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HISTORICAL RECORD

THE THIRTEENTH, FIRST SOMERSET,
OB,
THE PRINCE ALBERT'S REGIMENT

LIGHT mFANTRY;

CONTAININa

AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE EEGIMENT
IN 1685,
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1818.

COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, Esq.
adjctant-general's office, hobse guards.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON :
PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
30 CHAEING CROSS.
M DCCC XLVIII.

LoNDUN : Printed by W, Clowhs & Sons, Stampoh
For Man Majesty's StationbIiX Officb.

GENERAL ORDERS,

HORSE- G UARDS,
\st January, 1836.
His Majesty has been pkased to command that,
with the view of doing the fullest justice to Regi
ments, as well as to Individuals who have dis
tinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action
with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of
every Regiment in the British Army shall be pub
lished under the superintendence and direction of
the Adjutant-General ; and that this Account shall
contain the following particulars, viz. : —
 The Period and Circumstances of the Original

Formation of the Regiment ; The Stations at which it
has been from time to time employed ; The Battles,
Sieges, and other Military Operations in which it has
been engaged, particularly specifying any Achieve
ment it may have performed, and the Colours,
Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the
Enemy.  The Names of the Officers, and the number of

Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates Killed or
Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the place and
Date of the Action. a

11 GENERAL ORDERS.
 The Names of those Officers who, in con
sideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious
Conduct in Engagements with the Enemy, have
been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other
Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour,
• — — The Names of all such Officers, Non-Com
missioned Officers, and Privates, as may have
specially signalized themselves in Action.
And, The Badges and Devices which the Regi

ment may have been permitted to bear, and the
Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices,
or any other Marks of Distinction, have been
granted. By Command of the Right Honorable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
Commanding-in- Chief.

John Macdonald,
Adjuidnt- General.

( iii )

PREFACE.

The character and credit of the British Army must
chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour by which
all who enter into its service are animated, and
consequently it is of the highest importance that any
measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation,
by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved,
should be adopted.
Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment
of this desirable object than a full display of the noble
deeds with which the Military History of our country
abounds. To hold forth these bright examples to
the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to
incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those
who have preceded him in their honorable career,
are among the motives that have given rise to the
present publication.
The operations of the British Troops are, indeed,
announced in the " London Gazette," from whence
they are transferred into the public prints: the
achievements of our armies are thus made known at
the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute
a'2

IV PREFACE.

of praise and admiration to which they are entitled.
On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament
have been in the habit of conferring on the Com
manders, and the Officers and Troops acting under
their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks
for their skill and bravery ; and these testimonials,
confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's
approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier
most highly prizes.
It has not, however, until late years, been the prac
tice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of
the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep
regular records of their services and achievements.
Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtain
ing, particularly from the old Regiments, an au
thentic account of their origin and subsequent services.
This defect will now be remedied, in consequence
of His Majesty having been pleased to command
that every Regiment shall, in future, keep a full and
ample record of its services at home and abroad.
From the materials thus collected, the country
will henceforth derive information as to the difficulties
and privations which chequer the career of those who
embrace the military profession. In Great Britain,
where so large a number of persons are devoted to
the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures,
and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so

PREFACE.

long a period, being undisturbed by the presence of
war, which few other countries have escaped, com
paratively little is known of the vicissitudes of active
service and of the casualties of climate, to which,
even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in
every part of the globe, with little or no interval of
repose. In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which
the country derives from the industry and the enter
prise of the agriculturist and the trader, its happy
inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on
the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor, — on
their sufferings, — and on the sacrifice of valuable life,
by which so many national benefits are obtained and
preserved. The conduct of the British Troops, their valour,
and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great
and trying difficulties ; and their character has been
established in Continental warfare by the irresistible
spirit with which they have effected debarkations in
spite of the most-< formidable opposition, and by the
gallantry and steadiness with which they have main
tained their advantages against superior numbers.
In the official Reports made by the respective Com
manders, ample justice has generally been done to
the gallant exertions of the Corps employed; but
the details of their services and of acts of individual

VI PREFACE.
bravery can only be fully given in the Annals of the
various Regiments.
These Records are now preparing for publication,
under his Majesty's special authority, by Mr.
Richard Cannon, Principal Clerk of the Adjutant
General's Office ; and while the perusal of them can
not fail to be useful and interesting to military men
of every rank, it is considered that they will also
afford entertainment and information to the general
reader, particularly to those who may have served in
the Army, or who have relatives in the Service.
There exists in the breasts of most of those who
have served, or are serving, in the Army, an Esprit
de Corps — an attachment to everything belonging
to their Regiment ; to such persons a narrative of
the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove
interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of
the great, the valiant, the loyal, have always been
of paramount interest with a brave and civilized
people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes
who, in moments of danger and ferror, have stood
" firm as the rocks of their native shore :" and when
half the world has been arrayed against them, they
have fought the battles of their Country with un
shaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of
achievements in war, — victories so complete and sur
prising, gained by our countrymen, our brothers,

PREFACE. VII
our fellow citizens in arms, — a record which revives
the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant
deeds before us, will certainly prove acceptable to
the public.
Biographi'cal memoirs of the Colonels and other
distinguished Officers will be introduced in the
Records of their respective Regiments, and the
Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to
time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testify
ing the value and importance of its services, will be
faithfully set forth.
As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record
of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct num
ber, so that when the whole shall be completed, the
Parts may be bound up in numerical succession.

INTRODUCTION

THE INFANTRY.

The natives of Britain have, at all periods, been
celebrated for innate courage and unshaken firmness,
and the national superiority of the British troops
over those of other countries has been evinced in
the midst of the most imminent perils. History con
tains so many proofs of extraordinary acts of bravery,
that no doubts can be raised upon the facts which
are recorded. It must therefore be admitted, that
the distinguishing feature of the British soldier is
Intrepidity. This quality was evinced by the
inhabitants of England when their country was
invaded by Julius Csesar with a Roman army, on
which occasion the undaunted Britons rushed into
the sea to attack the Roman soldiers as they de
scended from their ships ; and, although their dis
cipline and arms were inferior to those of their
adversaries, yet their fierce and dauntless bearing
intimidated the flower of the Roman troops, in
cluding Caesar's favourite tenth legion. Their arms
consisted of spears, short swords, and other weapons
of rude construction. They had chariots, to the

X introduction
axles of which were fastened sharp pieces of iron
resembling scythe-blades, and infantry in long
chariots resembling waggons, who alighted and
fought on foot, and for change of ground, pursuit
or retreat, sprang into the chariot and drove off"
with the speed of cavalry. These inventions were,
however, unavailing against Caesar's legions : in
the course of time a military system, with dis
cipline and subordination, was introduced, and
British courage, being thus regulated, was exerted
to the greatest advantage ; a full development of
the national character followed, and it shone forth
in all its native brilliancy.
The military force of the Anglo Saxons consisted
principally of infantry: Thanes, and other men of
property, however, fought on horseback. The
infantry were of two classes, heavy and light.
The former carried large shields armed with spikes,
long broad swords and spears ; and the latter -,were
armed with swords or spears only. They had also
men armed with clubs, others with battle-axes and
javelins. The feudal troops established by William the
Conqueror consisted (as already stated in the Intro
duction to the Cavalry) almost entirely of horse ;
but when the warlike barons and knights, with their
trains of tenants and vassals, took the field, a pro
portion of men appeared on foot, and, although
these were of inferior degree, they proved stout
hearted Britons of stanch fidelity. When stipen
diary troops were employed, infantry always con
stituted a considerable portion of the military force ;

TO THE INFANTRY. Xl
and this arme has since acquired, in every quarter
of the globe, a celebrity never exceeded by the
armies of any nation at any period.
The weapons carried by the infantry, during the
several reigns succeeding the Conquest, were bows
and arrows, half-pikes, lances, halberds, various
kinds of battle-axes, swords, and daggers. Armour
was worn on the head and body, and in course of
time the practice became general for military men
to be so completely cased in steel, that it was
almost impossible to slay them.
The introduction of the use of gunpowder in the
destructive purposes of war, in the early part of the
fourteenth century, produced a change in the arms
and equipment of the infantry-soldier. Bows and
arrows gave place to various kinds of fire-arms, but
British archers continued formidable adversaries ;
and owing to the inconvenient construction and im
perfect bore of the fire-arms when first introduced,
a body of men, well trained in the use of the bow
from their youth, was considered a valuable acqui
sition to every army, even as late as the sixteenth
century. During a great part of the reign of Queen Eliza
beth each company of infantry usually consisted of
men armed five different ways ; in every hundred
men forty were "¦ men-at-arm.s," and sixty '¦'¦shot;'
the " men-at-arms" were ten halberdiers, or battle-
axe men, and thirty pikemen ; and the " shot" were
twenty archers, twenty musketeers, and twenty
harquebusiers, and each man carried, besides his
principal weapon, a sword and dagger.

xii INTRODUCTION
Companies of infantry varied at this period in
numbers from 150 to 300 men ; each company had
a colour or ensign, and the mode of formation re
commended by an English military writer (Sir John
Smithe) in 1590 was :— the colour in the centre of
the company guarded by the halberdiers ; the pike
men in equal proportions, on each flank of the
halberdiers: half the musketeers on each flank of
the pikes ; half the archers on each flank of the mus
keteers, and the harquebusiers (whose arms were
much lighter than the muskets then in use) in equal
proportions on each flank of the company for skirmish
ing.* It was customary to unite a number of com
panies into one body, called a Regiment, which
frequently amounted to three thousand men: but
each company continued to carry a colour. Nume
rous improvements were eventually introduced in the
construction of fire-arms, and, it having been found
impossible to make armour proof against the muskets
then in use (which carried a very heavy ball) without
its being too weighty for the- soldier, armour was
gradually laid aside by the infantry in the seven
teenth century : bows and. arrows also fell into dis
use, and the infantry were reduced to two classes,
viz. : musketeers, armed with matchlock muskets.

A company of 200 men would appear thus : —

20 20 20 30 2 0 30 20 20 20
Harquebuses. Archers. Muskets. Pikes. Halberds. Pikes. Muskets. Arcliers. Harquebuses.
The musket carried a ball which weighed .^th of a pound ; and the
harquebus a ball which weighed j^th of a pound.

TO THE INFANTRY. Xlll
swords, and daggers ; axiA pikemen, armed with pikes
from fourteen to eighteen feet long, and swords.
In the early part of the seventeenth century
Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, reduced the
strength of regiments to 1000 men ; he caused the
gunpowder, which had heretofore been carried in
flasks, or in small wooden bandoliers, each contain
ing a charge, to be made up into cartridges, and
carried in pouches ; and he formed each regiment
into two wings of musketeers, and a centre division
of pikemen. He also adopted the practice of form
ing four regiments into a brigade ; and the number
of colours was afterwards reduced to three in each
regiment. He formed his columns so compactly that
his infantry could resist the charge of the celebrated
Polish horsemen and Austrian cuirassiers ; and his
armies became the admiration of other nations. His
mode of formation was copied by the English,
French, and other European states ; but so great
was the prejudice in favour of ancient customs, that
all his improvements were not adopted until near a
century afterwards.
In 1664 King Charles II. raised a corps for sea-
service, styled the Admiral's regiment. In 1678
each company of 100 men usually consisted of 30
pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with
light firelocks. In this year the King added a com
pany of men armed with hand-grenades to each of
the old British regiments, which was designated the
" grenadier company." Daggers were so contrived
as to fit in the muzzles of the' muskets, and bayonets

xiv INTRODUCTION
similar to those at present in use were adopted about
twenty years afterwards.
An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1685, by
order of King James IL, to guard the artillery, and
was designated the Royal Fusiliers (now 7th Foot).
This corps, and the companies of grenadiers, did
not carry pikes.
King William III. incorporated the Admiral's
regiment in the second Foot Guards, and raised
two Marine regiments for sea-service. During the
war in this reign, each company of infantry (ex
cepting the fusiliers and grenadiers) consisted of 14
pikemen and 46 musketeers; the captains carried
pikes ; lieutenants, partisans ; ensigns, half-pikes ;
and serjeants, halberds. After the peace in 1697 the
Marine regiments were disbanded, but were again
formed on the breaking out of the war in 1702.*
During the reign of Queen Anne the pikes were
laid aside, and every infantry soldier was armed
with a musket, bayonet, and sword ; the grenadiers
ceased, about the same period, to carry hand gre
nades ; and the regiments were directed to lay aside
their third colour : the corps of Royal Artillery was
first added to the Army in this reign.
About the year 1745, the men of the battalion
companies of infantry ceased to carry swords ; during
* The 30th, 31st, and 32nd Regiments were formed as Marine corps
in 1702, and were employed as such during the wars in the reign of
Queen Anne. The Marine corps were embarked in the Fleet under
Admiral Sir George Rooke, and were at the taking of Gibraltar, and
in its subsequent defence in 1704 ; they were afterwards employed at
the siege of Barcelona in 1705.

TO THE INFANTRY. XV
the reign of George IL light companies were added
to infantry regiments ; and in 1764 a Board of
General Officers recommended that the grenadiers
should lay aside their swords, as that weapon had
never been used during the seven years' war. Since
that period the arms of the infantry soldier have been
limited to the musket and bayonet.
The arms and equipment of the British troops have
seldom differed materially, since the Conquest, from
those of other European states ; and in some respects
the arming has, at certain periods, been allowed to
be inferior to that of the nations with whom they
have had to contend ; yet, under this disadvantage,
the bravery and superiority of the British infantry
have been evinced on very many and most trying
occasions, and splendid victories have been gained
over very superior numbers.
Great Britain has produced a race of lion-like
champions who have dared to confront a host of
foes, and have proved themselves valiant with any
arms. At Crecy King Edward III., at the head of
about 30,000 men, defeated, on the 26th of August,
1346, Philip King of France, whose army is said to
have amounted to 100,000 men ; here Briti.sh valour
encountered veterans of renown :— the King of Bo
hemia, the King of Majorca, and many princes and
nobles were slain, and the French army was routed
and cut to pieces. Ten years afterwards, Edward
Prince of Wales, who was designated the Black
Prince, defeated, at Poictiers, with 14,000 men,
a French army of 60,000 horse, besides infantry,
and took John I., King of France, and his son

XVl INTRODUCTION
Philip, prisoners. On the 25th of October, 1415,
King Henry V., with an army of about 13,000
men, although greatly exhausted by marches, pri
vations, and sickness, defeated, at Agincourt, the
Constable of France, at the head of the ffower of
the French nobility and an' army said to amount to
60,000 men, and gained a complete victory.
During the seventy years' war between the United
Provinces of the Netherlands and the Spanish mo
narchy, which commenced in 1578 and terminated
in 1648, the British infantry in the service of the
States-General were celebrated for their uncon
querable spirit and firmness;* and in the thirty
years' war between the Protestant Princes and the
Emperor of Germany, the British troops in the ser
vice of Sweden and other states were celebrated for
deeds of heroism.f In the wars of Queen Anne,
the fame of the British army under the great
Marlborough was spread throughout the world;
and if we glance at the achievements performed
within the memory of persons now living, there is
abundant proof that the Britons of the present age
are not inferior to their ancestors in the qualities
* The brave Sir Roger Williams, in his Discourse on War, printed
in 1590, observes: — "I persuade myself ten thousand of our nation
would beat thirty thousand of theirs (the Spaniards) out of the field
let them be chosen where they list." Yet at this time the Spanish
infantry was allowed to be the best disciplined in Europe. For
instances of valour displayed by the British Infantry during fhe
Seventy Years' War, see the Historical Record of the Third Foot or
Buffs. , '
t Vide the Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of
Foot.

TO THE INFANTRY, XVU
which constitute good soldiers. Witness the deeds
of the brave men, of whom there are many now
surviving, who fought in Egypt in 1801, under the
brave Abercromby, and compelled the French army,
which had been vainly styled Invincible, to eva
cuate that country ; also the services of the gallant
Troops during the arduous campaigns in the Penin
sula, under the immortal Wellington; and the
determined stand made by the British Army at
Waterloo, where Napoleon Bonaparte, who had
long been the inveterate enemy of Great Britain,
and had sought and planned her destruction by
every means he could devise,- was compelled to
leave his vanquished legions to their fate, and to
place himself at the disposal of the British Govern
ment. These achievements, with others of recent
dates, in the distant climes of India, prove that the
same valour and constancy which glowed in the
breasts of the heroes of Crecy, Poictiers, Agincourt,
Blenheim, and Ramilies, continue to animate the
Britons of the nineteenth century.
The British Soldier is distinguished for a robust
and muscular frame, — intrepidity which no danger
can appal, — unconquerable spirit and resolution, —
patience in fatigue and privation, and cheerful obe
dience to his superiors. These qualities, united with
an excellent system of order and discipline to regu
late and give a skilful direction to the energies and
adventurous spirit of the hero, and a wise selection
of officers of superior talent to command, whose
presence inspires confidence, — have been the leading
causes of the splendid victories gained by the British
b

XVlU INTRODUCTION
arms.* The fame of the deeds of the past and
present generations in the various battle-fields where
the robust sons of Albion have fought and conquered,
surrounds the British arms with a halo of glory;
these achievements will live in the page of history to
the end of time.
The records of the several regiments will be found
to contain a detail of facts of an interesting character,
connected with the hardships, sufferings, and gallant
exploits of British soldiers in the various parts of the
world where the calls of their Country and the com
mands of their Sovereign have required them to
proceed in the execution of their duty, whether in

• " Under the blessing of Divine Providence, His Majesty ascribes
the successes which have attended the exertions of his troops in Egypt to
that determined bravery which is inherent in Britons ; but His Majesty
desires it may be most solemnly and forcibly impressed on the considera
tion of every part of the army, that it has been a strict observance of
order, discipline, and military system, which has given the full energy to
the native valour of the troops, and has enabled them proudly to assert
the superiority of the national military character, in situations uncom
monly arduous, and under circumstances of peculiar difficulty." — General
Orders in 1801.
In the General Orders issued by Lieut.-General Sir John Hope (after
wards Lord Hopetoun), congratulating the army upon the successful result
of the Battleof Corunna, ou the 16th of January, 1809, it is stated : — " On
no occasion has the undaunted valour of British troops ever been more
manifest. At the termination of a severe and harassing march, ren
dered necessary by the superiority which the enemy had acquired, and
which had materially impaired the efficiency of the troops, many disad
vantages were to be encountered. These have all been surmounted by
the conduct of the troops themselves : and the enemy has been taught,
tliat whatever advantages of position or of numbers he may possess, there
is inherent in the British officers and soldiers a bravery that knows not
how to yield,— that no circumstances can appal,— and that will ensure
victory, when it is to be obtained by the exertion of any human means.

TO THE INFANTRY. XIX
active continental operations, or in maintaining colo
nial territories in distant and unfavourable climes.
The superiority of the British infantry has been
pre-eminently set forth in the wars of six centuries,
and admitted by the greatest commanders which
Europe has produced. The formations and move
ments of this arme, as at present practised, while
they are adapted to every species of warfare, and to
all probable situations and circumstances of service,
are calculated to show forth the brilliancy of military
tactics calculated upon mathematical and scientific
principles. Although the movements and evolutions
have been copied from the continental armies, yet
various improvements have from time to time been
introduced, to insure that simplicity and celerity by
which the superiority of the national military cha
racter is maintained. The rank and infiuence which
Great Britain has attained among the nations of the
world, have in a great measure been purchased by
the valour of the Army, and to persons who have the
welfare of their country at heart, the records of the
several regiments cannot fail to prove interesting.

Missing Page

Missing Page

THE THIRTEENTH,
THE FIRST SOMERSET REGIMENT OF FOOT,
OR
THE PRINCE ALBERT'S REGIMENT OF
LIGHT INFANTRY,
Bears on its Regimental Colour
THE SPHINX, WITH THE WORD " EGYPT,"
In Commemoration of its Services in Egypt in 1801 ;
THE WORD " MARTINIQUE,"
In Commemoration of its Services at the Capture of that Island
on the 24th February, 1809 ;
AND THE WOHDS
" AVA,"—" AFFGHANISTAN,"— " GHUZNEE,"— « JELLALAB^iD,"
WITH THE MURAL CROWN,
AND
"CABOOL, 1842,"
In Commemoration of its Arduous and Meritorious Services in tlie
Asiatic Territories from 1839 to 1842.

THIRTEENTH, PRINCE ALBERT'S REGIMENT
OF LIGHT INFANTRY.

CONTENTS.

Year Page

1685 Formation of the Regiment .
 Station and Establishment .
 Earl of Huntingdon, and other officers appointed
to Commissions ....
 Encamped on Hounslow Heath
1686 Establishment of the Regiment
 Uniform of the Regiment
 Marched into Yorkshire and Cumberland
 Removed to Chester ....
1687 List of Officers 
1688 Declaration of the Regiment in favour of the
Protestant Interest ....
 ¦ Colonel F. Hastings appointed in the place of
the Earl of Huntingdon . . .
1689 Proceeded to Edinburgh
 Engaged at Killicrankie
 Embarked for Ireland ....
1690 Engaged at the Battle of the Boyne
 Embarked for England
 Re-embarked for Ireland
 Engaged at Cork and Kinsale
1691 Engaged at Drumaugh and Ballycleugh .
 Took possession of Drummaneer .

1

5
68
9

10
11

XXVI

CONTENTS.

Year 1691 Engaged at Lismore . . . • •
 Termination of hostilities in Ireland
•  Embarked for England ....
1692 Selected to form part of an Expedition against
the French Coast .....
 Proceeded to Ostend . . . • •
 Returned to England .....
1693 Detachment sent to Flanders to replace the
casualties of the Army after the Battle of
Landen. ....
1695 Colonel F. Hastings cashiered, and Colonel Sir
John Jacob appointed to succeed him
1697 Termination of the War in Flanders and the
, Establishment reduced
1699 Proceeded to Ireland .
1700 Hostile measures of King Louis XIV. of France
1701 Embarked from Cork for Flanders.
 Landed at Helvoetsluys
 Reviewed at Breda by King William III.
1702 Encamped at Rosendael
 Colonel the Earl of Barrymore appointed by
purchase to succeed Sir John Jacob
1 702 Engaged in the siege of Kayserswerth
 The Earl of Marlborough assumed the command
of the Army in Flanders .
 Formed in brigade under Brigadier General
Frederick Hamilton ....
1702 Engaged in the siege and capture of Venloo
  of Fort St. Michael
 of Ruremonde
 of Liege
 Entered winter-quarters at Breda .
1703 Engaged in the siege of Huy.
 of Limburg .

Page 11

12

13

14

15 16
17

CONTENTS.

XXVll

Year Page
1703 Spanish Guelderland delivered from France . 17
 Embarked for England .... —
 Proceeded to Portugal. .... —
1704 Encamped at Estremos . . . . . 18
 Embarked for Gibraltar . . . . 19
1705 Engaged in defence of Gibraltar ... 20
 Re-embarked for Spain . . . . 21
 Engaged in the siege of Barcelona ... 22
 in storming Fort Montjuich . . —
 in relief of St. Matheo in Valencia . 23
1706 Formed by the Earl of Peterborough into a
Regiment of Cavalry commanded by Colonel
Edward Pearce . . » . . . 24
 Marched to Oropeso and formed into eight troops 25
 ¦ Remainder of the Regiment sent to England to
recruit ....... —
¦  Pearce's Regiment of Dragoons engaged in
Valencia ...... 26
1707  — at Almanza . —
1708 Thirteenth Regiment, having been recruited,
again embarked for Portugal, and encamped
between Elvas and Campo Mayor . . 27
1709 Proceeded to the banks of the Caya . . —
 Engaged at the attack on the Caya . . —
 Colonel the Earl of Barrymore taken prisoner . 28
1710 Served the Campaign on the frontiers of Portugal —
1711 Embarked from Portugal for Gibraltar . . —
1713 Received volunteers from several Corps disbanded
after the peace of Utrecht. ... —
1715 Colonel the Earl of Barrymore succeeded by
Colonel Stanhope Cotton, then Lieutenant-
Governor of Gibraltar .... 29
1725 Colonel Cotton died, and succeeded as Colonel of
the Thirteenth Regiment by Lord Mark Kerr —

XXVIII

CONTENTS.

of

Year 1727 Engaged in a second successful defence
Gibraltar against the Spaniards .
1728 Relieved from duty at Gibraltar, after foreign
service for twenty years ....
1730 Reviewed on Winkfield-plain, with_ the Twelfth
foot, by King George II. ....
1732 Colonel Lord Mark Kerr removed to the
Eleventh Dragoons, and succeeded by Colonel
John Middleton .....
1739 Colonel John Middleton tlied, and succeeded by
Colonel Henry Pulteney ....
 War declared against Spain, and augmentation
took place .....
1740 Encamped on Windsor Forest
1741 Encamped on Lexden Heath.
1742 Embarked for Flanders under the Earl
Stair 
1 743 War declared against France
 Encamped at AschafTenburg .
 Engaged at the battle of Dettingen
1744 Engaged under Field Marshal Wade on the
banks of the Scheldt
1745 Engaged at the battle of Fontenoy.
 Encamped on the plains of Lessines
 Arrival of Charles Edward, elder son of the
. Pretender, in Scotland
 TJiirteenth Regiment returned from Flanders
and landed at Blackwall .
 Proceeded to Doncaster and Newcastle .
1746 Engaged at Falkirk-moor
 at CuUoden-moor . .

of

Rebellion in Scotland suppressed
Flight of the Young Pretender
Regiment returned to Holland

29

30

31

32

33

34

35 36

CONTENTS.

XXIX

Year 1746 Advanced to Maestricht, and thence to Liege
 Engaged at Roucoux ....
1747 Engaged at Val 
1748 Employed in Limburg, and in North Brabant
 Treaty of Peace at Aix la Chapelle
 Returned to England ....
1751 Royal Warrant issued regulating the clothing.
and colours of Regiments .
1754 Embarked for Gibraltar
1762 Returned to England .
1766 His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester
appointed Colonel in succession to Honorable
Henry Pulteney .....
1767 Reviewed in Hyde Park with the Twelfth Foot,
by King George III. ....
 The Duke of Gloucester appointed to the Third
Foot Guards, and succeeded in the Colonelcy
by Honorable James Murray
1768 Proceeded to Ireland .
1769 Embarked for Minorca
1776 Returned to England .
1781 Embarked for the West Indies
1782 The war with America ceased and the regiment
returned to England .
 The Regiment directed to assume the County
title of First Somersetshire Regiment
1784 Embarked for Ireland . . ,
1789 General George Ainslie appointed Colonel in
succession to Honorable James Murray
1790 Embarked for Jamaica.
1793 Embarked for St. Domingo .
1794 Proceeded on an expedition under Colonel John
Whitaker to Cape Tiburon
 Engaged at the Post of L'Acal

Page 36
37 39

40

41

42

43
44

XXX

CONTENTS.

Year Page
1794 Engaged at Port au-Prince . ... 44
 at Fort Bizzeton . . . . 45
1796 R«-embarked for England
1797 Proceeded to Ireland .
1800 Embarked for England .... 46
 Embarked on an expedition to the Coast of
f Spain  —
 Proceeded to Gibraltar and Malta ... 47
1801 Joined the expedition to Egypt under General
Sir Ralph Abercromby .... —
 Landed at Aboukir . .... 48
 Advanced to Alexandria, and engage,d the French
on 12th March  —
 Engaged a second time at Alexandria against
" Buonaparte's Invincibles" on the 21st of
March  49
 French Army expelled from Egypt
•  The Grand Seignior conferred orders of Knight
hood and Gold Medals on the Officers. . 60
 Authorized to bear the " Sphinx," and the word
" Egypt" on the Colours and Appointments
1802 Embarked from Egypt for Malta . , . 51
1803 Embarked for Gibraltar
1804 General Ainslie died, and Lieut. General A
Campbell appointed to the Colonelcy
 Epidemic fever prevailed at Gibraltar which
occasioned many casualties ... 52
1805 Embarked for England
1806 Proceeded from Portsmouth to Ramsgate
1807 Embarked for Ireland .....
 Completed by Militia Volunteers, and re-em
barked for England .....
1808 Embarked for the West Indies and proceeded to
Bermuda .....

CONTENTS.

XXXI

Year 1808 Joined an expedition against Martinique. '" .
18Q9 Stationed at Martinique ....
1810 Joined an expedition against Guadaloupe.
- Q, 2 >Stationed at Martinique ....
1813 Lieut.-General Edward Morrison appointed to
the Colonelcy in succession to General Camp
bell, removed to the thirty-second regiment .
 Embarked from Martinique for Canada .
 Proceeded on an expedition to Plattsburg
1814 Defended a post on the La Cole river against a
numerous Corps of Americans .
1815 Peace concluded with the United States of
America .....
 Embarked from Canada and landed at Ports
mouth ......
 Proceeded to Jersey ....
1817 Presentation of new Qolours
 Proceeded to Guernsey
1819 Embarked for Portsmouth .
 Scotland
1820  Ireland
1822  Liverpool
 Proceeded to Edinburgh
 Furnished Guards of Honour to King George IV
on his visit to Scotland
 Proceeded to Chatham to prepare for embarka
tion for India ....
 Constituted a regiment of Light Infantry
1823 Embarked for Bengal . . .
1824 Employed in the war with the King of Ava
 Capture of Rangoon, the principal city of the
Burmese Empire . . . •
,  Detached against the Island of Cheduba

Page 5354

55

56

57

58

59 60
61 62

63

XXXll

CONTENTS.

