to get back to port, equally disabled.
The combined Fleets of France and Spain had also threatened a
descent on the English coast, but Admiral Darby, (who had only
just returned from affording succour to the hardly pressed garrison
of Gibraltar,) had only twenty-one sail of the line to oppose to forty-
nine of the allied Fleets. He therefore took up a position in
Torbay, and awaited an attack. Prudence and a want of dash
made the enemy hesitate, and some gales in September, which
reduced them and their ill-fitted ships to much distress, sent them
back to their ports, without even an attempt being made to carry
out their threat of landing.
The progress of events in America had this year been most
disastrous to Our arms.
Lord Cornwallis had, it is true, gained a victory at Guildford,
but before the end of the year we had suffered a great disaster,
brought about, it is to be feared, by the jealousy of the two
English commanders. The siege, by the united forces of France
and the revolted colonists, of York Town and Gloucester, and the
capitulation after a brave and gallant defence, struck a blow for
American independence from which we never recovered.
The strength of the British Army on 1st March was as
follows:–
Regulars.. .30,682 Foreign Stations...74,182 Totals...104,864
Militia...... 37,500 sºme ºssº 37,500
68,182 74,182 142,364
In the manuscripts of the British Army in the United Service
Institution it is stated that a company of the Queen's served as
marines this year and next on board the ship Fortitude, Admiral
Milbank, in the North Sea, and was on board that ship when
the English Fleet was in action with the combined Fleets of France
and Spain off Cape Spartell, on the 20th October 1782.
190 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1782.
This year, 1782, the necessities of the naval service requiring a
large increase in the quantity of troops employed on board the ships
drafts were sent from many regiments. The first draft from the
Queen's was ordered to be sent on 5th April from Portsmouth to
the Bellona. In a letter sent express from the War Office (from
the Deputy Adjutant-General,) dated 5th April 1782, to Major
General Smith at Portsmouth, he was ordered to cause a de-
tachment of the 2nd or Queen's Regiment consisting of one
captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, seventy rank and file, with
non-commissioned officers in proportion, to be in readiness to
embark immediately on board the Fleet commanded by Vice-
Admiral Barrington. Another letter was afterwards sent by post
to General Smith from the Deputy Adjutant-General, ordering the
detachment to consist of one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four
sergeants, four corporals, two drummers, and One hundred privates,
who were to embark on board the Bellona.”
Again, on the 20th of June other detachments were sent, one
to the Royal William, consisting of One captain, two subalterns,
four sergeants, five corporals, two drummers, and 130 privates, and
another to the Vengeance consisting of one captain, two subalterns,
four sergeants, four corporals, two drummers, and 110 privates.
One of these detachments, commanded by Captain Baynes, was,
according to the muster books, changed to the Fortitude. This was
most likely the detachment that had been sent to the Vengeance, as
it is stated to consist of the captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four
sergeants, four corporals, two drummers, and 108 privates. They
fought in this ship in an action on the 20th October, one private
being killed. This detachment was discharged to the ship Ocean on
27th December, after having lost nearly one-third of its strength
by sickness.f -
The company which was, on the 5th April, Ordered to embark on
board the Bellona which formed part of the Fleet, under the com-
mand of Lord Howe, sent to the relief of Gibraltar. The Bellona
was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Barrington. The world-renowned
fortress of Gibraltar had, as already noted, been for over three years
besieged by the combined forces of France and Spain, and the records
of the heroic defence make a bright page of history, though the
events which led to it do not redound to our credit. Towards the
end of the year 1779, a slight interruption of the cordial relations
between the Courts of France and Spain induced the English to
* War Office Marching Book, 1782, Wol. 65, p. 494.
i Muster Books, Fortitude, 1782, December, No. 9386.
1782.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 191
attempt to widen the breach, and to endeavour to attach Spain to
the fortunes of the English nation. Our troubles at this time were
very great. At home there was great discontent, culminating
next year in the Gordon Riots, already noted. The almost hopeless
nature of our struggles abroad, the fratricidal contest in America,
made our Ministers grasp at any chance of breaking through the
darkening clouds which seemed fated to overwhelm the nation in
ruin. The journals of the day echoed the thoughts of the people,
and the year opening “presented the most awful appearance of
public affairs which this country had beheld for ages.” People
seemed to be waiting with an “impatient impotence for the event
of that ruin which was expected to burst upon us.” Even this
state of things, however, hardly justified the Government in
proposing, as the price of Spain's alliance with us, the cession of
Gibraltar, if this was really ever seriously intended by the Cabinet.
The failure of the Cumberland-Hussey negotiations with the Spanish
Minister, Florida Blanca, produced the effect anticipated by the
latter, and “stimulated France to more active proofs of her
alliance with Spain, and forced from her a zealous co-operation in
the attacks upon Minorca, Gibraltar, and Jamaica.”f In July
and August 1780 the news of the riots in England had reached
Spain, and also that a powerful French Fleet, under d'Estaing,
was at Cadiz, with the avowed intention of assisting Spain to
recover Gibraltar. The Minister of Spain, seizing his opportunity
insisted on the cession of the fortress as the basis of a treaty.
Coxe, the historian, avers that at no time was the nogotia-
tion a Government measure, though our emissary Hussey, on his
journey to Spain, is reported to have observed to a friend “he had
Gibraltar in his pocket.” It is lucky for England that this was an
empty boast. Lord North is reported to have said to Mr. Hussey
that the word “Gibraltar’’ was a forbidden word, and must never
pass his lips.
In the spring of 1781 some relief was got into Gibraltar by
the Fleet under Admiral Darby. The same day that this succour
arrived a tremendous cannonade was made against the town, and
for six weeks continued without intermission, 56,000 shot and
20,000 shell being hurled into the devoted place, causing direful
misery, but, strange to say, little loss of life, only 70 being killed
during this time. A magnificent and successful sortie was made
by the garrison on the 26th November, which was eminently
successful, and for a time paralysed the efforts of the besiegers,
* Annual Register, 1779. f Sayer's Gibraltar, p. 327.
192 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1782.
but the siege went on. A gloom was cast over the garrison
in December by the news of the fall of Minorca. On 11th April
news was received of the appointment of the Duc de Crillon,
the conqueror of Minorca, to the command of the siege, and of
the immense preparations that were being made for a final assault.
The details of this last effort of the besiegers were worked out by a
clever Spanish engineer, Chevalier Arcon, and success was con-
sidered certain; indeed, considering the immense armament brought
against the fortress, resistance seemed hopeless. The heroic Eliott,
however, viewed the gigantic preparations without despondency,
and made every effort to meet the storm. On the 12th September
the Fleets of France and Spain entered Algeciras Bay, preparatory
to the combined attack by the Fleet and the land forces. Not a
single alteration had to be made in the arrangements the General
had made for the defence. It is fascinating to linger over the
details of this heroic struggle, but it is not strictly part of our
history, except in the small part the company of the Queen's took
in it from being in the relieving Fleet under Lord Howe. General
Eliott's despatch, sent on the 15th, gave an account of this
tremendous struggle, in which a straightened garrison of 6,000
men resisted successfully the united efforts of two of the most
powerful nations in the world, one of them our equal in naval
power. The result of the siege added one more bright page to the
history of British valour and endurance.
Thousands of Spaniards had crowded the neighbouring hills to
witness their countrymen's anticipated victory. The sight of
their utter collapse and defeat filled them and the whole of Spain
with consternation and despair.
The news of the gigantic preparations being made by the com-
bined forces of Spain and France for the reduction of Gibraltar,
quickened the Government into sending assistance, but in spite
of all efforts the Fleet under Lord Howe, with the Admirals
Barrington and Milbank, Rear-Admirals Hood and Hughes, and
Commodore Hotham in subordinate commands, and consisting of
183 sail, including thirty-four sail of the line, six frigates,and three
fire-ships, did not leave Spithead until the 11th of September.
Lord Howe, hampered with the large Fleet of merchantmen which
he was convoying for the relief of the garrison, and harassed with
contrary winds, did not reach Cape St. Vincent till the 8th
October, where he learned that the combined Fleets of the enemy
lay at anchor in Algeciras Bay.
On the 11th the English Fleet passed the Straits in three
divisions, the third and centre squadrons in reserve, the Victory
1782.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 193
led ahead of the third squadron. Before nightfall four of the
transports were safe under the guns of the fortress, and during
the two following days the admiral so successfully manoeuvred,
and the enemy's Fleets were so surprised, that, although they were
greatly superior in numbers, the whole of the transports got safely
into Gibraltar.
On the 19th Lord Howe, having accomplished the relief of
the garrison, sailed through the Straits, with the Fleet in
order of battle; and though his orders were not to provoke a
fight, he intended to engage the enemy as soon as he got into
the open sea if he could get a favourable opening. The enemy,
who were commanded by Admirals De Guichen and Cordova, on
their part endeavoured to cut off and destroy the rear division of the
British Fleet, which was under the command of Admiral Bar-
rington, but though the hostile Fleets came into action they could
not be induced to close. The firing continued till after midnight,
when it ceased and Howe continued his homeward voyage without
being further molested.
The detachment of the Queen's that served on board the Fleet
did not land until next year.
The part of the regiment that remained on shore seems to have
been divided into several detachments, and moved about con-
siderably during the year, “parties” doing duty at Farnham,
Alton, Bagshot, Hartford Bridge, Hartley Row, and Odiham.
On the 25th December the quota of the regiment was eight
companies, two sergeants, two corporals, two drummers, and
forty-eight private men to each company, with the addition of two
fifers to the Grenadier company.
There seems to have been some little trouble with the detachment
at Alton. A letter appears in the War Office Papers “relative to
the behaviour of part of the 2nd Foot at Alton.” The colonel com-
manding was directed to send in a report of the result of an inquiry
which had been ordered to be made. Desertions also seem to have
been frequent, as the papers contain many records of sums of five
guineas paid to Messrs. Meyrick by the 60th Regiment for men
who had deserted to them, also for some who had deserted to the
65th Foot. The papers do not indicate what it was that had
caused the desertions in the regiment.
The total strength of the British Army is given in the official
papers as follows:—
Regulars ... 33,560 Foreign Stations ... 79,744 Total ... 113,304
Militia ... 36,606 36,606
70,166 79,744 149,910
WOL. III. º N
194 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1783.
On the 13th January 1783 a detachment of the Queen's, com-
manded by Ensign George Dawson, was received on board the
Aurora frigate in lieu of Marines, and placed under the orders
of Admiral Pye. They had been exchanged from the ships Salisbury
and Alexander on 31st December last year, and are styled in the
Aurora as “soldiers belonging to the Queen's Royal Regiment of
Foot doing duty as Marines and borne as part of the complement.”
This detachment landed at Portsmouth on the 10th May, on which
date the officer in command wrote to the Right Honourable Colonel
Fitzgerald, the Secretary at War, for instructions as to the disposi-
tion of the detachment, and on the 25th of the same month
Colonel Dalrymple wrote from Windsor, asking for a route for the
party to join the regimental head-quarters at Windsor.
It is probable that the detachment of the Aurora was the
company reported to have been, in 1781, sent on board the Fortitude,
and had most likely been exchanged from that ship to the Salisbury
and Alexander.
Another detachment of the Queen's was disembarked from the
ship Danae at Woolwich, when it was paid off, and were ordered on
the 29th January to march to Basingstoke, until further orders.
The strength of this detachment is not given.
On the 24th March Colonel Dalrymple wrote asking that the
companies left at Staines might be ordered up to Windsor, as the
regiment was so reduced in numbers as to have scarcely men enough
for the duty of Windsor, Hampton Court, and Richmond.
On the 29th he wrote to ask whether men who had enlisted
since 16th December 1775, and who afterwards deserted, would be
entitled to the benefit of His Majesty's proclamation, also if men
impressed into the service were entitled to their discharge. It
appears from his letter that a number of men in the regiment were
deserters from other regiments, and were anxious to have their
pardon assured. In reply, the Secretary at War informed him that
though the men enlisted since 1775 (and who afterwards deserted)
might be obliged to serve full three years (presumably after the
date of their desertion ?), yet it was a matter that the Secretary
at War thought should not be insisted on. The impressed men
were entitled to their discharge at the end of five years from
the date of their impressment. A day or two after this corres-
pondence a copy of an Act was sent to Colone! Dalrymple, that
had been passed in Parliament this year, for punishing mutiny
and desertion, and for the better payment of the Army.
* Muster Book, Aurora, 1782–3, December–January.
1783.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 195
During the early part of the year the detachments of the
regiment doing duty in different parts of Hampshire were ordered
to concentrate at Reading. They were removed to Windsor early
in March, and were ordered to do duty at Hampton Court. It
appears, from marching orders in April, that two companies had
been doing duty at Birmingham and Doncaster. These companies
were, on 8th April, ordered to join the regiment at Windsor.
On the 14th June Colonel Dalrymple was informed by letter
that the King had ordered the Queen's regiment to be reduced
so as to consist of six battalion companies, each company to have
one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, two sergeants, three
corporals, two drummers, and forty-eight men. There was also
to be a company of grenadiers—one captain, two lieutenants, two
sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, two fifers, and forty-
eight private men, and a light company of the same complement as
the grenadiers, with the exception of the two fifers. There was
also the usual complement of field and staff officers. The officers
of the 9th and 10th companies were to remain in the regiment
“en second,” and were until further orders to receive full pay.
The assignment for the clothing was to be for an establishment of
sixteen sergeants, twenty-four corporals, sixteen drummers, two
fifers, and 384 private men. The new establishment was to date
from 25th June.
The pay of the officers was as follows:—
S
Colonel and Captain, per diem ... tº tº $
Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain, per die
Major and Captain, per diem
Pive Captains, each 10s. per diem
Ten Lieutenants, each 4s. 8d. per diem ...
Six Ensigns, each 3s. 8d. per diem
One Chaplain, per diem
One Adjutant, per diem
One Quartermaster, per diem
One Surgeon, per diem
One Surgeon's Mate, per diem tº s &
Sixteen Sergeants, each Is. 6d. per diem
Twenty-four Corporals, each Is. per diem
Sixteen Drummers, each 18. per diem
Two Fifers, each 1s. per diem
384 Privates, each 8d.per diem
:
l
:
º
1
I
tºº
*sº
Total
2
6
2
8
Widows allowances—the Colonels and Captains 8s. each,
and Agents, made up the total cost per diem to ... 28 11 6
The order for the reduction is dated 23rd June, and on that date
a letter was sent to the colonel that the men discharged on the
N 2
196 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1783.
reduction were to have fourteen days' subsistence beyond the time
of their discharge. Those enlisted in Ireland or Scotland were to
have twenty-one or twenty-eight days' subsistence, according to the
distance.
On the 11th July a letter was received by the officer commanding,
informing him that the King had decided to send the regiment to
Gibraltar as soon as transports could be got ready to take them. All
absent officers were Ordered to join without delay, except those
who had the King's leave, and such as the officer commanding
might think fit to leave on recruiting duty.
It would appear that the transports were some time in getting
ready, for it was not until October that the regiment actually
embarked. On 30th September the officer commanding was
informed of the arrangements that had been made for the transport
of the regiment, and he was ordered to transmit a state of the corps
on their being embarked. The usual charge of threepence per day
was to be made for subsistence while on board.
The following was the distribution of the regiment on board the
transports. The return is dated 12th October.
“2nd Foot from Portsmouth to Gibraltar.
“In the Goliah : one lieutenant-colonel, four captains, three
lieutenants, two ensigns, One surgeon, eight Sergeants, thirteen
corporals, fourteen drummers and fifers, 141 privates.
“In the Diadem : one captain, five lieutenants, four ensigns, one
adjutant, one mate, six sergeants, ten corporals, four drummers and
fifers, 131 privates.
“In store ship: one quartermaster, one sergeant, eight privates,
fifty-seven women, twenty-four children. Total, eight companies.
“Names of absent officers, Lieutenant-General D. Jones,
Major William Gray, Captain Howes,(?) Lieutenant-Colonel
Wollocombe, Lieutenant-Colonel W. Hamilton, Colour Lieutenants
Murray and Charles Thorley (given in his resignation), Ensign
C. B. Foster (given in his resignation), Chaplain John Brereton
—a deputy officiating, Recruiting Captain Stapleton, Lieutenant
Hovenden, Ensign Cockell, one sergeant, one corporal, thirteen
privates.—(Signed) WILLIAM DALRYMPLE, Lieutenant-Colonel.
N.B.—Four servants more than the above embarked.”
The embarkation returns as above were sent to the War Office
On 14th October.
The regiments sent with the Queen's were the 18th from Great
Britain, and the 11th and 32nd from Ireland. The regiments they
* War Office, Embarkation Returns, 1783–1798.
1783.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 197
*-m-tºms
were to relieve at Gibraltar were the 39th, 56th, 58th, 72nd, second
battalion of the 73rd, and the 29th.
Some correspondence took place with regard to a large store of
cartridges that the regiment had, some 36,000 rounds. They were
ordered to be sent into store at Woolwich. Six of the drums being
reported unfit for service were ordered to be renewed from the
Ordnance stores.
The regiments coming home had borne the brunt of the terrible
but ever glorious siege of Gibraltar. This gallant defence, already
noted, which had lasted three years, seven months, and twelve
days, was a little consolation to the nation which was smarting
under the loss of the American colonies. The preliminaries
of a general peace had been begun at the end of last year.
The publication of the intention to declare the American
colonies free and independent caused, as might be imagined, the
wildest excitement. The Funds showed the state of public feeling,
varying as much as three per cent. in a single day. The negotia-
tions with France and Spain were protracted, in consequence of
the great desire of the latter to gain by diplomacy what she had
been unable, even when assisted by her powerful neighbour France,
to gain by arms, viz., the famous fortress. The English Ministers
remained film in their refusal to give it up, backed, as they felt
they were, by the sentiments and good sense of the English people,
and at last the Court of Spain was informed that on no terms
would Gibraltar be given up.
On the 20th January the preliminaries of the general peace were
signed at Versailles. France by the treaty was to be confirmed in
the right to fish off the coast of Newfoundland. In the West Indies
she gained St. Lucia and Tobago, ceding to England Grenada,
St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat, some
rights in Africa and India, and, what gave them much gratification,
the abrogation of all the articles in the treaty of Utrecht respecting
the demolition of Dunkirk. To Spain England ceded Minorca and
both the Floridas, while we got Providence and the Bahamas, and
certain other rights. But the bitter fact was the loss of the
American colonies. The meeting of the first ambassador of America,
Mr. Adams, and King George, was rather a trial to both. The King,
after courteously greeting the American, frankly told him that he
was the last to agree to the separation ; but it having been made,
and having become inevitable, he assured the ambassador that “he
would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as
an independent power.””
* Mahon's History of England, Vol. VII., pp. 209, 210.
198 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1783.
There was, however, some consolation at the close of the gigantic
struggle the nation had been engaged in. Her navy had kept
up its old renown. The splendid fight of the gallant Admiral
Rodney, by which he saved Jamaica, and the magnificent defence
of Gibraltar by the hero Eliott, will never be forgotten.
On the 6th November the regiments arrived in the transports
at Gibraltar. General Eliott, writing home a week after their
arrival, complained of their being very short in numbers, particularly
the Queen's and the 11th, and this notwithstanding great numbers
of re-enlistments from the regiments going home.
Frequent complaints having been made of the inaccurate state
in which the muster rolls were from time to time delivered, new
regulations were, on 16th December, ordered to be issued for the
better regulation of the states. These new regulations stipulated
that each corps was to have a regimental book containing a full
list of all officers and privates in each company or troop, and the
list was to contain information of the service of every man in the
regiment. A company book, similar in design, was to be kept
by each company, and the changes made in each company were
to be regularly noted in the regimental book. The books were to
be properly signed by the officers in charge of the company and
battalion.
The following alterations in the accoutrements were, on the 15th
June, ordered to be made. The report of the committee is here
added —
Report of the proceedings of a Committee of General Officers, appointed by
the Board, on the present method of accoutring the Infantry, present the
following observations, i.e., 'The Ordnance Cartridge Box at present in use has
been found to be exceedingly inconvenient ; it is submitted it be laid aside,
and a Tin Magazine in a light leathern case of the same price (2s. 6d.) sub-
stituted, but the Committee conceive the expense of this article will not fall
on the colonel, on a presumption that it will be furnished by the Ordnance in
exchange for the present Cartridge Box. The Powder Horns and Bullet Bags
of the Light Infantry, the Committee is informed, were never used the last
War; it is therefore proposed to put them aside. The Matches and Match
Case of the Grenadiers are become obsolete; also the Grenadiers’ Swords
were never worn during the last War; Submitted this Article be also laid
aside. Presuming these alterations be approved the Committee propose the
following plan to be adopted on any future delivery of a new set of accoutre-
ments : that the whole Battalion should be accoutred alike, with the addition
of two articles for the Light Infantry, viz., the Hatchet and Priming Horn,
and it will be a great convenience to the soldier, as well as tend greatly to the
good appearance of the Battalion, to wear the Shoulder Belts of equal breadth,
and have the ammunition (which is to consist of fifty-six rounds) directed so
that he may be enabled to carry the Pouch on the right side and the Magazine
on the Ieft. It is therefore proposed that the Pouch be made as follows, viz.,
to hold thirty-two Cartridges, twenty of which are to be in an upper Tin Box,
1783.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 199
with five divisions, each containing four Cartridges placed upright, the other
twelve are to be stowed horizontally in a Tin Box underneath, with divisions
made in it so as to fit the length of the cartridges. The Flap of the Pouch
to be plain without any ornament, and the bottom part of it to be rounded at
the corners. The Magazine, to be carried occasionally, to contain twenty-four
cartridges in a Tin Box of the length of two cartridges, with a partition in
the middle, and of sufficient depth to contain twelve on each side stowed
horizontally. This Magazine is fixed to the Bayonet Belt in such a manner
as to be easily taken off or put on, it not being intended that it should be
carried otherwise than on a march or in action. The Pouch and Bayonet Belt
to be of Buff Leather, and the breadth of both of them to be two inches; the
Bayonet Carriage to slip on and off the Belt with two loops. The Hatchet
and a small Priming Horn, to hold about two ounces of powder, are considerell
as necessary appointments for the Light Infantry, but being at present
improperly fixed to the accoutrements, may be carried either with the knap-
sack or in such other manner as the Commanding Officer shall think most
convenient. Pattern Pouches and Belts made according to the above directions
may be deposited at the Clothing Board. . . .”
* War Office, Miscellany Book, 1783–1785, Vol. 539.
200
HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1784.
CHAPTE R x I.
BEGIMENT REMAINS AT GIBRALTAR.
1784.
CoNTENTs.—Sale of Officers' Commissions—The 60th Regiment to be allowed
to accept Foreign Recruits—Contingent Men disallowed—Regiment
reviewed at Gibraltar by General Sir George Augustus Elliot—Strength
of Regiment—Charge for Victualling—Cost of Regiment—New Light
Infantry Cap adopted—Alteration in the Gaiters—Officers on leave ordered
to join the Regiment—No Leave to be given for a longer Period than Six
Months—Rate of Field Allowance—Deserters–Colonel Hamilton’s
charge for “Overslaugh’’—Regiment reduced—Strength of Regiment
—Claims of Surgeons for attendance on Detachment of the Queen’s on
board H.M.S. Atlas—Particulars of Pay and Allowances of Regiment
—-Quota of Regiment reduced—Singular conduct of Lieutenant Greene—
Regiment again inspected by General Sir George Augustus Elliot——
General complains of the High Collars of the Officers—Regulations as to
Exchanges and Retirements—Officers ordered to lay aside the Espontoon,
and in all cases to use the Sword—Regulations as to Officers newly
appointed–-Quota and Strength of Regiment—Colonel Hamilton's re-
newed Leave—Establishment—Two new Companies to be raised––Allow-
ance for Recruiting—Regiment reduced by One Company—Quota
Reduced—Establishment and Pay—Regulations as to Age of Ensigns—
Becruits raised in England to be sent to Chatham Barracks—Difficulties
in Recruiting—Regiment again inspected by General Sir George Augustus
Elliot–Reported in perfect order and fit for any Service—New Pattern
Hat ordered—Complaint about Officers' Leave—Correspondence on
Arrears of Pay—Number of Commissioned Officers in the Infantry—Cost
of Clothing—Order that the Children of Non-commissioned Officers were
not to be placed on the Muster Rolls—Regiment reviewed by General
O'Hara—Strength of the Regiment—Captain Ruston allowed to retire
——Establishment—Cost of Regiment—Complaint of the quality of
Recruits— Regiment inspected by General O’Hara – Colours and
Accoutrements reported unfit for Service—Particulars of Cost of
Regiment—H.R.H. Prince Edward (afterwards Duke of Kent) appointed
to command 7th Fusiliers.
SOME correspondence took place with the War Office in J anuary
1784 respecting the right of Lieutenants Forster and Dison to sell
their commissions in the regiment.
The Secretary wrote on the 23rd to Messrs. Meyrick, the agents,
informing them that the officers could not be permitted to sell their
commissions as both had their commissions as ensigns given them.
1784. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 201
Lieutenant Forster had paid the regulation difference between
lieutenant and ensign, but Lieutenant Dison had not. There was
also a difference about the succession to the adjutancy of the regi-
ment, the War Office requiring a declaration that no money had
been given for the appointment.
A certain Captain de Meyern having applied to the War Office to
be allowed to recruit abroad for the King's service in general, was
informed that the only regiment which accepted foreign recruits
was the 60th, and that he should apply to the colonel of that corps,
Lord Amhurst.
On the 20th February an order was issued that the vacancies of
contingent men heretofore allowed for the benefit of captains of
companies in the Queen's were to be filled up with effective men.
The expense was to be borne by the Recruiting Fund. Later on a
specific allowance was ordered to be made annually to captains of
companies in lieu of the contingent men. The contingent men were,
therefore, no longer to be accounted for at the bottom of the
monthly returns, but were to be added to the effective strength of
the regiment.” An officer and thirty-three recruits for the regiment
being on 4th March ready for transport to Gibraltar, the transport
officials asked the permission of the War Office to send them by
the Neutrality naval transport or other naval store ship bound for
that garrison.
The regiment was reviewed on the 8th March by the gallant and
able Governor General Sir George Augustus Elliot, K.C.B., who
had only, so far, received knighthood for his recent great achieve-
ment. Three years afterwards, on the 14th June 1787, he was
elevated to the peerage under the title of Lord Heathfield, Baron
Gibraltar. The total strength of the regiment at the inspection
was thirty officers,f five staff officers, and 442 non-commissioned
officers and men. The governor, in his remarks on the regiment,
found fault with the officers not having the regulation collars to
their coats, they having retained the old “upright collars.” He
reported the regiment weak in numbers, the men too young, but
in other respects it was fit for service. The estimated cost of the
regiment for the year was 10,310ſ. 11s. 6d.
In March letters were sent relating to a new light infantry
cap. It had been found that the leather regulation cap worn by
the men of that company was very burdensome, inconvenient,
and totally useless to the soldier. A board of general officers,
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1783, 1784, No. 252.
+ These numbers are no doubt the numbers on the establishment. Many
of the officers were absent on leave. This note also applies to many other
similar returns. See page 215 for account of absent officers.
202 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1784.
which assembled on 25th June to consider clothing questions,
seems to have approved of the new cap, which apparently
was also of leather. The board also recommended that the black
linen gaiters then in use should be discontinued, as extremely incon-
venient and prejudicial to the soldier. They proposed in place of
them black woollen cloth gaiters, with white metal buttons, without
stiff tops. On the 21st July regulations were issued in accordance
with the board's recommendations, with instructions that the
light infantry cap was to be of black leather.”
On the 29th June an order was issued to send in the names of
officers of the regiment absent without leave. They were ordered
to join at once, and to give in writing full reasons for their absence.
The King gave orders that for the future no leave was to be granted
by any commander-in-chief or governor abroad for a longer period
than six months. Should it be required to be prolonged, the King's
leave was to be asked. Messrs. Meyrick sent in the names of the
officers absent. Major Gray, Captain Hamilton, Lieutenant Murray,
Captain Wollocombe, and Lieutenant Edwards (the latter officer
had delayed joining the regiment beyond six months) were
ordered to have their pay stopped, but the Order was afterwards
revoked, sufficient reasons for their absence having been tendered
and accepted.
On the 11th August particulars of the warrant for field allow-
ance to regiments at Gibraltar was issued. The allowance was as
follows:—
* Or or ºn (r | Tonnage,
*w -ºvº Baggage. iodijays.
:: S. d. £ s. d.
Colonel and captain º ºg 8 15 0 17 | () O
Lieutenant-colonel and captain 7 10 O 22 1 () 0
Major and captain 7 1() 0 17 I () ()
Captain tº gº & ſº tº e s tº 4 tº º º e 7 10 () I2 j () 0
Six captains more * * * e tº º • * * • * * * † tº 45 0 () 75 () ()
Captain-lieutenant 7 10 0 12 10 0
Subaltern t * tº e 3 15 0 2 1 0 0
Eleven subalterns more 67 10 0 45 0 0
Chaplain 5 0 0 2 10 O
Adjutant 5 0 0 2 1 () 0
Quartermaster 5 0 () 2 10 0
Surgeon 5 () 0 5 () ()
Mate 3 15 0 2 10 0
178 15 O 220 () ()
178 15 0
Allowance of 10l. per company to purchase one battalion horse,
and 10l. for a battalion horse for the surgeon’s chest * * * tº e o 110 () ()
Total field allowance for a regiment of ten companies ... 508 15 0
* War Office, Miscellany Book, 1783–1785, Vol. 539.
1785.] NOW THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 203
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple, who had been on leave for some
time, on the 18th September applied for an extension, which the
War Office refused to lay before the King until assured that
Major Gray was on his way or preparing to go immediately to
Gibraltar.
The governor wrote many letters home this year respecting the
large number of men that had deserted from the regiments in the
garrison. He asked in consequence of this that another full
battalion should be sent out. He considered the augmentation
asked for absolutely necessary for the duties in the garrison.
In November a considerable correspondence took place with the
authorities with reference to the application of Captain Hamilton,
who had the brevet rank of colonel, as to his claim for “over-
slaugh.” In his memorial he states that it had been customary
in the Queen's regiment for officers to pay for their guards.
Hamilton, a brevet colonel, though only a captain in the
regiment, is charged for these guards, and the governor of
Gibraltar giving no “overslaugh’ to absent officers, Colonel
Hamilton was put to great expense. He sets forth in his memorial
that as he is a colonel he is unable to join his regiment for
captain's duty, and prays that the circumstances set forth in his
memorial may be admitted as a reasonable plea for his remaining
at home, and that an “overslaugh’’ may be aliowed him, which
was afterwards done. The word “overslaugh’’ is a military
phrase from the Dutch, meaning to skip over. It is intended to
convey the fact that if a captain is engaged in other permanent
duties the captain's guard mounting is to be excused him, and his
duty divided amongst the other captains.”
In the War Office Establishment Books for 1884 there are two
states given for the Queen's, one on March 12th for ten companies,
and another, the correct one, dated September 15th, for eight com-
panies, of forty-eight men in each; total of all ranks, 471, and the
daily cost, including all allowances, 271. 118, 6d. The recruiting
company was estimated separately, and consisted of one captain,
two lieutenants, one ensign, six Sergeants, eight corporals, four
drummers, and thirty private men.f -
From a claim made by Surgeon Wm. Wood (who exchanged into
the Queen's from the 96th Regiment) on the 3rd July 1781, it
would appear that he was in medical charge of the garrison of
Providence in America, but whether any detachment of the Queen's
was there we have not been able to ascertain. From another
* James' Military Dictionary. -
+ War Office, Establishment Book, 1783, No. 882.
204 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1785.
surgeon's claim for attendance on a detachment of the 2nd Queen's,
it would appear that a detachment served as marines on board
H.M.S. Atlas. The officer claiming allowance for attendance on the
detachment was the surgeon of the ship, William Uppintson
Bracie.
In the Establishment Books for 1785 the Queen's remained
of the strength of eight companies, forty-eight men in each.
The total pay per annum was 10,310l. II.s. 6d., including the
supernumerary officers of the two discontinued companies, consist-
ing of two captains, at a cost of 3431. 13s. ; two lieutenants,
costing 160l. 7s. 5d. ; two ensigns, 126l. 03, 1}d. The amount
charged for clothing was 1,2871. 14s. 6d. For agency, 1617. 5s. 5d
The allowances per annum to captains of companies each 381. 5s.
Total for eight companies, 306l.; to the paymaster, 70l.; surgeon, 70l.*
On the 25th December the regimental quota was reduced from
forty-eight men per company to forty-two, with one drummer less
in each company.
A considerable stir was made in the garrison, particularly amongst
the freemasons, by the eccentric conduct of Lieutement Greene, an
officer of the regiment. It would appear that he had some cause of
complaint against a tradesman of Gibraltar named Hollister. The
officer went in search of the man, and not finding him at other
places he broke into a lodge which was being held at the house of
a Mr. Griffiths and assaulted Hollister severely. For the offence he
was tried by a court-martial, and sentenced to be suspended from his
rank and pay for six months, and to pay the man as compensation
for his injuries the sum of 25l.f
The regiment was again inspected by General Sir George
Augustus Elliot on the 24th May 1785. The strength was stated
to be twenty-nine officers, five staff officers, and 386 non-com-
missioned officers and men.
The general again found fault with the high collars of the
officers, but at the close of his remarks reported that the regiment
was fit for any service.
The governor wrote to the War Office on the 26th May, urging
that a constant supply of recruits should be sent to the garrison, as
the numbers daily diminish by death, desertion, accidents, and the
infirmities, which render men unserviceable. The duty of corps
serving in Gibraltar he reports was hard at all times, and the
number of men in the garrison was not sufficient for the duties.
* War Office, Establishment Book, 1784-1786, No. 883.
† War Office, Common Letter Book, Gibraltar, 1855, No. 33.
1786.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 20
His repeated applications for another regiment to be sent would
appear at last to have been granted, as he writes on 30th June
that he hopes the King's gracious promise to send the 68th
Regiment to the garrison will not be long postponed.
On the 18th March 1786 a letter was sent to Lieutenant-General
Jones, informing him that when an officer of the regiment was
desirous of retiring from the service, either by the sale of his
command or by exchange to half-pay, he the retiring officer
would not be allowed to make any stipulation in regard to
the particular officer to succeed him, but should confine his memorial
to the immediate object of his retiring, and be bound by his
resignation to sell Out or exchange in favour of such person
as the King should think proper to approve of The order is
expressly stated as not intending to at all interfere with the
wishes of the colonel, who the King expects will always take the
greatest care in the selection of his officers. At the end of the
paper it is stated that it had been found impossible to leave the
officers to select their own successors, and that by accepting their
nominations much trouble had been caused, and the King's
regulations had not been observed.”
A great change was introduced in the appearance of battalion
officers on parade by an order dated 17th April, which directed
that for the future the officers of Infantry regiments were to lay
aside the espontoon and in all cases to make use of swords. They
were directed to provide themselves with a strong substantial
uniform sword, the blade of which was to be straight, and made to
cut and thrust, one inch broad at the shoulder and thirty-two
inches in length. The hilt, if not of steel, was to be either gilt
or silver, according to the colour of the buttons on the uniforms.
The sword knot was to be crimson and gold in stripes, as required
by the present regulation.f
An application was made by Surgeon Wilson, of H.M.S.
Vengeance, for payment for services rendered to the men of the
Queen's regiment who served as marines on this ship, as already
noted.
On the 26th October the King, through his War Minister, sent
a letter to the Officer commanding the Queen's at Gibraltar, with
reference to a practice that had grown up of allowing an officer
who had been newly appointed to the regiment to delay joining
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1785, 1786, No. 258.
+ War Office, Common Letter Book, 1786, No. 259.




06 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1787.
for a considerable time. The King ordered that in case the officer
did not join until six months after the date of his appointment he
was to be considered as absent without leave, and be judged
accordingly. He was to join the regiment not later than four
months after his being appointed, according to the regulations.
From the 9th November inclusive the quota of the regiment was
fixed as follows:–
Eight battalion companies, one company of grenadiers and One
light company, each company to consist of two sergeants, three
corporals, one drummer, and thirty-seven private men, with the
usual commissioned and staff officers. The effective strength of
the regiment on 22nd January was 426, and on the 24th December,
430.
On the 8th February 1787 a return was asked for of the
officers on leave, when it was seen that Colonel Hamilton was still
absent, and, his leave having expired on the 7th April last,
he was requested to come to an immediate determination as to
what steps he would take in the matter. If the colonel of the
regiment did not think fit to recommend him for further leave,
his retirement from the service was unavoidable. He was ulti-
mately granted fresh leave till 28th April this year, given in
consequence of ill health, and was told that should he not be able
to return to the service by that date, he was to sell out.
At the beginning of the year, the establishment of the regiment
was the same as last year, but on 24th September an augmentation
was ordered in all marching regiments. The Queen's augmentation
was to be one sergeant, One drummer, and fourteen men to each of
the old eight companies. Two companies also were to be added,
each company was to consist of One captain, one lieutenant, one
ensign, three sergeants, three corporals, two drummers, and fifty-six
private men. The recruiting company was to consist of one captain,
One lieutenant, One ensign, eight Sergeants, eight corporals, four
drummers, and thirty private men. An order was sent to the
paymaster-general to issue to the agent of the regiment the sum
of 500. for the expenses of the augmentation. The non-com-
missioned officers of the recruiting company were to be appointed
at home, and some from the 9th and 10th companies. The
officers “en second " were to be taken on to the two new companies
to be raised.
The arms for the augmentation were ordered from the ordnance
On 24th September. A board of general officers was summoned
on the 25th September to inspect the pattern of the clothing,


1787.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 2015
and to see that the clothing, accoutrements, &c., was immediately
forwarded.
On the 8th November Lieutenant-General Jones was informed
by the King, that from the 9th November his regiment would be
reduced by one company, the 11th, or recruiting company, being
disbanded. There was also to be a reduction in each of the
remaining companies of one drummer, and such a number of men
as not to exceed 400 rank and file, thus reducing the men in each
of the ten companies to thirty-seven, which, with the thirty
corporals, made up the 400 specified in the new quota.
The following is a list of the establishment –
1787, Nov. 9, to 1787, Dec. 24.—The Queen's Regiment, commanded by Lt.-Gen. D.
Jones, consisting of 10 Companies of 37 Private Men in each. In all 467 Men,
Officers included.

