Historical Record of the First Regiment of Foot

1758

In May, 1758, the troops were again embarked, and sailed under the orders of Lieut. – General Amherst (afterwards Lord Amherst) – the naval force being under Admiral Boscawen; but owing to the unfavourable state of the weather a landing could not be effected on the island until the 8th of June, when the troops proceeded in boats towards the shore in three divisions. The Royals, commanded by Lieut. – Colonel Forster, formed part of the right division under Brigadier-General Whiteman, which proceeded towards White Point to make a diversion, while the men of the centre division, led by the gallant Brigadier-General James Wolfe, jumped into the water, in the face of a tremendous fire of cannon and musketry, hastened to the shore, attacked the French with fixed bayonets, and drove them from their posts in gallant style. The other divisions followed; but the surf was so high that several boats were overset, others were dashed to pieces, and many men were drowned.

The siege of Louisburg, the capital of the island, was afterwards commenced; and in carrying on the approaches the troops underwent great fatigues with a cheerful alacrity which redounded to their honour. By their meritorious perseverance, and the co-operation of the fleet, the town was taken by surrender on the 26th of July, and with it the whole island and two other small islands in the Gulf also surrendered. The French garrison was made prisoners, and eleven stand of colours were sent to England. The Royals lost in this service Lieutenants Fenton and Howe, killed; with Lieutenants Fitzsimmons, Bailey, and Ashe, and Ensign Waterton, wounded. This conquest was considered of great importance to the nation, and the meritorious conduct of the officers and soldiers was rewarded with the approbation of their Sovereign and the thanks of Parliament.

While the Royals were at Cape Breton, a body of British troops, employed on the continent of North America under the command of Major-General Abercrombie, had advanced against the fort at Ticonderago, which had been built by the French in 1756 on the west shore of Lake Champlain; and in the attack on this place the British troops were repulsed. Lieut. – General Amherst, having received information of this disaster, embarked from Louisburg on the 30th of August with the 2nd battalion of the Royals, 17th, 47th, and 48th regiments, and Frazer's Highlanders, and sailed to Boston, where he disembarked the troops, and, marching through the woods to Lake George, joined the camp of the forces under Major-General Abercrombie.

A resolution to attack the French possessions in North America at four different points at one time was ultimately agreed upon; and the Royals were selected to form part of the force, under Lieut. – General Amherst, designed to make a second attempt on Ticonderago.

1759

The troops assembled for this purpose on the east bank of Hudson's River, about fifty miles from Albany, in the beginning of June, 1759, where they were encamped three weeks. Advancing from thence on the 21st of June, they arrived at the banks of Lake George in the evening, and there pitched their tents, and commenced erecting a fort; at the same time means were used to collect boats to convey the troops along the lake. This occupied one month, and on the 21st of July the regiments struck their tents, went on board the boats, and, using blankets for sails, arrived at the second Narrows on the following morning, and effected a landing. Thence, advancing towards Ticonderago, the van-guard encountered 400 French regulars and native Indians near the saw-mills two miles from the fort, and routed them in a few moments. The French commander, M. Bourlemaque, had fortified a post in front of the fort, but, when he saw the steady resolution of his opponents, he quitted his lines, placed a garrison in the fort, and embarked with his main body for Crown Point, another fort on Lake Champlain, erected by the French in 1731. The siege of Ticonderago was then prosecuted with vigour, and on the 25th of July the garrison blew up the fort and sailed to Crown Point; which place the French commander also abandoned, and retired down the lake to Isle aux Noix. The Royals and other forces afterwards proceeded to Crown Point and commenced erecting a new fort; vessels were also built in order to have a naval force on the lake. This work was in progress until the 11th of October, when the large boats, with a brigantine mounting eighteen guns and two swivels, and a sloop mounting sixteen guns, being ready, the troops embarked, and sailed down the lake in four divisions; but afterwards encountering high northerly winds, and a severe frost having set in, the expedition was countermanded; the troops returned to Crown Point and Ticonderago, and the Royals proceeded to New York for winter quarters.