Year Page
1824 Advanced against formidable stockades erected
by the Burmese .... .64
¦  Repeated attacks of the Burmese on the British
possessions . . . . . . 65
 Attack on the Burmese in the neighbourhood of
Rangoon ...... 66
 Another victorious attack under Majors Dennie
and Sale ... ... 67
 Further attacks followed up . . . . 68
1825 Proceeded against the city of Bassein . . 69
 Embarked for Rangoon .... 70
 Proceeded to join the army at Prome . . —
 Advanced to attack the Burmese at Simbike . 71
 Again marched to attack the enemy at Napadee
Hills  —
1826 Advanced and took post at Melloon . . 72
 Engaged with the Burmese at Pagahm Mew . 73
 Advanced upon the capital^ Ummerapoora . —
 Treaty of peace concluded with the King of
Ava ....... —
 Order of thanks from the Governor-General of
India for services performed in this arduous
campaign ...... 74
 Authorized to bear the word " Ava " on its
colours and appointments
 Embarked for Calcutta
 Berhampore
1827 Arrived at Dinapore .
1831 Proceeded to Agra
1836 Marched to Kurnaul .
1837 A detachment proceeded to Lahore with the
Commander-in-Chief on a visit to Runjeet
Singh, the ruler of the Sikhs ... 75
 Detachment returned to Kurnaul ... 

CONTENTS.

XXXUl

Year
1838 War with the chiefs of Affghanistan
 Joined the army of the Indus, proceeded to Fero
zepore, and encamped on the banks of the
river Gharra,
 Marched to Bhawulpore
1839 Arrived at Roree, and took possession of Bakkur
 Crossed the river Indus and arrived at Shikar-
pore .....
¦  Continued its march to Beloochlstan
 Penetrated the Bolan Pass .

 Marched through the Vale of Shawl
 Arrived at Candahar .
 Advanced to Ghuznee
 Stormed and captured the citadel of Ghuznee
— — Shah Shoojah-ool-Moolk restored to his domin
ions in Aifghanistan
 Rewards to the conquerors of Affghanistan
 Remained in Affghanistan to support the govern
ment of the restored Shah
 Encamped near Cabool
1840 Advanced against Dost Mahomed in the Kohis
tan of Cabool ....
 Assisted in carrying the towij and forts of Too-
tumdurra .....
 Engaged in the attack of Julgar .
 of Babookooshghur
 at Purwan .
 Returned to Cabool ....
1841 War recommenced with the Affghans
 Attempt of the Affghans to expel Shah Shoojah
 Marched to the Khoord Cabool Pass
 — Tezeen
 Gundamuck
— — Engaged at the JugduUuck Pass .

Page 76

77 78

79

8081 828384

8586

87 88

XXxiv CONTENTS.
Year
1841 Captured the Fort of Mamoo Khai
 Returned to Gundamuck
 Captured the town of Jellalabad

Page 88
89

1842 Defended the town
 Defeated the Affghans
 Renewed attempts of the Affghans to expel the
British from the Cabool territory . . 90
 Means adopted for a general attack on the
Affghan camp . . . . • 91
 Death of Colonel Dennie .... 92
 Defeat of Mahomed Akbar .... 93
 Expression of approbation and thanks by the
Governor-General of the conduct of Major-
General Sir Robert Sale, and of the army
under his command ..... 94
 of the houses of
Parliament to the army in Affghanistan . 95
 Arrival at Jellalabad of the forces under Major-
General Pollock ..... 97
 Major-General Sir Robert Sale's report of the
services and privations of the troops for five
months ....... 98
 Her Majesty's approbation and marks of distinc
tion conferred on the Thirteenth regiment . 101
 Marched from Jellalabad to Gundamuck. . 102
 The Affghans defeated at JugduUuck . . 103
 Actions at Tezeen, and in the Huft Kotul Pass 104
 Re-occcupied Cabool ..... —
 Detachment marched to meet the prisoners de
tained by Akbar Khan on their release and
return to Cabool ... . . 
 Quitted the Affghan territory on return to India 105
•  Marched to Jellalabad ..... 
 Proceeded to Peshawur . ...

CONTENTS.

XXXV

Year. Page
1842 Proceeded across the Punjaub to Ferozepore . 105
 Received with military honours by the troops at
the several stations on the route to India, by
orders of the Governor-General
 Received the Queen's authority to bear
"Cabool, 1842" on the colours and ap
pointments ...... 106
1843 Marched from Ferozepore to Mowbarukpore . 107
 Proceeded to Kussowlie
 Marched to Ferozepore
 Embarked for Sukkur .
 Major-General Sir Robert Sale appointed to the
colonelcy of the Thirteenth regiment,
cession to General Morrison, deceased
1844 Moved to Kurrachee  108
 Embarked for Bombay
1845 Embarked for England .... 109
 Arrived at Gravesend .
 Proceeded to Walmer
1846 Lieutenant-General Sir William M. Gomm ap
pointed to the colonelcy in succession to Major-
General Sir Robert Sale, killed at the battle
of Moodkee, on the 18th December, 1845 . —
 Marched to Portsmouth .... —
 Presentation of new colours by Field Marshal '
His Royal Highness the Prince Albert
1847 Embarked for Ireland  112
 The Conclusion . . . . . .113
Description of the Flags captured from the Affghans
in the Year 1842  115

XXXVl

CONTENTS.

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

Year

Page

1685 Theophilus Earl of Huntingdon .

. 117

1688 Ferdinand Hastings .

. 118

1689 Sir John Jacob, Bart. .

—

1702 James Earl of Barrymore .

. 119

1715 Stanhope Cotton.

—

1725 Lord Mark Kerr

. 120

1732 Lord Middleton ....

. 121

1739 Henry Pulteney.

-—

1766 William Henry Duke of Gloucester

. 122

1767 Hon. James Murray .

. 123

1789 George Ainslie ....

—

1804 Alexander Campbell .

. 124

1813 Edward Morrison

125

1843 Robert Henry Sale .

. 126

1846 William Maynard Gomm

. 128

PLATES.
Colours of the Regiment ....
Costume of the Regiment ....
Standards captured from the Affghans in the
Action at Jellalabad on the 7th April, 1842

Page.
to face 1
62
116

THiflRTEEITTH ,
PRINCE ALBERTS REGIMENT OF
LIGHT INFANTRr .

¦R E 'G I M E l\ J AT , r © L 0 -B

FOR CANNON'S MILITARY RECORDS .

HISTORICAL RECOED
OF
THE THIRTEENTH,
FIRST SOMERSETSHIRE REGIMENT;
OK
PRINCE ALBERT'S REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY.

When James Duke of Monmouth denounced the 1685
character and pretensions of King James II., asserted
his own claims to the throne, and organized a military
force to establish his authority, the small regular army
then in England was not deemed sufficiently numerous
for the protection of the crown and kingdom against
lawless usurpation, and a number of additional corps
of cavalry and infantry were embodied. Among the
noblemen who stood forward in support of the throne
at this important juncture, was Theophilus, Earl of
Huntingdon, who was appointed colonel of one of the
regiments ordered to be raised, — now Thirteenth
liiGHT Infantry, — by commission dated the 20th of
June, 1685.
This regiment was raised in the southern counties of
England, and its general rendezvous was at Bucking
ham, where the Earl of Huntingdon established his
head-quarters; it consisted of ten companies, which
were raised by Colonel the Earl of Huntingdon, Lieut-
Colonel Francis Villiers, Major Charles Morgan,
B

2 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT 9
1685 Captains Watson Dixey, Thomas Condon, Thomas
Skipworth, — Hildibran, John Tidcomb, Bryan Turner,
and Charles Hatton; and a number of loyal men
coming readily forward to enrol themselves under the
colours of the regiment, it was speedily formed and
quartered at Buckingham and Aylesbury. In the
middle of July it was employed to guard prisoners taken
after the overthrow of the rebel army at Sedgemoor.
The rebellion being suppressed, and the Duke of
Monmouth beheaded, the King assembled many of the
newly-raised corps on Hounslow Heath, where the
Earl of Huntingdon's regiment encamped in the be
ginning of August : it was reviewed on the Heath by
His Majesty; the officers and soldiers received the
expression of the King's royal approbation of the ready
manner in which they had come forward to support the
throne at the hour of danger, and they afterwards
marched into garrison at HuU.
On the 6th of January, 1686, the establishment was
fixed at the following numbers and rates of pay, viz. {see
p. 3).
1686 The uniform of the regiment was, round hats with
broad brims, the brim turned up on one side, and orna
mented with yellow ribands ; scarlet coats lined with
yellow; yellow breeches, and gray stockings; the
pikemen were distinguished by white sashes tied round
their waists.
In June the regiment was again encamped on
Hounslow Heath, and in August it marched into York
shire and Cumberland; the head-quarters being at
York, where it passed the winter.
From York the head-quarters were removed, in
February, 1687, to Chester, where they remained
during the following twelve months. '

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY.

The Earl of Huntingdon's Regiment.

Staff.
The Colonel, as Colonel 
Lieut.-Colonel, as Lieut.-Colonel ....
Major, as Major  • .
Chaplain 
Chirurgeon 4s. and Mate 2s. 6d 
Adjutant 
Quarter-Master and Marshal 
Total Staff ....
The Colonel's Company.
The Colonel, as Captain 
Lieutenant 
Ensign 
Two Serjeants, Is. 6d. each 
Three Corporals, Is. each 
One Drummer 
Fifty Soldiers, 8d. each 
Total for one Company
Nine Companies more at the same rate
Total per day ....
Per Annum £10,922 12s, 6rf.

Pay per Day.

£. s. d.
0 12 0

0 6 6

2 5 2

1 13

2 15 4

24 18 0
23 18 6

1686

List of Officers in 1687.

1687

Captains.

Lieutenants.

Ensigns.

Earl of Huntingdon,
(col).
Ferdinando Hastings John Hook
(lieut.-colonel) John Fry.
Robert Ingram (major) John Sheldon

Thomas Carleton. William Delavale.
William Rhodesley. Ralph Cudworth.
Deacon Garrett.
Henry Fern.

Watson Dixie.
John Tidcomb.
Owen Macarty.
Charles Hatton.
Sir John Jacob.
Thomas Condon.
Chamock Heron.
Christopher Viscount) Bernard Ellis
Hatton "'¦"•

Talbot Laeells.
George Comly.
Michael Dunkin.
George Key worth.
Henry Walrond.

John Orefeur.
Ambrose Jones.
Hussey Hastings.
Joseph Byerley
Thomas Knivetton.
William Callow.

f Company of grenadiers
I S?.™™ :S"", • added to the regi-
/ Wilham Hawley \ ,„^^j ;„ ^gg?.
Gabriel Hastings, Chaplain Talbot Laeells, Adjutant.
Claudius Gilbert, Chirurgeon. John Evans, Quarter- Master.
B 2

4 THE THIRTEETNH, OR PRINCE ALBERT S
1688 The regiment left Chester in April, 1688, and in
June it pitched its tents on Hounslow Heath. In the
meantime, the proceedings of the King, to establish
Papacy and arbitrary government, had filled the
country with alarm, and many of the nobility and
gentry had solicited the Prince of Orange to come to
England with a Dutch army, to aid them in opposing
the measures of the court. The Earl of Huntingdon
continued, however, faithful to the interests of the King,
and his regiment was ordered into garrison at Plymouth,
together with the Earl of Bath's (now Tenth) regi
ment. When the Prince of Orange landed, the garri
son of Plymouth was divided in its political views :
the governor, the Earl of Bath, and Lieut.-Colonel
Hastings, of the Thirteenth (cousin of the Earl of
Huntingdon), were in the Protestant interest; the
Earl of Huntingdon, who was present, and performing
the duties of commanding officer, with Lieut.-Colonel
Sir Charles Carney, of the Tenth, were devoted to the
Roman Catholic interest ; but nearly all the officers
and soldiers had espoused the Protestant cause. The
Earl of Bath, Lieut.-Colonel Hastings, and several
other officers, arrested the Earl of Huntingdon, Captain
Owen Macarty, Lieutenant Talbot Laeells, and Ensign
Ambrose Jones, of the Thirteenth, who were Roman
Catholics, and afterwards declared for the Prince of
Orange, in which the two regiments in garrison con
curred. When the fortress of Plymouth was esta
blished in the Protestant interest, the arrested officers
were released.
The army refusing to fight in the cause of Papacy
and arbitrary government. King James fled to France
and the Prince of Orange promoted Lieut.-Colonel
Ferdinando Hastings to the colonelcy of the regi
ment, by commission, dated 1688.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 5
The accession of the Prince and Princess of Orange 1689
to the throne having met with some opposition in
Scotland, the regiment was ordered thither ; and on
arriving at Edinburgh, in the spring of 1689, it was
employed in the blockade of the castle, which the Duke
of Gordon held for King James ; at the same time
Viscount Dundee was arousing the clans to arms.
While the regiment was at Edinburgh, Major
General Hugh Mackay, commanding-in-chief in Scot
land, was watching the motions of Viscount Dundee,
.and he sent orders for Colonel Ramsay to join him with
six hundred men of the Scots Brigade, in the Dutch
service. The colonel commenced his march, but was
intimidated by the menacing attitude of the Athol
men, and returned to Perth ; when a hundred men of
Berkeley's (now Fourth) dragoons, a hundred of the
Thirteenth foot, and two hundred of Leven's newly-
raised regiment (now Twenty-fifth), were ordered to
join him. Thus reinforced, the Colonel commenced his
march through Athole and Badenoch for Inverness;
and with the aid of this detachment, Major-General
Mackay chased the clans, under Viscount Dundee,
from the low country, and compelled them to take
refuge in the wilds of Lochaber : the detachment of
the Thirteenth foot was afterwards stationed at Inver
ness ; and the regiment was relieved from the blockade
of Edinburgh Castle by the surrender of that fortress
on the 13th of June.
After forcing Viscount Dundee to take refuge in
Lochaber, Major-General Mackay proceeded to Edin
burgh, where he learned that the clans expected to be
joined by a reinforcement from Ireland, and would
probably soon descend from the hilly country ; the
major-general, therefore, assembled the Thirteenth

b THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT S
1689 foot, and several other corps, and marched from Edin
burgh, to watch the motions of the insurgent High
landers. Arriving at Dunkeld, he received an express
from Lord Murray, son of the Marquis of Athol,
stating that part of Viscount Dundee's army had
arrived at Blair ; and in consequence of this informa
tion, he commenced his march at daybreak on the
morning of Saturday, the 27th of July, towards the
pass of Killicrankie,* to confront his opponents, and on
this occasion the Thirteenth foot, commanded by
their colonel, Ferdinando Hastings, formed the rear
guard, to cover the march of twelve hundred pack-
horses, which carried the baggage of the army.
Entering the pass of Killicrankie, the troops moved
along the east bank of the river Garry, by a narrow
road, confined between a range of craggy precipices on
one hand, and on the other the river, considerably below
the road, rushing from rock to rock with a murmuring
sound; and as the Thirteenth regiment emerged
from this difficult defile with the baggage, the royal
army was seen in order of battle, on some rising ground
at the foot of a hill, on the summit of which appeared
the insurgent host, under Viscount Dundee. The
Thirteenth foot formed on the right of the line, the
* List of troops under Major-General Mackay, at the battle of Killi
crankie, 27th July, 1689 -.^ Cavaley.
Annandale's troop of horse 1 Afterwards incorporated in a. regiment, now
• ' Belhaven's , , , , J the Seventh Hussars.
iNFAlfelY.
Hastings' Foot, now Thirteenth.
Leven's Foot, now Twenty-fifth.
Kenmare's Foot, afterwards disbanded.
Mackay's 1 Scots' Brigade in the Dutch Service, afterwards Ninety-
Balfour's \ fourth Eegiment in the British line ; disbanded in Decem-
Eamsay's J ber, 1818.
One hundred of Hastings' and two hundred of Leven's, were detached
at Inverness, and were consequently not at the battle of Killicrankie.

regiment of light infantry. 7
grenadier company on the flank, with a supply of 1689
hand-grenades, the musketeers formed two wings;
and the pikemen stood in column in the centre. During
two tedious hours of a bright summer evening the
armies stood looking at each other ; and about half an
hour before sunset, the Highlanders moved slowly down
the hill, barefooted, and stripped to their shirts, to
commence the battle : as they descended, they quick
ened their pace, uttered a loud shout, and commenced
an irregular fire of musketry, which produced little
effect. The King's troops reserved their fire until the
clans came within a few paces, and then by a regular
discharge, with a sure aim, produced great havoc on
the thick masses opposed to them ; but at that moment
the Highlanders threw down their muskets, drew their.
swords, and closed upon their opponents, who had not
time to fix their bayonets in the muzzles of their mus-
ketSj* and being thus attacked, under peculiar disad
vantages, many of the king's troops gave way.
The Thirteenth foot, commanded by Colonel
Hastings, stood their ground with great gallantry, and
the Highlanders were unable to make any impression
on this brave regiment. After being repulsed in their
attack on its front, the Highlanders attempted to turn
its right flank, when Colonel Hastings wheeled his pike
men to the right, and by a determined charge routed
the clans at that point. As the conquering pikemen
of the Thirteenth were returning to their post in the
centre of the regiment, they discovered that the other
corps of the royal army were overpowered, and the
soldiers flying in every direction ; at the same time the
Highlanders had discontinued the pursuit, to plunder
* The bayonet, at this period, was fixed by forcing the handle into the
muzzle of the musket ; the troops, therefore, could not fire with fixed bayonets.

8 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1689 the baggage. At that moment Major-General Mackay
galloped to the regiment ; he collected the fragments
of other corps to it, and retreated. In his memoirs of
this war, published in 1833, Major-General Mackay
commends the conduct of this regiment ; ' and in his
life, published in 1836, the author (John Mackay, Esq.,
of Rockfield) states, 'Hastings, on the right, sus-
' tained the reputation of the English lion, but all to
' no purpose, so far had the panic extended.' Yet it
was to great purpose, for one corps was preserved entire,
which enabled the commander-in-chief to make good
his retreat to Stirling.
Viscount Dundee was killed in the action ; and the
loss of the clans, in killed and wounded, was much
greater than that of the king's troops. Major-General
Mackay called to his aid additional corps, resumed the
offensive, and by a series of active and skilful opera
tions, restricted the movements of the Highlanders so
much, that they separated to their homes.
In the meantime King James had arrived in Ireland
with a body of French troops, and all the country, ex
cepting Inniskilling and Londonderry, was subjected
to his dominion. To rescue Ireland from his power, an
army was sent to that country, under the veteran
Marshal Duke Schomberg, and the Thirteenth foot
were ordered to take part in this enterprise.
* ' There was no regiment or troop with me but behaved lite the vilest
' cowards in nat\ire, except Hastings' (Thirteenth), and Lord Lever.'s
' (Twenty-fifth), whom I most praise at such a degree, as I cannot but
'blame others:— Mackay's Despatch to the Duke of Hamilton.
'I could learn of no commanding officer that misbehaved, though I con-
• fess that my Lord Leven, Colonel Hastings, and their officers have dis-
' tinguished themselves in this occasion above all oihets.'—Maekay'sOfficial
A'arrative <f the Battle.
' My Lord,— Your son has behaved himself with all his officers and
'soldiers extraordinarily well, as did also Colonel Hastings with his '—
Mackay's letter to Lord Melville.

regiment of light infantry. 9
The regiment embarked from Scotland in the begin- 1689
ning of October, landed at Carlingford on the 9th of
that month, and received orders to join the army en
camped at Dundalk ; but these orders were counter
manded, and the regiment marched into quarters at
Armagh and Clownish, where it was stationed during
the winter.
In April, 1690, the Thirteenth were stationed 1690
at Belfast, and they had the gratification of serving in
the campaign of that year, under King William HI.,
who commanded his army in Ireland in person. They
had the honour to contribute towards the gaining of
the battle of the Boyne, on the 1st of July, when the
army of King William forced the passage of the river
Boyne, overthrew the French and Irish forces under
King James, and gained a decisive victory.
After this victory, the regiment advanced with the
army towards Dublin, and it was stationed several weeks
in garrison in that city, under Brigadier-General
Trelawny. In the meantime, considerable alarm had been pro
duced in England by the defeat of the combined
English and Dutch fleets, under Admirals Lord Tor-
rington and Evertsen, by the Fiench navy, under the
Count de Tourville. After this disaster, England was
menaced with invasion, and a body of French troops
landed on the western coast, and destroyed a village ;
when the Thirteenth, and several other corps, were
ordered to return to England.
After landing at Portsmouth, the regiment was
encamped, for several weeks, near that fortress ; and
when the alarm of invasion had passed away, it was
ordered to join the expedition against Cork and Kinsale,
under Lieut.-General the Earl of Marlborough^ (after-

10 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1690 wards the celebrated Duke of Marlborough). It em
barked on this service in the middle of September,
arrived in Cork roads on the 21st of that month, and
the co-operation of part of the army on shore having
been secured, the troops landed on the 23rd, and be
sieged the city of Cork. A breach having been made,
the Thirteenth regiment was selected to form part of
the storming party, which advanced to assault the town
on the 28th of September; but before the soldiers
gained the breach, the enemy hung out a white flag,
and agreed to surrender.
The troops marched out of Cork on the 1 st of October,
arrived before Kinsale on the following day, and com
menced the siege of the two forts. The old fort was
taken by storm immediately, and the new fort surren
dered on the 15th of October.
After taking part in these services, the regiment was
stationed in garrison at Cork. The health of the men
suffered from having been employed in sieges during
inclement weather, and in the official returns the regi
ment is stated to have had 462 rank and file fit for
duty, and 216 sick.
1591 In the spring of 1691, when the army took the field
under General de Ginkell (afterwards Earl of Athlone),
the Thirteenth were left in garrison at Cork, from
whence they frequently sent out detachments in quest
of the bands of Roman Catholic peasantry who prowled
about the country in arms, committing every descrip
tion of depredation. On one of these occasions, when
Colonel Hastings was out with two hundred men of the
regiment, and five hundred militia, he was informed
that a party of the royal dragoons was surrounded by
a numerous body of the enemy at Drumaugh, and he
instantly marched to their relief. On arriving at the

regiment of light infantry. 1 1
vicinity of Ballycleugh, he found the hedges on both 1691
sides of the road lined with opponents ; when the
soldiers of the Thirteenth rushed into the inclosures,
killed fifty adversaries, and chased the remainder some
distance. On the following morning the soldiers of the
Thirteenth drove the Irish from Drumaugh, and
liberated the party of the royal dragoons at that
place. Soon after this exploit. Colonel Hastings marched
out of Cork with a party of the regiment and some
militia, and seized upon Drummaneer, an important
post near the Blackwater.
On the 12th of September, Captain John Orefeur
left Cork, with a detachment of the regiment, to scour
the country ; and arriving in the vicinity of Lismore,
he encountered a numerous body of armed partisans
of King James, whom he instantly attacked, killed twenty
of their number upon the spot, and put the remainder
to flight, which so alarmed the armed bands of Roman
Catholic peasantry, that they did not again appear in
that part of the country for some time.
While the regiment was engaged in these services,
the Irish army was defeated at Aghrim, and the city
of Limerick was besieged by King William's forces.
The surrender of this fortress, completed the deliver
ance of Ireland from the power of King James, and
terminated the war in that country.
The Thirteenth regiment was relieved from garrison
duty at Cork on the 22nd of December, and embarked
for England, where it arrived towards the end of that
month. At this period, the desire of conquest, with the dis- 1692
position, by adding city to city and province to pro
vince, to form a vast empire, and to control the nations

1 2 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT'S
1692 of Europe with despotic sway, marked the policy of
the French court : this rendered it necessary for the
British monarch to engage in war to preserve the civil
and religious liberties of Europe ; and while the army
of the confederate states, commanded by King William,
confronted the forces of Louis XIV. in the Netherlands,
the Thirteenth were selected to form part of an
expedition against the French coast, under Lieut.-
General the Duke of Leinster (afterwards Duke
Schomberg). The French fleet had been defeated a
short time previously off La Hogue, and Louis XIV. had
anticipated a descent, and had assembled so many
forces on the coast, that the Duke of Leinster did not
venture to land his troops. After menacing the coast
of France at several points, the fleet sailed to Ostend,
where the regiment landed on the 22nd of August.
The Thirteenth and a number of other corps ad
vanced a few stages up the country, when the French
withdrew from Fumes and Dixmude, and the English
took possession of, and fortified these towns.
When the army went into winter quarters, the Thir
teenth were ordered to return to England, and they
were emplojj^ed on home service during the remainder
of the war,
1693 After the loss of the battle of Landen, in July, 1693,
by the confederate army under King William, the
Thirteknth regiment sent a draft of one hundred and
fifty men to Flanders, to replace the losses of the regi
ments which had suffered most on that occasion.
1695 In the early part of 1695, an accusation was preferred
against Colonel Ferdinando Hastings, of charging the
soldiers too high a price for certain articles which he, as
Colonel, was in the habit of providing for them ; an
investigation afterwards took place, he was proved

regiment of light infantry. 13
guilty of extortion, and deprived of his commission on 1695
the 4th of March. On the 1 3th of March, King William
conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on the Lieut.-
Colonel, Sir John Jacob, Baronet, who had served in
it several years, and distinguished himself in Scotland
and Ireland.
In 1697 the war was terminated by the treaty of 1697
Ryswick, and King William saw his efforts to arrest the
progress of French conquests attended with complete
success. The regiment was placed upon a peace esta
blishment in 1698; the army was further reduced in 1698
1699, and the Thirteenth proceeded to Ireland to 1699
replace one of the corps ordered to be disbanded in
that country.
When a powerful monarch adopts measures of un- 1700
principled aggression, and pursues schemes of aggran
dizement without regard to the stipulations of treaties,
to the rights of nations, or to the privileges of individuals,
peace is not of long duration : but princes of a pacific
disposition, and people devoted to the interests of in
dustry and commerce, are forced to assume the profes
sion of arms, and to fight in defence of their just rights
and privileges. Such was repeatedly the case during
the reign of Louis X IV., who terminated the repose
granted to Europe by the treaty of Ryswick, by pro
curing the elevation of his grandson, the Duke of
Anjou, to the throne of Spain ; — by taking possession
of the Spanish Netherlands, — making prisoners the
Dutch garrisons in the barrier towns, and other acts of
aggression. The interests of every state in Europe
being affected by the change in the dynasty of Spain,
the preparations for war Avere universal, and King
William sent thirteen British battalions to Holland, to
act as auxiliaries.