* sºi. Total Charge.
£ s. d. £ s. d
Colonel and Captain, and in lieu of his servants * * 502 10 O
Lieut.-Col. and Captain, and in lieu of his servants - 291 5 0}
Major and Chaplain, and in lieu of his servants * 257 0 7,
7 Captains more, each £171 7s. 1d. - sº - 1,199 9 7
12 Lieutenants, each £79 19s. 4d. g = tºº gºs 959 12 O
8 Ensigns, each £62 16s. 7#d. - º x - * 502 12 10
Chaplain gº ſº- me &º gº tº- 114 4 8%
Adjutant ex- º * tº- * fº 68 10 10
Quarter Master tºº sº ſº gº gº 79 19 4
Surgeon tº tº --> * tº wº- 68 IO 10
Mate – tº sº * tº tº- tº- 59 19 5%
22 Sergeants, each £18 5s. 0d. º sº º 401 10 0
30 Corporals, each £12 3s. 4d. wº- sº gº 365 0 0
10 Drummers, each £12 3s. 4d. tº tº - 121 13 4
370 Private Men, each £9 2s. 6d. tº- gº - 3,376 5 0
46'ſ
Total of pay sº ºn - || 8,368 3 7;
Clothing - * sº - 1,305 3 0
Agency - * * e- 4-3 179 10 84
3 Captains, each £38 5s. 0d. = £382 10s. 0d.
3 2 | Paymaster and Surgeon, each
g = £70 = £140 0s 0d. 540 15 0
& 8 Surgeant-Major and Q Master
23 — Serg, each £9 2s. 6d. = £18 5s. 0d.
Total for this Regiment - - || 10,393 12 4
The agents, Messrs. Meyrick, were directed to ascertain if any of
the lately appointed ensigns (including those taken from half pay)
were under the prescribed age of sixteen years, or in any way
disqualified for the duties of their commissions, in which case they
—r-
* War Office Establishment Book, 1787–1789, No. 884.
208 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1788.
were to report the names of the officers to the King and the nature
of their disqualifications.
An order was sent on the 15th November to the colonel of the
regiment, that the recruits enlisted for the proposed augmentation
were to be handed over to the 76th and 77th Regiments, instead
of being dismissed. The recruits raised in England were to be
marched to Chatham barracks. When the augmentation had been
ordered in September, General Jones had asked permission to
raise the new companies in Taunton, and to be allowed also to
recruit in Yorkshire and Staffordshire. Some little difficulty
was experienced at Halifax in Yorkshire, by the recruiting officer
countermanding some orders of General Jones for the recruits to be
sent to Chatham.
Colonel Dalrymple, commanding the regiment, having become
seriously ill, placed his resignation in the hands of General
O'Hara. This officer wrote home on the subject, informing the
authorities that Colonel Dalrymple had resigned his command on
account of his health, in order by the sale of his commission to
provide for his family, but he advised that the resignation should
be held over for a short time, hoping he might recover. This he
seems to have done, as in a letter of 30th November from the
Secretary at War to General O’Hara, the colonel was allowed to
withdraw his resignation.
The regiment was inspected for the last time by General Sir
George Augustus Elliot, before he left the scene of his great
exploit. He reported the regiment in perfect order and fit for any
service. The strength is given as thirty officers, five staff officers,
and 378 private men. General Elliot, created Lord Heathfield
on 14th June this year, died at his chateau at Aix la Chappelle
on the 9th July 1790.
A good deal of attention seems to have been paid at this time
to the head dress of the Soldier. Many orders appear with respect
to new patterns of the hats. On the 6th July a new pattern hat
was sent to the clothing board, the form of the hat and the manner
of sewing on the lace was ordered to be strictly according to the
pattern sent in,
The continued extension of leave granted to officers of the
regiments Serving at Gibraltar, called forth a remonstrance from
Major-General O'Hara (the successor of Lord Heathfield) to the
Secretary at War. In his letter, dated 30th January, he called
attention to the hardship entailed on the officers who were with
their regiments, who were in consequence called upon much
more frequently for duties, and who, by the facility with
1788.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 209
which absent officers obtained an extension of their leave, were
debarred from the indulgence of leave in the first rotation. It was
therefore ordered, that in future colonels of corps stationed at
Gibraltar were not to recommend officers for extension of leave
after one year's absence except under very exceptional circum-
stances. The King also directed, on 13th May, that a permanent
registration was to be kept of all cases of troops stationed abroad,
and that there must always be present for duty one field officer,
four captains, twelve subalterns, exclusive of the adjutant. *
A considerable correspondence took place early in 1778
between the colonel (Lieutenant-General Jones) and the War
Secretary, on the subject of Outstanding arrears of pay, &c., between
the officers and the War Office, from which it appears that the
arrears were due principally on recruiting service, and was caused
by the officers not forwarding the necessary vouchers required for
the office before paying.
An abstract was made in February of the number of commis-
sioned officers of each rank on the Regular British Half-pay, which
is interesting. In this return, the number in the Foot is given
as thirteen colonels, twenty-nine lieutenant-colonels, seventy-two
majors, 523 captains, twenty-eight captain-lieutenants, 1,193 lieu-
tenants, thirty second lieutenants, 676 ensigns, fifty-eight chaplains,
sixty-three adjutants, sixty-seven surgeons, and seventy quarter-
masters, total 2,232.* In the same book, the net sum allowed for
clothing a private of the Infantry is given as 21. 58. 113d. for 365
days, and 2ſ. 6s. 14%d, for 366 days.
A communication was received from the War Office on the 22nd
July, with reference to an alleged custom in some regiments of
placing the children of non-commissioned officers on the muster of
pay. The authorities forwarded a regulation forbidding the prac
tice. This seems to have called forth a memorial from the officers
commanding the regiments at Gibraltar, which was sent on to
the War Office. The authorities, in reply, informed the general and
governor that the regulation did not preclude commanding officers
from having upon the strength of the regiment, as drummers and
fifers, boys who were actually capable of that duty, and who were
shown on muster rolls. On the 13th October a letter was written,
that five boys were to be added to the strength of the regiment
and to do duty as fifers. -
The regiment was reviewed on the 27th May by General O’Hara.
The strength is given as thirty officers, five staff officers, and 409
non-commissioned officers and men. The general reported the
% War Office, Common Letter Book, 1788, No. 263.
VOL. III. O
210 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1789.
appearance of the regiment as Smart and soldierlike, but from
the inferior size of a number of newly joined men not fit for
service.
A regrettable circumstance happened to the battalion at the end
of the year. Captain Ruston, who had served in the regiment for
many years, was found guilty of an act of insubordination against
Colonel Dalrymple. On the case being laid before the King by
the governor, with a recommendation that in consideration of
Captain Ruston's circumstances he should be allowed to sell out,
rather than stand the risk of a general court-marshall, the King
was pleased to allow it. It had been ordered that he should
be dismissed the service, but General O’Hara, fearful that the
wording of the Order might imply a censure upon all the garrison,
asked to be allowed to omit that part of it which seemed to
refer generally to all the corps employed, as he was fully per-
suaded that the corps, without distinction, that composed the
garrison, had carried on the service during his command with the
utmost regularity, and the strictest attention to discipline and
subordination. The request of General O'Hara to omit the publi-
cation of the order was allowed by the War Office in a letter of
21st January next year.
The establishment and cost of the regiment remained the same
as last year, viz., ten companies of thirty-seven men in each ; total
all ranks, 467.
- - - 36 S. d
Total of Pay, 24th December 1787 to 24th
December 1788 * - - g tº 4 ... 8,391 3 63
Clothing ... * G - & tº º, tº º ... T,308 15 6
Agency ... tº s º © w tº • * a e - - 180 0 64
Captains’ allowances ... tº a tº tº a t 382 10 0
Paymaster e tº a - - - tº € $ tº º 0 70 () ()
Surgeon ... # * * tº a tº e tº º & 4 - 70 0 O
Sergeant-Major ... e s tº 9 3 0
Quartermaster Sergeant tº e e tº º tº 9 3 0
Total for Regiment ... 10,420 15 7
There would appear to have been considerable complaints of the
quality of the recruits forwarded in 1789 from England. On the
5th May General O’Hara was requested to send in a list of those
he had rejected, and the causes that had obliged him to reject
them. In a later letter on the same subject, he is requested, on all
future occasions when recruits have been rejected by commanding
officers of corps, to see that the men are sent back without
giving them their discharges, as some of the rejected men might
probably be made into useful soldiers for other stations.
1789.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 211
The regiment was inspected by the general on the 26th Novem-
ber. The total strength is given as thirty officers, five staff
officers, and 401 non-commissioned officers and men. The colours
presented to the regiment in Hyde Park in 1780 were reported
as considerably worn, and the accoutrements bad. The non-com-
missioned officers were said to be well dressed and well appointed.
The regiment was reported to appear to great disadvantage in
consequence of the appointments and accoutrements being so
unserviceable and bad, and the privates being composed of a very
indifferent body of men.
The strength of the regiment was the same as last year. The
total pay was 8,368l. 48, 73d. Clothing, 1,351. 28.5%d. Agency,
1811. Ils. 3}d. All other payments same as last year. The total
cost was 10,4411, 13s. 4d. for 365 days, from 25th December 1788.
to 24th December 1789.
On the 9th April this year H.R.H. Prince Edward afterwards
Duke of Kent, father of our Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, was
appointed to command the 7th Fusiliers. He afterwards, as will
----be-noted, having been sent out to Gibraltar, commanded for a short
time the Queen's regiment -
O 2
212 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1790.
*=-—
C EIA PT E R XII.
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF KENT COMMANDS
THE REGIMENT — REGIMENT RETURNS HOME —
REVIEW OF POLITICAL EVENTS.
1790.
CONTENTs.—His Royal Highness Prince Edward (Duke of Kent) posted to
temporary command of the Regiment—Attestation of Recruits—Regi-
ment augmented — To be allowed to recruit in Ireland — Regiment
reduced—Regiment inspected by General O'Hara — Embarkation of
Recruits for Gibraltar— Field Officers to wear Epaulets — Reliefs —
Clothing — Strength — Progress of Affairs in France — Talleyrand
visits London — Popular Opinion on Affairs in France — Recall of
the French and English Ambassadors—Death of the Erench King–
War voted by the National Assembly of France against the Empire
of Austria – Dumouriez advances into the Low Countries— The
Duke of Brunswick's Declaration—Prussians at Longwy and Verdun
—Massacre of 2nd September—Prussian Advance stopped by Dumouriez
—Arrival of Kellerman—Battle of Longwy—Retreat of Duke of Bruns-
wick—Assurances given that King's life should be spared—Dumouriez
enters Flanders—Victory of Jennappes—Dumouriez enters Antwerp—
French Successes in Italy and Savoy—King informs Parliament that
the Army must be augmented—The Alien Bill—French Ambassador
regards Bill as a violation of Treaty—English Ministers reply to his
Protest—French Ambassador leaves England—Republic declares War
against England—Regiment reduced—Serjeant David Bruce appointed
Town Major of Gibraltar—Regiment ordered Home—Arrival at Ply.
mouth — Sent on to Portsmouth — Quartered at Helsea Barracks —
Reviewed by General George Ainslie—Strength—Regiment encamped
at Bagshot—Field Equipage—Duke of Richmond in command of Camp
—Sham Fights—King reviews the Troops—Regiment augmented –
Arrangements for Recruiting—King orders Augmentation to be taken
in hand without delay—Description of Uniform—Three independent
Companies raised by Officers of the Queen's—Establishment and Cost
of Regiment—Strength of National Forces—Regiment augmented—
Recruiting—Clothing and Accoutrements—Regiment ordered to Hythe,
Sandgate, and Folkestone--French Prisoners—Regiment at Dover—
Two Independent Companies inspected—Ordered to be incorporated into
the Regiment—Detachment sent on board the Brilliante at Folkestone to
serve as Marines—Lord Dalhousie ordered to report the Number of Men
in Regiment fit to serve as Marines—Return of Men serving in Charlotte,
Royal George, Boyne, Majestic, and Russell—Remnant of Regiment
sent to Hilsea Barracks—Rewards for Recruiting—New Establishment
of the Regiment—10l. given for a Recruit—Alteration in the Cocked
Hat—Detachment under Captain the Honourable James Ramsay leaves
for West Indies to take part in Expedition under Sir John Jervis and
Sir Charles Grey.
ON the 25th February 1790, his Majesty having signified his
orders that Prince Edward (afterwards Duke of Kent), father of Her
*790.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 213
Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, should do duty as an
officer in the garrison of Gibraltar, His Royal Highness was
posted to the Queen's Royal Regiment, and was ordered to take
command of it, serving with rank of colonel, till further orders.
The garrison order was as follows:—“His Royal Highness
Prince Edward is posted to the Queen's Royal Regiment, of
which he is to take command until further orders.” In August the
command of the regiment was resumed by Lieutenant-Colonel
Woollicombe.
His Royal Highness was pleased to dispense with the honours
due to him as one of the Royal Family, and it was given in orders
that he would in future be saluted by all guards as colonel only.
Many mistakes having occurred in the mustering of the forces
arising from defects in the attestation of recruits, a standing order
was made on 2nd February that on a recruit being attested, the
date of his attestation, as well as that of his enlistment, should be
entered in the regimental books, and on the attestation papers,
and the officers held responsible that the entries were correctly
made.
On the 8th of May a letter was sent-to-the-colonel of the
regiment, informing him that it had been decided that the regiment
should be forthwith augmented by the addition of one sergeant, one
drummer, and nineteen private men to each company, and two
fifers to the Grenadier company The total augmentation and
cost for 365 days to be as follows:–
£ s. d.
Ten sergeants, 18l. 58. each tº $ tº tº tº º * & e ... I'82 10 0
Ten drummers, 12l. 3s. 4d. each ... tº tº º e e e ... 121 13 4
Two fifers, 12l. 3s. 4d. each e tº º tº tº º * c º tº º ſº 24, 6 8
190 private men, 91. 2s. 6d. each ... tº tº e tº E tº ... 1,733 15 0
Total of pay ... e tº º ge tº tº gº tº º tº gº tº ... 2,062 5 0
Clothing & 8 gº e & e - tº a º gº & ºn tº $ tº ... 593 17 6;
Agency * * * is e e e # 8 & & E. tº g tº tº a s tº º ſº. 24, 7 8
Additional allowance to ten captains, 91.2s. 6d. each 91 5 0
2 3 55 paymaster and surgeon, 50l. each 100 0 0
Totai Cost of Augmentation for 365 days ... £2,871 15 23
The augmentation was to be made with the utmost despatch.
The sum of five guineas was to be allowed to the recruiting
officer for each recruit enlisted, out of this sum the recruit was to
have three guineas. In case any men deserted before being
approved, one and a half guinea was to be allowed to the recruit-
ing officer in the annual accounts of the regiment. The augmented
214 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1790.
_e="
establishment was to commence from the 10th instant. The
Government of Ireland gave permission for the regiment to recruit
in that country. Lieutenant Hovenden appears to have availed
himself of this permission. The subsistence rate was to be the
same as allowed before, viz.:-Sergeants, 18, per diem; drummers
and fifers, 8d. ; and private men, 6d. per diem. This augmentation
was revoked on the 16th November the same year, when the
regiment was reduced to its former quota of two sergeants, three
corporals, one drummer, and thirty-seven private men to each of
the ten companies. The Only part of the augmentation allowed
to remain was the two fifers to the Grenadier company.
It does not appear that the numbers required by the augmenta-
tion was ever supplied, as we find the state of the regiment by the
returns sent home on the dates given as follows:—
T: :-- Wanting to
Effective. .#.
25th May ... tº e - tº E tº 369 tº c & 221
28th June ... © tº º © º º 366 © º º 224
11th August - Q - tº º ºs 366 tº e º 224
30th September ... tº G & 362 © C & 228
The total strength of the regiment, officers included, was, on
17th January, 447, and on 19th December, 471.
In the War Office correspondence of this year is a letter from
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalrymple, stating that he had discharged all
the men who were unfit for service, in conformity with the orders
he had received on the 24th November last.
On reviewing the troops of the garrison this year, General
O'Hara reported that the regiment would require a good recruiting
of at least i30 men to make it fit for service. He also reported
that “the corps of Grenadiers, Pioneers, and Drummers were
almost worn out,” and many of the appointments and accoutrements
being unserviceable, the regiment appeared to a great disadvantage.
The greater part of the arms were returned as bad.*
A letter was sent to Colonel Dalrymple on the 6th October,
informing him that it was absolutely necessary that all recruits
sent to Chatham should undergo a final examination there previous
to embarking for Gibraltar. The recruits appear to have been
generally shipped at Gravesend.
On the 12th November Lieutenants Hovenden and Maitland—
who were the recruiting officers out on that duty—were ordered
* Colonial Office Papers, Gibraltar, 1788, 1790.
1791.] NOW TIIE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 215
to discontinue all further recruiting, and to proceed with what
recruits they had to Chatham barracks. The recruiting party in
Ireland was ordered to Duncannon Fort, or if in north of Ireland
to Dublin, where they would embark for England. Six officers
and 400 recruits for the different regiments were sent to Gibraltar
about the end of November.
On the 15th September Ensign Raleigh, of the Queen's,
with twenty-one recruits, embarked in the ship Providence for
Gibraltar, and on the 6th December Captain Montague took over
in the Mercury transport two sergeants and forty-nine privates.
A general order was issued on 30th June 1791 that all “field
officers of both Cavalry and Infantry were to be distinguished by
wearing one epaulet on each shoulder. Grenadier officers were to
have a grenade, and light company officers a bugle on the epaulet.”
The number of officers on leave from the garrison was again
attracting attention. A return was asked for of the number absent
in the Queen's, by which it appears that Lieutenant-Colonel
Dalrymple, Major Gray, six captains, four lieutenants, and four
ensigns were absent. Major Gray being absent without leave (that
is, having exceeded his leave) was -ordered to join–at–enee-or-be
superseded. In the return of the regiment dated 1st February
there were said to be present and fit for duty, five captains, eleven
subalterns, and 391 rank and file. Ninety-three recruits were
sent to the regiment between the 7th October last year and 14th
February 1791.
On the 2nd November details for the reliefs for the regiments
stationed at Gibraltar for the ensuing year were issued. From the
list it was seen that the 2nd, 25th, and 59th were to be sent home,
and the 46th, 51st, and 61st, stationed at Cork, were to be sent to
Gibraltar.” The transports bringing out the relieving regiments
were to be used for the troops returning home, who were to be
landed either at Plymouth or Portsmouth as might be found most
convenient.
A letter dated the 30th July gives the following as to the
clothing supplied to recruits when joining:-One red jacket with
sleeves, one pair gaiters, one pair trousers, one flannel waistcoat
with sleeves, one pair flannel drawers, one round hat, as also one
round hat with a false lining, &c. for soldiers belonging to the
regiment serving in warm climates.t
Lieutenant-General O’Hara having reported very unfavourably
on the clothing of the regiment, a copy of the report was sent to
* War Office Correspondence, 1783–1793,
+ War Office, General Officers' Iletter Book, 1790–1794.
216 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1792.
General Jones. He was asked to call on the clothier to answer the
complaint, and to give him such orders as would prevent a
recurrence of the complaint.
The quota of the regiment continued the same as last year. Ten
Companies, thirty-seven men in each. Total of all ranks, 469,
inclusive of officers. The cost of pay and allowances remained
the same.
During the service of the Queen's at Gibraltar, great events had
happened which were to have the most lasting effects upon
the destinies of this country, and were to force us into a contest
with our old opponent France, which lasted till the terrible combat
of Waterloo brought to an end the career of the gigantic military
genius who had been borne aloft on the red wings of the French
Revolution. This sanguinary revolution had entered upon its
Second period by the flight of the King and Queen from Paris on
20th June 1791, and their capture and return to Paris.
In the winter of 1791–92 Talleyrand visited London to ascertain
the views of the English statesmen on French affairs. He was
very coldly received, for though with many the surprising events
taking place in France had been received as honest efforts of our
neighbours to obtain the liberties we in England enjoyed, the mass
of the people regarded what was taking place with aversion. Samuel
Romilly was one of those who saw in the Revolution an event
pregnant with happy consequences to all mankind. The massacres
of September opened his eyes to the fallacy of his hopes, and may
be said to have completely changed the feelings of those in England
who had up to that time fancied they saw in France the opening of
a new epoch in national freedom. In August, when the events
began which culminated in the scenes of 2nd September, our
ambassador, Lord Gower, had been recalled, and though the
English Ministers by this act were said to have precipitated the
war that not long after broke out, it was no doubt absolutely
right and proper to withdraw an ambassador that had been
accredited to a court no longer in existence. Though the French
also recalled their ambassador, the English Ministers were by
every means in their power—unmoved by the admonition of the
great statesman Burke—endeavouring to maintain the strictest
neutrality in their relations with France.
Before the end of the year 1792 they saw that their efforts were
futile, war must come. Pitt, the great statesman, had long foreseen
it. His great rival, Fox, had persistently refused to recognise its
probability or its necessity, and had, from the first, been most
unremitting in his opposition. The universal feeling of horror at
1792.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 217
the death of the French King on the 21st January next year left
no doubt what the future had in store for us. The new French
Government were too haughty to brook the slightest restraint.
A war had been voted by the National Assembly against the
Emperor of Austria as King of Hungary and Bohemia on the 20th
April. The plan of campaign was designed by General Dumouriez,
who had been made Minister of Foreign Affairs. The advance of
the French troops into the Low countries was not successful.
Events followed quickly. The Duke of Brunswick, on the 25th
July, sent a declaration to the National Convention in the name of
the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia, in which, while
disavowing any intention of making conquests, he informed the
convention that the allies intended to deliver the King and the
Royal Family from captivity, to help him in the government of his
country so as to enable him to labour in security for the welfare
of his subjects. The Duke grandiloquently ended his declaration
with the threat that unless the King and his family were at once
Set at liberty the combined forces under his command would
enter Paris and inflict the “most exemplary and ever memorable
avenging punishments by giving up the city of Paris to military-
execution and exposing it to total destruction.” Nothing could
have been done that would have more certainly precipitated
matters in Paris. On the 22nd August the Prussians were at
Longwy and advanced on Verdun.
Patriotic Frenchmen in the Assembly decreed that 30,000 men
should be raised and equipped to repel the invaders, but the revolu-
tionary men decreed quite another performance. On the 29th
August every citizen was ordered by the commune to be in their
houses by 6 o'clock in the evening, and at 1 o'clock in the morning
patrols of pikemen were busy filling the prisons with suspected
Royalists, the destined victims of the infanous massacre of the 2nd
September. On that morning news arrived that Verdun had been
betrayed by treachery into the hands of the Prussians. At noon
the noise of guns and of bells signalled the commencement
of the massacre. The Prussians' advance had been stopped by the
able Dumouriez, who had held them in check in the forest of
Argonne. Kellerman, who was afterwards to attain great distinc-
tion under Napoleon, arrived to the succour of Dumouriez on the
20th September, and the united forces gained the first battle of the
Revolution, known as the cannonade of Valmy. On the 30th
September a secret agreement was drawn up between the Duke
of Brunswick and Dumouriez, by which the former agreed to
218 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1792.
deliver up Longwy and Verdun if they were allowed to retreat un-
molested, assurances being given that endeavours would be made to
save the life of the King and to restore the constitutional monarchy.
Danton was said to have been a party to this negotiation, which
which was, alas, fated never to be carried out. Dumouriez after
this entered Flanders, and gained the decisive victory of Jennappes
over the Austrians. On the 30th he entered Antwerp. The French
were successful also in Italy. Savoy was the first acquisition the
French Republic gained by her arms.
The state of affairs in France necessitated an augmentation of
the forces in England. The King in his speech to the House of
Commons, when they assembled on the 13th December 1792,
informed his Parliament that while abstaining from any inter-
ference with the internal affairs of France, he wished to take steps
for augmenting the naval and military forces.
It was time. The Alien Bill brought forward by the Houses of
Parliament to regulate the action of aliens in England, (a Bill
rendered necessary by the attempt to sow in England the revolu-
tionary principles that had caused such terrible scenes in France,)
was made by France a cause of Offence. The ambassador Chauvelin,
styling it as a violation of the treaty of commerce, “by which the
subjects of two nations had liberty to come and go freely and securely,
without licence or passport,” remonstrated with Lord Grenville on the
action of the British Government claiming the right to break a treaty,
to which he presumptuously said England owed a great part of
her actual prosperity. The English Minister refusing to entertain
the remonstrance of the French Ambassador, the latter, in a further
communication, informed Lord Grenville that if hostile prepara-
tions were continued in the English ports, they would in France
prepare for war, a threat replied to by the English Minister in
dignified words, to the effect, that if France considered herself
justified in questioning the right of England to augment her
forces or to make laws for her own security similar to those
already established in France, negotiations could not be prolonged.
Shortly after this, on the 24th January next year, Monsieur Chau-
velin, was ordered to retire from this country within eight days.
On the 11th February next year the French Republic declared
war against “England and the United Provinces.”
The regiment was reduced by order dated 28th January by
seven men per company, the instructions for the reduction being
sent to Gibraltar on the 3rd and 10th February. The reduction
was to be considered as taking place from the 25th June this year,
but was afterwards altered to 25th April. No men were to be
1792.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY HEGIMENT. 219
discharged in consequence of the reduction, except such as were
unfit for service.
On the 16th February Sir George Young received a letter
from Major-General Boyd, informing him that he had appointed
Sergeant David Bruce of the Queen's regiment to be Town Major
of Gibraltar vice Robinson deceased. Lieutenant Ross, of the 25th
Regiment, had been acting temporarily in the post, and was said
to have given great satisfaction.
The transports carrying the relieving regiments, the 46th, 51st,
and 61st were sighted entering the Bay of Gibraltar on the
19th March. By the activity of Lieutenant Harris, the super-
intendent, the troops were landed, and the others embarked,
so that the regiment left Gibraltar on the 25th March with the
25th and 59th Regiments. The transports came to anchor at
Spithead on the 20th April. The Unanimity and the Lord
Musgrave ships carried the Queen's regiment over from Gibraltar,
Lieutenant-Colonel St. John being in command on board the
Unanimity, and Major Gray in charge of that part of the regiment
On the ship Lord Musgrave. On the 15th April the transports
arrived at Plymouth Sound, after rather a stormy passage.
The Lieutenant-Governor, General Campbell, wrote, urging that it
should be at once removed, being quite unnecessary; an Order in
Council was therefore made remitting it. The 25th were ordered
to land at Plymouth, the 59th and the Queen's sailing with the
first fine wind to Portsmouth
The ships arrived at Portsmouth cn the 24th April, the Queen's
being immediately landed and marched into Hilsea barracks.
On the 25th May the regiment was reviewed by Major-General
George Ainslie. The strength given was 367 non-commissioned
officers and men.
The officer commanding was ordered on the 4th June to march
the regiment to Bagshot Heath, to encamp there. They were
to arrive on the 23rd July. All absent officers and men
in the country were ordered to join at once. As it was in-
tended to keep the regiment in camp Only a short time, it was
not thought necessary that the officers should be put to the expense
of providing themselves with camp equipage, but the King ordered
that a round tent was to be supplied to each captain and sub-
altern “which for so short a period and in the month of July is
deemed sufficient.” A tent and marquee was provided for each
field officer, and a marquee for a mess tent. A mattress, three
blankets, a camp table and stool was supplied to each officer. Four
waggons to each regiment were to be given for all baggage, including
220 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1792.
the tents. One hundred days’ forage money was allowed to
officers in the following proportions:–Rations per diem, at 6d.
each; field officers, three rations; captains, two ; subalterns, one.
The sick and the baggage were left at Portsmouth. The regi-
ment, on arrival at Bagshot, was encamped at a place called
Shellham Bushes. The Duke of Richmond was in command in
camp. The other regiments with the Queen's at Bagshot were the
2nd battalion of Artillery, the 10th and 11th Light Dragoons, and
the 3rd, i4th, and 29th Regiments. The little force was divided
into two, in order to act against each other in a series of sham
fights, which took place and was witnessed by the King and the
membels of the Royal family. A review was held on the 6th
August. The regiment remained until the camp broke up on the
8th August, when they returned to their quarters at Portsmouth.
There was some little difficulty about the Marines taking up the
duties of the Queen's in garrison at Portsmouth. Colonel Triggs
refused to allow the Queen's to march until the duties were taken
over, which was at last satisfactorily arranged. While the regi-
ments were in camp at Bagshot, they were Ordered “to practise the
new system of discipline, by Brigades in Line.”
On the 9th December the augmentation referred to in the
King's speech already noted was ordered to be made. The
Queen's was ordered to be augmented by ten men to each com—
pany, and the utmost despatch was to be observed in completing
the regiment to its intended establishment. All recruiting officers
were expressly ordered to be with their recruiting parties. Out
of the sum of five guineas allowed for each recruit enlisted, three
guineas was to be paid to the recruit himself, one and a half
guinea was to be allowed to the recruiting officer in case a recruit
deserted before being approved. The 100 stand of arms for the
augmentation was ordered from the ordnance stores on the 10th
December. The augmentation was to take place from the 25th
December.
On the 29th the King ordered letters to be sent to commanding
officers of regiments, informing them he had heard that slow
progress had been made in recruiting, “the King therefore expects
each colonel, from his zeal and regard for the service, to do every-
thing in his power at this important juncture to raise as speedily
as possible the number required to complete his regiment, and to
use his utmost influence with his officers to enforce their active
and unremitting attention to this duty.”
---
* MSS. of the British Army, Royal United Service Institution.
1793.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 221
An excellent set of drawings of the uniform of the British
soldier was made in this year by Mr. E. Dayes. In these drawings,
the coat worn by the Queen's regiment is shown much more
scanty across the chest and in the skirts. The collar of the coat,
following the fashion of the day, was now turned up, the lace,
loop, and button, which was used formerly to fasten the collar
down, was retained on the new stand-up collar as an ornament,
and remained thus in all the changes until within the last fifty
years. The white waistcoat was worn still shorter, the gaiters
black and also shorter. The breeches were white.
The officers wore silver lace loops, and silver buttons, with the
regimental button thereon, on the lappels at equal distances, one
on each side of the collar, four on the cuff, four on the pocket
flaps. A silver gorget was hung from the neck and fastened by
blue rosettes. The men having been ordered some years before
to wear a shoulder belt to carry the bayonet, the officers hung
their swords from a similar belt, which had a breastplate in the
centre, with the regimental number on, and a crown over it,
with a small scroll underneath. The plate was placed diagonally
across the belt, so as to keep the number and crown perpendicular
when the belt was in its place. The privates had also a breast-
plate on their belts, which was oval and of brass, with the number
two on it, and a crown. The officers' swords had gilt mounting,
the sword knots crimson and gold. The officers and men wore
the old fashioned three-cornered cocked hat, the officers' being
bound with silver lace, with the usual black cockade and a small
black and white feather. The men's hats were bound with white
tape, and they wore a smaller black and white feather than the
officers.
In the picture illustrating the death of Lieutenant Neville, on
board the Queen Charlotte in Lord Howe's glorious victory of
the 1st June 1794, the officers are there shown to have their
breastplate like the privates, a neat oval plate, having the figure 2
within a raised garter, and the motto Pristima, Virtutis Memor,
surmounted by a crown, the whole being in silver. The officers
still wore the crimson silk sash round the waist. The hat had
lost its silver lace and white piping, but still carried its feather
cockade.
Lieutenants Bryan Philpot, Cockell, and Hovenden, of the Queen's
regiment having offered to raise three independent companies of
Foot, the King was pleased, on the 13th January 1793, to approve
of it.
The establishment of the regiment as shown in the War Office
books dating from 25th December 1792 to the date of augmentation
222 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1793.
Was ten companies, forty privates in each, and the total cost for
365 days, 10,821, 198.9%d, including all allowances. The strength
of the National Forces on the 1st February was as follows:—
England. Ireland. Total.
Cavalry ... * * * tº e is tº a tº ... 4,875 *ms —
Infantry ... # * * * * * tº g ... 37,399 i0,206 52,480
By the end of the year these numbers had increased, inclusive
of Ireland, to—
Cavalry 12,144
Infantry ... º tº º q tº q & © tº tº & e º e 74,181
Militia ... tº € $ tº º a ... tº g tº © º e tº e g tº $ tº 34,431
Total ... ... ... 120,756
An augmentation of the regiment was ordered by the King on
the 19th Janualy, one sergeant, one drummer, and seventeen
private men were to be added to each company. The new
establishment was Ordered to commence from the 24th January.
The recruiting officers were urged to continue their most active
and unremitting exertions in raising as many men as could be
obtained for the further augmentation of the corps. A board of
general officers was summoned on the 22nd January to arrange
about the supply of clothing and accoutrements for the augmen-
tation. The proportion of arms added was eight fusees, nine pikes,
ten drums, and 170 stand of arms complete. The total additional
daily cost of the augmentation was 5l. 18. 8d.
Lieutenant Philpot was informed on 13th February, in answer
to a letter received from him, that the recruits of the independent
company he was raising could not be inspected at any place, but
he was to march to Chatham as SOOn as his company was com-
pletely assembled. Lieutenant Cockell was, later in the month,
given the same instructions. Lieutenant Hovenden does not
appear by subsequent papers to have been successful in raising
his company.
At the end of February the regiment was ordered to Hythe,
Sandgate, Folkestone, and places adjacent, to do duty over French
prisoners of war.
France had declared war on the 11th February as already
noted, and these were the first convoy of prisoners that had been
landed.
According to War Office Papers, the head-quarters of the regi-
ment was at Dover. Lord Dalhousie, who appears to have been
in command, reported the arrival of the first division of the regiment
1793.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 223
on the 27th February. Upon his arrival at Dover he went to
inspect the condition of the quarters assigned to the regiment in
Cliff Fort, which it was reported had not been occupied since
1779. He found the place quite unfit for his men, and sent up a
report, requesting instructions as to where he was to quarter
them. It was not long, however, before the greater part of the
men and officers were serving on board the Fleet as Marines.
On the 23rd March the officer commanding the regiment at
Dover was ordered to inspect the two independent companies
raised by Lieutenant Philpot and Cockell. On their arrival at
Dover—they having been ordered to proceed from Chatham to the
head-quarters—he was instructed to transmit to Lord Amherst,
the new War Minister, an accurate report of the fitness of the men
for active and immediate duty, and as it was the intention of the
authorities to incorporate the two companies into the regiment, he
was, under no consideration, to pass any men not fit in every
respect.
The orders for the two independent companies of Captains
Philpot and Cockell to be incorporated into the regiment are dated
April 3rd and 8th. The officers named were to be “en second.”
in the regiment until further orders. The strength of the com-
panies is stated as four sergeants, five corporals, two drummers,
and ninety-five private men each. The Sergeants, corporals, and
drummers, were ordered to be borne as Supernumeraries until
vacancies occurred, the arms for them, consisting of eight pikes,
ten stands of arms complete, and four drums, being furnished
from the ordnance stores.
The first detachment sent on board the Fleet on the arrival of
the regiment at the coast seems to have been sent to the Brilliant
frigate commanded by Captain W. Robinson, the strength of the
detachment being two subalterns, two sergeants, and sixty privates.”
They embarked at Folkestone on the 27th February. On the 1st
April they were at the Nore, from whence the ship proceeded to
Tynemouth, where she was to remain ten days.
Lord Dalhousie having been requested to send in a return of the
remainder of the 2nd Foot fit for duty as Marines on board the
Fleet, forwarded on the 26th the number as 236 rank and file.
The return of the number of the men on board the different
ships is given in a return in September as followsf:—
Ship Charlotte.—Captain Rait, Lieutenants Edwards and Nevile, Ensign
Tudor, five sergeants, five corporals, two drummers,
and 108 privates. Total 124.
* Captains’ Letters, R. 134.
+ Dom. State Papers, War Office, 1770–1795, No. 25.
224 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1793.
---ºr-
Royal George.—Captain Jones, Lieutenants Ramsay, Pilkington, and
Brodie, five sergeants, five corporals, three drum-
mers, 105 privates. Total 122.
Boyne.—Captain Wollocombe, Lieutenant Gray, Ensign Hunt,
three sergeants, four corporals, one drummer, and
fifty-six privates. Total 67.
Captain Wollocombe, with Lieutenant Grey and Ensign Charles
Stewart, three sergeants, one drummer, and sixty privates, joined
the Boyne on the 27th March. Captain Wollocombe left the
ship on 13th September, and Captain John Isaacs took the com-
mand Gf the detachment, joining the ship with his orderly on
the 16th September. On the 12th and 13th August one sergeant,
one drummer, and twelve privates came on board. Captain Isaacs
and Ensign Stewart left the Boyne on 23rd November, landing at
Portsmouth, and were replaced by Captain the Honourable James
Ramsay and Ensign Edward Hunt, who joined the ship on 24th
November. A detachment of one sergeant and ten men joined the
ship from the Defence in October, and left in January next year. A
detachment of the 6th, 15th, 25th, 29th, and 30th Foot also served
in the Boyne.* Lieutenant Gray and Captain the Honourable
James Ramsay left the Boyne, the former on 16th and the latter
on 17th January next year.
Ship Majestic.—Captain Torch P Lieutenants Kingsbury, Ensign
Harrison, two sergeants, three corporals, one drum-
mer, and seventy privates. Total 79.
This detachment joined the ship on the 4th July and sailed for
Portsmouth on Sunday 7th.
Ship Russell.—Captain Gordon, Ensigns Jenkins(?) and Smollett, two
Sergeants, three corporals, one drummer, and seventy
privates. Total 79.
This detachment joined the ship on the 3rd August, one corporal
from Queen Charlotte and four privates from Royal George
joined in September. Ensign Jenkin was discharged from the
Russell on the 25th December, and Lieutenant William Augustus
Halliday joined on the 29th December. Some of the men were
reported as having been sent to Haslar Hospital during the year.t
After the depletion of the regiment by the detachment sent to the
Fleet, Major-General Smith sent in a return of the quarters of certain
regiments. In this return he mentions the quarters “of the remains
of the Queen's or 2nd Foot, Deal town.” A later letter, dated 16th
July, gives the strength of the remnant of the regiment as five
* Admiralty Muster Book, December 1792, December 1793, Boyne,
No. 11,249; also Muster Book, Boyne, 1794, September, December, No. 3972.
f Admiralty Muster Book, Russell, April 1793, January 1794, No. 11,412.
1793.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 225
corporals, three subalterns, one quartermaster, sixteen sergeants,
sixteen corporals, seventeen drummers, and 175 privates. This
remnant of the regiment left the Downs for Portsmouth on the
17th October, and were again quartered at Hilsea barracks. An
order had been sent on 2nd October for the “staff and party
of the 2nd Foot at Deal" to march to Hilsea barracks in case a
passage by sea could not be obtained to take them to Portsmouth.
In the Marching Orders there is an order, dated 7th August, to
General Smith commanding at Dover, to the effect that the “staff
officers of the second regiment were to march from their present
quarters” to Hilsea barracks. There is also an entry on the head
of the order, “2nd Foot, ten companies on board the Fleet—Staff
Deal.”*
A letter was sent on 2nd November to the officer commanding
the regiment, as well as to the other commanding officers of regi-
ments of Infantry, Ordering that their regiments should be
completed with all possible despatch, and that they should be
further augmented to such higher establishment as the numbers
recruited would be sufficient to fill up. To encourage the officers
to extraordinary exertions by a speedy prospect of preferment, the
King ordered that whenever 450 approved recruits had been
obtained one lieutenant-colonel and One major, and the respective
successions, should be added to the regiment upon the following
conditions:–
Major for his promotion to lieutenant-colonel to pay two-thirds of regu-
lation price, viz., 600l. ; captain to “eldest * major, 700l. ; captain to
“youngest" major, 500l.
The two companies were to be sold for 1,400l. each, valuing the
ensigncy at 300l. The sums thus raised, together with 5l. allowed
by Government, were to go to the payment of 15l. for each recruit.
The new establishment of the regiment was fixed at ten companies
each company was to consist of four Sergeants, four corporals,
two drummers, and eighty-one private men per company. Out of
the 151. the bounty to be given to each recruit was to be 10l., the
remainder, 5l. per man, being allowed for contingent expenses and
loss consequent on recruiting. The commanding officer was ordered
to at once send out recruiting parties, and to make every exertion
to carry out with as little loss of time as possible the orders he
had received.
Complaints having been made that the cocked hats worn by the
Infantry were so small and shallow in the crown as to render
them unfit for use in actual Service, the King, on a consideration
~r
* Marching Book, No. 71, p. 127.
VOL. III. P
226 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1793.
–assº"
of the report, was pleased to order that the depth of the crown in
future should be fourteen inches, and the remainder of the hat not
less than seven inches. The size of the brim and the form of the
cocking was to be the same as before.*
In December a detachment of the regiment, consisting of Captain
the Honourable James Ramsay, Lieutenant James Johnson, Ensign
William Henry Snow, an adjutant, a quartermaster, a surgeon,
four sergeants, two drummers, and seventy-two privates who were
serving as Marines on the Barfleur, left with the ship, being
Ordered for service in the West Indian Islands. The forces for
the expedition were ordered to rendezvous in Carlisle Bay, Barba-
does. The expedition was under the joint command of Admiral
Sir John Jervis and General Sir Charles Grey, K.B.; Major-
General Dundas commanded the division in which the detachment
of the Queen's was placed. They remained with the Army in the
West Indies until 1795, and took part in some desperate fighting,
gaining great credit for the regiment. They returned to Ports-
mouth in the Barfleur on the 20th April 1795. Ensign Snow,
according to the muster books of the Barfleur, did not go, after all,
with the detachment. For some reason or other he was left
behind at Portsmouth. Lieutenants Edwards and Delmé also
served on board the Barfleur, but did not go with the detachment
to the West Indies.
The compiler of the MSS. of the British Army has evidently
made a mistake in reporting that “part of the regiment embarked
as Marines on board Her Majesty's ship Boyne, and disembarked
at Martinique with the troops under Sir C. Grey.” It will be seen
that it was the detachment that served on the Barfleur that went
to Martinique.
* War Office, General Officer's Letter Books, 1790–1794.
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 227
C H A P T E R XIII.
SERVICES OF THE DETACHMENT IN THE WEST INDIES.
ACCOUNT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
1794.
CONTENTS.—Fleet arrives at Barbadoes—Sails for Martinique—First Division,
under General Dundas, lands at La Trinité Martinique — Second
Division, under Sir Charles Gordon, lands at Caisse de Navire, Martinique
—Third Division, under Lieutenant-General Prescott, lands near Trois
|Rivières, Martinique — Commander-in-Chief with Third Division—
Queen's Detachment with First Division — Advance and Capture of
Morne le Brun and Trinité Fort—General Bellegrade evacuates Fort
Bellegrade — Capture of Fort Matilde— Colan and Fort Lemaitre
occupied—Operations of the Third Division—Mount Mathurin domi-
nating Pigeon Island occupied—Pigeon Island Surrenders—Operations
of the Second Division under Sir C. Gordon—Capture of the Four
Batteries at Caisse de Navire—Port Royal free to the Fleet—Advance
against the Town of St. Pierre—Colonel Campbell advances with 65th
and the Queen's Detachment to Montigne —Gallant Advance of the
Queen’s T)etachment on the Heights above Montigne—Capture of
Montigne—Fight at Morne Rouge—Capture of St. Pierre—Operations
against Fort Royal–Gallant Attack of General Bellegrade upon the
English—Capture of La Serrière—General Bellegrade and his Men
Prisoners—Joint Attack by Fleet and Troops upon Port Royal and Fort
Bourbon–Capitulation of the Town and Fort of Port Royal—Prince
Edward enters Town at Head of the Troops—Heavy Losses of the Enemy—
Expedition against the Island of St. Lucia—Capture of Morne Fortunna.
—Prince Edward goes with the Expedition to St. Lucia—Conquest of the
Island—Expedition returns to Martinique—Expedition to Guadaloupe—
Troops land at Gosier Bay—Capture of Fort Fleur d’Espée—Capture of
Batteries covering Morne Magdalen–French Commander capitulates—
Prince Edward occupies Fort St. Charles—English take possession of
the Island–Capture of Dominique—Feeling in England—Critical situa-
tion of the English in West Indies — Sir Charles Grey relieved by
Sir John Waughan—Report of new Commander-in-Chief on state of
Affairs—Treatment of the Prisoners taken at Guadaloupe—The Services
of Troops as Marines in the Fleet—Number of Men still left in the
Queen's for Marine Service — French Prisoners in England — Plan
proposed for raising Money for Recruits by Promotion and by Sale of
P 2
228 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
Commissions—600 Men to be raised in the Regiment for Foreign
Service—Regiment to be increased to Twelve Companies and the Com-
panies augmented—500 Men for Queen's and 45th arrive at Portsmouth
—Inspection by Sir Hugh Dalrymple—Further Augmentation—Arms
supplied.
THE operations in the West Indies under Lieut.-General Sir
Charles Grey, K.B., and Vice-Admiral Sir John Jervis, K.B., com-
menced by an attack on the Island of Martinique, which the
Government had determined to wrest from the hands of the
French. It had before been taken by British arms in 1762, but
had been restored to the French by the treaty made next year.
The Fleet with the troops for the expedition sailed for Barbadoes,
where they had been directed to from the rendezvous. They left
Barbadoes for Martinique on the 3rd February 1794, the first
division, under Major-General Dundas and Commodore Thompson,
effected a successful landing on the island, on the 5th and 6th of
February, at a place called La Trinité. The second division,
under Major-General Sir Charles Gordon, assisted by Colonel Myers
and Captain Rogers of the Navy, landed at Caisse de Navire,
to leeward of La Trinité. The third division, under the command
of Lieutenant-General Prescott, with whom was the commander-
in-chief, landed on the 8th February near Trois Rivieres, St. Luce,
and Cul de Sac Marin, all three landings being successfully accom-
plished without loss. It had been considered advisable to land
on three different points of the island in order to divide the forces
of the enemy.
The first division, with whom was the Queen's detachment, on
landing, advanced immediately against Morne le Brun, Dundas at the
same time directing Lieutenant-Colonel Craddock with the second
battalion of the Grenadiers, and Major Evatt with three companies
of Light Infantry, against Trinité Fort, which covered the town of
Trinité. Morne le Brun soon fell into our hands, though the troops
had to advance against a heavy fire of musketry, Trinité Fort
being evacuated as soon as our troops appeared before it. General
Bellegrade, the popular leader of the Mulattoes, who held the
Fort of Bellegrade, was so dismayed by the resolute advance of the
English that he evacuated the fort in the night, after setting fire
to the town, leaving behind him all his artillery. Captain Salisbury
advanced quickly into the burning town, and, with the aid of
the seamen, succeeded in extinguishing the flames and saving large
stores of provisions.
By the 7th the division had reached Gros Morne, and at noon
on the 9th, a detachment of three companies of Grenadiers
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ºnbruņuv]）.C.

1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 229
J
under Lieutenant Colonel Craddock had got possession of Fort
Matilde, a strong place &overing a good landing within two
miles of the left of the position secured by the division. A
determined attempt was made on the night of the 10th by
Bellegrade to regain possession of his fort, but a resolute charge of
the Grenadiers of the 9th Regiment, led in person by Lieutenant-
Colonel Craddock, drove back the enemy with heavy loss.
Colan neal Matilde Fort and the strong post of Lemaitre were
occupied on the 11th. The enemy made great efforts to regain
possession of Lemaitre ; three times they advanced to the assault
with great spirit, but the troops having been reinforced by
Lieutenant-Colonel Coote were enabled to hold the ports they had
won with so much dash. In the meantime the commander-in-
chief had, by a series of rapid advances, got possession of Mount
Mathurin, an eminence completely dominating º. Island,
distant from the latter place about 400 yards. Mount Mathurin
was now furnished with batteries, which opened on the houses on
Pigeon Island on the morning of the 10th. It had been deter-
mined at all hazards to capture the island, as there was an excel-
lent harbour at Port Royal for the ships of the expedition.
The guns from Mathurin heights soon brought the garrison at
Pigeon Island on their knees, and before the end of the day they
struck their colours and surrendered at discretion,
The second division, under Sir Charles Gordon, who had landed
at Caisse de Navire, had not been idle. The general, finding the
heights about him strongly held by the enemy, made a move-
ment towards the mountains, and turning them unperceived, he
was able at daybreak on the 9th to occupy a most commanding
position above the heights occupied by the enemy. From his
position he made a rush down upon the several parts occupied by
the enemy and, though much harassed by the guns from Fort
Catherine, he succeeded in driving them out of their principal
battery of Cayman. He had now gained a point which enabled
him to open an easy communication with the transports, and on
the 12th, thinking he perceived a disposition to evacuate Fort St.
Catherine, he advanced against it. Giving the enemy no time, he
went through the fort, and across four ravines, seizing all the
batteries that dominated them, the enemy flying on every side.
By this well directed and well carried out movement, the whole
of the five batteries lying about Caisse de Navire were captured,
and the bay and harbour of Port Royal being laid completely
open to our shipping by the capture of Pigeon Island the safety of
the troops was secured.

º,
230 HISTORY OF THE SECOND sº 'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
Y
Y
The commander-in-chief now directed a movement against the
town of St. Pierre. Having, on the morning of the 14th, joined
the forces of Lieutenant-General Prescott and Major-General
Dundas, he directed the latter to march with the second battalion
Grenadiers, the 33rd and 40th, the Light Companies, and the 65th
Regiments to Gros Morne. Colonel Campbell was sent forward by
Dundas with the 65th Regiment and the two Light Companies (one
of which was the Queen's detachment) through the woods by “Bois
le Duc" to Montigne. Half a mile from the latter place Colonel
Campbell's force was attacked by a body of the enemy numbering
some 500 or 600, who had most advantageously posted them-
selves on an eminence, covering the town. Colonel Campbell was
now sent forward. The part of the advanced guard composed
of the Queen's detachment, gallantly led by Captain Ramsay,
dashed forward, and by extraordinary exertions gained the summit
of the pass, and firing down upon the enemy, who were engaged
with the 65th, so disconcerted them that they began to give
way. The Queen's were now joined by the second battalion of
the Grenadiers and the combined force took possession of Montigne.
Captain Ramsay and his detachment were left in charge of the
place so gallantly carried. At half-past mine on the morning of
the 16th the enemy again attacked Colonel Campbell's force, and
the gallant commander, leading his men in a bayonet charge, was
killed.
General Dundas having observed that a movement was being
made by the enemy across his front towards Morne Rouge, re-
traced his steps, and was soon engaged with a large party, about
600, who were under cover of the large redoubt. After twenty
minutes hard fighting night came on, and Dundas lay on his arms
in front of the position. At daybreak he found his foe had aban-
doned the position. In the redoubt he found two field pieces and
some stores.
The two columns now advanced on St. Pierre, and at the same
time, in accordance with the plan of attack that had been originally
concerted between the commander-in-chief and General Dundas, a
force, under the command of Colonel Symes, was embarked, Major
Maitland being sent on in advance with orders to land north of the
town. Another force, consisting of four companies of the first
battalion Grenadiers, and four companies of the third battalion Light
Infantry, under the command of Myers, marched from Campo la
Caste to co-operate with General Dundas. The main body advanced
at daybreak on the 17th, the right to Le Jeune and the left to
Colonial Redoubt. They had not gone far before they found that
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1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 231
Colonel Symes was already in the town, the operations being
completely successful.
The commander-in-chief gave high praise to General Dundas
“in penetrating through so difficult a country from La Trinité to
Buneau, and for the capture of St. Pierre,” operations which he
remarked “do him highest honour and merit His Majesty's notice
in an eminent degree.” -
The stronghold of the island, Fort Bourbon, and also the fort
and town of Port Royal, were still in the hands of the enemy. The
French Commander-in-Chief, General Rochambeau, had retreated
to Fort Bourbon, his position being guarded by some formidable
heights, called La Serrière. Before Port Royal could be invested
it was necessary to carry these heights, in which the Mulatto
leader, Bellegrade, was strongly posted.
After carefully reconnoitring the position, Sir Charles Grey decided
to make a night attack. The advance was to be made at 1 a.m.
on the morning of the 19th. Fortunately this hazardous enter-
prise was rendered unnecessary by the hardihood and boldness of
the Mulatto leader. Finding, as he thought, that there was an
opportunity from his position of cutting the Army off from the
port and from their supplies, Bellegrade suddenly at noon on the
18th descended from the heights of La Serrière, and made a fierce
attack on the left of the English position. Lieutenant-General
Prescott quickly realised the danger, and sent off a strong rein-
forcement to strengthen his left. The reinforcement arrived in
good time, checking the rush of the enemy, and driving them
back. Sir Charles Grey, taking advantage of the weakened camp
of the enemy, advanced to the position of La Serrière with so
much resolution, that in a very short space of time the place was
in his possession and with little loss, the whole of Bellegarde's
cannon falling into our hands. The Mulatto leader retreated with
the greatest precipitation, but was so cut up and disorganised by
the loss of his camp and guns, that ten days later he gave himself
up with his second in command, Peloegue, and 300 of his men,
who were all sent on board the Fleet as prisoners.
Preparations were now made to attack the fort and town of
Port Royal and Fort Bourbon. The latter place was at once in-
vested, but it was not until the 7th of March that the general was
able to open fire upon Port Royal from the batteries erected on the
captured heights. On the 20th March he opened fire from
batteries of his second parallel, and on the Sahe day preparations
were made for a grand assault. The ships designed to take part
in the action took up their places early in the morning. They
232 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
were the Asia, sixty-four guns, Captain Browne commanding, the
Zelia, sloop, fourteen guns, Captain Faulkner commanding, and a
body of seamen in flat boats under the command of Captain
Rogers. The naval operations were under the immediate command
of Commodore Thompson. The land forces, consisting of the first
and third battalion Grenadiers, and the first and third battalion of
Light Infantry, were under the command of Colonel Symes.
All being ready, the seamen were landed, and led in the most
gallant manner by Captain Faulkner, whose conduct was beyond
all praise, escaladed Port Royal, and overcoming all resistance
captured the place. The troops under Colonel Symes advancing
about the same time on the town, drove the defenders before them
like sheep, entering the town triumphantly and hoisting the
British colours. General Rochambeau, on the loss of the fort and
town of Port Royal, sent his aide-de-camp, offering to surrender
Fort Bourbon on terms to be arranged. By the 22nd March, the
articles of the capitulation having been agreed on, were signed and
on the 23rd H.R.H. Prince Edward, who had joined the Army on the
4th March, entered the town at the head of the troops that had been
engaged in its capture, the French marching out of the great gate
as prisoners of war. The names of the two forts were changed, in
honour of the capture, to Fort Edward and Fort George, after
the King and Prince Edward. General Sir Charles Grey in his
despatches warmly eulogised the conduct of the forces, particularly
alluding to the great assistance given him in every case by Sir
John Jervis and his officers and men.
The two forts suffered greatly during the siege. The loss in
Fort Bourbon was very heavy. Out of a force of 1,200 men, only
900 marched out at the capitulation. General Sir Charles Grey
wrote warmly of the gallantry of the French troops, who fought
very well under a terrific fire “Scarcely an inch of ground was
untouched by our shot and shell.” A large store of guns and
ammunition was found in the forts and town. Five stands of
colours were taken in Port Royal and two in Fort Bourbon. The
colours were sent home with the commander-in-chief's despatches,
to be presented to the King. The capitulation of the place was
signed by D'Aucourt, Gaschet fils, and Duperit, and approved by
DeRochambeau, “Commander-in-Chief of the West Indian Forces.”
As soon as Sir Charles Grey and Admiral Jervis had made
arrangements for the safety of the valuable capture they had made,
the transports with some artillery, the brigade of Grenadiers, and
the 6th, 9th, and 43rd Regiments, left for St. Lucia, arriving there
on the 1st of April. Preparations were at once made for an attack
'sincºr put uoguncgſi ſuoß ſo ºpoſ), '(?) ºg
ºmbuļļup1）;

1794.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 233
on the island. The troops, following the tactics so successful at Mar-
tinique, landed, the same day the Fleet arrived in three divisions.
Lieutenant-Colonel Coote, with one battalion of Light Infantry,
landed at 7 p.m. from the Boyne, and at once marched to attack
the four-gun battery of Ciceron, covering Morne Fortunne, which
place was the first objective of the attack. The battery was soon
in our hands, and Coote sending forward four companies to storm
a redoubt and two batteries close to the enemy's principal works
on the Morne, they also fell into our hands. A large stock
of cannon, ammunition, and general stores were found in the
place. The entire conquest of the island was effected without the
loss of a single man.
Prince Edward accompanied the expedition and commanded the
brigade of Grenadiers.
On the 5th April the expedition returned to Martinique, Colonel
Sir Charles Gordon being left to guard the new capture. On
the morning of the 8th April the Fleet sailed for Guadaloupe.
The Boyne, carrying Sir Charles Grey and Admiral Sir John
Jervis, anchored off that place on the 10th April. .
On the morning of the 11th a landing was made (without
waiting for the arrival of the other ships), at Gosier Bay, with
part of the first and second battalions of Grenadiers, one com-
pany of the 43rd Regiment, and 500 seamen and marines. The
naval contingent was under the command of Captain George Grey,
of the Boyne, the whole operation of the landing being under the
command of Colonel Symes. Lord Garlies, in the Winchelsea,
covered the landing, laying his ship SO well on the batteries that
the men in them could not stand to their guns. In this service
Lord Garlies got slightly wounded.
The enemy being observed in strong force about Fort Fleur
d'Epée, Sir Charles Grey at Once moved against it. The first
division, commanded by Prince Edward, consisted of the first and
second battalion Grenadiers and 100 men of the Naval Brigade. The
second division, commanded by Major-General Dundas, consisted
of two battalions Light Infantry and 100 seamen. The third division,
commanded by Colonel Symes, consisted of the third battalion of
Grenadiers and the third battalion Light Infantry.
The attack was well arranged and resolutely carried out. On
the agreed signal being given from the Boyne by a gun firing at
5 a.m., the several divisions, who had timed their marches so as to
arrive at the points indicated for them to attack at the same time,
rushed forward, and in an incredible short space of time the place
was in our hands. Our loss was very slight, only thirteen rank
234 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1794.
and file killed, and thirty-nine wounded. The enemy lost sixty-
seven killed and fifty-five wounded, besides fourteen white prisoners,
eighteen Mulattoes, and seventy-eight blacks.
On the 16th April operations were resumed, the troops marching
that day to the high ground over Trois Rivières. After resting the
night at this place, the troops being too tired to attack the strong
post of Palmiste, the march was resumed, and two batteries were
captured. Lieutenant-Colonel Coote, with the 1st Light Infantry,
again distinguishing himself. At 12 midnight on the 19th the
Army again moved forward and captured the important stronghold
of Palmiste, joining hands on the 21st with General Dundas, who
had moved up from Vieux Habitat on the 17th. He had succeeded
in capturing the batteries covering Morne Magdalen, afterwards
occupying the place and advancing through Morne Howell.
The French General, now seeing he had no chance of saving
the island, capitulated, surrendering Guadaloupe and all its
dependencies, including the islands of “Maudalante,” “Disseada,”
the “Saints,” and others, on the same terms as allowed in the
capitulation of Martinique and St. Lucia. At 8 p.m. on the
morning of the 22nd the fire.ch garrison marched out of Fort
St. Charles, Prince Edward occupying the fort immediately after-
wards with the Grenadiers and a Light Company, hoisting the
British colours, and changing the name to Fort Matilda. According
to the papers delivered up by the French General Collat, com-
manding in Guadaloupe, the number of men who were able to carry
arms was 5,877; the number of men actually under arms was
4,044. Major-General Dundas was left in charge of the island
with a proper garrison.
The commander-in-chief, in his despatches home on the capture of
Guadaloupe, stated that he “could not find words to convey an
adequate idea, or to express the high sense he entertained of the
extraordinary merit evinced by the officers and soldiers in this
Service.”
The operations against the island of Dominique by Brigadier-
General Whyte and Lieutenant-Colonel Whitelock, had also been
successful, resulting in a complete pacification and subjection of
the island, with a most insignificant loss.
In the despatches of General Whyte, sent home by Lieutenant-
Colonel Whitelock on the 16th July from Port au Prince, he
praised highly the conduct of the troops. In the proclamation
which he issued to the inhabitants he assured them that “the object
* Cannon's History of the 39th Regiment, p. 39.
Guadaloupe, 1794.
Fleur d'Epée.

1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 235
of His Majesty and of His Government was to restore peace amongst
every class of inhabitants,” and that those who had placed them-
selves under British authority had borne a faithful testimony to the
justness of the rule. The Government he represented, he assured
them, was determined to suppress with a strong hand all attempts
to subvert the King's authority in the island.
The successes of Sir Charles Grey and his gallant troops had
not been received in England with the favour they deserved.
Envious detractors wrote articles condemning the campaign, and
asserting that the conquerors had stained their hands with plunder
and extortion. The distress this caused to Sir Charles Grey, and
the reverses to our arms, including the recapture of Guadaloupe
by the French (detailed in Chapter XV.), caused by the want of rein-
forcements which he had repeatedly urged upon the Government,
took all the heart out of the gallant soldier. In November he
writes, “No reinforcements yet arrived, one from France much
expected to arrive, our situation is critical.” --
Governor Rickets, at Barbadoes, had sent every available man
from there to the assistance of Sir Charles Grey, and himself
wrote urging the despatch of some troops “as he is now wholly
defenceless.” In November he was relieved of his command, Sir
John Vaughan, his successor, arriving at Martinique on the 18th
November.” In another set of papers the new governor is said to
have arrived on the 16th November. On the 24th Sir John sent
home his report on the state of affairs. In this report he gives
the total of the troops in the islands, after the disaster at
Guadaloupe, as only 1,500 men and 150 men in the artillery, and
as an instance of the dearth of officers, he states that when he was
at Port Royal there was only one subaltern there fit for duty.
Sir Charles Grey, in one of his numerous letters home begging
for reinforcements, writes, “so pinched I am that neither officers
nor men have more than One night a week in bed, sometimes
not that.” He was only able to keep the enemy in check by
constant patrols of cavalry in the streets of St. Pierre and Port
Royal.
In Sir John Waughan's report he complained that the reinforce-
ments expected, viz., 17th Regiment, 800; 31st Regiment, 700;
34th Regiment, 700, from England; and the 46th, 61st, and 68th
Regiments, each 600 strong, from Gibraltar, were not nearly suffi-
cient for the work, and to re-take Guadaloupe. He gives as his
* Colonial Office, Barbadoes, 1791–1794, No. 15.
+ Colonial Office, Windward and Leeward Islands, 1794, No. 3.
236 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1794.
>
opinion that “Martinique is the island of first importance to secure.
The present garrison there of 400 is miserably weak; it ought to
have 1,000 men more, and 500 men should be sent to St. Lucia.
This, he writes, would only leave 2,500 for the capture of Guada-
loupe, which was occupied by a force of 400 to 500 whites, 4,000
to 5,000 blacks, all well armed with muskets and bayonets.”
Lieutenant-General Prescott had kept a footing on Guadaloupe,
having retreated into Fort Matilda, but soon after Vaughan's
arrival he was forced to capitulate.
The prisoners taken by the French, according to the stipu-
lations of the capitulation at Guadaloupe, were to have been allowed
to go on board the English ships, but the agreement was not
complied with, and they were kept prisoners for over a year, during
which time many succumbed to the severity of their confinement
and died.
The authorities at home had their hands full in these stirring
times. Colonel Trigge (who had been promoted major-general in
March), the lieutenant-governor at Portsmouth, in the early part
of the year was much occupied, not only in providing for the
duties and safety of the garrison, but for the embarkation of
the numerous parties of the different regiments appointed to serve
as Marines in the different ships. On the 31st January he
writes that parties of the 2nd, 29th, 30th, and 69th Regiments
have been embarked as Marines, and he is constantly called upon
to replace such as have deserted Or are become unfit for service.
In reply to an inquiry as to what number of men could be sent
from the 2nd and 29th Regiments for marine duty in addition to
the detachments then serving, he informed the Secretary at War
that the Queen's could furnish two sergeants, one drummer, and
seventy-three private men more. On the 20th March he writes
that forty men of the Queen's came into barracks to be quartered,
but he has been under the necessity of sending them all to Ports-
mouth town. In April he again writes that the Queen's are
ready to furnish more men for marine duty. At the end of April,
the 87th Regiment having embarked from Hilsea barracks, he was
able to bring the remnant of the Queen's Regiment into barracks.
In June a detachment consisting of a captain, Subaltern, three ser-
geants, one drummer, and fifty men of the Queen's took charge of
a convoy of French prisoners and escorted them from Southampton
to Salisbury, delivering them over to the Derbyshire Militia at
that place. -
In May a scheme was prepared for creating a fund for raising a
battalion of the Queen's of 600 rank and file. In this scheme the
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 237
following sums were to be obtained by promotion and sale, which
sums were to go to pay the levy money of 15l. per man. The
following sums were calculated upon by sale of the commissions:—
£ .
Major to lieutenant-colonel ... & sº º tº e g ... 900
Captain to major ... tº $ tº © tº º tº º º e tº e ... 1,100
Lieutenant to captain ... tº & © e & © tº tº º ... 950
Ensign to lieutenant tº $ tº § { } tº e º tº e gº ... 300
Sales, majority in old regiment tº s º tº $ tº ... 2,500
Company ... & e e tº tº º G tº ºt & tº e tº º g ... 1,400
Two lieutenants ... e tº & $ e g * * * e e ... 900
Four ensigncies ... tº ſº e & e & a tº e e gº ... 1,200
Total tº º º tº tº a ... 9,250
The amount required to pay for levy money for 600 men at 15.
each being 9,000l., there was thus a surplus of 250l. for contingencies.
In August Lieutenant-Colonel St. John, who had been entrusted
with the formation of a new battalion for the Queen's, was informed
of the scale it was intended to adopt in promoting officers on their
providing a certain number of recruits. Major and captain were to
get a step of rank on raising 100 men. Lieutenants a step in
raising fifty men, lieutenant to captain-lieutenant on raising thirty
men, and ensigns a step on raising twenty men.
Major-General Stewart was on 9th September informed through
his agent that arms and clothing were to be provided for 600 men
of the Queen's, with the utmost despatch. On the 16th he was
given instructions to prepare a detachment of 600 rank and file
for foreign service. It would appear from this letter that to
enable this draft to be sent and to keep a nucleus at home, the
regiment was to be increased to twelve companies of four sergeants,
five corporals, two drummers, and ninety-five privates in each. The
augmentation being eight sergeants, four drummers, and 350 rank
and file. The 600 “detachment” was to consist of ten Companies,
each company to have three Sergeants, three corporals, two
drummers, and fifty-seven private men.
In the War Office Books there is an account of an augmentation
ordered to be made in January of one Sergeant, one corporal, and
twenty-four men per company, and again on the 24th September
an augmentation of one corporal and fourteen private men to each
company, bringing the strength of each company to ninety-five men,
or a total increase of 369 men. Two additional companies were ordered
to be added in the same warrant.” In the abstract for the cost of
* War Office, Establishment Book, 1794, No. 887.
238 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1794.
=-
the regiment, dated 9th January 1795, from 25th December 1793
to 24th December 1794, the amount is given as 16,742l. 2s. 3}d.
According to the old establishment, the quota of the regiment before
the augmentation was ten companies, each company consisting of
four sergeants, four corporals, two drummers, and eighty-one
private men, with two fifers for the Grenadier company. The
quota after the augmentation was five sergeants, five corporals,
two drummers, and ninety-five privates, with two fifers for the
Grenadier company. The two recruiting companies were to con-
sist of ten sergeants, ten corporals, and eight drummers and fifers.
The officers in the new battalion were to be furnished from the
independent companies.
Immediate instructions were given to the officers selected to
provide themselves with camp tents and equipage. Hilsea barracks
were to be prepared for the reception of the men, and an order
was sent to the Board of Ordnance for the issue of two fusils,
sixteen pikes, twelve drums, and 400 stand of arms. On the 23rd
September advice was sent of the despatch of a detachment of
500 men, which had been drafted from other regiments to form
the new battalion ordered to be raised for the Queen's and 45th
Regiment. The men were timed to arrive at Portsmouth on the
4th and 5th October, and were to be accompanied by non-com-
missioned officers belonging to regiments in the West Indies.
The whole were to be quartered in Hilsea barracks till embarked.
One guinea and a half was to be allowed for each man drafted
into the Queen's and the 45th, which sum was to be laid out in
completing the main stock of necessaries. The detachment was
inspected at Chatham by Sir Henry Dalrymple.
A letter from the War Office, dated the 10th October, to the
officer commanding the Queen's regiment at Hilsea, ordered him, in
view of immediate service, to do everything in his power to forward
the discipline and training of the men. He was ordered to report,
at once any deficiencies that might come under his notice as regards
either officers or men, in their arms, ammunition, clothing, or
equipment. Lord Dalhousie, who was in command, had applied to
the War Office for the allowance of battalion and forage money
for the officers, which was by War Office letter of 11th November
allowed. A curious order with reference to this augmentation of the
Queen's appears in the War Office papers. The heirs of General Jones
are held liable for the cost of the clothing, as the augmentation was
ordered during the lifetime of the late commander.
The increased regimental quota was again referred to on the 24th
November, when, by order of the King, it was to be increased by
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 239
ten sergeants, twenty corporals, and 380 men. The establishment
of the ten companies being fixed at four sergeants, five corporals,
two drummers, and ninety-five men in each. This is no doubt
a correction of the figures shown on page 237.
The agents, Messrs. Christian and Shaw, were on the same day
Ordered to send in a report as to how soon they would undertake
to clothe the augmentation. The new arms ordered consisted of
one sergeant's fusil, nine pikes, and 400 stand of arms complete.
This is also no doubt a correction of a former order noted on
page 238.
240
HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
C EIAPT E R X I V.
THE GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE.
1794.
CoNTENTS.—Strength of French and English Navy—The Toulon Surrender—
The English besieged in Toulon—They evacuate the Town after destroying
the Stores—Preparations at Brest—Bitter feeling of the French—
Departure of the English Fleet under Lord Howe from St. Helens—
Intelligence of the departure of the French Fleet from Brest—Lord Howe
captures the Lisbon Convoy—The French and English Fleets come in
sight of each other—Description of English Fleet, Armament and
Number of Marines on each Ship—Lord Howe signals to prepare for
Battle—The Bellerophon engages the Revolutionnaire—Marlborough,
Thunderer, Leviathan and Audacious engaged—Revolutionnaire draws
away—-Renewal of the Fight on the 29th—Signal to engage—Queen
Charlotte drives through French Line—The Fleets manoeuvre—Losses on
the 29th–French claim a Victory—The French Fleet on the 30th seen on
the Starboard tack—Fog prevents Action on 31st—The Fleets manoeuvre
for Position—The Position of the Two Fleets on the Morning of the 1st
June—Commencement of the Action—French open fire on the English
Wan—The Queen Charlotte engages the French Admiral's Ship the
Montagne—Montagne sheers off much damaged, followed by other dis-
abled Ships of the Enemy's Fleet—Barfleur, Thunderer, and others, go
to assistance of the Queen—The French Admiral succeeds in securing
some of his disabled Ships—Ships captured by the British–Losses on
board the French and English Fleets—Details of the Fighting of Ships
with the “Queen’s” on board—Queen Charlotte engaging is fired on by
the Wengeur and Achille—Engages the Montagne—The French Ship
draws away terribly shattered—The Queen Charlotte attacked by the
Juste and Republicaine—The latter disabled by the Gibraltar—Signal
sent up for a general Chase — Lieutenant Neville killed on board
Queen Charlotte — Russell engaged with the Temeraire, goes to the
assistance of the Leviathan engaged with the America—Russell captures
the America—Afterwards the Impetueux—The Defence first through the
French Line—Engages the Mucius and Tourville – Defence disabled
and towed out of Action—Royal George and the Glory engage the Sans
Pareil and Republicaine—Report of Jean Bon St. Andre, the French
second in command of the Fight–Lord Howe's Report—The victorious
Fleet returns Home—Rewards to the Fleet—King visits Fleet and
presents Sword to Lord Howe-Rewards to other Officers—The Detach-
ments of the Queen's remain on the Fleet under Lord Hood—Fleet
endeavour to meet the Brest Fleet.
BEFORE proceeding further with the history of the formation of
the two battalions, the service of the regiment in the Fleet and its
part in the memorable naval victory of the 1st of June must be
related.
£794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 241
The Navy of France, according to James,” at the commencement
of the war with England consisted of 246 vessels; eighty-six line
of battle ships, seventy-eight frigates, forty-seven corvettes, seven
gun vessels, and twenty-eight armed store ships.
The English Navy, including every ship—ships of the line, yachts,
frigates, bomb, fire, cutters, armed transports, and ships building—
was 411, out of this 153 are given as ships of the line.
As the actual strength of a navy is, however, its line of battle
ships, which strike the blows (the frigates and cruisers interfere
with the commerce, and may, in these days of quick steam passages
and high speeds, reduce the fighting powers of the line of battle
ships,) it is these which represent the actual fighting power.
It will therefore only be proper in making the comparison
between the two Navies, to estimate the relative strength of the
two nations in this respect.
According to the authority already named, the actual naval
strength of the two nations in 1793 was—
No. Of No. of
Ships. Guns.
English e - º tº e ſº tº E tº ... 115 8,718
|French tº º ſº © tº º ſº tº º ... 76 6,002f
but as the French carried guns generally of a heavier calibre than
the English, a calculation of the broadside weight of metal, gives
a reduction of the proportion of gun power, in the proportion of
88,957 English to 73,957 French, the weight being given in English
pounds.
The first great naval event of the war was the surrender of the
French port and shipping of Toulon to the English Fleet. Lord
Hood arrived in the Port of Toulon about the middle of August,
with twenty-one sail of the line besides frigates and sloops. The
French had in Toulon seventeen sail of the line, exclusive of frigates
and corvettes.
The admiral in command at the port was a devoted Royalist,
and his views were helped by a strong spirit of disaffection, which
had manifested itself not only in Toulon, but throughout the whole
of the southern provinces, against the new Republic. The French
Admiral and his supporters, thinking they saw in the presence of
the English Fleet a means of striking a blow at the Republic, offered
to deliver up the port and shipping into the hands of the English
and Lord Hood, the English Admiral, to encourage the Royalists
issued a proclamation promising if they would rely upon him and
-
* The Naval History of Great Britain, William James, Vol. I., p. 49.
+ Ibid., p. 57.
WOL. III. Q
242 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
declare their adherence to the Monarchy, he would willingly
co-operate with them in putting down the odious faction that
governed the country. The bulk of the Fleet with Rear-Admiral
St. Julien, second in command, and some of the Toulonites, remained
on the side of the Republicans. Lieutenant Cooke, of the English
ship Victory, having voluntered at imminent risk to land at the
port and endeavour to open personal communications with the
Monarchial Committee, who had been prevented by the disunion
of the parties from proceeding, as they had intended, on board the
English Fleet, succeeded in his dangerous enterprise; and a second
journey being taken, he brought back with him a French naval
officer, who assured the Admiral that “Louis XVII. had been pro-
claimed by the sections and that the latter had sworn to acknow-
ledge him.” On this, Lord Hood determined to land his troops and
take possession of the fort, but it was not long after the English
had taken possession that they had to sustain a regular siege by the
Republican forces. General Carteau, who was at Marseilles,
marched up and took up a position on the west, and Tapoype with
the Italian Army a position on the east of the town. The great
man Napoleon, who later on was to become arbiter of the fate of
Europe, directed the artillery attacks on the English position with
signal ability.
By the beginning of November the French forces before Toulon
amounted to nearly 17,000 men, and by the middle of December
they had gained such a commanding position over the town, that
the English Admiral thought it prudent to evacuate it, after
destroying all the ships and magazines; the dangerous but im-
portant task of carrying out the destruction being entrusted to
Captain Sir William Sidney Smith.
Before the year 1793 ended, the English had effected the capture
and destruction of 140 French armed vessels, including fifty-two
belonging to the Republican Navy. Our history, however, is not
with the general actions of the Fleets, but with that part of the
naval warfare that concerns the regiment. The destruction of the
French ships and stores at Toulon, though it had considerably
weakened the power of the new Republic, had roused up a spirit
of daring and resistance. At the great French port of Brest, whence
so many Fleets had issued forth to try their strength against
the British Navy, gigantic efforts were made to wipe out the
disgrace. It was said that “Never before did there exist in Brest a
Fleet so formidable and well-disciplined ’’ as that which was then
lying there, and the papers stated that “all burn with desire to
fight the enemies of their country to the very banks of the Thames,
and under the walls of London.”
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 243
The British Channel Fleet, under the command of Lord Howe,
left St. Helens on the 2nd May with a large convoy of merchant
ships, and on arriving off the Lizard Howe sent off his convoys with
the requisite guard of war ships, and immediately steered for
Ushant, arriving there on the morning of the 5th May, and from
that date till the 18th he cruised about the bay. On the 19th he
learned that the French Flect had left Brest. He left on the 16th,
and it is recorded as a singular fact that next day, on which there
was a dense fog, the two Fleets passed so close to each other that
the French heard the British fog signals, ringing of bells, and
beating of drums, the next morning the Fleets were out of sight of
each other.”
As soon as Lord Howe heard that the French Fleet was at sea
he set out in pursuit, and on the 21st he had the luck to recapture
a large part of the Lisbon convoy, which had been taken by the
French Fleet on the 19th. Part of the convoy effected their escape,
but the admiral captured ten ships, and, taking out their crews,
burnt the ships. From the prisoners Iord Howe learned the
position of the Frenchmen, and immediately put the Fleet on the
way to intercept them. Two or three captured merchant ships
which came to the Fleet on the 23rd gave further information as
to their position having only left them two days before. After a
long search, at 9 a.m. on the 28th the Fleets came in sight of
each other, the French, with topgallant sails set, bearing down
towards the British Fleet.
The French Fleet consisted of twenty-six sail of the line, and
five frigates, and was commanded by Admiral Villaret. The English
Fleet was composed, after the departure of the detachment sent with
the convoys, of twenty-six sail of the line, seven frigates, one
hospital ship, two fire ships, one blig sloop, and two cutte‘s. The
following are the names of the ships, with the list of the officers
and men of the Queen's present on the Queen Charlotte, Royal
George, Defence, Majestic, and Russell, the other ships carrying
Marines and detachments of other regiments:—
Queen Charlotte 100-gun ship. — Admiral Lord Howe, Captains Sir
Roger Curtis and Sir Andrew Snape Douglass.
Officers and men of Queen's :—Captain John Isaacs,
Lieutenant John Neville, and Ensign James Tudor,
five Sergeants, seven corporals, two drummers, and
120 privates (ten more men were borne CIn the muster,
but were absent).
Royal George ... 100-gun ship. – Vice-Admiral Sir Alex. Hood, K.B.,
Captain Wm. Dornett. Officers and men of Queen’s :
* James' Naval History, Vol. I., p. 142.
244
HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
Royal Sovereign
Earfleur ...
Impregnable
Queen
Glory
Gibraltar
Caesar
Bellerophon
Montagu
Tremendous
Valiant ...
Bamillies
Audacious
Brunswick
Alfred
T}efence ...
Leviathan
Majestic...
Invincible
Orion
Russell
—Captain Lowe Parry Jones, Lieutenant Andrew
Pilkington, Lieutenant John Smith, five sergeants,
five corporals, two drummers, and nineteen pri-
vates (three more men on the muster, but were not
present).
100-gun ship.–Vice-Admiral Thomas Graves, Captain
Henry Nichols. No Queen’s on board, all Marines.
98-gun ship.–Rear Admiral George Bowyer, Captain
Cuthbert Collingwood, 69th Regiment only.
98-gun ship.–Rear-Admiral Benj. Caldwell, Captain
George Blagden Westcott. All Marines.
98-gun ship.–Rear-Admiral Alan Gardiner, Captain
John Hutt. All Marines.
98-gun ship.–Captain John Elphinstone. 29th Regi-
ment.
80-gun ship. – Captain Thomas Mackenzie. 25th
Regiment.
80-gun ship. – Captain Arth. Jas. Pye Molloy. All
Marines.
74-gun ship.–Rear-Admiral Thos. Pasley. Captain
Wm. Hope. All Marines.
74-gun ship.–Captain James Montagu. All Marines.
74 3 3 ,, James Pigott 33
74 ,, ,, Thomas Pringle 5 5
74 3 * ,, Henry Harvey. 29th Regiment.
74. 2 3 ,, William Parker. All Marines.
74 5 5 ,, John Harvey. 29th Regiment.
74 3 2 ,, John Bazley. None stated.
74 James Gambier. Part Marines.
Officers and men of Queen’s;–Captain Robt. Donald,
Ensigns Chas. Boycott and Thos. Edward Hunt,
three Sergeants, three corporals, one drummer, and
Seventy-three privates (five more on the muster, but
not present).
74-gun ship.–Captain Lord Hugh Seymour. All
Marines.
74-gun ship.–Captain Chas. Cotton. Officers and men
of Queens:– Captain Chas. Ludwig Forch, Lieu-
tenant Jas. Kingsbury, Ensign Henry Harrison, two
Sergeants, three corporals, one drummer, and
Seventy-one privates (one more on muster, but not
present).
74-gun ship.–Captain Wm. Thomas Packingham. All
Marines.
74-gun ship.–Captain John Thomas Duckworth. All
Marines.
74-gun ship.–Captain John Willet Payne. Officers
and men of Queen's:—Captain Arth. Gordon, Lieu-
tenants John Lewis Eveleigh and Fredk. Peter
Delnie (or Deline), two sergeants, five corporals, one
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 245
drummer, and seventy-two privates (three more on
muster, but not present).
Marlborough ... 74-gun ship.–Captain the Hon. G. Cranfield Berkeley.
25th Regiment.
Thunderer ... 74-gun ship.—Captain Albemarle Bertie. 29th Regi-
ment.
Culloden ... 74-gun ship.–Captain Isaac Schonberg. All Marines.
Frigates, &c.
Phaeton ... ... 38-gun frigate.--Captain Wm. Bentick.
Latona ... ... 38 , , 5 5 ,, Edward Thornborough.
Niger ... ... 32 , 3 2 ,, Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge.
Southampton ... 32 , , 5 * , , Hon. Robert Forbes.
Venus ... ... 32 s, 2 3 , , William Brown.
Aquiton ... ... 32 , , 35 ,, Hon. Robt. Stopford.
Pegasus ... ... 28 ..., 3 3 ,, Robt. Barton.
Charon ... ... Hospital ship.–Captain George Countess.
Comet ... ... Fire ship.–Captain William Bradley.
Incendiary © tº - 5 3 ,, John Cook.
Ringfisher ... Sloop.--Captain Thos. Le Marchant Gosselyn.
Rattler ... ... Cutter.--Lieutenant John Winne (Wynne.)
Ranger ... - - 2 2 2 3 Charles Colgrave.
As soon as the two Fleets came in sight, Lord Howe gave the
signal to prepare for battle. At 11.10 a.m. he made signal that
there would be time for the ships' companies to dine. At about
half-past two the Russell, which was a mile to windward of
the Fleet, fired a few shots at the sternmost ships of the
enemy, who fired in return. At 6 p.m. the Bellerophon had an
encounter with the Revolutionnaire, and after a very gallant
struggle with the Frenchman (a much more heavily armed ship),
lasting about an hour and a half, having had her main cap disabled
by a shot, was obliged to take in her mainsail, her mainmast being
rendered unsafe, the ship made signal of inability and bore
up. In the meantime the Russell, Marlborough, and Thunderer
had been ordered to engage the rear ships of the enemy, and later
the Leviathan continued the attack on the Revolutionnaire. The
Audacious now got on the lee quarter of the Revolutionnaire, and
soon became closely engaged, while the Russell, Some distance to
leeward, kept up her fire on the big French three-decker. Towards
10 p.m. the Revolutionnaire was so crippled that she drew away, the
men on the Audacious declaring that at that moment she struck
her colours. The loss on the French ship was terrible, according
to their own account being nearly 400 men, the Audacious, although
terribly cut up, only having three men killed and nineteen wounded.
The Audacious and the Revolutionnaire were too crippled to
take further part in the fighting, and both escaped to port, the
former to Plymouth, the latter to Rochefort. It was a curious
246 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
circumstance that the French ship was rescued and taken into port
by the French ship Audacieux, after having been fought and nearly
captured by an English ship of the same name.
Next morning the 29th, the fight was renewed, and about
10 a.m., after some preliminary manoeuvres, the Invincible, Royal
George, Valiant, Russell, Queen, and Caesar exchanged broadsides
with the van of the French Fleet, seriously injuring the leading
French ship, Montagnard. The signal to engage and cut through
the enemy's line was made by the admiral about 1.15p.m. A quarter
of an hour later the Queen Charlotte drove through the French
line, the Bellerophon and Leviathan quickly following their gallant
chief. The two French ships Indomptable and Tyrannicide, who had
been terribly disabled by the Royal George and Invincible, were not
far from the Queen Charlotte after she had cut through the French
line, but leaving them to be brought to by the ships following, the
Admiral, after signalling the ships to chase, pursued the Terrible,
who was, however, Successful in escaping her attack. The Orion,
who had now engaged the Indomptable, was assisted by the
Barfleur, but the plucky Frenchman, though terribly pressed,
refused to haul down his flag.
By a clever manoeuvre the French Admiral extricated his one
disabled ship, and about 4 p.m. bore down upon the Queen and
the Royal George, which, being perceived by Lord Howe, he wore
round, and with other ships of his Fleet prepared to engage the
Frenchmen. This brought the two vans of the Fleet within random
shot, but no general engagement came on, and about 5 p.m. all
firing ceased. The casualties during the day on the ships with
detachments from the Regiment was only slight. The Royal George
lost her eighth lieutenant, George Heighman, and one midshipman,
fifteen men killed and twenty-three wounded. The Defence,
Majestic, and Queen Charlotte had each one man killed, the latter
her sixth lieutenant, Rawlinson. The Defence had three and the
Majestic thirteen men wounded. The total loss in the British
Fleet being sixty-seven killed and 128 wounded. The only
casualty in the Queen's detachment being one private killed on
board the Royal George.
The French papers claimed a victory, asserting the British
ships “set sail and ran away,” the Convention assuring the
French people that the battle, though not decisive, had been
“eminently glorious.”
On the 30th the weather, which had thickened, cleared a little
and the French Fleet was seen in the north-west on the starboard
tack.
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 247
The English Admiral, after forming his Fleet in two columns,
bore up towards the enemy, and at 10.30 a.m. he made signals to
the ships to know if they were in a condition to renew the action.
The whole replied they were, with the exception of the Caesar.
he fog again settled, and nothing could be done, but in the
morning at 9 a.m. the weather was again clear, and the French
Fleet were seen to the northward. Thirty-two ships were counted
and to the surprise of all nearly the whole appeared in a perfect
state.
The British Fleet stood Over to the westward, and at daybreak on
the morning of the terrible, but glorious, 1st of June they were in
latitude 47° 48' north and longitude 18° 30' west. The French
Fleet being seen about six miles off on the starboard or lee bow
of the British, and steering in a line of battle on the larboard
tack.
A general account of the fight will now be given, and afterwards
a particular account of the fight on the ships on which the Queen's
detachment served.
The line of battle of the British ships, which were formed in line
abreast before the commencement of the action, was as follows:—
Caesar (van ship), Bellerophon, Leviathan, Russell, Royal Sovereign,
Marlborough, Defence, Impregnable, Tremendous, Barfleur, In-
vincible, Culloden, Gibraltar, Queen Charlotte, Brunswick, Valiant,
Orion, Queen, Ramillies, Alfred, Montagu, Royal George, Majestic,
Glory, Thunderer. The frigates and smaller vessels in the rear of
the line.
The French Fleet were in close head and stern line, bearing
about east and west, in the following order:-Trajan (van or west
end of the line), Ecole, America, Temeraire, Terrible, Impetueux,
Mucius, Tourville, Gaspaira, Convention, Trente-un-Mai, Tyranni-
cide, Juste, Montagne, Jacobin, Achille, Wengeur, Patriote, North-
umberland, Entrepennant, Jennappes, Neptune, Pelletier, Re-
publicaine, Sans Pareil, and Scipion. Both Fleets carried single
reefed topsails. The relative strength of the two Flºets being
English twenty-six, French twenty-five line of battle ships.
The Fleets were in a position to engage between 7 and 8 a.m.,
the weather gage having on the previous day's sailing been ob-
tained by the English. Between 9.15 and 9.30 a.m. the French van
opened its fire on the English van. In less than an hour after,
close action commenced in the centre. Lord Howe in the Queen
Charlotte having engaged the French Admiral on the Montagne
after a smart engagement the French Admiral's ship crowded off
terribly shattered. Those of the French ships that were able to
carry sail, the action having now become general, followed him
248 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
leaving seven of their ships in a perfectly helpless condition to be
taken possession of by the English Fleet. The French Admiral,
after getting away from his terrible adversary and being joined
by several ships, wore round on the starboard tack, with the in-
tention of taking the Queen, who was lying in a crippled condition
on the starboard bow of the Montagne.
The perilous position of the Queen was now observed by Lord
Howe, who with difficulty wore round, and, with the Barfleur,
Thunderer, and a few other ships, succeeded in Saving the Queen.
The French Admiral now turned his attention to securing some of
his disabled ships which were being towed towards him, and which
ought to have been secured, being wholly dismasted, by the British
ships who had taken little part in the action.
He was successful, and the Republicaine, Mucius, Scipion, and
Jennappes were saved from capture by the British, the Terrible
having also escaped by fighting her way through the British
Fleet. -
The fight was practically over by half-past eleven, but it was
not until a quarter past one that the general firing ceased. The
disabled French ships not carried off by Villaret were not taken
possession of till about half past two, the Vengeur not till a little
after 6 p.m. X-
The ships captured by the British and carried into port were the
Sans Pareil and Juste, each eighty guns; America, Impetueux,
Northumberland, and Achillie, each seventy-four guns. The
Venguer was also taken possession of, but in so shattered a state
that she sank soon after she was captured, her captain and 200 of
her crew mostly wounded, going down in her. The total loss of
the English in the fight was 290 killed and 858 wounded, Captain
Montagu of the Montagu was killed; Captain John Harvey of
the Brunswick mortally wounded; Admiral Bowyer, Admiral
Pasley, and Captain Hutt wounded. The French are reported to
have sustained a total loss of 3,000 in killed and wounded, a full
half of which was in the six captured ships.
We will now relate the part taken by the ships on which the
Queen's regiment took a part.
At about 9.30 a.m. the Queen Charlotte having hauled down
the signal to engage came into action with the Montagne,
having steered a slanting course on the French line. As she
neared, the Wengeur opened fire upon her, but she held back her
fire till the decisive moment, when she hoped to close on her
selected adversary, the French Admiral's ship. The Queen Char-
lotte, desiring to be first through the enemy's line, set top gallant
sails andl et fall her foresail, this carrying her past the Vengeur
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 249
and abreast the next ship Achille, who also opened her broad-
side upon the admiral's ship. Upon this ship the Queen Charlotte,
returned the fire, reserving, however, her principal broadside
for the Montagne. As the Queen Charlotte passed under the
stern of the French ship, she crashed into her a terrific broadside.
The French ship Jacobin, which had come up under the
Montagne's lee, got also a broadside from the other quarter as the
Queen Charlotte came round on the starboard side of her big
opponent, the Montagne. Lord Howe, by the intervention of the
Jacobin, was rather bothered in getting round as he intended to
the lee side of the Montagne, he, however, continued to battle
away at her with his starboard guns, and a little after 10 a.m., the
French Admiral’s ship, having lost over 300 men and with her
stern frame and starboard quarter dreadfully shattered, drew out
of the fight, in order to get free from the Queen Charlotte's
terrible fire. Turing this time, the Montagne, for some unexplained
reason, did not fire a single shot at her adversary.
The admiral's ship now lay between the Juste and the Jacobin,
and having lost her foretop mast was a little crippled in her
movements, the Juste, therefore, wearing round, passed under
her stern, and gave her a raking broadside, one of the
shots passing through the wing-transom. At this moment the
Republicaine advanced to bear on the Queen Charlotte, and just as
the vessels were about to exchange broadsides, the French vessel's
main and mizen masts went by the board by shots from the
Gibraltar. In the confusion caused by this loss, she passed the
Queen Charlotte without firing a shot. The Montagne and the
Jacobin now bore ahead, and Lord Howe sent up signals for a
general chase. As before stated, the French Admiral then made
an attempt to capture the Queen, which had been disabled in the
thick of the fight, which manoeuvre the Queen Charlotte, with
other ships of the Fleet, were able to prevent.
During the close action of the Queen Charlotte Lieutenant
Neville, of the Queen's, was killed, and One Sergeant, one cor-
poral, and nine privates were wounded. One of the wounded,
Thomas Special, died at sea two days later. The total loss on the
Queen Charlotte was the seventh lieutenant and eleven seamen
killed, Captain Douglas, one midshipman, twenty-two seamen
wounded, besides the loss in the Queen's detachment. The whole
of the casualties, with a very slight exception, was incurred when
the Queen Charlotte bore down on the French line and engaged the
Montagne.
A picture was painted of the Queen Charlotte driving through
the line of French ships, illustrating the death of Lieutenant Neville.
250 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
The picture is by Mr. Brown, of Cavendish Square. The officers
supporting the dying officer are Captain Isaacs and Ensign
Tudor. An excellent engraving was made of the picture, a
copy of which is in the possession of the regiment, presented
by Major Mackie. The picture was, by the permission of the
Lords of the Admiralty, dedicated to them by the painter and
engraver.”
The Russell engaged with the Temeraire about 9 a.m. About
11 a.m. the Temeraire, seeing that the other French ships in her
van were making sail to leeward, went through the line closely
followed by the Russell. The latter, having lost her foretopmast
was not able, when the Frenchman hauled a little to starboard,
to follow, and found herself to leeward of the America, Ecole, and
Trajan. These three vessels poured each a broadside into the
Russell, then hauling to the wind and getting clear. The Russell
was not slow in returning their fire, and then passed on to the
assistance of the Leviathan, engaged with the America. This
latter vessel had, however, been quite disabled by her opponent, so
the two ships went to take up a position in the new line forming
astern of the admiral's ship. On the signal being made at 2.30
p.m. to stand by prizes, the Russell again fell on the America,
who hauled down her colours, and became the prize of the Russell.
The Royal Sovereign, when the signal went up to secure prizes,
not knowing that the America had been taken possession of
by the Russell, fired several shots against the Frenchman, and on
taking possession of her, Admiral Graves sent the Russell people
back to their ship. The Russell afterwards took possession of
the French ship Impetueux, Captain Payne having had thus the
honour of first boarding two of the French vessels. The damage
to the Russell, beyond the loss of her foretopmast, was immaterial.
Her loss in men being eight Seamen and Inarines killed, and
twenty-six wounded. The officers and men of the Queen's on
board escaped any casualties.
The Defence at the commencement of the action was rather in
advance of her own line, and had thus the honour of being the
first to cut through the French line, passing between the Mucius
and the Tourville, and was soon in the thick of the fight. It was
not long before, in consequence of the fire she had to sustain, that
both her main and mizen masts came down. The Mucius, how-
ever, had had enough of the Defence guns. The Tourville also
made haste to escape from her. Several French ships now bore
down upon her, amongst others the Republicaine, and the fore-
* Admiralty Minute Books, Record Office, 8th September 1794. Also 85a,
No. 243, Promiscuous Book.
©fie Glorious Jirst of June, 794.
Death of Lieut. Neville, 2nd Queen's Royals. Killed during the Action, while serving with the detachment of
the Regiment, on board the Admiral's Flagship, “Queen Charlotte.” On the left of the picture is Lord Howe:
on the right, Lieut. Neville, supported by the officers of the Regiment on board.
Painted by M. Brown, Engraved by Daniel Orme,
Historical Painter to T.R.H. Duke and Duchess of York. Historical Painter to His Majesty and H.R.H. The Prince of Wales.