1760

Meanwhile the Cherokee Indians had been carrying on a cruel warfare against the settlers on the frontiers of the southern provinces of North America, and in the early part of 1760 the two flank and four battalion companies of the Royals, mustering 400 men, were ordered to proceed, under the command of Major Frederick Hamilton, to South Carolina, to strike a decisive blow against the aggressors. They accordingly embarked from New York, and, with a battalion of Highlanders and some provincial troops commanded by Colonel Montgomery, sailed to Charleston, and marched from thence up the country to Fort Ninety-six, situate on the borders of the Cherokee territory. Having halted a short time at this place, the troops advanced on the 28th of May, and arrived on the 1st of June at Twelve-mile River. The scouts being unable to find any Indian tracks, it was concluded that the Cherokees were not informed of the march; and, although the men had already traversed twenty miles of rugged ground that morning, from Beaver-dams to the river, the commanding officer resolved to push forward immediately. The tents, waggons, and cattle, were placed in a square, a guard was placed over them, and, just as the sun was sinking beneath the horizon, the troops moved quietly forward along the rugged wood-lands. After a march of sixteen miles the detachment arrived at an Indian hamlet called Little Keowee, and the light company of the Royals was ordered to surround the houses and bayonet the inhabitants. As the Royals approached the houses, a company of Indian warriors, who were sleeping under the trees near the hamlet, raised their usual war-cry, and opened a scattering fire; but the soldiers – undaunted by the dismal yell of their antagonists – fired one volley, – then, rushing forward, encountered the Indians in close fight, and bayoneted the whole except the women and children. The troops then continued their route, and just as the first rays of morning began to dawn they arrived at Estatoe, the capital of the Lower Cherokees; the town had, however, been abandoned nearly an hour before; but about a dozen warriors were intercepted and slain. The town, which was found well provided with ammunition, provision, and magazines of corn, was plundered and laid in ashes, and many of the inhabitants who had concealed themselves perished in the flames. This service performed, the troops resumed their march, and laid several other towns and villages in ashes; an act of necessary severity, which excited painful feelings in the breasts of the brave men who executed it. Colonel Grant observes, in his narrative of these transactions, published in the South Carolina Gazette, – "I could not help pitying them; their villages were agreeably situated, their houses neatly built and well provided, having abundance of everything; they must be pretty numerous, for Estatoe and Sugartown consisted at least of two hundred houses, and every other village of at least one hundred houses. After killing all we could find, and burning every house, we marched to Keowee, and arrived on the 2nd of June, after a march of sixty miles without sleeping, at Fort Prince George, at four in the evening." This service was performed with the loss of four men killed, and Lieutenants Marshal and Hamilton, of the Royals, wounded.

After this severe chastisement, pacific overtures were made to the Cherokee nation, but without the desired effect; and a second expedition into their country was resolved upon. For this purpose the six companies of the Royals and other troops were in motion at day-break on the morning of the 24th of June, taking with them six days' provision, and arrived that night at Orkonee Creek. Thence proceeding on the following day through woody dells and narrow tracts and chasms between mountains, reached War-woman's Creek in the evening. Continuing the march on the 26th through a country wild and rugged beyond description, the detachment arrived on the following morning within eighteen miles of the Indian town called Etchöey, and the troops proceeded forward with caution. A few horsemen marched in front and on each flank, – the grenadiers and light infantry scoured the thickets, – and the four battalion companies of the Royals marched in the rear. Arriving at a valley covered with trees and bushes, and overlooked by hills on both sides, Captain Morrison and a few men pushed forward into the thickets, and were assailed by a straggling fire, which proved fatal to the captain, and the next moment the woods echoed with the dismal howlings of a thousand Indians raising their war-cry. Undaunted by this appalling noise, the grenadiers and light infantry rushed forward amongst the trees to encounter the Indian warriors, – the four battalion companies of the Royals supported the attack, – while the Highlanders pushed forward on the left to cut off the retreat of the Indians to the hills. The savage warriors soon gave way, – the Highlanders intercepted them in their retreat, – the Royals pressed upon the rear, and a number of Indians were slaughtered amongst the trees on the side of the hill. The main body of the Indian army appeared soon afterwards on the face of the mountain on the left of the line of march, and, with frantic gestures and horrid sounds, bid defiance to their white adversaries. The Royals, having gained the front of the column, pushed forward to engage their fierce opponents with distinguished bravery. The Indians opened a scattering fire, and made the valley echo with their whooping and howling; but this noise produced little effect on the soldiers, who dashed through the bushes and thick foliage with a "valour, discipline, and steadiness, worthy of admiration;" and, although the warriors kept up a sharp fire with their rifles for some time, yet they eventually gave way. "The action lasted about an hour. Captain Manley Williams, of the Royals, was killed: he was truly a gentleman and an extreme good officer."95 The Royals had also eight private men killed; and Captain Peter Gordon, Ensigns Edrington and Knight, one serjeant, and thirty-two private men, wounded.