14 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1701 The Thirteenth regiment was selected to proceed
on foreign service : it was augmented to eight hundred
and thirty officers and soldiers ; and sailing from Cork
in the middle of June, 1701, arrived at Helvoetsluys, in
South Holland, on the 8th of July. The British troops
were afterwards sent up the Maese to Breda, and other
fortified towns ; and on the 21st of September they
were reviewed on Breda heath by King William III.
1102 After passing the winter in garrison in Holland, the
regiment quitted its quarters on the 10th of March,
1702, and proceeded to Rosendael, where the British
infantry encamped under Brigadier- General Ingoldsby,
then Colonel of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Colonel Sir John Jacob, Baronet, being desirous of
retiring from the active duties of commanding officer of
the regiment, which were performed by all colonels not
having higher rank, procured permission to dispose of
the colonelcy of the regiment for fourteen hundred
guineas, to his brother-in-laAV, James Earl of Barry
more, whose appointment was dated the 15th of March,
1 702, being seven days after the death of King Wil
liam III., and the accession of Queen Anne.
In the middle of April, the Imperialists besieged the
strong iovtress oi Kayserswerth on the Lower Rhine, and
the Thirteenth regiment was one of the corps which
traversed the country to the duchy of Cleves, and
joined the covering army, under the Earl of Athlone,
encamped at Cranenburg.
A French army of superior numbers proceeded, by
forced marches, through the forest of Cleves and plain
of Goch, to cut off the communication of the troops at
Cranenburg, with Grave and Nimeguen. In consequence
of this movement, the British and Dutch struck their
tents on the evening of the 10th of June, and retreating

regiment of light infantry. 15
throughout the night, arrived, about eight o'clock on 1702
the following morning, within a few miles of Nimeguen,
at which time the French columns appeared on both
flanks and in the rear. Some sharp skirmishing oc
curred : the British corps forming the rear guard
behaved with great gallantry, and the army effected
its retreat under the works of Nimeguen. Kayserswerth
surrendered three days afterwards.
Additional forces arrived in Holland, the Earl of
Marlborough assumed the command, and the Eighth,
Thirteenth, Seventeenth, and Eighteenth regiments,
were formed in brigade under Brigadier-General
Frederick Hamilton. This brigade took part in the
manoeuvres by which the French army was forced to
withdraw from the frontiers of Holland ; and when the
siege of the fortress of Venloo — a town in the province
of Limburg, situate on the east side of the Maese, with
fortifications beyond the river — was undertaken, Briga
dier-General Hamilton's brigade formed part of the
force of thirty-two battalions of infantry and thirty-six
squadrons of cavalry, detached from the main army
for this enterprise, under Prince Nassau Saarbruck.
The Thirteenth regiment carried on its attacks
against the detached fortress of St. Michael, on the
west side of the river; and on the 18th of September,
the grenadier company of the regiment was ordered to
take part in storming the covered-way, which, from the
extraordinary gallantry of the soldiers, ended in the
capture of the fort. Between five and six o'clock in
the evening the signal was given, when the grenadiers
rushed forward ; — the French fired a few rounds and
fled; — the British leaped into the covered- way, and
pursued their opponents so closely, that friends and foes
entered the ravelin together. The French in the

16 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1702 ravelin were soon sabred ; those who escaped fled across
a small wooden bridge, and were followed so closely
that they had not time to remove the bridge, and after
a sharp struggle, the English and French entered the
fort together. The British got over the fausse-braye,
climbed up the rampart with great difficulty, — pulled
up the palisades from the parapet, ascended the ram
part, and captured the fort sword in hand, making
thirty officers and one hundred and seventy soldiers
prisoners ; the remainder of the garrison, whicli con
sisted of six hundred men, were either killed in the
attack, or drowned in attempting to escape across the
river, excepting twelve men, who passed the stream in
small boats.
In a few days afterwards, information arrived of the
capture of Landau by the Germans, when the army
before Venloo assembled to fire three rounds for that
event, and the batteries were ordered to fire three
volleys. When the garrison and inhabitants saw the
preparations in the besieging army, they imagined it
was for attacking the place by storm : the magistrates
begged the governor to surrender, and the town was
delivered up.
After the surrender of Venloo, the Thirteenth
regiment was engaged in the siege of Ruremonde, which
fortress was invested towards the end of September, and
surrendered on the 7th of October.
The army afterwards advanced towards Liege; the
city was immediately delivered up, and the citadel was
captured by storm on the 23rd of October : on which
occasion the grenadiers of the army distinguished them
selves. A detached fortress, called the Charti-euse,
surrendered soon afterwards, and these conquests ter
minated the campaign.

regiment of light infantry. ] 7
Quitting the valley of Liege on the 3rd of Novem- 1702
ber, the regiment marched back to Holland, and was
stationed in garrison at Breda during the winter.
From Breda the regiment marched, in April, 1703, 1703
towards Maestricht. The French attempted to surprise
the British troops in their quarters, but the gallant
resistance of two regiments, at Tongres (the second,
or Queen's Royals, and Elst's), gave time for the army
to assemble in order of battle at Maestricht. The re
giment served this campaign in brigade with the same
corps as in 1702 : it was employed in several movements
designed to bring the enemy to a general engagement ;
but the French withdrew behind their fortified lines,
where the Duke of Marlborough was desirous of
attacking them, to which the Dutch generals would not
consent. In August, the fortress of Z^wy, situate on the Maese
above the city of Liege, was besieged, and it was cap
tured in ten days. Another proposal to attack the
French lines having been declined by the Dutch,
Limburg, in the Spanish Netherlands, was besieged, and
on the 27 th of September, the garrison surrendered,
which completed the deliverance of Spanish Guelder
land from the power of France.
After taking part in these captures, the regiment was
selected to transfer its services from the Netherlands
to Portugal, to take part in the attempt to place Arch
duke Charles of Austria on the throne of Spain by
force of arms; several states of Europe having acknow
ledged him as king of Spain, the British, Dutch^
and Portuguese had engaged to aid him in gaining
possession of the throne. The regiment embarked from
Holland in October, and sailed to Portsmouth; but it
was detained so long by contrary winds, that it did not
c

18 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT's
1704 arrive at Lisbon, before March, 1704, when it landed,
and marched to Abrantes ; but was afterwards removed
to the Alemtejo.
The British troops in Portugal were commanded by
General Mainhard Duke Schomberg, and he suggested
active measures ; but tardiness and inability were
manifested by the Portuguese authorities, to so great
an extent, that the Duke of Berwick invaded Portugal
with a French and Spanish army, before the allies were
prepared to take the field. The court of Lisbon was
alarmed; Duke Schomberg solicited to be recalled;
and the Earl of Galway was sent with reinforcements
to Portugal.
In the early part of the campaign, the Thikteenth
foot were employed in the Alemtejo : they were reviewed
at the camp at Estremos on the 21st of July, and were
afterwards removed to Vimiera.
After the summer heat had abated, the regiment
joined the army, and penetrated into Spain as far as the
bank of the Agueda, near Ciudad Rodrigo ; but the
Duke of Berwick had made so skilful a disposition of
the French and Spanish forces under his orders, on
the opposite side of the river, that the allies were pre
vented passing the stream, and the British troops
returned to Portugal for winter quarters.
In the meantime the important fortress of Gibraltar*
had been captured by the combined English and Dutch
fleets, and garrisoned by a body of marines under the
Prince of Hesse Darmstadt. The capture of this
fortress revived the hopes and expectations of the allies,
* When the Moors invaded Spain, about the year 711, they took posses
sion of this rock, as a suitable place for the reception of supplies from
the opposite coast, and they called it, in lionour of a leader named Tarif,
Gibel-tarif, or Tarif 's Mountain ; hence the name of Gibraltar is derived

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY- 19
and disconcerted the measures of King Philip, of 1704
Spain, and his grandfather Louis XIV. ; a combined
French and Spanish army was assembled to retake Gib
raltar, and the French monarch, who possessed, at that
period, a naval force of great magnitude, directed his
fleet to co-operate in this service. The troops under
the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt defended the fortress
with great gallantry, and eventually applied lo the
commander of the forces in Portugal for aid, when a
battalion of the first and second foot guards, the Thir
teenth and thirty-fifth regiments, the Dutch regiment
of Waes, and the Portuguese regiment of Algarve,
were selected to reinforce the garrison.
The Thirteenth regiment, mustering thirty-nine
serjeants, thirty-nine corporals, twenty-six drummers,
and six hundred and fifty private soldiers, marched from
the frontiers of Portugal to Lisbon, and embarked on
board of transports on the 8th of December : two days
afterwards the fleet sailed under the convoy of four
frigates, and on the 17th it was becalmed, when the
boats were hoisted out, and attempts made to gain
some progress by the use of oars. A fleet of men of
war appeared in sight, under English -and Dutch
colours, and it was supposed to be the squadron under
Vice-Admiral Leake and Rear-Admiral Vander-
Dussen; but observing the men-of-war forming a half-
moon to surround the transports, a private signal was
made, and the men-of-war being unable to answer it,
instantly hoisted French colours. The danger was
great, with a hostile fleet so near, but the transports
put out every boat, and made some way by towing :
the enemy was becalmed, and in the evening a breeze
sprung up, which enabled the British vessels to escape,
excepting one ship, which was captured. On the fol-
c 2

20 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1704 lowing day, the Thirteenth regiment landed at Gib
raltar, at the moment when the garrison was beginning
to despair of assistance.
The regiment was not long at Gibraltar before it
had opportunities of distinguishing itself, and a detach
ment formed part of the body of troops which issued
from the fortress during the night of the 22nd of De
cember, forced the Spanish posts, routed a body of
cavalry, levelled part of the works, burnt many fascines
and gabions, and retired with little loss.
1 705 Still anticipating success, the French and Spaniards
prosecuted the siege ; and, in the beginning of February,
1705, a chosen band of French grenadiers attacked
the round tower : they climbed the rock by the aid of
hooks, but were repulsed with loss.
About four days afterwards, six hundred select French
and Walloon grenadiers, supported by a large body of
Spaniards, ascended the hill with great silence in the
night, and concealed themselves until daybreak on the
morning of the 7th of February ; and when the night-
guard had been withdrawn from the breach near the
round tower, they made a sudden rush, and drove the
ordinary guard from its post with a shower of hand-
grenades : at the same time, two hundred grenadiers
attacked the round tower. The troops in garrison were
soon alarmed, and Captain Fisher, of the Queen's
marines (now fourth foot), charged the enemy at the
head of seventeen men; but his party was soon over
powered and himself taken prisoner. Major MoNCALL
of the Thirteenth foot, a most gallant officer, collected
between four and five hundred men, principally of his
own regiment, and charged the enemy, sword in hand,
so vigorously, that he soon drove them back, recaptured
the round tower, after it had been in the possession of

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 21
the enemy about an hour, and liberated Captain Fisher 17^5
and several other prisoners. The soldiers of the
Thirteenth regiment were aided, in this gallant effort,
by Colonel Rivett of the foot guards, who climbed the
rock on the right of the covered way with twenty
grenadiers, and favoured Major Moncall's success.
Additional men were brought forward, and the French
and Walloon grenadiers were driven from the works
with severe loss. On the following day, the brave
Major Moncall of the Thirteenth lost his leg by a
cannon-shot. The French and Spaniards continued their unavailing
attempts on Gibraltar, and the siege became a subject
of great interest throughout Europe ; but towards the
end of March, they withdrew the shattered remains of
their formidable army from before the place, and left
the English in quiet possession of the fortress they had
so gallantly defended, and which they have preserved
to the present period.
In a few weeks after the siege of Gibraltar was raised,
an expedition sailed from England, under Charles Earl
of Peterborough, either to aid the Duke of Savoy in
driving the French out of Italy, to make an attempt
on Sicily and Naples, or to further the progress of
Archduke Charles in Spain, as should appear most
advantageous for Her Majesty's service; and the latter
course was adopted. The expedition arrived at Gib
raltar in the beginning of August ; and the Thirteenth
foot were relieved from duty in that garrison by a
newly-raised regiment from England, and embarked on
board the fleet, which put to sea in a few days after
wards. The expedition appeared off the coast of Valencia :
a thousand Catalonians and Valencians threw off their

22 the thirteenth, or prince albert s
I7i05 allegiance to King Philip, acknowledged Archduke
Charles as sovereign of Spain, and seized on Denia,
while others made demonstrations of giving effectual
aid to the expedition. Thus encouraged, the Earl of
Peterborough undertook the daring enterprise of
besieging Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, «hich
assumed a romantic character, in consequence of his
being unable to bring more than seven thousand men
into the lines, the garrison consisting of nearly six
thousand men, and of this fortress having resisted a
French army of thirty thousand men, eight weeks, in
1697, and cost the French monarch twelve thousand
men to take it. The troops landed on the 2;3rd and
24th of August, and the Thirteenth regiment took
part in the siege. On the 13th of September, the
grenadier company of the regiment left the camp, and
after a night march among the mountains, appeared
before the detached fortress of Montjuich, at daylight
on the following morning, and took part in storming the
outworks of that place, in which it had several men
killed and wounded. Three days afterwards, the strong
castle and citadel of Montjuich surrendered, which
greatly facilitated the progress of the siege of Barcelona.
The besieging army was so very weak in numbers
that extraordinary efforts were necessary ; the soldiers
and seamen were incessant in their exertions ; cannon
and mortars were dragged up steep precipices by men,
and a practicable breach having been made, a detach
ment of the Thirteenth foot was in readiness to take
part m storming the works, when the governor
surrendered. The capture of so important a fortress, by so small
a body of men, produced a great sensation throughout
Europe, and this splendid achievement was followed by

regiment of light infantry. 23
the submission of nearly all Catalonia, the largest and 1705
richest province of Spain.
Elated by this success, the Earl of Peterborough
resolved to undertake another enterprise of a more
romantic character than the former, namely the
invasion of Valencia, with a body of troops not suf
ficiently numerous to form the advance guard of the
opposing army. The Thirteenth regiment being
conspicuous for its efficiency, and for the gallant bearing
of the officers and soldiers, was selected to form part of
his Lordship's force.
From Barcelona the regiment marched under the
command of Lieut.-Col. Edward Pearcij;, to Tortosa,
on the river Ebro. In the meantime the Conde de las
Torres having been sent by King Philip, with a nume
rous force, to retake the towns which had declared for
Archduke Charles, he had besieged the fortress of
St. Matheo, and the Thirteenth were ordered to
march to the relief of this town. The troops employed
in this service were very inferior in numbers to the
besieging army; but by night marches among the
woods and mountains, and circulating exaggerated
reports of his numbers, the British general succeeded in
surprising his opponents, and the Spanish commander,
being deceived by spies, made a precipitate retreat.
After this service was performed, the officers and
men were so exhausted by long marches, day and night
over the mountains, that the regiment was ordered into
quarters of refreshment at Vinaros, where it remained
a short period, while the Earl of Peterborough was
making preparations for the expedition to Valencia.
Early in the year 1706, Lieut.-Col. Pearce received 1706
orders to march with the Thirtkenth regiment from
Vinaros to Oropeso, where an extraordinary alteration

24 THE thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1706 took place in the character of the corps, which is with
out parallel in the history of the British army. The
Earl of Peterborough was much in want of cavalry for
his expedition to Valencia, and he procured, with great
zeal and industry, about eight hundred Spanish horses ;
about two hundred of these horses were given to the
Royal Dragoons, and other corps, to remount the men
whose horses had died, and with the other six hundred
he resolved to form a corps of cavalry. He had been
much pleased with the conduct of the Thirteenth foot
on all occasions, and he determined to constitute them
a Regiment of Dragoons. This was, however, not com
municated to the officers and soldiers until every pre
paration was made, and as the regiment approached
Oropeso, it was met by the Earl of Peterborough, and
reviewed on a small plain near the town. After the
review the horses were produced, and the regiment
was constituted a corps of dragoons of eight troops, of
which Lieut.-Col. Edward Pearce was appointed colonel.
The following account of this circumstance is copied
from Dr. Freind's account of the Earl of Peterborough's
campaign in Valencia : — ' No surprise, I believe, was
' equal to that of the officers and soldiers of Colonel
' Pearce's regiment, who had orders to march from
' Vinaros, to a place called Oropeso, four leagues from
' Castillon de la Plana : at this place, by ten in the
' morning, they were met by the Earl of Peterborough,
¦ on a plain just bordering on the town. His Lordship
' having made a review, was complimenting the regi-
* ment, and wishing he had horses and accoutrements,
' to try whether a corps of so good a character would
• maintain the like reputation upon such a change.
' They, no doubt, concurred very heartily with his
' Lordship in his wishes, httle expecting the execution

regiment of light infantry. 25
' of them ih a moment : but his Lordship having 1706
' ordered his secretary to give the commissions already
' prepared, the officers at last believed the general in
' earnest ; when, turning to the edge of a hill, they
' saw eight bodies of horses, drawn up separately, and
' found them all ready accoutred. Among these there
* were three good horses for each captain, two for each
' lieutenant, and one for each cornet. My Lord left to
' the field officers the choice of their troops ; the, other
' captains drew lots : and immediately they all mounted
' and marched to the quarters appointed for them.'
In the ' Annals of Queen Anne,' it is stated : — ' He
• ( the Earl of Peterborough) collected above six
' hundred horses, with which he recruited his horse, and
' formed a regiment of dragoons of the Lord Barry-
' more's regiment of foot, the command of which new
regiment he gave to Lieut.-Col. Pearce, ordering the
' remaining officers of the old corps to return to England
' to recruit the same.'
Similar statements to the above are contained in
Carleton 's Memoirs, Tindal's History of England, and
other historical works. In the official records, it is
stated, that twenty-seven officers and six hundred and
sixty non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the
Thirteenth foot, then called the Earl of Barrymore's
regiment, were formed into a corps of dragoons in
Spain; that Lieut.-Col. Pearce of the Thirteenth
was appointed colonel of the new regiment of dragoons,
which obtained rank in the army from the 25th of
February, 1 706 ; and that 900/. levy money was paid
for recruiting the Thirteenth to its establishment in
England. The regiment of dragoons thus formed proved a
valuable corps, and distinguished itself on several oc
casions. It formed part of the force engaged in the

26 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1706 Earl of Peterborough's splendid campaign in Valencia,
and evinced great gallantry in the capturing of the
Spanish battering train near the city of Valencia.
After the siege of Barcelona was raised, this regiment
advanced upon Madrid, and joined the army of Portugal,
under the Earl of Galway, at Guadalaxara, on the 8th
of August, 1705. It subsequently took part in covering
the march of the army to Valencia, and was so reduced
in numbers by continual service, and the losses it sus
tained in numerous skirmishes, that in the spring of
1707, it only mustered two hundred and sevent3'-three
men. It was one of the corps which displayed great
intrepidity and bravery at the battle of Almanza, on
the 25th of April, 1/07, when it had Lieut.-Col.
Deloches, Cornets Cundy and Holmes, and Quarter-
Master Sturges killed ; Lieut. Fitzgerald and Cornet
Barry wounded and taken prisoners : it also sustained
a severe loss in killed and wounded. It was disbanded
after the treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
The remaining officers and soldiers of the Thir-
teknth, who were not constituted dragoons, returned
to England in 1 706, and had so great success in recruit
ing the regiment, that in less than two years it was fit
for service.
1707 While the regiment was recruiting in England, the
allied army was defeated at Almanza, and a French
and Spanish force invaded Portuguese Estremadura
and the Alemtejo, when four regiments (the fifth,
twentieth, thirty-ninth, and Stanwix's, afterwards dis
banded) embarked from Ireland for Portugal ;. and
duiing the winter the Thirteenth regiment, being
again fit for duty, proceeded to the same destination :
it was placed on the strength of the army in Portugal
on the 24th of December, 1707.
1708 A f ter landing at Lisbon, the regiment marched under

regiment of light infantry. - 27
the orders of its colonel, the Earl of Barrymore, to the 1708
Alemtejo ; in the spring of 1 708 it was encamped at
Fuentes de Sapatores, between Elvas and Campo Mayor,
with the army commanded by the Marquis de Fronteira,
and was formed in brigade with the regiments of
Stanwix and Galway (newly-raised corps, afterwards
disbanded) under Brigadier-General Thomas Pearce
(of the fifth foot) ; but the services of the Thirteenth
were limited to operations of a defensive character.
In April, 1709, the regiment was encamped near 1709
Estremos, from whence it was removed to Elvas, and
subsequently to the banks of the Caya. On the 7th
of May, the French and Spaniards under the Marquis
de Bay marched in the direction of Campo Mayor,
when the Portuguese generals resolved to pass the Caya
and attack the enemy, contrary to the advice of
the Earl of Galway. The Portuguese cavalry of the
right wing crossed the river, and opened a sharp
cannonade ; but when the opposing horsemen advanced
to charge, the Portuguese squadron galloped out of the
field, leaving their cannon behind. The infantry of
the allied army stood its ground, repulsed the charges
of the Spanish cavalry three times, and afterwards com
menced its retreat, when the Earl of Galway led forward
the Thirteenth, Stanwix's, and his own regiment, to
favour the retrograde movement. The Thirteenth
were in front, and charged the Spaniards with distin-
tinguished gallantry ; the other two regiments of the
brigade also evinced great bravery, and the three corps
overthrew the leading columns of the opposing army,
and recaptured the Portuguese guns. Animated and
encouraged by this success, the three regiments pressed
forward until they became exposed to the attack of
superior numbers, when the Portuguese cavalry of the

28 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT'S
1709 left wing were ordered to support them, but in
stead of obeying these orders, the Portuguese
squadrons galloped to the rear. Thus forsaken, the
three regiments were cut off from the allied army, sur
rounded by opponents, and only a few officers and men
were able to cut their passage through the host of ad
versaries which environed them ; the remainder were
forced to surrender prisoners of war. Among the
prisoners were Major-General Sankey and Brigadier-
General Thomas Pearce.
The Thirteenth foot sustained a severe loss on
this occasion; besides the killed and wounded, it
had Colonel the Earl of Barrymore, four aptains,
eight lieutenants, eight ensigns, three volunteers, and
between two and three hundred non-commissioned
officers and soldiers taken prisoners.
1710 The captured officers and soldiers were exchanged;
and the regiment served the campaign of 1710 on the
frontiers of Portugal, but had no opportunity of dis
tinguishing itself.
1711 In 1711 the Thirteenth foot were withdrawn from
Portugal, and proceeded to Gibraltar, where they
1713 were stationed until the peace of Utrecht, 1713, when
that fortress was ceded to Great Britain.
At the conclusion of the peace, 1713, the regiment
received drafts of non-commissioned officers and soldiers
from several corps which were ordered to be disbanded,
and the protection of the important fortress of Gibral
tar was confided to the fifth. Thirteenth, and twen
tieth regiments.
1715 On the 8th July, 1715, the Earl of Barrymore was
succeeded in the command of the regiment by Colonel
Stanhope Cotton, who had served in Brigadier-General
Bowles's regiment, which was disbanded in 1713.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 29
Colonel Cotton was honoured with the appointment 1715
of Lieut.-Governor of Gibraltar, and the Thirteenth
regiment, under his command, was as much distin
guished for its excellent conduct in garrison in time of
peace, as it had been for its gallantry in action during
the war.
After commanding the regiment upwards of twelve 1725
years. Colonel Cotton died on the 7th of December,
1725, when King George I. conferred the colonelcy of
the Thirteenth foot on Brigadier-General Lord Mark
Kerr, from the twenty-ninth regiment-
The importance of Gibraltar had rendered the 1726
loss of that fortress a subject of deep regret to the
crown of Spain, and on the prospect of England being
involved in a continental war, in 1 726, the Spanish
monarch resolved to commence hostilities with Great
Britain, by a determined effort to recover possession
of this desirable entrepot to the Mediterranean, which
gave the Thirteenth regiment another opportunity
of adding to its honours, that of a second successful
defence of Gibraltar-
The Spaniards made preparations for the siege upon 1727
an extensive scale : their troops encamped before the
fortress in January, 1727, under General Count de las
Torres, and the bringing up of cannon and mortars
occupied several weeks. In February they commenced
constructing batteries, before any declaration of war
had been made, and persisted in the work, notwith
standing the remonstrances of the Lieut.-Governor,
Colonel Jasper Clayton.
On the 21st of February, the garrison opened its fire
upon the besiegers, and from that day the thunder of
cannon and mortars reverberated among the mountains
of Andalusia, proclaiming the strenuous efforts of the
besieging arm}-, and the gallant defence made by the

30 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1727 garrison, which was encouraged by the arrival of addi
tional corps from England. The siege was continued
until thousands of Spaniards had perished in the at
tempt ; but very little loss had been sustained by the
garrison. In the early part of June the fire slackened,
and on the 18th of that month hostilities ceased, in con
sequence of preliminary articles for a treaty of peace
having been agreed upon.
1728 The regiment was relieved from duty at Gibraltar
in the spring of 1728, and returning to England, after
an absence of upwards of twenty years, landed at
Portsmouth on the 1st of May.
1 730 On the I8th of July, 1 730, King George 1 1 . reviewed
the regiment, in brigade with the twelfth foot, on
Winkfield plain. His Majesty was accompanied by the
Queen, and a number of distinguished persons, and the
• appearance and movements of the two regiments ex
cited great admiration.
1732 In May, 1732, Lord Mark Kerr was removed to the
eleventh dragoons, and was succeeded in the colonelcy
of the Thirteenth foot, by Colonel John Middleton,
from the twenty-fifth regiment. This officer com
manded the regiment seven years, and died on the 4th
1739 of May, 1739 : the colonelcy remained vacant two months,
and was conferred, on the 5th of July, on Colonel Henry
P ulteney from major of thesecond foot guards.
On the 23rd of October of this year war was pro
claimed against Spain, and the establishment of the
regiment was augmented to eight hundred and fifteen
officers and soldiers.
1740 In the summer of 1740 the Thirteenth foot pitched
their tents in V^ indsor forest, where an encampment of
two regiments of horse, three of dragoons, and three of
foot, was formed, under Lieut.-General Honey wood-
In the autumn of this year, Charles VI. Emperor of

regiment of light INFANTRY. 31
Germany died, when the succession of the Archduchess 1740
Maria Theresa, as Queen of Hungary and Bohemia,
was disputed by the Elector of Bavaria, who was sup
ported by the arms of France.
On the prospect of Great Britain being involved in 1741
the war on the Continent, the regiment was held in ^
readiness to embark for foreign service, and in July,
1741, it pitched its tents on Lexden-heath, in the county
of Essex, where three regiments of horse, four of dra- •
goons, and seven of foot, were encamped, and held in
readiness to proceed abroad.
In the summer of 1742, sixteen thousand men pro- 1742
ceeded to Flanders, under the Earl of Stair, to sup
port the house of Austria : the Thirteenth regiment
was one of the corps which proceeded to Flanders,
where it remained in quarters until the early part of
the following year. On the 31st March, 1743, war was 1743
declared against France, and the troops which the King
of Great Britain had assembled in the Netherlands
began their march for Germany. The Thirteenth
was engaged in operations in the territory bordering
on the Rhine, and after several movements it was en
camped at Aschaffenburg, where King George II. and
His Royal Highness the Dukeof Cumberland joined
the army.
On the 27th of June, the troops commenced their
march for Hanau, when a body of French crossed the
river Maine, and formed for battle in a strong position
near the village oi Dettingen. The allied army formed
for action under a heavy cannonade, and about mid
day the contest commenced. The Thirteenth were
sharply engaged, and had the honour to signalize
themselves under the eye of their sovereign, who
evinced great personal bravery, and stimulated the
soldiers to deeds of heroism by his presence and ani-

32 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1743 mating language. The French army was defeated and
driven across the river Maine with severe loss, and the
allied army stood triumphant on the field of battle,
having in its possession many colours, standards, pri
soners, and other trophies indicating a complete vic
tory. Twenty-one rank and file of the Thirteknth foot were
killed on this occasion ; and Ensigns Ogilbie and
Gray, one drummer, and twenty-nine rank and file,
wounded. From the field of battle, the army continued its
march, on the following day, to Hanau, where the
regiment was encamped several weeks : it afterwards
crossed the Rhine, and was engaged in operations in
West Germany ; but repassed the Rhine in October,
and returned to Flanders for winter- quarters.
1744 In May, 1744, the regiment again took the field, and
served the campaign of that year under Field-Marshal
Wade : it was encamped between Asche and Alost, and
afterwards on the banks of the Scheldt. Towards the
end of the camj<aign it penetrated the territory sub
ject to France as far as Lisle, but returned to Ghent
for winter quarters.
1745 In April, 1745, the regiment pitched its tents near
Brussels, and in the beginning of May marched to the
village of Soignies, from whence it advanced, with the
army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of
Cumberland, to the relief of Tournay, which fortress
was besieged by a numerous French force. This
movement brought on a general engagement, near the
village of Fontenoy, on the II th of May, when the
regiment had another opportunity of distinguishing
itself in conflict with the enemy.
On this occasion the regiment entered the plain in
front of the French position, formed line under a heavy

regiment of light infantry. 33
fire of artillery from the enemy's batteries, and ad- 1745
vanced to attack the formidable array of infantry and
artillery posted on the right of the village cf Fontenoy.
'^I he British infantry, advancing to the attack, exhibited
a splendid spectacle of war, and the heroic resolution
with which they precipitated themselves, with the bay
onet, u{)on the opposing ranks, proved the innate
bravery of the men ; but owing to the failure of the
Dutch in their attack on the village, the British
were forced to retire. The attack was repeated, British
prowess was again triumphant, and the French lines
were forced ; but the Dutch failed a second time, and
the British were compelled to withdraw : the army re -
treated from the field of battle to Aeth.
Captain Queenchant, two serjeants, and thirty-five
private soldiers of the Thirteenth foot, were killed ;
Captain -Lieutenant Daniel Nicholas, Lieutenants
William Jones and Samuel Edhouse, two serjeants,
and thirty-nine private men were wounded.
Leaving Aeth on the 16th of May, the regiment en
camped on the plains of Lessines, and was afterwards
employed in defensive operations ; but the allied arm)'
was not sufficiently numerous to prevent the enemy
obtaining possession of several fortified towns.
While the army was in Flanders, Charles Edward,
eldest son of the Pretender, arrived in Scotland, and
being joined by several clans, he asserted his father's
pretensions to the throne. Unaccustomed to hear the
sound of war at their own gates, the British people
were at first alarmed, but soon recovering, they evinced
loyalty and union in sustaining the fixed rights of their
sovereign and in defending their own liberties. Ihe
volunteer associations were not, however, ready to take
the; field for some time, and several corps were ordered

34 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERt's
1745 to return from Flanders. The Thirteenth regiment
was one of the corps ordered home on this occasion,
and it landed at Blackwall on the 23rd of September.
It was immediately ordered to the north ; and, joining
the troops assembled by Field-Marshal Wade at Don-
caster, marched from thence to Newcastle-on-Tyne.
When the clans penetrated into England, the regiment
was employed in covering Yorkshire, and when they
made their precipitate retreat to Scotland, it returned
to Newcastle, where it arrived on the 26th of Decem
ber.
1 746 From Newcastle the regiment marched to Edinburgh,
and joined the forces assembled at that place, under
Lieut.-General Hawley, for the relief of Stirling Castle,
which was besieged by the young Pretender. This
force advanced to Falkirk, where it arrived on the 16th
of January, 1746, and encamped. On the following day
the outposts gave information of the approach of the
rebel army, and the King's troops left their camp-ground
and formed for battle on Falkirk moor. At the mo
ment when the battle commenced, a heavy storm of
wind and rain beat violently in the faces of the King's
troops ; the soldiers could scarcely see their opponents,
their muskets would not give fire, confusion ensued,
and a great portion of the army retired from the field
of battle: a few regiments, however, remained firm,
and repulsed the left wing of the rebel army.
After retiring from Falkirk moor, the Thirteenth
regiment marched back to Edinburgh, where additional
forces arrived, and His Royal Highness the Duke of
Cumberland took the command of the troops in Scot
land. On the 31st of January, the army again advanced,
when the young Pretender raised the siege of Stirling

kegiment of light infantry. 35
Castle, and made a precipitate retreat towards In- 1746
verness. The Thirteenth were engaged in the
pursuit of the rebel clans ; but the army was forced to
halt at Perth, in consequence of the severity of the
weather, until the 20th of February, when the march
was resumed ; and in the beginning of March, the army
arrived at Aberdeen, where it was detained by heavy
rain and snow storms.
In the early part of April, the King's troops were
again in motion, and on the 14th of that month they
arrived at Nairn. The rebels made a sudden advance
from Inverness, with the view of surprising the royal
forces in the night, but finding the outposts alert, they
retreated. Early on the morning of the 16th of April, the army
advanced in three columns towards Inverness, and
about eleven o'clock the rebel forces were discovered on
Culloden moor, when the royal army formed for battle ;
the Thirteenth regiment having its post in Brigadier-
General Mordaunt's division, and bringing into the field
twenty-two officers, twenty-three serjeants, nineteen
drummers, and three hundred and ten rank and file- In
the first instance, the regiment formed part of the reserve,
but as the army advanced, a change in the character
of the ground occasioned the Thirteenth foot to be
ordered forward to take post on the right of the royals.
The fire of cannon was succeeded by several charges, in
which the King's troops were victorious. A body of
Highlanders, with broad swords and targets, advanced to
wards the Thirteenth foot, but they were intimidated
by the gallant bearing of the regiment, and fled from
the field before the soldiers could close upon them with
bayonets. The rebel army was routed at every part
of the field, and pursued for several miles with great
d2