1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 251
Inast of the Defence being now shot away, she was compelled to
signal for assistance. The Phaeton at about 1 p.m. arrived, and
took her in tow, bringing her out of action, with the loss of her
master, boatswain, eleven seamen killed, one master's mate, eight
marines, and twenty-five seamen wounded. Of the Queen's, Ensign
Boycott was wounded, four privates (Collier, North, Roberts,
and Hamilton) killed, and one wounded.
The Royal George and the Glory about 9.38 bore down on the
Sans Pareil and the Republicaine, passing through the French line
between those ships, engaging both. The Glory, being a slower
sailer, was longer in getting into action. After she had passed
through the enemy's lines, and ranged ahead, she found herself
opposed to the Sans Pareil, who had just loss her fore and mizen
masts by the fire of the Royal George. The latter had lost her
foremast and main and mizen topmasts, her wheel also being shot
useless and tiller ropes shot away, she was thus rather in a helpless
condition. The loss on the Royal George was one midshipman and
three seamen killed, the Second lieutenant, master, two midshipmen,
and forty-five seamen and marines wounded. The Queen’s detach-
ment only lost one man killed (John Hunt), they also, as already
noted, lost one man killed (William Pearson) in the action of 29th.
The Majestic does not seem to have taken a very prominent or
active part in the action but during the day she fell in with the
disabled ship Sans Pareil, who had been so nobly fought by her
officers and crew, sustaining a loss as stated of 260 killed and 120
badly wounded.
The Conventional Deputy, Jean Bon St. André, who was second
in command of the French Fleet, sent an official report of the action
to the National Convention, on which the light of accurate history
passes rather a harsh opinion. He blames several of the
captains of the French Fleet for not obeying signals, and asserts
that but for their gross neglect, instead of the French losing any
of their dismasted ships, they “would have captured all those
of the British.” He also asserted that he left the enemy in a
worse condition than himself. A strong assertion, for the question
naturally suggests itself—Why in that case did he not himself lead
the way in the Montagne by capturing the disabled British ships ?
An answer may be found to that, in the relation of his conduct
when the Montagne was sustaining the determined attack of the
Queen Charlotte. The terrible loss of officers and men on the
Montagne (100 killed and 200 wounded), did not number in its
* James' Naval History, Vol. I., p. 178. Note Victoires et Conquêtes,
Tome III., p. 20.
252 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
sad total, the conventional Deputy, who was so horrified at the
slaughter, that he prudently went down below.”
In the distribution of medals to the flag officers, the following ships
were those so honoured. The ships in which the Queen’s served
being put in italics: Queen Charlotte, Bellerophon, Leviathan,
Russell, Royal Sovereign: Marlborough, Defence, Barfleur, Invin-
cible, Valiant, Orion, Queen, Ramillies, Royal George, Glory, and
Audacious.
The day after the fight Lord Howe sent off his despatches by
Sir Roger Curtis, his letter is dated 2nd June, off Ushant. In it,
after shortly describing the action and sending list of the captured
ships, he writes, of the “determined bravery of the several ranks
of officers and the ships’ companies,” which he justly remarks has
been already “sufficiently denoted by the effect of their spirited
exertions.”
The disabled state of the Fleet, and of the prizes, necessitated
such attention, that it was not till the evening of the 3rd, that the
triumphant Fleet set sail for home. Steering north-east, Lord
Howe, with the major part of the vessels and the whole of his
prizes, anchored at Spithead at 11 a.m. on the 13th June, nine of
the ships arrived at Cawsand Bay, Plymouth, on the 12th June.
The enthusiasm in England at the great but Sanguinary victory
was unbounded.
The rewards for this first decisive meeting between the British
and Republican Fleets were not stinted. Lord Howe (who the King
desired to invest with the Riband of the Garter, but was restrained
by his Minister from political prejudice) was honoured by a visit
of the King and Royal Family on board his ship. The King held
a naval levee on board the Queen Charlotte on the 26th June,
presenting Lord Howe with a diamond hilted sword, valued at
3,000 guineas. The Royal Family dined on board the ship. The
two admirals next in command, Graves and Bridport were made
peers, Rear-Admirals Bowyer, Gardner, Pasley, and Curtis were
created baronets, Sir George Bowyer and Sir Thomas Pasley
receiving 1,000l. a year pension each for their wounds. Lieutenant
Grey, of the Queen's, was appointed senior lieutenant of the guard
attending on the King, and was immediately after ordered to
embark with a detachment to serve as marines on board the
Venerable, and an unanimous vote of thanks was passed by both
Houses of Parliament to Lord Howe and the officers, seamen
marines, and soldiers serving under him.
* Add. MSS. 23,207, British Museum.
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 253
The detachments of the Queen's remained on the Fleet until
November, taking part in the operations under Lord Hood during
the remainder of the year, cruising about Ushant and the Channel,
the admiral hoping the Brest Fleet would again try conclusions with
the English fleet. Hood sailed from England on 7th September with
thirty-four ships of the line. On the 9th he was off Ushant, when
he detached the Leviathan, Russell, and two frigates to look into
Brest Road. The wind changing he recalled them, and the Fleet then
bore down channel. Bad weather coming on, and the ships having
sustained some damage, he returned on the 21st to Torbay. He
again sailed in November, but was not fated to get at his adversary,
as the French Fleet did not quit Brest until nearly the end of the
year.
254 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
C H A P T E R X. W.
1794.
FORMATION OF 2ND BATTALION.—1ST BATTALION SENT
TO WIFST INDIES-ACCOUNTS OF ACTIONS THERE
—2ND BATTALION SENT TO WIEST INDIES.
CoNTENTS.—Formation of 2nd Battalion—Detachment landed from Fleet—
Ring's Letter about 2nd Battalion—Recruiting Difficulties—Old and New
Quota of Regiment—Letter of Adjutant-General about 2nd Battalion—
Cannon’s Account of Formation of 2nd Battalion wrong—Embarkation
of the 1st Battalion for West Indies—Strength on Embarkation—Lord
Dalhousie complains of his best Sergeants being taken from him—
Intended despatch of a Detachment of the Queen's with Duke of York's
Column—Two Companies left in the Fleet in Ships Russell and Venerable
—English Ministry disturbed at the progress of events on the Continent—
Vigorous Campaign of the French—They enter Amsterdam—English in
West Indies—Victor Hugues' Operations—Proclamation of the National
Convention of France freeing West Indian Slaves—Landing of the French
at Guadaloupe—Victor Hugues Gaims his first Victory—Carries Pointe à
Petre by storm—Drives the English from Grande Terre—Sir Charles
Grey's account of the state of Affairs—Sir John Jervis and the Fleet
return to Guadaloupe—They arrive too late—Capture of Guadaloupe and
Capitulation of the English—Cruelty of the Conqueror—List of
Camp Necessaries sent with Regiment to West Indies—Strength of
the National Forces—Draft of Men to complete 2nd Battalion—General
Cayler's Instructions—King's Letter and Warrant to form a 2nd
Battalion—Establishment of the two Battalions—Establishment and cost
of the two Battalions—Captain the Honourable James Ramsay and the
Detachment from the West Indies arrive Home—Order for Clothing for
West Indies—Queen's Battalion at Home to go to Guernsey—Strength of
Battalion—Specification of Clothing—New Establishment of Regiment—
Hair Powder discontinued—Detachment of Regiment landed from the
I'leet sent to Guernsey—Detail of Officers—Monthly Returns of Regiment
at Guernsey—Parade of Troops at Guernsey—Fleet with the Queen’s and
other Regiments delayed by contrary Winds—Breaking out of Fever—
Great Mortality in the Fleet—Fleet sets sail—Arrives at Barbadoes—
Queen's disembark at Martinique—The New Commander-in-Chief ad-
vises formation of Regiments of Blacks—Affairs in Grenada—Death of
Brigadier Lindsay—Defeat of the Grenada Detachment—Lieutenant-
Colonel Seaton defeats the Enemy—Affairs in St. Lucia—General Stewart
driven into Vieux Fort—Captain Hill with a Detachment of the 46th
defeated—Lieutenant Colonel Seaton recaptures the Position—General
Stewart evacuates the Island of St. Lucia—Success at Dominique—The
Regiment very short of Officers—Sir John Vaughan urges Reinforce-
ments be at once sent out—Minister replies that 4,000 Men are being
sent—Death of Sir John Vaughan–Appointment of Sir Ralph Aber-
crombie—The Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey ordered to get the 2nd
Battalion and 92nd Regiment ready for Foreign Service—Field Day and
Review of all the Troops at Guernsey—Favourable Report of the Regiment
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 255
Detail of Strength of Regiment—The 2nd Battalion embarks at Guernsey
—Embarkation Returns—Regiment arrives at Portsmouth—Reported
upon very favourably by General Cuyler—The King orders the 2nd
Dattalion to West Indies, and to be incorporated with the other Battalion
and made into One—Establishment of the new single Battalion—General
Quota for Regiments going on Foreign Service.
WE now return to the relation of the formation of the two
battalions. The detachments of the Queen's, all but those on
board the Russell and Defence, landed from the Fleet about the end
of November, and were put into garrison at Portsmouth. The
companies on the two ships named continued their sea service
until April next year, when they were relieved from duty in the
Fleet in order that they might be made the nucleus of a second
battalion which had been ordered by the King to be formed.
Lord ilalhousie had applied on the 6th July for the replacement
of the arms lost and damaged in the naval Service, and also for
those damaged in the engagements in the West Indies with the
detachment under the command of Captain the Honourable James
Ramsay.
Some difficulty had been experienced with the recruits drafted
from the other regiments, from their not being paid the guinea and
a half which they had heard had been given to the drafts from
Chatham. It was found also that the Officers who joined from the
independent companies were deficient of means to provide them-
selves with necessaries for foreign service. Lord Dalhousie there-
fore wrote to the War Office, on the 11th November, asking for an
advance of pay for these officers, and also requesting that an allow-
ance might be made, as the expenses fell very heavy upon them.
They were afterwards allowed an advance of 12l. each officer.
Colonel St. John (whose name recalls an old officer of the Queen's)
was employed to superintend the drafts and recruits, which were
sent forward to the Queen's and to the 40th Regiment. It would
appear that he had not been able to provide them with the proper
necessaries, many of the men arriving on board the transports with
a “woeful defalcation.” - -
There seems to have been a considerable amount of confusion
with reference to the quota of the regiment and the formation of
the 2nd Battalion. With regard to the quota, the strength per
company had, as has been shown, been brought up in January from
fifty-seven per company (by an augmentation of twenty-four men
per company) to eighty-one, and in September by an augmentation
of fourteen men per company to ninety-five. In the Order of 9th
September for the despatch of the regiment to West Indies, the
strength of the regiment is there given at the old quota, ten com-
panies, three sergeants, three corporals, and fifty-seven men per
256 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
company, and in this strength the regiment sailed for the West
Indies.
With regard to the 2nd Battalion, it would appear that on
the 29th November the Adjutant-General wrote about its being
formed. Cannon, in his history of the regiment, writes that when
the companies from the Fleet were landed they were, with some
independent companies, formed into a second battalion, and that
the two companies which remained doing duty on the Fleet
formed the nucleus of the 1st Battalion which was afterwards
completed. This is evidently an error. The regiment which went
out to the West Indies under the command of Lord Dalhousie, and
which was sent out under the old quota, is almost invariably referred
to in the documents as “the Regiment of 2nd Queen's,” though it
is in one place only called a “ detachment.”
With reference to the identification of the battalions (beyond the
fact that the battalion that took with it the major part of the
regiment should certainly be considered the first or old battalion),
the two companies and the men which were left with them, and
which were over the number required in the 1st Battalion, are in
the Monthly Returns of 1795 always referred to as the 2nd
Battalion. Also in the War Office Memorandum of Removals of
Regiments, it is noted on November 4th that the 2nd Battalion
embarked with the forces under the command of Sir R. Abercrombie,
and on their arrival there about February 1796, were drafted into
the 1st Battalion (which had gone out under Lord Dalhousie a year
before). Beyond all this, the actual warrant for the formation of
a second battalion was not issued until the 11th March 1795. The
King's letter authorising its formation being dated two days before.*
The 1st Battalion (called in the Embarkation Returns “a
detachment”) embarked on board the transports on the 24th
December. The strength given in the returns was one major,
seven captains, four lieutenants, five ensigns, one adjutant, one
mate, thirty sergeants, twenty-two drummers, and 600 privates.
The papers are all signed Dalhousie.f. In the Colonial Office
Papers it is stated that the following regiments were, on the
14th December, ordered to go on board the transports, which
were to be conveyed to the West Indies by the Fleet under
the command of Rear-Admiral Parker. The regiments named
are the 2nd, 25th, 29th, 32nd, 45th, and 48th Regiments. The
Fleet is here given as having sailed on the 15th February.
The strength of the Queen's is stated as 661.
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1794, 1795, No. 285, and War Office,
Miscellaneous Book, 1793, 1794, Vol. 542.
f Embarkation Returns, 1783–1798.
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 257
In another paper the strength is given at 680 men all told. In this
paper it is called wrongly “the 2nd Foot (2nd Battalion).”
Before the Fleet sailed Lord Dalhousie wrote, in January,
expressing his strong dislike to some action that had been taken
in discharging some of the old sergeants of the regiment without
his leave. One man, Sergeant Long, had been in the regiment
twenty-seven years. He writes, “I cannot be answerable for the
charge if my best non-commissioned officers are liable to be taken
from me when I am in most want of them.” Colonel St. John,
who had been in charge of the drafts preparing for the Queen's,
was in accord with Lord Dalhousie in this as in other matters
relating to the old corps. The regiment was all on board by
the 24th, the 46th embarking on the 26th. The regiment had
evidently been recruited very nearly to its full quota of ninety-
five men per company, as appears from a report in the papers of
the number of men left behind where it is stated that the
strength of the remnant of the regiment on shore was one
captain and the quartermaster, five Sergeants, fourteen corporals,
and 318 privates.
A letter had been sent on the 22nd December from the War
Office ordering 250 “drafted and independent’ men to be
taken from Chatham to Portsmouth by transports, towards the
augmentation of the 2nd and 45th Regiments.
Lord Amherst had also sent word that he did not object to the
formation of the 2nd Battalion that had been proposed for the 2nd,
25th, and 29th Regiments.
In the transports detailed to carry the troops a part of the
Queen's were put on board the ship Queen. The other vessels
conveying the 2nd and 25th Regiments were the Espiegle and
Orestes.
It would appear to have been the intention of the King to have
sent a detachment of the Queen's to join the Duke of York on the
Continent.
The number of the Queen's stated to be available for this
service was 110. The recruits coming from Jersey and Chatham to
join the Queen's depôt at Portsmouth were also to be utilised for
the Duke's required reinforcements. They were to be made ready
to enjbark on the transports at Portsmouth and Plymouth as soon
as possible. In the Admiralty Minute Books is the following
entry, dated 4th September : “The Ariel transport at Portsmouth
* War Office, Secretary of State Letter Book, West Indies, 1793–1795, No.
688.
WOL. III R
258 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1794.
being appointed to receive on board a detachment of the 2nd
Regiment, consisting of 110 Rank and File, now at that place and
convey it to Bergen op Zoom; their Lordships having directed the
commanding officer of the King's ships at Portsmouth to send her
to the Downs with the first convoy that proceeds thither.”
Captain Bligh, the senior officer at Portsmouth, was on 6th Sep-
tember (having advised the Lords of the Admiralty that the armed
ship Amphitrite, with a convoy from the Downs, had arrived at
Portsmouth) given orders that the Ariel was to be sent under
that convoy as far as might be necessary for her safety on her way
to Bergen op Zoom. From this it would appear that the detach-
ment of the Queen's had actually embarked.* The Duke was to
form three new battalions out of the men sent, and each battalion
was to be 600 strong; the other battalions were to be the 25th
and 29th Regiments. It was, however, determined later that the
battalions were to be formed in England. It is probable that this
rearrangement was the cause of the 1st Battalion, which was sent
out to West Indies 600 strong, being named 2nd Battalion. The
two companies which were left to do Marine duty in the Fleet,
were those commanded by Captain Sir Edward Baynes on the
Russell and Lieutenant William Grey on the Venerable. Captain
Sir Edward Baynes joined the Russell on 22nd August, but left it
on promotion on 12th May 1795. Lieutenant William Grey joined
the Venerable on 26th July and Lieutenant William Augustus
Holliday on 12th December 1794; Grey was discharged from it on
promotion on 31st May 1795, and rejoined as captain on 1st July
same year. Lieutenant Holliday left the ship on 20th February
1796, and Ensign Roy joined on 10th January Saine year. Captain
Grey (promoted 28th April 1795) and Ensign Roy, with all the
detachment, left the ship on the 23rd May 1796. The strength
of the detachment of the Venerable on joining was, besides the
lieutenant, two sergeants, one drummer, and seventy-three
privates.
On the 27th August the Duke of York sent a despatch to the
Minister Dundas, giving an account of an unexpected halt made by
the enemy at Turnhouse (in the campaign in Holland against the
French Republic), and of the attack on the advanced parts of the
the English and Dutch Armies, the enemy being guided by a
treacherous sergeant of an English Dragoon regiment. In the
Minister's reply to the despatch mention is made of the prepara-
tions that had been made to forward troops to Holland, which
troops had been collected at Southampton for another pressing
**—- sº--------
* Admiralty Minute Book, 112.
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1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 259
service. In the disposition of the forces it is stated that transports
were being prepared in the river to take the Queen's, the 25th
and 29th Regiments (after they were completed by recruits from
Jersey and Chatham to at least 600 rank and file), to join the
Duke of York's Army in Holland. A later letter on the 10th
September, however, informs the Duke that “their destination
when formed and fit for service must now depend upon circum-
stances, and a consideration of the various services for which it
may be necessary to provide.” This had reference, no doubt, to
the expedition then designed for the West Indies.*
The Earl of Moira had been appointed to command the relief which
had been proposed to be sent out to help the Duke of York. The
|Fnglish Ministers had been greatly alarmed at the turn events were
taking on the Continent. The defeat of the allies at Fleurus had
decided the fate of the Netherlands. The Duke of York had had
to retreat from Tournay to Renaix, and the Dutch General
Walmodem being obliged also to abandon Bruges, Ostend was thus
cut off, and maritime Flanders left almost at the feet of the
conquering French Republic. The vigorous operations of the
French Generals, Pichegru and Jourdan, left no time for the
English Ministers to reinforce the allies. On the 18th January
1795 Pichegru entered Amsterdam, and De Winter, then a general
in the French service, took possession of the Fleet he was after-
wards destined to command.
Before the end of the year, the English in the West Indian
Islands, who had been lulled into a false security by the facility
with which they had achieved their conquest there, were doomed
to have a rude awakening. While we were publishing proclama-
tions enforcing military contributions on our new subjects, the
French, disgusted at the losses in the West Indies, had sent out
an expedition which, though weak in numbers, was provided with
a powerful lever against the English, and a resolute and clever
man to work it. The expedition, which consisted only of two
frigates, two forty-gun ships, a corvette, and two transports,
with about 1,500 troops, was, as already noted, under the command
of the Republican Commissioner Victor Hugues, and he carried
with him a decree from the National Convention, conferring
liberty on all the slaves in the colonies. The little Fleet set out
from Rochfort, and by a miracle escaped all the English cruisers,
arriving at Pointe à Petre in Guadaloupe on 3rd June.
* War Office, Entry Book, Duke of York's Army, 1704–1803.
R 2
260 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1794.
--- --- --------—-. ...—- - -—--"º
Hugues at once landed a body of troops at Gozier, and prepared
for an immediate attack. In this he was successful. The hastily
armed French Royalists, though gallantly led by Captain
McDowell, an officer of the 43rd Regiment, soon retreated before
the impetuous rush of the soldiers of Hugues. The English had
had the misfortune to lose, just before Hugues landed, General
Dundas from yellow fever, his second in command, Colonel Clas,
also dying at same time. The French Commander now took
Pointe à Pitre by storm, and after an arduous struggle succeeded
in driving out Colonel Drummond and his feeble garrison from
the whole of Grande Terre, the English Commander taking up
a new position at Basse Terre.
Sir Charles Grey wrote home a long letter on the 9th July
from Martinique, giving full particulars of the unfortunate events
at Guadaloupe. In his letter he prays to be relieved of his
command, as he is no longer able to support it. “In short,” he
writes, “there must be a complete fresh staff appointed, for
all are dead from sickness or killed, and the corps of Artillery
and Engineers annihilated.” The total of the troops on the
islands, according to the returns sent with Sir Charles Grey's
letter, was 244 officers, 313 sergeants, 169 drummers, and 5,328
rank and file. Out of this, 1,498 were sick. The numbers
returned were said to be about twenty-five per cent. above the
actual numbers, as the returns taking so long to come in, the
casualties were calculated to be at least more per-cent. from
the time the returns were made out to when they arrived home.
The commander-in-chief estimated that 10,800 Horse and Foot and
740 Artillery were necessary to keep the field.
The main body of the British troops, in ignorance of what was
taking place at Guadaloupe were meantime preparing to go to
England. Upon news of the arrival of the French armament,
Sir John Jervis and Sir Charles Grey went at once to Guada-
loupe. General Hugues had, however, by the time they arrived,
so strengthened his hold of the place, and had armed, clothed, and
had so drilled his motley army of mulattoes and blacks, that he
was able ultimately to defeat the combined attack of all the
English forces, and, by a series of clever manoeuvres, aided no
doubt by the consummate ability with which he managed to enlist
the sympathies and gain the help of the native population, was
enabled to drive the English out of the place.
* Colonial Office, Windward and Leeward Islands, 1794, No. 3.
1794.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY IłEGIMENT. 261
--------— —---------- — -------
It was on the 3rd June that he landed, and on the 6th October
Brigadier Dundas, who commanded all the British troops that
were left, capitulated with the honours of war. The English
had taken up a final position at a place called Beville, where
they were at last forced to lay down their arms. All the garrisons
in the other islands had been drained to support the troops at
Guadaloupe. When the capitulation took place, the troops
captured were, the flank companies of the 8th, 12th, 17th, 31st,
33rd, 34th, 38th, 40th, 44th, and 55th Regiments. The whole of
the 39th and 43rd Regiments, three companies of the 56th and
65th Regiments, a detachment of Royal Artillery, and about 200
French Royalists.
It is sad to relate that the conqueror stained his victory with
cruelty to those of the inhaijitants who fought against him. When
it is stated that he was uninstructed in the art of war, his
success over the tried English Generals is a striking example
of his skill and enterprise, of which his countrymen were justly
proud.
An interesting return, dated 31st December, gives a list of camp
necessaries taken with the regiment to the West Indies:--
Twelve camp colours, ten powder bags, twenty drum cases, 188
hatchets, 188 kettles with bags, 1,064 wooden canteens with
straps, 1,064 haversacks, 40 water decks baggage, 40 pack
saddles, 40 palliases and holster cases, 120 sheets, 1,144 blankets,
40 coverlets, and one hospital marquee.
The strength of the National Forces at the beginning and end
of the year were as follows:–
ENGLAND.
Fel). Dec.
Cavalry 10,338 20,730
Infantry 71,239 107,739
Militia 34,718 38,042
11629; 165,520
I RELAND.
Militia 11,247 Not staled
T1,247
showing an augmentation in the forces
II, CI).
Major-General Alexander Stewart dying in December, Major-
General James Coates, from the 3rd Foot Guards, was on 20th
December appointed to the command of the regiment.
in England of 50,225
262 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1795.
In January 1795 the general officer commanding at Portsmouth
(Major-General Cayler) wrote to the War Office with reference to
the drafts of men that were being trained to complete the 2nd
Battalion of the Queen's. Captain Leatherhead's independent
company was intended to have been divided between the Queen's
and the 45th, but most of the men were, instead of this, transferred
to the Artillery. General Cayler had been informed early in the
year, in reply to his inquiry, that the “business of the 2nd
Battalion of the Queen's could not be immediately concluded.”
Not wishing, therefore, to lose time in training and forming the
men, he had been hard at work, and hoping that the augmentation
to the establishment of the Queen's would soon be sanctioned,
“as soon as he knew the number of men required he would order
the clothing and accoutrements.” Major Sir Edward Baynes, in
the papers referred to, is given as the officer in command of the
drafts of the Queen's.
On the 9th March the following letter from the King, giving
directions for the formation of a 2nd Battalion, was sent to Major-
General Coates, commanding the Queen's (the Royal Warrant is
dated two days later). “The King having thought fit to direct
that the 2nd Queen's Regiment of Foot under his command should
be formed into two battalions of ten companies each, acquaints
him there with, and sends the annexed state of the establishment,
as it is to stand from the 24th ult. The lieutenant-colonelcy of
the 2nd Battalion is conferred on Lieutenant-Colonel Petrie from
the 93rd, and the majority on Brevet-Major Sir E. Baynes, the
eldest captain of the regiment. It is also intended that four
companies and six lieutenancies in the new battalion shall be
offered to the officers of the regiment, and that the other com-
panies and lieutenancies in that battalion shall be bestowed on the
independent officers now serving therewith, or such officers as the
King may be pleased to appoint. He will, in course, be allowed
the nomination of the staff officers, the surgeon excepted, who is
to be recommended by the Army Medical Board. Desires he will
transmit to the Duke of York, with as little delay as possible, a
list of the officers whom he thinks fit to recommend for the several
appointments in the 2nd Battalion and for the commissions which
will become vacant in the Jst by the removal of the officers to the
2nd, including on the list the several independent officers who were
serving with the corps. The King conceiving it very material that
the position of the officers, in the event of a reduction of the 2nd Bat-
talion, should be clearly understood, is graciously pleased to declare
his intention that on a reduction of the 2nd Battalion, the youngest
officers of each rank throughout the regiment shall be placed on
1795.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 263
half-pay without respect to the particular battalion in which he
may happen to serve, the same rule of reduction having been
uniformly observed in all former occasions of the like nature. If
appears most convenient that the part of the regiment which lately
went on foreign service should be considered as the 1st Battalion,
and that the 2nd should be formed at home, appropriating the
detachments now on Marine duty to the respective battalions in
such manner as may bring the establishment of each to its proper
level, and as may best suit his interior regimental arrangements.”
The projected establishment was as follows:–
1ST BATTALION. 2ND BATTALION.
1 Colonel with a Company. No Colonel.
1 Lieutenant-Colonel with a 1 Lieutenant-Colonel with a
Company. Company.
1 Major with a Company. 1 Major with a Company.
7 Captains. 8 Captains.
1 Captain-Lieutenant. No Captain-Lieutenant.
11 Lieutenants. 12 Lieutenants.
8 Ensigns. 8 Ensigns.
1 Chaplain. 1 Chaplain.
1 Adjutant. 1 Adjutant.
1 Quartermaster. 1 Quartermaster.
I Surgeon. 1 Surgeon.
1 Surgeon's Mate. I Surgeon’s Mate.
32 Sergeants. 32 Sergeants.
40 Corporals. 40 Corporals.
22 Drummers and Fifers. 22 Drummers and Fifers.
760 Privates. 760 Privates.*
889 889
None of the appointments caused by the formation of the 2nd
Battalion were to be by purchase, and the lieutenants and ensigns
promoted on this occasion were to have precedence in their new
ranks over the independent officers attached to the battalions.
The order for the recruiting of the two battalions is dated 28th
February 1795.
In the War Office Miscellany Papers, on the warrant for “passing
an assignment of the allowance for the clothing of the augmenta-
tion of the 2nd Foot,” it is there stated that the regiment was
augmented by eight Sergeants, twenty corporals, four drummers,
and 330 private men from 24th September 1794, inclusive.
Further on, it is stated that the regiment was to be formed into
two battalions of ten companies each, each battalion to consist
of forty-two sergeants, forty corporals, twenty drummers, two
fifers, and 810 private men, besides commissioned and staff officers.
This shows an addition of five men per company besides an
addition of ten sergeants, or a total increase of 60 men.f
-— * War Office, Common Letter Book, 1794, 1795, No. 285, p. 36,
+ War Office, Miscellany Book, 1795, 1796, No. 548, -
264 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1795.
In the Establishment Books the pay of the two battalions for a
year is given as follows:–

No. of Allow - Allowances Allowances|| Total for
... º. Payºt, clothing. Agency. "...#"|...tº Bºſiºn
including | Regiment. fly Captains master and Major and Ol
Officers. p Surgeon. |Qr-Master. 365 Days.
- | - -
4st Battalion. |
|
£. 3: ..Q. , ś, sº dº | #, & 3 | # 3. d. £ s. d. £ s. . £ s. d.
949 13,015 17 11% 2,666 17 1 236 2 2; ' 565 0 0 210 0 0 18 5 0 16,742 2 3
|
2nd Battalion. | r
!
949 12,776 0 0%. 2,666 17 1 |233 19 7, 565 0 o 240 () 0 18 5 o 16,500 l 9
1,898 ||25,791 18 0 || 5,333 14 2 |470 1 10 1,130 () o 480 0 0 36 10 o 33,242 4 0
When Regiment was formed into one, the pay was as follows:–
1,158 16,159 15 1: 3,112 17 73,267 19 43 565 0 0 | 120 0 0* 18 2 o 20,243 17 2
|
* &J
The two recruiting companies–Total pay 1,497 18 4%
| i 4:21,741 15 6%
| |
* Paymaster only.
The first return for the two battalions is from December 1794 to December
1795, and the latter for one battalion united is from December 1796 to
December 1797. The return for 1795–1796 for one battalion united is
22,110l. 1s. 10; d.
The 90th, 2nd Battalion, 91st, and 97th Regiments were ordered
in March and April to be filled up by drafts to 800 rank and file
each, and to be set apart for marine duty to relieve the 2nd,
25th, and 29th Regiments. The Queen's, when relieved, were to
be stationed at Guernsey, the 29th at Jersey, and the 25th at
Plymouth.
On 1st April an order was sent to supply twelve drums for
the 2nd Battalion,
On the 20th April, Major the Honourable James Ramsay,
Lieutenant James Johnson, and the non-commissioned officers and
men of the detachment sent to the West Indies, were discharged
from the Barfleur, and joined the head-quarters of the regiment
at Portsmouth.
Major-General Cayler, commanding at Portsmouth, received
orders on 22nd April to send to the West Indies—after fitting
up the troops then embarking—a large supply of flannel waist-
coats and drawers, part to Sir John Waughan at Martinique,
part to Sir A. Williamson at St. Domingo, and part to Lord
Balcarres at Jamaica. He was also ordered to again apply to the
Admiralty for transports to carry over the 2nd and 29th Regiments
to Guernsey and Jersey, and to send with his application a full
list of the troops and stores to be carried. This list was furnished
On 27th, and gives twenty officers and 634 effective non-commissioned
officers and men,
22%resºlo {e used ºften 130Z § duroy He ſtaussula 7ta.2^*.