The Indians fled from the field of battle towards Etchöey, to alarm their women and children; and the soldiers pressing forward soon drew near the town, when a band of warriors opened a straggling fire from amongst some trees and then fled. The town was found deserted, but well stored with corn. The Cherokees, finding themselves unable to resist the troops, abandoned several other towns and fled to the mountains. At the same time Colonel Montgomery, having no place of safety where he could leave his wounded men, did not advance any farther, but retired on the 28th of June to War-woman's Creek. The Indians, taking courage from this retrograde movement, returned in swarms from the mountains, and on the morning of the 29th the woods and bushes on the line of march appeared crowded with warriors ready to attack the troops in their retreat; but two officers and fifty men of the Royals being sent out to scour the bushes on the right of the road, and the same number of the Highlanders on the left, they were chased from their lurking-places, and the retreat was continued to Fort Prince George.

The Commanding Officer, in his despatch, observes: —

"The fatigue was immense, yet not an officer or soldier complained. The detachment has been all along in high spirits, judging nothing too difficult. Never did greater harmony appear than amongst the corps of our little army."

The two flank companies marched soon afterwards to Charleston, and there embarked for New York, leaving the four battalion companies in South Carolina under the command of Major Frederick Hamilton.

The four battalion companies left in quarters at New York, under Lieut. – Colonel Forster, had in the meantime advanced up the country to Crown Point, of which place the Lieut. – Colonel was appointed Commandant. Embarking from thence on the 11th of August, the four companies sailed, with several other corps under Colonel Haviland, down Lake Champlain towards Isle-aux-Noix, and, having landed on the 16th, encamped on the left bank of the River Richlieu. The enemy occupied a fort near the river; but when the batteries opened their fire against it, the French commandant retreated with the greater part of the garrison, leaving an officer and 30 men to capitulate, who were made prisoners. Two other forts were also abandoned by the French, and the Isle-aux-Noix was taken possession of by the English. In the meantime a British force, under General Amherst, had proceeded to Oswego, embarked from thence on Lake Ontario, and, sailing down the River St. Lawrence, invaded the French settlements in Canada on that side, and advanced upon Montreal. Quebec had been captured in the preceding year; and an army, commanded by Major-General Murray, was advancing from thence towards Montreal. The four companies of the Royals and other troops, under Colonel Haviland, were also advancing towards the same point by lake Champlain and the River Richlieu; and the whole were united near Montreal on the 7th of September. The French Governor, being unable to withstand the forces opposed to him, surrendered on the following day; and thus the conquest of Canada was effected with trifling loss. When the French battalions laid down their arms their colours were demanded; and their Commander answered: – "Although the several regiments had brought with them their colours from France, they had, finding them troublesome and of little use in this woody country, destroyed them."

1st Batt

While the second battalion of the Royal Regiment was thus engaged in North America the first battalion had embarked from Ireland, under the command of Lieut. – Colonel Horne Elphinston, and sailed for Quiberon Bay, on the coast of France, which station was appointed for the rendezvous of an expedition under the orders of Major-General Kingsley, designed for the capture of one of the French islands in the Bay of Biscay, called Belle-Isle; but the death of King George II. occurring (25th October, 1760) before all the troops arrived, the expedition was laid aside, and the battalion sailed back to Ireland.