36 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1746 slaughter, and the loss of all its artillery. Thus the
events of one day transformed the young Pretender
from an imaginary monarch to a destitute fugitive, and
after enduring great hardship and suffering he escaped
to France.
After the victory at Culloden, the regiment was en
camped a short period at Inverness, and it was subse
quent!}' employed in escorting the prisoners taken on
that occasion.
The rebellion in Scotland having been suppressed,
the Thirteenth regiment was ordered to return to
the Netherlands. It landed in Holland in the autumn
and advanced up the country to Maestricht, where it
arrived on the 9 th of October. At this period, the
French army under Marshal Saxe, and the allied army
under Prince Charles of Lorraine, were manoeuvring
in the vicinity of the city of Liege, and an engage
ment being expected, the regiment received orders to
advance with all possible expedition, and join the
army. In obedience to these orders, the regiment
quitted Maestricht, and, by a forced march, arrived in
the vicinity of Liege on the morning of the llth of
October, at the moment when the French army was
developing its attack on three villages, which were oc
cupied by eight battalions of English, Dutch, and
Hessians. The regiment was instantly ordered to take
post near the village of Roucoux, under the command
of Brigadier-General Houghton. The leading brigades
of the enemy were repulsed, and a second line of com
batants was defeated ; but the enemy brought forward so
many fresh troops, that the eight battalions were driven
from the villages by superior numbers. A retreat
was ordered, which was executed with great regularity,'
and the army marched to the vicinity of Maestricht.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 37
The regiment was subsequently employed in the 1747
province of Limburg, and passed the winter in quar
ters near the Dutch frontiers.
In the spring of 1747, the regiment took the field,
and formed part of the army under the command of
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland. After
encamping for a short period near the banks of the
Scheldt, it was employed in operations on the Great
Nethe and on the Demer. On the 1st of July, the
opposing armies confronted each other between Ton
gres and Maestricht, and the Thirteenth, twenty-
fifth, and thirty-seventh regiments, with Freude-
man's Hanoverians, and a portion of artillery, took
possession of the village of Val, situate about a league
from Maestricht, and on the south of the road from
that place to Tongres. The day was passed in can
nonading and skirmishing, and the troops lay all the
night on their arms.
Early on the morning of the 2nd of July, the
French infantry descended the hills, and advanced in a
grand column of upwards of sixty battalions against
the village of Val, where the Thirteenth and three
Other regiments were formed to resist this immense
array of French power, and the Duke of Cumberland
galloped to that part of the field to encourage the
soldiers to a determined resistance, and to be ready to
support them as circumstances might require. About
ten o'clock, the French artillery opened a heavy fire,
and the second shot killed the Duke of Cumberland's
German aide-de-camp. Baron Ziggesaer : under the
cover of this cannonade, the leading brigade of the
French column attacked the village, and the British
battalions withstood the tempest of war with astonishing
firmness, repulsing the French regiments, and driving

09 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT S
1747 them back with severe loss. As the discomfited regi
ments retired, a second line of combatants advanced to
storm the village, but they were met, overthrown, and
driven back in disorder, and the Thirteenth and other
regiments at that point remained triumphant at their
post. Few moments elapsed before a fresh body of
assailants came rushing forward, but the British bat
talions were again victorious ; and a fourth attack on the
village wa» also repulsed. The French commander ap
peared determined to carry this point, and his superior
numbers enabling him to continue to send forward fresh
troops, he eventually gained possession of the village ;
but the Thirteenth, and other eorps which had occu
pied that post, were reinforced by four additional bat
talions, and they returned to the charge, and recovered
the village in gallant style. The vicinity of Val was
covered with killed and wounded men, and several
French brigades had been nearly destroyed, yet the
French commander continued to order forward fresh
troops r the soldiers on both sides fought with gi-eat re
solution, and the village was lost and won several times.
The superior numbers of his army gave Marshal
Saxe a decided advantage, and after the display of
British valour, which reflected great honor on the corps
engaged, the army was ordered to retreat towards
Maestricht. In the narratives of this battle published at the
time, the heroic conduct of the corps engaged is
highly commended. The Thirteenth foot had Lieu
tenant Haddock and forty rank and file killed ; Cap
tain Stafford, Lieutenant Naylor, Ensign Holyday,
five serjeants, two drummers, and seventy rank and
file wounded ; fifty-one non-commissioned officers and
soldiers prisoners of war and missing.

REGIMENT OP LIGHT INFANTRY. 39
The regiment was employed near the frontiers of the 1747
United Provincesduring the remainder of the campaign,
but it was not again engaged in combat with the enemy.
A fine body of recruits from England replaced the
losses of the preceding year, and in the spring of 1748, 1748
the regiment again took the field, and was employed in
several services in the province of Limburg and in North
Brabant. Preliminary articles for a treaty of peace
were afterwards agreed upon, a suspension of hostilities
took place, and the regiment went into quarters in
Holland. A treaty of peace, concluded at Aix-la-Chapelle,
terminated the contest, and during the winter the regi
ment returned to England.
In 1749 a reduction was made in the strength of the 1749
army, and the Thirteenth regiment was placed on a
peace establishment.
On the 1st of July, 1751, King George II. issued 1751
a regulation relative to the clothing, standards, and
colours of the several regiments. According to this
regulation, the uniform of the Thirteenth regiment
was scarlet, faced and lined with philemot yellow. The
first, or King's, colour was the great union ; the second
colour was of philemot yellow silk, with the union in
the upper canton, and in the centre of the colour, Xlll.
in gold Roman characters, within a wreath of roses and
thistles on the same stalk.
The regiment remained in Great Britain until the 1754
year 1754, when it embarked for Gibraltar ; and was
stationed at that fortress during the whole of the seven
years' war; at the termination of hostilities in 1762, 1762
it returned to England.
King George III. paid great attention to everything 1766
connected with the army, and the Thirteenth foot

40 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERt's
1 766 obtained His Majesty's special approbation of their
conduct on all occasions. In June, 1766, His Royal
Highness William, Duke of Gloucester, was ap
pointed colonel of the regiment, in succession to General
the Honorable Henry Pulteney, who resigned.
1767 His Majesty reviewed the regiment in Hyde Park,
in brigade with the twelfth foot, on the 5th of June,
1 767 : the Queen, and a numerous assemblage of dis
tinguished persons, were present on this occasion ; and
the King was' pleased to express his high approbation
of the appearance and discipline of the two corps.
In December the Duke of Gloucester was promoted
to the rank of major-general, and appointed colonel of
the third foot guards ; at the same time the colonelcy
of the Thirteenth foot was conferred on Major-
General the Honorable James Murray, from colonel-
commandant in the sixtieth regiment.
1768 After remaining in England upwards of five years,
the Thirteenth were ordered to transfer their ser
vices to Ireland, where they arrived in August, 1 768,
and were stationed in that part of the United King
dom seven months.
1769 In March, 1769, the regiment embarked for the
island of Minorca.
1775 When the American war commenced, in 1775, the
regiment was performing garrison duty at Port Mahon ;
it was relieved, soon afterwards by a battalion of Hano
verians, which had been taken into British pay, and re-
1775 turned to England, where it arrived in February, 1776.
1778 In the summer of 1778, the regiment was encamped
near Plymouth, with four battalions of militia, under
Lieut.-General Parker.
1779 The regiment was encamped, in 1779, at Rye ; and,
1780 in 1780, pitched its. tents at Dorking.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 41
Meanwhile the American war had been continued; 178 ,
France and Spain had taken part in the contest, in
favour of the colonists ; and an English armament
had captured several French islands in the West
Indies. The enemy sent a powerful force to recap
ture the lost possessions; and, in 1781, the Thir
teenth received orders to proceed to the Leeward
Islands, to augment the British force in that part of
His Majesty's dominions.
Soon after the regiment arrived in the West Indies, 1782
hostilities were terminated; the British Monarch
acceded to the independence of the United States, and a
treaty of peace was concluded. This change occasioned
the regiment to return to England in 1782,
In this year, the Thirteenth foot received directions
to assume the title of the First Somersetshire Regi
ment, and, in order to facilitate the procuring of recruits,
to cultivate a connection between that county and the
regiment. The army was reduced in 1783, when the regiment 1783
Vfas placed upon a peace establishment.
In the spring of 1784, the regiment embarked for i784
Ireland, where it was quartered during the succeeding
six years.
On the 5th of June, 1789, General the Honorable 1739
James Murray was removed to the twenty-first foot,
or Royal North British Fusiliers, and His Majesty con
ferred the colonelcy of the Thirteenth regiment on
Major-General George Ainslie, from the lieut.-colon
elcy of the fifteenth light dragoons.
In the following year, the regiment received orders 1790
to hold itself in readiness for foreign service. A revo
lution had taken place in France ; the French monarch
was divested of regal power; the doctrines of liberty

42 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1790 and equality were disseminated, and Great Britain was
on the eve of being engaged in a contest to arrest the
destructive operation of the principles of democracy.
The doctrines of equality were taught in the French
West India Islands ; their mischievous tendency was
soon experienced among the black population, and the
British Government deeming it necessary to augment
its military power in that part of the world, the Thir
teenth regiment was sent as a reinforcement to the
island of Jamaica.
1 791 In 1791, the negroes of the French settlements in St.
Domingo, (now the black republic of Hayti,) one of the
largest and most fertile of the West India Islands,
revolted ; the island became a scene of massacre and
devastation, and the French planters solicited the aid
of the British, in 1793 ; when troops were sent to enable
them to recover their estates from their former slaves.
The revolted blacks and mulattoes took possession of
part of the island, and declared themselves a free and
independent people : the British gained several impor
tant posts; many of the planters transferred their
allegiance to the British crown, and strenuous efforts
were made to deliver the island fi-om the domination
1793of the slaves. Towards the end of 1793, the Thir
teenth regiment embarked from Jamaica, and pro
ceeded to the island of St. Domingo, where it was
engaged in many difficult and arduous services, in
which the officers and soldiers evinced valour, constancy,
and patient endurance of the most distressing sufferings,
in a manner which reflected great credit on the corps.
1794 In January, 1794, the regiment was stationed at
Jeremie, of which town its commanding oflBcer, Lieut.-
Colonel John Whitelocke, was commandant. On the
31st of January, the regiment embarked, with the

regiment of light infantry. 43
expedition commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke, 1794
for the attack of the important post of Cape Tiburon,
which commanded Cape Nichola mole, and an extensive
bay. On the evening of the 2nd of February, the
squadron approached the shore, where about six hun
dred and fifty blacks, and two hundred mulattoes and
whites were formed to oppose the landing. A few
broadsides from the frigates soon cleared the beach,
and as the sun was declining beneath the horizon. Major
Brent Spencer, of the Thirteknth, quitted the ships
with the flank companies of the expedition. As the
boats approached the shore, a line of opponents com
menced a sharp fire of musketry ; but the soldiers leaped
upon the beach, charged with bayonets, routed their
opponents in an instant, killed and wounded a number
of blacks and mulattoes, and took possession of a house
which was well situated for protecting the landing of
the whole of the detachment. At daylight on the fol
lowing morning, the Thirteenth and twentieth regi
ments landed, with a party of marines and of the
British Legion ; and as the troops prepared to attack
the post, the enemy fled, leaving twenty-two pieces of
heavy ordnance, three field-pieces, and a magazine full
of every description of ammunition, behind them : about
fifty of the enemy were killed and wounded, and a
hundred and fifty taken prisoners.
The loss of the regiment, on this occasion, was limited
to two private soldiers killed ; Captain the Honorable
Charles Colville, Lieutenant George Kinnaird Dana,
Volunteer Dolphina, and two private soldiers, wounded.
The conduct of Major Spencer of the Thirteenth,
and of the officers and soldiers of the flank companies,
was commended in Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke's de
spatch.

¦44 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1794 This important post was placed under the charge of
Lieutenant Robert Baskerville, of the Thirteenth,
who had fifty men of his own regiment, the colonial
corps, and Jean Kino's corps from Irois, under his
orders for the defence of the post.
On the 20th of February, the flank companies of
the Thirteenth were engaged in the storming of the
post oi L'Acal, situate six miles from Leogane. Part
of the force designed for this service proceeded by
water, and the remainder by land : the whole under
Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke. Contrary winds prevented
the troops in transports taking part in the attack, but
the other division captured the fort in gallant style ;
the soldiers climbing the hill, exposed to a heavy fire
of grape and musketry, and their progress impeded by
felled trees placed in all directions, and capturing the
works with fixed bayonets. After obtaining possession
of the fort, two officers and thirteen soldiers were killed
by the explosion of a magazine. The only loss sus
tained by the Thirteenth foot was one private soldier
killed; one serjeant, and one private soldier wounded.
Major Spencer again distinguished himself.
The flank companies of the regiment were employed,
under Brigadier- General Whyte, in the expedition
against Port-au-Prince, the capital of the island : the
troops employed in this service arrived in the bay on
the 31st of May, and the capture of this place was
accomplished in four days, with little loss. A malig
nant fever broke out in the town soon afterwards, and
the British lost forty officers and six hundred sol
diers by disease, within two months after the surren
der of the place. Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke had the
rank of colonel in the expedition, and Major Spencer
that of lieut.-colonel ; they both distinguished them-

regiment of light infantry. 45
selves, and their conduct was commended in the 1794
strongest terms in Brigadier- General Whyte's de
spatch. Captain James Grant, of the Thirteenth regiment,
commanded the garrison of Fort Bizzeton, which con
sisted of one hundred and twenty men. Between four
and five o'clock on the morning of the 5th of Decem
ber, three columns of the enemy, amounting to about
two thousand men, approached the fort with great
silence, and arrived under the works before they were
discovered ; but the garrison was under arms ; it re
pulsed the assailants, and drove them from before the
works with great loss. Major-General Sir Adam
Williamson stated in his public despatch, — ' Captain
' Grant (Thihteenti-i), andhis two lieutenants, Clunes
'of the Royals, and Hamilton of the twenty-second
' regiment, merit every attention that can be shown
' them. They were all three severely wounded early
' in the attack, but tied up their wounds and continued
'to defend their post. It has been a very gallant
' defence and does them great honor.'
The regiment continued actively employed in St. 1795
Domingo in the year 1795 ; but the climate proved par
ticularly injurious to the health of the officers and
soldiers, and its losses from disease were so severe
that, in 1796, it returned to England a skeleton. i796
After remaining in England a few months, the regi
ment embarked for Ireland in 1797, and arrived in 1797
that part of the kingdom at the period when the Roman
Catholics were combining against the British govern
ment, and preparing for open rebellion, in the expecta.
tion of receiving aid from France.
In May, 1798, the rebellion broke out, and the pas- 1793
sions of the misguided peasantry having been excited

46 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1798 into a state of fury, by all the motives which bigotry and
vengeance could inspire, their conduct was marked by
actions of a most atrocious and cruel character. The
Thirteenth regiment was, however, weak in numbers,
and it was not called in very active service on this
occasion. The rebellion was suppressed towards the end
of July ; and in August, when a body of French troops
arrived, they were surrounded and made prisoners.
1799 The regiment remained in Ireland recruiting its
numbers during the year 1 799.
1800 In the early part of 1800, the establishment was com
pleted by volunteers from the Irish militia; and on
the 3rd of March the regiment embarked for England,
where it arrived, a splendid corps of disciplined men,
and it was soon afterwards selected to proceed on
foreign service.
The Spanish monarch had united with France, in
the war against Great Britain, and an attack on the
ports of Spain formed part of the plan for employing
the disposable force of the country. The Thirteenth
embarked from England on the 3Ist of July, and
sailed, with the expedition under Lieut.-General Sir
James Pulteney, to the bay of Corunna, and a landing
was effected on the coast of Galicia, with the design of
attacking the fortress of Ferrol; but after viewing the
town and its defences, Sir James Pulteney resolved
not to lose time in attacking this place, and the troops
re-embarked and proceeded to join General Sir Ralph
Abercromby, who commanded a British force in the
Mediterranean. The united forces appeared before
Cadiz, and summoned the governor to surrender ; but
a disease was ravaging the city at the time, and the
fleet quitted the coast for fear of infection, and pro
ceeded to Gibraltar.

regiment of light infantry. 47
At this period a veteran French army, which had 1800
been vauntingly styled the 'Army of the East,' was"
holding Egypt in subjection, and meditating scenes of
conquest in distant regions ; and the British govern
ment resolved lo employ the disposable force of the
kingdom in delivering Egypt from the French yoke.
The Thirteenth, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel
the Honorable Charles Colville, were selected for
this enterprise : they mustered seven hundred and
thirty-seven rank and file, fit for duty, and formed part
of the second brigade under Major-General Cradock.
After experiencing much severe weather at sea, the
fleet arrived at the island of Malta, where the troops
went on shore, and the abundance of fresh provisions
which the island afforded, with the comforts of the
beautiful city of Valetta, soon restored and reani
mated the troops.
Leaving Malta on the 20th of December, the arma
ment sailed to Marmorice, in Asiatic Turkey, where
the fleet anchored in a spacious bay surrounded by
mountains, while gun-boats were being procured for
the expedition, horses for the cavalry, and a plan of
co-operation arranged with the Turks.
On the 23rd of February, 1801, the fleet again put 1801
to sea, and arriving off Alexandria on the 1st of March,
bore down at sunset into the bay oi Aboukir. On the
morning of the 8th of March, as the rays of light gililed
the horizon, one hundred and fifty boats laden with sol
diers approached the shore, which was crowded with
French troops assembled to oppose the landing. The
murmuring sound of a thousand oars, urging forward
the elite of a brave army, whose arms glittered in the
rays of the morning sun, was soon lost in the loud
thunder of cannon, and a storm of bullets from the

48 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1801 shore eut furrows in the surface of the water; a few
boats were struck and began to sink, others stopped to
save the men, and a momentary check was given ;
but the impulse returned with increased ardour, and
pressing through the storm of grape and musketry,
the rowers forced their boats to the beach. The sol
diers instantly leaped on the shore, formed as they ad
vanced, and rushing up the heights with supernatural
energy, charged with bayonets, and overthrew the
opposing ranks. A sharp combat ensued; the Thir
teenth regiment landed during the action, and the
French were driven from their position, with the loss of
three hundred men, eight pieces of cannon, and many
horses. Thus was the first step gained towards the
accomplishment of this brilliant enterprise; and the
landing on the shores of Egypt ranks among the
splendid achievements of the British arms.
Advancing towards Alexandria, the troops arrived,
on the 12th of March, at the vicinity of Mandora
Tower, and on the succeeding day marched through a
wood of date trees to attack the enemy on the ridge
of heights in front. As the British emerged from
among the trees, the French advanced from the high
ground and commenced the action. The brigade to
which the Thirteenth belonged was advancing in
column, when it was charged by a body of French
cavalry, which was repulsed by the ninetieth regiment,
forming the advance-guard of the right column. Major-
General Cradock instantly formed the brigade under
a heavy fire, and the gallant conduct of the regiments
was equal to the most sanguine expectation of their
commander. The French were driven from their
position, and compelled to retreat over the plains into
the lines on the heights before Alexandria.

regiment of light infantry. 49
The regiment had Captain Chester, one serjeant, ^^^l
and fifteen rank and file killed; Captain Brown,
Lieutenant Dolphin, and three soldiers, died of their
wounds ; Lieutenants Handcock, Copland, Serle, and
Rich, Ensigns Hewson, Andrews, and O'Malley, three
serjeants, and ninety-seven rank and file, wounded.
In general orders, issued on the following day, it
was stated — 'The Commander-in-chief has the greatest
' satisfaction in thanking the troops for their soldier-
'like and intrepid conduct in the action of yesterday;
'he feels it incumbent on him particularly to express
'his most perfect satisfaction with the steady and
' gallant conduct of Major-General Cradock's brigade.'
This brigade consisted of the eighth. Thirteenth,
eighteenth, and ninetieth regiments.
The French forces at Alexandria having been aug
mented in numbers by the arrival of additional troops
from the interior. General Menou advanced early on
the morning of the 21st of March, and attacked the
English position with great intrepidity ; but the French
were repulsed at every point of attack, and the British
soldiers stood triumphant over Buonaparte's " invincible"
legions, at the close of the third engagement on the
distant shores of Egypt. Sir Ralph Abercromby was
wounded in the action, and died a few days afterwards,
much regretted by the army : he was succeeded by
Lieut.-General (afterwards Lord) Hutchinson.
After this victory, one division traversecj the country
to Rosetta, and captured the forts at that place ; part
of the army then advanced up the river Nile, and
forced the French troops at the city of Cairo to sur
render. The Thirteenth foot, were, however, not
employed in these services, but were engaged in the
blockade of Alexandria.

50 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1801 A body of troops arrived in Egypt from India; the
forces which had captured Cairo returned to the
vicinity of Alexandria, and the siege of this city was
commenced. The French were unable to defend the
place, and they surrendered in the beginning of Sep
tember. Egypt was thus delivered from the power
of the French " Army of the East," which was forced
to quit that country, shorn of its laurels, and to return
to France with blighted hopes.
Tho British soldiers received the thanks of Parlia
ment, and the expression of their Sovereign's approba
tion of their heroic conduct; and the" Sphinx," with
the word "Egypt," on the colours of the Thirteenth
Regiment, commemorates its gallant conduct on this
splendid enterprise. The Grand Seignior established
an order of Knighthood, of which the general officers
were made members ; and large gold medals were
presented to the field officers, captains, and subalterns.
As a further proof of the estimation in which the
Grand Seignior held the services of the British soldiers
in Egypt, he ordered a palace to be built at Constanti
nople for the future residence of the British Ambassa
dors. Names of the officers of the Thirteenth Regiment
who received gold medals for service in Egypt : —
Lieut.-Colonels. Majors.

Lawrence Bradshaw.
Hon. Charles Colviile
( Commanding the regiment.')

Edward Scott {Lieut- Colonel).
G. Kinnaird Dana
{Lt.- Colonel),

Captains.

Francis Wellcr.
William Belford.
John Beaver Brown {wound
ed 13th March, 1801),
A. W. Young.

John O'Neil Bayley.
Arthur Willtinson.
Francis Wm. Schyler.
John Staunton
(Captain, Lieut, and Captain.)

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY.

51

Lieutenants.

Thomas Serle.
Csesar Colclough.
James Wood.
George Innes.
Alexander Patterson.
George Thornhill.
Hyacinth Daly.
Richard Butler Handcoclc
{wounded 13th March, 1 801.)
John Peck {wounded \3th
March, 1801).

James Blalce.
James Kearnay Browne.
Richard Huson._
William Trench.
Patriclc Hering.
George O'Malley.
Eyre Trench.
John Dunn.
Richard M. West.

1801

Soden Davys.
Brinley Purefoy.
James Gal breath.
Edward Sheridan.
Peter Shansey.

Ensigns. John Richardson.
Richard Church.
James Fitzsimons O'Reilly.
John C ustice.

Adjutant, Geo. Parson. — Quarter-Master, Edw. Murray.
Surgeon, Wm. Fatton,— Assistant Surgeons, Jas. McGuire,
and Francis Coul.
The British army in Egypt had equalled the most
sanguine expectations of their country ; and when ages
have passed, the story of the gallant achievements of
the soldiers who fought under the brave Sir Ralph
Abercromby will stimulate to heroic actions the future
warriors of the British empire. The English army
had proved to the world that French soldiers were not
invincible; the expectations of Buonaparte had been
defeated, and negociations for a treaty of peace were
commenced. The Thirteenth regiment remained in Egypt until 1802
the 13th of January, 1802, when it embarked from
Alexandria for the island of Malta, where it arrived
on the 2nd of March.
The regiment was stationed at Malta twelve months,
during which time a treaty of peace was concluded at
e2

52 THE thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1802 Amiens, on the 25th March, 1802, in which the British
government agreed to give up Malta ; but the conduct
of Buonaparte, then First Consul of France, was marked
by so many acts of aggression, that the government
considered itself justified in refusing to deliver up the
island.
1803 In March, 1803, when hostilities were on the eve of
re- commencing, the regiment embarked for Gibraltar,
to relieve the second battalion of the royal regiment of
foot from garrison duty at that fortress.
1804 On the decease of General Ainslie, in 1804, King
George III., conferred the colonelcy of the Thirteenth
foot on Lieut.-General Sir Alexander Campbell, (who
had commanded the seventh West India regiment
which was disbanded in 1802,) by commission dated the
llth of July, 1804.
While the regiment was stationed at Gibraltar, a
fever of a very fatal character broke out in the town and
garrison, and during the months of September, Octo
ber, and Novemberj the regiment lost four officers, and
one hundred and twentysix non-commissioned officers
and private soldiers.
1805 In the autumn of the following year, the regiment
was relieved from garrison duty at Gibraltar, and it
1806 landed on the 1st of January, 1806, at Portsmouth, from
whence it proceeded to Winchester and Weymouth.
The court of Spain had again united with Napoleon
Buonaparte in hostilities against Great Britain, and in
August the regiment returned to Portsmouth for the
purpose of forming part of an expedition against the
Spanish possessions in South America; but the order
for the embarkation of the regiment was countermanded,
and it marched to Dover, and afterwards to Deal
barracks.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 53
' The regiment left Deal on the 4th of May, 1807, for 1807
Ramsgate, where it embarked for Ireland ; and landing
at Monkstown on the 23rd of May, marched from
thence to Middleton barracks and afterwards to Cahir.
In the autumn, the regiment was completed to its
establishment by volunteers from the militia, and em
barking at Monkstown for England, landed at Ports
mouth on the 2nd of December.
On the 26th of January, 1808, the regiment embarked 1808
for the West Indies, and on its arrival it was appointed
to the garrison of Bermuda, where it landed on the
26th of March.
The West India islands belonging to France, which
had been restored to that country at the peace of
Amiens in 1802, had not been recaptured at the re
commencement of hostilities in 1803; but in 1808 an
expedition was assembled at Carlisle Bay, Barbadoes,
for the reduction of the French island of Martinique ;
the land forces were under Lieut.-General George
Beckwith, and the navy was commanded by Rear-
Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, K.B. The Thir
teenth foot embarked from Bermuda on the 23rd of
November to join the expedition, and remained at
Barbadoes until the armament was ready for the en
terprise. The fleet left Carlisle Bay on the 28th of January, 1809
1809, and arrived off the island oi Martinique in two
days. On the 30th, the troops landed in two divisions ;
the first division at Bay Robert, under Lieut.-General
Sir George Prevost; and the second division, com
manded by Major-General Maitland, near St. Luce and
Point Solomon. Both divisions were actively engaged
in operations for the reduction of the island. After a
night march of seven miles through a difficult country,
the first division occupied a position on the Great Lizard

54 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1809 River; and on the 1st of February it engaged the
enemy on Morne Brune and the heights of Surirey,
which were warmly contested; but British valour
was triumphant. In eight days from the time the
' fleet quitted Barbadoes, Fort Desaix (or Fort Bour
bon) was invested, ' notwithstanding heavy rains,
' and most unfavourable weather, in which the troops
' have borne every species of privation in a manner
' worthy the character of British soldiers.'* The siege
of the fort was prosecuted with vigour ; and on the 24th
February, the French governor,"General Villaret, sur
rendered, the French twenty-sixth and eighty- second
regiments becoming prisoners, and delivering up their
arms and Eagles to' the British troops. The conduct
of the regiment, at the capture of this valuable island,
was afterwards rewarded Avith the royal authority to
bear on its colours the word "Martinique," to com
memorate its services on this occasion.
The Thirteenth were stationed at Martinique,
where they received two hundred and fifty volunteers
from the English militia, in October, 1809.
1810 A strong detachment of the regiment embarked from
Martinique on the 21st of January, 1810, and sailed
to Prince Rupert's, Dominica, where it joined the ex
pedition against Guadaloupe, under the orders of Lieut.-
General Beckwith : the detachment of the Thirteenth,
sixty-third (600 rank and file), York light infantry
volunteers, and fourth West India regiment, formed
the fourth brigade under Brigadier-General Skinner,
in the first division, commanded by Major-General
Hislop. This division sailed from Dominica on the
26th of January, landed at St. Mary's, in Capesterre,
on the 28th, and took an active part in the operations
by which the French troops in the island of Guada-
• Lieut.-General Beckwifh's despatch.

regiment OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 55
loupe were forced to surrender on the 6th of February. J810
The loss of the Thirteenth foot, in this service, was
limited to one man killed and five wounded ; and im
mediately after the capture of the island, the detach
ment rejoined the regiment at Martinique.
During the years 1811 and 1812, the Thirteenth 1811
were stationed at the island of Martinique. ^^^^
On the 15th of February, 1813, General Campbell 1813
was removed to the thirty-second regiment, and was
succeeded in the colonelcy of the Thirteenth by
Lieut.-General Edward Morrison, from Colonel-Com
mandant in the sixtieth foot.
In the meantime, the measures adopted by the
English government, to counteract the tyrannical decrees
of Napoleon, designed for the destruction of the
commerce of Great Britain, had involved England in
war with the United States of America, and the fron
tiers of Canada had become the theatre of conflict, to
which the Thirteenth foot were directed to repair.
The regiment accordingly embarked from Fort Royal,
Martinique, on the 2nd of May, 1813, arrived on the
28th of June at Quebec, and proceeded from thence in
steam-boats and bateaux to Montreal.
At this period, a numerous American force had
penetrated Upper Canada ; and a small expedition was
fitted out on Lake Champlain, with the view of calling
the attention of the Americans to the defence of their
own settlements on the borders of that sheet of water.
To engage in this service, nine officers and one hundred
and eighty- one soldiers of the Thirteenth foot crossed
the river St. Lawrence in boats, on the 24th and 25th
of July, and proceeded to the Isle aux Noix, where an
expedition was assembled under Lieut.-Colonel J.
Murray ; Lieut.-Colonel William Williams, of the
Thirteenth, being second in command. Sailing from

56 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1813 the Isle aux Noix in boats, the expedition navigated"
the lake, and as it approached the enemy's post at
Plattsburg, the American militia abandoned the place.
The British landed, destroyed the arsenal, block-house,
commissary's buildings and stores, with the barracks
at Saranac, capable of containing four thousand men.
The flotilla afterwards returned to Isle aux Noix. In
concluding his public despatch, Lieut.-Colonel Murray
expressed his sense of the conduct of Lieut.-Colonel
Williams, of the Thirteenth foot, in terms of com
mendation ; and added, ' 1 have to report in the highest
' terms of approbation, the discipline, regularity, and
'cheerful conduct of the whole of the troops; and feel
' fully confident, that, had an opportunity offered, their
' courage would have been equally conspicuous.'
1814 Active operations were continued during the winter,
when the weather permitted ; and in the spring of
1814, Lieut.-Colonel Williams, of the Thirteenth
foot, had charge of the advance-posts on the river
Richelieu. The American commander, Major-General Wilkin
son, concentrated a considerable force for the invasion
of Lower Canada ; the Thirteenth and forty-ninth
regiments, the Canadian voltigeurs, a troop of the
nineteenth light dragoons, and a field train, were as
sembled at St. John's, and its vicinity, to oppose the
invaders. This force was placed under the orders of
Colonel Sir Sidney Beckwith, and it was ordered, to
dislodge a body of Americans, who had taken post at
Philipsburg, in the seigniory of St. Armand ; but the
enemy made a precipitate retreat across the ice on
Lake Champlain.
On the 30th of March, the American light troops
entered Odell-town, followed by three brigades of in
fantry, a squadron of cavalry, and eleven guns; they

regiment of LIGHT INFANTRY. 57
drove in the British piquets, and attacked the post at 1814
Burton Ville ; but were so well received by the troops
stationed there, that they soon desisted in the attempt
on that post. Their leading brigades afterwards
attacked the mill and block-house on the La Cole river,
where a detachment of the Thirteenth foot and a
party of Canadians were stationed, under Major Hand
cock, of'the Thirteenth. The Americans drove in the
piquet, gained possession of a wood, established a bat
tery among the trees, and opened a sharp fire upon the
post, which was gallantly defended. Major Handcock
having ascertained that the flank companies of the
Thirteenth had arrived at the mill, directed an effort
to be made to capture the "American artillery, when
Captain EUard led his company to the charge with
distinguished bravery, and a spirited attempt was made
on the battery ; but the wood was found crowded with
American infantry. Captain EUard was severely
wounded, and the few men who had made the sally,
finding themselves opposed by several entire regiments
of the enemy, withdrew from the unequal contest.
The Americans persevering in the attack, a second
attempt was made to capture their guns, but their
brigades were too numerous to admit of a chance of
success. The post was, however, successfully defend
ed; every attempt of the Americans to capture it was
repelled, and they retired, after sustaining considerable
loss. Major Handcock, and the officers and soldiers who
had so nobly defended this post, were thanked for their
conduct, by the commander of the forces, Lieut.-Gene
ral Sir George Prevost. The regiment had thirteen
rank and file killed ; Captain Ellard, Ensign Whitford,
two serjeants, and forty-six rank and file wounded.