1795.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 265
In a specification of clothing and necessaries, dated War Office,
May 1795, the following is given as the outfit of a private of the
Queen's Regiment:- -
A Round Hat, such as is furnished to the Recruits of Regiments on
Foreign Service.
A plain Red Cloth Jacket, so made as to button close to the body and
to have a stand up collar.
One under Flannel Waistcoat, and Drawers of same.
A pair of Woollen Trousers to button over the shoes like a gaiter.
2 Shirts, 2 Pairs of Flannel Socks.
1 Back Leather Stock, and 1 Knapsack or Pack.
The new commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion would seem
not to have shaken down to his work, as a letter was sent to him
from the War Office on 30th May, calling his attention to the want
of the monthly returns, which had not been sent in since the order
for forming the battalion had been given. -
The King, on 4th July, sent to Major-General Cayler a letter,
informing him that he had decided that all Infantry regiments
should be brought to one uniform military establishment, and that
from the 25th July the establishment of the 2nd Battalion of the
Queen's would consist of ten companies—forty-two sergeants, forty
corporals, twenty drummers, two fifers, and 810 private men.
In a later letter of 16th July, the King informs General Cayler
that the 2nd Battalion of 2nd Foot should consist of 850 rank and
file in each, and the augmentation should be considered as having
taken place from the 25th December 1794, inclusive.
On the 21st July a note was sent to the commanding officer of
the Queen's, that it had been determined to discontinue the use
of hair powder for non-commissioned officers and men, and that a
circular would be issued for carrying it into effect without delay.
In April General Cayler wrote to Admiral Parker, informing
him that the detachments of the Queen's, the 25th, and 29th
Regiments were to be released from duty with the Fleet, by the
90th, 91st, and 97th Regiments. Each of these regiments were to
be completed up to 800 rank and file. According to a letter dated
13th April, the 90th Regiment was expected to arrive at Portsmouth
from Fareham on that day, and the relief of the companies of
the Queen's in the Fleet was to be completed next day. This
appears to have been done, as General Cayler writes on the 18th,
that what with the detachments of the 2nd and 29th Regiments
that have been landed from on board the Fleet, and with the
83rd Regiment and the Irish Artillery coming into the town, the
place was full to overflowing, and the landlords are not disposed to
make it comfortable for the troops billeted on them.
266 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1795.
On the 24th April it was decided to “transport that part of the
Queen's regiment landed (from the Fleet) and the recruits
belonging to that battalion to Guernsey.” Application was made
to the admiral for vessels for the transport. The admiral, in
reply, wrote that he was sending a frigate and two armed vessels
to Guernsey, to bring over the remainder of the 97th Regiment,
and the ships could, on arrival at Portsmouth, take on board the
“four "companies of the Queen's and return to Guernsey. General
Cayler inspected the companies of the Queen's between the 24th
and 28th of April. On the latter date, he informed the autho-
rities that he had discharged sixty-two men as unfit for duty,
and another fifty-two men fit for garrison duty were to be incorpo-
rated into the Invalids. By the 3rd May the four companies
were embarked on the Carysfort frigate and the two armed brigs.
Later in the month, Lord Howe having agreed to allow a
detachment of the Queen's on board the Russell to be removed
to such ships as might be appointed to carry them to Guernsey,
eighty men were, in accordance with the instructions, transferred
to the Carysfort frigate and the two brigs, and the whole pro-
ceeded to Guernsey. The detachment of the Queen's on board
the Venerable being then the only portion of the Queen's left
serving in the Fleet. In the monthly returns dated ist February,
it is there stated that the officers of the regiment then serving in the
Fleet under Lord Howe were :—Majors and captains: Sir E.
Baynes, L. P. Jones, C. L. Forch, Honourable James Ramsay,
and R. Donald. Lieutenants: W. Gray, B. Edwards, J. L.
Eveleigh, A. Pilkington, J. Kyngsbury, J. Johnson, and J. Michel.
Those with Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Dalhousie in the transports
were Major R. Raitt. Captains: H. R. Knight; independent,
J. Stone, independent, Tufnell (?); independent, G. Nesbitt. Lieu-
tenants: L. Walsh ; independent, H. Houlditch; independent, Parkes;
Ensign L. P. Walsh ; independents, Walton, Herring, and I. John-
son; independent, Surgeon's Mate, Wilson ; also in later return,
dated 14th February, Ensigns D. Johnston and Henderson are
given as being with Lord Howe's Fleet, and in a note, Major
Andrew Lane, independent, is given as attached to the Queen's.
The monthly returns from March to September give the station
of the “2nd Battalion " as Guernsey. The first return in which
this station is given is dated 1st March. In this return it is
stated that there were three captains, four lieutenants, one
quartermaster, and ninety-seven privates of t'e 1st Battalion
doing duty with the 2nd Battalion at Guernsey. In May there
1705.
267
NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT.
----------, -------
were four captains, three lieutenants, one ensign, one quarter-
master, and ninety-seven privates.
the full strength of the 2nd Battalion at Guernsey, including
those landed from the Fleet, is given as follows:
In a return dated 7th May
| ------ - ----------
Ships' Names. Captains. Lieuts. |Ensigns. Sergts. Corpl.s. Drumrs. Privates.
|
Carysfort - º 2 2 7 9 5 I 69
Liberty (brig) - | | – l 2 5 2 68
Valiaut (lugger) - | | – - 3 2 – 76
* * tº-m ºr l mº f
4 2 l I 2 16 7
- - | !
3.13
This differs considerably from the other returns noted, but as
it is given as “disembarkation returns” it may be relied on as
the most likely to be correct.*
Another return, dated in April, gives the strength of the
Queen's proceeding from Portsmouth to Guernsey
officers and 700 non-commissioned officers and men.
doubt, refers to the whole strength of troops being
transports.t -
In the War Office Letter Book are two returns, one dated 22nd
May and another 27th May. In the former return the numbers
given are five captains, two lieutenants, ten sergeants, ten corporals,
and 252 privates. In the latter return the number given are,
one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, nine captains, five lieutenants,
two ensigns, one surgeon, thirty-two sergeants, twenty-two
drummers, and 767 privates. The first return is signed by Major
Sir Edward Baynes, and the latter by Lieutenant-Colonel Peters,
so it would appear that between the 22nd and 27th of May, the
bulk of the draft for the new battalion arrived from Portsmouth.
A general order was issued on the 3rd June by the lieutenant-
governor for a parade of all the troops in the island of Guernsey, on
the occasion of the King's birthday. In this parade the Queen's
detachment was placed in the first brigade, and on the right of the
94th Regiment. The brigade was under the command of Colonel
French. - -
On the 24th June the whole of the troops in the island were
paraded for a series of manoeuvres. By this time the 2nd
Battalion had been recruited to over 700 men, Lieutenant-
Colonel Peters having been appointed to the command. In these
manoeuvres Colonel Peters was given the command of the first
as twenty
This, no
sent in the
* Colonial Office Transmissions, Guernsey, 1795, No. 251.
+ Colonial Office Transmissions, Transports, 1794, No. 109,
268 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1795.
brigade, which was composed entirely of the 2nd Battalion, the
Queen's, divided into two battalions, the first commanded by Major
Jones and the second by Major Aldcroft.
The Fleet, with the Queen's and the other regiments on
board, bound for the West Indies, was delayed for over six weeks
in consequence of contrary winds. During this delay a fever
broke out in Plymouth, with disastrous results to the troops both
on shore and in the Fleet. In a letter in the War Office corres-
pondence, referring to the situation of the regiments embarked
for foreign service, it was ordered that all such men as were not
in a situation to proceed upon the voyage were to be landed
from the transports, and every possible care taken of them.
Instructions were also given that any of the ships which were
supposed to contain infection were to be changed. Four or five
transports intended to have been sent were, in accordance with this
order, left behind.” Some idea of the malignant nature of the
outbreak may be formed by a statement that in Plymouth, in
one day, seventy men were buried, and that a regiment quartered
at Stoke lost 400 out of 600 men, the remaining 200 being left
unfit for duty.f
It may be interesting to note that the allowances to buy neces-
saries made to officers on embarkation was 12l. each.
Admiral Parker and the convoy sailed from Plymouth about the
middle of February. On leaving the Sound they were joined by
the Fleet under Lord Howe, who had been charged to ensure the
safety of the expedition, while close to the shores of our determined
enemy, the French. Admiral Parker, with the troops, arrived at
Barbadoes on the 30th March, anchoring in Carlisle Bay. He
had not been informed of his destination until the transports were
off Cape Finisterre. On the arrival of the Fleet at Barbadoes,
they found orders awaiting from Sir John Waughan to send the
25th and 29th, numbering 1,100, at once to Grenada.
On the 2nd April 400 men of the 46th Regiment were sent
from Martinique to St. Vincent, and on the 6th, the 34th
Regiment, and a party of artillery, left Martinique for St.
Lucia, the Queen's and the 45th being left to guard
Martinique. Š
* War Office, Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1794–1801, Vol. I.
# Major Everard's History of the 29th Regiment, pp. 186, 189.
† Colonial Office, Barbadoes, 1795–1799, No. 16.
§ Colonial Office Transmissions, Windward and Leeward Island Returns,
1795–1797, No. 353.
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 269
These two regiments, the Queen's and the 45th, Sir John Vaughan
was not quite satisfied with, the latter being composed entirely
of raw recruits, and the Queen's having so few of their own
officers with them, the other officers being from independent corps.
Sir John also strongly urged upon the authorities the necessity for
the formation of corps of Blacks.
It may be interesting here to give an estimate of the state of
the King's troops in the Caribbee Islands, dated 1st March.
Garrisons and all, including provincials.
Provincials, 4,207, deduct sick, 1,000 ... ... ... 3,207
English, 2nd, 25th, 29th, 34th, and 45th Regiments,
2,701, deduct sick, 600 ... sº e = * * * & & º tº gº tº 2,101
Royal Artillery, 316, deduct sick, 16 ... tº ſº & * * * 300
Total $ tº º we e e tº is a 5,608
Certain 'uctions, including killed and wounded at St. Lucia and
Grenada, b. ght down this total to about 4,845 men.
The detach nts sent to Grenada were soon engaged in active
operations. On 16th April a letter was sent home by Sir John
Vaughan informing the Government of the state of affairs. It
appears that the enemy had succeeded in raising an insurrection,
and had been so far successful as to take the lieutenant-governor,
Horne, and many other gentlemen prisoners. The unfortunate
death of Brigadier Lindsay, a few days after his arrival, who had
been sent to command the forces, considerably crippled the opera-
tions. A few days after the reinforcements arrived, a skirmish
took place, in which Captain Stopford of the 9th, Captain Hewan
of the 25th, and Ensign Baillie of the 29th were killed, besides
twenty men killed and sixty wounded. This reverse was caused
by a detachment attempting to storm the side of a steep mountain
defended with abbatis. On the 10th April, the 46th Regiment
having in the meantime arrived, Governor Seaton succeeded
in dislodging the enemy from their positions, inflicting terrible
loss.
On the 20th April Victor Hugues landed a body of troops on
the Island of St. Lucia, under two leaders named Massades and
Lombard. Brigadier Stewart, after taking possession of Vieux
Fort, proceeded to attack them. On his march he came upon an
ambuscade of the enemy, but in spite of being thus taken by
surprise, the flank companies of the 9th Regiment, and the Black
Corps under Captain Malcolm, drove the enemy back, Captains
Malcolm and Nesbitt, of the 9th, being wounded, after behaving
270 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Roy AL REGIMENT, [1795.
in the most gallant manner. The troops then continued their
march on Souffrière, the former battle ground. On the 22nd April
the enemy made an attack on General Stewart, with a force much
more superior in numbers than he had imagined could be collected
to oppose him. After an obstinate fight, lasting seven hours, Stewart
was forced back on to Vieux Fort. On the 7th May, the enemy
having been reinforced from Guadaloupe, appeared on the Calligua
heights in strength. Captain Carpenter of H.M.S. Alarm was at
nee sent to Calligua Bay. Apprehending an attack on the town
of Kingston, Captain Hill of the 46th Regiment was sent with a
party, including a field gun, to take possession of Dorsetshire Hill
commanding the town. Here they were attacked by the enemy
and driven back, losing the gun, which they spiked. They rallied
on Lion Hill. Next day our troops, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Seaton, moved against the enemy, and after a
resolute and determined fight, drove them from the hills and
recaptured the gun, Captain Waugh of the 68th Regiment being
killed and a number of officers and men wounded.
Soon after this, news was received at the head-quarters,
Martinique, of the loss of the island. It appears that the English
had been able to retain the possession of Morne Fortune, which
was of great natural strength, Stewart hoping to be able to keep
it till reinforcements arrived. The enemy, however, had so well
laid their plans for the capture of Pegeon Island, that General
Stewart was obliged to think seriously of retreating, in order to
save the remnant of his troops. With the energetic and able
assistance of Captain Barrett, of H.M.S. Experiment, this was
happily effected with the loss of only a few sick men, who were
unavoidably left behind. The ill-fortune at St. Lucia was a little
counterbalanced by the success of our arms at the Island of Domi-
mique, “every Frenchman on the island being either killed or taken
prisoner.”
The 1st Battalion is in the monthly return shown to be fearfully
short of officers. The usual return for the ten companies was one
lieutenant-colonel, one major, three captains, four lieutenants, and
five ensigns. Even this small number was further reduced by the
death, on the 10th of April, of Major Raitt, Sir John Vaughan
wrote home to the War Office, sending the names and ranks of the
officers of the Queen's who arrived with the battalion. Mr. Windham,
in replying to him, writes that he will make known to His Royal
Highness, the inefficient number of officers “serving with that part
of the regiment which is in the West Indies, and the long absence
of many of the officers of the other regiments under the general's
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL W 12ST SURREY REGIMENT. 271
command, and shall concert measures with His Royal Highness
for enforcing an attendance of officers adequate to the many and
arduous duties in which the troops in the West Indies have been and
continue to be engaged.” On the 4th July Mr. Lewis wrote to
the agents of the regiment, Messrs. Ross and Ogilvie, requesting
them to represent to the officers of the regiment the bad effects
resulting from their absence, and to desire them to join without
delay.
Sir John Waughan wrote home immediately after the disaster
at St. Lucia, urging most earnestly that fresh troops should be
sent. The Horse Guards replied on 29th June that every
effort was being made to help him, 4,000 men were being
got ready, and half of that number were already collected at
Portsmouth. On the 11th July they wrote again, informing him
that it would, they feared, be six weeks or two months before they
could get off the whole force, but that the 48th, 54th, 59th, and
79th Regiments had been despatched, and were carrying despatches
for him. Sir John, however, did not however live to receive
them, as he died early in July. Major-General Leigh, the
governor, was entrusted with the command, pending the appoint-
ment of a new commander-in-chief.
On 26th August a letter was sent from Horse Guards, informing
General Leigh that Sir Ralph Abercrombie had been appointed
commander-in-chief, and would accompany the forces now being
sent out for the relief of the garrison.
Governor Milnes, who had been appointed governor of Marti-
nique, arrived there on the 4th July in the ship Sampson. He
reported on his arrival that a severe gale on the 28–29th May
had dispersed the Fleet that was being sent out with him,
containing troops and stores. The Fleet consisted, before it left
St. Helen's, of ninety-eight sail, only forty-six of which arrived
at Barbadoes. He considered it as certain that two transports were
taken by the French, containing part of the 17th and 18th Dragoons.
“Another part of the 17th Dragoons is missing and supposed to
be lost.”
In the August returns for the West Indies, Lord Dalhousie and
Captain Knight appear on duty at Narin, along with Lieutenants
Parke, John Herring, and Ensigns R. Nilson, (?) Pearson, (?) Miller,
and Surgeon Fitzgerald. (?)f
* War Office, Secretary of State, Letter Book, West Indies, 1793–1795,
No. 688.
+ Colonial Office Transmissions, Windward and Leeward Islands Returns,
1795–1797, No. 353.
272 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; 1795.
On the 14th July orders were sent to Lieutenant-Governor Small,
at Guernsey, that the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Foot and the 92nd
Regiment were to hold themselves in readiness to embark on board
the transports that were bringing over to Guernsey Sir Robert
Stuart's Fencible Regiment and the Dumbarton Fencibles. He was
instructed to hasten the despatch of the troops by every means in
his power, as the service for which they were intended, was of “a
very pressing mature.” He was again written to on the 24th July,
that he was to use the utmost expedition to embark the troops as
soon as the transports arrived, but in this second Order, he was
instructed to send them to Southampton. The transports not
arriving, and there being two empty transports at the island, the
lieutenant-governor ordered these transports to be loaded with all
the heavy baggage and accoutrements of the battalion, so that not
a moment might be lost as soon as the other transports arrived.
On the 25th the lieutenant-governor had the whole of the
troops out for a field day. In the general orders after the review
he offered his thanks to Lieutenant-Colonel Peters, Major Aldcroft,
and the officers and men of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Foot, for their
performance under arms, and reported of them, “that the perfect
regularity of the dress and appointments, as well as their soldierlike
appearance, were worthy of the advanced rank this respectable
corps holds in His Majesty's Armies.” With respect to the com-
manding officer, he remarked that “his zealous attention to his
duties was consistent with the high personal character he had
justly acquired in upwards of twenty years' service, a great part
whereof had been spent in the most active and arduous duty in
the field.” The field return of the 25th July gave the strength
of the battalion as one lieutenant-colonel, six captains, five lieu-
tenants, four ensigns, one surgeon, thirty-eight sergeants, twenty-
one drummers and fifers, and 617 rank and file. On command
one captain, two sergeants, one drummer, and seventy rank and
file. In England six rank and file. Recruiting one sergeant and
one rank and file. Total officers eighteen ; Sergeants forty-two ;
drummers and fifers, twenty-two ; rank and file, 766. In this
return it is stated that four corporals, one lieutenant, one ensign,
one quartermaster of the 1st Battalions were doing duty with
the 2nd Battalion, Captain William Gray and Lieutenant Holliday,
1st Battalion, in command (in the Fleet).
On the 9th August the transports arrived at Guernsey, and
after being inspected the regiment commenced to embark on the
* Colonial Office Transmissions, Guernsey, 1795, No. 251.
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 273
11th. The names of the transports were the Lucy, Berkford,
Eagle, Rachael, and Sea Nymph.
The governor-general, in his orders dated 11th August, expresses
his regret at parting with “so valuable, so formidable, ard so
useful a corps” as the Queen's battalion, and begged the officers
and men to accept his warmest thanks for the pleasure he had had
in commanding them.
The embarkation return was as follows:—One lieutenant-colonel,
five captains, four lieutenants, five ensigns, one surgeon, thirty-
nine sergeants, twenty-one drummers and fifers, and 637 rank and
file (fifty being sick), three captains, one lieutenant, one ensign,
one quartermaster of 1st battalion not included in this return.
The transports carrying the Queen's proceeded by order to
Portsmouth, but on arrival there on the 15th August the agent
of the transports was informed that there were no orders for
them, so they proceeded to Southampton. Major-General Cuyler
inspected them while at Portsmouth, and wrote to the Deputy
Secretary at War that “whoever is to get the men of the Queen's
will be very fortunate, that battalion is composed of old soldiers.”
A letter was sent from the War Office on the 30th July, urging
the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to give directions for
the detachment of the Queen's on board the Venerable to be
relieved and allowed to join the battalion.
It had been intended to send the Queen's battalion into Hamp-
shire, in order to transfer many of the men to the 31st, 43rd, 48th,
92nd, and 94th Regiments, which regiments had been ordered for
foreign service. This order, however, for transferring drafts from
the Queen's was countermanded by the King, who, in a letter dated
3rd September, ordered that instead of this the 2nd battalion should
be sent to the West Indies and be incorporated with the other
battalion, so as to form one complete regiment under the following
augmented establishment. The regiment to have two lieutenant-
colonels, two majors (one of each serving without companies), ten
companies of five sergeants, five corporals, two drummers, and
ninety-five private men each, with an additional lieutenant per
company and two additional companics (each consisting of one
captain, two lieutenants, one ensign, five sergeants, five corporals,
four drummers, and fifty-five private men), which are to be con-
stantly employed in recruiting service. Two captains were to be
“en second ’’ in addition.
In a state of the regiment given on 12th December this establish-
ment is slightly altered, the King ordering that the fifty-five men
* War Office Miscellany, 1795.
WOL. III.
274 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1795.
in each of the recruiting companies should not be borne on the
establishment of the companies, but that the men recruited should
be considered as belonging to the body of the regiment. This
alteration reduced the full quota from 1,268 to 1,160 men.
The following is the new establishment as proposed for the
single regiment and the recruiting skeleton companies:–
Establishment of 10 Companies.
Rate per
diem.
£ s. d.
1 colonel and captain, 18s, without men, 6s. ... 1 4 0
1 lieutenant-colonel and captain ... tº $ tº ... 0 13 0
1 lieutenant-colonel without a company , , , 0 13 0
1 major and captain tº º ºn G tº º tº a º ..., 0 11 6
1 major without a company () 11 6
7 captains, each 7s. 6d. • * e 2 12 6
2 captains “en second,” 7s.6d. each 0 15 0
1 captain-lieutenant tº tº () 3 6
21 lieutenants, each 3s. 6d. ... 3 13 6
8 ensigns, each 38. ... 1 4 0
1 chaplain () 5 0
1 adjutant () 3 ()
1 quartermaster 0 3 6
1 surgeon ... tº gº º & O Úº O 3 ()
2 surgeons' mates, 3s. each () 6 ()
52 Sergeants, each 18. 2 12 0
50 corporals, each 8d. 1 13 4.
20 drummers, each 8d. 0 13 4
2 fifers, each 8d. , 0 1 4
950 private men, each 6d. , 23 15 0
Agent, 68. ... O 6 0
Totals 1,124 £42 3 ()
Two Recruiting Companies.
2 captains, each 7s.6d. 0 15 O
4 lieutenants, each 38. 6d. tº a tº ... 0 14 0
2 ensigns, each 3s. ... tº tº º tº tº a # tº tº ... 0 6 ()
10 Sergeants, each. 1s. 0 10 0
10 corporals, each 8d. ſº tº e © gº º ... 0 6 8
8 drummers, each 8d. gº º q © º o tº C & ... 0 5 4
Totals 36 Tº ſº o
Total in all, 1,160 £450 or
The King had also on 14th August commanded that his whole
Infantry force should not exceed 100 regiments, any regiments
raised above that number were to be disbanded after the war, and
the men drafted to other regiments. The establishment fixed for
* War Office, Common Letter Book, 1795, No. 288, p. 348.
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAJ SURREY REGIMENT 275
each regiment going on foreign Service was one colonel, one
lieutenant-colonel, two majors, nine captains, one captain-lieutenant,
twenty-five lieutenants, ten ensigns, sixty Sergeants, twenty-six
drummers and fifers, and 100 rank and file, also two recruiting
skeleton companies same as given in the Queen’s.”
* War Office, Entry Book, Secretary of State, 1794–1806.
S 2
276 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1795.
C H A P T E R X W I.
1795.
CONTENTS.—Strength of the Troops in the West Indies at the Death of Sir
John Vaughan—Great Sickness and Mortality—State of the Queen’s—
Great Losses by Sickness—Return of Troops to be sent out with the now
Commander-in-Chief, Sir Ralph Abercrombie—Ships appointed to carry
the Queen's—Fleet caught by a terrible Storm—One of the Transports,
containing the two Flank Companies, lost——Survivors of the Wreck
collected at Plymouth—Great Losses on the Fleet—Orders of the Govern-
ment to replace them—Sir Ralph ordered to proceed with the Remnant
of the Fleet—Some Particulars of the Losses—Lieutenant-Colonel
Harris with Part of the Regiment arrives at West Indies—Activity of
Victor Hugues—Lands a Party at Vauclin—Attempt to surprise a
Party of the Queen's at Narin—Party reinforced—Lord Dalhousie
attacks the French—Advances in three small Columns—Gallant Fight—
Lord Dalhousie wounded—Capture of Vauclin—Pursuit of the Enemy
—Capture of the Colours—Killed and Wounded—Portable Telegraph—
Payment of the Troops in “Joes”—Care of Sir Ralph Abercrombie for
the Conduct of the Campaign—Particulars of Preparation of Troops for
the Expedition—Complaint of the Ships carrying Trade Goods to the
Discomfort and Delay of the Expedition—Strength of the Army in
England and Ireland–Particulars of Jamaica and the Maroons—Negroes
sign the Articles of Pacification—Trelawney Town Maroons break out—
Declare their intention to wage War against the White People—Earl
of Balcarres, the Governor, keeps back Troops to meet Emergency—
Maroons summoned to surrender—Colonel Sandford falls into an Am-
bush, losing heavily, and is himself killed—Colonel Fitch, his Successor,
with his Party, meets a similar Fate——General Walpole cuts off the Water
Supply to the Maroon Camp—Inhuman Atrocities of the Maroons—
Their terror of Dogs—They sue for Peace—Deported to Nova Scotia—
Arrive at Halifax——Sword of Honour presented to the Earl of Balcarres
—Jamaica Assembly pass a Wote of Thanks for the Gallant Services of
the Regulars and Militia.
AT the death of Sir John Waughan the total of the troops
available for duty was 210 officers and 4,618 men. This was
exclusive of 1,544 men sick in hospital and quarters. The Queen's
regiment was returned at same date as numbering eleven officers
and 394 rank and file fit for duty, and eighty-nine sick.
General Leigh reported the state of the Army in August, Sep-
tember, and October as very bad. General Nichols had written
from Grenada urgently requesting help from Leigh. He reported
an alarming increase in sickness in the 25th Regiment, and “no
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 277
abatement of the dreadful fever that rages in the 29th Regiment.”
General Leigh reported to Mr. Dundas on the 2nd October that he
had sent the 40th, 54th, and 59th Regiments to the relief of St.
Vincent. In this report he laments the distressed state of the
Army from sickness and death. In one regiment, out of a total of
411 rank and file, 312 were in the sick return.
The mortality in the Queen's regiment in this year was very
high. The following is the return for all the months except
January, February, and March, which appear to have been lost —

Sick in Sick in Dead since º r
gas-mmº Hospital. Quarters. last Return. Fit for Duty. Total.
April - º 14 - assº -º-º- 582 596
May - as 14 152 50 377 540
June - * 62 39 47 397 498
July - - 43 43 14 398 484
August tº- 40 48 15 382 470
September - 44 61 19 344 449
October - - 48 66 19 315 430
November - 205 - 44 18] 386
December º 113 74 20 I69 366
228
In these returns there is noted that a detachment was away “on
command *; in July the number in the detachment was 215, in
August 213, and in September 208. In October the detachment
rejoined the depôt at Martinique. This detachment at Narin was
under the command of Lord Dalhousie, and with him were Captain
Knight, Lieutenants Parker and Herring, Ensigns Pierson and Miller,
and Surgeon Fitzgerald. In September Captain Hill and Ensigns
Walsh and Burkett were sent to the detachment.
A return was made in November of the troops that were being
prepared to send out under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie,
which was as follows:—
26 troops, Light Dragoons, English and Irish Artillery.
1st Brig. Inf, 14th, 27th, 28th, & 57th Foot. Total, 2997 rank & file.
2nd , , ,, 3rd, 19th, 31st, & 33rd , , ,, 3947 5 *
3rd , , ,, 8th, 37th, 44th, & 55th , ,, 2340 3 2
4th , , ,, 38th, 48th, 53rd, & 63rd , , 2493 3 3
5th , , ,, The Queen’s, 10th, 25th,
29th, & 88th , , ,, 2354 5 3
6th , , , , #. grºwing & 42nd 5 3 ,, 1878 93.
The total of rank and file, including hospital corps, was estimated
at 16,206 men. . .
278 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1795.
Instructions were given to the general on the 26th November
at Portsmouth, where the Fleet carrying the troops assembled,
as to the conduct of the expedition; and he was directed to set sail
with the first fair wind that might arise after the 28th instant. In
the embarkation returns of the Fleet, which was under the command
of Admiral Christian, the ships appointed to carry the Queen's
regiment were the King George, 776 tons, 400 troops; Portland, 357
tons, 178 troops; Belfast, 357 tons, 180 troops; total, 758. The
actual number shipped were 50 short of this total number, being
twenty-four officers, thirty-four sergeants, nineteen drummers,
and 549 rank and file fit for duty. In addition to this there were
the sick five sergeants, two drummers and seventy-five rank and
file, which, with forty women, making a gross total of 748. It
appears from a certificate in the pay lists, that the Grenadier
company of the battalion was put on board the Dutton East
Indiaman, and three other companies commanded by Captains
Gordon, Hales, and Eveleigh, were in the Prince transport.
The Fleet, soon after leaving port, was caught by a terrible
gale in the Channel, which strewed the coast with wreckage. The
Prince transport was wrecked on Selsea Bill and the Dutton was
driven on shore and wrecked at Plymouth and the men that were
saved were collected at Plymouth under the command of Major
Eyre.” It was estimated that at least 11,000 men were, by this
terrible storm, compelled to return. The Government, as soon as
they realised the disaster to the Fleet which had so completely
crippled the proposed expedition, issued instructions for fresh troops
to assemble to replace those that were lost. They also sent word
to Sir Ralph Abercrombie that he was to proceed with the
remnant of the troops, and if he found it advisable he was to
make an attack on St. Domingo before proceeding against Guada-
loupe and St. Lucia. The troops to replace those lost were to
consist of the 12th and 90th Regiments (the latter afterwards
changed to the 38th). Some foreign troops were also sent. By
the 1st April (1796) the Government hoped they would be able
to dispatch 4,000 English troops besides the foreign mercenaries,
which in a later letter were estimated to number 6,000 men. A
letter to Major-General Leigh from the Horse Guards at the
beginning of 1796, gives a full account of the fearful loss caused by
the hurricane. It states that thirty transports were obliged to return
to England, and “near one hundred sail are missing, most of which
will probably have proceeded separately to Barbadoes.”
* Pay Lists, I'797, P.R.O.
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 279
^T ~~~~~~-- - - - - -———--------...--—------
The returns of the Windward and Leeward Islands for next year
report the arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel Harris with six companies,
371 men. The number according to these returns, that were, in
consequence of the storm, lost to the regiment and to the expe-
dition was 395. After the officers had collected the men from the
Wrecked ships they were marched to Chichester, where they
remained until on the 2nd February, when they marched to
Portsmouth and were quartered at Hilsea barracks.”
On the 7th December about 150 Mulattos and Negroes of the
enemy from St. Lucia landed near Vauclim. They had with them
four small field pieces. The Republican Commissioner, Victor
Hugues, had been very active, and having gained a footing in
St. Lucia, he was enabled to keep the garrisons at Martinique
in a constant state of alarm by his intrigues. The distance of
Martinique from St. Lucia being only twenty-one miles, he was
able, by spies communicating with the disaffected, to get information
of the exact state of affairs. He had also been informed of the
dispatch of Sir Ralph Abercrombie from England, and had, accord-
ing to the evidence of prisoners afterwards captured, resolved to
attack Martinique with a considerable force as a means of impeding
Sir Ralph's apprehended attack on Guadaloupe. His plan was, had
the first division made good their landing, to communicate by
signals with three schooners, with sixty men in each, who were to
join from him St. Lucia, Victor Hugues himself sending a frigate
from Guadaloupe with a reinforcement which was to land at Basse
Point and get possession of Morne Colebasse. Governor Milne,
apprehensive of an attack from St. Lucia, had asked General Leigh
to send eighty men of the Queen's to Narin, and had also (in
addition to the armed vessels employed there) ordered up eleven
armed canoes for the protection of the creeks, and to prevent any
communication with St. Lucia. The armed canoes, however, do not
seem to have performed their duty well.
On the 7th December a few Mulattos landed at Rivière Pilote,
a village directly opposite to St. Lucia, and having been joined by
thirty Negroes belonging to Martinique, a plot was laid to surprise
the post at Narin and attack the houses of the proprietors there
inimicable to them. The landing took place very early in the
morning, near where the detachment of the Queen's regiment under
Lord Dalhousie was stationed. An express messenger arrived
* Colonial Office, Transmissions, 1796–1797, No. 23, February 17th, and
War Office, Monthly Returns, 1776–1811, Bundle 1, and Marching Orders,
1796.
280 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1795.
at Narin between nine and ten o'clock in the morning, with an
account that a schooner flying English colours had at 8 p.m. that
morning anchored in the bay of Vauclin, close to the town, and
immediately disembarked a detachment of Republican troops, who
at once took post in a hill deeply covered with brushwood. Lord
Dalhousie being at the moment the messenger arrived, out riding, the
officer in command, Captain Knight, immediately ordered out thirty
men of the Queen's, the Mulattoe company of Narin, and a troop of
Volunteer Light Cavalry formed of the gentlemen of Natin, the
whole consisting of about eighty men, and marched to Vauclin. As
soon as Lord Dalhousie received the news he at Once returned
to Narin, and ordered out fifty more men of the Queen's to reinforce
Captain Knight, and himself followed to Vauclim as fast as he
could, arriving there about twelve noon almost as soon as Captain
Rnight. There Lord Dalhousie was informed that the enemy
had taken post in the town and had fortified themselves in the
church, the Militia retreating before them. The troops in Vauclin
besides the Militia consisted of sixty men of the Mulattoe company
and a small troop of Volunteer Horse. The design of the enemy
was evidently to hold Vauclin and the neighbouring heights, and
then, after collecting the disaffected inhabitants, and with further
aid from St. Lucia, to organise a force to enable them to march on
St. Pierre, Lord Dalhousie resolved to at once attack them and
drive them out of the town, thus isolating them from further succour
and trusting to be able to surround them on the arrival of fresh
troops which he had ordered up. Accordingly, he rather incautiously
divided his very small force into three columns, No. 1 con-
sisting of the twenty-five men of the Volunteer Light Cavalry
dismounted, No. 2 sixty of the Mulattoe Militia under the major,
and No. 3 thirty men of the Queen's and thirty Mulattos. No. 1
column was ordered to make a feint on that part of the town
near the sea, while the two other columns, under the command of
Lord Dalhousie, were to attack the town on two opposite points
towards the hill. The attack was made with the greatest bravery
and resolution at the point of the bayonet, but they found the
enemy had posted themselves so strongly, that after No. 2 and
3 columns had entered the town, they were forced to retire before
the heavy fire which was poured upon them from the windows of
the houses and from behind the walls. The 3rd column, led in
person by Lord Dalhousie, lost heavily, he himself being shot in
the leg, losing also of the Queen's two sergeants and four privates
killed, Captain Knight was also slightly wounded, and one sergeant
and five privates of the Queen's, wounded. The Militia lost
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 281
ten privates killed, and one officer, one drummer, and fifteen
privates wounded. Governor Milnes, in sending an account of
the affair, writes, “Lord Dalhousie behaved most gallantly,”
it was reported that his wound was not dangerous, but the
doctors recommended him to return home. All accounts agree in
stating that he had made himself much liked by both inhabitants
and soldiers. -
On the fall of Lord Dalhousie, Lieutenant-Colonel Souter, with
whom was Monsieur Dugue, with the Black Corps and Militia, who
had in the meantime come up, took up the command, and sur-
rounded the village with the intention of capturing the enemy. In
the morning Colonel Souter and his troops entered the town, but
found the enemy had gone, leaving a large store of ammunition and
arms. They immediately went in pursuit and soon came up with
them, and after a smart action captured their colours, killing and
wounding a large portion and taking many prisoners. A few
escaped, throwing down their arms. The total number of killed and
wounded of the King's forces in the whole affair is given as 100
killed and wounded, with the addition of about thirty of the Queen's
regiment. Governor Milnes, in writing an account of the affair to
the Duke of Portland, which was taken home by Lord Dalhousie,
says, “I am sure your Grace will not require me to make any
apologies for introducing Lord Dalhousie, this colony owes him
So much for his gallant conduct at Vauclim.”
Lieutenant-Colonel Cockrane (or Cockrane Johnstone), command-
ing in Dominica, writing on 23rd January next year to Mr. Dundas,
refers to the conduct of the Queen's under Lord Dalhousie,
which he believes “will check the enemy, and they will not be likely
to undertake a similar attempt.”
A portable telegraph appears to have been sent out by the
Government to assist Sir R. Abercrombie in his operations in the
West Indies, the cost of which was 180l. 18. 7}d.
A curious instance of the way in which our troops were
paid, when on foreign service, is related in the Colonial Papers.
It appears that the soldiers were paid in dollars and “Joes,” but
the dollar was seldom issued, payment being invariably made in
“Joes.” This coin was manufactured in Birmingham at a cost of
1!. 18, each, and on arriving in the West Indies, the Government
there granted Bills upon the Treasury, at thirty days, at the rate
of 11. 17s. 4d. for each “Joe.”f
*-----
* Colonial Office, Windward and Leeward Islands, 1793–1797, No. 2.
+ Ibid.
282 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1795.
Sir Ralph Abercrombie had taken great pains with his prepara-
tion for the expedition. A board had been appointed by him to
consider regulations for the better preservation of the health of
the troops on service in the West Indies. These regulations
included discipline on board the transports, cleanliness and clothing,
ventilation, diet, healthy situations for the troops, discipline and
exercise, season for military operations, duties of fatigue, bites of
insects, &c., &c.
A letter and report of the medical equipment for the forces
Ordered for embarkation was issued on the 10th November. In
this report, it is stated that the number of British regiments
assembled at Southampton amounted to twenty battalions,
“including three second battallions, viz., 2nd, 25th, and 29th.”
In the War Office Memorandum of removals of regiments
variously dated, it is stated that the 2nd battalion of the Queen's
embarked under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, for the
Leeward and Windward Islands, and on its arrival there was
drafted into the 1st battalion, the establishment of these battalions
is stated in the memorandum to be from 800 to 1,000 men each,
except the 2nd battalion, which was from 400 to 600. Though the
medical staff of each regiment ought to have consisted of a surgeon
and a mate, many were without a mate. All incapable men such
as the aged, boys, men ruptured or having Sore legs, were ordered
to be removed from the regiments, the inspection of which con-
tinued to the last hour of the embarkation from Southampton.
A certain number of soldiers were appointed by Sir Ralph for
the hospital service, and a corps of artificers was to be appointed,
as proposed by the Barrackmaster-General of Domingo. When
Sir Ralph came home for a short rest next year, he busied himself
in making careful arrangements for the transport of the fresh
troops. It would appear that some difficulty had been experienced
in the embarkation, from officers of other regiments being embarked
with the troops. Sir Ralph writes, “However disagreeable it may
be, the officers embarked with the troops going to the West Indies
must be subject to receive on board such officers belonging to
other corps who may be assigned to take their passage with
them.” -
From a letter of Admiral Christian, written on November 14th,
it appears that Sir Ralph Abercrombie had been complaining of
the delay caused to the expedition by the ships receiving on
board so much private trade, to the exclusion of the men's baggage
and the amunition. As the ships were entirely for the use of the
expedition, Admiral Christian comments strongly on the negligence
* The First Battalion is here called Second.
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 283
and dishonesty of the proceedings of the traders, and hopes that
instructions will be at Once sent to put an end to the abuse.
The total strength of the National Forces on 1st February this
year is given as follows:—
England. Ireland. Totals.
Cavalry g º & tº gº tº 20,482 3,164 23,646
Infantry © tº ſº. gº tº ſº 106,009 6,765 112,774
Militia is & º tº $ tº 38,430 13,645 52,075
164,921 23,574 188,495
A curious print dedicated to Sir E. Young, Bart., in 1801,
entitled “Pacification of the Maroons,” has a grenadier on duty
with the old badge of the Queen's in his cap. The most diligent
search has failed to make out the cause of this Queen's grenadier
being in Jamaica, but there is little doubt that as the regiment
was from 1795 to 1797 in the West Indies, small parties had
been detailed to attend on the governors at the different places in
the West Indies.
The island of Jamaica, where these rather remarkable Negroes
were on revolt, was conquered from the Spaniards during the
Commonwealth, in the year 1655, by a joint expedition under
Admiral Peirce and General Venables. The 1,500 black slaves,
on the change of masters, retreated to the mountains and became,
as it was predicted they would be, a veritable thorn in the sides
of the English.
In 1656 Colonel D'Oyley finally completed the subjugation of
the island from the Spaniards, and the main body of the Maroons,
under the command of a Negro named Juan de Bolas, Surrendered,
but a portion remaining in the woods and being frequently
recruited with the fugitive slaves, they became a formidable
body, and often came down and robbed and murdered the
planters on their estates. In 1663 the then Lieutenant-Governor,
Sir Charles Littleton, offered a free pardon and twenty acres
of land to each Maroon if they would surrender, but they
preferred to defy the law, and their former leader, Juan de Bolas,
now colonel of a Black Regiment, was sent out against them.
He fell into an ambuscade with his men, and was cut to pieces.
From this time they began to be a most formidable body, and in
* The word Maroon as applied to these Negroes is said to have been given
them in consequence of the Woods on the hills abounding in wild pigs,
which the Negroes hunted. The Spanish name for a young pig is maerano,
from this the Negroes came to be called Maroons. ... •
284 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1795.
the year 1730, they became so powerful under the leadership of a
Negro who called himself General Cudjoe, that the strongest
measures had to be taken against them. In 1734 Captain Stoddart
made a gallant attack on their chief town, situated on one of the
highest mountains in the island. Another party of the Maroons
having been defeated, the terror which their depredations caused
subsided. Some idea may be formed of the trouble caused by
these savages, from the statement that in July forty-three
Acts of Assembly were passed, and 24,000l. expended for their
suppression.
The Government at last, finding ordinary means inefficient to
subdue them, hit upon the expedient of erecting barracks
fortified with bastions in several parts of the island near their haunts
of Maroons. These barracks were garrisoned with properly trained
men, who were directed to harass, kill, and destroy the Maroons,
their crops, and everything that belonged to them. To such a
successful extent was this system of attack carried out, that in
the course of a few years they were so reduced by famine and
the dreadful losses they sustained, that they were glad when,
in 1738, Governor Trelawney again offered them terms to accept
them.
On the 1st March 1738 the “Articles of Pacification * were
signed, the preamble setting forth :
“In the name of God, Amen. Whereas Captain Cudjoe, Captain
Accompong, Captain Johnny, Captain Cuffee, Captain Quacco, and
several other Negroes” have been for years in a state of hostility
against “our Sovereign Lord the King and the inhabitants,” &c., &c.
The clauses of the pacification amounted to fifteen—the first
one setting forth “that all hostilities shall cease on both sides
for ever.” The remaining clauses gave full freedom to all
the Maroons, and they were to be granted all the lands between
Trelawney Town and the Cockpits to the extent of 1,500 acres,
with liberty to grow produce and to dispose of it to the inhabi-
tants. They were bound to help the forces of the island in
resisting invasion and in putting down any rebellion in the island.
The Maroons were to be allowed to govern themselves and to
award punishments. In case death was thought a necessary
punishment, they were to submit the case to the Justices of
the Peace and abide by his decision. A Saving clause was
inserted that two white men nominated by the governor or
commander-in-chief were to reside with the Maroons and to help
to keep up friendly relations between them and the whites.
Captain Cudjoe was to be chief commander of the Maroons, and
in case of his death his brother, Captain Accompong, was to succeed
1795.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 285
him; after him his brother, Captain Johnny next in succession
Captains Cuffee and Quacco.
These articles of pacification seem to have been a little altered as
years went on, for in the year 1795 in the month of July, two
Maroons from Trelawney Town having committed a felony were
apprehended and taken to Montego Bay. They were there tried
for the offence and sentenced to receive thirty-nine lashes, the
sentence being carried into effect in the workhouse by the black
overseer there. On the return of the two Maroons to Trelawney
Town, and their giving an account of what had passed, the whole
body of the Maroons assembled immediately, and after violent dis-
putes amongst themselves, at last agreed to demand the dismissal of
Captain Craskell, their superintendent. He was at once ordered to
quit the town on pain of death. They then openly declared their
intention of waging war upon all the White people, but as they had
learned that a body of troops were about to be sent home to
England they pretended that if a conference was granted them they
might be able to get their differences arranged, hoping that in the
delay caused by the conference the ships conveying them might set
sail. This actually occurred, so that when the troops had departed
the Maroons at once began active hostilities. The governor of the
island, the Earl of Balcarres, was a capable man, and as soon as he
saw the state of affairs he sent an express by a fast Sailing boat,
hoping to intercept the transports and bring back the troops.
Fortunately this was accomplished, and the 83rd Regiment, com-
manded by Colonel Fitch, which had been ordered to St. Domingo
on account of the dreadful insurrection of the Negroes there, was
landed at Montigo Bay on 4th August.
Further troops, consisting of 130 Dragoons under Colonel Sandford
and 100 men of the 62nd Regiment, were also ordered up to Montigo
Bay. Colonel Walpole with 150 dismounted Dragoons embarked
on the 3rd for the Black River. On the same day that the
83rd re-landed the governor himself went to Montigo Bay,
determined to command on the Scenes of action in person.
His first act was to send a summons to the Maroons to surrender
themselves and appear before him on the 12th August. In case
they did not so surrender, a proclamation which he had issued,
offering a reward for their heads, would be put into effect on the
following day. The summons had only the effect of bringing in
thirty-eight old men, who informed the governor that the
remainder were resolved to fight the whites. On the 11th they
set fire to their town and attacked the outposts of the troops,
killing two and wounding six. Colonel Sandford was now ordered
to advance and take possession of a position they had taken in front
286 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1795.
of the burnt town at a place called Newtown. His force consisted
of a detachment of the 18th Regiment and 20th Dragoons, a party
of Horse Militia, and a body of Volunteers; the governor at the
same time attacked them in front. Sandford, finding the Maroons
retreating, followed hastily, and without proper precaution fell into
an ambush cleverly prepared by the Maroons, and his whole force
lost heavily, he himself being one of the first to fall. In spite of this
disaster the troops continued to advance, and drove the Maroons
back, but in the morning, finding their position untenable, they
returned to the camp at Vaughan's Field. The Negroes now
established their head-quarters in a valley or dell called the Cock-
pits, where, surrounded by high mountains most difficult of access,
they bid defiance to the whites, and sent out strong parties of their
best men pillaging and massacring all over the country, and
committing the greatest atrocities, sparing neither age nor Sex.
Colonel Fitch, who had, on the death of Colonel Sandford, suc-
ceeded to the command of the troops, went out on the 12th
September with a party of the 83rd Regiment to relieve some
distant outposts. After posting some men at One place he was
proceeding on to another, when he, too, fell into an ambush with a
number of his party and was killed. As an instance of the ferocity
of these demons, when his body was recovered two days afterwards,
they found he had been beheaded and the head entombed in his
own body.
The General Assembly, in view of the state the rebellion had
arrived at, was convened at the end of September, and it was
decided to resort to the same means that had been successful before
in hunting up the Negroes. The Assembly decided to send for some
Spanish dogs from the Island of Cuba, in order that they might be
employed to find out where the Maroons were ambuscaded. Major-
General Walpole, who had succeeded to the command on the death
of Colonel Fitch, had, however, taken such energetic means to
starve out the rebels, that it was thought the dogs would not be re-
quired. He had by careful observation found out that the weakness
on the Maroon post was the want of water. He therefore posted
men in all parts of the country to intercept the water running into
the retreat occupied by the Maroons, and the measure succeeded
perfectly. It was not long before the enemy began to show signs
of distress, and to sue for peace if their lives were spared. -
On the 14th December, while they were deliberating whether
negotiations might not be opened up with the Maroons, forty dogs,
that had been sent for, arrived at Montigo Bay. These dogs, called
“chasseurs,” were of such a ferocious nature that the renown of them
soon got to the Maroons, and terrified them to such an extent that
PACIFICATION witH MAROON NEGROES.
Drawn from life by Agostino Brunyas, Froman original painting in the possession of Sir William Young, Bart, F.R.s.

1796.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, 287
they began earnestly to solicit that they might be allowed to come
in on terms. Negotiations were opened up on the 21st December,
and agreed upon; but a large number of them, still fearing that
their inhuman atrocities would receive merited punishment, held
Out,
On the 14th January 1796 the troops therefore advanced, the dogs
being in the rear of the Army. The effect of the advance, and the
terror inspired by the dogs, was immediate; large numbers of the
Maroons surrendered themselves, and by the middle of March the
rebellion was practically at an end. It is pleasant to relate that
the dogs were never employed, and not a drop of blood was spilt
after their arrival in the country. The Maroons as they came
in laid down their arms, and were placed under strong guards,
until it was decided what was to be done with them. A
Secret committee was appointed to consider the question, and
on their report being submitted to the Assembly, the latter decided
that it would be impossible, having a due and proper regard for the
safety of the white inhabitants, to allow the Maroons to remain in
the country. It was therefore resolved to transport them from the
island.
In the beginning of June 1796 his Majesty's ship the Dover, with
two transports, took the Maroons on board at Bluefields to the
number of 600, and under charge of three commissioners,
Dawes, Quarrel, and Ouchtertony, they sailed for Nova Scotia,
Lower Canada, where it had been decided to place them. 25,000l.
had been advanced by the Assembly for the purpose of the expenses
of settling them in their new home.
They arrived at Halifax in July, and it would appear, from a
letter written on the 10th November 1796 by Sir John Wentworth,
Baronet, governor of the province, that the new colony was a
success, and the means taken to civilize these Savages was clearly
tending to make them in time useful members of the colony.
The Jamaica Assembly, on Friday the 23rd April 1796, passed
resolutions warmly congratulating the governor, General Walpole,
and those who had so ably helped in the Satisfactory completion
of the dangerous rebellion, and a committee was appointed to
inquire and report to the House the names of those who had fallen
in battle, so that a monument might be erected to their memory.
A sum of 700l. was voted to purchase a sword of honour to present
to the governor, the Earl of Balcarres, and a sum of 500l. for a like
sword for General Walpole.
It was also resolved: “That the Speaker be requested to give
the thanks of the House to the brave officers and privates of the
Regulars and Militia for their gallant services to the island during
288 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1796.
the late rebellion of the Trelawney Town Maroons, and that the
commander-in-chief, under whose auspices they fought, be re-
quested by the Speaker to communicate the high sense which the
House entertains of their distinguished merit.”
1796.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 289
C H A P T E R X W II.
CAMPAIGN IN WEST INDIES-REMAINS OF REGIMENT
RETURNS HOME–MUTINY AT THE NORE.
1796.
CONTENTS.–Successes of the French at St. Vincent—The Position in St.
Vincent and Grenada considered critical—Arrival of Sir Ralph Aber-
crombie with Reinforcements—2,700 Troops sent to St. Vincent and
Grenada—Sir Ralph goes to St. Lucia—Island recaptured from the
French—The Commander-in-Chief and Admiral Christian start for
St. Vincent—Capture of St. Vincent—Strength of General Hugues
at Guadaloupe—Sir Ralph Abercrombie considers the French position
too strong to attack—The Commander-in-Chief goes Home after capture
of Grenada–Portion of 2nd Battalion that had arrived out incorporated
into the 1st Battalion—The Regiment removed to Island of St. Kitts
or St. Christopher in consequence of a Petition of the Inhabitants—
Black Regiment raised called the 2nd Or Queen's Black Rangers—Report
of Sir Ralph Abercrombie on the Strength of the Troops in West Indies
—Report of General Graham in temporary command during the absence
of Abercrombie—Great Sickness and Mortality of the Troops—Return of
the State of the Queen's Regiment-Officers and Men of the Regiment
who arrived out under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Harris—-Drafts
from 46th and 61st Regiments—Return of General Graham showing
great Mortality in the Troops—Clothing Alterations—Hats altered—
Detachment of Queen's on the Ship Venerable land at Portsmouth–They
march to Petersfield–Curious Letter on the Employment of Convicts
in the Army–New Regulations with respect to Chaplains—New Regu-
lations for the Medical Service in the Army—Sir Ralph Abercrombie
arrives at Martinique — The Capture of Trinidad—Details of the
Operations—The Queen’s with other Troops quartered in the Island of
Trinidad—Nearly the whole of the serviceable Men of the Queen's drafted
into the 57th Regiment—Ten Men Volunteer for promotion into the
Queen's Black Corps—Return of the remnant of the Regiment to
England—Monthly Return of the Regiment—Return of Lord Dalhousie
to England—He joins Head-quarters of the new Regiment—The Mutiny
at the Nore—Particulars of the Causes of Dissatisfaction in the Fleet—
The Seamen refuse to obey Orders—Seditious Publications disseminated
amongst the Soldiery—Loyal Declaration of Non-Commissioned Officers
and Men of the Queen's—Particulars of Formation of new Regiment—
Orders to recruit up to full Strength—Regiment ordered to march to
Tiverton–Reduction of Quota of Regiment—Ordered to be encamped—
Regiment ordered to Truro in consequence of Report of intended landing
WOL, III, - T
290 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1796.
of the French on the Cornish Coast—Head-quarters of the Regiment at
Helston–Detachment joins the Regiment at Falmouth from Hilsea
Barracks—Declaration of the Colonel and Staff Officers of the Regiment
on the Formation of new Battalion—Regiment marches from Cornwall
to Plymouth—Brigaded with 25th and 29th Regiments—Warrant for
increasing the Pay and Allowances of Officers and Privates—Assistant
Surgeon employed as Quartermaster—Officers of the two recruiting
Companies to be “en second ’’-Establishment of the Regiment—Order
for extra Ilace to be put on the Coat.
IN January 1796 accounts were received from St. Vincent that
the enemy had obtained great advantages over our troops, and,
though General Hunter on the night of the 19th obtained a partial
success, it was found difficult to make any permanent progress.
General Leigh, in his report home in January, considered the
position both in St. Vincent and Grenada to be critical. All were
anxiously waiting the arrival of the expected reinforcements.
On the 7th March between 6,000 and 7,000 of the troops that
had escaped the storm which had overtaken the Fleet, and driven
many of the ships back and wrecked others (see p. 300), arrived
in the West Indies; 2,700 men were at once sent to St. Vincent and
to Grenada.
Sir Ralph went on to St. Lucia with a detachment of the troops
early in April, and, after a tedious campaign, the Army being weak
in Engineers, the island was recaptured, the articles of capitulation,
with a return of the killed and wounded, being sent home on the
31st May.
The general, with Admiral Christian, then set out with 5,000 of
the relieved troops for St. Vincent, which he retook, the articles of
capitulation being sent home, with a list of the killed and wounded,
on the 21st June. The foreign troops appear to have behaved badly
in the actions leading to the capture of St. Lucia and St. Vincent,
deserting in large numbers.
The governor, Major-General Keppel, wrote home to the Duke
of Portland on the 5th June, giving an account of the conquest of
St. Lucia by Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Sir Hugh Christian,
which, he writes, had “given universal joy.” Martinique was in
a perfect state of tranquility, the additional security given by the
conquest of St. Lucia having greatly tended to settle affairs in that
island.
Sir Ralph, writing home in June, complained of being “quite
worn out by the fatigues he had undergone in the campaign and
in the last winter's cruise,” and informed the authorities that he
would be obliged to come home in July.
He was evidently of opinion that it was useless to attempt the
re-conquest of Guadaloupe, he writes on 31st May, “every idea of
1796.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 291
—- sºme
an attack on Guadaloupe is at an end.” Victor Hugues was said
to have a force of 8,000 well disciplined troops of colour, some
hundred cavalry, and 300 or 400 white people in arms. His
intention evidently was to make Grande Terre his principal point
of defence. After taking Grenada Sir Ralph went home in
July.
The Dutch settlers of Demerara had, it appears from corre-
spondence sent home, offered to put themselves under the British
flag.
The portion of the 2nd Battalion that had arrived out had at
once been incorporated into the remains of the 1st Battalion, and
the two battalions now formed one regiment. A Black regiment
was raised in St. Christopher and called the 2nd or Queen's Black
Rangers. It was commanded by Sir Patrick Blake. This regiment
is first mentioned in a general return of the troops in the island
dated February 1798.
The inhabitants of the island of St. Christopher, having made
a demand in May to the War Office for a separate garrison for
the island during the war, were informed that no instructions
could be forwarded to them direct, as the whole of the military
force in the West Indies was necessarily at the disposal of the
commander-in-chief there, who was to use his own discretion as to
the distribution of it. It would appear, however, that this corre-
spondence was forwarded to Sir Ralph Abercrombie, as the Queen's
regiment was, according to the returns, removed from Martinique
to St. Kitts in July and remained there till January next year,
when they returned to Martinique.
On 8th October Sir Ralph Abercrombie wrote to General Dundas
that he was ready to embark immediately to resume his command
in the West Indies. On the 31st he sent a report of the state
of the effective force in the Windward and Leeward Islands, as
nearly as could be calculated, and which he gives as numbering
10,150 men. Most singularly, in the list of the fourteen regi-
ments named in his report, the Queen's is left out, though in
the separate returns it is noted. It took part in the capture of
Trinidad in February next year.
On Sir R. Abercrombie going home the command had devoived
upon Major-General Graham. This officer, in his report to Secretary
Dundas, dated Martinique, 9th September, reported, “ that at this
moment there is the most flattering prospect of the speedy re-
establishment of peace and good order in these colonies,” but in
his report he gave a most distressing account of the continued
T 2
292 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1796.
mortality amongst the troops, “the melancholy accounts which
daily arrive are truly distressing,” no abatement of the violence
of the disease had taken place, and the state of the troops was
so alarming, that “the worst consequences,” he writes, “may be
apprehended if it should continue to rage much longer,” an
apprehension only too well realized. -
The returns of the state of the regiment for this year show
a sad record of sick and dying.

|
* ; Sick in Sick in Fit for On On On
Station, Hospt. Qrtrs. Dead. Duty. Furlh.|Leave. Com. Total.
Martinique - Jan. 105 71 32 148 10 gº-º-º: sº-mºmº 334
DO. - Feb. 102 34 6 158 24 - &mº 3.18
IDo. - May | 1.40 | 40 6 | 402 || 11 | – | – || 593
DO. - June 1] I 66 2 387 11 * 1 : 576
Do. and St.
Kitts - July 90 88 32 586 25 * 4- * 789
Do. do. - Aug. 69 86 | 1 589 35 sº- - 779
Do. do. - Sept. 108 69 50 509 || 44 — 23 753
Do. do. - Oct. 60 48 59 505 63 * 2:3 699
I)0. do. - Nov. 54 36 | 8 499 7 *mº 25 681
Do. do. - Dec. 51 55 8 485 77 s== 24 692
224 |
The returns for March and April are not to be found, but if we
take the average of deaths of the months that are given it would
show a total of nearly 270 deaths in this year.
The increase in numbers in May are consequent on the arrival
of the companies sent out from Portsmouth. These companies
arrived on 5th and 22nd February at Barbadoes. The first
contingent arrived in the ship Simon Taylor, with Lieutenant-
Colonel Harris, and consisted of, besides the colonel, one major,
two captains, four lieutenants, three ensigns, one quartermaster,
one surgeon, twelve sergeants, six drummers, and 185 rank and
file. The ship Brothers carried two captains, three lieutenants,
one ensign, five sergeants, one drummer, and ninety-eight rank
and file. The large augmentation in numbers in the month of
July was caused by drafts from the 46th and 61st Regiments,
and men of different regiments who had been prisoners at
Guadaloupe.
A letter of General Graham, dated 16th October, is, if possible,
even more distressing than the return of the Queen's Regiment.
The depletion of the regiments by the fearful mortality had
obliged the general to order several important posts to be given
up, and others to be dangerously weakened.
1796.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 293
The return of the state of the troops sent on the 17th October
was as follows:– -
}
| º ſº ë
Sick in Sick in
Date of Return. Quarters. Hospital. Dead.
April 1... ... ... ... ... ... 668 1,517 248
May 1 ... tº ſº tº * * * tº º º tº # e. 852 2,224 177
June 1 ... & G & 1,347 2,972 365
July 1 ... ... 2,032 2,342 34 l
August 1 © e C 2,145 2,241 465
September 1 ... g g tº e is tº tº tº º tº ſº tº 2,069 2,187 832
October 1, as far as the returns are received 945 1,419 484
2,912
On the 1st February the following alterations were ordered to
be made in the clothing of the Line, viz., the lappels were to be
continued as at present down to the waist, but to be made so as
either to button over occasionally or to clasp close with hooks
and eyes all the way down to the bottom, the blue lappels being
buttoned back. The cape or collar was to stand up instead of
laying down, according to former regulations. An opening was
to be left in the flap in the outside of the pocket, so as to admit
the hand into it when the lappels were buttoned over. The
pocket flaps of the Light Infantry Company were to be made
shorter in the skirt and oblique or slashed, and not level with
the waist, as in the long tailed coat, the latter being the parade
and full dress coat of the battalion officers. The wings on the
shoulders of the great coats were not to be altered. There is a
pencilled note on this order as follows: “This has been annulled
by [a] subsequent [order].”
On the 4th May an order was issued that all officers, without
distinction, belonging to the Infantry of the Line, were to wear,
when employed on any military duty, a crimson and gold cord
round their hats, with crimson and gold rosettes or tufts round the
edge of the brims, as also a sword, pommell and shell of which
were to be gilt with gold. The grip or handle was to be of silver
twisted wire. The blade and sword knot was to be the same as
then in use. The sword knot was to be crimson and gold in
stripes. A gorget, gilt with gold, with the King's cypher and
crown over it, engraved in the middle, was to be worn and with
a ribbon and tuft or rosette at each end, the colour of the facings
of the regiment.” .
- =sess--------
* War Office, General Letter Book, 1794–1797.
294 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1796.
On the 15th September an order was issued that the Brigade
of Guards and Infantry of the Line were for the future to wear
plain hats with white feathers in them, with white tufts at the
corners for the Brigade of Guards, and white mixed with the colours
of the facings for regiments of the Line, with a white loop round
the button, and the edges bound round with black worsted tape.
The dimensions and cocking of the hat to be the same as before.
Shirt coats were ordered in November to be supplied to regiments
in hot climates. -
Though orders had been repeatedly sent for the detachment of
the Queen's serving on board the Venerable to be landed, it
was not until the 21st May that they finished their long service
as marines. On that day they landed at Sheerness, and were
ordered to be quartered there till further orders. On the 7th
June they received orders to march to Petersfield, where they were
timed to arrive on the 21st. On 17th September they were at
Lyndhurst, and later on they appear to have joined the detachment
of Major Eyre at Lymington barracks.
Captain Gray, commanding the detachment in the Venerable,
had written repeatedly to the War Office with reference to his
men who desired to permanently enter the marine service. He
was informed by letter of the 22nd January that no orders had
been given for this. On the 28th a letter was written advising
him that a detachment of Marines from Portsmouth would proceed
immediately to relieve his detachment on the Venerable, and that
he was to land at Chatham and wait for orders to join his regiment.
It appears from later letters that some of the men were eventually
allowed to join the Marine service.
A curious letter appears in the War Office correspondence of
this year relative to the employment of convicts in the Army.
Mr. Wyndham writes on 5th April, “I confess myself much at a
loss to dispose of convicts who obtain their pardon on condition
of their serving in the Army, as there is not a regiment in the
service the soldiers of which do not feel the discredit of associ-
ating with people of such a description.” This is an eloquent
comment upon the people who in the present day are so ready
to throw mud at the Service, and compare it unfavourably with
that of 100 years ago. To what straits must the Government
have been reduced to when they actually turned their attention
to employing convicts in their service, and offered them their
pardon on condition that they entered the noble profession of arms
* War Office, Common Letter Book, No. 291, pp. 138, 184, and 208.
1797.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 295.
In September of this year General Coates received a letter
informing him that the King had, in view of the irregular service
of chaplains in the regiment, particularly in those regiments
serving abroad, decided gradually to abolish regimental chaplain-
cies. In the circular letter sent to the chaplains this irregularity
of service was more clearly defined as the “almost universal want
of personal attendance and of care in providing proper deputies.”
The King, as most of the chaplaincies had been purchased, allowed
during the lifetime of the then colonel 700l. for Cavalry and
500l. for Infantry chaplains as the price of the commission, and
offered 4s. a day as retired pay for those chaplains who decided to
retire before the 25th December 1796. (This date was afterwards
at the request of the Army chaplains, extended to 25th March
1797.) Various other conditions were embodied in the circular,
but the main object seems to have been to try and provide, by
some more economical and proper method, a means for better
service and for the abolition of a system that had been allowed to
fall very much out of gear.
Mr. Wyndham wrote from the War Office to the Army Medical
Board with reference to the great demand for medicine. In his
letter he remarks, “The sickness in the West Indies during the
present war has been far beyond what had ever been experienced;
and may too well have justified demands to an extent unheard of
before.”
A letter was received on the 24th December relative to the
improvement of the situation of regimental surgeons and mates,
and for the better management of regimental hospitals. The
surgeons' mates in this new regulation were to be styled assistant
surgeons, and their appointments were to be under the control of
the Army Medical Board.
The first week in January 1797, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, who
had left England in November to resume his command, arrived
at Martinique. On the 16th January he sent to Secretary Dundas
an account of the state of the troops, fully bearing out the sad
report that had been sent home by General Graham. The greatest
sickness had prevailed since August last year, and had reduced the
force “beyond all possible calculation.” The regiments in St.
Lucia and Grenada, seemed to have suffered most. “Six British
battalions have been nearly annihilated.”
Sir Ralph lost no time in making arrangements for the conquest
of Trinidad, which had been decided upon before he left home.
On the 20th he sent a despatch announcing its easy capture, with
the loss of only one man, Lieutenant Willeneuve of the 8th Foot,
+T 4
296 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1797.
who was wounded in the advance, and afterwards died of his
wounds; not a single private was wounded.
The Fleet, with the troops on board, the Queen's Regiment
being with them, left Martinique for Trinidad on the 12th
February, passing through the Brocas, or entrance to the Gulf of
Paria, on the afternoon of the 16th, and coming to an anchor in
Chanavarnes Bay, nearly within gunshot of a small Spanish Fleet
of four sail of the line and a frigate. The English frigate and
transports were anchored within five miles of the town of Port
d'Espagne. Dispositions were immediately made for landing at
daylight next morning. The Spanish squadron was engaged by
the English Fleet, and was perceived by the troops on board to be
on fire at 2 a.m. on the 17th, the ships burning with great fury.
Only one line of battle ship escaped, and this was taken possession
of by the boats from the English Fleet next morning. The success
of the Fleet made the landing of the troops an easy matter, and as
Soon as it was daylight the boats commenced to land the men for
an attack on the town. A few hundreds were first landed, about
four miles to the westward of the town ; and were at once ordered
to advance, meeting with little or no resistance. As other troops
were landed, they followed up the attack, and before night Port
d'Espagne was in the hands of the English, and all the posts
round it with the exception of two forts. The next morning the
terms of capitulation were agreed upon with the governor, Don
Chacon, the whole of the Spanish troops laying down their arms,
and the colony passing into the possession of England. General
Abercrombie, in sending home his despatches, refers to Trinidad as
an important post, which, he says, “it will be well to surely
guard.” He therefore proposed to leave 1,000 troops there, with
some ships of war. The Queen's, after the capture of Trinidad,
were with other troops quartered in the island. Captain Kings-
bury had been left with a small detachment of the regiment at
Martinique.
In June the whole of the serviceable men, numbering 475, were
discharged, 465 of them being drafted into the 57th Regiment.
The remaining ten volunteered for promotion in the Queen's Black
Corps.
In July seventy officers and men of the regiment left Trinidad
for England, and on the 7th October Lieutenant-Colonel Harris
and the remainder of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and
men who had remained on duty in the various stations in the
West Indies arrived in England and joined the headquarters of
the new regiment.
1797.] Now THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 297
The monthly return for the year up to July, with the stations
of the regiment, was as follows:–