58 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1814 In April the war with France was terminated, and
Napoleon Buonaparte was removed from the throne of
that kingdom ; but the contest in America was con
tinued, and the Thirteenth regiment was employed
on the frontiers of Lower Canada, but it had no op
portunity of distinguishing itself.
1815 Peace was concluded with the United States in 1815,
when the regiment received orders to return to Eng
land : it embarked from the Isle aux Noix in bateaux,
was removed into smaller boats at William Henry, on
the river St. Lawrence, and embarking in transports at
the Three Rivers, arrived at Portsmouth on the 15th
of July, when it landed, and was employed in garrison
duty at that fortress. The period of its arrival from
America, did not, therefore, afford an opportunity of
the services of the regiment being available on the occa
sion of the return of Buonaparte to France, his overthrow
at Waterloo, nor on the restoration of Louis XVIII.
The regiment remained at Portsmouth until August,
when it embarked for the island of Jersey, where it was
stationed upwards of two years ; and its orderly conduct,
on all occasions, procured for it the respect and esteem
of the inhabitants and civil authorities of the island.
1816 In January, 1816, an order was received for the
reduction of the regiment to fen companies, of sixty
rank and file each.
1817 On the 24th of May, 1817, new colours were pre
sented to the regiment, on the parade in Fort Regent-
square, Jersey. The colours bore on them the " Sphinx,"
with the words "Egypt" and "Martinique," and were
consecrated by the Rev. George Lawrence, garrison
chaplain, who delivered a very learned and suitable
address to the regiment on the occasion.
In June of the same year, the establishment was

regiment of light INFANTRY. 59
augmented to nine hundred and seven officers and 1817
soldiers. The regiment embarked from Jersey in August, and
proceeded to the. islands of Guernsey and Alderney.
Its conduct, while at Jersey, had excited the admiration
of the inhabitants and civil authorities of the island ;
and on its departure, a numerous public meeting of
the inhabitants and functionaries of the parish of Saint
Heliers, expressed the high sense they entertained of
the distinguished merits of the corps, which was com
municated to the commanding officer. Colonel Sir
William Williams, by the principal constable of St.
Holier. The states of the island also passed an act,
setting forth their estimation of the discipline and
orderly behaviour of the regiment; * which was communi-
* ' Aux Etats de I'tle de Jersey. L'an mil huit cent dix-sept, le vingtieme
' jour d'Aofit, — Sensibles aux soins que le Lieutenant-Colonel Messiie
' William Williams, et tous les autres officiers du tveizieme regiment d'in-
' fanterie de Sa Majeste, ont apport^ durant leur sejour dans ce pays ace
' concilier I'estime des habitans, et a y entietenier une heureuse haimonie,
* et pleinement satisfaits du haut d^gi-e de discipline dans lequel ils ont
* constamment garde et mainteiiu le (lit regiment, et leur attention S prevenir
* tout sujets de plaintes et de disputes, a faire observer I'ordre et respecter
' les lois, du zele avec lequel ils se sent toujours pretes h, soutenir et ft
' appuyer les autorites constituees, Les Etats saisissent cette occasion de
' leur premidre stance depuis que le dit regiment a 6t6 rapelle hors du ser-
' vice de cette lie, oii il a ^te en quartier pendant deux ans, pour leur
' rendre par ce presente acte, le temoignage de leur approbation et leur
' exprimer leur vive reconnaissance. Et les Etats prient le Lieutenant-
' Colonel Messire William Williams, Ciievalier cummandeur de I'honor-
'able ordre du Bain, le Lieutenant-Colonel Weller, et le Lieutenant-
' Colonel Hancock, qui ont chacun d'eux, I'un aprgs lautre, eu le com-
* mandement du dit regiment, et tous les autres officiers de ce corps, d'en
1 accepter leurs sinceres et unanimes remerciments. Les Etats ont requis Son
' Excellence Monsieur le lieutenant-gouverneur de vouloir bien transmettre,
' de leur part, le present acte, au lieutenant-colonel Messire William Wil-
* liams, lequel est prie de le communiquer a Lieutenant-Colonel Weller,
' au Lieutenant-Colonel Hancock, et a tous les autres officiers du treizieme
< regiment, auquel effet le greiBer est charge de le transcrire sur parchemin,
< afin qu'il soit mis sous le sjeau de I'ile et de le remettre 5 Son Excellence.'
Fks. Godfkat, Greffier.

60 the thirteenth, or PRINCE Albert's
1817 cated to the commanding officer, by his Excellency
Major-General H. M. Gordon. In acknowledging the
receipt of the act of the states. Colonel Sir William
Williams observed, ' To possess the good wishes of
' those with whom a soldier resides must ever be the
'most pleasing reflection, but particularly where, in the^
' performance of his duty, approval emanates from so
high and so respectable an assembly as the states of
' Jersey ; it thence becomes a source of the most heart-
' felt and lasting gratification, and will be recorded, and
'handed down, as one of their dearest memorials. In
s communicating the contents to the officers of the
'Thirteenth regiment, I am to request you may ac-
' cept their thanks ; they being actuated with the most
' fervent wishes for the prosperity of the island.'
1818 The regiment remained at the islands of Guernsey
and Alderney during the two following years. In
October, 1818, the establishment was reduced to seven
hundred and forty-six officers and soldiers. In May
1819 and June, 1819, the regiment embarked by detach
ments for Portsmouth.
On quitting Guernsey, the following letter was
received, dated 4th May, 1819 : —
' Sir, ' The Royal Court of this island have desired
' me, as their president, to express the high regard
'which they in common with its inhabitants entertain
' for the officers of His Majesty's Thirteenth regi- '
' ment of foot ; as well as their approbation and ad-
' miration of the general good conduct of the men of
' that corps, while quartered among us ; and I feel
' much pleasure, in being thus enabled to assure you,
' Sir, that from all classes I have heard no other senti-

regiment of light infantry. 61
' ments but those of regret, at the approaching depart- 1819
' ure of the Thirteenth regiment, which under your
' command, and that of Lieut.-Col. Sir William Wil-
' liams, has shown itself throughout so orderly, and
' worthy of the esteem of this and the neighbouring
' islands; and the officers in particular, by their gentle-
' manly and social manners, have so thoroughly gained
' the good will of those who had the pleasure of their
' acquaintance, that one and all unite in the best
' wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the whole
' corps, in which none is more sincere than he who has
' the honour to be, ' Sir, yours, &c.,
' Peter De Havilland,
' Bailiff qf Guernsey!
In acknowledging the receipt of this letter, Lieut.-
Colonel R. B. Hancock, stated, — ' It will, no doubt,
' be extremely gratifying to Sir William Williams, as it
' is to all ranks of the regiment now here, to find that
' their conduct has been thought deserving of so great
' an honour. Penetrated by the repeated proofs of
' esteem and affection, which they have received from
' the inhabitants of Guernsey, the officers request me
' to offer their sincere wishes for the general prosperity
' of the island, and for the individual happiness and
' welfare of those friends to whose polite and marked
' attention they are so deeply indebted.'
In September the regiment embarked for Scotland,
and landing at Leith, proceeded from thence to Stirling
castle, with detachments to Dumbarton castle. Paisley,
Callender, and Buchlivie.
The regiment marched to Edinburgh castle in Sep- 1820
tember, 1820 : towards the end of October it proceeded

62 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT'S
1820 to Port Patrick, where it embarked for Ireland, landing
at Donaghadee, marched from thence to Dublin, with
detachments to Stranorlane, Carndonagh, Green-castle,
Buncrana, Rethinilton, and Letterkenny.
1821 After occupying these stations ten months, the regi
ment called in its detachments, and marched to Rich
mond barracks, Dublin, where it arrived on the 21st of
September, 1821.
1822 From Dublin the regiment embarked, on the 18th
of July, 1822, for England, and two days after landing
at Liverpool, orders were received from the Horse
Guards for the regiment to embark for Greenock,
proceed from thence to Edinburgh, and do duty there
during the visit of His Majesty King George IV. to
that city.
The regiment arrived at Edinburgh on the 31st of
July and 1st of August : it had the honour of mounting
guard over the royal person, when the King visited
that city, and Captain Ellard, who commanded the
guard of honor assembled to receive His Majesty on
landing, obtained the brevet rank, of major.
After His Majesty's departure, the regiment em
barked for Chatham, where it arrived on the 2 1 st, 23rd,
and 24th of September.
The regiment having been selected to proceed to
India, made preparations for transferring its services to
that part of the British dominions. Previous to em
barking, it was constituted a corps of Light Infantry,
to take date as such from the 25th of December, 1822 ;
and the usual augmentation was made to its num
bers.
1823 On the 1st and 3rd of January, 1823, the regiment
embarked on board the ' General Kydd ' and ' Kent '
Indiamen, under Lieut.-Col. Mc. Creagh a(nd Major

THIRTE E li IT M ,
"IRIKCE .^xbert's rkgimeht of
]L, I G H T IN IF AK T R" "

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 63
Robert H. Sale, and landed in May at Calcutta, where 1823
it received six hundred and twenty volunteers from
corps about to return to England.
Soon after the arrival of the regiment in India, the 1824
tranquillity of the eastern dominions of Great Britain
was interrupted by the sovereign of Ava, who governed
a numerous nation of Burmans, inhabiting an extensive
territory, lying in one direction, between the Chinese
dominions and Bengal. For many years the Burmese
officers, in the country contiguous to the British terri
tory, had been guilty of acts of encroachment and
aggression, which at length became of so outrageous a
character, as to render it necessary to call upon the
court of Ava for an explanation. No answer was
given ; but after overcoming several petty tribes by
which his kingdom was surrounded, the King of Ava
made preparations for invading the British territory.
Troops were assembled to penetrate the Burman
empire, and to put an end to these acts of aggression ;
and an armament was prepared at Port Cornwallis,
under the command of Brigadier- General Sir Archibald
Campbell and Commodore Grant, for the capture of
Rangoon, a city, and the principal part of the Burmese
empire, situate on the north bank of the river Irawaddy,
thirty miles from the sea. The Thirteenth light
infantry embarked on this service, on the 5th of April,
1824; their commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel Mc.
Creagh was appointed to the command of a brigade,
with the rank of Brigadier-General, and the command
of the regiment devolved on Major Sale. The fleet
entered the Irawaddy on the 10th of May : the Bur
mese made a feeble attempt to defend the city, but
their batteries were soon silenced, and tho place was
captured without the loss of a man ; the inhabitants

64 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT's
1824 quitting their houses and seeking refuge in the thickly-
wooded country.
Brigadier-General Mc. Creagh was detached with
three companies against the island of Cheduba, on the
Arracan coast, where he landed on the I4th of May, cap
tured the Burmese stockade by storm on the 17th,
made the rajah, or governor, prisoner, and reduced this
fertile and productive island to submission : in which
service the Thirteenth had Brevet Major Thornhill,
Ensign Kershaw, one serjeant, one bugler, and eighteen
rank and file wounded.
The Burmese army continued in great force in the
neighbourhood of Rangoon, under the protection of
fortifications of wood, called stockades, and of the thick
jungle which covered the face of the country.
' On the 28th of May, a hundred rank and file of the
Thirteenth regiment, commanded by Major William
H. Dennie, with a detachment of the thirty-eighth,
advanced, under Sir Archibald Campbell, and attacked
two stockades by storm, without ladders, captured the
works with the bayonet, and killed about five hundred
of the enemy. The Thirteenth had Lieutenant A.
Howard killed; one bugler, and nine rank and file
wounded. W^hen driven from one series of stockades, the Bur
mese erected another at a greater distance. On the
lOthof June, two companies of the Thirteenth, under
Major Robert Henry Sale, advanced with other troops,
to attack the enemy's stronghold at Jfem?Hen<fiwe; when
about two miles from the town, the head of the column
was stopped by a strong stockade, full of men, against
which the British artillery opened a well-directed fire,
and in half an hour a breach was made. The forty-first,
and part of the Madras European regiment, stormed

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 65
the works in front; and the detachments of the Thir- 1824
teenth and thirty eighth assaulted the rear face
which was ten feet high. The soldiers being encou
raged and animated by the spirited conduct of Major
Sale, who showed an example of valour and personal
agility, climbed the works, one helping another up, and
entering simultaneously with the party by the breach,
they bayoneted every man that opposed them. The
loss of the Thirteenth was limited to one private
soldier killed; Lieutenant Petry, and ten soldiers
wounded.* This point being gained, the column advanced about
a mile, and at four o'clock in the afternoon, took up a
position against the enemy's principal stockade ; bat
teries were erected during the night, the artillery
opened a heavy fire at daylight, and the Burmese for
sook their works and fled.
On the 17th of June, Brigadier-General M'Creagh
joined with the three companies from the island of
Cheduba. In the beginning of July numerous columns of
Burmese warriors were seen in front of the British
position, when four companies were ordered to make a
reconnoissance under the command of Major Dennie :
they discovered the enemy in force on the plains of
Kumaroot, and returned with the loss of one man
wounded. On the same day, the Burmese attacked
" ' A very spirited and successful attack was made on tlie other side of
' the stockade, by the advance companies of the Thikteenth and thirty-
' eighth regiments, under the command of Major Sale, who, by assisting each
' otlier up the face of the stockade, at least ten feet high, entered ahout the
' same time as the party by the breach, putting every man to death who
' opposed their entrance : and it affords me pleasure to state, that the first
' man who appeared on the top of the work was, I believe, Major Sale of
* His Majesty's Thirteenth Light ln{&ahy:— Major-General Sir A.
Campbells Despatch. F

66 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT's
1824 the British posts, but wcre repulsed : the Thirteenth
had two men wounded.
The Burmese position in the rear of the great
pagoda was attacked on the 5th of July, when the
regiment had one private soldier killed; Lieutenant
Knox Barrett, one serjeant, and sixteen rank and file
wounded. A general attack was made on the 8th of July, and
three hundred men of the Thirteenth, under
Brigadier-General M'Creagh, formed part of the force
detached, under Brigadier-General M'Bean, to storm
the enemy's works. The attack was led by Major
Sale, at the head of the soldiers of the Thirteenth
regiment, with heroic gallantry, and seven stockades
were carried in rapid succession. Major Sale encoun
tered the Burmese commander-in-chief in the works,
and slew him in single combat, taking from him a
valuable gold-hilted sword and scabbard. Three
other stockades were captured by other portions of the
armament ; and the men, under Brigadier-General
M'Bean, fell in with a number of Burmese flying from
a stockade attacked by the shipping, of whom they
bayoneted a great number. Eight hundred Burmese
were killed on this occasion, and thirty-eight pieces of
artillery, forty swivels, and three hundred muskets
were captured.*
Two serjeants of the Thirteenth were killed ;
* ' Nothing could have been more brilliant and successful. He (Briga-
' dier-General M'Bean) took by assault seven stockades with most rapid
' succession, throwing the enemy into the utmost consternation.* 
' The brigadier-general assures me the ardour of his column was irresistible,
' and speaks highly of the able aid he received from Brigadier-General
' M'Creagh ; he also reports favourably upon the judicious and gallant
' style in which Majors Sale and Frith, of the Thirteenth and thirty-eighth
' regiments, ltd the troops under their respective command.' — Major- General
Sir A. Campbell's Despatch.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 67
Captain Johnson, two coiporals, and five private i824
soldiers were wounded.
The terror of these attacks caused the Burmese
troops to remove to a greater distance ; and the
difficult character of the country, rainy weather,
inundations, and the necessity for procuring a large
supply of provisions before the army advanced,
detained the British some time in the neighbourhood
of Rangoon.
Meanwhile the Burmese recovered from the con
sternation into which they had been thrown, and a
veteran chief, named Maha Bandoola, was appointed
commander of the army of Ava. This chief ap
proached the British position on the 1st of December,
with upwards of fifty thousand foot, a body of Cassay
horse, and three hundred pieces of artillery, and
commenced forming entrenchments. The British
beheld the legions of Ava, ten times more numerous
than themselves, without dismay ; and the left of the
Burmese line presenting a favourable opportunity for
an attack. Major Sale advanced with two hundred of
the Thirteenth Light Infantry, under Major Dennie,
and two hundred and fifty of the eighteenth Native
Infantry, under Captain Ross, and stormed the
entrenchments with distinguished gallantry, in sight
of the whole army. The soldiers of the Thirteenth
led the charge with great intrepidity; they burst
through the entrenchments, overthrew all opposition,
and spread terror and dismay on the enemy's flank.
The native infantry followed the example ; the
Burmese fled, and the victorious British soldiers
returned to their posts laden with trophies.*
* ' I never witnessed a more dashing charge than was made on this occa-
' sion by His Majesty's Thirteenth Light Infantry ; while the eighteenth
' native infantry followed their example with a spirit that did them honour,
f2

68 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1824 The Thirteenth, foot had Lieutenant O'Shea, one
serjeant, and three rank and file killed ; Captain Clark
died of his wounds : Ensigns Blackwall and Croker,
one serjeant, and twenty rank and file wounded.
This victory was followed by a decisive triumph
over the left wing of the Burmese army, on the 5th of
December, on which occasion two hundred and forty-
five rank and file of the Thirteenth, under Major
Dennie, formed part of the first column of attack,
under Major Sale, which penetrated the enemy's lines,
and routed the legions of Ava with a facility which
proved the superior prowess of British soldiers. The
first advantage was followed up, the powerful army
of the enemy was overthrown, and of the. three
hundred pieces of ordnance which the enemy had in
position, two hundred and forty were brought into the
British camp.* The loss of the regiment was six rank
and file wounded.
Anxious to retrieve his disgrac6, the Burmese
commander rallied his broken legions, called reinforce
ments to his aid, and took up another position, which
he fortified with great labour and art. These for
midable works were attacked on the 1 5th of Decem
ber, when two hundred of the Thirteenth, under
' carrying all opposition before them. They burst through the entrench-
' ments, carrying dismay and terror into the enemy's ranks, great numbers
' of whom were slain, and the party returned loaded with aims, standards,
' and other trophies.' — Major-General Sir A. Campbell's Despatch.
* ' All their artillery, stores, and reserve depots, which had cost them so
' much labour to get up, with a great quantity of small arms, gilt chattahs,
' standards, and other trophies fell into our hands. Never was victory more
' complete or decided, and never was a triumph of discipline and valour, over
' the disjointed efforts of irregular courage and infinitely superior numbers,
' more conspicuous. Majors Dennie and Thornhill, of the Thirteenth
'J.ight Infantry were distinguished by the steadiness with which they led
' their men.' — Major-General Sir A. Campbell's Despatch.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 69
Major Sale, formed part of the column of attack under |g24
Brigadier- General Cotton, which made a detour round
the enemy's left to gain the rear of his position at
Kokien, which was to be attacked in front by another
column. On arriving in front of the position it
presented a very formidable appearance ; but the
English general knew from experience the character of
the troops he commanded, and he gave the signal for
the attack, when the soldiers rushed forward with the
most determined and enthusiastic bravery, and in less
than fifteen minutes they were in full possession of
these stupendous works. The Thirteenth met with
very determined resistance ; their commanding officer.
Major Sale, received a severe wound in the head; he
was succeeded by Major Dennie, who was wounded in
the hand, but who continued at the head of the
regiment until the action was over. The Burmese
only resisted a short time, and then fled in a panic,
leaving their camp standing, all their baggage, and a
great portion of their arms and ammunition behind
them. Lieutenants Darby, Petry, and Jones, two serjeants,
and seven rank and file, of the Thirteenth, were
killed ; Majors Sale * and Dennie, Captains I'hornhill
(Brevet Major) and James M'Pherson, Lieutenants
M. Fenton and Pattisson, Ensigns Wilkinson and
Blackwell, two serjeants, and forty rank and file
wounded. These splendid successes, connected with the services
* ' In the list of wounded will be seen with regret the name of Major
' Sale of His Majesty's Thirteenth Light Infantry, an officer whose
' gallantry has been most conspicuous on every occasion since our arrival at
' Rangoon. I am happy to say that his wound, though severe, is not dan-
' gerous, and I trust his valuable services will not long remain unavail-
'able.' — Major-General Sir A.CampbelVs Despatch.

70 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERt's
1824 of the royal navy, had produced important results;
the maritime provinces of Mergui, Tavoy, Yeb, and
Martuban, had been captured, and seven hundred
pieces of artillery had been taken from the Burmese.
To wrest additional territory from the court of Ava,
the Thirteenth regiment was detached, under Major
Dennie, with other troops, the whole under Major
Sale, against the city of Bassein, in the south-west
jjart of the ancient kingdom of Pegu, which consti
tuted part of the Burmese empire. The regiment
1825 embarked on this service on the 10th of February, and
after a tedious passage arrived, on the evening of the
14th, off Pagoda Point, Great Negrais. On the 26th
the expedition entered the river, and the Thirteenth,
thirty-eighth, and twelfth Native Infantry landed and
captured a stockade. The troops afterwards re-em
barked, and proceeded to the next stockade, which the
Burmese abandoned as the soldiers went on shore to
storm the works ; and so great was the consternation of
the enemy, that the city of Bassein was set on fire and
abandoned. The expedition anchored opposite the
smoking ruins on the 3rd of March, when the troops
landed and took post in the area of the principal
pagoda : many private houses were not destroyed, and
the inhabitants were induced to return to their homes.
On the 13th of March, Major Dennie made a recon
noissance up the Bassein river; he was afterwards
joined by another party under Major Sale, and the
whole proceeded one hufidred and twenty miles up the
river, to Lanrince, and returned to Bassein on the
23rd, having had two men wounded.
No resistance being met with in the province of
Bassein, the Thirteenth regiment embarked for
Rangoon, where it arrived on the 2nd of May ; mean--

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 71
while the army under Lieut.-General Sir Archibald 1825
Campbell had advanced up the country, and had cap
tured several strong towns.
On the 8th of August, the regiment embarked from
Rangoon, to join the army at Prome, where it arrived in
boats on the 25th. -Soon afterwards overtures of peace
were made by the Burmese, but hostilities were re
sumed in the middle of N ovember ; and the army of Ava
having repulsed the attack of three bodies of sepoys,
became suddenly elevated with a high idea of its
own power, and advanced to envelop the British
troops at Prome.
About sixty thousand Burmese environed six
thousand British and native Indian troops; but
undismayed by this formidable host, the English
general left four native regiments for the defence of
Prome, and advanced, on the 1st of December, to
attack the enemy's left wing at Simbike. This post
was stormed by the troops under Brigadier-General
Cotton,* and the works were carried, in gallant style,
in ten minutes. The Thirteenth were engaged in
the operation, but did not take part in the assault.
After a harassing march of about twenty miles,
the troops bivouacked a't Ze-ouke, and at daylight on
the following morning (2nd December) they were
again in motion, to attack the formidable position
occupied by the enemy's centre division on the
Napadee Hills. Arriving in the vicinity of the posi
tion, the British artillery commenced a sharp can~
nonade; Brigadier-General Elrington's troops drove
the enemy from the jungle, six companies of the
eighty -seventh regiment carried the posts at the
* Now Lieut.-General Sir Willoughby Cotton, Commanding the Forces
at Bombay.

72 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT's
1825 bottom of the ridge, and the Burmese were driven
from the valley to their principal works on the hills,
which appeared very formidable; the heights could
only be ascended by a narrow road, commanded by
artillery, and defended by stockades crowded with men
armed with muskets. As soon as the artillery had
made an impression on the works, the Thirteenth
and thirty-eighth regiments sprang forward with
astonishing resolution and steadiness, rushed into the
enemy's works, overthrowing all opposition with the
bayonet, and driving the Burmese from hill to hill,
over precipices that could only be ascended by a nar
row stair, until the whole of the position, nearly three
miles in length, was captured. Lieut.-Colonel Sale
and Major Thornhill, of the Thirteenth regiment,
distinguished themselves.
On the 5th of December, the enemy's right wing
was driven from its post ; the immense army of Ava
was thus forced from its positions by the fierce attacks
of the British soldiers; and the Burmese legions
sought safety in flight.
After this success, the army continued to advance ;
the Burmese evacuated Meeday, and took post at
Melloon, at the same time they renewed their offers for
terminating the war ; but this appears to have been
done with the view of gaining time tore-organize their
army for a more determined resistance.
1826 The conditions of peace not being ratified by the
stipulated time, hostilities were resumed on the 19th
of January, 1 826, on which day the Thirteenth and
Thirty-eighth regiments embarked in boats under
Lieut.-Colonel Sale, to assault the main face of the
enemy's fortifications at Melloon ; at the same time
other corps embarked to storm the works at different

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 73
points. The whole of the boats quitted the shore 1826
together; but the current and breeze carried the Thir
teenth and thirty-eighth to their point of attack,
before the other divisions could reach the opposite
bank of the river, and Lieut.-Colonel Sale was wounded
in his boat ; but the two regiments landed, formed
under the command of Major Frith of the thirty-eighth,
and rushed forward with such intrepidity and resolu
tion, that they overpowered all resistance, and were
speedily masters of these formidable works.* Major
Frith was wounded in the assault, and the command of
the brigade devolved on Major Thornhill, of the
Thirteenth regiment, who distinguished himself.
The loss of the regiment was one man killed; Major
Sale and three men wounded.
The army advanced upon the capital of the Bur
mese empire, and the legions of Ava resolved once
more to try their fortune in battle ; they met the
British in the open fields near Pagahm Mew, where an
action took place on the 9th of February. The Thir
teenth led the right attack in their usual gallant
style, the Burmese troops soon gave way before the
superior prowess of the British soldiers, and another
victory was gained. The regiment had one soldier
killed; Captain Tronson and six soldiers wounded.
After this victory, the army continued its advance
upon Ummerapoora, the capital, situated upon the
shores of a romantic lake ; and when within four days
march of that city, the King of Ava sent the ratified
treaty, paying the expenses of the war and giving up
a considerable portion of territory.
* ' The conduct of His Majesty's Thirteenth and thirty-eighth regi-
' ments, during the advance, and their gallantry in the storm, far exceed
* all that I can write in tiieir praise.' — Major-General Sir j4, Campbell's
Despatch.