| | -- |
º Sick in Sick in Fit for On On On Conva- nº
Station. Hosp. Qrtrs. Dead. Duty. Furlh.|Leave. Com. º Total.
Jan., Martinique 51 55 8 485 77 -- 24 amºs 692
and St. |
Ritts. -
Feb., Martinique 32 21 10 497 77 *- 23 30 680
(only). | !
Mar., Trinidad & 6 22 — 491 77 — 77 5 678
Martinique.
April, Trinidad 52 8 7 5] 4 87 — 10 * * 671
- (only).
May, do. - 80 18 19 444 87 — 13 10 652
June, do - 80 18 25 444 87 — 1 3 10 652
July, do. - -* i2 30 il 95 — 4 — | 122
99 |
|
The July return is the last shown before the remnant of the
regiment of the Queen's returned to Europe.
The return of July gives as stationed in Trinidad one major, one
captain, seven lieutenants, one ensign, one adjutant, one quarter-
master, one assistant surgeon, thirty-two sergeants, thirteen drum-
mers, eleven rank and file, twelve sick in quarters, four on
command, and ninety-five on furlough.
Lord Dalhousie appears to have left Trinidad some time towards
the end of February or the beginning of March, and returned to
England. He arrived home at the end of March, and proceeded at
once to join the headquarters of the new battalion that had been
formed from the Grenadiers and the remains of the three companies
that had escaped from the wreck of the Fleet in the preceding year.
When Lord Dalhousie joined the regiment they had just marched
from Lymington to Tiverton.
The two battalions of the Queen's having melted away in
the West Indies, the three companies in England had been made
the nucleus of a new battalion, and, though in the War Office
monthly returns of January they are referred to as a “ detach-
ment,” the detachment is therein stated to consist of ten
companies.
Although no order has been found ordering this detachment to
be formed into a new regiment, there is little doubt that such
instructions were given, and when Lord Dalhousie arrived home
he was put in command of the newly formed regiment.
In February the detachment, or rather the new regiment, at
Lymington consisted of 360 men and officers. On the 24th of
298 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1797.
the same month, orders were sent to recruit the regiment up to
its full strength, which is still stated in the establishment books
as consisting of ten companies, ninety-five men in each, and two
recruiting companies. In a list of the regiments quartered in the
south-western district in August, for which camp equipage was
ordered, the 2nd Foot is named, and the headquarters is given as
being at Lymington.
On the 18th March the regiment was ordered to march in two
divisions to Tiverton. In May they were moved to Barnstaple,
whence they were removed to Plymouth lines.
While at Tiverton the mutiny of the sailors in the Fleet at
Spithead and the Nore broke out. It was an anxious time for
the Government. No crisis like this had ever arisen in the grand
history of the English Navy. It had just shown a splendid example
of its fighting qualities in the victory gained by Sir John Jervis
over the Spaniards at St. Vincent; but the men of the Navy were
generally smarting under grievances which they fancied they were
oppressed by. Whether right or wrong in these fancied grievances,
it is to be hoped that this is the first and last time that the British
Navy's glorious records will be stained by such an action as now
took place.
Lord Howe had, towards the latter end of February, received
sundry petitions from the seamen at Portsmouth, praying for an
advance of wages; none of the petitions being signed, and all,
with the exception of four or five, written by one hand, no notice
was taken of them,” but the admiral ordered inquiries to be made
to ascertain whether there was any real discontent in the Fleet.
The replies being favourable, he concluded the complaints were
forgeries, and beyond sending the petitions up to the Admiralty,
nothing more was done. The secret of the plot, however, had
been too well kept, and the admiral was soon to receive painful
evidence that discontent was rife in the Fleet. -
No notice having been taken of the petitions the sailors concluded
that the authorities intended to disregard their complaints, and it
was decided by them to take action. Accordingly, when Lord
Bridport, who had been appointed to take the command of the
Channel Fleet, made the signal to prepare for sea, the sailors on the
flag ship, the Royal George, instead of weighing anchor, ran up the
shrouds, and gave three cheers, a signal answered from every ship
in the Fleet at Spithead. The captains of the ships were astounded,
and did all in their power to induce the men to return to their
duty ; but in vain. So resolute were the men to endeavour by
*—-
* James' Naval History, Vol. II, p. 26.
1797.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 299
this means to obtain redress for their fancied grievances, that they
had ropes reeved at the fore yardarms of each ship to hang up any
seaman who gave way. Two petitions were then drawn up by
delegates appointed from each ship, one to be sent to Parliament
and the other to the Admiralty. It is not necessary for us to
detail here all the particulars of this dispute, which was at last
happily ended, but which, however, gave an opportunity for the
new regiment to show how staunch was its loyalty. During the
progress of the dispute seditious publications were disseminated
amongst the soldiery generally, and some of these, of course, found
their way into the quarters of the Queen's. Lieutenant-Colonel
Lord Dalhousie, on being informed of the attempt that was being
made to seduce the regiment from its allegiance, called the officers
together, and it was resolved to address a letter to the general
commanding the district “expressive of their firm reliance on the
unshaken loyalty of the corps.” The non-commissioned officers
and privates at the same time, to show how futile was the attempt
to move them from their loyalty, “subscribed the sum of one
hundred guineas, to be applied towards the detection and punish-
ment of any persons who should attempt to distribute unlawful
papers, or offer by bribes or any other means to seduce the soldiers
from their allegiance.”
A copy of the letter of the officers and the resolution of the non-
commissioned officers and men was ordered by the colonel, Jord
Dalhousie, to be entered in the orderly book of the regiment.
The following is a copy, which appears from the heading to have
been entered when the regiment had been removed to Plymouth,
no doubt in order to be at hand in case the mutiny had to be
suppressed by arms:—
Head Quarters,
Plymouth Lines,
10th June 1797.
REGIMENTAL ORDERs.
The following is the declaration of the 2nd or Queen's Royal Regiment of
Foot, dated Barnstaple, 7th June 1797:—
We, the Non-Commissioned Officers, Drummers, and Privates of the above
Regiment, do most willingly subscribe One Hundred Guineas in order to
detect any Author, Printer, or Distributor of papers, or hand-bills, criminal
to the Military Establishment and the Laws of the country, or for information
against any person or persons found guilty of bribing with money, or holding
out other false allurements against His Most Sacred Majesty King George
the Third, or against this country.
We unanimously agree to give a reward of Ten Guineas out of the above
Subscription (to be paid on conviction) to the person or persons who will
300 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1797.
inform against the Author, Printer, or Distributor of papers or hand-bills, or
any person or persons found guilty of bribing with money, or holding out
other false allurements to any soldier in this district. God save the King.
Signed at the particular request of the Non-Commissioned Officers,
Drummers, and Privates of the regiment. -
MICHAEL EAGER,
Sergeant-Major.
A reduction of the establishment of the regiment of forty privates
per company (except in the recruiting company) was ordered to be
made on 31st March, and took effect between the 7th and 10th
June. In the order for the reduction it is stated that “the King
thinking it expedient to provide for any future augmentation that
may be suddenly made in the regiment, directs that there shall
not be any diminution of commissioned or non-commissioned
officers.”
The Queen's, with the 29th and 58th Regiments, were, in March,
formed into a brigade to do duty in the western district, under the
command of Major-General Grenfield. This was said to be in case
they were wanted to reinforce the troops in Ireland.
In August the regiment, being then at Barnstaple, Devon, was
ordered with the other regiments of the brigade to be encamped.
The officers were ordered to provide themselves with camp equipage.
In the same month the Queen's, with the 29th Regiment, was ordered
to Truro, as a report had been received that the French had
embarked a large number of troops at Brest, with the intention
of landing somewhere on the Cornish coast.*
The regiment appears for the most of the time they were
in Cornwall to have had their head-quarters at Helston, with
detachments at Penzance, Marazion, and St. Ives. In October a
detachment was sent from the recruiting centre at Hilsea barracks
to join the regiment, then at Falmouth.
The route from Portsmouth was by Fareham, Southampton,
Ringwood, Wimborne, Blandford, Dorchester, Bridport, Lyme,
Sidmouth, Exeter, Tavistock, Liskeard to Falmouth.
The following declaration was found in a bundle of pay lists in
the Record Office.t
“We hereby certify that the present Second or Queen’s Royal Regiment of
Foot, now quartered at Falmouth was formed at Hilsea Barracks on the 25th
day of June 1796, out of the Grenadier Company wrecked at Plymouth in the
Dutton East Indiaman; Captains Gordon, Hales, and Eveleigh's battalion
companies wrecked on §elsea Bill in the Prince transport, and a detachment
of the regiment landed from His Majesty's ship Venerable under the
* Major Everard's History of the 29th Regiment, p. 218.
f Pay lists, 1797, Public Record Office.
1797.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 301
command of Captain Gray. Major Eyre being ordered to repair to Hilsea
Barracks for his command of the Grenadiers wrecked at Plymouth, and to
take on him the command of the Queen's Regiment in England, finding a
number of officers at home, and the companies not being intended for imme-
diate service, thought it advisable and beneficial to the corps as well as
Government, to form a regiment, which he reported accordingly. From the
above situation of the regiment, and the remainder being still abroad, it is
not in our power to muster for any period previous to the 25th day of June
1796. Falmouth, 16th September 1797.
DALHOUSIE,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Queen’s.
THOMAS EYFE,
Major, Queen's Regiment.
B. DoNALD, Captain and
Paymaster of the Queen's.
CHARLEs TURNER, (?) Acting Adjutant,
Queen's Regiment.
While the brigade was at Falmouth, they were encamped
between the town and the sea. Two Squadrons of frigates, one
commanded by Sir John Warren and the other by Sir Edward
Pellew, made their head-quarters at Falmouth, and took it in turns
to cross over to the French coast to keep watch on the movements
of the French Fleet at Brest.
In the early part of December the regiment marched from
Cornwall in two divisions ; the first, under the command of Lord
Dalhousie, marched from Helston, and the second division, under
the command of Captain Alexander Gordon, marched from
Penzance and St. Ives. The officer commanding the regiment was
on the 20th December, ordered to send a full account of the tents
and camp necessaries that had been used by the regiment during
their encampment in Cornwall. The Queen's, on arrival at Plymouth
in December, were brigaded with the 25th and 29th Regiments, the
brigade being placed under the command of Lord Dalhousie.
In May of 1797, a warrant was issued for increasing and
regulating the pay and allowances of non-commissioned officers
and private men of corps of Cavalry and Infantry serving out of
Great Britain. In this warrant the pay of an Infantry sergeant
was fixed at 18, 63d., of a corporal 18, 2}d., of a drummer and fifer
18. 1%d.,” and of a private man at 1s. -
On the 27th June a letter was sent to all commanding officers
of regiments of Cavalry, Line and embodied Militia, directing
them to inform the subalterns of their regiments that the King,
taking into consideration the difficulties they had experienced in
consequence of their pay not being adequate to their position, and
by their not receiving their arrears of pay for a long time, their pay
for the future would be free from all deductions on account of
* War Office Miscellany Book, 1797, 1799, Vol. 544,
302 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1797.
poundage, hospital and agency, and that an allowance of 18, a day
should be made to them, but that this allowance should not entitle
them to any increase of half pay.”
The assistant surgeons of regiments were at this time often
employed on other duties. While the regiment was at Helston in
Cornwall in November, reference was made to the assistant surgeon
being employed as quarter-master, but as it was stated that it was
contrary to regulations, he was ordered to return to his proper
duties.
On the 13th December a letter was sent from the War Office
ordering that from the 25th of the month the officers of the two
recruiting companies were to be discontinued from the establish-
ment of the regiment, but were to serve “en second * in their
respective ranks. The non-commissioned officers and drummers
were to be continued as supernumeraries, and to fall into vacancies
as they occurred.
The full establishment of the regiment from 25th December was
to be ten companies; the detail was as follows:–
1 Colonel and Captain.
1 Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain.
1 Lieutenant-Colonel without a company.
1 Major and Captain.
1 Major without a company.
7 Captains.
2 3 5 en second.
1 Captain-Lieutenant.
11 Lieutenants.
2 53 en second.
8 Ensigns.
2 2 3 en second.
1 Chaplain.
1 Adjutant.
1 Quarter-Master.
1 Surgeon.
—] 1 Assistant-Surgeon.
Total of officers ... 43 | 52 Sergeants.
50 Corporals.
20 Drummers.
— 2 Fifers.
Total non-commis-
674.
sioned officers and 550 Private men.
Iſle Cl
*===s
Total in all ... 717
On the 28th October an order was given that the lace that was
formerly only put on the lappels of the coat was now to be put on
the coat also. -
* War Office Common Letter Book, 1797, No. 297.
1798.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 303
C H A P T E R X W III.
THE IRISH REBELLION.
1798.
CoNTENTs.—Recruiting Parties at Bath, Devizes, and Marlborough—Regi-
ment quartered at Mill Bay Barracks—Moved to Barnstaple—New Arms
supplied to complete Regiment preparatory to departure for Ireland—
Review of National Difficulties—Napoleon captures Malta and occupies
Egypt—Battle of the Nile–Effect of the Victory—The Volunteer Army
—Earl Moira on the state of Affairs in Ireland—Duke of Leinster moves
an Address in the House of Lords on the state of Ireland—The Troops in
Ireland reinforced—The united Irishmen and the French Government—
Beview of the Irish Conspiracy—Plans of Conspirators overthrown by
Naval Victories of Lords St. Vincent and Duncan–Arrests at Margate—
Capture and Death of Lord Fitzgerald—Extensive seizure of Arms in
Leinster—Letter giving interesting details of the Irish Conspiracy—Sir
Ralph Abercrombie appointed Commander-in-Chief in Ireland–His
Orders—He condemns the Excesses of the Army—Resigns his Command
—General Lake appointed his Successor—Samuel Neilson appointed
Head of the Irish Conspiracy—He is captured—Dublin saved from
T]estruction—Commencement of Operations by the Conspirators—General
Dundas defeats the Rebels at Killkullen—The Insurgents defeated at
Rilthomas—They capture Enniscorthy and arrive at Wexford—They
issue a Proclamation—Main position of Insurgents at Winegar Hill—
Defeat of the Rebels at Ballycannew--They defeat General Loftus and
gain possession of the North of Wexford—Defeat of the Rebels—The
Rebel Leader Harvey is defeated in his attack on Ross by General Johnson
with great loss— Father Murphy with the Northern Insurgents ad-
vances on Arklow—Is there defeated by General Needham—The Rebel
Force driven back on Winegar Hill—General Lake decides to make a
general attack on the Rebel Stronghold.--Disposition and Strength of the
Torce—The attack on Winegar Hill—Defeat of the Rebels with immense
loss—Government resolve to send a strong Reinforcement to Ireland in
consequence of news that large Supplies were expected from France—
List of the troops includes the Queen's Regiment—Further supplies
from Scotland—Commanders of the Division and Brigades—Instructions
to General Hunter—The Queen's Regiment commanded by Lieutenant-
Colonel Eyre—Letter of the Minister Dundas—Fleet with Troops arrive
at Waterford—The Queen’s Brigade ordered to Ross—Disembarkation
returns—Lord Dalhousie takes command of the Regiment—General
Moore advances on Wexford—Hunter's Brigade ordered to join
General Moore—Skirmish at Foulkes Hill—Fight at Goffs Bridge–
Capture of Wexford—Retreat of the Rebels—Troops enter Wexford—
Queen's and 29th Regiment left to garrison the Town—Father
Murphy with his Force defeated and the Leader hanged—Surrender of
Fitzgerald and Byrne—General Welford and the Lord Lieutenant—The
French Directory send a Force to Ireland commanded by General
Humbert—Land at Killala Bay, County Sligo–The Lord-Lieutenant
304, HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1798.
issues an Order offering pardon to Insurgents on laying down their Arms
—Lord Castlereagh takes the Field—Defeat of General Lake's Forces by
General Humbert at Castlebar—Lord Cornwallis at Athlone—Letter
from John Croker–Gallantry of Major Keir of the 6th Dragoon Guards
—General Humbert advances towards Sligo–Arrives at Ballynamuck—
The English prepare for a general attack on the French and Irish—
Action at Ballynamuck—Defeat of Humbert, capture of all his French
Troops, and their Guns and Stores—Capture of the Ports at Ballina and
Killala—Letter from General Humbert—The Queen's at Phillipstown—
Encamped at Cashell and at Tipperary—Landing of a French Force at the
Island of Rutland—The French re-embark on hearing of the Capture of
General Humbert–Another Expedition sails from Brest for Ireland—
Messengers from France to Ireland—The French Fleet with the Troops
on board defeated by Admiral Sir John Borlase, near Loch Swilly—Wolfe
Tone taken prisoner on board the French Fleet—End of the Rebellion—
Hunter’s Brigade removed to Kilkenny—Quarters of the Queen's Regi-
ment—Taken on to the Irish Establishment—Religious character of the
Rebellion—Protestant Leaders in the Rebellion—Warrant on Sub-
sistence and Arrears—Regulation Uniform for Surgeons in the Army—
Strength of National Forces—Strength of Irish Forces—The Brigade
ordered to Tullamore—Removed to Phillipstown—Back to Kilkenny—
Queen's moved to Cork and encamped at Monkstown—Regiment ordered
to return to England—Regiment put on English Establishment—
Lodging Allowance—Establishment of Regiment—Dates of Regiments
on Irish and English Establishments—Irish Militia sent to England—
Pay of Subalterns increased—Strength of the National Forces.
ACCORDING to the pay lists of January 1798 there seems to
have been a detachment of the regiment at Chatham, and recruiting
parties at Bath, Devizes, and Marlborough.
While at Plymouth the quarters of the regiment were at Mill
Prison Barracks (or Mill Bay Barracks). Early in April the regi-
ment marched to Barnstaple under the command of Lieutenant-
Colonel Jones.
On the 5th January an order was sent for a supply of arms to
complete the regiment up to its establishment. The order was for
eight pikes (twenty-five had been ordered in December last year),
320 firelocks, 320 bayonets, and 10 drums with pairs of sticks. A
further supply of arms was issued to the regiment in April to
replace a like number “worn out and unserviceable”; five sergeants
fusils, two pikes, ten drums, with pairs of sticks, and 220 stand of
arms complete.
The issue of arms was preparatory to an order for the regiment
to embark for Ireland to take part in the suppression of the
rebellion, which had with the help of the French assumed serious
proportions. A slight review of the state of affairs in Ireland may
be necessary here.
England had in all her history no more difficult task than that
which at this period confronted her. A futile effort to make
1798.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 305
peace with our dangerous neighbour, the French Directorate in
1796—when Lord Malmesbury had been sent by the Government
to Paris to endeavour to make peace—had been followed by a more
embittered conflict between the two nations.
Internal troubles, the alarm created by the rapid and enormous
increase of the national debt, the suspension for a time of cash pay-
ments at the Bank of England, the mutiny at the Nore, and lastly
the distracted state of Ireland, laid a terrible burden upon the
nation, which had quite enough on its hands to preserve its
freedom from the attacks made upon it by our revolutionary
neighbours. The French nation, led by the great warrior
Napoleon, had began her series of victories, but the subjugation
of England, which Napoleon no doubt at one time contemplated,
appearing too arduous a task he set his eyes upon the East, and
capturing Malta on his way he on the 30th June anchored in the
Bay of Alexandria.
In a very short time he was master of Egypt. A great reverse,
however, awaited him which raised the spirits of the English
nation. The heroic Nelson had been ordered to advance with his
Fleet in quest of the French, and with an ardour and earnestness
that has few equals, taking hardly any rest or food, he marked
down his quarry on the 1st of August in the Bay of Aboukir.
His remark to his officers as he rose from dinner on the day before
the battle will never be forgotten : “Before this time to-morrow
I shall have gained a Peerage or Westminster Abbey.” The
engagement commenced at 6 o'clock in the evening of the 1st
August and continued without intermission through the night till
3 o'clock next morning. It then ceased till 5 a.m., when firing
recommenced with fury and continued without intermission till
2 p.m. in the afternoon, when the victory was complete.
“Victory,” said the hero of the fight, “is not a name strong
enough for such a scene—it was a conquest.”
The effect of this great national event was electrical. The cloud of
despondency that had settled upon the people was dispersed by the
sun of this glorious exploit, and the nation was not slow or nig-
gardly in rewards to its heroes. Baron Nelson of the Nile was
added to the roll of illustrious names that grace the House of Lords,
the history of whose names is the history of the nation. How
well it would be if all their descendants would in effect and deed
recognise “noblesse oblige” and that their names are more the
property of the nation than their own and should therefore never
be sullied.”
# It would be such if every peer and gentleman of birth had inscribed in
letters of gold the legend which appears on the portrait of an ancestor of an
WOL. III. U
306 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1798.
The dangers to which the country was at this time exposed
called forth a grand patriotic effort, and nearly half a million of
volunteers took up arms for the defence of their country, the great
Minister Pitt enrolling himself in the ranks. -
The distracted state of Ireland produced great disquietude and
apprehension in the British Parliament. Earl Moira early in the
session called the attention of the House of Lords to the evils he
averred were practised in that country which had increased the
number of discontents, and which he felt sure if not remedied would
lead ultimately to the separation of Ireland from the Union. He
concluded a moving speech by praying that the situation of Ireland
might be taken into immediate consideration. On the 16th
March having got more authentic information (which had been
asked for by his opponents) he again urged the matter on the
attention of the House, and gave evidence that much persecu-
tion had been endured by people supposed to be disaffected.
The Lords in reply stated that they admitted that the un-
disciplined troops that had been engaged to put down the rebels
might have adopted severer measures than might appear necessary,
but it was necessary to put down the lawlessness with a strong
hand.
On 15th June the Duke of Leinster in a moving and impressive
speech moved an address in the Lords praying that the King would
old Devonshire family “Davie’’ (formerly De la Wey), which is as
follows:–
What profit pedigree or long descents
From farre-fecht-blood, or painted monuments
Of our great grandsire’s visage P 'Tis most sad
To trust unto the worth another had.
For keeping up our Fame ; which else would pale
If besides birth there is no worth at all.
For, who counts him a gentleman whose grace
Is all in name, but otherwise is base ?
Or who will honour him that's honor's shame,
Noble in nothing but a noble name P
It's better to be meanly born and good,
Than one unworthy of his noble blood.
Though all thy walls shine with thy pedigree,
Yet virtue only makes nobility.
Then that thy pedigree may usefull be,
Search out the virtues of your family;
And, to be worthy of your father's name,
Learn out the good they did, and do the same.
For, if you bear their arms and not their fame,
Those ensigns of their worth will be your shame.
Taken from Burke's Peerage for 1839.
1798.j NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 307
direct that a full statement of the facts and circumstances which
had led to the present disastrous state of Ireland should be laid
before the House and measures taken for averting greater evils.
The animated discussions that took place in both Houses resulted
only in measures being taken to reinforce the troops in Ireland.
It was not long before it became evident that a band of Irishmen
who had formed themselves into a society called “United Irishmen "
had entered into a treasonable conspiracy with the French Go-
vernment and aimed at no less than the entire separation of
Ireland from the Union and its election into a separate Kingdom,
with the imminent danger, no doubt not contemplated by them,
of its becoming a French province. As early as 1794 the French
had begun to intrigue with the conspirators, and in 1796 a
proposition was made by the French Government and accepted
by the United Irishmen Society to send an Army to Ireland to
assist in separating that country entirely from the British monarchy.
The Irish Society desired to have not more than ten nor less
than five thousand troops sent, while J'rance with no doubt a full
intention of conquering the country and permanently occupying
it wished to send over fifty or sixty thousand.
The plans of the conspirators were entirely overthrown by the
victories of the naval heroes Lords St. Vincent and Duncan, but
the Irish insurgents did not lose hope and the French assured them
that succour would arrive from France in the months of April or
May this year.
The Government having received information of the conspiracy
some of the conspirators were arrested in Margate and others in
Dublin. The principal one, Lord Fitzgerald, when apprehended
made a desperate attempt to escape in which he received wounds
which caused his death. .
Some idea of the extensive preparations that had been made by
the Irish and their allies may be estimated from the quantity of
arms seized in 1797 in Leinster and Ulster alone—49,109 guns,
1,750 bayonets, 4,463 pistols, 4,183 swords, and 70,630 pikes,
besides some hundreds of sword blades, musket barrels, &c., &c.”
A singular letter without date from one of the Irish conspirators,
apparently written about May 1798, is preserved in Dublin Castle.f
After referring to the removal of political prisoners from the gaol
to some ship, it goes on to describe a meeting of the revolutionists
that followed. Several resolutions were passed, the principal ones
relating to the delivery of clothing for the rebels, and that plans of
* Baine's Wars, Vol.I. p. 225, and Report of the Secret Commission, Ap-
pendix No. XXXIX., p. 298.
ºf Dublin Castle Papers, Carton 6203, Nos. 322, 323.
U 2
308 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Roy AL REGIMENT, [1798.
attack that were to be made out and sent to the officers in command in
the several districts. All arrangements having been made, the rising
was to take place simultaneously in the whole country, “so that
the whole Kingdom might be thrown into confusion at the same
moment.” The officers of each district were to send in their
returns by post to the principal director of the rebellion on the
night preceding the rising, informing him that they were ready.
The paper is attached to a remarkable confession of several
Irishmen, before the county magistrates of Wicklow, which gives
many interesting particulars of the command of the so-called
Organisation. According to the paper, subscriptions appear to
have been meagre. The number of men given as enrolled in
Talbotstown was 1,800 and 2,400 in Arklow. The county com-
mittee received orders from the executive, who communicated their
Orders to representatives, who in their turn passed the orders on
to heads of 120 men, called captains, and by them to heads of ten,
and from them to privates. Some of the heads of the organisation
in Arklow soon got disgusted at the want of funds and resigned, and
others were dissatisfied with calling on the French for help. Some of
the rebels were to be armed with pikes, “a yard and a half of green
serge hanging to each, a week's provision was to be carried in a
bag.” They had resolved, even if the French did not arrive, to rise
at all risks and to prevent the execution of several of the rebels
confined in prison at Dublin. Lord Edward Fitzgerald was in
the “Directory" (which appeared to be the governing body), and
was to have the command of a province. The confession asserts
that a large part of the Irish Militia was disaffected and ready
to join the rebellion, and it was believed that 13,000 united
Irishmen were ready to bear arms in Wicklow.
Sir Ralph Abercrombie, who had returned home after the conquest
of Trinidad, was on the 12th December 1797 appointed to the com-
mand of all the forces in Ireland, and with his usual energy set out
at Once and made a complete tour of observation throughout the
whole country. On his return to head-quarters he issued general
orders reflecting upon the excesses of the army, which he said
must render it “formidable to every one but the enemy.” His
representations not having the effect he considered they ought to
have had, he, rather than risk his reputation by commanding
troops whose conduct he could not approve, resigned in April, and
was succeeded by General Lake, who had commanded the First
Guards in 1794.
The Irish conspirators had arranged their rising for the 23rd
May. Mr. Samuel Neilson had been the appointed chief after the
capture and death of Lord Fitzgerald, but earl y on the morning of
IN DEX
TO MAP OF
IF E. L. A. N. D.
Annacothy or Annacotty D. C.
Antrim.............................. H. f.
Ardee .............................. F. e.
Arklow ........................... D. f.
Armagh ........................... G. e.
Atherny or Athenry ......... E. c.
Athlone ........................... E. d.
Aughrim ........................... E. c.
Ballyhaise ........................ F. e.
Ballycanew ........... ......... C.
Ballina ........................... G. b.
Ballinasloe..... .................. E. c.
Ballinglass........................ D. e.
Ballygawley ... ................. G. e.
Ballyhack ........................ C. e.
Ballyhaunis ..................... F. c.
Ballymore ........................ E. d.
Banagher ........................ E. d.
Bantry Bay ..................... B. a.
Barrow, R. ........................ D. e.
Belfast .............................. H. f.
Belturbet .......................... G. d.
Birr ................................. E. d.
Blackwater, R. .................. G. e.
Boyne, R. ........................ E. e.
Bray ................................. E. f.
Butlers Bridge .................. G. d.
Caherconlish..................... D. C.
Carlingford ..................... G. f.
Carrickfergus .................. H. f.
Carrick (on Shannon) ...... F. d.
Carrick (on Suir)............... C. d.
Cashel ......... a * * * * * * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - D. d.
Castle Dermot .................. D. e.
Castletown ........................ F. e.
Castlebar........................... F. b.
Cavan .............................. F. d.
Clare................................. F. b.
Clare (County) .................. D. b.
Cloone .............................. G. e.
Clonmel ......................... C. d.
Connaught (Pro.) ............ E. b.
Coleraine........................... I. e.
Cork ................................. B. c.
Dingle Bay........................ C. a.
Donegal Bay..................... G.
Drogheda ....................... F. f.
Dublin ......................... ... E. f.
Duleek .............................. R. e.
Duncannon ..................... C, e.
Dundalk........................... H. e.
Dunmore ......................... F. c.
Dunore. ........................... F. e.
Ennis .............................. D. b.
Erne, R. ........................... G. c.
Foxford ........................... F. b.
Foyle (Lough) .................. I. e.
Galway.............................. E. b.
Glenamaddy..................... F. C.
Goffs Bridge ..................... C. e.
Gorey .............................. D. f.
Grand Canal ..................... E. d.
Hollymount ..................... F. b.
Inch ................................. I. d.
Inniscorthy, or Enniscorthy) C. e.
Inniskilling ..................... G. d.
Kellinare, R. ..................... B. a.
& G. e. Kinsale.............................. B. c.
& D. f. Kintyre ........................... I. f.
Kilcock ........................... E. e.
Kildare.............................. E. e.
Kilrush ........................... D. b.
Killaloe ........................... D. C.
Killeshan dra ..................... F. d.
Liffey, R............................ E. e.
Limerick ........................ D. c.
Lisburn.............................. H. f.
Londonderry..................... H. d.
Loughbrickland ............... G. f.
Longford........................... F. d.
Loughrea........................... E. c.
& F. e. Malin Head ..................... I. d.
Matlock, R. ..................... E. f.
Mayo .............................. F. b.
Mearscourt........................ F. d.
Monaghan ........................ G. e.
Monkstown ..................... B. c.
Neagh (Lough) ............... G.
Newcastle ........................ C. b.
New ROSS ........................ C. e.
Newtown Hutler ............... G. d.
Newtown Hamilton ......... G. e.
Nore, R. ........................... C. e.
Oldbridge ........................ F. e
Phillipstown ..................... E. d.
Port Rush ........................ I. e.
Rathandra ........................ E. e.
& F. b Roscrea ........................... D. d.
Rush ................................. F. f.
Saltee Ilds......................... B.
Shannon R ........................ D. b.
& H. C Shannon Bridge ............... E. d.
Six Mile Bridge ............... D. C.
Slain or Slane .................. F. e.
Sligo ................................. G. c.
Suck, R. ........................... E.
Suir, R. ........................... C. d.
Swilly (Lough) .................. I. d.
Tipperary ........................ C.
Trim ................................ F. e.
& d. Tuam .............................. E.
Tubercurry........................ G. c.
Tullow .............................. D. e.
Waterford ........................ C. e.
Wexford ........................... C. e.
Wicklow ......................... ... D. f.
& H.
& C.
& F.
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1798.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, 309
the 23rd he also was captured. This lucky capture saved Dublin
from the horrors of pillage and perhaps destruction, for arrange-
ments had been made to set free all the convicts from the prisons.
On the night of the 23rd and the following days several
skirmishes took place, and several towns, including Naas, Ballymore,
Carlow, Hacketstown, and Monastereven were attacked, and war
was now openly commenced by the conspirators. General Dundas
defeated a numerous body of insurgents at a place called Killcullen.
On the night of the 26th May the standard of rebellion was
raised in Wexford, and on the 27th a serious encounter took place
at a place called Kilthomas-hill, resulting in the entire route of the
insurgents. An encounter on the same day at Oulart gave a victory
to the rebels, resulting in serious and heavy loss to the troops engaged.
The insurrection continued to spread, and the capture after a severe
contest of Ennis-orthy, enabled the rebel army to push forward
to a place called Three Rocks, within three miles of the town of
Wexford. After a series of engagements, the military were forced
to retire from Wexford, and the town came into the possession of
the insurgents. From this place they issued a proclamation
urging all Irish patriots to repair at once to the head-quarters at
Wexford.
The main position the insurgents took up was at a place called
Winegar Hill, near Enniscorthy, and it was here that they ultimately
awaited the final attack of the Royal forces.
Hills of commanding position were invariably chosen by the
insurgents for their halts. A force that had followed up their
victory at Oulart had advanced to Gorey and took up their position
on the hill Corrigrua. From there they advanced on Ballycanew
and having taken that they on the evening of 1st June arrived on
the hill of Bally manane where they were met by their former
opponents, the garrison of Gorey. A severe contest ensued, the
Royal troops gaining a complete victory and driving the rebels
back to their position on Corrigrua Hill. At the beginning of
June 1,500 well appointed Royal troops with five guns under the
command of General Loftus arrived at Gorey, with the intention
of driving the rebels from their post on Corrigrua Hill.
By faulty dispositions of the force, and it must be owned great
luck on the part of the rebels (who were commanded by Father
Murphy), the Royal troops were completely defeated and driven
through Gorey to Arklow, thus leaving the whole of the northern
part of Wexford in the hands of the insurgents.
On the 1st June an attack was made at a place about three miles
north-west of Enniscorthy by a force detached from Vinegar
Hill consisting of 5,000 men commanded by Father Kearns, and
310 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1798.
fortunately, though only opposed by a force of 500 men, suffered a
severe defeat. If they had succeeded in breaking through Colonel
Lestrange's small force the rebels would have been able to have
advanced unopposed into Carlow. This would have encouraged the
inhabitants in that county to rise and co-operating with the insur-
gents in Wexford and Kildare the insurrection might have assumed
much more serious proportions.
The victories of the northern portion of the insurgents under
the command of Father Murphy were fortunately not followed up
by the other division under the command of Beauchamp Bagenal
Harvey. This leader had taken up a position on Carrickbyrne
Hill with the intention of capturing the town of New Ross. On
the 4th June he advanced to Corbet Hill about a mile and a
half from Ross and with some skill made preparations for the
attack of that place. The garrison consisted of some 1,200 men, and
was under the command of Major-General Johnson. He had made
such careful preparations that though fiercely assailed on the 5th
June for ten hours by 30,000 insurgents he held his post with such
tenacity that the rebels were ultimately repulsed with a loss of
2,600 men. The Royal forces lost two officers (one being Lord
Mountjoy, colonel of the Dublin Militia), four sergeants, and eighty-
four men killed, and one captain and fifty-seven men wounded.”
On the 9th June Father Murphy in command of the northern
party of the insurgents (who ought to have advanced on Arklow
after the victory at Gorey), made up his mind to attack Arklow,
but he was too late. Major General the Hon. Francis Needham
had collected about 1,600 dragoons, fencibles, and yeomen, and had
had plenty of time, by the inactivity of Father Murphy, to complete
his plans for the defence of the place.
The rebel leader, who was said to have had from twenty to thirty
thousand men under him, advanced to the attack about 4 p.m.
on the 9th, but was met with so resolute and determined a
resistance (the guns of the Royalists making great havoc in the
crowded ranks of the rebels) that in two hours he was driven off.
The rebels retreated to Limerick Hill, and on the 20th by the
advance of General Lake were forced back to the general rebel
rendevouz of Vinegar Hill. It was now seen that the time had
arrived to endeavour to break up the rebel stronghold at that place.
Accordingly General Lake sent instructions to the generals com-
manding the several forces operating in different parts, to march
from their quarters, Lieutenant-General Dundas from Baltinglass,
*Baines' Wars, p. 235,
1798. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST surrey REGIMENT. 3 #1
*-
Majors-General Sir James Duff and Loftus from Tullow, General
Needham from Arklow, and the force from Ross under the command
of Major-General Johnson, the whole force concentrating in the
neighbourhood of Winegar Hill. The latter force on their march
to the rendezvous met the rebel band under Father Ross and sent
them reeling from their camp on Lacken Hill. The united force of
the Royal Army marching on Vinegar Hill consisted of about
13,000 men and a formidable train of Artillery. On arriving in
front of the hill on the 21st June they were divided into four
distinct columns for the attack, and early on the morning of the
21st advanced up the hill, General Johnson, with a fifth column, at
the same time advancing against the town of Enniscorthy.
The rebels were enabled from the natural strength of their
position to make a stand for about an hour and a half, but were
ultimately driven off the hill, but the force under General Needham,
not arriving in time at the place assigned to them, a large force of
the insurgents were enabled to escape, the major part of them,
under the command of Roche, marching across the mountains to
the county of Kilkenny. The loss on the part of the rebels in
this engagement was said to have been very great,
On the 8th May Lord Castlereagh sent a letter to General Lake
ordering him, as a spirit of outrage and rebellion had recently
manifested itself in the counties of Tipperary and Limerick, and
he feared the practice of houghing cattle that had lately pre-
vailed in the counties of Galway and Mayo might extend to
Tipperary and Limerick, that as soon as the houghing of cattle
commenced he was to proclaim martial law and to order the speedy
punishment of the offenders should their guilt be prove ). This he
was to do without referring to the Lord Lieutenant. In all cases
he was to act to the best of his judgment and in conjunction with
the magistrates and gentlemen of the county.”
Early in June the Government had determined to send a strong
reinforcement of troops to Ireland. They had received certain
information that the insurrection, which had assumed such alarming
proportions, was to be assisted by large supplies from France.
On the 9th June a letter was sent, marked secret, by the Duke
of Portland to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland informing him that
he had that day received a letter from the Duke of York explaining
the nature and extent of the reinforcements which were being sent
to Ireland, which it is expressly stated were to be considered as a
temporary relief.” The Duke of York's instructions, dated the
~ * : *== - ~~~-º-º-e
* Public Record Office, Dublin, Country Letters 433.
312 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [I798
— — sº ——-
same day, were very particular and precise. In them he stated
that the King's commands having been sent to him by Mr.
Secretary Dundas, he had decided to send a considerable re-
inforcement from Great Britain, Guernsey, and Jersey, to Ireland
as follows:–
Cavalry.
To embark from ). Durham Fencible Cavalry tº tº a ... 239
Port Patrick ſ Lancashire , , 2 3 tº tº º ... 236
To embark from Y Berwick 3 3 2 3 * > * * ... 240
Liverpool Dumfries 3 5 5 y tº g & ... 237
Total § 2 & # 8 º' tº tº a , , , 952
Infantry.
Sailed from Barnstaple ) The Queen’s Regiment tº º º 555
8th June 29th Regiment tº s in e 581
Sailed from Portsmouth ſe 7A9
3rd June }100th Regiment & * 742
Sailed from Jersey, Cheshire Fencibles .. tº gº º * * * 401
Guernsey Nottingham Fencibles * & © 489
55 y Glengary 9 3 tº gº tº 454
Total ... tº £ tº tº º º ... 3,222
Total Cavalry and Infantry tº tº # tº $ tº tº e e ... 4,174
sºmºmºmº
In addition to these troops, three battalions of Guards, con-
sisting of 600 men each, were sent to Portsmouth, where they
were to embark in ships of war for Ireland. The battalions
selected for this service consisted of the third battalion of the first
regiment, and the first battalion of the two other Guards regiments.
The third battalion, which was at Winchester, was ordered to march
to Portsmouth on the 10th, and to embark at Gosport the next day.
The other battalions were conveyed in carriages and embarked on
the J2th.*
Further reinforcements being considered necessary Sir Ralph
Abercrombie, who commanded in Scotland, was ordered by an
express from the Duke of York to use his utmost endeavours to
prevail upon the Sutherland and Strathspey regiments of Militia
Fencibles to offer their services. They were to be sent to
Donaghadie with the 1st battalion of the Royals if they had 300
men fit for duty. The sum total of the reinforcements was
estimated at 950 Cavalry and 8,000 Foot.”
* Government Correspondence, P.R.O., Dublin, 4/142, and Hamilton's
Guards, Vol. II. p. 330.
1798.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 313
The whole force was to be put under the command of Lieutenant-
General Hulse and the brigades were to be commanded by the
following general officers:–
The Guards Brigade by Major-General Stannix.
The Line * 9 * 3 y 3 Hunter.
The Militia 3 9 * 5 9 3 Alex. Campbell.
The 100th Regiment was by mistake ordered to Dublin, and on
arrival there was sent on to Waterford where the whole force
was to be disembarked.
The instructions to Major-General Hunter commanding the
brigade in which the Queen's was posted were to the effect that
he was to proceed to Waterford and report himself to Lieutenant-
General Lake, and was to send an account of the state of his brigade
to the Duke until the senior officer appointed to the command
arrived. He was also informed of the secret instructions of Dundas
that the troops were only sent to Ireland on the British establish-
ment.
The Queen's was under the immediate command of Lieutenant-
Colonel Eyre, Lord Dalhousie being absent on leave.
On the 8th June the Minister Dundas wrote to the Duke of
York as follows:—
“I beg leave to inform Your Royal Highness that I shall think
it my duty to represent to his Grace the indispensable necessity
of the whole force now sent being brought back to this country as
soon as the present rebellion shall be suppressed, and that I shall
request of him to receive His Majesty's commands to this effect
and with a view to prevent the possibility of disappointment,
further to direct that the Infantry force now sent should be kept
as collected as possible in the neighbourhood of Waterford or Cork.
The services of these regiments I consider will not be less effectual
by being thus limited, as on their arrival they will relieve an
equal proportion of the troops now on those stations, which from
that moment may be marched in the interior of the country in
such directions as the exigencies of the service may require.”
The Fleet encountered most tempestuous weather and did not
arrive at Waterford till the 18th June. On the 19th the troops
were disembarked and the brigade was ordered to proceed to Ross.
The Queen's, according to a return dated October 15th in the Irish
State Papers, landed at Pa Sage, near Waterford. The following
was the Disembarkation Return – .
314, HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAT, REGIMENT: [1798.

Officers present. ă # e Wanting
i = Rauk and File. º t
gº º * *-d COIn OI656,
Commissioned. Staff. :c p
sº 3| | | # sick d5
Companies. Gº) * e * :-
3| | |3| |g| |g ..] gle tº : | tº º: | tº
#| |z|#|z|#|s|}|4||3|###| | | | | | | ##| || 3 || || E
#|& g|####|E|3|#| |##|*š º s | 3 | # 3| | E | # #
##|#|3|Éišā|É|#|s||5|4|T| 5 || 5 || 5 | # 3| = | 3 || 3 || 3
###########|####| || 3 || 5 || 3 ||3|#|#| f |
############|E|. | = | < | < || 2 |H| = 3. a &
--- --~------.... - | | --- ...—-º.
Colonel Lieut.-General 1 || 1 || || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1 7 || 2 || 50 2 I 55 5
James Coates. t |
g ! |
Lieutenant-Colonel 1 || 1 || 1 || 5|1|49 || 2 | 3 || 1 || 1 56 4
JEarl Dalhousie. t -
| | i
Major-Surgeon Parry 1 1 || 2 | 1 3 || 2 || 49 1 3 2 55 5
Jones. - -
Captains:
Alexander Gordon's - I 2 5 || 2 || 46 || 3 || 6 55 5
IRobert Donald’s - I 3 5 || 4 || 52 6 2 60
George C. Hales’ - | 1 || 2 5 || 2 || 41 || 2 || 7 54 6
John Kingsbury’s - | 1 |2|1 5 || 1 || 49 4 || 1 | | 54 6
William Gray’s gº 1 1 3 || 1 || 45 || 2 || 5 || 1 || 1 , || 54 6
John Le Eveleigh’s - 2 4 || 2 || 46 4 1 || 2 | | 53 | 7
Nick Ramsay’s gº 1 || 3 5 || 2 || 52 || 5 || 2 59 I
2 sº 19| 5 || 1 || I 1. 47|19||79 || 23 || 38 4 || 11 555 45
- - --- - - - ---- --- -- - ,--— … -- —-----º
Absent Officers :—Col. Lt.-Gen. James Coates, by the King’s leave. En-
signs William Johnston and James Rogers, not joined since appointed.
Officers on duty and on what duty. Captains William Gray and N. Ramsay,
B.-Majors to the Forces in England. Capt. John L. Eveleigh, left with sick
in England. Lieutenants Samuel Swann and John Blossett, recruiting.
Lt. John Nihill, sick at Bath. Qr.-Master James Elder and Mate John
Foreman, left with sick in Jºngland. Vacant officers and by what means.
One Ensigncy vacant for purchase, vice McDowall promoted. Sergeants
recruiting, 2. Serjeants sick absent, 4, Drummers recruiting, 2. Drummer
sick absent, 1.
Philipstown, 22 September 1798. Lt.-Col. Earl Dalhousie absent with the
Commander-in-Chief's leave.
THOs. EYRE,
Lt.-Col. Queen's Royal Regiment, *
On the arrival of the regiment in Ireland Lord Dalhousie took
up the command. The same day the Queen's and the 29th
landed, they were ordered by Major-General Fawcet commanding
at Duncannon Fort to march along the road towards Ross to
a place where he appointed to meet them. Evening ap-
proaching and there being no sign of the General, it was
decided to return to the coast. The Queen's arriving first at
* State Papers, Domestic, Ireland, 1798, No. 560,
1798.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 315
the village Ballyhack where they had landed, took up all the
quarters in the village, and the 29th when they arrived had to
go on board the transports to rest. During the night orders
were received for the two regiments to march to Foulkes Mill
and place themselves under the orders of General Sir John Moore.
The Queen's being on shore was first off and was taken by
General Fawcet to dislodge a party of the enemy near Duncannon
Fort. The rebels had, however, decamped. In the evening when
they had arrived within a few miles of Foulkes Mill firing
was heard, and it was discovered that it proceeded from an engage-
ment then taking place between the General and a party—about
6,000—of the enemy under the command of Father Roche, who had
advanced from Carrickbyrne and attacked Moore’s force then ad-
vancing on Wexford. Hunter's brigade advanced quickly towards
the place where the fight was going on, and on its approach the rebels
retreated and fled towards Enniscorthy and Wexford. The place
where this encounter took place is called Goffs Bridge.” It is said
that General Moore would have had some difficulty in making his
way to Wexford but for the timely arrival of the Queen's and the
29th regiments. The rebels fancied the strength of the two regi-
ments to be greater than it really was. Its arrival, however,
deterred them from a contemplated renewal of the action.f
The whole united force now advanced on Wexford. On arriving
in front of the town on the morning of the 21st an offer was made
by the inhabitants to surrender the place on condition that the
lives and property of all should be guaranteed. This offer,
instigated no doubt by the insurgents, was sent by General Moore
to the commander-in-chief who at once returned a reply that
he could not attend to any terms proposed by rebels in arms and
insisted on an unconditional surrender. On this the main body of
the rebels evacuated the town, part of them passed over the bridge
to the eastern side of the river, and the rest under Father Roche
retreated in an opposite direction into the barony of Forth.
About five in the afternoon, Captain Boyd, who commanded a
troop of Yeomanry in General Moore's force, terribly anxious for
the fate of his wife and children (who had remained prisoners in
the hands of the insurgents of Wexford, and who, he feared, might
have become victims to the massacres that had taken place
at the instigation of the Irish Robespierre Dixon), rode into the
town with eight yeomen of his troops, and found it abandoned by
the rebel force. The Queen's were now ordered into the town to
* Major Everard's History of the 20th Foot, p. 225, and Baine’s Wars,
. 237.
# The Irish Rebellion, Maxwell, London, 1891,
316 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Roy AL REGIMENT, [1798.
take possession. Lord Dalhousie entering first “with the flank
companies of the Queen's, and liberating Lord Kingsborough and
several other Protestant gentlemen who were to have been put to
death.” On the next day and the 23rd more troops were sent in,
including the 29th Regiment.
Lieut. G. E. Raitt, of the Queen's, when the troops entered
Wexford, opened the doors of the prison ; the yard was filled with
women and children, who were expecting to be massacred; upon
discovering it was red coats and not insurgents, they almost
smothered the officer by their embraces.
On the 26th, General Lake left Wexford with all the troops,
except the Queen's and the 29th, who remained to garrison the
town. According to the monthly returns, the Queen's were at first
quartered in the town, but were, in August, encamped near Wexford.
A few days after the troops entered Wexford, a detachment of
the Queen's, under Lieutenant Charles Turner, surprised and took
prisoner the celebrated Irish leader, Bagenal Harvey, “who had
concealed himself in a cave in Sattee Island, and whose character
for courage and desperation was such that few people would have
ventured to approach his hiding place.”
The third battalion First Guards was on 26th sent to New
Ross to relieve the Cheshire Fencibles, who had been ordered to
reinforce Major-General Sir Charles Asgill at Kilkenny. A party
of rebels about 5,000, under the command of Father Murphy, had
occupied Goresbridge, near the town. They were attacked and
defeated by General Asgill at Kilconney Hill, sustaining a loss of
from two to three hundred killed. The redoubtable priest leader,
Murphy, was taken, and being conducted to the head-quarters of
General Sir James Duff was hanged the same day. Lieut. G. E.
Raitt was placed in command of the detachment told off for the
execution of Father Murphy, who was a man of huge size and
weight; so much so that the rope broke by which he was hanged,
on which he brought forth curses on the officer, who took good
care the rope was strong enough next time.
After a series of small skirmishes, and one or two serious attempts
to reanimate a defeated cause, the insurgent chiefs, Fitzgerald and
|Byrne, surrendered to Generals Dundas and Moore, and the first
part of the Irish insurrection of 1798 was over. *
Major-General Welford wrote to Lord Castlereagh on the 18th
July informing him that he had arranged with Mr. Aylmer, on the
part of the insurgents of Kildare, and with Mr. Percy Fitzgerald,
on the part of the insurgents in the counties of Wicklow and
Wexford, that a meeting should take place to arrange terms
of surrender and submission, Lord Castlereagh at once replied
1798.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 317
expressing his extreme surprise that General Welford should enter
into an armistice with rebels in arms, and ordered him to at Once
put an end to it. He was reminded that a proclamation had
been issued, offering terms if the rebels surrendered at once, in
which case the lives of Aylmer and the others would be spared.
The time named in the proclamation had expired, but would be
extended for twenty-four hours, at the expiration of which time
General Welford was to offer a reward of 1,000l. for the apprehen-
sion of Aylmer, and of 300l. each for the other leaders.”
In a letter from Dublin Castle, dated 4th August, it is there
stated that the rebellion was considered over ; it was further stated
that many of the people who took up arms had been deceived
by the accounts given them by the leaders. 20,000 persons were
said to have fallen, but this is a low estimate of the lives that
were sacrificed in this fratricidal war.
The French Directory had too long delayed their promised help
to the Irish insurgents, who had been anxiously looking for the
arrival of their French allies. The French, however, were not pre-
pared to allow the chance of striking a blow at England to pass by,
and accordingly continued preparations to send a force to Ireland.
This force, which had it been sent prior to the decisive defeat of
the rebels at Vinegar Hill, might have been of great service to the
rebels, was now almost a contemptible effort to revive a lost cause. It
consisted of 1,030 privates and seventy officers, the whole under the
command of General Humbert. The French embarked at La
Rochelle in three frigates, and, escaping by a miracle the English
ships sent to overtake them, landed at Killala Bay, county Mayo,
north-west of Ireland, on the 22nd August. General Humbert took
up his quarters in the bishop's palace. Few Irish joined him here,
so leaving a small garrison at Killala, under the command of
Colonel Charost, to keep up communication and receive supplies,
he marched towards Castlebar.
Lord Cornwallis, who had been appointed lord lieutenant in
succession to Lord Camden, had, on the 3rd July, with consummate
wisdom, issued a proclamation authorising the generals to pardon
such insurgents as, having been guilty simply of rebellion, should
lay down their arms and take the oath of allegiance. This wise act
of clemency no doubt had a great effect in hindering the peasantry
from re-engaging in the new attempt to revive the rebellion.
As soon as the new lord lieutenant heard of the landing he took
emergetic measures to combat the danger. He himself took the
field as commander in chief ; General Lake being appointed to
command in Connaught. The Lord Lieutenant left Dublin on the
* Dublin Castle Papers, Carton 620/3, No. 474. ------,
318 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1798.
*-
24th August, and advancing rapidly by the Grand Canal, through
Phillipstown and Kilbeggan, arrived on the 28th at Athlone, join-
ing the brigade of Guards which he had ordered to concentrate there.
A letter of John Croker to the Right Honourable John Beresford,
dated 29th August, gave information that a considerable body of
the rebels had joined the French troops at Ballina, and had a strong
post there. The post was commanded by French officers who
had secured their position by entrenchments. Another party had
taken possession of the lands of Palmerstown. He strongly advised
that troops should be sent to Occupy Foxford, and the road from
Ballina, near Nephin Mountain, otherwise the rebels would have a
great line of country open to them either for means of escape
or for succour.”
General Humbert had, with considerable promptitude, pushed on
towards Castlebar, with the intention of driving General Lake
from that town, and establishing it as his head-quarters. Ad-
vancing rapidly and avoiding Foxford, he arrived in front of
Castlebar on the 26th August. He found the English forces
drawn up in two lines on the top of a hill at the north-west of the
town, a small reserve being stationed in rear, some guns posted in
front commanded a rising ground over which the enemy must pass.
On the morning of the 27th the French general, after a careful
reconnaissance, halted behind Some rising ground, and sent out a
body of his best marksmen to occupy the hedges in front, where
they extended themselves towards the flank of the English.
The English troops having, with fatal precipitancy, on the
advance of the sharpshooters, exhausted their fire, the main body
of the French rushed forward, and at the same time the extended
sharpshooters so threatened the rear of the position that the
detachment guarding the guns ran off, leaving their charge in the
hands of the enemy. A gallant attempt to arrest the advance of
the French was made by Lords Ormond, Longford, and Granard,
but though they, with their supporters and the Royal Irish Artil-
lery (who defended the bridge with a single gun), did their best
to save the day, their efforts were futile, and General Lake had to
retreat with a loss of about 500 men and fourteen guns.
It appears from a letter preserved in Dublin Castle that General
Lake did not himself arrive at Castlebar till late in the evening of
the 26th, and he writes that he found extraordinary “precipitancy
and confusion there.”f In his letter he pays a high tribute to the
gallantry of Major Keir, of the 6th Dragoon Guards. The 6th
seem to have lost heavily in horses in the fight, and lost also all
their baggage.
* Dublin Castle Records, Carton 333, No. 6141.
f Public Record Office, Dublin, Country Letters, 4/33.
1798.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 319
ºr-----— *-*
As soon as Lord Cornwallis heard of Lake's defeat he set forward
in the direction of Hollymount, with the intention of making
dispositions to cut off the invading force from the interior of the
country. On the 4th September General Humbert, hoping to obtain
succour by advancing towards the coast, moved towards Sligo,
passing through Swineford and Tobercurry. Generals Lake and
Crawford, however, so hung upon his rear that he found it impos-
sible to proceed. After a number of skirmishes he arrived at
Ballynamuck.
The Queen's, with the 29th, were now ordered to march from
their camp near Wexford and to join the force under Lord
Cornwallis, who were on their way to join General Lake.
They left their camp on the 24th August with orders to March to
Kilkenny and there await orders. On the 1st of September they
were at Glennamaddy, and later on they joined Lord Cornwallis at
Tuam. The Queen's marched the whole of the distance from
Wexford to Glennaimaddy with hardly a halt, a remarkable per-
formance. The Bucks Militia were with them when they started,
but they marched right away from them after the Second day. The
whole force now proceeded via Hollymount and Ballyhaunis to
Carrick on Shannon. Here Lord Cornwallis heard of the departure
of the enemy from Castlebar, so he crossed the Shannon at Carrick,
and at 8 a.m. on the 8th September the vanguard of the troops
came in sight of the enemy, who had halted for the night at a place
called Cloone. The advanced party consisted of the flank company
of the Queen's and the 29th Regiment, the Bucks and the Warwick-
shire Militia. While Lord Cornwallis was waiting for the remainder
of the column to arrive the enemy moved on, followed closely by
General Lake. At 11 a.m. they had the gratification of seeing
the enemy closely engaged with Lake and Crawford's troops.
Humbert's column was pushed on rapidly towards Ballinamuck,
county Longford, where they made their final stand.
By the skilful tactics of Lord Cornwallis the French General found
his force surrounded by a British force amounting to about twenty
thousand men, and cut off from every means of support. Humb ...t
hoped, if hard pressed, to have been able to have retreated to
Granard, where he was to have been joined by many friends.” It
appears, however, that the contingent of rebels there had been
defeated by the royal troops on the 5th September, and on the
same day another band of rebels sustained a severe defeat in the
county of West Meath.f Humbert's rear guard, under the com.
mand of General Sarazin, was captured by General Crawford,
* Major Everard's History of 29th Regiment, p. 229.
+ Baine's Wars, Vol. I. p. 246.
320 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1798.
but the main body fought and continued to defend themselves
until the arrival of General Lake, when perceiving the utter
futility of further resistance, they all surrendered. The rebel Irish
being excluded from quarter fled in all directions, about five
hundred being slain in pursuit. About one hundred were taken
prisoners, including three leaders, Teeling, Blake, and Rouch.
The number of French prisoners reported to have been taken at
Ballinamuck was ninety-six officers and seven hundred and forty
eight non-commissioned officers and men, two hundred and eighty-
eight had been lost in killed and wounded since they landed at
Killala.
The Lord Lieutenant immediately after the capture of General
Humbert and his forces sent off a strong detachment to take the
posts of Ballina and Killala, which was accomplished after a sharp
skirmish at the latter place. Soon after his arrival in Dublin,
where he was with the other prisoners sent, the French General sent
the following letter to Lord Cornwallis –
‘‘Tie Général HUMBERT Commandant L'armée Francaise, a son Excellence
LORD CORNWALLIS.
MonsIER LE GENERAL,
|Permettez moi de Vous temoigner au nom du Gouvernement
Français mes plus sincere remercements de tous les procèdes honnnètes tout
vous 1:ous avez comblés. Votre grandeur genereuse m'enhardi à vous prier
au nom de mes cammarades prisonniers a vous prier de mous faire délivra
une somme quelconque pour soubvenir à nos premier besoins ; le disinteresse-
ment des troupes confier a messoines a quelques droits à la bieliveillance de
votre Gouvernement vous pouvez étre persuadé Monsier le General de la
loyauté and de l'empressement que mettra mon Gouvernement a remplir les
engagemens que j'aurai contracter en son nom avec vous.
Je suis avec la plus parſaite considération.
HUMBERT.
It is needless to say that a courteous reply from the Lord
Lieutenant accorded the French General the relief he asked for
himself and for his companions.
After the defeat and capture of the French troops and the dis-
persion of their Irish allies, General Hunter's brigade with the
Queen's matched to Phillipstown, Kings county, but hearing that
part of another French expedition had been seen off Bantry Bay,
the brigade left Phillipstown on the 26th September for Cashell,
Tipperary, where they encamped. This second Banding of the
French was at the little island of Rutland. Three boats full of
men, some artillery, and a large quantity of arms were landed
from a brig named Anacrcon. The adventurers found, however, that
the people instead of joining them fled to the mountains, and
hearing also of the capture of the force under General Humbert
1798. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 321
(which was stated to have been only the vanguard of a larger force
coming from France), they on the 17th September re-embarked and
proceeded to France. On the very day that they left the coast of
Ireland an expedition left Brest for Ireland consisting of one ship
of the line, eight frigates, a schooner, and a brig, with a strong
reinforcement of men for General Humbert.
A letter had been received by the Government, dated 25th
August, giving full particulars of the passage of rebel messengers
through the counties of Waterford and Cork, calling on the people
to have all ready on the expected arrival of the French armament
• from Brest, and that the rebel General, Henry Morris, had returned
in disguise from Carrick on Suir. A later letter dated 30th from
Nenagh informed the authorities that Morris had escaped from
county Wexford and gone to county Waterford. Meetings had
been held and the general rising was to take place in a few
days.” *
Admiral Sir John Borlase, who was cruising with seven sail of
the line, discovered the French fleet off Lough Swilly about noon of
the 11th October. The admiral at once gave chase, but could not
come up into action till next morning. The English Fleet con-
sisted of the Canada (the admiral's ship), the Robust, Foudroyant,
Magnanime, Æthalion, Melampus, and Amelia. The Frenchmen
were the Hoche, eighty guns, Immortalité, forty-four guns, Loire,
forty-four guns, Romaine, forty-four guns, Bellone, forty guns,
Resolue, forty guns, Coquillo, forty guns, Ambuscade, thirty-six
guns, and the Semillante, thirty-six guns. An action of nearly four
hours ensued, “at the end of which period the Hoche hauled down
her colours, followed by the others, and three of the frigates.” Five
of the frigates, the schooner, and the brig got away from the fight,
but three of the frigates were afterwards captured, the Romaine
and Semillante only escaping. Thus the whole of the expedition
was destroyed, and the French invasion at an end. -
Amongst the prisoners taken on the Hoche was the famous
Theobald Wolfe Tone, who had been the moving spirit of the
rebellion and liad been mainly instrumental in organising the
French succours. He was taken to Dublin, and after a trial, in
which he defended himself with considerable ability, he was con-
demned to death, but committed suicide in prison. The capture and
(leath of Tone was the death-blow to the rebellion. A few desperate
spirits still endeavoured to keep it alive, but they were obliged at
last to buy their lives by expatriation for ever from their native
country.
* Dublin Castle Pupers, Carlon, 62013, No. 57/25,
VOL. III. X
322 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1798.
After the defeat of the French Fleet the brigade left the camp
at Cashel, and was removed to Kilkenny, where it remained till
the Queen's regiment returned to England next year.
Four companies, according to the pay lists, were quartered
at Gores Bridge, Borris, and Graignena Managh in October and
November.
On December 25th the regiment was removed from the Irish
Establishment.
Much has been said and written about the religious character
of the rebellion in 1798, and there is little doubt that in many
cases fanatic Catholics endeavoured, with some success, to introduce
the terrible embitterment of religious disputes. A letter of a rebel
who had repented of being engaged in the rebellion, states that on the
rising all Protestants who were not on the side of the rebellion were
to be put to death without distinction of age or sex, as necessary to
the success of their plans. At the same time, the following list of
prominent men in the revolution gives quite another aspect to the
case, and would tend to prove that the insurrection was in the
main a very mistaken idea of patriotism, and which would have
been, if successful, only changing the government of the English
crown for that of the French Republic.
The following list of prominent Protestant rebels is taken from
Sir Richard Musgrave's publication on the Irish Rebellion, and
proves that the war was not in its inception a war of religion —
Theobald Wolfe Tone.
Homble. Simon Butler.
James Napper Tandy.
Archibald H. Rowen.
Beachamp B. Harvey.
Thomas Russel.
Arthur O’Connor.
Rogér O'Connor.
Samuel Neilson.
John Chambers.
Henry Shears.
John Shears.
Joseph Levins.
William Levingstone Webb.
Henry Jackson.
Mathew Dowling.
James Reynolds.
Thomas E. Emmett.
John Bourke.
Hugh Wilson.
Robert Simms.
Edward Hudson.
A warrant was issued on the 24th July for exonerating the
field officers and captains from general responsibility for the future
accounts of their respective corps, and for establishing a new daily
rate of pay for the said officers, abolishing the distinction between
the subsistence and arrears. The same was to take place from the
1st April 1798, on the establishment of Ireland.*
A circular letter was sent to generals commanding districts on
the 30th September, regulating the uniform to be worn in future
by surgeons and veterinary surgeons in the Army. The uniform
* 'I'reasury Records, Trish Book, 1794–1802, Vol. 15.
1798.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT.
323
was to be plain scarlet, with the uniform buttons of the regiment
they belonged to, but without epaulettes and lappels. A plain round
red cuff and collar, white waistcoat and breeches, and plain cocked
hat with the regimental button.
The uniform for all officers belonging to the medical department
was to be the same, excepting with regard to the button, which was
to have the King's coronet impressed upon it with the letters
H.S. (Hospital Staff) underneath.*
The strength of the national forces in February was:–
*===ºne England. Ireland. Total.
Cavalry s sº º 21,512 5,799 27,311
Infantry * -º * gº 85,043 12,543 97,586
Militia * tº *- 41,752 22,917 64,669
148,307 41,259 189,566f

By 1st June the establishment in England had increased to :—
Cavalry 21,823
Infantry 88,375
Militia e G 78,257
Total ... ... 188,455
or an increase in the whole British establishment of 40,148 men,
a large proportion of which proceeded to Ireland in that month.
In June according to a return in Irish papers the Irish establish-
ment was –
INFANTRY.
9 regiments of Line, 600 each 5,400
1 3 9 9 3 • * * 1,000
Corps of Invalids ... tº g { } it tº 6 655
27 regiments of Fencibles, 500 each 13,500
l 5, 2 53 1,000
1 3 * 5 * 600
Total 22,155
CAVALRY.
EHorses. Men.
4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Dragoon Guards, and 9th,
22nd, 23rd, and 24th Dragoons... 4,800 4,352
Hompesch’s Horse ... tº e tº ſº ſº º 450 480
e 2 regiments Horse ... 696 636
Fencibles (5*. Do. 2,700 2,970
Essex Fengible Dragoons ... 300 300
Totals 8,946 8,738
* War Office Common Tetter Book, 1797–1798, No. 298, p. 276.
+ Torne Collection, Horse Guards.
X 2
324 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
The regiment remained quartered in Kilkenny until early in May
1799, when the brigade with some guns, under the command of
General Gardiner, was ordered to march to Tullamore. On the
29th May they were removed to Phillipstown. This was to meet
another threatened invasion by the French. General Hunter
had given up the command of the Brigade on being appointed
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada.”
Lord Castlereagh wrote, on the 2nd March to Major-General
Nugent, commanding the northern district of Armagh, directing him,
as a most lawless spirit had manifested itself in the district under
his command, to severely punish the offenders if caught, and
without referring the matter to him. It was evident that the
malcontents in Ireland had some hopes of further succour from
France, and risings were feared in different parts of the country.
The anticipated disorders not having occurred, the brigade was
ordered back to its Cld quarters in Kilkenny, at which place the
Queen's with the 29th Regiment arrived on the 11th June. In the
same month the Queen's were moved to county Cork, and were
encamped at Monkstown.
On the 13th July the regiment, with the 29th, marched for Cork
under orders for England. They left the Cove on the 24th and
arrived at Southampton about the 30th July.
The Queen's had been placed on the Irish establishment on the
25th December last year, and was put again on the British establish-
ment on 5th July 1799, when they left for England.
In addition to the pay of the officers on the Irish establishment
they were allowed the following additional sum for lodging :-
For each field officer Q & © ... 10s. 6d. per week.
, captain tº e tº ... 88. 0d. ,
, Subaltern tº tº º ... 6s. 0d. 52
In addition to this allowances were granted, according to a letter
dated 19th March, to officers for the service in Ireland as follows:–
Rank On making first |For each subsequent
& Campaign. Campaign.
# s. d. £ s. d.
Colonel - gº º & * 36 5 O 27 10 0
Lieutenant-colonel - cº 30 0 O 22 10 0
Major ſº iº gº tº £º 3 * 25 0 O 17 10 0
Captain - sº {-> gº tº {-g tº- 20 0 0 I2 10 0
Captain-lieutenant, lieutenant, ensign - 12 10 O 8 0 0
Paymaster of the regulars - * * sº- 20 0 O 12 10 0
Adjutant and quarter-master of the re- 12 0 0 8 8 0
gulars.
Surgeon of the regulars - tºº sº 20 0 0 12 10 O
Surgeon of the militia tº gº <=: tºs 12 10 () 8 8 O
Assistant Surgeon or surgeon’s mate * = 12 10 () 8 8 Of
* Major Everard’s History of 29th Foot, p. 231. sºm- -
+ Government Correspondence, Public Record Office, Dublin, 4/142.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT.
3
2
5
The establishment of the regiment, as quoted in the Irish papers,
was as follows:—
1 colonel.
2 lieutenant-colonels.
2 major.
7 captains.
12 lieutenants.
8 ensigns.
1 paymaster.
1 adjutant.
1 quarter-master.
1 Surgeon.
1 assistant-surgeon.
2 staff sergeants.
51 sergeants.
50 corporals,
22 drummers.
550 privates.
Total ... 712
The following list gives the dates of the different regiments
serving on the Irish establishment being retransferred to the
English establishment:-
4th Dragoon Guards & © & ... 10th September 1799, inclusive.
5th 5 5 3 y & © tº ... 17th August 1799, a 3
7th 5 * • 3 tº tº 4. ... 1st August 1799, 5 §
5th Dragoons tº & * † tº ... 27th January 1799, 5 3
Ancient British Fencible Cavalry 1st November 1799, 3 3
2nd Foot ... tº gº º e tº º ... 5th July 1799, 5 2
6th , , & ſº tº tº tº tº © tº ... 25th December 1799, 5 3
30th , , tº a tº tº ſº tº tº e ſº ... 3rd January 1799, 3 5
29th , , § º º e tº º e - tº ... 24th July 1799, 2 3
41st , , tº º ſº tº a tº tº $ tº ... 15th August, 3 3
60th , , tº gº tº tº & gº º & ... 27th February, 3 y
89th , , tº e is e tº ge ſº tº ſº ... 31st January, 2 3
92nd , (ſormerly 100th) ... 20th July, 9 3
Perthshire Fencible Infantry ... 14th February, 5 3
King's County Militia ... ... 10th June, 53
Wexford Militia ... tº tº ſº, ... 6th August, 3 º
From this it would seem that it was thought advisable that
the militia in the disaffected counties should be sent for a time to
England.”
An order dated 26th February was issued from the lord-
lieutenant directing that the pay of all subalterns was to be
increased 1s, a day, and that in addition to this they were to be
excused the payment to hospital, poundage, and agency.
* Government Correspondence, Dublin, 1799, 1 E 4/142.
|
326 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT;
[1799,
The increase to each officer's pay by this order was, per annum:-
Lieutenant
Ensign
Adjutant ...
Quarter-master
f s. d.
23 12 6
22 9 5
23 0 6
25 15 II.
The strength of the national forces according to the Fane
collection was in February as follows:–
*- England. Ireland. Total.
Cavalry - 1- º 25, 175 | 7,229 32,404
Infantry - - $s 88,873 28,777 117,650
Militia º - - 95,848 22,356 1 18,204
209,896 58,362 268,258
Another return at the end of the year, inclusive of Ireland, is
given as follows:–
Cavalry
Infantry
Militia
35,687
. 131,095
86,926
253,708
Showing a decrease of about 14,500 men, no doubt principally
caused by the disastrous expedition to Holland which took place
is casaaksºl-sa---
in the autumn of the year
*=_i=A--—ri-x-------—-
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 327
C H A P T E R X. I X.
HELDER CAMPAIGN.
1799.
CoNTENTS.–Regiment lands at Southampton from Ireland—Formed into a
Brigade under Major-General Sir Eyre Coote with 27th, 29th, 55th, and
85th Regiments preparatory to being sent to Holland–Camp at Barham
Downs—Regiment augmented by a Depôt Company—Cost of Augmenta-
tion—The Government resolve to begin a Campaign in Holland–Russia
asked to help, consents—Strength of Russian Contingent—Sir Ralph Aber-
crombie and Duke of York appointed to command—Prince of Orange's
preparations—Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Mitchell commands the Fleet--.
Sir Ralph Abercrombie's instructions—Detail of the Forces—Consulta-
tions with the Ministers—Strength of Troops to follow—Russian Troops—
Queen's Brigade embark at Margate—Various Plans proposed for Expedi-
tion—Helder Plan decided upon—Fleet arrive at the Texel–Plans for
Disembarkation—Landing delayed by bad Weather -—Reconnaissance by
the Fleet—The Dutch Fleet behind the Helder—Report of Reconnoitering
Party—Admiral Mitchell summons the Dutch Fleet to surrender—They
declare for the Prince of Orange, and surrender—The Troops land—Coote's
Brigade the first to land–Gallant advance up the Sand Hills—Lieutenant
Swan of the Queen's severely wounded—The position carried, the Enemy
falling back—Position at the end of the day—Strength of Enemy opposing
—The Enemy retire, and the English occupy the position—Casualties in
the first day's Fighting—The losses of the Queen's—Warm approbation of
the King on the Conduct of the Troops—Advance of the English–Position
of the Dutch and French Forces—Difficulties of the Advance—Natives
apathetic—General Abercrombie urges that Reinforcements be sent—Duke
of York's Instructions—Disappointment in England at the Dutch Troops
not joining the English—The French Army in Holland reinforced—The
Enemy attack the English on the 10th September—Severe Fighting—
Generals Dandraels and Monceau attack right flank and centre—The
French advance on the left position of the English—Complete Defeat of the
Enemy—Encomiums on the conduct of the Troops—The Prince of Orange's
Dutch Troops sent to guard Texel Island—The Duke of York leaves
England, and arrives at the Helder—Landing of Reinforcements of
Russians—The Duke urges further English Reinforcements—Description
of the new Position taken up by the Enemy—Difficulties of the Advance
—Return of the Strength of the Troops—Strength of the Queen’s—The
Russian Contingent join the Head-quarters of the English at Schager
Brug—The Allies advance in Four Columns—Detail of the Strength of
each Column and their objective—Strength of the Enemy’s Position—Sir
Ralph Abercrombie captures Hoorn—Marches to Kolhorn and back to
Schager Brug—March of the Column under Sir James Pulteney—The
operations of Coote's Brigade—March of the Queen's on Oude Caspell—
Major White, of the Queen's, with the Light Companies of the Brigade
328 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's Royal REGIMENT, [1799.
sent against a Wood covering the Battery—Obstinate Resistance of the
Enemy—General Don advances against the Village of Oude Caspell—
Gallant conduct of Colonel Spencer of the 40th Regiment—-General
Pulteney determines to storm the Village—The Entrenchments of the
Village carried—The Light Companies of the Queen’s and 29th capture
the Battery—The Brigade advances and bivouac, within a mile of Alkmaar
—Operationn of the Russian Division—They are driven back and rallied by
the English Troops—Retire in good Order—Gallant Conduct of the
Russians with General Dundas’s Column at Krabbendam- The Allies
fallback—Exhaustion of the Troops—The Duke of York in his Despatches
praises highly the Operations of Pulteney Brigade—General Orders on
Coote's Brigade—Failure of Operations due to falling back of the
Russians–Duke of York praises the Conduct of the Russians in
Dundas’s Column—King praises Conduct of the Troops—General
Abercrombie's Account of the Day's Fighting—The Allies capture 60
Officers and 3,000 Men with large supplies—Losses of the Enemy.
THE regiment on its return from Ireland landed at Southampton
and was at once marched to Barham Downs, near Canterbury,
where it was brigaded with the 27th, 29th, 55th, and 85th Regi-
ments. This camp was formed preparatory to the expedition
which it had been decided to send to the Helder.
The brigade was placed under the command of Major-General
Sir Eyre Coote.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the 6th and 7th August, the troops
commenced the march from Barham Downs to the coast, prepara-
tory to embarking on the transports. The Queen's were to embark
at Margate on the 7th and 8th August, the other battalions were
to embark at Ramsgate and Deal.
The regiment was augmented on the 25th of August by an
additional company. It was to be of the same strength as the
other companies of the battalion, viz., five sergeants, five corporals,
two drummers, and fifty-five private men. This was to form the
depôt company remaining in England. The total cost of the
augmentation per annum was 737, 18s. 7d. The cost per annum
of the regiment before this augmentation was 10,558/. 19s. 10d.
The British Government had for some time had in consideration
the policy of a campaign in Holland. They had been informed
that there was great dissatisfaction amongst the Dutch people by
reason of the exactions made on behalf of the French, and it was
thought that by beginning a campaign there and at the same time
advancing the cause of the Prince of Orange against the Dutch
Republic a serious blow might be struck at the French. Accord-
ingly it was decided to send an army to Holland, and an
application was made to Russia to assist.
1799. NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 329
An alliance had been made on the 18th February, 1795, between
England and Russia, which was strictly defensive. England, if
attacked, was to be helped by 10,000 Russian foot and 2,000 horse.
England in the opposite case was to supply Russia with a fleet of
twelve men-of-war. The articles of the alliance provided for the
precedency of commanders by stipulating that though each power was
to command its own troops, the Supreme command of an expedition
was to belong to the power that first called for assistance, after
first notifying the name (if the commander. This was afterwards
ratified by other articles and treaties in the same year.
A great coalition was in 1798 formed against France, who had
alarmed Europe by its high-handed action in Holland, Switzerland,
&c. This coalition was composed of England, Austria, the German
States, the Italian States, Russia, and Turkey. Catherine II. of
Russia had died and been succeeded by the Emperor Paul I., who
was violently opposed to the actions of France, and who had
been urged by the English ambassador, Sir A. Whitworth (after-
wards Lord St. Helens), to oppose France in her high-handed
actions in Europe.
The coalition now made lasted from 1798 to 1802 (to the
Amiens peace) and the Russians were the heroes of the campaigns,
witness the great victories of Suwarrow in Italy, and the way the
Russian troops fought in the Helder campaign.
On the application being made to the Emperor Paul for as-
sistance against France in the contemplated campaign in Holland
he at once consented and a convention was formed between
the two powers. In the preamble of the convention it was
stated that the object of the campaign was to attack the enemy
in his most vulnerable part, viz., in Holland.
By Article I.-Russia was to find 13,000 men or at least 8,000 to make
up 30,000 estimated as necessary for the expedition.
By Article II.-Russian forces were to assemble at Revel for embarkation.
By Article III–England was to provide subsidies which if not paid
Russians were to withdraw.
By Article IV.-These subsidies were to begin when Russian troops were
assembled, viz., 88,000l. for immediate expenses, and 44,000l. per
month.
By Article W.-Victuals supplied by England were to be deducted from
above.
By Article VI.-England was to supply horses for baggage and artillery.
By Article VII.—After the expedition Russian troops were to be quartered
in England, if unable to return because of ice.
By Article VIII.-No period was fixed for length of expedition or subsidy,
but Russia could reclaim troops in 1800.
330 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
By Article 1X.—The conduct of expedition and as to command was to be
the same as provided for in convention of 1795. -
By Article X.-Convention to be ratified by the Sovereigns within two
months.
By a separate Article of same date—
1. Russia was to provide six ships of war, five frigates, and two trans-
ports. All troops not accommodated in these ships were to be
transported by England.
2. Subsidy was to be paid by England for these ships, 19,642l. 10s. pe
month, and England was to victual these ships. -
3. If frozen out after expedition the ships were to be harboured in
England.
4. England was to take over victuals then on board the Russian ships
at a valuation.
5. This supplementary article was to form part of the treaty.
The treaty is dated 22nd June 1799.
The English troops were to be sent on in detachments. The
first detachment, in which the Queen's regiment was posted, was
to be sent out under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and
the second was to follow under the command of the Duke of York.
The Prince of Orange as soon as the preparations for the cam-
paign were commenced at once began an active correspondence
with his adherents in Holland, at the same time recruiting all men
capable and willing of bearing arms in his cause.
Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Mitchell was placed in command of the
English Fleet, which command he was to retain until Admiral
Lord Duncan joined him with his Fleet, which was cruising in the
North Sea.
The first of the secret instructions for the conduct of the
expedition was on the 3rd August sent to Sir R. Abercrombie,
further and more detailed instructions following on the 4th, 5th,
and 10th of the same month.” The forces destined for the service
were to be sent in two divisions, and at different periods. The First
Division was to be under General Abercrombie's immediate command,
and he was to be informed of the number and composition of the
troops following with the periods of their arrival at Holland. The
islands on the mouth of the Meuse, and particularly that of Voorn,
appearing to be the best place for a rendezvous of the Fleet and the
troops, he was at first ordered to make the best of his way there
and to endeavour with the assistance of the Naval forces to attack
and obtain possession of Goeree and Over Flakee and Woorne.
This was to be the first object of attack of his division
unless it was found to be impracticable. The after operations
were left to his discretion, but on the arrival of the other
* War Office, Secretary of State Entry Book, Expedition, Vol. I., 1795–
1802. •
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1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, 331
divisions it was suggested that he was to endeavour to obtain
possession of the provinces of the union, north of the Waal, before
the bad season set in. He was also to endeavour to seize upon
some point situated on the mainland, where the reinforcements as
they arrived might land without fear of opposition from the enemy.
In these instructions a return” of the troops under his command
is given, a total of 10,786 men. In a list of the same, dated
Canterbury, 4th August, the detail of the division and the com-
mands were given, as follows:–
1st Brigade.—Major-General D'Oyly, comprised Grenadier
Battalion of the Guards and 3rd Battalion of Ist Regiment
of Guards.
2nd Brigade—Major-General Burrard, comprised 1st Battalion
Coldstream Guards and 1st Battalion of 3rd Regiment of
Guards.
3rd Brigade—Major-General Sir Eyre Coote, comprised 2nd
Queen's, 23rd, 27th, 29th, 55th, and 85th Regiments.
4th Brigade.—Major-General Sir John Moore, comprised 2nd
Battalion Royals, 25th, 49th, 69th, 79th, and 92nd Regiments.
The strength of the Queen's regiment was two lieutenant-
colonels, one major, seven captains, sixteen lieutenants, five ensigns, -
two staff officers; Non-commission officers, forty-five sergeants and
eighteen drummers; Rank and file fit for duty, 398; sick, nineteen;
on duty, forty-eight ; batmen, sixty: total, 525. A strong de-
tachment of the 18th Light Dragoons accompanied the expedition.
An enclosure in the return gives an estimate of the troops to
follow. To sail on the 16th August, 4,000 men; by the 25th inst.
4,000 men; and before the 15th September, 6,000. Total reinforce.
ments, 14,000 men. The first division of Russian troops promised for
the expedition was to be 12,000 men, and was expected at Yarmouth
between the 15th and 25th August; the second division of 5,000
was to follow as required ; 6,000 British cavalry was promised,
making the total reinforcements (including the Russian troops)
31,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry.
While the troops were collecting at Canterbury and Barham
Downs, about six miles from that place, frequent consultations took
place between the Minister Dundas, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, the
Admiral Sir Edward Mitchell, and the generals of brigade and the
* War Office Correspondence, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, Helder, 1799,
Yol. 1.
332 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT: [1799.
officers acquainted with the country where the attack was
intended. Sir Ralph wrote on the 7th and 10th to a friend detailing
the various plans that had been proposed, from which it would
appear that there was a want of agreement as to what should
be first attempted. He urged upon the authorities that it was
absolutely necessary the attack should be arranged and detailed
before the expedition left England, and that it was clear that “some-
thing must be done and that something must correspond with the
preparations and expectations of the nation.” General Coote was to
embark with his brigade, in which was the Queen's regiment, at
Margate, and was to encamp there till the transports were ready.
The Queen's embarked in the ships Sheerness and Providence.
The other troops embarked at Ramsgate and Deal, the major
part of them being encamped on Barham Downs, from whence
they marched to their appointed places of embarkation on Tuesday
and Wednesday, the 6th and 7th August, and were to embark on
Wednesday and Thursday, the 7th and 8th.
During the discussions on the expedition various plans had been
proposed for an attack on the united provinces. The following
are taken from some notes on the subject by Sir R. Abercrombie :
—One plan was to seize the Island of Walcheren with a British
force, an important position had any of the great armies arrayed
against us crossed the Rhine and the Meuse; this plan would,
however, have required a considerable Naval force to protect it, and
in the autumn the place was very unhealthy. A second plan pro-
posed was to occupy the Islands of Walcheren and Goree, with a view
to encourage and support an insurrection in Holland. The plan that
had been proposed to land 15,000 men in the province of Groningen
Sir Ralph thought might have had considerable consequences, and
have recovered that province and others contiguous from the hands
of the French, but he considered that the season was too far
advanced to be sufficiently sure of success. The last plan pro-
posed, viz., to concentrate the whole force then assembling and
to attack Holland by the Meuse he considered the best, and the
advantages to be obtained very considerable. The possession of
the Island of Voorne would have given a safe port and free com-
munication with England, and if progress had been made in the
reduction of the provinces of Holland and Utrecht before November
there would have been a good base for a corps of observation to act
on the Waal and the Rhine and secure the troors from any attempt on
the part of France, and also to open a passage to any power who
should decide to enter Holland by Groningen,Gelderland, or Overyssel.
The free navigation of the Rhine to Arnheim would afford a certain
supply of provisions to the Army and save the expense of a heavy
1799. NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMIENT. 333
land transport. Sir Ralph concludes his clever notes by remarking
“whether the attempt (an attack by the Meuse) is made by an
army from this country which is not expected to be supported by
any of the continental powers on the Eastern Frontiers of the
Republic, or whether it is made with the expectation of such
co-operation—under this last idea it is still more to be preferred to
any of the others. For the assistance we should give to such an
ally would be immediate and even operate previously to ther
attack. We should open the way for them by acting in the rear of
the enemy who opposed them.” If it was found expedient to carry
operations into Brabant, it was calculated that Great Britain, by
the augmentation of her force and her Naval power, might be able
in the next campaign to seize Walcheren and to open communi-
cation by the Scheldt, and to reduce the remainder of the province
of Zealand.*
On the 14th August Sir R. Abercrombie wrote from on board
H.M.S Isis (the Fleet had sailed the day before) that in agreement
with the decision arrived at on the 10th as to the difficulties of
forcing the passage up to Helvoetsluys and the obstacles he
apprehended in landing the troops on the Island of Woolme
without the assistance of the Navy he had altered the destina-
tion of the expedition (the admiral concurring) and would
proceed at once to the attack of the Helder. The Nieuwe Diep
(the passage into the Zuyder Zee) once gained, would give a
secure port and easy communication with England. He urged
the despatch of additional troops as soon as they could be collected,
so as not to delay the advance as soon as he had secured a posi-
tion on the Helder. Dundas, in replying to this note, approved
the change of plans, but considered that the new plan embraced the
taking of all the land as far as Haarlem and also the Texel Island,
thus securing the Dutch Fleet and the navigation of the Zuyder Zee,
and making the approach to Amsterdam more easy. Dundas wrote
again to General Abercrombie on the 22nd August in answer to a
letter of the General's dated 18th,and informed him that two brigades,
4th and 5th, under the commands of Major-General Don and M ajor-
General the Earl of Cavan, consisting of (4th Brigade) 1st and 2nd
Battalions 17th Regiment, and 1st and 2nd Battalions 40th Regiment
(5th Brigade), 1st and 2nd Battalions 20th Regiment, and 63rd Regi-
ment, would march from Barham Downs on the 23rd, and be
embarked at once. 9,000 men were ready in addition at Barham
ready to march for embarkation as soon as sufficient tonnage could
be got together for the transport.
* State Papers, Holland, 1799–1800, No. 729.
3
3
4. HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
On the 20th Abercrombie was off the Texel, bad weather had
been experienced by the Fleet from the first day of sailing. A con-
Sultation was then held on board the Kent, and on the 21st the
general officers came on board the Isis and received instructions
where they were to land the troops. The disembarkation was to be
made on the shore near Keick Down in two divisions as follows:–
H.M.S. “Isis,” off Texel,
21 Aug. '99.
The Disembarkation to be in two Divisions.
25th “N
79th
ſM.-Gen. Moore 4 92nd
| | 49th
Com. in-Chief Sir Ralph ! U2nd B. Royals > Northern.
Abercrombie. * 1st Batt. 3 Guards
| M.-Gen. Burrard 1st do. Coldstream
3rd B. lst Guards
Grenadier Batt.
º D'Oyly {
{ . . . . 55th T
Col. Macdonald 23rd
L'-Gen. Sir Ja. Pulteney ſ27th
| 69th }. Southern.
M.-Gen. Coote 85th
| 29th
U2nd, or Queen’s J
After all the flat boats have left the transports with the troops for the
first disembarkation, they will proceed towards the shore rowing through
the intervals of the men-of-war. Gun brigs and ships in shore, when
through to close as regularly as possible abreast so that they may all take
the beach nearly at the same moment.
The revenue cutters, Deal luggers, boats, &c., who are to compose the
second disembarkation, are to be astern the respective transports, they have
been previously ordered to rendezvous, so that they may be hauled alongside
to receive the troops proceeding as near to the shore as possible, so that the
flat boats, launches, &c., may have quick communication between them and
the shore.
A. MITCHELL.
The weather again coming on very bad the Fleet was obliged to
go to sea after having sent on shore Lieutenant-Colonel Maitland,
Captain Winthorpe, R.N., and Lieutenant-Collier, I.N., with
a summons to the Dutch admiral and the officer commanding the
land forces to surrender. The two latter officers returned to the
Isis on the 24th and reported that the Dutch officers would not
enter into any conclusive arrangement. They reported also that
the Helder did not seen well guarded, though soldiers were
constantly arriving from the north.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 335
The notes% of these officers delivered with their report are
inte, esting. The day after they received their instructions they
boarded a Dutch pilot boat, which came to receive them about two
miles southward of the Kikdune, from which position it was
observed that the whole coast was very favourable for landing in
tolerable weather. They noted a battery in rather a large Sand-
hill about four or five miles South of Kikdune, and men engaged in
mounting it. Opposite to where they were taking these observa-
tions was a signal station with what appeared at first to be one
large gun, but, on more careful observation, was seen to be signal
balls; they also observed forty soldiers at this post approaching
Kikdune within 200 yards. They noted that no works appeared
on it with the exception of one gun and two or three buildings—
like guard-houses—and a signal staff. A lower range of sand-hills
appeared to extend inland for about a mile, but no men or works
were seen upon them. Lieutenant-Colonel Maitland sketched the
coast as reconnoitered. They noted a body of about 300 troops
marching on the beach about 7.0 a.m. Approaching Mars Diep,
they observed a considerable battery, which, the pilot informed
them, mounted thirty guns, and covering the town of Helder, this
battery had on its south flank a breastwork with three large
field-pieces. The flank of the breastwork was open to the sea, but
its front was protected with two rows of chevaux de frise and a strong
palisade, but there was no ditch. From the thirty-gun battery to
the Nieuwe Diep a small work of five or six guns was noted; this, as
well as the large battery,was “en barbet,” and the land from Kikdune
quite up to the Nieuwe Diep was bounded by a dyke. The Dutch
Fleet lay just behind the Helder point through Mars Diep and just
off Nieuwe Diep, as shown on plan. The Amphitrite frigate was
at anchor off the thirty-gun battery, and there were ten frigates out-
side the shoals called the Hakes. The officers boarded the Dutch ship
Washington about 6 a.m. and left at 2 p.m., the time being
spent in the discussion of their mission with Admiral Story and
Captains Cappelle and Yonge. This was reported verbally to the
Commander-in-Chief. The report also noted the following par.
ticulars:–Behind Kikdune the Helder garrison, consisting of 1,300
men, was encamped. The Texel Island had a very small garrison,
numbering about 100 men. They also reported that it would not
be possible to drive the Dutch Fleet from their position in Mars
Diep with guns from the Texel, the distance being too great, and
they could then retire up the Nieuwe Diep.
* War Office, Secretary of State, Original Correspondence, Helder Expedi.
tion, Wol. I.
336 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
The boatmen who rowed the party seemed very zealous in favour
of the expedition, and were anxious to know if the Prince of Orange
was in the English Fleet. They received with great satisfaction the
orange ribbon given to them in addition to the money for their
work. All the inhabitants of the Helder they reported were
Orange men. Full particulars are noted in the report of the
nature of the anchorage, and the places of the buoys, the truth-
fulness of the indications were afterwards fully confirmed. The
report is signed by Colonel Maitland.
Before relating the affairs inland it will be well to note the
naval operations which took place simultaneously with the advance
of Abercrombie. As soon as the Fleet had assisted in the landing
of the troops, Admiral Mitchell turned his attention to the Dutch
Fleet, “which he expressed his determination to follow to the
walls of Amsterdam unless they capitulated or declared for the
Prince of Orange.” When the whole of the troops had landed,
Mitchell got under sail with his squadron, and at 5 o'clock on
the morning of the 30th his line of battle was formed and orders
given to prepare for action. Passing Helder Point and Mars
Diep—two ships and one frigate unfortunately getting on shore
—he arrived in the channel that led to the place where the
Dutch Fleet was at anchor. Captain Rennie was now sent with
a summons to the Dutch Admiral Storey, to surrender or to
declare for the Prince of Orange. About the same time two
Dutch officers arrived at the English Fleet with news that the
main part of the Fleet had declared for the Prince of Orange,
but that Admiral Storey was not in favour of the Prince, and
would fight if he had the power. The determination of the
British Admiral to force an action, coupled with the position
Storey was in by the division of interests in his Fleet, ulti-
mately forced the brave Dutchman to surrender. The summons
of Vice-Admiral Mitchell to the Dutch Admiral was worded
as follows:– “I desire you will instantly hoist the Flag of His
Serene Highness the Prince of Orange; if you do you will be
immediately considered friends of the King of Great Britain, my
most gracious Sovereign ; otherwise take the consequences. Painful
it will be to me for the loss of blood it will occasion, but the guilt
will be on your own head.” In his reply, the Admiral after averring
that he had no Sovereign but the sovereign will of the Dutch people,
wrote: “The traitors whom I commanded refused to fight ; and
nothing remains to me and to my brave officers but vain rage
and the dreadful reflection of our present situation; I therefore
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 337
-
deliver over to you the Fleet which I command. From this
moment it is your obligation to provide for the safety of my
officers, and the few brave men on board the Batavian ships, as I
declare myself and my officers prisoners of war, and remain to be
considered as such.”
The following ships of the Dutch Fleet then passed into the
possession of the English:-
The Broederschap e is tº & © e ... 54 guns.
Weswagting gº tº º is e tº tº e e ... 64 , ,
EHector e - e. e tº 0. 9 s & a tº tº ... 44 ,
Venus e tº 6 tº º 0 e e e ge º & ... 24 ,
Dalk º & © e 9 º' is º º e tº e ... 24 ,
Minerva. ... tº º tº e e e e Q tº ... 24 , ,
Hildin * * * tº º º tº e to tº g tº ... 32 ,
This capture was a blow to the naval power of the nation that
had been the only real rival of Great Britain on the seas, and added
to the already preponderating naval power of England.
On the evening of the 25th the gale began to moderate and the
ships of the expedition again stood in towards the shore and
came to anchor on the 26th. *At 2 a.m. on the morning of the
27th the preparatory signal was given for the landing, and though
the enemy could not be perceived, they were known to be posted
behind the sand hills about 100 yards distance from the shore.
The troops were disembarked from the transports and put into
flat-bottomed boats, and as soon as it was seen that they were fully
loaded with troops, an agreed upon signal was given, and the boats
were urged as fast as possible for the shore, at the same instant a
tremendous and well sustained cannonade from 100 guns burst
from the Fleet over the heads of the boats on to the top of the
sand hills, effectually covering the landing of the men. General
Coote's Brigade, consisting of the Queen's, 23rd, 27th, 29th, 55th,
and 85th Regiments, was one of the first landed and immediately
advanced up the sand hills, being met with a well-sustained fire
both of artillery and musketry from the enemy. The advance of
the brigade, the Queen's, the 27th, 29th, and 85th being in
front, and the 23rd and 55th under Major-General Macdonald
being in reserve—up the slope of the hills was an arduous struggle,
and at one time the leading divisions had to pause the
firing was so hot and the losses so heavy. After a short halt
the advance was resumed, and though fired at in front and on
* Memoirs of the Principal Events in the Campaigns of North Holland
and Egypt, by Major Francis Maule, late of the 2nd or Queen's Regiment.
Löritish Museum.
WOL. III. Y
338 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; 1799.
flanks and threatened several times with Cavalry (who, however,
from the nature of the ground could not do much execution), the
brigade pressed onward.
It was here that Lieutenant Swan of the Queen's fell severely
wounded with several of his brave comrades in arms. Swan
was in advance with the flank companies of the Queen's who,
with the flank companies of the 27th, 29th, and 85th Regiments,
had been sent forward to capture a signal station situated on a
slight eminence, Major Ramsay of the Queen's being in command.
Just before the party came into action they had passed the
body of a Dutch Colonel. “De Leek.” Two hours after the
fight had commenced the regiment passed Sir James Pulteney
who was sitting on a sand bank having his wound dressed ; he
had been shot in the arm. Major-General Coote took up the
command of the brigade on Sir James Pulteney falling out.
Shortly after Sir James Pulteney was wounded they heard of
the death of the Chief Engineer Lieutenant-Colonel Hay. The
other troops as they landed had formed up on the left of the 3rd
Brigade, but they hardly came into action, the brunt of the fighting
being born by the 3rd Brigade and the reserves under General
Macdonald. The enemy, who had posted themselves at a place
called Callantsoog, had been quick to seize the advantage presented
by the nature of the ground over which the 3rd Brigade advanced,
and which necessitated a very narrow front—only the width of our
battalion deployed—the remainder of the British force being in
mass presented a good mark for the Dutch howitzers. The enemy
continued to fight bravely and made several brilliant charges, but
our troops were not to be denied, they slowly and steadily pressed
on, and about noon the enemy sullenly began to fall back, taking
up a new position about four miles from the sand hills, leaving the
English forces between him and Helder Fort, which though still
held was now practically at our mercy. At 3 p.m. all fighting for
the day was over, but it was not until 6 p.m. that the position that
had been gained was sufficienty secured, and the troops ordered
to bivouac on the sand hills. In an account given of the day's
operations, it is stated that the first success “was principally owing
to General Coote's Brigade.” -
The position at the end of the day was that the right of the
army was advanced holding the sand hills and the left resting on
the sea. Had the General advanced his whole force in line he
would have left his flanks open to attack, but by cutting through
the enemy's line he separated the Helder from their main body,
and made a secure base for future operations. The weather had
been wet and depressing the whole day, and though in the first
Campaign of the jfelder, 1799.
Landing of the British Troops, under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, on the Beach near Keick Down, North Holland,
on the 27th August, under cover of gun-vessels of the Fleet, commanded by Vice-Admiral Mitchel.
1st December, 1800 Published by Robt. Dodd, 41, Charing Cross.