74 THE thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1826 On the conclusion of this splendid undertaking, the
following statement appeared in orders : — ' While the
' Governor General in Council enumerates, with senti-
' ments of unfeigned admiration, the achievements of
' the first, or royals, the 13th, 38th, 41st, 45th, 47th,
' 87th, and 89th regiments, the Honorable Company's
' Madras European regiment, and the Bengal and
' Madras European artillery, as the European troops
' which have had the honour of establishing the
' renown of the British arms in a new and distant
' region. His Lordship in Council feels that higher
• and more justly-merited praise cannot be bestowed
'on those brave ' troops than that, amidst the bar-
' barous hosts with which they have fought and con-
' quered, they have eminently displayed the virtues,
' and sustained the character of the British Soldier.'
Lieut.-Colonel Sale, and Majors Dennie and
Thornhill, were rewarded with the honour of being
constituted Companions of the Bath : and the word
"Ava," on the colours of the regiment, commemorates
its gallantry during these campaigns.
The regiment embarked in boats, from Yandaboo,
on the 7th of March, arrived at Rangoon on the
22nd, proceeded on board of transports on the 23rd, and
arrived at Calcutta in the middle of April.
After remaining a few days at Calcutta, the regi
ment embarked by divisions for Berhampore, where
it was stationed several months.
On the 15th of November, the regiment commenced
its march from Berhampore, for Dinapore, where it.
1827 arrived on the 3rd of January, 1827.
The, regiment remained at Dinapore nearly five
1831 years, and towards the end of 1831, commenced its
march for Agra, a city situate on the river Jumnah, the

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 75
capital of a province of the same name, where it arrived 1832
in January, 1832.
At the city of Agra, which exhibits numerous marks
of its ancient greatness, the regiment was stationed
four years. From Agra the regiment marched, in
December, 1835, for Kurnaul, where it arrived in 1835
January, 1836. 1836
Early in the year 1837, the regiment furnished a 1837
detachment, under the command of Captain N. Chad-
wick, to accompany the commander-in-chief. General
Sir Henry Fane, G.C.B, on a visit to the ruler of the
Sikhs, Maharajah Runjeet Singh, at Lahore, the capital
of his dominions. After a journey of several weeks.
General Sir Henry Fane arrived at Lahore on the 10th
of March, and was greeted at the court of the ruler of
the Sikhs by a gorgeous display of oriental magnifi
cence, for which Asiatic potentates have been celebrated.
The British troops which accompanied the commander-
in-chief, were reviewed, on the 17th of March, by the
Maharajah, who expressed great admiration of their
appearance and discipline, and in a general order pub
lished immediately after the review, it was stated.
The Commander-in-Chief has much pleasure in
' communicating to the officers, non-commissioned
< officers, and soldiers of the escort, that their appear-
' ance and steadiness under arms, this morning, met with
' much approbation, and their performance of the vari-
' ous movements will leave in the Punjaub a very
' favourable impression of their discipline.'.
Very valuable presents were made to the offiters of
the escort, and the Maharajah also gave eleven thou
sand rupees (UOOZ.) to be distributed among the non
commissioned officers and soldiers.
The Commander-in-Chief remained seven weeks at

76 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT's
1837 the capital of the ruler of the Sikhs, and afterwards
commenced his journey back to the British dominions,
and the officers and soldiers of the Thirteenth Light
Infantry rejoined the regiment at Kurnaul.
1838 Events occurred in the years 1837 and 1838,
which appeared to render a temporary departure from
those pacific councils, which have marked the British
policy in India, necessary, and which occasioned the
Thirteenth Light Infantry to take the field, under
the following circumstances. Shah Shoojah-ool-Moolk
had been driven from the throne of Affghanistan, and
his kingdom divided among several chiefs. A Persian
army besieged Herat, on the frontiers of Affghanistan,
and the court of Persia claimed an extensive portion of
that kingdom, which lying between India and Persia
appeared to menace the safety of the British dominions
in the East Indies. These circumstances, and the un
provoked attack made on an ancient British ally, Run
jeet Singh, by Dost Mahomed Khan, who relied on Per
sian encouragement and assistance, were followed by the
conclusion of a tripartite treaty, between the British,
Runjeet Singh, and Shah Shoojah, for the purpose of
effecting the restoration of the dethroned monarch of
Affghanistan, and a British force was assembled to
achieve this important change in the aspect of affairs
beyond the river Indus; this force was called the
" Army of the Indus," and the Thirteenth Light
Infantry having been selected to take part in this enter-
• prise, left Kurnaul in November, and proceeded to the
rendezvous of the army at Ferozepore, where they
arrived before the end of the month. They encamped
within four miles of the Gharra, beyond which river
the crimson tents and pavilions of the army of the
Punjaub, designed to co-operate in the enterprise, pre-

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 77
sented a splendid and imposing appearance. The 1838
ruler of the Sikhs was with his forces ; the governor
general arrived at the camp, and grand interviews,
entertainments, and reviews, took place, which were
conducted with great magnificence. In the meantime
the Persians had raised the siege of Herat, and the
strength of the army was, in consequence thereof,
reduced. From the gala scenes on the banks of the Gharra
the troops were called to the more arduous duties of
the field, and they advanced upon the capital of the
Daoodpootra state ; the country was open, the roads
good, the air clear and healthful, the river contiguous,
and this pleasant march was completed before the end
of December, 1838, when the army pitched its tents at
the city of Bhawalpore.*
After a short halt, the Thirteenth resumed their 1839
march in the beginning of January, 1839, and after
passing the boundary of Bhawul Khan, they entered
the territory of the Khyrpore Ameer, where the in-

* Names of the officers of the Thirteenth Light Infantry, who served in
the campaign in Affghanistan in 1839.
Lieut.-Colonels. R. H. Sale, (col.) commanding a brigade.
„ W.H. Dennie „
Major. E. F. Tronson, commanding the regiment.
Captains. G. Fothergill, W. Sutherland, J. Kershaw, R. Pattisson,
J. G. D. Taylor, H. N. Vigors.
Lieutenants. A. P. S. Wilkinson, J. H. Fenwick, J. Foulstone, P. R.
Jennings, P. D. O. V. Streng, A. E. F. Holcombe, G. Kiug, R. G. Burslem,
F. Holder, W. A. Sinclair, Hon. E. J. W. Forester, T. Oxley, D Rattray.
Ensigns. E. King, G. Mein, R. E. Frere.
Paymaster, H. Carew, Adjutant H.C. Wade.
Assistant Surgeons J. Robertson, G-W, Barnes.
Captains. T. C. Squire, major of brigade, H. Havelock, aide-de-camp
to Major-General Sir Willoughby Cotton, commanding the right division
of the army of the Indus.
Lieutenant. J. S. Wood, aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Sale.
Ensign. G. Wade, aide-de-camp to Brigadier-General Dennie,

78 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1839 habitants evinced a disposition bordering on hostility,
and withheld aid of every kind. Towards the end of
January they arrived at Roree, and beheld the river
Indus, which they were about to pass, upwards of half
a mile broad, with its banks clothed with groves of
date trees covering hills, which presented a striking
contrast to the plains near them, green with corn and
tamarisk bushes. After some delay, the fortress of
Bakkur was delivered up to the British, as a place of
arms during the war in A ffghanistan.
The troops from Bombay having met with some in
terruption in their advance through Lower Scinde, part
of the Bengal force, including the Thirteenth, quitted
the Indus, to menace the city of Hyderabad ; but re
turned to Roree in the middle of February, in conse
quence of the submission of the rulers of Lower Scinde.
A bridge of boats had, in the meantime, been placed
across the great river Indus, and the Thirteenth
Light Infantry crossed this celebrated stream, to
traverse regions which a British army hadhever before
penetrated, but which are interesting from their asso
ciation with ancient history, being the scene of the
operations, and reverses of Alexander the Great, up
wards of two thousand years since : after a march of four
days they arrived at Shikar pore, when the difficulties of
the enterprise began to assume a formidable character.
Advancing from Shikarpore the regiment proceeded
through a desert country to Usted, and afterwards
continued its route through the arid plains of Beloo
chlstan, occasionally suffering inconvenience from the
want of water, and from the predatory habits of the
Beloochees, and arrived in the middle of March, at
Dadur, situated a few miles from the Bolan Pass.
From Dadur the regiment continued its route ; and

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 79
penetrating the Bolan Pass, marched between moun- 1839
tains covered with snow : in some places the pass was
not more than seventeen yards wide, with gloomy crags
rising perpendicularly in awful grandeur on each side.
In these wild regions bands of Beloochees lurked to
avail themselves of every opportunity to follow their
predatory habits, and they murdered several camp
followers, and plundered some baggage. Issuing from
this gloomy defile of more than fifty miles in length, the
regiment entered the Dusht-i be-doulut, or the
unhappy-desert, and halted a short time at Quettah,
situated in the centre of the valley of Shawl, of which it
is the capital. Supplies of provisions could not be pro
cured for the army in these sterile regions ; the issue of
grain for the horses ceased, the soldiers were placed upon
half rations, the native followers upon quarter, and seve
ral men, who were searching for forage at a distance from
the camp, were murdered by the ferocious natives, who
hovered round the army to avail themselves of every
opportunity of destroying small parties.
The soldiers bore all the hardships to which they were
subjected with fortitude, and in the early part of April
the army commenced its march through the vale of
Shawl ; it descended the picturesque height of Kotul
full one thousand feet, into the valley of Koochlak ;
forded rivers ; traversed a difficult country spangled
with flowers of every hue, and passed the height of
Kozak, where the soldiers had to drag the artillery
over the precipice with ropes. The army, surmounting
every obstacle with patient perseverance, continued to
press forward ; the rulers of western Affghanistan were
struck with dismay at the appearance of the formidable
British host, and they fled from the capital, leaving the
country to the Sovereign whom the British were advanc
ing to restore. As the army continued its march, various

80 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT'S
1 839 classes of individuals tendered their submission, and
on the 27th of April the British troops arrived at
Candahar, the capital of western Affghanistan, where
the soldiers obtained provisions and repose. The tents
were pitched in the grassy meadows, among enclosures
covered with crops of grain. The watery exhalations
from the low grounds proved injurious to the health of
the men, and the great heat experienced in the tents,
with a saline impregnation in the water, augmented
the number of the sick.
Breaking up from Candahar on the 27th of June, to
reduce the remainder of the Shah's dominions to
obedience to his authority, the army advanced along
a valley of dismal sterility to the Turnuk river; then
proceeding up the right bank, traversed the country
of the Western Ghilzees, and arrived in the vicinity of
Ghuznee, a strong fortress garrisoned by three thousand
Affghans under Prince Mahomed Hyder Khan, who
were well provided with stores, and had determined on
a desperate defence : they had blocked up every gate
by masonry excepting one.
The army having arrived before Ghuznee without a
battering train of sufficient power to proceed by the
regular method of breaching the walls, &c., the com
mander of the forces, Lieut.-General Sir John Keane,
resolved to storm the place without delay. On the 2 1 st
July, a company of the Thirteenth under Captain
Sutherland accompanied Captain Thomson, Bengal
Engineers (Chief Engineer) on his reconnoitre, and
had one man killed, and two wounded. During the
night of the 22nd of July a quantity of gunpowder was
brought secretly to the gate which was not blocked up
by masonry, and which was destroyed by an explosion
before daylight on the following morning.
To the Thirteenth was assigned the duty of cover-

regiment of light infantry. 81
ing the operations, in blowing open the gate, and they 1839
paraded at two o'clock, a.m. The regiment proceeded
in advance of the storming party to the causeway of
the gate, under cover of the darkness of the night, and
the fire of the batteries of the assailants. Six men of
the leading company were told off to assist in carrying
the powder bags. On reaching the causeway, the
Thirteenth extended in light order, along the ditch,
and by their fire distracted the enemy's attention from
the gate. After the explosion a company of the regi
ment, under Lieutenant Jennings, moved up with the
Engineer Officer to ascertain if the operation had been
attended with success ; on which the light company of
Her Majesty's Second regiment of foot, No. 9 com
pany of the Thirteenth under Captain Vigors, — the
light companies of Her Majesty's seventeenth and of the
Bengal European Regiment, which had been named to
form the advance of the storming column, immediately
pressed forward under the command of Brigadier
Dennie of the Thirteenth, and under a heavy fire,
gallantly gained an entrance into the fort. These
were quickly followed by the main storming column
under Brigadier Sale (who was severely wounded on
this occasion), of which the Thirteenth formed part,
having been ordered to close on the advance of the four
companies ; and the whole were soon established in
possession of the fort.
The Thirteenth and seventeenth regiments were
directed against the citadel, which was found evacuated
by the enemy. Large supplies of grain, ammunition
of all kinds, and several guns and military weapons,
with about two thousand horses, fell into the hands of
the victors. A company of the regiment under Lieu
tenant Arthur Wilkinson succeeded in capturing the
G

82 THE THIRTEENTH, OH PRINCE ALEERt's
1839 redoubt (or outwork), and took two standards and about
sixty prisoners.
The distinguished conduct of Brigadier Sale was
highly commended by the Commander in Chief Lieut-
General Sir John Keane ; and Brigadier Dennie, Major
Tronson, and Captain Kershaw were distinguished in
the despatches. The regiment had one man killed,
and three serjeants and twenty-seven rank and file
wounded. When the Affghan horsemen, who had assembled in
the neighbourhood, learnt the fate Of the fortress, they
abandoned their camp equipage and baggage, and fled
towards Cabool, the capital of eastern Affghanistan,
in the direction of which city the British forces imme
diately advanced.
Dost Mahomed Khan, the ruler of the country,
assembled a formidable host in position near Ughundee ;
but ascertaining that his soldiers had resolved to aban
don him, he fled with a body of select cavalry, leaving
his artillery in position ; and the British army, advancing
by triumphant marches to the capital, replaced Shah-
Shoojah-ool-Moolk in the possession of the palace of his
forefathers, from which he had been an exile many
years. The'conquest of a kingdom was thus achieved, by
British skill and enterprise, with trifling loss, and the
army pitched its tents in a rich valley near the capital.
The services of the Thirteenth Light Infantry
were afterwards rewarded with the royal authority to
bear on their regimental colour the words " Affghan
istan " and " Ghuznee." A medal was given by the
restored monarch to the officers and soldiers present at
the storming of Ghuznee, which Her Majesty Queen
Victoria authorized them to receive and wear. An
order of merit was also instituted by the Shah, called

regiment of light infantry.

83

the Order of the "Dooranee Empire," the decorations ^^^^
of which were conferred on' the general and field
officers; and Her Majesty was graciously pleased to
grant permission to Sir Robert Sale, of the Thirteenth,
to accept and wear the insignia of the first class, and
Brevet Major James Kershaw and Captain Hamlet
Wade the insignia, of the third class of the order.
Colonel Robert Henry Sale, was promoted to the rank
of Major General in Affghanistan, and was appointed
by Her Majesty to be a Knight Commander of the
Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; Major
Edward T. Tronson was promoted to the rank of lieut.-
colonel in the army, and Captain James Kershaw to
that of major, for their services in this campaign ; the
promotions taking place from the 23rd July, 1839, the
date of the capture of Ghuznee.
Names of the officers of the Thirteenth who re
ceived the Ghuznee Medal : —
Brigadier Robert Henry Sale.
— —  William Dennie Captains.

Major Edward Tronson.
 Tristram Squire.

George Fothergill.
William Sutherland.
James Kershaw.
Robert Pattisson.
Arthur Wilkinson.
James Fenwick.
John Foulston.
Peter Jennings.
Philip Von Streng.
Alexander Holcombe.
George King.
Edward King.
George Mein.

John Taylor.
Horatio Vigors.
Henry Havelock.

Lieutenants,

Ensigns,

Rollo Burslem.
John Wood.
Frederick Holder.
William Sinclair
Hon. Emilius Forester.
Thomas Oxley.
David Rattray.
Richard Frere.
George Wade.

Paymaster Harry Carew. — Adjutant Hamlet Wade.
Assistant Surgeons J. Robertson, M.D. and G. Barnes, M.D.
G 2

84 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1839 A complete change had been achieved in the aspect
of affairs beyond the Indus ; the chiefs of Cabool and
Candahar, who had entertained hostile designs against
the British interest, had been deprived of power, and
the territories they ruled had been restored to a
friendly monarch. These splendid results accomplished,
part of the army was withdrawn from the country ; but
the Thirteenth Light Infantry were selected to remain
in Affghanistan, to support the government of the
restored Shah, against the machinations of the chiefs
who had usurped his authority during his exile.
The regiment was encamped near Cabool until
November, when it marched into garrison at the Bala
Hissar, or citadel of Cabool, in which stands the palace,
with the thirty-fifth native infantry, and a detail of
artillery, and remained there during the winter, which
was an unusually severe season. Brigadier Dennie
commanded the garrison, and Lieutenant Hamlet C.
Wade, who had been selected by Lieut.-General Lord
Keane to serve on the general staff of the army, was
appointed major of brigade to this force.
1840 In May, the regiment moved into camp much re
duced in numbers, having suffered very severely from
disease. On the 24th September it was again called
upon to take the field, having been attached to the
force, under Sir Robert Sale, directed against Dost
Mahomed in the Kohistan of Cabool; and it marched
that day.
On the 29th September, the regiment under Lieut.-
Colonel Tronson assisted in carrying the town and forts
of Tootumdurra, at the entrance of the Ghorebund Pass,
occupied by Ali Khan, a refractory chief of the Kohis
tan. The loss of the Thirteenth was limited to two
privates wounded ; one mortally.

regiment of light infantry. 85
On the 3rd October, the regiment was again engaged 1840
with the enemy at Julgar, about sixteen miles from
Charekar, and although the attack of the storming party
on the fort was not successful, yet Lieut.-Colonel Tron
son, commanding the storming party, and Brevet Major
Kershaw, Lieutenant and Adjutant Wood, Lieutenants
Edward King, and George Wade (the four latter officers
having at one time attained the crest of the breach)
highly distinguished themselves, and were particularly
mentioned by Major-General Sir Robert Sale in his
despatch, who also acknowledged the assistance he re
ceived from his major of brigade, Captain Hamlet
Wade. The scaling-ladders, hastily constructed from
the poles used in carrying the litters for the sick, were
of little use ; no sooner did the soldiers attempt to as
cend them, than they sank into the soft debris on which
they were planted : under these circumstances the
storming party retired, leaving the Serjeant-Major of
the Regiment (Airey) and fourteen men lying dead
under the walls. Serjeant Hurst, of the Thirteenth,
unable to move from his wounds, was carried off by
Lieutenant King ; and a Sepoy was, in like manner,
conveyed to the rear by private Thomas Robinson of
the regiment, under a most terrific fire. Lieutenant
and Adjutant Wood, three serjeants, two corporals, and
twelve privates were wounded.
It was subsequently determined to renew the attack,
when it might be made by a combined movement against
the breach, gateway, and wicket, with better chances of
success, but the enemy, however, notwithstanding the
precautions taken to intercept them, succeeded in
escaping from the fort before seven o'clock p. m., at
which hour the British took possession of it, and
measures were taken for its destruction.

86

THE thirteenth, OR PRINCE ALBERT S

1840 The Thirteenth came again in contact with the
enemy on the 19th October at Babookooshghur, when
they were attacked in camp at night, but experienced
little loss. On the 2nd November, the regiment was
engaged with the Affghans at Purwan, where they had
taken up a strong position under Dost Mahomed, who
however retired from the field, and delivered himself
up to the authorities at Cabool, when the purposes for
which the force commenced operations being effected,
it was directed to return to Cabool, and the Thirteenth
took possession of the new cantonments there on the 8th
November.
1841 After having been nearly three years on active ser
vice, the regiment was in expectation of cx)mmencing
its march back to India, in October 1841 ; but at this
period the government of Shah Shoojah became so un-
¦ popular, that the Affghans appeared determined to
effect, by violence or circumvention, the expulsion of
the British, by whose aid he had been reinstated in the
sovereignty of Cabool.
A body of insurgents having possessed themselves of
the Khoord Cabool pass, about ten miles from the
capital, impeded the communication with India, when
the first Lieut.-Colonel of the regiment, Major-General
Sir Robert Sale, K.C.B., was detached with a small
force, of which the Thirteenth Light Infantry formed
part, to expel the rebels and re-open the communication.
The regiment left Cabool on the llth of October ; the
pass was forced on the following morning, and the troops
penetrated to Khoord Cabool.* The regiment had
* Captain .H C. Wade accompanied the force as Head of the Staff,
and Captain H. Havelock, who had been appointed Persian Interpreter
to the Major-General commanding in Affghanistan, volunteered his
services as aide-de-camp to Sir Robert Sale, who expressed his satisfaction
of their conduct in his public despatch.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 87
three men killed and twenty-four wounded on this 1814
occasion :~Major-General Sir Robert Sale, Captain
H. C.Wade (Major of Brigade), Lieutenant George
Mein, and Ensign Oakes were wounded. Lieutenant
Mein being dangerously wounded, was obliged to be
sent back in a litter to Cabool. Upon Sir Robert Sale
being obliged to quit the field from the severity of his
wound, the command of the troops devolved on Lieut.-
Colonel Dennie, C.B. of the Thirteenth. The regi
ment then faced about, to return through the pass
according to the plan for executing the operation,
leaving the other corps at Khoord Cabool. Possession
was then taken of Bootkhak, where the regiment was
stationed from the 12th to the J 8th of October.
During this delay, the corps was much harassed by
incessant night-attacks from the enemy, called by them
Shub Khoon (Night Slaughter^, which caused it some
loss, but by Sir Robert Sale's precaution in ordering
the men to lie down on their alarm posts, as soon as
the enemy's fire was opened on the camp, much loss
was prevented. The orders prohibiting any return-fire
from the troops saved much, and all the attempts of the
enemy to force an entrance into camp were success
fully resisted by the bayonet alone. Meanwhile the
rebellion continued of a formidable character, and the
Thirteenth Light Infantry were ordered to march tp
Tezeen, where they arrived on the 22nd of October
and were engaged with a body of insurgents, whom
they drove from some heights and strong positions.
The regiment on this duty had the misfortune to lose
Lieutenant Edward King, who fell at the head of his
company, while gallantly charging the enemy. Lieu
tenant R. E. Frere was wounded: the other casualties
were three privates killed, and nine rank and file
wounded.

OO THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERTS
1811 In consequence of orders from Cabool, the force under
Major-General Sir Robert Sale marched for Gundamuck,
and were continually pressed day and night, by insur
gent bands hovering on their flanks and rear, which
occasioned the fatigues and duties of the troops to be
particularly harassing ; the way led along defiles and
over mountains, and when the soldiers halted, breast
works had to be thrown up to defend the bivouac ground
from sudden attacks of the Affghan cavalry.
On the 29th of October the rebels were found in force
at the JugduUuck Pass, and for some time they checked
the advance of the column ; but the skirmishers of the
Thirteenth Light Infantry, sprang forward with dis
tinguished gallantry, and driving the Affghans from
almost inaccessible heights protected by breast-works,
enabled the British force to surmount every obstacle in
he defile, and to arrive at Gundamuck on the following
day. Lieutenants P. R. Jennings, A. E. F. Holcombe,
and David Rattray were severely wounded on this ser
vice; four privates were killed, and forty-two wounded.
Lieut.-Colonel Dennie, Captains Wilkinson, Havelock,
Wade, (Brigade-Major) and Fenwick, were specially
mentioned by Major-General Sir Robert Sale in his
despatch. The troops under Major-General Sir Robert Sale
remained at Gundamuck until the 5th November, when
they proceeded and captured the fort of Mamoo Khail
in the neighbourhood, and returned on the 6th to Gun
damuck ; there intelligence was received of the break
ing out of a violent insurrection at Cabool, on the 2nd
of November, and of the probabiUty that the rebellion
would become general. Under these circumstances, two
forced marches on Jellalabad were made, with a nu
merous enemy pressing on the flanks and rear ; a body
of insurgents were beaten at Futtehabad by the rear-

regiment OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 89
guard under Lieut-Colonel Dennie; and Jellalabad, 1841
the chief town in the valley of Ningrahar, was seized
by the British troops on the 12th November, to esta
blish a post upon which the corps at Cabool might
retire, if necessary, and to restore a link in the chain of
communication with India. The Affghan irregulars,
left at Gundamuck, revolted, and a general rising took
place among the tribes.
Major-General Sir Robert Sale, on taking possession
of Jellalabad, found the fortress in a very dilapidated
state, and the inhabitants disaffected to the government
of the Shah. The Affghans collected to about ten
thousand, and the walls of the fort being without para
pets, and the garrison having only one day and a
half supplies, on half rations, a sally was made on the
14th November, which routed the enemy, and enabled
the troops to collect provisions, and erect works for the
defence of ^ the fortress. On this latter duty, the Thir
teenth Light Infantry were conspicuous for the
alacrity and indefatigable perseverance they evinced
under circumstances of the most disheartening and
trying character. The demolition of ruinous forts and
old walls, filling up ravines, destroying gardens, cutting
down groves, raising the parapets to six or seven feet
high, repairing and widening the ramparts, extending the
bastions, retrenching three of the gates, covering the
fourth with an outwork, and excavating a ditch ten feet
in depth and twelve in width round the whole of the walls,
were wOrks of great labour, which called forth the efforts
of every individual. While thus employed another array
of many thousands of Affghans on the 27th of Novem
ber again invested the place, but they were completely
routed and dispersed by a sally of the garrison on the
1st December.

90 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1842 On the 9th of January, 1842, the garrison was sum
moned to give up the fortress, by the leader of the
Affghan rebellion, in fulfilment of a convention entered
into at Cabool ; but Major-General Sir Robert Sale,
being fully assured of the -bad faith of the insurgents,
refused ; the annihilation of the troops from the capital,
in the Ghilzie defiles, by the severity of the climate,
and the basest treachery on the part of those in whoso
promises they had confided, proved the correctness of
the major-general's estimation ofthe Affghan character.
By the indefatigable exertions of the troops, under
the direction of Captain Broadfoot, garrison engineer,
and Captain Abbott, commissary of ordnance, the
works were brought into a state of defence against any
Asiatic enemy not provided with siege- artillery ; but
the place was kept in, a continual state of alarm by the
occurrence of one hundred shocks of an earthquake in
the course of a month, and on the 19th of February a
tremendous shock occasioned the parapets to fall,
injured the bastions, made a breach in the rampart,
destroyed the guard-houses, reduced other portions of
the works to ruins, and demolished one-third part of
the town. With that unconquerable spirit of perse
verance for which the troops had already been distin
guished, they instantly turned to the repair of the
works. Sirdar Mahomed Akbar Khan, Barukzye, the
assassin of the late Envoy, and the treacherous des
troyer of the Cabool force, flushed with success, ap
proached with a numerous body of troops to overwhelm
the little garrison of Jellalabad : he attacked the
foraging parties on the 21st and 22nd of February;
but was astonished at finding the works in a state of
defence, and. he established a rigorous blockade.
From that time to the 7th of April, the reduced gar-

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 91
rison was engaged in a succession of skirmishes, in which 1842
the Thirteenth Light Infantry had opportunities of
distinguishing themselves; particularly detachments
under Captains Pattisson and Fenwick, Lieutenants
George Wade and W. Cox.
On the 5th April, 1 842, information was received
that the force under Major-General Pollock had ex
perienced reverses in the Khyber, and had retraced its
steps towards Peshawur ; and on the 6th a feu-de-joie
and salute of artillery were fired by Mahomed Akbar,
which were stated to be in honour of the event. It
was also reported that the Affghans were sending
reinforcements to assist in defending their frontier
passes. These reports were accompanied by others of
a fresh revolution at Cabool, which was considered by
some as the cause of the rejoicing; and it was also
rumoured that the Ghazees had been defeated in
Khyber, and that the Sirdar had retreated into Lugh-
man. Major-General Sir Robert Sale resolved to
anticipate the last-mentioned event, by a general attack
on the Affghan camp, with the hope of relieving Jella
labad from blockade, and facilitating General Pollock's
advance to its succour. Directions werei accordingly
given to form three columns of infantry, the central
consisting of the Thirteenth (mustering five hundred
bayonets) under Colonel Dennie, C. B. ; the left con
sisting of a similar number of the thirty-fifth native
infantry under Lieut.-Colonel Monteath, C.B. ; and
the right composed of one company of the Thirteenth,'
one of the thirty-fifth native infantry, and the de
tachment of Sappers under the command of Lieutenant
Orr (the severity of Captain Broadfoot's wound still
rendering him non-effective), amounting to three hun
dred and sixty men, was commanded by Captain

92 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT's f
1842 Havelock of the Thirteenth ; these were to be sup
ported by the fire of the guns of number 6 field
battery under Captain Abbott, the whole of the small
cavalry force being under Captain Oldfield and Lieu
tenant Mayne.
At daylight, on the morning of the 7th April, the
troops issued from the Cabool and Peshawur gales.
The Sirdar, Mahomed Akbar Khan, with his force of
about six thousand men, was formed in order of battle
for the defence of his camp ; its right resting on
a fort, and its left on the Cabool river ; even the
ruined works within eight hundred yards of the place>
recently repaired, were filled with Ghilzie marksmen,
who were evidently prepared for a stout resistance.
The attack was led by the skirmishers and column
under Captain Havelock, which drove the enemy in
the most satisfactoi:y manner from the extreme left of
his advanced line of works, which it pierced at once,
and proceeded to advance into the plain ; the central
column at the same time directed its efforts against a
square fort, upon the same base, the defence of which
was obstinately maintained. Colonel Dennie of the
Thirteenth, while nobly leading his regiment to the
assault, received a shot through his body, which, to the
deep regret of officers and men, shortly after proved
fatal. The rear of the work having been finally gained by
passing to its left, orders were given for a combined
attack upon the enemy's camp ; this was brilliant and
successful. The artillery advanced at the gallop, and
directed a heavy fire upon the Affghan centre, while
two columns of infantry penetrated his line near the
same point, and the third forced back his left from its
support on the river, into which some of his horse and

regiment of light infantry. 93
foot were driven. The Affghans repeatedly attempted 1842
to check the advance by a smart fire of musketry, — by
throwing forward heavy bodies of horse, which twice
threatened in force the detachments of infantry under
Captain Havelock, and by opening three guns, screened
by a garden wall, which were said to have been served
under the personal superintendence of the Sirdar ; but
in a short time the Affghans were dislodged from
every point of their positions, their cannon taken, and
their camp involved in a general conflagration.
The battle was over, and the enemy in full retreat
in the direction of Lughman by about seven, a.m.
Two cavalry standards were taken from the enemy,
besides four guns lost by the Cabool army and Gunda
muck forces, the recapture of which was a matter of
much honest exultation. A great quantity of materiel
and stores were, together with the enemy's tents, de
stroyed, and the defeat of Mahomed Akbar, in open
field, by the troops he had boasted of blockading, was
complete. The regiment had Colonel Dennie killed, and
Lieutenant Jennings and Assistant-Surgeon Barnes
wounded; eight privates killed, and thirty- one rank
and file wounded.
Captain Wilkinson, of the Thirteenth, on whom
the charge of one of the infantry columns devolved on
the lamented fall of Colonel Dennie, and Captain
Hamlet Wade (Brigade Major), were highly commended
in Major-General Sir Robert Sale's despatch, in which
it was also stated ' that Lieutenant and Adjutant Wood,
' Her Majesty's Thirteenth Light Infantry, made a
' dash at one of the enemy, and in cutting him down,
' his charger was so severely injured as to have been
' since destroyed. Captain Havelock reports in the

94

THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT S

1842 ' most favourable manner thegallant conduct, through-
'out the day, of Lieutenant Cox, Her Majesty's Thir-
' TEENTH Light Infantry, and he was the first of the
' party which captured them to seize two of the enemy's
' cannon.' Armourer Serjeant Henry Ulyett, of the Thir
teenth, captured Mahomed Akbar 's standard, which
he took from a cavalry soldier, whom he killed.
The force employed in this successful enterprise
amounted to about eighteen hundred men of all arms-
The safety of the fortress was entrusted, during the
action, to the ordinary guards of its gates, and one
provisional battalion of followers of every description
armed with pikes and other weapons, who manned the
curtains, and made a respectable show of defence.
Captain Pattisson, of the Thirteenth, was left in com
mand of this diminished garrison. Towards the con
clusion of the engagement a sally was made from the
Cabool gate by Lieutenant George Wade, of the Thir
teenth, into the fort before which Colonel Dennie had
fallen, when it was observed that the enemy were aban
doning it ; all it contained was set on fire, and some of
its defenders were bayoneted.
The enemy's loss was very severe ; the field of battle
was strewed with the bodies of men and horses, and
the richness of the trappings of some of the latter de
noted that chiefs of rank (several being present and
taking part in the action) had fallen.
The following Notification of this victory was
issued by the Government of India from Benares on
the 21st April, 1842 :—
'The Governor General feels assured that every
' subject of the British Government will peruse with
' the deepest interest and satisfaction the report he

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 95
'now communicates, of the entire defeat of the Affghan 1842
' troops under Mahomed Akbar Khan, by the garrison
' of Jellalabad.
' That Illustrious Garrison, which, by its constancy in
' enduring privation, and by its valour in action, has
' already obtained for itself the sympathy and respect
' of every true soldier, has now, sallying forth from its
' walls, under the command of its gallant leader, Major-
' General Sir Robert Sale, thoroughly beaten in open
' field an enemy of more than three times its numbers,
' taken the standards of their boasted cavalry, destroyed
' their camp, and recaptured four guns, which, under
' circumstances which can never again occur, had during
' the last winter fallen into their hands.
' The Governor General cordially congratulates the
' army upon the return of victory to its ranks.
' He is convinced that there, as in all former times,
' it will be found, while, as at Jellalabad, the European
' and native troops mutually supporting each other,
' and evincing equal discipline and valour, are led into
• action by officers in whom they justly confide.
' The Governor General directs that the substance
' of this notification, and of Major-General Sir Robert
' Sale's report, be carefully made known to all the
' troops, and that a salute of twenty-one guns be fired
' at every principal station of the army.'
On the 20th February following, the thanks of
Parliament were accorded to the Governor General of
India, and to the officers and troops employed in
Affghanistan, the resolutions being moved in the House
of Lords by the Duke of Wellington, and in the House
of Commons by Sir Robert Peel, who, after eulogising
the gallant conduct of Sir Robert Sale and the garrison
of Jellalabad, proceeded to deplore the death of Colonel

96 the THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERt's
1842 Dennie, in the victory of the 7th April, in the following
terms : —
' That victory would have been the cause of almost
' unqualified rejoicing if it had not been purchased at
' the cost of the life of one of the most noble and gallant
' spirits, whose actions have ever added brilliance to
' their country's military renown. Need I mention
' the name of the lamented Colonel Dennie ? With
'his accustomed valour, — a valour which was un-
' quenchable, — he led the British troops against the
' enemy. The attack which he headed was successful,
' but he fell in the conflict ; and a spirit as gallant as
' his own has offered to his family and his friends that
' which he thinks, — and justly thinks,-— the.highest con-
' solation that can be afforded them. " True it is," he
' says, " he has lost his life ; but he lost his life on the
' field of battle, and in the hour of victory !" Such is
' the consolation which Sir Robert Sale offers to his
'bereaved family and friends. I wish it had been
' possible — but it was not — I wish it had been possible
' that the dying moments of Colonel Dennie could have
' been consoled, as I believe they would have been, by
' the knowledge that, on account of the former valour
' and intrepidity he had displayed, — he having no other
' interest or influence than that just interest and in-
' fluence which such courage and devotion ought always
' to command, — the Queen of England had signified her
' personal wish that Colonel Dennie should be appointed
' one of her aides-de-camp. I sincerely wish that
' Colonel Dennie could have been made acquainted
' with this fact.' *
The defence of Jellalabad, situated amid scenery of
* It is gratifying to be able to state, that Colonel Dennie's appoint
ment as aide-de-camp to the Queen was known at the regiment about a
week previous to his lamented fall.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 97
wild and savage grandeur, against an undisciplined 1842
but desperate enemy, who used his rude implements of
war with deadly precision, will ever excite the highest
admiration, and the British nation owes a lasting debt
of gratitude to Major-General Sir Robert Sale, and the
gallant band of heroes composing the garrison. These
successes, contrasting so forcibly with the unforeseen
disasters at Cabool, which partook more of the cha
racter of a hideous dream than of stern reality, may
well make the Thirteenth refer with honest pride to
the part they bore in these achievements.
On the 16th June, 1842, the Queen was graciously
pleased to appoint Colonel Sir Robert Henry Sale
(serving with the rank of Major-General in Affghan
istan) to be a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honor
able Military Order of the Bath.
Major Edward T. Tronson was promoted to the
rank of Lieut.-Colonel, in succession to Lieut.-Colonel
Dennie, and Captain Robert Pattisson was advanced to
the Majority. Lieut.-Colonel Tronson retired on full
pay on the 2nd August, 1842, and was succeeded by
Major Squire, and Captain John Taylor was promoted
to the vacant rank of Major.
In a few days after this victory, the privations and
sufferings of the garrison, from incessant toil and the
deficiency of provisions, were terminated by the arrival
of the force under Major-General Pollock, who, in his
despatch of the 19th April, 1842, stated that, ' I have
' had an opportunity of inspecting the works thrown
' up for their protection by the indefatigable exertions
* of Sir Robert Sale's force, and my surprise at their
' strength and extent has been only equalled by my
' admiration ofthe excellent arrangements which must
' have pervaded all departments, since, after a siege
H

98 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT's
1842 ' (by greatly superior numbers) of upwards of five
' months' duration, I find the garrison in excellent
' health and spirits, and in an admirable state of dis-
' cipline, with a good supply of ammunition, ready and
' anxious to take the field, and most willing to advance
' on Cabool.'
Major-General Sir Robert Sale's report of the
transactions in which the garrison of Jellalabad had
been engaged, gives the following interesting par
ticulars : —
' From the time that the brigade threw itself into
' Jellalabad, the native troops have been on half, and
' the followers on quarter rations, and for many weeks
' they have been able to obtain little or nothing in the
' bazaars to eke out this scanty provision. I will not
'mention, as a privation, the European troops from
' the same period having been without their allowance
' of spirits, because I verily believe this circumstance
' and their constant employment have contributed to
' keep them in the highest health and the most re-
' markable state of discipline. Crime has been almost
' unknown amongst them, but they have felt severely,
' although they have never murmured, the diminution
' of their quantity of animal food, and the total want
' of ghee, flour, tea, coffee, and sugar : these may seem
' small matters to those who read of them at a distance,
' but they are serious reductions in the scale of comfort
' of the hard-working and fighting soldier in Asia. The
' troops have also been greatly in arrears of pay, besides
' their severe duties in heat and cold, wind and rain,
' on the guards of the gates and bastions. The troops,
' officers and men, British and Hindoostanee, of every
' arm, remained fully accoutred on their alarm posts
' every night from the 1st of March to the 7th April.

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 99
'The losses of officers and men, in carriage and cattle, 1842
'camp equipage and baggage, between Cabool and
' Jellalabad were heavy ; and their expenditure, during
' the siege and blockade, in obtaining articles of mere
' subsistence and necessity, has been exorbitant.
' It is gratifying to me to forward the opinion of my
' second in command, Lieut.-Colonel Monteath, C.B.,
' placed on record without solicitation, of the merits of
' the Thirteenth Light Infantry, -of which corps I
' am proud of being a member. * * * I must express my
' gratitude to Providence for having placed so gallant
' and devoted a force under my command; in every
' way it has exceeded my most sanguine expectations,
' and I beg leave, in the strongest manner, to solicit the
' interposition of Major-General Pollock, C..B., who has
' nobly labored and fought to relieve it from its critical
' position in the midst of a hostile empire, in now com.
' mitting it to the protection and favour of the Right
' Honorable the Governor General in Council, and
' through him to the Court of Directors, and of our
' Sovereign.' Lieut.-Colonel Monteath stated in his report, — As
' doing but due justice on this occasion to Her Majesty's
' Thirteenth Light Infantry might be looked upon
' as a highly-coloured record of the merits of your own
' regiment, and seeing that no such partial bias can
' possibly be supposed to guide my feelings in the es-
' timate I have formed of their deserts, I have pleasure
' in sincerely declaring, that their conduct, throughout the
' painful and perilous position in which we have so long been
' placed, has been such as fully to deserve the applause and
' admiration of their country, and the confidence and best
' consideration of our well-beloved Sovereign.
' On our throwing ourselves, on the 12th November j
h2

100 THE THIRTEENTH, OB PRINCE ALBERt's
1842 ' last, into the old and ruined town of Jellalabad, with-
' out money, without food, and almost without protec-
' tion, with a nation of highly excited and barbarous
' enemies in arms against us, our situation seemed as
' hopeless a one as British troops were ever called upon
' to confront ; notwithstanding which, the enemy was
• twice attacked within twenty days, and on both occa-
' sions defeated with signal success.
' You, yourself, will doubtless detail the works per-
' formed by the regiment ; let it then be only my pro-
' vince,whohave witnessed their exertions, almosthourly
' during a period of five months, to record, that their
' devoted perseverance and cheerfulness amidst all the gloom
' that surrounded them, after the destruction of their comrades
' of the Cabool force, could not have been surpassed by any
' troops in the world; and that after months of extreme
' toil, when an earthquake, such as man is not often in
' the habit of experiencing, in a moment left scarcely a
' vestige of their labour standing; their flying as they
' did with redoubled zeal to the work, and completing it in
' ten days, (so that on the arrival of the enemy before
' Jellalabad, they declared that the calamity which had
' befallen the valley arose from nothing but English
' witchcraft, it being the only place that had escaped
' uninjured) was what none but British soldiers could have
' performed, and what no price could have purchased, for it
' was the labour of the heart, work of all others
' most deserving of distinction and reward.'
The distinguished conduct of the regiment was ap
preciated, and Her Majesty thus alluded to it in her
most gracious speech on proroguing Parliament on the
12th August, 1842 : — ' Although I have had deeply to
' lament the reverses which have befallen a division of
' the army to the westward of the Indus, yet I have the

regiment of light infantry. 101
'satisfaction of reflecting that the gallant defence of 1842
' the city of Jellalabad, crowned by a decisive victory
' in the field, has eminently proved the courage and
' discipline of the European and Native troops, and
' the skill and fortitude of their distinguished com-
' mander.' On the 26th of August, the pleasure of Her Majesty
the Queen Victoria, was officially announced in the
London Gazette : — ' War Office, 26th August, 1842.
' In consideration of the distinguished gallantry dis-
' played by the Thirteenth Light Infantry during
' the campaigns in the Burmese empire and in Affghan-
' istan. Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to
' approve of that regiment assuming the title of the
' Thirteenth or Prince Albert's Regiment of
' Light Infantry ; and of its facings being changed
' from yellow to blue.
' Her Majesty has also been pleased to authorize the
' Thirteenth Regiment of Light Infantry to bear on
' its colours and appointments a ' Mural Crown,' super-
' scribed ' Jellalabad^ as a memorial of the fortitude,
' perseverance, and enterprise, evinced by that regi-
' ment, and the several corps which served during the
' blockade of Jellalabad.
' Her 'Majesty has been likewise pleased to permit
' the Thirteenth regiment to receive and wear a silver
' medal, which has been directed by the Governor
' General of India to be distributed to every officer
' non-commissioned officer, and private, European and
' Native, — who belonged to the garrison of Jellalabad
' on the 7th April, 1842; — such medals to bear on one
'side a 'Mural Crown,' superscribed 'Jellalabad;' and
' on the other side ' April 7th, 1842.' '

102 the thirteenth, or prince Albert's
1842 The medal for Jellalabad was granted to the follow
ing officers of the Thirteenth : —
Lieutenant-Colonels. * Major.
Colonel Sir Robert Sale, G. C.B. Robert Pattisson.
 William H. Dennie, C.B.* Captains.
Henry Havelock. James H. Fenwick.

Arthur P. S. Wilkinson
Hamlet C. Wade.

Peter R. Jennings.
Lieutenants.

John Wm. Cox.
William Williams.
Fred. Van Straubenzee.
Thos. B. Speedy.
J. Francis Scott.
G. Chetwynd Stapylton.
Bobt. S. Parker

Alex. E. F. Holcombe.
George King.
John S. Wood, {Adjutant.)
Wm. A. Sinclair.
Hon. E. J. W. Forester.
David Rattray.
Richard E. Frere.
George Wade. Ensigns.
Arthur Oakes. | Geo. Talbot.
Surgeon, Jno. Robertson, M.D. Assist.-Surg. G. W. Barnes, M.D.
The regiment remained in garrison at Jellalabad
until the 6th August, when it moved forwards to Fut
tehabad for change of air, having suffered severely
from the extreme heat of the weather. So great was
the heat, that six men fell dead in the ranks of apo
plexy the first march. On the 1st of September, the
Thirteenth received orders to join the force under
* The following interesting circumstance was related by Lord Fitzgerald
and Vesey in the House of Lords, in his speech on the 20fh February, 1843,
regarding the vote of thanks for the operations in Affghanistan. The Adju
tant General of the Army in India, acting by the command of Lord Ellen-
borough, transmitted to the aged mother of Colonel Dennie that medal
which her son would have worn, had he happily survived. In replying to
the letter which accompanied this token Mrs. Dennie beautifully said, that
she accepted it with pleasure and with pride, for she had a right to feel a
' pride in her son's life, and in his death.' Lord Fitzgerald added, that it
was impossible to read that passage without honoring the lady, and even
more deeply lamenting the fate of the son of whom she had so justly and
truly written.

regiment of light infantry. 103
Major-General Pollock at Gundamuck, to which place 1842
the regiment marched on the following morning, and
joined on the 3rd. It remained there until the 7th,
when it moved towards Cabool, forming part of the
first division of the advance, which was placed under
the command of Major General Sir Robert Sale. On
the 8th, upon nearing JugduUuck, the Affghans were
observed in position, and the Thirteenth under
Captain Wilkinson were directed to carry the left cen
tre of the enemy, which was done in gallant style.
The enemy were dispersed in every direction, a large
body of them retiring to the summit of a high moun
tain. On this rugged and almost inaccessible height
they planted their standards, but as the achievements
of the day would have been incomplete were they suf
fered to remain, it was decided to dislodge them. The
lofty heights were assaulted in two columns, the Thir
teenth being led by Captain Wilkinson, and the Ghilzies
fled from their last and least assailable stronghold.
Major General Sir Robert Sale was again wounded.
The other casualties of the regiment were one private
killed and two serjeants and twelve privates wounded.
The Thirteenth bivouacked in the valley of Jug
duUuck, which was strewn with the blackened remains
of their unfortunate comrades of the Cabool force.
Near this place Brevet Major Kershaw and Lieutenant
Hobhouse of the Thirteenth were killed in January
1842, while retiring with the force from Cabool. The
enemy showed no opposition to the advance of the
army until nearing the valley of Tezeen, when some
skirmishing took place, and the troops halted in the
valley a day to allow the rear division of the advance
to close up. The road from Tezeen to Khoord Cabool
was through a succession of lofty hills, called the Huft

104 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT'S
1842 Kotul, or Eight Hills. Dispositions for the attack ofthe
Huft Kotul Pass having been made on the 12th of Sep
tember, the force moved off on the following morning,
and three companies ofthe Thirteenth formed part of
the advance guard under Sir Robert Sale. To them
was allotted the duty of clearing the right of the Pass,
which was effectively done. A company under Lieu
tenant W. A. Sinclair, which formed part of the force
placed under Major Skinner ofthe thirty-first regiment,
and which was detached on the right of the pass, also
distinguished itself.
The regiment lost one rank and file killed, and had
five wounded. The enemy's loss was heavy ; he was
completely defeated, and left his artillery in the pos
session of the victors. The army re-occupied Cabool
on the 15th September, and on the 18th, part of the
regiment received sudden orders to march with the
force under Major-General Sir Robert Sale in order
to meet the prisoners lately in possession of the enemy,
then on their way to Cabool, it being supposed that
Akbar Khan would attempt to re-capture them. On
the morning of the 20th, the troops met the prisoners
(Lady Sale and Lieutenant Mein* being among them),
and on the 21st returned with them to Cabool, without
being annoyed by the enemy. The regiment remained
* Sir Robert Peel, on moving the vote of thanks to the army employed
in Affghanistan, on the 20th February, 1843, alluded in the following
terms to Lieutenant Mein's conduct, while serving with the army on its
retreat from Cabool : — "I have said that, in the course of this campaign,
instances of the most generous devotion, of friendly sympathy, and of des
perate fidelity, were displayed, which deserve at least a passing notice.
Lieutenant Eyre says : * Lieutenant Sturt ("son-in-law to Sir Robert and
' Lady Sale) had nearly cleared the defile, when he received his wound,
'and would have been left on the ground to be liacked to pieces by the
' Ghazees.who followed in the rear to complete the work of slaughter, but
' for the generous intrepidity of Lieutenant Mein of Her Majesty's Thir-
' TKENTH Light Infantry, who, on learning what had befallen him, went
' back to his succour, and stood by him for several minutes, at the imminent

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 105
at Cabool until the 12th of October, * when the army 1842
broke ground on its return to India. The regiment
shared in the many skirmishes on quitting the Affghan
territory, but sustained little loss, and on the 24th, it
reached Jellalabad ; previously to proceeding further,
it was considered advisable to destroy the fortress, and
in a few days not a wall was left standing. On the
south face of the fort was a large bastion, close to which
was an open space which had been converted into a
burial-ground ; here the remains of Colonel Dennie,
with many other gallant soldiers, were laid, and the
Engineer Officer in mining the bastion, caused the
whole mass to be thrown by the explosion over the
graves, thus leaving a lasting monument over them,
and what was of more importance, effectually prevent
ing the bodies being disturbed by the Affghans.
The regiment thence proceeded to Peshawur, and across
the Punjaub en route to Ferozepore.
According to the wish of the Governor-General (Lord
Ellenborough), the garrison of Jellalabad had received
orders to proceed in advance of the rest of the troops,
in order that they should make a triumphant entry
'risk of his own life, vainly entreating aid from the passers by. He was
' at length, joined by Serjeant Deane, ofthe Sappers, with whose assistance
' he dragged his friend, on a quilt, through the remainder of the Pass, when
' he succeeded in mounting him on a miserable pony, and conducted him
' in safety to the camp, where the unfortunate officer lingered till the fol-
' lowing morning, and was the only man of the whole force who received
' Christian burial. Lieutenant Mein was himself at this very time suffering
' from a dangerous wound in the head received in the previous October ,
' and his heroic disregard of self, and fidelity to his friend in the hour of
' danger, are well deserving of a record in the annals of British valour and
' virtue • I think, Sir, it is but just that the name of Lieutenant Mein should
'be mentioned with honour in the House of Commons, and I do not regret
' having noticed this circumstance, as it has called forth so generous and
' general an expression of sympathy and approval.' "
* The regiment lost by death a very promising young officer, Lieutenant
Scott, this night ; and Lieutenant Frere also fell a victim to the fatigues
and vicissitudes ofthe campaign on the 18th November, 1842.

106 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERt's
1842 into the British Provinces by themselves, and the
medals granted for the defence of, and general action
near, Jellalabad, had been forwarded a few days pre
viously, so that they might be worn on the entry of the
garrison into Ferozepore. On the 14th December, the
Thirteenth arrived at the right bank of the Sutlej,
where they halted until the 17th, when they crossed
the river by a bridge of boats. At the opposite side
was erected, for the garrfson to pass under, a triumphal
arch, where they were met by Lord Ellenborough ; the
distance from the river to the camp was about six miles,
and for the first three miles a sort of street was formed
for the garrison to pass through, by placing elephants
decked in their gayest trappings at intervals of about
• twenty paces ; the remainder of the road was hned by
the army of reserve encamped at Ferozepore, who pre
sented arms as the garrison passed, the bands playing
the " National Anthem : " in the evening the officers
of the garrison were entertained at a magnificent
banquet given by the Governor General.
These honours were rendered, agreeablj^ to the con
cluding paragraph of the General Order by the Right
Honorable the Governor General of India, dated
Allahabad, 30th of April, 1842, which stated that —
'The Governor General will request His Excellency
' the Commander-in-Chief of the army to give instruc-
' tions, in due time, that the several corps composing
' the garrison of Jellalabad may, on their return to
' India, be received at all the stations on their route
' to their cantonments, by all the troops at such sta-
' tions, in review order, with presented arms.'
The regiment received the Queen's permission to
bear on its colours and appointments the word
" Cabool, 1842," to commemorate its important ser-

EEGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 107
vices. Major Pattisson was promoted to the brevet 1842
rank of Lieut.-Colonel ; Captains Havelock, Wilkinson,
Wade, and Fenwick were promoted to the brevet rank
of Major, and, with the following officers, received the
silver medal for Cabool : —
Colonel Sir Robert Sale, G.C.B.

Captains.

Major Henry Havelock.
 Arthur Wilkinson.
 Hamlet Wade.

— James Fenwick.

Captain Peter Jennings.
 — Alex. Holcombe.
 George Kine.

Majors Havelock, Wilkinson, and Wade were subsequently ap
pointed by Her Majesty Companions of the most Honorable Military
Order of the Bath.

Lieutenants.

John S. Wood {adjutant).
William A. Sinclair.
Hon. Emilius J. Forrester,
David Rattray.
Richard E. Frere.
Geo. Wadd.
John W. Cox.

Fred. Van Straubenzee.
Thomas B. Speedy.
J. Fran. P. Scott.
Granville Geo. C. Stapylton.
Robert S. Parker.
Arthur Oakes.
George Talbot.
Surgeon, J. Robertson, M.D. — Asst.-Surgeon, Geo. Barnes, M.D.

On the 16th January, 1843, the regiment marched 1843
from Ferozepore, and arrived at Mowbarukpore on
the 5th of February, where it remained encamped
until the 9th of March, when it proceeded on its route
to Kussowlie, at which station it remained until the
21st October. Fatigue parties were here daily em
ployed for two hours in the cool of the morning or
evening cutting and repairing roads, etc. On the 21st
October, the regiment marched to Ferozepore en route
to Scinde. On the 6th November, the regiment reached
Loodianah, where percussion muskets were issued to
it for the first time, and the old flint arms were given
into store. It arrived at Ferozepore on the 1 5th

108 THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT 's
1843 November, embarked in boats for Sukkur, on the
24th, and reached its destination on the 20th Decem
ber. General Edward Morrison died on the 3rd December,
1843, and the vacant colonelcy of the Thirteenth
' was conferred on the 15th of that month on Sir Robert
Sale ; Major Horatio Nelson Vigors was promoted to
the rank of Lieutenant- Colonel; and Captain R. M.
Meredith succeeded to the Majority.
1844 On the 13th January, 1844, Lieut.-Colonel Squire
joined with a draft of officers and men from England,
and assumed the command ofthe regiment.
The Thirteenth moved from Sukkur, by wings,
en route to Kurrachee during September, 1844; the
left wing on the 4th and the head- quarter division on
the 24th. The former arrived at Kurrachee on the
21st of September, and the latter on the 8th of October.
The regiment suffered severely from sickness during
the movement, owing to the malaria of Sukkur, having
continually from two to three hundred in hospital daily.
Preparatory to the regiment leaving Scinde, four
hundred and forty-six of the men volunteered to corps
serving in India. It embarked at Kurrachee for
Bombay on board the Honorable East India Company's
steamers Pluto and Sesostris on the 4th of December,
arrived in the harbour of Bombay on the night of
the 7th, and disembarked in the afternoon of the 8th
of that month, being received by the Governor and
military authorities of Bombay ; the guard of honor
presenting arms as the regiment passed, and the band
striking up " See the conquering hero comes." — While
the regiment was stationed at Bombay, it had the
misfortune to lose Captain Sinclair, who had served
throughout the campaign : he died of cholera after an

regiment of light infantry. 109
illness of a few hours : the soldiers however continued i §44
generally healthy.
The head-quarter division of the Thirteenth em- i845
barked in the freight ship Cornwall, at Colaba, Bom
bay, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Tristram
C. Squire, on the 20th March, 1845, and the second
division in the freight ship Boyne, on the same day,
under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Horatio Vigors.
The right wing disembarked at Gravesend on the 28th
July, and the second division arrived there on the 8th
August following, from whence it proceeded to Walmer
Barracks, in order to join the head-quarters, which
had marched thither from Chatham.
On the 10th March, 1846, Lieut.-General Sir Wil- i846
liam Maynard Gomm, K.C.B., Governor and Com
mander-in-Chief of the Mauritius, was appointed
colonel of the Thirteenth, in succession to Sir Robert
Sale, who was killed at the battle of Moodkee, on the
18th December, 1845.
The regiment proceeded from Walmer to Ports
mouth on the 27th April, 1846. Previous to the march
of the Thirteenth, a high testimonial of their
conduct, while stationed at Walmer, was received from
the Mayor and 'Magistrates of Deal. On Thursday, the
13th August, the Thirteenth had the gratification of
being presented with new colours by His Royal High
ness the Prince Albert. The " United Service Gazette "
of Saturday, the 1 5th August, gave the following ac
count of this interesting ceremony, which took place
on Southsea Common : — ' His Royal Highness Prince
' Albert, wearing a Field Marshal's uniform, came over
' from Osborne-house in the royal yacht, accompanied
' by Colonel Wylde and a small retinue, all in uniform,
' and landed at the King's-stairs, in the Dockyard, at

1 10 THE thirteenth, OR PRINCE ALBERT'S
1846 ' about a quarter to four o'clock". The Commander-
' in-Chief, Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., the Lieut.-
' Governor, Major-General the Hon. Sir Hercules
' Pakenham, K.C.B., and a brilliant staff of officers
• of both services, received his Royal Highness on
' landing, who immediately entered General Paken-
' ham's carriage, and was driven to the field, escorted
' by General Pakenham and staff on horseback, re-
' ceiving the shouts of welcome from the immense con-
' course of spectators who lined the road as he passed.
' Soon after three o'clock, the regiment took up its
' position on Southsea Common, in line, at open order,
' with the old colours in the centre. On the arrival of
' the Prince he was received with the customary
' honors. The regiment then formed three sides of a
' hollow square, the company told off as a guard for
' the new colours remaining in the centre of the open
' face. The Prince having alighted from the carriage,
' mounted his charger (which, together with five other
' beautiful animals, came down from the Royal mews
' to the George Hotel last night), rode along the line,
' inside and out, inspecting the troops, as they covered
' the ground, after which the Prince dismounted and
' entered the hollow square, accompanied by General
' Pakenham, Sir Charles Ogle, and staff, and stood un-
i' covered while the Rev. G. R. Gleig, Chaplain
' General to the Forces, consecrated the colours, which,
' after this ceremony, were handed to the Prince by
' Lieut.-Colonel C. T. Van Straubenzee and Major
' Meredith. The Prince then handed them to the two
' senior ensigns (J. D. Longden and Melville Browne),
' who received them kneeling, and continued in that
' position whilst His Royal Highness addressed them
' in a brief but most spirited and soldierly manner, en-

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 1 1 1
' joining them to preserve their colours, never to allow 1846
' them to be captured, but to emulate the conduct
' exhibited by the departed hero. Sir Robert Sale,
' whose absence was the only alloy to the gratification
' he felt in performing the august ceremony of the day.
' His Highness, in the course of his address, passed
' some high and well-deserved encomiums on Colonel
' Squire and the Thirteenth regiment, to which that
' gallant veteran replied — " I beg most respectfully to
' " return my most sincere though humble thanks for
' " the distinguished honor your Royal Highness has
' "just conferred upon this corps in the presentation
' " of new colours, and for the highly flattering manner
' " in which your Royal Highness has been pleased to
' " mention my name, in connection with its services
' " in India, and also for the gratifying encomiums
' " which you have passed on our late honored and
' "respected Commanders, Sir Robert Sale and
' " Colonel Dennie. Your Highness may be assured
' " that your gracious condescension will ever be es-
' " teemed by all ranks in the regiment as the greatest
' " stimulant to the loyal and faithful discharge of
' '¦ their duty, under whatever circumstances of trial
' " they may hereafter be placed, in supporting the
' " honor and interest of our beloved Queen and
' " country. God save the Queen !"
' His Highness appeared much gratified with the
' sentiments of the gallant Colonel, and having bowed,
' retired with General Pakenham and Sir Charles
Ogle, and remounted his charger. The sides of the
' square which were wheeled up then wheeled back,
' and the regiment formed a line. The new colours
' were now " trooped," followed by the guard in charge,
' the band plajring " The Grenadiers," slow march.