1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 339
-*
fight we had been victorious it was soon seen that the greatest
difficulty would be experienced, from the formation of the country,
should the wet weather continue.
The strength of the Dutch troops opposing was estimated
at 6,000 and 7,000 men. They were commanded by General
Dandraels, an officer of talent and experience. -
The enemy though beaten back still held the Helder with 2,000
men. It was therefore resolved to attack it at daybreak on the
28th. During the night however the Dutch Fleet got under weigh,
and the garrison of the Helder after having spiked their guns
and destroyed the carriages retreated towards Medemblick. On
perceiving this movement Sir R. Abercrombie immediately ordered
Major-General Moore with the 2nd battalion of the Royals and the
92nd Regiment to advance and occupy the place. They found a
large quantity of artillery of the best kind in the garrison, both of
heavy and field train. The Dutch Fleet that had taken refuge in
the Nieuwe Diep and also the naval magazine at Neuwe Werk were
captured on the morning of the 28th, and the English commander
had the satisfaction of seeing, before the day was over, the British
flag flying in the batteries of the Helder and the 5,000 men under
the command of Major-General Don disembarking in safety.
The day's fighting cost the Army the temporary loss of Lieu-
tenant-General Sir James Pulteney, commanding the southern
division, who being wounded had to leave the field, Major-General
Coote taking command of the Brigade. Sir R. Abercrombie
eulogised both generals for their conduct in the action. Major-
General Macdonald was also wounded, but did not quit the field.
The return of killed and wounded sent home from head-
quarters at Klein Keeten was ; total killed one lieutenant-colonel,
one subaltern, three sergeants, and fifty-one rank and file; total
wounded ; one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, one major, nine
captains, six subalterns, eighteen Sergeants, one drummer, and 334
rank and file; total missing twenty-six rank and file.
The casualties of the Queen's were Lieutenant Swan wounded,
one sergeant, and two rank and file killed, twenty-one wounded
and missing.
The casualties to the general staff was not included in this general
return. The loss to the enemy was estimated at 1,000 men.
The Minister Dundas, in acknowledging the despatch of the
action on the 27th August, desired the General “in the strongest
manner to specify to all the officers and men under his com-
mand the King's warmest approbation of their valour and
good conduct on that day; the King regrets the loss of the valuable
officers and men which unavoidably attended the glorious success.”
Y 2
34() IIISTURY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT ; [1799.
In the orders to the troops his Majesty referred to the great
difficulties the troops had in landing, and expressed himself as
highly gratified with the conduct of the soldiers in the battle that
immediately followed. The general in a later despatch estimated
the number of French troops in the field in the late action and
in the Helder at 7,000 men.
The troops remained encamped on the sand-hills until the 1st
September, when the General finding it exceedingly difficult from
the want of horses to convoy provisions, and also hearing that the
enemy had retreated two leagues further from the Helder, on that
day advanced his position and took post with the right wing at
Petten (with the sand-hills of Camperdown on the right) on the
German Ocean, and the left at Oude Sluys on the Zuyder Zee
with the canal of Zuype in front. The troops were also able to be
more comfortably quartered in the houses along the banks of the
canal, a change they much appreciated after the wretched
encampment on the sand-hills without straw and lying on wet
meadows.
The General here waited for reinforcements to come up not
caring to risk another engagement, the enemy being much
superior in numbers and being also strongly posted, the Dutch at
Scharmer Horn and Avens Horn and the French at Alkmaar,
Bergen, and Egmont. The former force was estimated at 9,000 to
10,000, and the latter at 6,000 men, the country round Friesland,
Groeningen, Overyssel, and Guelderland, having been drained of
troops. Between the two armies lay a network of canals and ditches
with numerous strong redoubts placed at advantageous positions.
The only open place was the Camperdown Sand-hills opposite
Petten. The inhabitants of the country seemed quite apathetic.
The Commander-in-Chief, however, wrote that he considered the
Prince of Orange's proclamation had given a feeling of satisfaction
and had been advantageous to the expedition.
General Abercrombie in sending home the particulars of his
advance, urged that the reinforcements should be sent out quickly,
he also complained much of the want of money. He urged in the
strongest manner the necessity of fitting out gun-boats and armed
Schuyts to threaten Amsterdam. Major General Don had been
sent with a letter to the Batavian Directory, but had not been
permitted to proceed. -
It having been decided to send out the Duke of York with
the reinforcements to take over the command, instructions were
forwarded to him on the 5th September and were as follows: he
was to proceed forthwith to the Helder and take the command of
the army there and all the reinforcements which were being sent
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 341
with all possible expedition. He was to be allowed full latitude
and discretion with regard to all military operations, but his
first endeavours were to be directed to securing the provinces of
Holland and Utrecht, &c., which were to the east of the Waal. He
was to act in concert with the Prince of Orange, and was to use
his best endeavours to preserve harmony between the troops of the
different nationalities, so that they might be able to act in full
accord in all operations.
It was quite anticipated in England that the Dutch were only
waiting the arrival of the English to declare for us and drive the
French out of Holland. Instead of that the Dutch troops acted
cordially with the French, and the former were constantly
receiving reinforcements from the garrisons of Ostend, Dunkirk,
Antwerp, and Brussels. The retreat of the Russians under Souwaroff
from Italy, and the victory of Marshall Massena at Zurich, freed
more French troops, and soon afterwards Marshall Brulle—
accompanied by General Vandamme—arrived and assumed the
chief command of the French troops in Holland.
On the 10th September the enemy made a determined attack on
a new position that had been taken up by General Abercrombie.
At the head-quarters, which was at Schager Brug, the general
had been apprised of the enemy's intention for some days, and
had been assiduously at work strengthening and improving the
place.
At daybreak on the morning of the 10th September the attack
commenced by an advance of the enemy in three columns, who
endeavoured to force back the right flank and centre of the English,
which extended from the village of St. Martins to Petten. The
left column of the enemy, composed of Dutch troops, and com-
manded by General Dandraels, directed its attack on the village of
St. Martin, which was most ably defended by Colonel Spencer, of
the 40th Regiment, who with great judgment and skill had so
posted his men that they were able to inflict heavy losses on the
enemy, and thus prevented them gaining a footing. The centre
column of the attack, composed also of Dutch troops, under the
command of General de Monceau, advanced determinedly against
Krabbendam and Zyper Sluys, which place was defended by Colonel
Smyth, with the two battalions of the 20th Regiment. The
enemy, after losing a number of men, were obliged to retire.
To the left, the column was composed entirely of French troops.
To this column was assigned the task of trying to force back
the position occupied by the Guards, under General Burrard.
Here, and in the advance on the centre, the enemy advanced with
great determination, actually coming with the heads of their
342 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1799.
columns to within 100 yards of the English position. The fight
at this point and in the centre was very hot, but the English
troops, reserving their fire until they could be sure of its effect
poured such effective volleys into the ranks of the advancing
enemy that they could not, so great was the loss, make headway,
and at last were driven back. General Abercrombie, writing home
the next day, estimated the loss of the enemy at 800 or 1,000, but
later investigation showed a loss of at least 2,000. As soon as the
enemy began to retire, Colonel Macdonald was ordered up with the
reserve to follow in pursuit. He so pressed them that they were
unable to carry off their pontoons and portable bridges, though
they got off with their cannon, only one gun being captured.
Amongst the officers wounded was Major-General Moore and
Lieutenant-Colonel Smyth, the latter seriously. The loss to the
English was only 200, this included killed, wounded, and missing;
one man of the 3rd Brigade (in which the Queen's regiment was)
was killed, and three wounded, but the Queen's suffered no loss.
The battle was over by 10 o'clock, the enemy at that time being
in full retreat towards Alkmaar. The force of the enemy was
calculated at about 12,000 men. General Abercrombie, writing of
the action, says: “The troops behaved as well as I could wish ;
before the action was over they grew cool, reserving their fire,
though full of ardour. The Militia men are, I think, a superior
race of men, and a great acquisition to the Army at this time.” In
another letter he writes, “our people behaved wonderfully well,
considering they never (had) fired a shot in earnest (before).”
Lieutenant-Colonel Anstruther, in sending home an account of
the action, wrote, that the repulse of the enemy was complete on
every side. Four companies of the French Grenadiers attacked the
Guards on the right, and suffered terrible losses; the Guards were
very cool, and the French could not close on them, their fire was
so destructive. At Krabbendam the enemy made a bold push, and
seemed at one time to be breaking through, but the 20th coming
up to support the 1st Royals, they were soon driven off. Colonel
Anstruther writes, “I never saw troops behave with more spirit or
with more regularity and obedience than the 20th. I know not
from what Militia regiment they are made up, but it should be
communicated to them.” He further wrote that the conduct of
the troops was such as to give Sir Ralph every confidence in them.
General Abercrombie in his remarks on the day's action,
writes—concerning the criticism he thinks likely to be made on
his not advancing, and remaining on the defensive until reinforce-
ments arrived—that he is confident of the wisdom of his action, and
goes on to say, “I believe I could not give a better proof of it
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, 343
-*
than the business of yesterday, though the enemy had long made
preparations for an attack; although they knew every inch of the
country, and although they behaved in general and uncommon
spirit, yet they were sore and severely defeated.”
The Prince of Orange arrived at head-quarters about the 15th,
with 2,500 to 3,000 sailors and deserters which he wished to join
on to the Army. General Abercrombie, however, not feeling safe
with these, as he calls them, “renegade Dutch soldiers and sailors,”
ordered them to the Texel Islands.
The Duke of York left Deal in the Amethyst frigate on the 9th
September, arriving at the Helder on the 13th, just as the eight
battalions of Russian troops sent from Revel were being landed.
This contingent was under the command of Lieutenant-General
Hermann, and amounted to about 7,000 men. The Duke seems to
have been pleased with their appearance.
The 3rd Brigade of the English contingent was posted at Schager
Brug, the head-quarters. An officer of the Queen's,” writing of the
events of this campaign, thus describes the Russian troops: “I was
fortunate in being present when the Russian division arrived at the
lines. The head of the column, composed chiefly of Grenadiers,
defiled past the Commander-in-Chief at midday, and were well
appointed, and made a fine and imposing appearance. I was
delighted with their firm and noble gait, their healthy and bronzed
countenances, and their general appearance of hardihood. The
appearance of such an ally gave rise to high expectations. The
great character which the Russians have always maintained in
war, which every year manifests itself more conspicuously, and
the known bravery of their nation in general, filled every one
with confidence.”
A new position had been taken up by the enemy, which was
covered by entrenchments, and extended from Oude Caspell to
Bergen. The whole country between the two armies was com
pletely intersected with dykes and canals. The enemy had put up
batteries in rear of the dykes, and formed redoubts on all the
principal roads. The difficulties of an advance in such a country,
and in wet and stormy weather, can be well imagined.
On landing the Duke of York was met by the Prince of Orange,
who informed him of the plan which he was carrying out to utilise
the crews of the captured Dutch ships and the Batavian deserters.
The Duke wrote home immediately on his arrival in the Texel,
expressing his anxiety at the non-arrival of the troops from England,
which had left Deal on the 8th September, and urged strongly
*=s---
* Major Francis Maule.
344 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT, [1799.
\
the necessity of sending further reinforcements from Barham
Downs, with the necessary supplies of artillery, horses, waggons,
and provisions. From this letter it appears that the Russian troops
first sent from Russia had landed at Yarmouth.
Dundas had written to the Duke of York on the 15th, expressing
anxiety at not having heard from him, and sending him full and
complete instructions as to the disposal of the sick and wounded
in the hospitals in Deal and Chatham.
On the 14th the Duke joined the head-quarters of the Army of
Schager Brug, receiving from Sir R. Abercrombie a very satis-
factory report of the army, which the General reported as being in
a perfect state of health and spirits. The next day the Duke
proceeded to inspect the British position, which he found to extend
from the village of Petten on the German Ocean, to that of Kolhorn
on the Zuyder Zee, and which he characterised as a position
admirably well chosen for defence, and having every advantage in
accommodation for the troops.
Sir R. Abercrombie in writing to Dundas, on 16th September,
says, with reference to the Duke of York's arrival and assuming
the command of the expedition, “I believe it was essentially neces-
sary that the Duke of York should take the command the moment
we became a combined army; I am not certain that the Russian
general would have liked to obey any other officer.” He writes in
the same note to Dundas, that he had communicated to the troops
the King's thanks, conveyed to them in the most flattering terms
in his—Dundas's—letter of the 4th inst.
On the 14th and 15th September reinforcements arrived from
Deal and Yarmouth, also some artillery from Woolwich. As soon
as these troops had been landed, and joined the others at the front,
it was decided to make another forward movement. The first
effort was to be made upon the position occupied by the enemy at
Alkmaar, and the country between that town and Hoorn on the
Zuyder Zee. From information that had been received, it was
believed that the enemy were in force, and strongly entrenched
in Oude Caspell, on the large Dyck Schoorldam, on the Koedyck,
and in the woods near Bergen.
The Duke sent home about this time an urgent appeal for
proper clothing for the troops. “The 4th and 5th brigades are
entirely without great coats,” and the greater part of the British
troops he writes are “extremely deficient in clothing.”
In a later letter he recommends that a large quantity of flannel
waistcoats, black gaiters, and worsted stockings should be sent
out. From a return sent home of the troops previous to the
arrival of the Duke it appears that the Queen's had a strength of
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, 345
two lieutenant-colonels, one major, five captains, seventeen lieu-
tenants, three ensigns, two staff officers, thirty-nine sergeants,
fourteen drummers and 366 rank and file fit for duty; sick, sixty-
one; on command, 153; recruiting, one ; furlough, one ; total, 582.
A column without a heading in this return, and with the number
twenty-eight under it, may refer to the sick absent.
On the 18th September the Russian contingent under General
Essens joined the British Army at Schager Brug, and it was
then decided to move forward the next morning. Before breaking
up the camp the duke wrote to Dundas about sending forward the
sick and wounded to Deal and Yarmouth (not Chatham), in
his letter he expresses his great confidence in the spirit of the
troops and had no doubt of being able to send a good account of
their operations.
All arrangements having been made the Army moved forward
in the following order:-
The left column under the command of Sir R. Abercrombie
consisted of two squadrons of the 18th Light Dragoons and three
brigades of Infantry under Major-Generals the Earls of Chatham
and Cavan and Major-General Moore, one battalion of British
Grenadiers of the Line, one battalion of Light Infantry of the Line,
and the 23rd and 55th Regiments under Colonel Macdonald.
General Abercrombie began his march at 6 on the evening of the
18th, his instructions being to endeavour to turn the enemy's
right on the Zuyder Zee. The remainder of the forces in three
other columns marched at daybreak on the 19th having been
ordered to be under arms at 2 a.m. The column under the
command of Lieutenant-General Hermann on the right consisted—
in addition to the twelve battalions of Russians—of Major-General
Manner's Brigade and the 7th Light Dragoons. They had orders
to endeavour to drive the enemy from the heights of Campa
Duyne and the villages there and to take possession of Bergen.
The second column under the command of Lieutenant-General
Dundas, and consisting of Major-General His Royal Highness
Prince William of Gloucester's Brigade and the two brigades of
foot Guards with two squadrons of 11th Light Dragoons, had
orders to drive the enemy from Warmerhuysen and Schoorldam
and to co-operate with the column under General Hermann. The
remainder of the force making the third column was under the
command of Sir James Pulteney and consisted of Major-General
Don's brigade, Major-General Coote's brigade (in which was the
Queen's regiment) and two squadrons of 11th Light Dragoons.
The orders of this column were to take Oude-Caspell at the head of
Langen Dyke, a great road leading to Alkmaar.
346 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1799.
In the general dispositions for the attack upon the enemy's
position, it is stated that the third column was to attack the large
sand dyke. Major-General Don's brigade advancing from Dirkshorn
was to endeavour by means of his Artillery to drive the enemy
out of the village in front, whilst Major General Coote marching
from Schagen by the Huygen Waard was to take it in flank and
rear, and in case of success both brigades were to push on ;
General Coote was to be careful to secure his left and to put
himself in connexion by patrols with the column on his right.
The position of the enemy was very strong, and had the
advantage of being covered by a plain intersected every three or
four hundred yards by broad deep wet ditches and canals. All
the bridges had been destroyed and abbatis were laid at numerous
places. The left of the enemy's position was some high sand-
hills, extending from the sea in front of Petten to the town of
Bergen, the three villages lying between them being well
entrenched.
Sir R. Abercrombie with his column arrived at Hoorn” after a
most fatiguing march at 2 a.m. on the morning of the 19th, and
though occupied by the enemy the town on being summoned at
once opened its gates and Our troops marched in, making prisoners
of the garrison. Leaving a small guard in Hoorn the general
marched back and occupied the advanced cantonments of Kolhorn,
Winckell, Barsingerhorn, and Nieuw Dorp, and those in the rear of
Oude Sluys, and from there to Schager Brug.
At daybreak the column under Sir James Pulteney took up
the position assigned to it at Dirkshorn, having left its encamp-
ment at 2 a.m. The brigade under Coote, consisting of the
Queen's, 27th, 29th, and 85th Regiments, and a troop of 11th
Dragoons, two six pounders, and a howitzer, also left Schager
Brug at 2 a.m. Leaving the high road, they formed almost the
left of the advance. The road they took lay along the banks
of the great canal of Alkmaar.
The troops marched silently, no resistance being met with
until the brigade arrived at a broken bridge over a canal. An
officert of the Queen's writes: “I recall to mind the anxiety of
that march. The remembrance of this extraordinary and novel
scene has not been obliterated by time, or even by other scenes
equally awful and impressive.”
* This charming old Dutch town was then called the capital of West
Friesland. The Harbour gate is considered the finest water gate in Holland.
It was at Hoorn that Admiral de Ruyter fitted out the Fleet that sailed its
conquering ships up the Thames and raised such a cry of alarm as has seldom
been heard in England.
f Major Maule.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN's ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 34.7
The orders were that they were to be at Nien Deep Valoct
(called Verlaught in General Pulteney's report) at daybreak, at
which place they arrived at 5 a.m. Here the advance of General
Coote's brigade was checked by a broken bridge. As soon as this
obstacle was surmounted, he advanced the brigade, leaving part of
the 85th in Nien Deep Valoct, and the remainder in Oach Nien Deep,
as a reserve. A patrol of Cavalry was sent towards Rusternburgh.
The Queen's and the 29th Regiment were then ordered to advance
on Oude Caspell by the Dyke, in order to turn the battery that
commanded the road from Oude Caspell to Nien Deep Valoct.
They had with them one six pounder and the howitzer. Major
White of the Queen's, with the light companies of the brigade,
was sent to secure the wood on the left of the road leading to the
battery, the 27th Regiment, with the six pounder, being posted at
the cross, “at the turn to the middle way.” This position was
maintained for some hours, the further advance being hindered by
the obstinate defence in the battery. A canal, twenty-one feet wide,
too deep to ford, lay in front, and the bridge having been destroyed,
it was impossible to attempt to cross it until the battery had been
either taken or silenced. A gun which had been placed by the
enemy commanded the road by which the troops advanced and
inflicted very heavy losses on the brigade.
In the meantime, General Don (with whom was General Pulteney
with his brigade), who had arrived at Dirkshorn, sent forward
the 2nd Battalion of the 17th Regiment on a road to the
left of the village, the remainder of the brigade proceeding
along the Dyke to Oude Caspell. The enemy's outposts were
easily driven in, but the village was found to be strongly
entrenched, and mounted with eight or ten guns. Near these
entrenchments was a canal, with a broken bridge across it. Here
the guns of the brigade were placed, but were unable to make
any impression on the superior artillery of the enemy. In front
of the canal and very close to the entrenchments of the village, was
a dyke, which General Pulteney, seeing it would give him excellent
cover, resolved to occupy. For this purpose it was of course
necessary to pass the canal. Colonel Spencer of the 40th Regiment
was therefore ordered forward with the 1st Battalion of the 17th
and the 1st Battalion of 40th, and three companies of Light In-
fantry. They soon occupied the dyke, from which the enemy made
several desperate but ineffectual attempts to dislodge them, sending
out parties from the entrenchments, and also from an advanced
work in a meadow, which place had held the 2nd Battalion of the
17th in check. Here it was that they expected to be joined by
Coote's brigade, who had been endeavouring to force the enemy on
348 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; 1799,
the other side of the village; but Coote not coming up, General
Pulteney determined to endeavour to carry the village by an attack
from the position on the dyke. Colonel Spencer was therefore
ordered to watch for a favourable opportunity to storm the village,
and General Don was ordered with the 1st Battalion of the
3rd Guards and the 2nd Battalion of the 40th to attack the
village on the left. This latter was found to be impracticable, but
they observed that the enemy were about to attack our position in
great force, and endeavour to turn the right flank of Colonel
Spencer's position. Twice the enemy advanced to the attack, and
the second time our troops, driving them back, followed up with
such impetuosity that they entered their entrenchments along
with them, and being immediately supported with the rest of the
troops, the enemy were driven with great loss through the entrench-
ments and the whole chain of villages which formed the Langen
Dyke.
General Coote had perceived the movement of General Pulteney
at the Dyke, and in order to help the advance on the entrenchments
of the village, he pushed forward the light companies of the Queen's
and 29th Regiments to take the battery which had so long stopped
him, and which the enemy now evacuated. He then ordered the
party to cross the canal in boats which they had secured, and to
join Colonel Spencer. As soon as the position was gained General
Coote, with the remainder of his brigade advanced, by command
of General Pulteney, to the front and to within three-quarters of
a mile of the enemy's camp at Alkmaar, capturing eight officers
and 155 prisoners. The village in front of Oude Caspell, which
was entered by the Queen's, bore terrific evidence of the desperate
attack of the English, and of its brave defence; numbers of dead
and dying were found in the houses and in the streets. At 11 p.m.
the Queen's, with the other regiments of the brigade, bivouacked
near a windmill in advance of the village towards Alkmaar A
large quantity of ammunition was taken, fourteen guns, and 700
prisoners, amongst them was one of the aide-de-camps of General
Dandraels. &
The column under Lieutenant-General Hermann had commenced
its attack at 3 a.m., and at 8 o'clock was in possession of Bergen,
but the Russians advancing too incautiously into the woods surround-
ing the village were driven back with much loss; both the lieutenant-
general and General Tchertehekoff being made prisoners, the latter
officer was dangerously wounded. The Russians endeavoured to
make a stand at Schoorl, but the enemy were too pressing, and
they had to abandon it. At this moment Lieutenant-General
Manners' regiment came up, and, notwithstanding the heavy fire
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 349
of the enemy, retook the village, and, being reinforced by two
battalions of Russians (which had been with Lieutenant-General
Dundas's Brigade), Major-General D'Oyley's Brigade of Guards
and the 35th Regiment, under the command of Prince William, the
fight was resumed, and with some success, but the Russian troops
having entirely exhausted their ammunition, the retreat was
resumed in good order, upon Petten and Zyper Sluys.
The division of Pulteney, including Don's and Coote's brigades,
were not fated to be long in their bivouac in the position so hardly
and bravely won, for on the Russian repulse and retreat an aide-
de-camp was at once despatched to order them to retire on to the
position they had so gallantly, in the morning, gained. Not being
able to bring away the guns and tumbrills captured, they were
broken and cast into the canal. General Coote was ordered to cover
the retreat. No one but the officer commanding knew that the
forces were retreating till in about an hour's time after the march
commenced they passed through the ruined villages and past the
redoubt which had been the scene of such a desperate struggle.
The groans of the dying, whom the troops were not able to relieve
so quick was their march, were distressing in the extreme, and the
rain falling in torrents during the whole of the retreat added to
the wretchedness of the scene. During the whole night firing
could be heard in the direction of Bergen, which was afterwards
found to be the enemy harassing the Russian retreat. The carrillons
of Schagen were ringing the hour of 4 a.m. when the Queen's
arrived, utterly wearied and done up with the long and arduous day's
fighting, having been on the march about twenty-six hours.
Major-General Dundas had been ordered with his column to
attack at daylight the village of Warmerhuysen, which the enemy
had strongly fortified and where they had planted most of their
guns. This place, after a severe struggle, was carried. Three
battalions of Russians, commanded by Major-General Sedmoralsky,
who were attached to this division, gallantly stormed the right flank
of the village of Krabbendam, at the same time the 1st Regiment
of Guards coming up forced the position at the village further on
the same flank. The grenadier battalion of the Guards had been
directed to march upon Schoorldam, on the left of the position
assailed by Hermann, and were there joined during the action by
the 1st Battalion of the 5th Regiment. The place was, though
exposed to a heavy, galling fire, taken and held until it was seen
that the troops on the right (Hermann's Russians) were retiring,
when they also fell back. -
The 3rd Regiment of Guards and the 2nd Battalion of the 5th
Regiment had been detailed to keep up communications with
350. HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
Pulteney's column, and they rendered material service in the course
of the operations by this service.
The Duke of York, in his despatch detailing the events of the
day, highly praised General Pulteney's column, who, he writes,
carried by storm the principal part of Oude Caspell in the face
of the greatest difficulties and the most determined opposition.
Colonel Spencer, of the 40th Regiment, and the 40th Regiment he
mentioned particularly for their gallant conduct.
In the general orders he writes, with reference to General Coote's
brigade, that every exertion was made to assist General Pulteney's
attack by a flank movement, “which the unsurmountable diffi-
culties arising from the nature of the country alone prevented
from being most effectual.”
The failure of the day's operations appears to have been due to
the Russian troops, who, though brave and plucky in the advance,
seem to have got somewhat out of hand. The Duke writes
highly of their bravery, and particularises the advance of the
three Russian battalions in the storming of Warmerhuysen, than
which, he writes, “nothing could have been better.” Later in
the day, when Lieutenant-General Manners, with his regiment,
and the Guards and 35th Regiment, under Prince William, came
up with the Russians at the village of Schoorl, the retreat might
have been arrested, but having exhausted' their ammunition, the
Russians could not render any help in the gallant struggle then
made to relieve and help them. The Russians lost nearly 1,500
men in killed, wounded, and missing. At the end of the day the
troops occupied the positions from which they had set out on the
previous evening. The Duke, in his despatch home, highly
eulogises the conduct of the British troops, and laments the loss of
so many brave comrades.
Dundas, in acknowledging the receipt of the despatch, writes
that the King while viewing “with the deepest feelings of regret
the severe loss his gallant troops have suffered, cannot sufficiently
admire the determined intrepidity and steady valour displayed by
them on this occasion and under all the various and trying circum-
stances which marked the different periods of the long and arduous
attack in which they were engaged.” The Minister also writes
in eulogistic terms of the conduct of the troops in the day’s action.
General Abercrombie wrote to Dundas on the 20th September,
giving a general account of the battle, but without details, as his
division had no part in the fighting. He informs the Minister
that, in his opinion, the plan of attack was the best that could be
devised, and that it was laid by the Duke before General
Hermann, General Dundas, and himself, and met with their
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 351
united approbation. In his letter he writes that “victory was
already in our hands when from one of those unfortunate accidents
to which the best generals are exposed to it was lost.” The
retreat of the Russians from Bergen was no doubt the cause of
the defeat, and only the steadiness and resolution of the British
saved it from being a disaster. The fight had lasted from 3 a.m.
the 19th till 5 p.m. the next day. The capture of sixty officers
and upwards of 3,000 men, and the destruction of sixteen pieces
of artillery with large supplies of ammunition, which they were
unable to carry away with them in consequence of the country
being so cut up with dykes and canals, is a sufficient testimony to
the valour of the troops and of their leisurely retreat. The loss
of the enemy, exclusive of prisoners, was stated to be 3,000.
352
HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
C H A P T E R X. X.
HELDER CAMPAIGN.—continued.
1799.
CoNTENTS.—Arrival of the 3rd Contingent of the Russians—The Duke of
York orders Rewards to be paid for captured Cannon, &c.—Weekly state
of Army–Strength of Queen's—Preparations for renewing the Attack—
Difficulties in consequence of the terrible state of the Weather—The
Allies advance in four Columns—Strength and disposition of the
Columns—The Queen's with the 3rd Column—-Army to carry Ammuni-
tion and Provisions for three days—The Enemy's Position—The Troops
advance at 6.30 a.m.—Coote's Brigade with the advanced Guard of 1st
Column—The Enemy driven from the first Sand-hills—The Enemy driven
from Schoorl and Schoorldam—Further Action on the Sand-hills—Lord
Chatham’s Brigade moves into the Sand-hills—The Sand-hills carried
—An Attempt by the Enemy to recapture the Hills fails—The French
attempt to turn the Position on the Right—This Attack fails, and the
Heights remained in the Possession of the English—Galiant Advance of
the 29th against a Sand-hill ridge — All the Heights round Bergen
occupied by the Allies—Sir Ralph Abercrombie's Marches along the
Beach against the Enemy's Left–His Advance delayed by the resistance
on the Sand-hills—Meets the French near Egmont op Zee--Strong
Bosition of the French—Desperate fighting—Sir James Pulteney's
Advance on Oude Caspell at end of the Day—The Enemy’s Position
completely invested —Quarters of the Queen's in a Palace near Alkmaar
—Enemy retreat in the Night, and General Abercrombie occupies
Egmont op Zee—Alkmaar occupied by the English—Retreat of the
Enemy to a new strong Position—Heavy Losses on both Sides—Duke of
York praises in high terms gallant Conduct of the Troops—The Army
obliged to wait for Supplies—Delay enables Enemy to strengthen his
Position—Reinforcements on the way to join the Enemy—The Duke
determines to attack the Position before they arrive—Estimated
Strength of the Enemy—The Allies advance and soon become engaged
—The Queen’s suffer heavily—The Enemy retire, leaving the Allies
Masters of the Field—The Troops bivouac on the Field—Terrible State
of the Weather—The Enemy receive Reinforcements—The Army retires
—The Cavalry harass the Retreat—Storms of Wind and Rain during
the Retreat—The Troops arrive at Schager Brug—Remarks of the Duke
of York on the Day's Operations—Losses on both Sides—Summary of
Losses in the Campaign—Council of War—Decide to abandon the
Campaign—The Duke of York sends Despatch to the Government giving
the Decision of the Council—The Allies secure their Position from
Attack—Government writes to Duke of York that they agree with the
decision of the Council—The Government orders the withdrawal of the
Troops from Holland—Disposition of the Troops—The Duke of York
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 353
makes Terms with the French Commander-in-Chief—The Articles—
King approves—Review of the Situation—Major-General Coote expresses
his Approbation of the Conduct of the Regiment—March to the Helder
and Embarkation of the Troops—Continued bad weather—-Embarkation
Returns of the Queen's—Land at Yarmouth and quartered at Ashford—
Prince William's Brigade—His Orders—The Expense of the Expedition
—Food for the Troops—Loss and Damage to Arms in the Campaign—
Review of the Effects of the Campaign—Alteration of the Head Dress
of the Army—Order for Hair to be queued.
ON the 21st the 3rd division of the Russian contingent arrived
at the Texel, with three troops of 15th Light Dragoons, a
company of Riflemen belonging to the 6th Battalion of the 60th
Regiment, 370 horses for the Russian Artillery, and some stores.
The Duke ordered all pieces of ordnance, colours, and tumbrils
taken from the enemy to be delivered to the British Artillery, and
the paymaster of that corps was ordered to pay the following
rewards, viz., for each cannon or howitzer, 20l. ; for each tumbril,
10l. ; for each colour or standard, 10l. If two or more corps laid
claim to the reward for the same gun &c., the money was to be paid
to that corps which sent it to the Park. The Duke gave Orders on
the 28th September that no officer or man was to be permitted
to wear their great coats when in action or going into action, as
the enemy had noticed the wearing of great coats by officers who
thus made themselves marks for the fire of the enemy.
In the weekly state of the Army on the 25th September the
state of the Queen's is given as follows: Officers present, two
lieutenant-colonels, one major, six captains, nineteen lieutenants,
seven ensigns, four staff officers, forty-six sergeants, seventeen
drummers, and 461 rank and file fit for duty. Sick, 120; recruiting,
one; on furlough, one; total, 583. Wanting to complete, one
sergeant, one drummer, and seventeen rank and file ; sick absent,
seventy-eight. Six batmen per company are included in the
column of present and fit for duty.
Preparations were began as soon as possible for a renewed attack
upon the enemy's positions, but the weather which had been bad
almost from the time the troops landed had become worse. Con-
tinued rain and violent storms so filled the canals and damaged
the roads that it was impossible to move the troops, and it is
not surprising if we consider the country in which these operations
were being carried on. To add to the difficulties the commander-
in-chief had with his own troops, he found the Russians very
imperfectly provided with ammunition, and that which they had
was of a very inferior quality. On the 25th September the Duke
sent to Mr. Dundas the plan of attack which had been finally decided
upon. Three plans had been discussed, but the opinions of both
WOL III. Z
354 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
Sir R. Abercrombie and General Dundas inclined strongly in favour
of a general attack. It was therefore decided that a combined
attack of all the forces should be made on Friday, the 27th
September, but the weather continued so bad that it had to be
postponed from day to day until the 2nd October. The principal
part in the proposed operation, was left to the column under Sir
R. Abercrombie, who was to endeavour to get round to the rear
of the enemy's position between Bergen and Alkmaar. The effect of
the capture of the positions there would be to drive the enemy to
Haarlem on to the neck of land called the Beverwych 2
The attack was to be made in four columns, the first under
Abercrombie was to assemble on the sea shore at Petten, and in
conjunction with the second column, consisting of 8,000 Russians
under Major-General Essen, were to march along the sea side and
to turn and attack the village of Bergen, the Russians so timing
their march—part through Zuyper Sluys, and part by the roads they
followed in their former advance--as to arrive before Bergen at the
same time as the first column. The whole force was then to make
a combined attack upon Bergen. General Abercrombie's force con-
sisted of Major-General d’Oyley’s Brigade of Guards, 1,360 men;
Major-General Moore's brigade, 2,180 men; Major-General the Earl
of Cavan's brigade, 1,840 men, and a reserve under Colonel
McDonald, 2,530 men. Total Infantry, 7,910. The Cavalry with
the column was four squadrons of the 7th Light Dragoons, 500,
giving a total in General Abercrombie's force of 8,410 men. The
third column, under the command of Lieutenant-General Dundas,
was made up of the Earl of Chatham's brigade, 2,280 men, and
Major-General Coote's brigade (consisting of the Queen's, the
27th, 29th, and 85th Regiments), 2,160 men, and two squadrons
of the 11th Light Dragoons; total 4,660 men. They were to
assemble a little to the left of the Zuyper Sluys, so as not
to interfere with the march of the Russians, and were to cross the
canal at different places and march along the right side as far as
Schoorldam acting from there according to circumstances as they
arose. The fourth column, likewise under the command of
Lieutenant-General Dundas, consisting of the Brigade of Guards
under Major-General Burrard, 1,570 men, was to assemble behind
Rrabbendam and in conjunction with the third column, was to move
along the left side of the canal as far as Schoorldam, leaving a
post at the turn of the road to Warmerhuysen to observe it. The
special duty of this column was to cover the left of the other three
columns.
The reserves were placed under the command of Sir J. Pulteney,
and were made up of Major-General Manner's brigade, 1,450
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT.
3
5
5
men; Major-General Prince William of Gloucester's brigade, 1,500
men; Major-General Don's brigade, 1,930 men. Cavalry, two squad-
rons, 11th Light Dragoons and one squadron 18th Light Dragoons.
Total of reserve Infantry, 4,880; Cavalry, 400. There were also
2,000 Russians making a total reserve force of 7,280 men. The
orders of Sir James were that he was to cover the left from
Einegenburg to Kolhorn, posting one battalion on the Dyke behind
the former village. Schager Brug was to be the principal post of
the English reserve. The Russians were to occupy Krabbendam
and the points between that place and Petten. The total force was
therefore :-
Main body ... tº ſº º ... 22,640
Reserves e tº Q tº º 0 ... 7,280
Total © tº gº ... 29,920 men.
A detachment of 450 men from Burrard's Guards, with one
12-pounder gun and a howitzer was to be placed at the village
of Tuytenhorn to watch Warmerhuysen, Oude Caspell, and
Dirkshorn, the guns being placed so as to command the road from
Warmerhuysen. Gunboats “well prepared and barricaded" were to
accompany the third and fourth columns along the Alkmaar Canal.
The Artillery was to be with the second, third, and fourth columns
and the Reserve and the Horse Artillery with the first column if
possible. The men were to be without packs and to carry nothing
with them but their arms, ammunition, and provisions for three
days, and a great coat or blanket, but not both. Spare ammunition
was to follow on pack horses. No carriages of any kind were to follow
the troops, except those belonging to the Artillery. “All English
officers and soldiers were to appear in their red clothes that no
mistake may arise,” and the officers were to be particularly careful to
caution the men to be careful of their ammunition and to act with
coolness and deliberation.
On the morning of the action some slight alteration was made in
the disposition of the troops, nine squadrons of Light Dragoons
under the command of Colonel Lord Paget being sent with Sir
R. Abercrombie's column, in place of the four squadrons originally
fixed. One troop of Horse Artillery was also sent with the column.
The position occupied by the enemy was very strong. His right
and centre were protected by a network of canals, dykes, and
ditches, which the delay in the attack had allowed him to strongly
fortify. In the centre of his position lay the town of Alkmaar,
with the canal running through it, enabling him to draw upon the
country in his rear for all supplies.
Z 2
356 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
On the left of the position, which was the vulnerable point, the
French troops were strongly posted. Bergen was on their left, and,
as before stated, it was surrounded by extensive woods, through
which the great road passed leading to Haarlem. Between Bergen
and the sea was an extensive range of sand-hills, exceedingly
difficult for Cavalry to cross in consequence of their broken surface,
and sufficiently embarrassing for Infantry, as the advance could only
be made slowly and exposed to fire from the enemy under cover
easily thrown up. Some of these sand-hills were 300 feet high.
The village of Egmont op Zee lay between Bergen and the English
position, on the road General Abercrombie's force was to take
in their endeavour to turn the enemy's left. The force of the
enemy was calculated at 25,000, the greater proportion of them
being French. The troops began their march along the sea shore at
6.30 a.m., the state of the tide preventing their starting earlier.
The Duke of York, who was in command, stood On some rising
ground near the village of Petten, surrounded by his staff watching
the troops as they defiled past him. The advanced guard of the
first column, consisting of the 1st Battalion Grenadiers of the Line,
one Battalion Light Infantry of the Line, and the 23rd and 25th
Regiments, drove the enemy from Campe, and from the sand hills
above that village. Major-General Coote's Brigade, who had been
ordered to follow the advanced guard, proceeded along the road
under the sandhills; on arriving at Campe they turned to the left,
advancing as far as the extremity of the Slaper Dyke and the
village of Groete, thus clearing the road for the advance of the
Russian column under General Essen.
Part of Coote's Brigade joined on to the advanced guard, drove
the enemy from the first sand-hills and continued moving forward
in front of the Russians. The other body of Russian troops
under Sedmoralsky as Soon as the enemy had been driven from
Groete, advanced across the plain between the Alkmaar canal and
the road by which General Essen had advanced, and joined on
to the left of Essen's corps, Sedmoralsky's left being protected by
the gunboats in the canal. Lord Chatham's brigade was in the
rear of Sedmoralsky's. The enemy now fell back upon Schoor,
Coote's Brigade, with the advanced guard under Colonel Macdonald,
being heavily engaged on the sand-hills above that village, where
the enemy were in great force. After a while the Russians
advanced against the village, and being joined by Major-General
Burrard the enemy were about 11 p.m. driven out of the villages of
Schoorl and Schoorldam. For the remainder of the day, the Russians
under Sedmoralsky, took post at Schoorl, cannonading the enemy
at Bergen and between it and the Koe Dyke, Burrard occupying
1799.] Now THE QUEEN's ROYAL west SURREY REGIMENT. 357
Schoorldam, and in conjunction with the gunboats attacking the
Roe Dyke, where the enemy was strongly posted. In this
situation it became evident that a great effort must be made
to clear the summit of the Sand-hills, which were occupied by
the enemy in great numbers, even beyond Bergen. The left of
Coote's Brigade was above Schoorl, but the distance they occupied
was too great, and the regiments were therefore separated by con-
siderable intervals, the 85th, on the extreme right of the brigade,
being far in the sand-hills, and warmly engaged with the enemy,
who were threatening to turn the right. The Duke now ordered
Lieutenant-General Dundas to march Major-General Lord Chatham's
Brigade from the plain into the sand-hills, and to give assistance to
Coote's right, leaving one battalion, the 31st, to move close
under the hills, in touch with his left. This movement was
admirably executed. Lord Chatham's Brigade, which had formed
line behind the 85th, but extended more to the right, advanced
at a brisk pace across a scrubby wood leading to the heights;
the enemy, who by this time had slightly thrown back the 85th,
were struck by the brigade on its flank, and the 85th at the
same time advancing, the enemy fled precipitately to a position
in the rear near Bergen. The remainder of Coote's Brigade now
moved forward and joined the left of Lord Chatham's, the two
brigades forming a line crowning the heightslately held by the enemy.
In this position the French could be seen retreating from the village
of Bergen and the woods and plains about it. The enemy were
evidently much shaken by their defeat on the heights, and had
Lieutenant-General Dundas had a reserve to follow up his advantage,
Bergen might have been at this moment entered. The French
perceiving that no further advance was made, re-occupied the village
in force, and kept up a brisk fire of cannon and musketry on the
captured heights. Shortly after a plucky attempt was made to
recapture the heights, the 85th sustaining the brunt of the attack, and
driving the enemy back with much loss, several other attempts of the
French sharing the same fate. Another attempt was now made by
the enemy to regain the heights by an attack on the extreme right of
the position. Three battalions of Coote's Brigade were marched
beyond the right of Lord Chatham's Brigade to support him and
extend his line. The 27th Regiment being posted at the end of an
avenue leading to Bergen was attacked by a considerable body of
troops, but they made a gallant charge on them and drove them into
the woods with much loss. This last attempt about 3.30 p.m. left
Lieutenant-General Dundas's corps in Secure possession of his posi-
tion, but the extension of his line had brought his right close to the
reserve under Colonel Macdonald, who had been advancing rapidly,
358 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
though experiencing considerable resistance. At this moment
Macdonald was warmly engaged with a considerable body of the
enemy, who lined a sand-hill ridge crossing the downs in a perpen-
dicular direction, and who had evidently moved out from Bergen
and Egmont ople Hooff to attack Dundas's right flank. Lieutenant-
General Dundas at once sent down the 29th Regiment to help
Macdonald, and though the position was steep and formidable, the
advance of the 29th was so resolute that the ridge was soon
occupied, and this being perceived, the whole of the right moved
forward with such vigour that the enemy abandoned all their
positions on the hills, the heights surrounding Bergen for above
three miles being crowned and possessed by eleven British
battalions.
Sir Ralph Abercrombie had marched according to the dispositions
made along the beach, the main body meeting with little resistance
during the early portion of the day, the general advance however
being much hindered by the resistance on the sand-hills to his left,
and the necessity he was under of continually sending reinforcements
to Colonel Macdonald. He did not, however, meet with serious
resistance to his forces until he arrived within a mile of Egmont.
Here he was met by a large body of French Infantry under
General Brune, who had established himself in force in Egmont op
Zee and the high sand-hills in its front, while his Artillery and
Cavalry made an imposing display on the beach and defended his
extreme left. General Abercrombie was soon hotly engaged, the
enemy assailing him both in front and on his right flank, which by
their superiority in numbers they were well able to do. During the
whole day the battle raged with varying success, the general and
all his officers vieing with each other in the exertions made to
drive the enemy from the strong position he had taken up.
Late in the evening a determined attempt was made by the French
Cavalry upon the British Horse Artillery on the beach, but they
were met by the English Cavalry under Colonel Lord Paget
and driven back with much loss nearly to Egmont op Zee. This
defeat made a considerable impression on the enemy, and Colonel
Macdonald coming up about this time and occupying the sand-hills
the fight ceased for the day, and the troops lay upon their arms
within a very short distance of Egmont op Zee.
Sir James Pulteney had also been successful with his advance
on Oude Caspell, which was the principal post on the enemy's right
and was strongly entrenched. Although there was little fighting
here, General Pulteney managed so to threaten the enemy that
he was unable to send forces to help his hardly pressed left
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, 359
flank, and the English at night held the place completely
invested. 4-
Early on the morning of the 3rd it was seen that the posts of Oude
Caspell and Langen Dyke were evacuated by the enemy who was
retiring upon St. Pancras and Alkmaar. The enemy's long “pro-
truded columns, accompanied by a numerous Field Artillery, were
plainly discerned defiling for an extent of several miles along the
Chaussée leading to Alkmaar, and even beyond that town other divi-
sions were seen in retreat on the line of the sea shore.” Lieutenant-
General Pulteney at once, therefore, moved his troops up and occupied
the posts. The Queen's moved forward at daybreak and at mid-
day were quartered in a large chateau or palace not far from
Alkmaar, “rooms sumptuously furnished, gardens abounding with
everything, and skirted by a noble and umbrageous avenue of
lofty trees of various kinds. In a Superb and spacious saloon
I took notice of nearly forty paintings of the most celebrated
masters, amonst them were Teniers, Vandyke, Rembrandt, and
Wovermann.” These delightful quarters were in sad contrast
to the quarters the regiment had later on.
The enemy, however, still held on to the woods and town of
Bergen, and appeared with cannon and in some force opposite to
Koe Dyke, but this it appeared afterwards was only a cover to the
general retreat of their troops who had been evacuating the position
during the night, for before mid-day these also retired and the
85th Regiment entered the village of Bergen.
At 1 o'clock General Abercrombie entered Egmont op Zee, and in
the evening the Russians under General Essen occupied the village
of Egmont op le Hooff. Major General Burrard and the Guards who
had moved forward and Occupied Koe Dyke was in the evening
ordered to occupy Alkmaar with a detachment. The honour of
entering this town, the capital of North Holland, was shared by
Lieutenant-General Pulteney, whose patrols entered the town at the
same time as the guards.
The Queen's regiment entered Alkmaar at 9 a.m. on the morning
of the 5th with the brigade to which they were attached, and “as
the advanced guard of the brigade passed through the gates the
sounds of the Carillons for which Holland is celebrated were par-
ticularly pleasing.”f On the evening of the 5th the brigade was
about two leagues in front of Alkmaar.
The troops were much exhausted by the great exertions they
had made, and had suffered much from want of food, water, and
* Major Maule, p. 35. if Ibid.
360 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1799.
the great heat; pursuit was, therefore, out of the question and the
enemy were enabled to continue their retreat unmolested, and
to take up a new and strong position at Beverwyck and Nych
op Zee.
The losses of the English were heavy, eleven officers being killed
and sixty-four wounded; and of the men one statement gives 237
killed and 1,102 wounded, and 193 missing ; another 215 killed and
980 wounded and 178 missing. Among the staff that were wounded
was Captain Grey of the Queen's, brigade major. The Queen's
also lost two sergeants and one drummer wounded ; and of the rank
and file, two were killed, thirteen wounded, and two missing.
The regiments that suffered most were the 25th, 49th, 79th, and
92nd. The Russian return of killed or taken was, 423 (170 wounded),
and fifty horses killed. Seven pieces of cannon were captured and a
great number of tumbrils, but few prisoners. The loss of the
enemy was estimated at about 4,000 men. The Duke of York
praised in warm terms the conduct of both officers and men,
attributing the signal victory obtained to the “animating and
persevering exertions which have at all times been the characteristic
of the British soldier, and which on no occasion were ever more
eminently displayed.” To General Sir Ralph Abercrombie and
Lieutenant-General Dundas he found it difficult to express the
obligation he owed to them for the able manner in which they
conducted their respective columns, Sir Ralph Abercrombie having
two horses shot under him. Lieutenant-General Hulse and Major-
Generals Lord Chatham, Coote, d’Oyley, Burrard, and Moore, are
also highly spoken of in his despatches, the latter officer though
wounded severely early in the day continued in the field until
a second wound in the face forced him to retire. On the 5th the
Duke issued a general Order, dated Head Quarters, Alkmaar, in
which he says:– -
“His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief desires to express
to the Army his warmest thanks for the steady and persevering
gallantry of their conduct in the general action of the 2nd instant,
to which alone is to be ascribed the complete victory gained
over the enemy under circumstances of the greatest difficulty.”
º and thinks it no less his duty to record the names of
the following general officers and brigades of British Infantry
who had an opportunity of contributing to the success of that
distinguished day. Colonel Lord Paget commanded the Cavalry
consisting of 7th, 11th, and 16th Light Bragoons; 1st Brigade,
Major-General d’Oyley, Grenadier Guards and 3rd Battalion
1st Regiment ; 2nd Brigade, Major-General Burrard, 1st Battalion
Coldstreams and 3rd Guards; 3rd Brigade, Major-General Coote,
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 361
the 2nd, 27th, 29th, and 85th Regiments; 4th Brigade, Major-
General Moore, the Royals, 25th, 79th, 49th, and 92nd Regiments,
6th Brigade, Major-General Hutchinson, 1st and 2nd Battalions 20th
and 63rd Regiments; 7th Brigade, Major-General Lord Chatham,
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalion 4th Regiment; the Reserve, Colonel
McDonald, the Grenadiers of the Line, the Light Infantry of the
Line, 23rd and 55th Regiments, &c.”
The exhausted state of the troops and the difficulty of bringing
up food to the front, which obliged the Army to halt for
several days at Alkmaar and Bergen, had enabled the enemy to
strengthen their position at Beverwych. Reinforcements were
reported to be on the march to join the enemy, consisting of two
brigades, complete in all their numbers, 6,000 strong. The Duke
therefore determined to endeavour to force the enemy back from
Beverwych before these reinforcements arrived. The enemy's force,
according to the latest information, now consisted of between 25,000
and 30,000 men, a very small proportion of them being Dutch.
General Dandraels commanded the Dutch troops, and Generals
Brune, Wandamme, and Boulett the French. General Dandraels had
been wounded. The loss of French troops in the late action was
stated to have been very great.
Early on the morning of the 6th October, which broke dull
and gloomy, a thick mist preventing view of either friend or enemy,
the Army was in motion, the advanced posts covering the British
position, being pushed forward and occupying with little opposi-
tion, the villages of Scharmerhorn, Aker Stool, Limmen Baccum,
and of a position on the sand-hills near Wych op Zee. To the
Russian column was entrusted the task of securing a height in
front of Baccum, but they met with such a determined resistance
that General Abercrombie was obliged to move up to their
assistance with the reserve of his corps. This movement brought
up more of the enemy, and in a short time the action became
general along the whole line from Limmen to the sea. The
Queen's were heavily engaged and lost some men, being hard
pressed by a body of tirailleurs and some light artillery. The
latter were exceedingly well served. In the mist the Queen's got
into a marsh, and before they could extricate themselves the light
artillery of the enemy inflicted considerable loss. The battle
lasted with varying success until evening, when the enemy retired
leaving the English masters of the field. The corps engaged were
the two Brigades of Guards under Major-Generals d’Oyley and
Burrard, the Earl of Chatham's Brigade under the command of
Major-General Hutchinson (the Earl of Cavan was wounded on
the 2nd), and Major-General Coote's Brigade in which were the
362 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
Queen's. The Reserves were under Colonel Macdonald, and there
were also seven battalions of Russians. The Cavalry consisted of
the 7th and 11th Light Dragoons. The losses in this obstinately
contested fight were heavy; amongst the wounded was Major-General
Hutchinson with a musket shot in the thigh. To add to the
discomfort and trouble of the troops, in the night a tremendous
gale of wind and rain got up, drenching everybody completely.
Although the allies remained masters of the field, the reinforce-
ments that the enemy had received as the fight progressed rendered
it a doubtful victory, and one which it was soon seen it would be
impossible to follow up. An eyewitness* describes the scene as
very distressing, every road and street crowded with sick and
wounded men, the waggons without any shelter from the pitiless
storm. The Russians appear to have excited his admiration from
the stoicism with which they bore the troubles of this terrible
night. At 4 a.m. Major General Coote's Brigade, in which
was the Queen's, received an order to retire, and at daylight the
brigade was under arms and continued the retrograde movement
commenced on the previous evening taking the route by the
sea shore. Here, though the road was more open, the sand
was so deep and heavy that the baggage horses frequently
fell over and many of the men utterly exhausted fell into the
hands of the enemy, whose Hussars harassed the rear of the
column. These very Cavalry had only a few hours before
covered the retreat of their own forces, but now seeing our
retrograde movement fell upon us. During the whole of the day
the storm of wind and rain continued, but notwithstanding the
incredible hardships of the march, the troops kept in order and
were enabled to keep off the enemy, who made no captures except
those whose strength gave way and who could no longer continue
their march. As the weary troops of the brigade filed into Petten,
the advanced guard, mistaking the appearance of the canal for the
Petten road, walked into the water, a general officer and his
staff barely escaping a similar fate. The soldiers were with
difficulty rescued. At 2 a.m. the brigade arrived at the quarters
at Schager Brug.
In his remarks on the proceedings of the day the Duke of York
wrote that “the gallantry the troops displayed, and the perseverance
with which they supported the fatigues of the day rivalled their
former exertions.”
The total loss of the Russian troops in this action was estimated
at 1,200. The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded was very
* Major Maule, p. 40.
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1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 363
great, 500 prisoners also falling into our hands. The total
losses to the British in the five actions from the landing in the
Helder is given in a table as follows:—