112. THE THIRTEENTH, OR PRINCE ALBERT'S
1846 ' On arriving at the left of the line, the colours were
' carried, and the officers marched up in the front of
' the line, one rank of the guard marching between the
' ranks of the line, and the other rank in rear of the
' rear rank. On arriving at the place where the old
' colours were stationed, the new colours took up their
¦ place, whilst the old ones were paraded up the re-
' maining portion of the line, the " trooping " still pro-
' ceeding, and were then delivered over to the escort
' on the right of the line ; their military existence, as
' standards ofthe regiment, then ceasing.
' The ceremony having terminated, the Prince re-
' entered the carriage of General Pakenham, and, ac-
' companied bj'' Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., and
' escorted by General Pakenham and staff, returned
' to the Dockyard, whence he embarked for Osborne-
' house, under salutes from the ships in harbour, the
' Platform Battery, and the Contest, Columbine, and
' Sardinian corvette at Spithead. A magnificent en-
' tertainment was given in honor of the event in the
' evening, by the officers of the Thirteenth, at the
' King's rooms, Southsea-beach.'
On the 3rd November, 1846, Lieut.-Colonel Squire
retired from the service, and Lieut.-Colonel A. A. T.
Cunynghame succeeded to the command of the regi
ment ; in the following month he exchanged with
Captain and Lieut.-Colonel Charles Stuart, ofthe Gre
nadier Guards.
1847 The regiment proceeded from Portsmouth to Ire
land in two divisions, on the 12th and 13th January,
1847, and arrived at Dublin on the 16th of that month.
Towards the end of September it proceeded to Birr.
1848 On the 18th of April, 1848, the regiment marched
from Birr to Newry, and on the 1st of June, to which

REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY. 113
period the Record has been continued, the head- 1848
quarters, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Charles
Stuart, remained at Newry, two companies being
stationed at Drogheda, and four companies being
distributed at Belturbet, Carrickmacross, Dundalk,
and Moiiaghan.

The preceding pages show that the Thirteenth, or
Prince Albert's Regiment of Light Infantry, has
gained laurels in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
From the period of its declaration in favour of the
Protestant interest at the Revolution, it has run a
career of glory. Leaving the army in Flanders, in
1703, after a short campaign under the renowned
Duke of Marlborough, it next formed part of the
force in the Peninsula, and highly distinguished itself
in the first defence of Gibraltar in 1704-5, a few months
after its capture from the Spaniards. While serving
in Spain, the chivalrous Earl of Peterborough formed
the greater portion of the corps into a cavalry regi
ment; — an event unprecedented in the military history
of the British army; — in which character it proved
its bravery at the disastrous battle of Almanza.
The second defence of Gibraltar in 1727, the battle
fields of Dettingen, Fontenoy, Falkirk, Culloden,
Roucoux, and Val, all attest its valour ; while in later
times the expeditions against St. Domingo, the cam
paign in Egypt under the immortal Abercromby, and
the capture of Martinique, added to its ancient renown.
Recent times presented the Burmese war, in which
the regiment sustained a prominent part ; latterly the
campaigns in Affghanistan, the capture of the strong
hold of Ghuznee ; and the advance upon Cabool, testify

1 1 4 THE thirteenth, OR PRINCE ALBERTS
1848 the valuable services performed ; but on none of
these events will the eye rest with. greater interest
than the defence of Jellalabad : deservedly was the
garrison termed "Illustrious" by the Governor
General in his proclamation !
Gallant deeds in all parts of the globe for upwards
of a hundred and sixty years, combined with excellent
conduct in quarters, have obtained for the regiment
the respect of the countr}^, and Her Majesty has
graciously named it after the Royal Consort, in testimony
of approbation of its many and varied services.
1848.

eegiment of light infantry. 115

Description of the Flags captured from the Affghans by
the Thirteenth Light Infantry in tlie Action at Jellala
bad, on the 7th April, 1842.

The Scarlet Standard is of fine cloth, and is in tole
rable preservation ; it has a green border, with a crimson
and yellow fringe; on the join, about the centre, a
patch of light blue cloth is introduced, on which
are neatly sewn some characters in yellow cloth, which
probably form an extract from the Koran, the Affghans
being known to attach great faith in such inscriptions,
which are supposed to ensure victory. The flag is
triangular in shape, and swallow-tailed ; two of the
sides are about eight and nine feet in length, the short
est side being about four feet. The staff which is the
branch of a tree with the bark on, is spear-headed,
but is broken at the lower extremity.

The two other Flags are but fragments ; like the
above they are triangular. They have pointed iron-
ends to plant them in the ground. The Crimson flag
has a green piece of cloth, with red characters, sewn
in. The Blue flag is a sort of coarse printed cotton
stuff, and has a rude shawl pattern border. There is
about five feet of the flag on both the staffs, which are
from eight to nine feet in length. Their appearance
betokens that they have seen service, and borne the
brunt of battle.

I 2

STANDARDS CAPTURED FROM THE AFFGHANS

Y THE 13'" LIGHT IMFANTRi I84«

DEPOSITED IN THE ROYAL HOSPITAL AT CHELSEA

S:J.'^,-y tijK:}m.iiij,^i^^ _

117

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF THE
THIRTEENTH, OR, PRINCE ALBERT'S REGIMENT
OP
LIGHT INFANTRY,

Theophilus Earl of Huntingdon.
Appointed 20th June, 1685.
Theophilus seventh Earl of Huntingdon succeeded to
that dignity on the decease of his father in 1655. In the
reign of King Charles II. he was attached to the principles
entertained by James Duke of Monmouth, who was at the
head of a political party in the kingdom ; but when he sus
pected the views of those with whom he was connected to be
destructive of the constitution, he quitted their party ; and in
1683 he was appointed a member of the Privy Council. He
held several appointments in the reign of King James II. ;
was captain of the band of gentleman pensioners, now the
honorable corps of gentlemen-at-arms ; and on the breaking
out of the rebellion of James Duke of Monmouth, in June,
1685, he exerted himself in raising men for the king's service,
and was appointed colonel of one of the regiments of foot
embodied on that occasion, now the Thirteenth Light In
fantry. At the Revolution in 1688, he adhered to King
James IL, and being with his regiment in garrison at Ply
mouth, he was arrested by Colonel the Earl of Bath, Lieut.-
Colonel Hastings, and other officers, who declared for the
Prince of Orange. Continuing firm in his adherence to the
Roman Catholic cause, he was removed from his appointments
by King William, was excluded from the benefit of the Act
of Indemnity passed on the 23rd of May, 1690, and upon the
receipt of advice of the intended descent, in favour of King

118 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
James, from La Hogue, in 1692, he was sent a prisoner to the
Tower of London ; but he was not long detained in confine
ment. The Earl of Huntingdon was one of the peers who
protested against the Act of Settlement in 1701. He died
suddenly at his house in Charles-street, St. James's, on the
SOthof May, 1701. Ferdinando Hastings.
Appointed — December, 1688.
Ferdinando Hastings, cousin of Theophilus seventh Earl
of Huntingdon, entered the army in the reign of King Charles
IL, and was promoted to the command of a company in the
first foot guards ; in 1686, he was appointed lieut.-colonel
ofthe regiment which is now the Thirteenth Light Infan
try. At the Rfevolution in 1688, he united with the Earl of
Bath in bringing over the garrison of Plymouth to the interest
of the Prince of Orange, and was rewarded with the colonelcy
pf his regiment. He served in Scotland under Major-General
Hugh Mackay, against the clans under Viscount Dundee,
and distinguished himself at the battle of Killicrankie on the
27th of June, 1689. He afterwards proceeded with his re
giment to Ireland, and served at the battle of the Boyne, and
at the reduction of Cork and Kinsale, in 1690 : he evinced
ability and personal bravery in several detached services in
1691, and served in the expedition, under the Duke of
Leinster, in 1692. He was afterwards found guilty of ex
tortion in his regiment, and was cashiered on the 4th of March,
1695.
Sir John Jacob, Bart.
Appointed ISth March, 1689.
Sir John Jacob, Bart., of Bromley, in the county of Mid
dlesex, entered the army in the summer of 1685, and was
many years an officer in the regiment which is now the
Thirteenth Light Infantry, in which corps he rose to the
rank of lieut.-colonel. He evinced great courage, and received
a severe wound at the battle of Killicrankie, in June, 1689,
where Viscount Dundee was killed ; also behaved with
signal gallantry, under the eye of his sovereign, at the battle
of the Boyne in 1690 ; and served under the Earl of Marl
borough at the capture of Cork and Kinsale. King William

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 119
highly approved of his conduct, and promoted him to the
colonelcy of his regiment in 1695. Being afterwards desirous
of retiring from the service, he obtained permission to sell
his regiment to his brother-in-law, James Earl of Barrymore,
for fourteen hundred guineas. He died in 1739.
James Earl of Barrymore.
Appointed l^th March, 1102.
James, fourth Earl of Barrymore, embraced the interests
of the Prince of Orange at the Revolution in 1688, and was
nominated lieut.-colonel in the army on the Slst of Decem
ber, 1688. He subsequently held the commission of captain
in the seventeenth foot, and purchased the colonelcy of the
Thirteenth regiment in March, 1702. He was promoted
to the rank of brigadier-general in 1706, and to that of major-
general in 1708. He served in Portugal in the war of the
Spanish succession, and led his regiment to the charge, at the
battle ofthe Caya, on the 7th of May, 1709, with great gal
lantry, overthrowing all opposition, and recapturing the
Portuguese guns ; but not being supported by the Portuguese
horse of the left wing, his regiment became insulated, and he
was taken prisoner. In 1710 he was promoted to the rank
of lieut.-general ; and in 1713 he was sworn a member of the
Privy Council. He was elected a member of the British Par
liament for the Borough of Stockbridge in 1713, and afterwards
for Wigan in Lancashire. He retired from his regiment in
1715. His decease occurred on the 5th of January, 1747, at
Castlelyons, where a magnificent marble monument was
erected to his memory.
Stanhope Cotton.
Appointed 8th July, 1715.
This officer served with reputation in the wars of Queen
Anne, as captain, major, and lieut.-colonel of foot; he was
several years in Bowles's regiment, which was disbanded at
the peace of Utrecht ; and he was rewarded with the rank of
colonel, and the appointment of lieut.-governor of Gibraltar.
In 1715 he obtained the colonelcy of the Thirteenth foot,
then in garrison at Gibraltar, and under his care that regiment
was celebrated for its efficiency and orderly conduct. He
died on the 7th of December, 1725.

120 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
Lord Mark Kerr.
Appointed 2bth December, 1725.
Lord Mark Kerr, fourth son of Robert fourth Earl of
Lothian, entered the army on the 1st of January, 1694, and
served under King William III. in Flanders. On the 1st of
January, 1706, he was promoted to the 'colonelcy of a newly-
raised regiment of foot, with which he served in the expedi
tion under the Earl of Rivers in the same year, and when the
projected descent on the coast of France was abandoned, he
proceeded to Portugal, and afterwards to Spain. He com
manded his regiment at the battle of Almanza, on the 25th of
April, 1707, which was formed between two brigades of Por
tuguese cavalry which quitted the field. His regiment was
engaged with very superior numbers : it behaved with great
gallantry, but it was literally cut to pieces ; his lordship was
wounded in the arm, his lieut.-colonel and major were both
killed, and his regiment lost twenty-three officers killed,
wounded, and prisoners. In 1711 he was promoted to the
rank of brigadier-general, and in 1712 he was nominated
colonel of the twenty-ninth regiment. He commanded a
brigade of infantry in the expedition to Spain, under Lord
(afer wards Viscount) Cobham, in 1 7 1 9, and ser ved at the capture
of Vigo. In 1725 h'e obtained the colonelcy of the Thir
teenth foot, — was promoted to the rank of major-general in
1727, — removed to the eleventh dragoons in 1732, and ad
vanced to the rank of lieut.-general in 1735. In 1740 he was
appointed governor of the island of Guernsey; in 1743 he
obtained the rank of general, and in 1745 he was constituted
governor of Edinburgh Castle; in 1751 he was placed on the
staff of Ireland. It is recorded in the Peerage of Scotland
that — ' He was a man of marked and decided character; with
' the strictest notions of honour and good-breeding, he re-
' tained, perhaps, too punctilious an observance of etiquette,
• as it gave him an air of frivolity. He was soldier-like in his
' appearance ; formal in his deportment ; whimsical, even
' finical, in his dress ; but he commanded respect wherever
' he went, for none dared to laugh at his singularities. Man-
' ners, which in foreign courts,'where they had been acquired,
' would have passed unobserved, were considered as fantastiic
' in his own country, and were apt to lead his impatient spirit

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 121
* into rencontres too often fatal to his antagonists. Naturally
' of a good temper, his frequent appeals to the sword on
' trivial occasions drew on him the imputation of being a
' quarrelsome man ; but he was inoffensive unless provoked ;
' and never meddled with any one, but such as choose to
' meddle with him.' He died on the 2nd of February,
1752.
John Middleton.
Appointed 29th May, 1732.
John Middleton obtained a commission in the army in the
reign of King William III., and was promoted to the rank of
captain in 1706 ; he served in Spain in the war of the Spanish
succession, and also on board the fleet, where his company
was employed as Marines. He was many years an officer in
the twenty-fifth foot, in which corps he rose to the rank of
lieut.-colonel, and he was promoted to the rank of colonel in
1711. He commanded the twenty-fifth regiment in Scotland,
under the Duke of Argyle, during the rebellion of the Earl
of Mar ; and in 1721 he was rewarded with the colonelcy of
that corps, which he commanded until 1732, when he was
removed to the Thirteenth foot. He was promoted to the
rank of brigadier-general in 1735. His decease occurred on
the 4th of May, 1739, at which period he was member of
Parliament for Aberdeen.
Henry Pulteney.
Appointed 5th July, 1 739.
Henry Puiteney was appointed ensign in a regiment of
foot on the 10th of January, 1703, and he served in Queen
Anne's wars, under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough.
He was several years in the first foot guards, and was pro
moted, in July, 1715, to the command ofthe grenadier com
pany in the second foot guards, with the rank of lieut.-colonel.
In 1733 he was promoted to the commission of second major,
with the rank of colonel, and in 1734 to that of first major
in the second foot guards, from which he was removed, in
1739, to the colonelcy of the Thirteenth regiment; at the
same time he was appointed governor of Hull. He was pro
moted to the rank of brigadier-general in 1742, and accom
panied the army to Flanders under the Earl of Stair. In 1 743

122

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

he was advanced to the rank of major-general ; in 1747
to that of lieut.-general, and in 1765 to that of general. On
the elevation of his brother to the dignity of Earl of Bath, he
was distinguished by the style of Honorable ; and upon his
brother's decease, without issue in 1764, he succeeded to his
lordship's immense estates. He afterwards resigned his com
missions. He died 26th of October, 1767.
His Royal Highness
William Henry Duke of Gloucester,
K.G., &c. &c. &c.
Appointed 25th June, 1166.
William Henry, third son of Frederick Prince of Wales,
(who died 20th of March, 1751)was elected a Knight of the most
noble order of the Garter, in 1762 ; and a few days before he
was of full age, viz., on the 1 7th November, 1764, his brother,
King George III., conferred on him the dignity of Duke of
Gloucester and Edinburgh, and Earl of Connaught ; in
December following he took his seat in the Privy Council.
In 1766 His Royal Highness was appointed colonel of the
Thirteenth regiment; and on the decease of ^his brother,
Edward, Duke of York, in the autumn of 1767, he had a
grant from the King of Cranburne-chase lodge, Windsor
Forest. In. December of the same year he was promoted to
the rank of major-general, and appointed colonel ofthe third
foot guards; and in April, 1770, he was advanced to the rank
of lieut.-general, and nominated to the colonelcy of the first
regiment of foot guards. He was promoted to the rank of
general in 1772, and to that of field marshal in 1793. Hia
Royal Highness was distinguished as a polite scholar and an
accomplished gentleman, engaging in his manners, respectful
to his sovereign, affable to his acquaintance, and generous and
condescending to his inferiors ; a liberal supporter of every
institution calculated to promote the interests of society, ac
companied by a modest serenity of conduct which kept many
instances of his generosity out of public view ; and a meekness
of disposition pervaded every feature of his character, which
insured for him the love of all ranks of society. He died on
the 25th of August, 1805.

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 123
The Honorable James Murray.
Appointed 16fh December, 1767.
The Honorable James Murray, son of the Duke of
Athol, served several years in the fifteenth foot, of which
regiment he was appointed lieut.-colonel on the 15th of Jan
uary, 1751. He served with his regiment in North America,
in the early part of the seven years' war, had the local rank of
colonel in that country on the 7th of January, 1758, and was
appointed colonel-commandant in the sixtieth, Royal Ame
rican regiment, on the 24th of October, 1759. He also
served in Germany, under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick,
and was wounded in the breast with a musket ball, which
could not be extracted, and he was never afterwards able to
sleep in a recumbent posture. He was promoted to the rank
of major-general in 1762, appointed colonel of the Thir
teenth regiment in 1767, in succession to His Royal Highness
the Duke of Gloucester, advanced to the rank of lieut.-general
in 1772, to that of general in 1783, and removed to the
twenty-first, or Royal North British Fusiliers, in 1789. He
also held the appointment of governor of Hull. He died in
1794, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
George Ainslie.
Appointed 5th June, 1789.
This officer was appointed in 1755, sub-lieutenant in the
second, or Scots, troop of horse grenadier guards, of which
the celebrated General Eliott, afterwards Lord Heathfield,
Baron Gibraltar, was lieut.-colonel ; and when Colonel Eliott
raised his famed regiment of " Light Horse," now the fif
teenth, or King's Hussars, lieutenant Ainslie was appointed
captain of the first troop in that regiment. He proceeded
with the fifteenth light dragoons to Germany, in 1760, and
distinguished himself in the memorable action at Emsdorf,
where his regiment acquired great honour. He was also
present at numerous other actions, where " Eliott's Light
Horse" availed themselves of every opportunity to acquire
additional laurels; and on the 29th of March, 1762, he was
promoted to the majority of the regiment. At the engage -

124 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
ment near Homburg, on the 1st of July, 1762, he highly
distinguished himself, and was commended in the public
despatch of Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. In the action
near Friedberg, on the 30th of August following, he was
attacked by three French hussars, and received a dangerous
wound in the head. He was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy
ofthe fifteenth light dragoons in 1770, to the rank of colonel
in the army in 1779, and to that of major-general in 1782 :
in 1789 King George III. rewarded him with the colonelcy
of the Thirteenth foot. His Majesty having frequently
witnessed, and expressed his high approbation of, the condition
ofthe fifteenth light dragoons under colonel Ainslie's command.
He was afterwards appointed lieut.-governor of Scilly Island,
was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general in 1 796, and to
that of general in 1801. He died in 1804.
Alexander Campbell.
Appointed llth July, 1804.
On the 21st of April, 1769, Alexander Campbell was appoint
ed ensign in the forty-second, Royal Highland regiment,
then in Ireland, and in December,1770, he was promoted to
a lieutenancy in the second battalion of the Royals, which he
joined at the island of Minorca ; in September, 1772, he was
advanced to captain of a company in the fiftieth, from which
he exchanged to the sixty-second regiment in November
following. He embarked for Canada with the sixty -second
on the breaking out of the American war, and served the cam
paign of 1776, under General Carleton, afterwards Lord
Dorchester. In 1777, he served under Lieut.-General Bur
goyne, in the desperate attempt to advance from Canada,
through the country, in a state of rebellion, to Albany, shared
in the toils and fighting of that enterprise, and was included
in the convention at Saratoga. On the 26th of December,
1777, he was promoted to major ofthe seventy-fourth regiment,
and proceeding to New York, he was appointed to act as
major of the first battalion of light infantry, with which he
served two campaigns, and at the termination of the war he
commanded at Penobscot. On the 31st of December, 1782,
he was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of the sixty-second
foot, with which regiment he served in Scotland and Ireland

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 125
until June, 1789, when he exchanged to captain and lieut.-
colonel in the third foot guards. He served the campaign of
1793, and part of that of 1794, in Flanders, under His Royal
Highness the Duke of York ; he had, in the meantime, been
promoted to the rank of colonel (12th October, 1793), and
commissioned to raise the 116th regiment of foot, and he
withdrew from Flanders. He subsequently commanded a
brigade in the forces under Lieut.-General the Earl of Moira,
and was promoted to the rank of major-general, on the 26th
of February, 1795. In 1796 he served under Lieut.-General
Sir Ralph Abercromby, in the West Indies, and was appointed
colonel of the seventh West India regiment, in November of
that year. He served on the staff at Newcastle in 1797 ; in
Ireland in 1798 ; and afterwards in Scotland. In 1802 his
regiment was disbanded ; he was promoted to the rank of
lieut.-general in April of that year, and was placed on the
staff of Ireland, and subsequently on that of Scotland, where he
served five years. In 1804 he was appointed colonel of the
Thirteenth regiment; in 1812 he was promoted to the rank
of general, and was removed to the thirty-second regiment in
1818. He died 24th of February, 1832.
Edward Morrison.
Appointed 15th February, 1813.
This officer entered the army as an ensign in the Cold
stream Guards, on the 20th January, 1777 ; was shortly after
employed as Assistant Quartermaster-General; and on the
15th September, 1780, succeeded to a lieutenancy with the
rank of captain: from November 1781, to June, 1783, he
served as aide-de-camp to the commander-in-chief in the
West Intlies. He was promoted to a company, with the
rank of lieut.-colonel on 13th January, 1790, and in 1793,
was appointed Deputy Quartermaster-General ; but obtained
permission to join the first battalion of the Coldstream Guards
in Flanders, in 1794. He was appointed Governor of Chester
on 2nd November, 1796. On the 26th February, 1795, he
received the brevet rank of colonel ; and on the 19th Novem
ber, 1800, was appointed colonel of the Leicester fencibles,
and on 1st January, 1805, of a battalion in the sixtieth regi
ment. He was advanced to the rank of major-general on the

126 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
1st January, 1798, and in April following was appointed to
the Staff in Ireland, where he commanded the Limerick Dis
trict during the rebellion. He was removed to the Staff in
England in July, 1803, and on the 1st January, 1805, was
advanced to the rank of lieut.-general ; in May, 1809, was
appointed lieut.-general and commander of the forces at
Jamaica ; and was promoted to the rank of general, on the 4th
June, 1814. On the 15th February of the previous year.
His Majesty King George III. conferred ou him the colonelcy
of the Thirteenth light infantry, which he held to the period
of his decease, which occurred on the 3rd December, 1843.
Sir Robert Henry Sale, G.C.B.
Appointed 15th December, 1843.
At the early age of fourteen this officer had the honour of
carrying his Sovereign's colours as an ensign in the thirty-
sixth regiment, to which he was gazetted on the 19th January,
1795t he was promoted to a lieutenancy on the 12th April,
1797, and on the 8th January following exchanged into the
twelfth foot, with which regiment he served at the battle of
Mallavelly gained by Lieut.-general (afterwards Lord) Harris
on the 27th March, 1799. In less than two months occurred
the siege of Seringapatam, where Lieutenant Sale's services
were rewarded by a medal. He served throughout the campaign
of 1801, in the Wynaud country, and on the 23rd March,
1806, obtained his company. Captain Sale took part in the
storming of the Travancore lines in 1809; and was at the
capture of the Mauritius in 1810. On the 30th December,
1813, he was promoted to the rank of Major, and the second
battalion of the twelfth being reduced in January, 1818,
Major Sale was placed on the half-pay. On the 28th June,
1821, he exchanged to the Thirteenth light infantry, with
which he proceeded to India, joined the expedition under
Major-General Sir Archibald Campbell, and served through
out the Burmese war, being present at the capture of Rangoon
and the storming of the stockades near Kemmendine, on both
occasions displaying such heroism, that he received the
thanks of the commanding officer on the field of battle, and
particular notice in the general orders. He also stormed the

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 127
seven stockades near Kumaroot and Pagoda Point : on the 1st
December, of the same year (1824) he stormed the enemy's
lines, and on the 5th of that month led a body of 1600 men
in the engagement which, resulted in the utter defeat of the
foe, who was driven from all his positions. On the 8th De
cember, he commanded in the attack , on the rear of the
enemy's lines opposite the Great Pagoda at Rangoon ; and on
the 15th, stormed the intrenchments at Kokien, where he
was severely wounded in the head. In the following year, he
commanded a brigade at the reduction of Bassein, and sub
sequent operations from 10th February to 2nd May, 1825.
On the 2nd June, 1825, he attained the rank of lieut.-colonel ;
on the 1st December, he commanded the first brigade and
repulsed the Shaans and Burmese at Prome, and the next day
stormed the lines and heights near Prome. He was again
severely wounded at the storming of Melloon on the 19th
January, 1826. These services were honored with the riband
of a companion of the order of the Bath. He became colonel
by brevet on the 2Sth June, 1838, and in the following
October, was appointed to the command of the first Bengal
brigade of the army of the Indus, which formed the advance
throughout the campaign in Affghanistan : he commanded
the detachment of 2500 men sent to Girishk in May, 1839,
and on the 28rd July, headed the storming party which cap
tured the fortress of Ghuznee, deemed by the Affghans im
pregnable. A sabre-wound in the chin and contusions on
the chest and shoulder from musket-shots were the results of
this formidable conflict ; but not the only results, for his
services were acknowledged by Lord Keane, and Her Majesty
conferred upon him the star of a Knight Commander of the
Bath, and his name was enrolled in the list of Eastern Knights
constituting the order of the Dooranee Empire, which
had been founded by Shah-Shoojah. In September, 1840,
the forces sent to subdue the Kohistan country were entrusted
to his command ; and after storming the towns and fort
of Tootumdurra, Julgar, Babookooshghur, Kardurrah, and
Purwan, he compelled Dost Mahomed to surrender to the
au thorites at Cabool. In forcing the Khoord Cabool Pass
on the 12th October, 1841, he was shot through the leg. His

128 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
gallant defence of Jellalabad, — his daring sorties, and final
defeat of the besieging army under Akbar Khan, for which
services he received the thanks of Parliament, and was nomi
nated a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Military
Order of the Bath, are detailed in the Regimental Record,
and completely identify Sir Robert Sale's name with the
Thirteenth light infantry, the connexion being rendered
more intimate by Her Majesty, who conferred on him the
colonelcy ofthe regiment in December, 1843, on the decease
of General Edward Morrison. On the 29th March, 1844,
he was appointed by Her Majesty, Quartermaster- General
to the Queen's troops serving in the East Indies. Advancing
with the army to repel the SikK invasion, Sir Robert Sale
had his left thigh so dreadfully shattered by a grapeshot at
the battle of Moodkee on the 18th December, 1845, that he
did not long survive the wound, but, after a distinguished
career, fell like Wolfe, Sir John Moore, and other, heroes, in
the hour of victory.

Lieut.-General Sir William Maynard Gomm, K.C.B.
Appointed 10th March, 1846.

London • Printed by W, Ci.dWKs and Sons, Stamlbrd-Btrcot, for Her Mujesly'u Stationeiy OfliLe,

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