Sergeants. Drummers. Rank and File.
ſº rº-3 80 rt: tſ, & rd tſ)
# à || 3 || 3 | # # | # à | #
: © ..? I := | S .3 || F. O .2
$3 B- : 2 | B | < || 2: : 2.
Action of the Helder, 27th 2 18 — I — | 1 || – 51 || 334 26
August. --
Action of the Zyp, * 2 1 | – | — — 34 125 18
10th September.
Action of the 19th Sep- 2 20 22 || – || 2 || 5 || 109 || 345 || 463
tember.
Action of the 2nd October 11 46 7 || – 7 3 215 980 178
Action of the 6th October 3 23 13 1 | — 2 84 668 569
Total - - 18 109 || 48 || 1 || 10 | 10 || 498 |2,452 | 1,254
giving a total loss of non-commissioned officers and men of 4,390.
The Russian losses were, it was believed, considerably more.
Although in the two obstinately contested battles of the 2nd and
6th October the allies had been successful, they found on a careful
review of their position that it was not safe to maintain it in
view of the continued reinforcements arriving to the enemy, and
of the unprecedented difficulties they had met with from the nature
of the country, the unceasing bad weather, and the unexpected
apathy of the people.
The Duke on the evening of the 6th called a council of war,
consisting of Sir R. Abercrombie and Lieutenant-Generals D. Dundas,
Samuel Hulse, and Sir James Pulteney, and requested them to
state their opinions on the present state and situation of the
Army. These generals at once met, and in the course of the
evening sent their report to the Duke. In it they stated it was
their united opinion that, as since the landing of the Army in
Holland, it had sustained five considerable actions (27th August,
10th and 19th September, and 2nd and 6th October), and had
suffered a total loss of between 9,000 and 10,000 men, English and
Russians, and a large proportion of officers, those naturally the
best and bravest, without being able to make any considerable
progress in the country, though the troops had been victorious,
and inflicted a considerable blow on the enemy on the 2nd ; that
the country, owing to the continued wet weather and its low
marshy nature, was now almost impassable for troops, and being
intersected with canals and ditches communications with advancing
columns could not be kept up, and movements could be made only
364 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
along the dykes and roads, and where they were everywhere liable
to the enfilade of the enemy's cannon; that the nature of the
country prevents the encampment of troops, and the sand-hills
though dry afford neither firing, water, nor cover. The difficulties
of bringing up supplies was almost unsurmountable and seemed
to increase as further advance was made ; that no assistance or
encouragement had been met with from the people, though this
had been confidently expected ; and the enemy was daily growing
in numbers, and occupied a strong defensive position. Should the
troops succeed in forcing the enemy back from Beverwych, there
were other positions equally strong in rear. The main body of the
French were strongly posted in front of Haarlem and the greater
part of the Batavian army on the left at Purmevend. That our
allies were not satisfied with the position, and that it is evident no
great or united effort could be expected in such a situation. The
generals justly concurred in saying that a reverse would be ruin,
and in the most unsuitable and unsafe military position they
were in, they strongly urged upon the Duke the necessity of a
return to the position of the Zeip. A postcript attached to the
report, dated four days later, adds “even to this hour there is no
alteration in the tempestuous state of the weather.”
The Duke on the 7th sent a despatch to Dundas endorsing the
opinions of his generals, and writes, that should they succeed in
taking Beverwych, the inevitable losses would so weaken them
that they would be unable to take advantage of their victory,
while a reverse would mean ruin. The troops had now been five
days and nights on the Sand-hills, and he fears further exposure in
the severe weather would so weaken the troops as to add another
important factor to the number of the difficulties they had to
contend with. As an instance of the difficulty of land transport,
he relates that some loaded waggons had been two days in going
nine miles. On the 8th the main body of the Army were all in
motion to take up their former position at Schager Brug.
The Duke sent an express by the hands of Colonel Brownrigg
to Dundas on the 9th, giving an account of the state of the Army,
with a return of the losses in the action of the 6th. This Minister
had, in a letter dated 8th October, written to inform the Duke that
“every reinforcement that could be spared’ was being sent to
Holland, and that he might expect the 11th and 28th Regiments,
(2,000 troops) from Portugal, and 1,000 men from the battalion of
the Guards, and informed him that the Cavalry detailed for service
in Holland awaited his call. The situation is summed up by
General Abercrombie in a letter home, when he writes that the
Army is considerably more than 10,000 men fewer in effective
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 365
strength, while the French, with all their losses, are 10,000
stronger and daily receiving reinforcements.
As soon as the Army arrived at its old position, the men were
set to work at once to secure it from attack by the erection of
defensive works, for the position in which the Army found itself
required the greatest caution and care to prevent a dire disaster.
Sir Ralph Abercrombie writes on the 12th of October to Dundas
by desire of the Duke of York from Schager Brug, “After the
actions of the 2nd and 6th October we began to feel our real
situation; without supplies of any kind we could not advance into
a country much exhausted and intolerably barren. We are now
with only ten days' supply of bread with a growing scarcity of
every article of consumption. We cannot by any exertion extricate
ourselves and must wait patiently till you can bring us off. It
will require some address on our part to get the troops on ship-
board, and it will not be without the loss of horses and artillery.”
He strongly advised the Minister not to think of holding the
Helder, the works being in an unfinished state.
On the 13th October Colonel Brownrigg arrived in England with
the Duke's despatches dated 6th, 7th, and 9th October. The next
day the Minister Dundas wrote to the Duke of York that he
entirely agreed with the action that had been taken under the
circumstances in retiring from Alkmaar. He goes on to observe
“that the failure in Holland cannot in the most remote manner be
ascribed either to any exertions or support on the part of this
country having been withheld, or in the slightest degree during the
several bloody and severe conflicts that have occurred to mis-
management or want of bravery in any one instance of the conduct
and efforts of the British Army under His Royal Highness's com-
mand. . . . The display of British valour the troops have not
only maintained, but added to the character of the King's arms.”
The causes of the failure, the Minister considers, originated in
circumstances that no human wisdom could foresee or control, “ and
in adopting the determination His Royal Highness has shown
himself most worthy of the high command and confidence reposed
in him.” In a subsequent letter, dated the 14th October, he pays a
high compliment to the Duke for his prudence and skill in retiring
in the hour of victory. “He is confident that he writes Mr. Pitt's
sentiments (with whom he had a full conversation yesterday evening
after the receipt of the despatches) as well as his own.” He con-
siders that the battles that had been fought and the victories gained
in the course of this short campaign must, in the eyes of Europe,
* War Office Correspondence, Duke of York, Helder, 1799, Vol. II.
366 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
“hold up the skill of the King's generals and the prowess of the
troops to a height scarcely parallelled at any former period.”
The Government had felt it their duty to advise the King to
order the withdrawal of the Army from Holland as soon as possible,
and had given orders for all available Cavalry and troopships to
be sent to the Texel with all the expedition possible. The Russian
troops were to be sent to Jersey and Guernsey. The Duke of York
had also advised the sending the Dutch deserters—whom the
Prince of Orange was desirous of utilising—to the same places as
the Russian troops. In a further letter of the Duke of York, dated
12th October, to Dundas, he informs him he had been obliged,
owing to the great want of provisions, to order the Dutch troops to
be sent to Yarmouth without delay. The Prince of Orange, having
earnestly solicited that some relief might be sent to the starving
people of Vlieland, ninety sacks of biscuits and 7,000 lbs. of pork
were sent to them out of the small stores left to the Army.
The total number of the Dutch deserter troops is stated as
amounting to 2,490, exclusive of officers.
On the 18th October the Duke of York again wrote to Dundas
informing him that he had the evening before made terms with the
French General Brune, and that he trusted, after reviewing the
pressing circumstances of the case, his acting thus in a most
important matter without waiting for instructions from home would
not be considered wrong. He reviews in his letter the state of the
Army and the impossibility of retreating to the Helder, and
embarking the troops in the face of a numerous and alert enemy
without the probability of serious losses. Sickness was increasing
daily. The stock of biscuits would be exhausted by the 21st, and
though the works covering their position was strong and could be
held it was impossible to make winter quarters there. Sir R.
Abercrombie in a short soldierly letter to Mr. Dundas fully justified
the Duke's action. He writes, “The embarkation of a great body of
men with all their incumbrances . . . in the face of a superior
enemy is without doubt a matter of much delicacy and difficulty.
That it would have been effected without loss none of us could
believe, and that it might have been accompanied with disaster was
not impossible.” The flooding of North Holland, in order to destroy
their enemy, was not for a moment thought of, and is only
referred to in the letter as inconsistent with the national honour.
Vice-Admiral Mitchell concurred in the design of the truce as
well as all the general officers. -
The terms that were agreed upon between the Duke of York and
the French General were embodied in nine short articles.
Articles 1 to 4 provided for the cession of hostilities, and of all
works of offence and defence on both sides, the lines existing at the
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 36?
advanced posts of each Army to be the line of demarkation.
Articles 5 and 6 provided that the evacuation of the allies should
be completed by the 30th November, and that no damage should be
done to the country by inundations or by injury to the navigation,
and that the reinforcements on their way should be sent back.
Article 7 provided for an exchange of officers to see that the pro-
visions of the truce were being faithfully performed. The remaining
Articles 8 and 9 contained the sting of the truce. They were as
follows:—
“8. Huit Mille prisonniers de guerre Française et Bataves faits
antièrieurement à la presente campagne et detenus actuellement en
Angleterre seront au choix et dans la proportion reglé par le
Gouvernement des deux Republiques alliès renvoyés libres et sans
conditions dans leur Patrie. M. le Général Major Knox restera à.
l'armée Française pour guaranter l'execution des present articles.
“9. Le cartel établis entre les deux armées pour l'échange des
prisonnièrs faits durant la presente campagne continuera d’avoir son
execution. .
“Il est en entre convenu que l'Amiral De Wenter est considéré
comme échange. Conclus Alkmaar le vingt six Vendémaire de l’an
huit de la Republique Française une et indivisible (18th October
1799) par les generaux Sousignés munis de pouvoirs à cet effet.
“(Signé) J. KNOX, Majeur-Général.
“(Signé) ROSTELLAUT.
“Apprové et ratifié le Général en Chef.
“(Signé) BRUNE.”
The Duke writing on the 20th sending these articles home evidently
feared the effects of the clauses delivering up the prisoners of war
made before the Helder campaign. He urged that it was the only
course left open to him to make this truce, the only other means of
securing a safe retreat being that of inundating the country from
the sea, involving the inhabitants of the northern part of the
province in ruin for a series of years, a course of action “highly
repugnant to the feelings as well as contrary to the character and
practice of the British nation.”
In a private letter to Dundas, thanking him for his friendly letter
sent by Colonel Brownrigg, he writes with respect to the truce.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow, but in the situation we were in
without three days' bread and the certain loss of above 6,000 men
at the lowest computation, most part of our artillery and all our
horses,” there was no choice.
The Duke's conduct received the approval of the Government,
and the King endorsed on the letter of Pitt to the Duke, dated 27th
368 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
October, informing him of their approval the following note:–
“The situation in which the Army under the command of my
beloved son, the Duke of York, was placed by the extreme strength
of the country, and the difficulty of getting off the troops without
the loss of the rear guard, fully exculpates him for the step he has
taken of negotiating and concluding cessation of hostilities without
previous directions from home, and on these grounds I fully give
my sanction and approbation to that measure.”—GEORGE R.
October 28, 1799.”
The resolution to evacuate the Helder was no doubt a wise
and prudent one, and though it was humiliating to fail in the
campaign, it must be admitted that the action of our troops under the
most depressing conditions showed the splendid qualities of the
British soldier in a high light. It must be remembered that the old
regiments sent to this expedition had been almost destroyed by
the arduous service in the West Indies, and had been made up to
their fighting strength by volunteers from the Militia, hastily got
together, and taken into action before they could possibly be
properly organised and made fit for such an arduous and exhaust-
ing campaign; and it says a great deal for the quality of the
British soldiers, that with all these disadvantages they upheld “by
their gallantry and discipline the honour of their country, and by
the skill and attention of their officers this short but active cam-
paign prepared this little Army to advance the glory of England
in succeeding years against the best organised troops in Europe.”
Major-General Coote expressed, in orders, his approbation of the
Queen's Royals.
The march to the Helder commenced immediately on the signa-
ture of the truce, the rear guard consisting of 2,500 men, carefully
selected from amongst the best troops. The ships then in the
Texel, computed as capable of transporting 11,000 men and 1,500
horses, were ordered to take on board the troops as they arrived.
These ships were the English Fleet under Admiral Mitchell,
the Russian squadron under Admiral Breyer, and the Dordrecht,
Trusty, Braakel, and Roebuck troopships, twenty-four ordnance
store ships, and Cavalry transports for 1,500 horses.
The troops began to arrive at the Helder on the 22nd, and at
once began to embark. On the 23rd Admiral Dickson arrived in
the Texel, with His Majesty's ships Monarch, Kent, Ardent, Veteran,
and Europe, and proceeded next day to the Helder. The total
number of men and horses, including all the servants and followers,
and the Dutch that had to be carried to England, was 36,000, and
2,500 horses. At least 1,500 sick and wounded, English and
* Cannon’s History of the Queen’s, p. 48.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 369
Russian, were shipped off first on the 20th October. The weather
continued its tempestuous character, and greatly hindered the
embarkation. On the 29th October fifty-one transports arrived.
The Duke of York, writing on the 30th to Dundas, doubts not, if
the weather permits, the whole force will be embarked in two days
from then.
The troops ordered to be embarked first were those who arrived
first from England, and those regiments most fit for service.
Amongst the latter was the Queen's. The embarkation return of
the regiment was stated at 584, though the strength is given on
the 24th as 496, and on the 14th the total of all ranks was stated
to be ; two lieutenant-colonels, one major, six captains, nineteen
lieutenants, seven ensigns, one adjutant, one quartermaster, one
Surgeon, one assistant surgeon, forty-five Sergeants, seventeen
drummers, and 481 rank and file fit for duty; sick present thirty-
four, sick absent sixty-three, recruiting one, furlough one, total
580. Wanting to complete, five sergeants, two drummers, seventy-
five rank and file.
The total number in Major-General Coote's Brigade on embark-
ation is given as 2,070 men, and the regiments were the Queen's,
27th, 29th, and 85th. The transports taking the Queen's were the
Babet, Pylades, and the Resource. The regiment embarked on the
28th, and sailed the same day for England. The orders on landing
were to march to Canterbury and to be quartered there.
They appear, however, to have landed at Yarmouth, and were
marched to Ashford in Kent, where they remained during the
winter.
Prince William appears to have taken a considerable amount of
pains during the campaign in the command of his brigade, which
consisted of the 5th and 35th Regiments. A brigade order issued
on board the Nemesis, which was to be read and explained to the
men of the brigade, gives out, amongst other orders, that no man
was to halloa or cry out upon any account whatever, although the
rest of the troops might do it; that if the battalions should be
crowded at any time, or confined in their ground, a section or
platoon, or as many more as necessary, was to double in upon
its next platoon or section until the battalion could extend itself
again so as to take up its usual ground; in defending entrench-
ments no shot was to be fired till the enemy was within 200
yards, the officers taking care to see that the men were under
cover till the enemy was within this distance; when advancing,
the fire was to be reserved till the enemy was broken; any man
firing when ordered to advance in line before the charge was to be
WOL. III, A. A
370 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1799.
knocked down, and not permitted to advance, and tried after the
action by a drum head court martial, &c.”
The expense of the expedition as given in the State Papers
relating to it is as follows:—
£ S. d.
No. 1. Transport service * - tº tº º º s s g ... 465,335 19 0
,, 2. Victualling troops * * * * * * & ſº tº ... 247,301 1 0
,, 3. Extraordinaries expended by Commissary
Moly ... tº ſº º tº ſº tº tº º Gº dº º & ... 180,537 0 0
,, 4. Extraordinaries expended by Commissary
Watson ... & e & tº º & tº gº tº tº gº tº ... 140,981 0 0
, 5. Ordnance Department ... tº tº tº tº e º ... 108,645 0 0
Total º, & © * * e ... 1,142,800 0 0
Subsidy for Russian troops • - e. - - 503,737 0 0
Barracks for same in Guernsey and Jersey & Cº º 70,000 0 0
Total in all e = s. ... £1,716,537 0 0
A note of the amount and variety of focd provided for the
troops is given in the War Office Correspondence in a letter from
Commissary General Moly, as follows:—One pound of biscuits per
man per day, twelve ounces of pork, one quart of spirit per six
men per day.
The loss and damage to arms in the campaign was considerable.
The Queen's had to be supplied to replace “arms lost and damaged "
with twenty-eight pikes, one fusil, and 252 stand of arms complete,
twenty-two drums with pairs of sticks, and 660 bayonets and
scabbards. Colours lost were not supplied by Government but were
ordered to be supplied at the expense of the respective colonels of
the regiments.
The disastrous end to the Holland expedition was not without
its compensation. Although the original object for which it was
designed failed, and instead of annihilating the French power
there and restoring the independence of the Dutch the failure
confirmed the power of the French Republic in Holland, yet the
capture of the Dutch Fleet in the Texel was a great blow to
the French as it strengthened the already preponderating naval
force of Great Britain and destroyed the only other navy that had
ever seriously competed with her on the seas.
On the 11th December the Adjutant-General, H. Calvert, by
order of the Commander-in-Chief, instructed the Board of General
Officers of Clothing that they were to substitute a cap which had
been approved by the King for the hat hitherto worn by the
Infantry. The colonels were to be allowed to engrave the
* War Office, Expedition to Holland, 1799.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 371
regimental number on the cap on each side of the lion on the
lower part of the brass footing. Regiments which had distinctive
badges were to be allowed to wear their badges in the centre
of the garter. The Grenadiers were to be allowed to wear the
grenade in the same manner. The tufts used by the Grenadiers
were to be white, those used by the Light Infantry corps were
to be dark green. All soldiers were to have the regimental button
in the centre of the cockade, except the Grenadiers, who were
to have the grenade, and the Light Infantry corps the bugle horn.
The caps were to be made of sufficient size to come completely on
the soldiers' heads, and were to be worn straight and even, and
brought forward well over the eyes.”
A Horse Guards' warrant dated 22nd April directed all officers
and men of the Infantry (except the flank companies) to wear their
hair queued, to be tied a little below the upper part of the collar
of the coat, and to be ten inches in length, including one inch of
hair to appear below the binding.
In one of the military journals of this year it is there stated
that the “Queen's was always regarded as a pattern regiment and
“ choice in the height and make of its recruits,” and it is also
stated that a keen rivalry existed between the regiment and the
18th Royal Irish as to the quick performance of the manual; so
evenly were they, the two regiments, matched that it was difficult
to decide which was best, what one gained by time the other
counterbalanced by the exactness and neatness of the drill, and it
was thought “conducive to the perfection of this part of the exercise
“ to draft non-commissioned officers from these two corps into the
“ Militia regiments embodied at that time.” It is probable there-
fore that the sergeants of the Queen's drilled the soldiers of the
2nd Royal Surrey Militia (which was then under embodiment), now
its affiliated Militia Battalion, a circumstance it is not uninteresting
to note.
The Queen's, while at the camps of Warley and Coxheath,
was noted for the number of brevet field officers among its
captains which made the picket duty of the remaining officers
very frequent.f
* War Office, General Officers’ Letter Books, 1797–1799.
f British Military Library or Journal, London, 1799, vol. 1, p. 400.
A A 2
3
7
2 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
CHAPTER XXI.
COLOURS, BADGE, AND MOTTOES.
CoNTENTS.—Discussions on original Colours and Badge of the Regiment—Book
of Drawings of Colours in Windsor Castle—Warrant of King James re
original Colours—Payment for Colours—Description of them—Cannon
on adoption of three Colours—Each Regiment divided into three Divi-
sions—Theories on adoption of Queen's Badge—Dr. Toulmin's account
wrong—Sir Peter Lely’s portrait of Queen Catherine—Suggestion as to
origin of the Badge of the Lamb–Colours carried by Regiment in Irish
Battles, 17th century—Incident of Drummer at Investment of Charle-
mount—General Donkin's account of third Colour, and its being ordered
to be furled in 1750—The Warrant of 1751 on the Colours—Facings of
Regiment—Third Colour and Facings of Regiment—Royal custom with
third Colour—Probable reason why the Regiment was allowed to continue
using third Colour—Petition to the King for the Regiment to be
again allowed to use third Colour approved—Presentation of new third
Colour by Lady Torrens—Again ordered to be discontinued—Messrs.
Webb & Co. make a new third Colour—Richard Cannon sends Sir Albert
Woods particulars of Colours, Badge and distinctions of Queen's
Begiment—Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. J. A. Tamsay on
Colours of Regiment—General Donkin's recollections—Letter from
General Sir Stanhope Jephson, Bart., on third Colour—Letter from
General Addison on same—Loss of remains of old third Colour—Earliest
drawings of Colours of Regiment, particulars of Addition of Harp and
Crown. Mottoes.
There has been a considerable amount of discussion about the
colours of the Queen's regiment, not only with respect the
ancient badge borne on them, but also with reference to the
distinction it undoubtedly enjoyed for many years of carrying a
third colour, which was the colour of the facings of the regiment
before it was made a royal regiment.
It is curious to note how long a tradition is kept up, even when
a little examination would show upon how small a base the
tradition rests, and how, when analysed, it has often no base at all.
Drawings of what were no doubt the original colours of the
regiment, and which are now shown for the first time in the pages
of this volume, are described in Nathan Brooks' General and
Complete List, &c. as a “red cross bordered white and rays as the
admirals on a green * field with their Majesty's royal cypher in the
centre.”f
* With reference to the old regimental colour green it may be interesting
to note that in the time of Charles II. the colours respectively of the King,
the Queen, and the Duke of York, were blue, green, and yellow.
+ Nathan Brooks’ General and Complete List, Military, &c., London, 1684,
and Grose's Military Antiquities, Appendix X.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 373
A valuable book which is preserved in Windsor Castle,
from which the drawings of the original colours are taken, is
entitled “Colours and Standards of the British Army,” tempora.
James II., and must, therefore, have been drawn between the
years 1684 and 1689. At this period it was the custom for every
regiment to have a colour for each field officer (three) and a colour
for each company; that is, first, the colonel’s colour; second, the
lieutenant-colonel’s colour; third, the major's colour, and fourth,
a colour for each company, the same as the lieutenant-colonel’s
colour, but with the number of the company in the top arm of the
cross. As each field officer was also in command of a company
this gave a colour to each company in the regiment.
In the War Office Records there is a warrant of King James II.,
dated August 1686 authorising the pav ment of 206l. 5s. 6d. for
ten colours for the Queen's regiment of Foot. The Regiment
at that time had ten companies. These colours, no doubt, were
the same as now for the first time shown in these pages. No
evidence has been found to show whether they are copies of the
colours carried by the regiment at Tangier or new designs made by
order of King James.”
The colonel's colour was sea-green, the same as the facings of the
regiment, with the King and Queen's cypher in the centre (in the
case of other regiments not so distinguished the arms of the
colonel were placed in the centre), surmounted by the royal crown.
The lieutenant-colonel’s colour had a red cross bordered white on a
green ground, with the admiral's rays at each corner. The major's
colour was the same as the lieutenant-colonel's, with the exception
of a white blaze in the top left corner. The captain's colours were
the same as the lieutenant-colonel's, with the number of the
company on each. Every colour had in the centre the Queen's
and the King's cypher entwined, surmounted by the royal crown.
When the regiment was made a royal regiment in 1703—in
honour of its magnificent defence, in conjunction with Van Elst's
regiment—of Tongres, it was then an almost unique distinction.
The regiment ought to have flown a blue or royal flag, in place of
their own sea-green colour, but the blue was not adopted for facings
of the regiment till the year 1768.
Cannou, in an appendix to his history of the regiment entitled
“On Regimental Colours,” says that the origin of the adoption of
three colours (which he infers was general and not a special dis-
tinction of any regiment) was in consequence of the English
regiments being formed after the model of the continental armies.
# Mr. S. M. Milne has illustrated some of these colours in his most
valuable and unique work on “Standards and Colours” published in 1893.
374 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN's ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
Each regiment was divided into three divisions, viz., two wings of
Musketeers and a centre division of Pikemen. Each division had a
stand of colours that it might act separately. The great warrior
Gustavous Adolphus formed his Swedish soldiers in this fashion,
and he was copied by Marshals de Turenne and Monticuculi.
This plan was adopted apparently in 1688, and remained in
vogue till bayonets were introduced in the English Army in the
reign of Queen Anne when the division of Pikemen being discon-
tinued the third colour became unnecessary.
Many theories have been advanced to account for the adoption
of the ancient badge of the regiment, the Lamb. Macaulay, as
already quoted, suggests that as the regiment “had been levied for
the purpose of waging war on an infidel nation, they bore on their
flag a Christian emblem, the Paschal Lamb.”
Dr. Toulmin, in his History of Taunton, is equally misleading; he
writes that the regiment was “formed from four regiments dis-
banded at Tangier where they had been in garrison, and was called
“The Tangier regiment.’” It bore then, he states the device of a
lamb in its colours; and from this circumstance, and not from any
particular cruelties of which the soldiers belonging to it were
guilty, they were called by Kirk his “lambs,” and, by others,
“Kirk's Lambs.” But Dr. Toulmin states they were so called some
time before Kirk's cruelties in the west.f
Dr. Toulmin is here greatly in error in stating that the regiment
was disbanded at Tangier, as we have already shown, and is equally
wrong about the regiment having the badge of a lamb at this date.
It may be that the drawings now shown of the colours carried by
the Queen's in 1684–1688, were altered soon after King James'
accession, and the lamb may have been adopted before the battle
of Sedgmoor, but this we think is exceedingly doubtful. In many
of the old papers the badge is stated to be the Portuguese crest,
which is also incorrect. There is a portrait in the possession of
the Duke of Gordon (or was in 1828) of Queen Catherine, painted
by Sir Peter Lely, State painter to Charles II., much more flattering
than the one illustrated in the first volume of this history, which
shows the Queen with a lamb in the foreground of the picture. It
is possible that this may have given the idea of the adoption of the
lamb for the badge of the regiment, as Sir Peter Lely’s portrait of
the Queen was, from the fact of his being the State painter, no
doubt much esteemed.
* Macaulay, Vol. i., p. 634,
# Toulmin’s History of Taunton, pp. 541, 542.
f The suggestion, with a copy of the engraving, was brought before the
notice of the author by Mr. S. M. Milne.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 375
In the first volume of this history it was suggested that the
badge of the lamb was adopted by the Earl of Peterborough when
the regiment was first raised, but the discovery of the drawings of
the colours in the time of King James II. shows, undoubtedly, that
the badge was not adopted until after the return of the regiment
to England in 1684. It is also most probable that the badge was
not adopted until after 1686, vide the warrant already noted of
King James, dated 21st August, 1686, authorising the payment of
206l. 5s. 6d. for ten colours for the Queen's regiment of Foot.
These ten colours are without doubt the same pattern as here
described and illustrated.
These colours were no doubt carried by the Regiment in the
Irish campaigns, ending with the siege of Limerick and beginning
with the siege of Londonderry. An interesting incident in the
siege of Charlemount, which the regiment was engaged, in is
related in a recent military history. When the Governor Tighe
O’Regan was summoned to surrender the message was carried by a
drummer of the regiment. O'Regan regaled the soldier plentifully
with a variety of food and drink, but excused the want of
meat on the table by saying it was fast day, upon which the
drummer replied that if the fasts were like that he rather
liked them than otherwise. The Governor then began a con-
versation with him and ended by asking him why he had left King
James to take service under William of Orange. “Oh, you are
misinformed,” replied the drummer, “It was King James that
ran away from me, not I from him.” “Why,” retorted the
Governor, “that is one of King James's coats that you have on you
at this moment.” “There you are wrong again,” answered the
ready drummer, “for it is one of the Queen’s.”
The regiment continued carrying the three colours until 1750,
when the use of the old sea-green colour was ordered to be dis-
continued.
The following is the account and affidavit given of the cir-
cumstance, by the officer who was carrying the third colour:-
“I, Robert Domkin, Esquire, general of his Majesty's forces, do
hereby certify and declare that I have always understood that the
honor of bearing three colours was enjoyed by the 2nd, or Queen's
Royal Regiment of Foot, from the period of its being raised in
1661 to the year 1750, in which last year the following colours
were to my knowledge in the possession of the said regiment.
* History of the Standing Army, A.D. 1660 to 1700, by Colonel Clifford
Walton, C.B., London, 1894, pp. 88–89, and note. Great News from Ireland;
a Letter from Lisnegarvy 20th March 1690. London 1690, Thorpe. See
also for investment of Charlemount, Vol. II. p. 123, of this history.
376 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT: [1799.
“1st. The Union throughout, and in the centre the Royal
Arms. --
“2nd. The Union throughout, and in the centre the Queen's
Cypher. -
“3rd. (A regimental sheet) of sea-green colour, which was the
original facings of the regiment, and in the centre the colonel's
8,I’IſlS.
“And I do further declare that in the year 1750, being then
the 3rd ensign in the aforesaid regiment, I carried the last-
mentioned color or regimental sheet in marching over Island
Bridge into Dublin, when by order of General Fowke * it was
furled and never used afterwards, and the two unions remained
and were borne by the regiment.
“Given under my hand and seal this
April, 1814.”f
“The men grumbled exceedingly at being deprived of an honor
no other corps then enjoyed, and which they had carried since its
creation in 1661.”
General Donkin was wrong, as shown, in his assertion that the
regiment had had three colours since its formation. He evidently
was not aware that the regiment, with others, had originally carried
a colour for each company. -
In the warrant of 1st July 1751, so often referred to for
regulating the colours, clothing, and appointments of the Army,
issued by King George II. with a view of establishing uniformity
throughout the Army, it is there ordered that “the King's or first
colour of every regiment is to be the great union throughout,” and
that “the second colour is to be the colour of the facing of the
regiment, with the union on the upper canton.”
The facings of the regiment remained sea green till 1768, when
it was, as shown in the royal warrant of 19th December in that
year, changed to blue. In neither of the warrants, however, of
1751 or 1768 is there any reference made to any authority for the
regiment carrying a third colour. -
It is suggested as most probable that the third colour was
allowed to be continued to be used by the Queen's regiment, after
the discontinuance of the use of three stand of colours on the
adoption of the bayonets, in consequence of its unique distinction
of being a royal regiment, and still continuing to wear its sea-green
facings.
* Then commanding the regiment.
# Donkins' Military Collections, published 1777, and Grose's Military
Antiquities, Vol. II., p. 57.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN’s ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 377
º
There had also grown up a royal custom, when the King reviewed
the regiment, of the 3rd colour being given into the hands of the
King, and by him handed to the Queen (if there). Cannon suggests
that the regiment retained the privilege of wearing its third colour
in consequence of its long absence 1730 to 1748 from England. This
seems to us improbable, as, unless some permission had been
granted to the regiment to fly the colour, other regiments being
there, the distinction without permission must have been brought
to the notice of the military authorities as an infraction of
discipline.
It seems to us a most probable suggestion that the third colour
was allowed to be retained as a record of a colour (the original One)
having been presented by Queen Catherine, and it was always
the colour of the original facings retained after the regiment had
been made royal.
The third colour, which was, as Donkin describes, in 1750 ordered
by General Fowke to be furled, appears to have been deposited in
the Royal Hospital at Kilmainham.
In 1825 a petition was submitted to the King that the regiment
should be allowed to again carry the third colour, which had been
recently discovered at Kilmainham, the record of its disposition
there seventy-five years before having apparently been quite
forgotten. The petition was as follows:–
“Most humbly submitted to His Majesty.
That when the 2nd or Queen's Royal Regiment was formed
in 1661 His Majesty King Charles the Second was pleased to permit
that a Third Colour should be presented to the regiment in honour
of his Queen.”
This colour appears to have been carried by the regiment at the
battle of Sedgmoor, at the battle of the Boyne and of Aughrim, at
the battle of Blenheim, of Ramillies, of Oudenard, and of Malplaquet
and at the siege of Tournay and of Mons.t
It is further submitted to His Majesty that this colour app. ars
to have been lodged in the Royal Hospital of Dublin in the year
1750, where it has been recently found, and it is humbly submitted
to His Majesty that His Majesty should be graciously pleased to
* This is a wrong statement, as already shown ; originally the regiment,
like all others, carried a colour for each company, as already noted; see also
suggestion on p. 376. It is likely true that the Queen presented the colours
to the Regiment, but no record has been discovered relating to this.
+ A considerable amount of error is here shown by the memorialists, the
regiment was not in any of the latter battles named after Sedgmoor and
the Irish battles | |
378 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN’s ROYAL REGIMENT: [1799.
command that the said ancient colour should be restored to the
regiment previous to its embarkation next week for the East
Indies, as a special mark of His Majesty's most gracious favour.
1st February 1825.” --
This document has on it the words “Approved G. R.”
After the permission of the King for the Queen's to have again
the honour of carrying a third colour, the old colour found at
Kilmainham was found to be so much decayed that Lady Torrens,
the wife of Major-General Sir Henry Torrens, Adjutant-General to
the Forces and colonel of the regiment, faithfully copied the old
rags and worked on the emblems found thereon with her own
hands. The restored colour was with some ceremony given back
to the regiment by Lady Torrens on the 31st of January 1825 at
Chatham in the presence of a distinguished assembly. Ensign
George Dalhousie Jolliffe Raitt, being the junior subaltern, had
the honour of receiving the colour. It was considered a remark-
able circumstance that the officer receiving it for the regiment
should be a member of a family connected with it for so lengthened
a period. A portrait of this officer will be shown in the succeeding
volume of this work, taken from a photograph kindly given to
the author by Mr. E. R. Raitt brother of the above Ensign Raitt.
The regiment did not long enjoy the distinction of carrying a third
colour, as, on the 18th August 1835, others having preferred a
similar claim, the King ordered that no regiment should, under any
circumstances whatever, be permitted to display a third colour.
At the same time the King granted permission to the Queen's
to retain and preserve their third colour, but expressly ordered
that it should never be displayed in the ranks of the regiment.
In 1853, while Colonel Burns was in command of the regi-
ment, Messrs. Webb & Co., military clothiers, were given instructions
to make a new third colour. They had not, apparently, a scrap
of the old colour to guide them. A design was, however,
furnished by Heralds' College, but from what data it is im-
possible to say, as no trace of a drawing of the old colour is to
be found there, that is, of the old colour such as it undoubtedly
was originally, vide the drawings already shown of the time of
Ring James II. There is a memorandum preserved in Heralds’
College that on 15th February 1825, Major-General Sir Henry
Torrens sent to Sir George Naylor, the Garter King at Arms
at Heralds' College the King's warrant for the regiment to carry a
third colour, together with a drawing of the same. On the 29th
October 1834, Richard Cannon wrote to Sir Wm. Woods, Garter,
asking him to look over a paper giving the particulars under-
1799.] Now THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 379
neath of the colours, badges, and distinctions allowed to be borne
by the Queen's Regiment. The paper was as follows:–
The Second Regiment of Foot
Or
Queen’s Royals
having in the centre of each colour
The Queen’s Cypher
on a red ground within the Garter and Crown over it
and the following distinctions; Egypt with the Sphinx, Vimiera, Corrunna,
Salamanca, Wittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Toulouse, and Peninsula.
In the Dexter canton of the second colour
The Union
In the three corners
The Paschal Lamb
with the Mottoes:
Pristinae Virtutis Memor. and Vel Exuviae Triumphant
and the distinctions above specified in the centre of the Third Colour of sea
green within a wreath of roses, thistles, and shamrock,
The Paschal Lamb
surmounted by the words
From the Queen 1661
and bearing the mottoes above specified
In the Dexter canton the union with the Royal Arms, Crown, and
Supporters.
On the Grenadiers caps, The King's Crest also the King's Cypher aud
Crown.
On the Drums and Belts of Arms, The Queen’s Cypher, and the rank of the
regiment underneath.
In the Heralds' College there is a letter from the Hon. J. A.
Ramsay, brevet Lieutenant-Colonel and Major, Queen's Regiment
(apparently then in command of the regiment), dated 12th April 1807,
in answer to one written to him from G. Naylor, Esquire, College of
Arms, London, sending sketches of the colours of the regiment. In
this letter Colonel Ramsay writes that there has not, in the recol-
lection of any officer of the regiment, been any alteration in the
colours, nor are there any documents in the regiment showing any
alteration with the exception of the addition of the sphinx, which
was allowed to be borne by all those regiments that served in
Egypt.
In General Donkin's Recollections, published in 1777, he
writes “The 2nd Regiment of Foot had three colours as a
distinguished mark of honour. His Majesty's arms were in the
centre of the first. The Queen's cypher in the centre of the
second, both of which were in other respects unions.
“The third colour was then green (the original facings of the
corps), and to the best of my recollection the colonel's arms or crest
was in the centre.” X-
380 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT; [1799.
General Donkin was alive in 1814, as in April of that year he
sent a declaration to Sir George Naylor at Heralds' College to the
following effect —“I do certify and declare that I have always
understood that the distinguished honour of having three colours
was enjoyed by the 2nd or Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot from
the period of its being raised in 1661 to the year 1750.”
The following letters from two old commanding officers of the
regiment are replies to inquiries made to them on the subject of
the old third colour by the author.
General Sir Stanhope Jephson writes, on 31st May 1888:-
DEAR SIR,
I AM sorry I did not answer your letter before, but I have been making
inquiries about the old third colour (the green one), I cannot remember what
became of it.
It was stowed away for some time. When the new colours were presented
to the regiment at Gosport,f the old ones were deposited in the church where
the troops attended divine service, probably the old green colour was also
deposited in the same church.
General Addison, who took over the command of the 2nd Queen's Royal
Regiment from me when I left the service, may know what became of the
old colour. I will try to find out from him, and I will also inquire if it is in
the church with the others.
When the third colour was not allowed to be displayed, not much care was
taken of what became of the old one.
The last I saw of the new colour was at a ball given by the regiment at
the Cape of Good Hope.
Yours faithfully,
- S. W. J.EPIISON.
General Addison writes, on 26th May 1888:-
DEAR SIR,
As far as I can recall to memory, the old green colour having fallen
nearly to pieces was replaced by a new one by Colonel Burns, then commanding
the 1st Battalion of the Queen's, but the centre portion, which had, I think,
been worked by Lady Dalhousie, was taken out in order to be placed in the
centre of the new colour. And this completed the destruction of the old one,
the ragged remains of which were not preserved, indeed it only consisted of
broken pieces then.
I cannot remember whether the old centre was actually placed on the new
colour, but I conclude it must have been.
Believe me,
Yours faithfully,
THOMAS ADDISON.
No colours are to be found of the Queen's in the church at
Gosport (which has been rebuilt) or at the adjoining church at
Alverstoke.
The earliest drawings of the regimental colours—after those of
1684–1688—are also preserved at Windsor Castle, and are dated
* The general appears to have been ignorant of the old custom of having
a colour to each company.
+ July 17, 1847.
1799.] NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 381
1747. There are only two colours shown in these later
drawings—1st the royal or union colour with the number of
regiment on, and 2nd the regimental colour, blue, with the union
in the dexter canton and the number of the regiment also on it.
In the centre of both, and surrounded by the garter, is the Queen's
A.
cypher C R., Carolima Regima, surmounted by the crown, and at
A.
the bottom the motto “Pristinae Virtutis Memor.”
It will be noticed that there is no nimbus or flag on the lamb
shown on these colours. In the drawings of the colours in 1806 the
lamb appears with the flag, and in the drawings of 1820 it appears
with flag and nimbus same as at present time, with a number of
other embellishments and alterations which will be shown in the
succeeding volume of this history.
There seems until recent years to have been considerable latitude
allowed in the ornamentation of the colours. Messrs. Webb & Co.
assert that they themselves added the harp and crown to the third
colour.
There has been no document found to show authority for this
decoration being put on the third colour; possibly it may have been
ordered by the commanding officer as a record of the relief of
Londonderry, and of the services of the regiment in Ireland.
The two mottoes that the regiment carry on their colours,
Pristina, Virtutis Memor and Vel Eawvice Triumphant, have been
most ably annotated and translated for the author by Mr. Arthur
Pritchard, late of Balliol College, Oxford. The first, Pristina,
Virtutis Memor, is translated “Remembering their gallantry in
former days.” The argument in the motto seems to be the same
as that of Pericles in Thucydides:” men inheriting noble tradi-
tions, or who have gained a name, have more to lose in the field
than those without these spurs to bravery. A happy French
phrase, “Noblesse oblige,” gives an excellent rendering of the
motto, applying it to a body of men such as a regiment instead
of to a person. Vel Eawvice Triumphant, is translated “Even the
spoiled have their hour of triumph. The two phrases or mottoes
seem to well express the duty of the soldier, to unite dash with
endurance or perseverance, and together may be thus explained:
Pristinae Virtutis Memor, “Charge with all the enthusiasm that
every noble feeling and tradition can arouse—make your best
attempt"; Vel Eawvice Triumphant, “If you have been overcome
“ in spite of all by external forces you could not control, you
“ may yet have your hour of victory.”
* Rk. 2 ch. 42 s. 1.
382 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT;
After the foregoing pages were finished and in type, the
following interesting printed paper was shown to me by Captain
R. P. Maxwell, 1st Lincoln Regiment, and he kindly gave me
permission to copy it.
It was found, along with some old letters, packed behind the
glass of an old picture (bought by a relation of the owner some
two years ago in Portsmouth), and had evidently been in that
position at least 200 years.
It is rather sad to read in this and other papers how bitter
the feeling was between the Catholics and Protestants; and, as
noted in these pages, this feeling has no doubt aided in blackening
the character of Colonel Kirk and the soldiers of the Regiment,
because of their having to fight on the side of the Catholic
King against the Protestant pretender Monmouth, and after that
to fight against the Catholics in the Irish battles, and in fact to
begin the campaign by the siege of Londonderry.
We live in happier times to-day, were it not that Socialism
is raising its baleful head, and, in spite of the experience of
centuries, endeavouring to enslave humanity and crush out
individualism, for this is what the “Ultima Thule” of Socialism,
if unhappily adopted, would finally lead to.
May the gallant Regiment whose exploits we love to extol
never again have to carry arms against their own countrymen in
consequence of the visionary dreams of the kindly enthusiasts of
universal Socialism.
JOHN DAVIs.
- = 0 -º- C -
NOW THE QUEEN'S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT. 383
Great Newes
from
Collonel Kirck;
Being an Account from Leverpoole of his late Sailing for London-Derry
(with a Fair Wind) by which (it's not doubted) of his Arrival in the said
Port; with perticular Reflections on the Papists’ Lyes, industriously dispersed
on this Account. -
Licensed May 4th 1689.
It is not to be expressed with what indefatigable Industry the Romish
Farty, and their Adherents endeavour to support their declining Cause,
finding they are no otherwise likely to prevent, but with all possible Shams
and Contradictions, thinking thereby, as well to impose upon the credulity of
easie Protestants, as to bring the * * * * Administration of Affairs into some
con- * * * * with his people: To which end, there is # * * * appears,
that has not some asseverated * * * * * * * * * broached for Current,
there being those who purposely are employed to run about the Town; who
not only spread the falsity, but also designedly pretend to wager for the
Confirmation, with intent to create a Beleif of the same : And as London-Derry
in the Kingdom of Ireland, being the present Subject of all our Consideration
and Discourse, and which has even to a Miracle notwithstanding the Dis-
couragements received by the Dissertion of their Commanders, and those
sent to their Relief bafled the invincible French and Irish Arms, yet the
Romanists are so brazen'd for dear Mother Church, as to affirm and avouch,
That the said Citty has for a Fortnight been in the Hands of the late King
James; that they took it by Storm, without any Resistance by the Protestants,
and put all therein to the Sword.
And to give a Gloss and Colour to these their impudent Falshoods, they
have not been wanting to create and Spread abroad other Reports, no less
Fabulous and (Jntrue, That Collonel Kircke, designed for the Relief of that
Town, being upon his Voyage, and hearing of the dismal Account of the
Citties being surrender'd, return'd with his Ships and Men; which being
somewhat disproved, by the Wind being known to be contray, and against
him : They have been no less Industrious to Supply that Report with
another, they thought, should not fail them, That the said Collonel was
discovered to be a Betlayer of the Kings Interest, and that he was sent for
back in Custody of some Messengers; and had carried it about with that
asseverated Credit, that many people began to believe there was some
Reality in the Matter; when, on the contrary, there is not the least Founda-
tion for the former and latter Reports, they being grounded only upon the
aforesaid Reasons and Designs, purely to embarras our Affairs, and that we
may not be in a Capacity to believe even Truth it self: And to evidence to
the World, what Villanous and Lying People there be among us, shall give
an authentick and true Account, by Letters, as also an Express came hither
Yesterday from Leverpool, which say, that Collonel Kircke, with the Ships
and Men under his command, designed for the Relief of London-Derry,
sailed toward that place witb a North-Easterly Wind, by three of the clock
last Friday morning, full of courage and Resolution, to spend the iast drop
of his Blood in their Majesties Service, and was by Seven of the Clock quite
out of Sight; the Wind continuing fair for him for about twenty Hours, and
then shifted more Westerly; but 'tis believed he weather'd the Isle of Man;
384 HISTORY OF THE SECOND QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT;
and the next Day the Wind came about again in the Northerly quarter; so that
'tis presumed he is airived e're this; and we hourely expect to receive an
Express of his safe Landing in Londonderry; for he is resolved to surmount
any Difficulty that he may meet with by Kilmore Fort, for the two Men of
War that are his convoy, are designed to attack the same, while the rest of
the Ships force their passage by it. .
PostScript.
His Majesty yesterday received an Account. That on the Twenty Sixth ultimo,
the Citty of London-derry was in the Hands of the Protestants, and they
Vigorows to defend it; being some Days since the Papists pretended it to be in their
possession : That they have provision yet longer for above a Month, but some
timely assistance would not be wivelcome; which I hope is sufficient to disprove
the Shams of the malignant Party to the contrary.
London: Printed for John Lyford in Fleet Street—1689.
| N DEX.
*\A
Abercrombie, General Sir Ralph, in the
West Indies, 256, 271, 290 to 296.
– his general orders in Ireland,
&=ººm
308,
in the Helder Campaign,
330 to 334, 339 to 346, 350, 353 to
366,
Accoutrements, alterations in, 198, 199,
205.
Achmulty, Acmoty, Auchmuty, chaplain,
80, 107, 108, 147.
Alberoni, Cardinal, 19, 20, 22.
Aldcroft, Major, 268, 272.
Alexander, Lieutenant George, 80; Cap-
tain, 86, 115.
Major, in command of the
“Queen's,” 117, 152.
“Alexander,” a detachment of the
“Queen’s,” on board as Marines, 194.
Alkmaar, 340 to 365.
Alliance with Russia, articles of, 329,
330.
Allowance for lodgings in Ireland (1798)
324.
American Revolutionary War, 169 to
197.
Army, clothing of, 82, 83, 87, 88, 156,
163, 166, 201, 202, 208, 293, 294.
— ———— 370, 371 (1799).
strength of British (1780) 187;
(1781) 189 ; (1782) 193; (1793) 222;
(1794) 261 : (1798) 323; (1799) 326.
Arnot, Ensign, 23; Lieutenant, 69; Cap-
tain, 80. •
Artillery, 220, 262, 268, 269, 311, 347,
353, 355. *
Horse, 355, 358.
“Atlas,” a detachment of the “Queen’s ”
on board as Marines, 204.
“Aurora,” a detachment of the
“Queen’s ” on board as Marines, 194.
Bailey, Captain H., 115, 121.
Balcarres, Lord, 264, 285, 287.
VOL. III.
Ballinamuck, French expedition surrender
at, 320.
“Barfleur,” a detachment of the
“Queen's,” on board as Marines, 224,
264.
Barker, Ensign James, 76, 80; Captain,
115, 150.
, Lieut.-Colonel,
tired, 176.
Barrington, Lord, 104, 105, 148 to 153,
160 to 165, 169, 172, 173, 177.
Vice-Admiral, 190, 19:2, 193.
Baynes, Captain Sir Edward, 190, 258;
Major, 262, 266, 267.
Bedford, Duke of, 107, 110.
“Bellona,” a detachment of the
“Queen's,” on board as marines, 190.
Bennett, Captain, Lieutenant-Governor of
the Bermudas, 124 to 132.
Bergen-op-Zoom, 258, 343 to 351; Battle
of, 354 to 359.
— losses of British at, 360,
174, 175; re-
**
361.
Berkley's Regiment, Colonel, 23.
Berkshire Militia, 184.
Bermuda Company, the, of the “Queen's,”
18, 19, 60, 65, 67, 68, 74, 79, 123 to
142.
Berwick, death of the duke of, 59.
Bickley, Captain John, 21.
Black Rangers, the “Queen's,” 291, 296.
Blakeney’s defence of Minorca, 97 to
100.
Regiment (27th), 85, 89, 94.
Bockland’s Regiment (11th) 83, 89.
Boismorel, Captain, 23.
Boscawen's Regiment, 94.
Bourke, Sir James, Captain, 21.
Bourne, Lieutenant Nicholas, 21.
Bowles’ Regiment, 16.
Boycott, Ensign Charles, wounded in
Lord Howe’s action, 251.
Boyd, Colonel, 161; Major-General, 167,
171, 181, 219.
B B
386 - INDEX.
Boyd, Captain, 315, 316.
“Boyne,” a detachment of the “Queens,”
on board as marines, 224, 226, 233.
Braddock, General, 96; death of, 97, 102.
Bragg's Regiment (28th), 89, 94.
Brevets not to interfere with regimental
rank and duties, 17.
Brownrigg, Colonel, 364, 365, 367,
Brune, Marshal, 341,358, 361, 366, 367.
Bucks Militia, 319.
Burkett, Ensign, 277.
Burrard, Major-General, 331, 334, 341,
354, 356, 359 to 361.
Byng, Admiral Sir George, 3, 19, 20.
— Admiral John, 77, 78, 93, 97, 98,
101,
Cadogan's Regiment, 35.
Campbell’s, Colonel James, Regiment, 38,
39.
Campbell, Lieutenant Blaney, dismissed
the service, l05, 166.
Carpenter, General, 5 to 8, 23, 24; made
Lord Carpenter.
Carpenter's Dragoons, 37.
Carlos, Don, 53 to 55, 58.
Castlebar, General Humbert defeats
British at, 318.
Cavalry, 312, 323, 325, 326; at Bergen-
op-Zoom, 358, 360.
Cavan, Major-General Earl of, 333, 345,
354; wounded, 361.
Charles Edward, Prince, 28, 70 to 74.
Chatham, Major-General E. of, 345, 354,
356, 357, 360, 361.
Chelsea Hospital, 164.
Christian, Admiral, 278, 282, 283, 290.
—— wreck of his fleet, 278.
Churchill’s Regiment, 16.
Clayton, Brigadier, 54, 55.
Clayton's Regiment, 37, 38, 54 to 56.
Clelland, Lieutenant and Adjutant, 80,
102.
Clothing of regiment, 68.
— army, 82, 83, 87, 88, 156, 163,
-
j66.
alterations in, 201,202,
208, 293,294.
supplied to recruits on joining,
215, 265.
Coates, Major-General, 261, commands the
regiment.
Coates, Major-General, 295; Lieutenant-
General, 314.
Cocked hats of Infantry, 225, 226.
Cockell, Ensign, 196; Lieutenant, 221,
222; Captain, 223.
Colours of Foot Regiments, 81, 82, 88.
Colours of the “Queen’s” regiment, 372
to 382.
Commissions in “Queen’s” regiment,
prices of, 150, 165.
Convicts employed in the army, 295.
Cope, General Sir John, 70 to 72, 75.
Coote, Lieutenant-Colonel, 229, 233,234.
Major-General Sir Eyre, 328, 331,
332, 334, 337 to 339, 345 to 350, 354,356,
357, 360 to 362, 368, 369.
Cornwallis's Regiment at Minorca, 100.
——— Lieutenant-General, inspects
Regiment, 162, 163.
——— Lord, 189, 317, 319, 320.
Coxheath, Camp at, 177, 178.
Crawford, Major-General, 319.
Culliford, Captain, 23, 124.
Culloden, Battle of, 73.
Cumberland, Duke of, 70, 73, 76, 81, 85,
181.
Cuyler, General, 262, 264 to 266, 273.
Dalhousie, Lord, commands the “Queen’s,”
222, 223, 255 to 257, 266, 271, 277,
279.
tº-mm. wounded at Vauclim, 280, 281.
— 297, 299, 301, 313, 314, 316.
Dalrymple, Major, 173, 174; Lieutenant-
Colonel, 175 to 180, 186, 194 to 196,
Lieutenant-Colonel, 203, 208,
210, 214, 215.
“Danae,” a detachment of the “Queen's "
on board as Marines, 194.
Dandraels, General, 339, 341, 348, 361.
Daniel, Captain Edward, 21.
“Defence.” A detachment of the
“Queen’s ” on board as Marines, 243,
244, 246, 247, 250 to 252, 255.
Deggs, Dig, Captain William, 31, 61.
Delme, Lieutenant, 226, 244. -
Deloraine's regiment, 35, 37, 38.
Desbrizay, Captain, 90, 92.
Dettingen, battle of, 70.
Dison, Lieutenant, 200, 201.
INDEX.
Doggerbank, sea-fight off the, 189.
Don, Major-General, 333, 339, 340, 345 to
349, 355.
Donald, Captain Robert, 244, 266; pay-
master, 301, 314.
Dormer's Regiment, 16.
D'Oyley, Colonel, 283; Major-General,
331, 334, 349, 354, 360, 361.
Dragoon Guards, 4th, 323, 325.
– 5th, 323, 325.
6th, 318, 323.
- 7th, 323, 325.
Dragoons, Light, 1st, 178.
2nd, 70 to 72.
5th, 325.
7th, 345, 354, 360, 362.
9th, 323.
10th, 220.
11th, 220, 345, 346, 354,
-*.
*-mm m
-º"
355, 360, 362.
——- 15th, 353.
16th, 360.
17th, 271.
18th, 271, 331, 345, 355.
20th, 285, 286.
22nd, 323.
23rd, 323.
24th, 323.
Duff, Major-General Sir James, 311, 316.
Duncan, Admiral Lord, 307, 330.
Dundas, Major-General, 226 to 233; death
of, 260.
Dundas, Brigadier, 261,291; Lieutenant-
General, 309, 310, 316.
— Major-General, 345, 349, 353,
357, 358; Lieutenant-General, 360, 363,
364.
Dutch Fleet, capture of 336, 337.
“Dutton,” East Indiaman, wrecked at
Plymouth with a detachment of the
“Queen's ’’ on board, 278, 300.
I’dward, H.R.H. Prince, Duke of Kent,
232, 233,234.
Edwards, Lieutenant, 223, 226, 266.
Elliott, General George Augustus, 181,
192, 201, 204, 208.
created Lord Heathfield, 208.
Evans' Regiment, Major-General, 16, 24.
Eveleigh, Lieutenant J. L., 244, 266, 300,
3.14.
Eyre, Major, 294, 301; Lieutenant-Colonel,
313, 314.
Fenwick, Captain, raises an independent
company, 186 to 189.
Fitzgerald, Surgeon, 271, 277.
Fitzwilliam, Honourable John, commands
the “Queen's,” 96.
Major-General, 1.12;
mands 5th Dragoon Guards, 115.
Fleet, British, in Battle of 1st June 1794,
243 to 245.
co-operation with Army in West
Indies, 226 to 236.
French, in Battle of 1st June 1794,
247.
-*
COIll-
—at Toulon, destroyed,241,242.
relieves Gibraltar, 190 to 192.
Foot Guards (see also Guards), 82, 87.
Foot Regiments, price of commissions in,
150, 165.
uniforms of (1749), 81 to
83.
Foot, 1st (Royals), 82, 85, 88, 104, 120,
143, 155, 160, 167 to 169, 178, 179, 185.
— in Helder campaign.
334, 339, 342, 360, 361.
— 2nd (see Regiment, The, also Fowke's
Regiment), 82, 119, 120, 143, 157, 160,
166, 167.
3rd (The Buffs), 82, 89,220, 277,
4th, 82, 88, 100, 178, 361 (see Rich's
and Trelawney's).
— 5th (Irvine's), 82, 85, 89, 143, 185,
349, 350, 369.
— 6th, 82, 89, 178, 179, 232, 323.
— 7th (Hargreave's), 82, 85, 88, 179.
— 8th, 82, 88, 261, 277, 295.
— 9th, 89, 229, 232, 269.
10th, 89, 119, 120, 143, 277.
11th (Bockland’s), 83, 89, 196, 364.
12th, 89, 26.1, 278.
13th, 89, 179.
14th, 89, 96, 178, 179, 220, 277.
— 15th, 45 to 47, 89, 110, 167, 168.
16th. 89, 119, 120, 143, 178. (See also
Handyside's Regiment.)
17th, 89, 104, 178, 235, 261, 333,
347.
— 18th, 88, 119, 120, 143, 178, 196,
371.
— 19th, 89,277.
— 20th, 89, 179, 333, 341, 342, 361.
— 21st, 82, 88.
— 22nd (O’Farrell's), 89, 94, 104.
23rd, 82, 88, 100, 178, 331, 334 837,
345, 356, 361.
*-*
tº-e
sºmº-º-º-º-º-
ºmmasms
*-*º
388 INDEX.
Foot, 24th, 89, 179.
— 25th, 89, 172, 178, 215, 219, 244,
245, 256 to 259, 264, 265, 268,269, 276,
277,282, 301, 331, 334, 356, 360, 361.
— 26th, 89, 119, 120, 143.
— 27th, 82, 89, 104, 277, 328, 331, 337,
338, 346, 347, 354, 357, 361, 369. (See
also Blakeney’s.)
28th, 67, 89, 104, 110, 364.
— 29th, 89, 119, 120, 143, 197, 220,
236, 244, 245, 256–259, 264, 265, 268,
269, 277,282, 300, 301, 312, 319, 324,
325, 328, 331, 334, 337, 338, 346 to 348,
354, 358, 361, 369.
— 30th, 89, 236, 325.
— 31st, 89, 235, 261,273, 277, 357.
— 32nd, 89, 178, 196, 256.
33rd, 89, 230, 261,277.
—— 34th, 89, 178, 235, 261, 268, 269.
35th (see Otway's), 89, 94, 104,
110, 349, 350, 369. (See Royal
Americans.)
— 36th, 89.
— 37th, 89, 167, 168, 179, 277.
— 38th, 89, 120, 143,261, 277,278.
— 39th, 89, 119, 120, 167, 197, 261.
(See Richbell's.)
— 40th, 89, 230, 255, 261, 277, 333,
341, 347, 348, 350.
— 41st, 82, 88, 178, 325.
— 42nd, 89, 104, 277,
Murray’s, Lord John.)
— 43rd, 89, 104, 110, 232, 233, 261,
273.
— 44th, 89, 104, 261, 277.
— 45th, 89, 104, 238, 256, 257, 268,
269.
— 46th, 89, 104, 215, 219, 234, 257,
268-270,292. (See also Murray's.)
— 47th, 89, 110, 143.
– 48th, 89, 104, 110, 143, 153, 154
156, 256, 271, 273, 277.
— 49th, 89, 120, 143, 331, 334, 360,
361.
— 50th, 104, 148, 153.
— 51st, 104, 143, 215, 219.
-— 52nd, 119, 120.
— 53rd, 155, 156, 277.
— 54th, 155, 156, 179, 271, 277.
—55th, 104, 261, 277, 328, 381, 834,
337, 345, 361.
— 56th, 143, 167, 197, 261.
-— 57th, 156, 277, 296.
— 58th, 110, 143, 167, 197, 300,
(See also
3.
.../
Foot, 59th, 119, 120, 178, 215, 219, 271,
277.
— 60th, 110, 325, 353.
61st, 105, 108, 143, 166, 215, 219,
235, 292.
62nd, 120, 285, 286.
— 63rd, 120, 143, 277, 333, 361.
— 64th, 143.
—- 65th, 143, 178, 230, 261.
— 66th, 120.
— 68th, 120, 235, 270.
69th, 143, 155, 156, 160, 167, 169,
236, 244, 245, 331, 334.
70th, 120.
— 72nd, 197.
— 73rd, 197.
75th, 105, 108.
— 78th, 110.
— 79th, 271, 331, 334, 360, 361.
— 80th, 105, 108.
— 83rd (raised 1778), 174,265,285,286.
— 85th, 328, 331, 334, 337, 338, 346,
347, 354, 357, 359, 361, 369.
— 87th, 236.
— 88th, 277.
— 89th, 325.
— 90th, 264, 265, 278.
— 91st, 264, 265.
— 92nd, 272, 273, 325, 331, 334, 339,
360, 361.
— 93rd, 178, 262.
—— 94th, 267, 273.
—— 97th, 264 to 266.
—— 100th, 312, 313, 325.
Forbes, Lieut.-Col. Lord George, com-
mands the “Queen's,” 74, 77, 80, 81,
85; Brigadier, 107.
regiment, 105, 119,
120.
Forch, Captain Charles Ludwig, 244, 266.
Forster, Lieutenant, 200, 201.
“Fortitude,” a company of the “Queen's,”
on board as Marines, 189, 190, 194.
Fowke, Colonel, commands the “Queen's,”
66, 68.
Brigadier in second Jacobite rebel-
lion, 70 to 75.
— Colonel, 77, 78; Major-General, 79,
80, 85, 86, 90.
— commands 14th Foot, 96.
— Governor of Gibraltar, 93,
94, 98, 101.
— dismissed the service, 102 ;
re-instated, 115.
INDEX.
389
French Navy in 1793 compared with
British, 241.
— expedition to Ireland, 317–321.
— — to the West Indies; 259.
— Revolutionary War commences, 218.
Gardener, Captain, 2; Colonel, 71, 72.
Gibraltar, field allowance to officers at,
202.
—— the “Queen’s” ordered to (1730),
51.
— — — — leave, for Ireland
(1748), 80.
* =s** ordered to (1768), 155.
———— leave, for Portsmouth
(1775), 167, 169.
— ——— ordered to (1783), 196 to
| 98.
leave for England
(1792), 219.
— Siege of, 181, 189 to 193, 196, 197.
Gordon, Captain, 224, 244, 300, 301.
Major-General Sir Charles, 228,
229, 233.
Riots, 184, 185, 191.
Graham, Lieutenant William, 6, 7.
—, Lieutenant-Colonel, kills Captain
Manning in a duel, 30, 31.
-, , 46, 65 ; ap-
pointed to command 43rd Regiment, 67.
— Major-General, 291, 292.
Gray, Ensign, 102.
—-, Major William, 196, 202, 203,215,
219.
—, Lieutenant William, 224, 258, 266;
Captain, 272, 294, 301, 314.
Grenada, 269, 290, 291, 295.
Grenadiers of Foot Regiments, uniforms
of, 82 to 91.
the “Queen’s,” models of,
10 to 13.
Grey,Captain and Brigade-Major, wounded
at Bergen-op-Zoom, 360.
Sir Charles, 226, 228; Lieutenant-
General, 231—233, 235, 260.
Groves’ Regiment, Brigadier, 35, 42, 50,
56.
Guadaloupe, captured by British, 233,
234.
captured by French, 260,
261.
British, 290 to
292.
Guards, Foot, reduced, 18; increased, 56.
82, 87, 294, 341, 342, 345, 348 to
350, 354, 355, 359–361.
1st (Grenadiers), 308, 312, 313,
316, 318, 331, 334, 360.
2nd (Scots Fusiliers), 312, 313,
318, 331, 334.
3rd (Coldstreams), 312, 313, 318,
331, 334, 360.
Guernsey, 2nd Battalion of the “Queen’s”
stationed at, 264 to 268, 272.
Hales, Captain G. C., 278, 300, 314.
Halket's Regiment, Sir Peter, 89, 95.
Halliday, Lieutenant William Augustus,
224, 258, 272.
Hamilton, Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel,
178, 196, 202, 203, 206.
Hamon, Ensign Isaac, 80, 106.
Handysides’ Regiment (16th), 89, 94.
Hargreaves’ Regiment (7th), 89.
Harris, Lieutenant, 219.
—— Lieutenant-Colonel, 279, 292, 296.
Harrison's Regiment, Colonel, 16, 45 to
47. -
Harrison, Ensign Henry, 224, 244.
Harvey, General, 149 to 151.
Heathfield, Lord (see Sir G. A. Elliot), 201,
208.
Helder, the campaign of the, 328 to 370.
evacuation of, 368.
— expense of the campaign of
370.
— landing of the British at, 337
to 340.
— losses of British troops in the
campaign of, 363.
Henley, Lieutenant, 127 to 129.
Hermann, Russian General, 343, 345, 348
to 350.
Herring, Lieutenant, John, 266, 271.
Highland Regiments raised (1725), 38,
39.
Holland, campaign in, 258, 259.
326 to 370.
Holy Island captured by the Jacobites, 6.
Hood, Lord, Admiral, 241, 242, 253.
Hope, Governor John—of the Bermudas,
132 to 134. -
Hovenden, Ensign W., 179; Lieutenant,
196, 214, 221, 222.
Howe, Admiral Lord, 190, 192, 193, 243
to 252,266, 268, 298.
390
INDEX.
Howe's victory (1st June 1794), 240 to
253.
Hugues, Victor, 259 to 261,269, 270,279,
280, 291.
Hulse, Lieutenant-General, 313, 360, 363.
Humbert, French General, 317 to 321.
Hunt, Ensign Thomas Edward, 224, 244.
IIunter, Major-General, 290, 313, 315,
320, 324.
Hutchinson, Major - General,
wounded, 362.
361 ;
Ireland, rebellion in 1798, 304 to 325.
- The “Queen’s” sent to, 311, 313.
- seizure of arms in, 307.
Irvine's Regiment (5th), 85, 89.
Isaacs, Captain John, 224, 243, 250.
Jacobite rebellion (1715), 4 to 9; (1745),
66, 70 to 75.
Jamaica, revolt of Maroons in, 283 to 288.
Jervis, Admiral Sir John, 226, 228, 232,
233,260. (See also St. Vincent.)
Johnson, Lieutenant James, 226, 264,
266.
Johnson, Major-General, 310, 311.
Jones, Captain L. P., 224, 244; Major,
266, 268.
— Colonel Daniel, commands the
“Queen's,” 174; Major-General, 175.
..— Lieutenant-General, 196, 205, 208,
209, 21 6.
Kennedy's Regiment, 94, 104.
Kent, H.R.H. Duke of, commands the
“Queen's,” 212, 213.
Kerr's Regiment, Lord Mark, 16, 50.
Kingsbury, Lieutenant J., 224, 244, 266;
Captain, 296, 314.
Kirk, Colonel Percy, 4, 9, 10, 14, 16 to 18,
23, 28 to 32, 34 to 37, 42, 44.45, 47,49;
Major-General, 60 ; death of, 66, 67.
Knight, Captain H. R., 266, 271, 277 ;
wounded at Vauclin, 280.
Krabbendam, 342, 349, 354, 355.
Lake, Lieutenant-General, 308, 310, 311,
313, 318 to 320.
Lamb, the, as a badge of the “Queen's,”
374, 375. -
Lawson, Lieutenant
Captain, 95.
Giffard, 61, 80 ;
Leave of Officers. Regulations respecting,
208, 209.
Leigh, General, 276 to 279, 290.
Lloyd, Captain John, 93, 95.
Loftus, Major-General, 309, 311.
Macartney's Regiment, General, 30, 33 to
35, 37, 42.
Macdonald, Major-General, wounded, 337
to 339.
Colonel, 334, 342, 345, 354,
356 to 358, 361, 362.
Maitland, Lieutenant-Colonel, 334 to 336.
“Majestic,” a detachment of the
“Queen’s ” on board as Marines, 224,
243, 244, 246, 247, 251.
Man, history of the Isle of, 144 to 146.
Man, the “Queen’s ” stationed at the Isle
of, 144 to 155.
Manners, Major-General, 345, 348 to 350,
354.
Manning, Captain, killed in a duel, 30, 31.
Marines, detachments of the “Queen’s ”
serving as, 194, 204, 205, 223, 224, 226,
243 to 253.
, 233, 236, 243 to 252, 294.
Maroons, revolt of the, 283 to 288.
Martinique, 226; capture of, 228 to 232,
260, 264, 268, 270, 271, 277 to 281, 290,
291, 295, 296.
excessive sickness at, 292, 297.
Medical Department, uniform for, 322, 323.
Militia, 312, 313, 323, 326 ; value of, 342,
368, 371.
— Bucks, 319.
— Dublin, 310.
— King's County, 325.
— Surrey, 106, 185.
—- Warwickshire, 319.
--— Wexford, 325.
– disaffection of Irish, 308.
Minorca captured by the French, 97 to 101.
Mitchell, Vice-Admiral Sir Edward, 330,
332, 336, 366, 368,
Molesworth, Lieutenant-Colonel, 104, 105,
115.
Montague, Major-General Sir Charles
commands the “Queen’s,” 115 to 117,
119.
Lieutenant-General, 147 to 149,
152, 153, 155, 161, 162, 166, 168; death
of, 172 to 174.
Moore, Major-General Sir John, 315, 316,
331 334, 339. -
INDEX. 391
Moore wounded, 342, 345, 354, 360.
wounded twice at Bergen, 361.
Morris, Captain J., 93, 107; Major, 115.
Mottos of the “Queen’s” Regiment, 379,
381, 382.
Murphy, Father, 309, 310, 316.
Murray, Lieutenant John, 174; Colour-
Lieutenant, 196, 202.
Murray’s Regiment, Lord John (42nd),
89, 94.
(46th), 42, 89, 94, 104.
Myers, Colonel, 228, 230.
Napier, Captain Robert, 80, 85, 86.
Narin, detachment of the “Queen’s”
engaged at, Martinique, 277 to 280.
Nevile, Lieutenant, 223, 243; killed in
Lord Howe's action, 249, 250.
Newport, Ensign, 167; Cashiered, 172.
Nickson, Ensign Michael, 80, 115; Major,
172.
O'Farrell's Regiment (22nd), $9,94, 104.
Officers on Half-pay, British Army,
Abstract of 209.
O'Hara, General, 208 to 210, 214, 215.
Orange, Prince of, 328, 330, 336, 340 to
344, 366.
Oswald, Lieutenant-Colonel, in command
of the “Queen’s,” 169.
Otway's Regiment (35th), 89, 94.
Oude Caspell, 343 to 345, 347, 348, 350,
355, 358, 359.
Paget, Colonel Lord, 355, 358, 360.
Parker, Lieutenant, 266, 271, 277.
Parker, Rear-Admiral, 256, 265, 268.
Parma Expedition, 53 to 55.
Pearson, Pierson, Ensign, 271, 277.
Pennington, Major John, 147; commands
the “Queen’s,” 150 to 153.
Pensions to officers' widows, 90.
Peter, Lieutenant-Colonel, appointed to
command the “Queen’s” 2nd Battalion,
262, 267, 272.
Phillips, Captain, 7, 124.
Philpot, Lieutenant Bryan, 221, 222;
Captain, 223.
Pilkington, Lieutenant, 224, 244, 266.
Pitt, John, 134 to 137.
Popple, George Alured, Governor of the
Permudas, 137 to 139.
Popple, William, Governor of the Ber-
mudas, 138 to 142.
Prescott, Lieutenant-General, 228, 230,
231, 236.
Preston, Brigadier, 28 to 30.
Preston Pans, Battle of, 72.
Prince Edward, H.R.H., Duke of Kent,
232 to 234.
“Prince,” transport, wrecked on Selsea
Bill with a detachment of the
“Queen's,” 278.
Prize money, for the Helder Campaign,
353. -
Protestant Rebels in Ireland, 322.
Pulteney, Lieutenant-General Sir James,
334, wounded at the Helder; 338, 339,
345 to 350, 354, 355, 358, 359, 363.
Quebec captured by Wolfe, 108 to 110.
“Queen Charlotte,” a detachment of the
“Queen’s” on board as marines, 221,
223, 224, 243, 245 to 252.
Raitt, Lieutenant Robert, 80; captain,
115; Lieutenant-Colonel in command
of the “Queen’s,” 147 to 150, 153,
166; Colonel, 180.
tried by court martial
and acquitted, 165.
—- Captain R., 223;
death of, 270.
Lieutenant G. E., 316.
—- Ensign G. D. J., 378.
Ramsay, Captain Honourable James, 224,
226, 230, 255; Major, 264, 266.
– Captain Nick, 314; Major, 338.
Recruits, attestation of, 213.
Recruiting, promotions for officers, 225.
officers’ allowances (1770),
162, 187, 188, 213, 220.
Regiment, the, allowance of clothing for
two companies raised in Ireland, 103.
– allowance of forage and
provisions to (1766), 151, 152.
allowed to recruit in Ire-
Major, 266;
*
land, 177.
— — —— assists in quelling the
Gordon Riots, 185.
—— at Bergen-op-Zocm, 354
to 359, 362.
at Gibraltar, 54 to 79, 155
to 167, 196 to 219.
392
INDEX.
Regiment, the, at the evacuation of the
Helder, 368, 369.
—-a-— at the capture of Trinidad,
296.
- clothing of, 49, 50, 65, 68,
87, 103, 156, 163.
– colours of (1749), 82, 165,
*º-sºº
372 t0 382.
commanded by Colonel
Fowke, vice Kirk deceased, 66.
IIonour-
able John Fitzwilliam, vice Fowke, 96.
Colonel
Sir Charles Montague, vice Fitzwilliam,
115.
Major-
General Jones, vice Montague deceased,
174, 216.
Major-
General Stewart, vice Jones. See note
216, 237.
-— cost of, (1765) 149.
damage to arms in the
Helder Campaign, 370.
desertions from, frequent,
193.
- designation of, altered, 3,
10, 42.
gºssºmmeº -
detachments of, serving as
Marines on board the “Alexander,” 194.
“Atlas,” 204.
|
Regiment, the, detachments of, serving as
Marines on board the “Royal William,”
190.
*-*- º “Russel,”
224, 244 to 247, 250 to 252, 255, 258,
266,
“Salis-
bury,” 194.
able,” 258, 266, 273, 294.
“ Vener-
** Ven-
geance,” 190, 205.
disturbances in, 13, 14.
————— duties of, in the Isle of
Man, 151.
embark for the West
Indies, 256, 257, 278.
establishment of, increased,
- *
5, 33, 42, 61.
—w- (1716),
15; (1718), 21 ; (1720), 27.
in-
creased, 33, 34 (1723).
reduced,
(1717), 18; (1729), 49.
(1725),
36; (1727), 43, 44; (1730), 50, 52 ;
(1733), 57; (1740), 65; (1741), 67;
(1748), 79 ; (1749), 81 ; (1751), 87;
(1752), 90 ; (1755), 93 ; (1758), 107;
(1759), 11 l ; (1760), 114, 115; (1761),
116; (1770), 161.
“Aurora,” 194.
reduced
to nine companies, 120, 121.
“Barfleur,” 224, 228, 230, 264.
“Bellona,” 190.
“Boyne,” 224, 226, 233.
“Danae,” 194.
“Defence,” 243 to 255.
the Fleet
generally, 68, 193,236, 265.
“Forti-
tude,” 189, 190, 194.
“Majes-
tic,” 224, 243 to 251.
“Queen
Charlotte,” 221 to 224, 243 to 252.
g- “Royal
George,” 224, 243 to 248, 251, 252.
(1766),
152; (1771), 164; (1777), 173; (1778),
174.
increased
(1770), 161 ; (1771), 163; (1775), 168;
(1778), 174, 178; (1779), 181; (1781),
188; (1784), 201, 203.
reduced
to 10 companies (1781), 187.
— reduced
to six companies, 195; (1785), 204;
(1786-87), 206, 207; (1789), 209, 210.
increased,
206, 213, 214, 222; (1793), 225, 239;
(1794), 255; (1795), 263, 273, 274;
(1797), 302 ; (1799), 325, 345, 353,
369.
- execution of a deserter
from, 46.
- false musters of, 6, 7.
INDEX. 393
Regiment, the, field allowances to, at
Gibraltar, 202.
furnishes the Palace Guards,
46, 47. s
* —- hair powder discontinued
for non-commissioned officers and men
in (1795), 265.
- high mortality in, in the
West Indies, 277,292, 297.
- history of the Bermuda
company of (1701 to 1764), 122 to 142.
…” - H.R.H. Duke of Kent in
temporary command of, 213,
in the IIelder campaign,
337 to 370.
- in the Irish Rebellion, 312
to 328.
- in the West Indies, 228 to
236, 255 to 257, 268 to 271, 277 to 282,
290 to 297.
General
- inspected by
O’Hara, 209, 211, 214.
- inspection report on, 162,
163, 180.
- landing under fire at the
Helder, 337 to 340.
- list of officers in (1798),
314.
-- lodging allowance to, in
Ireland, 324.
—————- losses of, at the Helder,
339,
at Bergen-op-
Zoom, 361.
——---——- mottoes of, 379, 381, 382.
————- moved to Gibraltar, 54, 55,
155, 196.
— Leghorn and
back, 55.
the Isle of Man,
144.
———- movements of, in England,
2, 9, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 26, 42, 46,47,
49, 50, 169, 170, 172, 173, 175, 177 to
180, 183, 184, 186, 188, 193, 194, 195,
219, 220, 222, 225, 298, 301, 304, 312,
328.
in Ireland,
81, 85, 86, 90 to 92, 95, 96, 105, 111,
114 to 116, 117, 120, 121, 314, 319, 324.
in Scotland,
30, 34, 35.
—— in the West
Indies, 228, 268, 277, 292, 296.
WOL. III.
Regiment, the, outfit of a private in 1795,
265.
*mºmºmºs
- pay of, 164, 195, 264.
in arrears, 209.
- pictures of grenadiers of,
10 to 13.
* = - price of commissions in, 27.
* === price of stores, 176.
- rations issued to (1778),
176.
tº receives new colours
(1761), 116; (1772), 165; (1780),
185.
trºmyºmº tººs - regulations for muster book
of, 198.
* * *ssºms - return of officers required,
2, 59, 60.
- reviewed by Sir G. A.
Elliot at Gibraltar, 201, 204, 208.
*- George III.
at Bagshot, 220.
—————-- Second Battalion formed,
237 to 239, 255, 256.
———- The Lamb as a Badge of,
374, 375.
—- the two Battalions incor-
porated, 282, 291.
——- uniform of (1793), 221 ;
(1796), 293, 294.
tº ºs.
the grenadiers
of, 10 to 12, 157, 158; (1749), 82, 87,
88, 89, 91.
——— ——- Wexford relieved by, 316.
- widows fund, 14.
—- wreck of 2nd Battalion of,
278.
---—- 1st Battalion of, arrives in
West Indies, 268, 269.
e very short
of officers, 270.
at Vauclin,
279 to 281.
movements
of, in West Indies, 291.
——--——- 2nd Battalion raised, 237 to
239, 255, 256.
embarks for
West Indies, 278.
establishment
of 239, 255, 263, 272, 273, 274.
highly com-
plimented, 273.
return S to
England, 273.
C C
394
INDEX.
Regiment, the, 2nd battalion of, stationed
at Guernsey, 266, 267.
wrecked
in Channel, 278. -
Relief of Gibraltar by the Fleet, 190 to
192. -
Retirement of officers, application for,
205.
Revolution of American Colonists, 169 to
171. -
Rich's Regiment, Colonel (4th), 88, 98,
100.
Richbell's Regiment (39th), 89, 94.
Richelieu, Duc de, captures Minorca, 99,
100.
Riots, Regiment assists in quelling the
Gordon, 184, 185.
Rogers, Woodes, Governor of the Bahamas,
135, 136.
Rothes, Lord, 90, 93, 107, 111, 114.
Royal Americans (35th), 104.
“Royal George,” a detachment of the
“Queen’s” on board as Marines, 224,
243 to 248, 251, 252.
“Royal William,” a detachment of the
“Queen's on board as Marines, 190.
Rudyard, Captain, 20, 22, 23; Major,
deceased, 80.
“Russel,” a detachment of the “Queen’s ”
on board as Marines, 224, 244 to 247,
250 to 252, 255, 258, 266.
Russia, alliance with, 329, 330.
Russian Troops acting with British in
Helder campaign, 331, 343 to 345, 348
to 369.
Ruston, Captain, insubordinate, allowed to
sell out, 210.
Ryley, Captain Reginald, 17, 21.
Sabine, General, 29, 34, 52, 59, 60.
Sabine’s Regiment, 33 to 35.
“Salisbury,” a detachment of “Queens,”
on board as marines, 194.
Sandford, Colonel, 285; killed in action,
286.
Sands, Captain, 124; death of, lz6, 127.
Schager Brug, 346, 355, 362, 364.
– Attack of the French re-
pulsed, 341 to 343.
Sedmoralsky, Russian General, 349, 356.
Sherrifmuir, battle of, 8, 9.
Simes, Lieutenant T., 80 ; Captain, 112,
1 lj.
Smith, Major-General, 190, 224, 225.
º Smyth, Colonel, 341; wounded, 342.
Spartel, naval action off Cape, 189, 190.
Spencer, Colonel, 341, 347, 348, 350.
Spithead, Mutiny of the Fleet at, 298.
Stair's Regiment of Horse (Dragoons), Earl
of, 16, 35.
Stanhope, Secretary, 4 to 7, 17; Lord, 19,
20.
Stewart, Brigadier, 269,270.
—— Major-General, 237; death of,
261. º
Story, Dutch Admiral, 335, 336.
St. Christopher. The “Queen’s ” Black
Rangers raised in, 291.
St. Domingo, 278, 282.
St. John, Lieutenant-Colonel, 219, 237,
257. .
raises new Battalion of the
“Queen’s,” 255.
St. Lucia, 117, 118, 268 to 271, 278 to
280, 290, 295.
captured by British, 232 to
234.
French, 269, 270.
St. Vincent, Lord, 307. (See also Jervis,
Sir John.)
-—— in West Indies, 117, 118, 268,
277, 290.
Subaltern's pay freed from deductions, 301,
302.
Surgeons and their mates, 295, 302.
uniform, 322, 323.
Surrey Militia; 106, 185.
Swan, Lieutenant, severely wounded,
338.
Symes, Colonel, 230 to 233.
Thompson, Commodore, 228, 232.
Trelawney's Regiment (4th), 46, 50, 55, -
56.
Triggs, Colonel, 220, 236.
Trinidad, capture of, 295 to 297, 300.
Tucker, Colonel, 131; general, 132.
Tudor, Ensign J., 223, 243, 250.
Uniform, alterations in, 198, 199, 201, 202,
205, 208,215, 293,294. . .
—— of the “Queen’s,” 221.
surgeons and veterinary sur-
geons (1798), 322, 323.
=" saiammammºge
INDEX.
395
Wexford, relief of, by the “Queen’s,”
315, 316.
Widows' pensions, 190, 195.
Wightman, General, 8, 9, 24.
William, H.R.H. Prince, Duke of Glou-
cester, 349, 350, 355.
his brigade
Orders, 369. g -
Wills, General, 7, 8, 14, 16, 23.
Windus, Captain E., 80 ; major, 92,
112.
Women not legally married to be chased
away from the regiment, 28.
Wood, Surgeon William, 203, 204.
Wollocombe, Captain and brevet Lieuten-
ant-colonel, 106, 202, 224.
commands the “Queen's,”
213.
York, Duke of, 257 to 259, 311, 312, 340,
341.
———— Commander-in-Chief
the Helder campaign, 343 to 369.
in
Vauclin, fight at, in Martinique, 279 to 281.
Vaughan, Sir John, 235, 236, 264, 269
to 271 ; death of, 276,
“Venerable,” a detachment of the
.“Queen’s ” on board as Marines, 258,
266, 273.
Wengeance,” a detachment of the
“Queen’s” on board as Marines, 190,
205. -
Versailles, Peace of (1783), 197.
Vinegar Hill, camp of Irish rebels at,
309 to 31 1. -
&
Wade, Major-General, 37 to 39.
Wager, Admiral Sir Charles, 33, 54 to 56.
Walpole, Colonel, 285 ; Major-General,
286, 287.
Walsh, Ensign L. P., 266, 277.
Warley, camp at (1779),
(1781), 188.
Washington, George, 93, 94.
Welford, Major-General, 316, 317.
West Indies, the “Queen’s ” in the, 228 to
236, 255 to 257, 268 to 271, 277 to
282, 290 to 297.
179, 180 ;
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