17612nd Batt

The four companies of the second battalion left in South Carolina, under Major Hamilton, were stationed at Charleston; and, the Cherokee Indians having rejected the proposed conditions for a peace, these companies, with two of the 17th, three of the 22nd, and eight of newly-raised provincials, proceeded up the country in March, 1761, again to make war on the refractory Indians. These companies encamped a short time on the banks of the Congaree, from whence they proceeded in May to Fort Prince George, and were joined by twenty Chickasaw warriors from the country on the east side of the Mississippi, and by King Heigler, with twenty Catawbas warriors. From Fort Prince George this company of regulars, provincials, and savages, advanced in the early part of June against the middle Cherokees, through a most difficult country. An officer of the expedition, in a letter published in July, 1761, observes: – "The defiles and passes along War-woman's Creek are horrid; on one side high and rocky mountains hanging over our heads, the path rocky, and no wider than for a single pack-horse; and on the other side a deep and frightful precipice, at the bottom of which is the creek." On the 10th of June, as the troops were on the march along the banks of a river, the Indian army was discovered, arranged for battle on a high woody hill on the right of the line of march, with a straggling line of warriors beyond the river. The Indian riflemen opened an irregular fire, and immediately afterwards more than a thousand warriors raised the dismal war-whoop, which echoed in the woods and dells. This produced little effect on the soldiers, who advanced in regular order to engage their savage antagonists. The commanding officer observed, in his report: – "The troops behaved with great spirit and coolness, and by the heavy fire of their platoons dislodged the enemy from the advantageous posts which they had taken possession of." The firing continued until two in the afternoon, when the Indians were driven from their posts and fled. The loss of the four companies of the Royals was three men killed; with Ensign Joseph Knight, and six men wounded.

After this victory the expedition continued its advance into the Cherokee country: the Indians fled to their mountain fastnesses; and the soldiers laid fifteen towns and villages in ruins, destroyed the crops of corn, and afterwards returned to Fort Prince George. This proceeding convinced the Indians of their inability to resist the King's forces, and they sued for peace, which was accordingly granted them.

The other four battalion companies of the second battalion of the Royal Regiment, which had been engaged in the conquest of Canada in the preceding year, had in the meantime proceeded from Montreal, across the country, to New York, and, leaving the two flank companies in garrison, embarked in April, 1761, for the West Indies, under the orders of Colonel Lord Rollo. About this period the British government had resolved to capture the Island of Dominico, which was declared neutral by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, but had become subject to France; and when the four companies of the Royals arrived at Guadaloupe they were selected to form part of the expedition for this service. Sailing from Guadaloupe on the 4th of June, the troops soon arrived at Dominico, effected a landing on the 6th, under a sharp fire of cannon and musketry, captured a flanking battery, and took the town of Roseau, the capital of the island, in a few hours. In the evening of the same day the troops assaulted and carried the intrenchments above the town, and captured the French commandant and several other officers; and no further resistance was made. Thus the whole island was reduced with trifling loss; and Lord Rollo observed, in his despatch: – "As to the King's troops, I cannot enough applaud the coolness and intrepidity with which they acted on this occasion."

1762

Leaving Dominico in December, the four companies of the Royals proceeded to Barbadoes, where a body of troops was assembled, under the orders of Major General the Hon. Robert Monckton, for an attack on the French island of Martinico. A landing was effected in the early part of January, 1762, and the island was reduced in the succeeding month. "I cannot," observes the general, in his despatch, "find words to render that ample justice which is due to the valour of His Majesty's troops which I have the honour to command. The difficulties they had to encounter in the attack of an enemy possessed of every advantage of art and nature were great; and their perseverance in surmounting these obstacles furnishes a noble example of British spirit."

While the contest at Martinico was in progress, the four companies of the Royals which had been engaged in the war with the Indians embarked from Charleston, and sailed to the West Indies under the orders of Colonel Grant. War had, in the meantime, been declared against Spain; an attack on the Spanish settlements in the West Indies had been resolved upon; and the four companies of the Royals were placed under the orders of General the Earl of Albemarle, to proceed against the valuable settlement of the Havannah, in the island of Cuba. Proceeding through the Straits of Bahama, the expedition arrived within six leagues of the Havannah on the 6th of June; a landing was effected on the following day; and on the 9th the troops took up a position between Coximar and the Moro. The Moro fort being the key-position of the extensive works which covered the town, the capture of this place was of great importance; and the four companies of the Royal Regiment formed part of the force destined to make the attack on this formidable fortress. The hardships endured in carrying on the operations were very great: a thin soil, hardly sufficient to cover the troops in their approaches, a scarcity of water, and the labour of dragging the artillery several miles over a rocky country, and under a burning sun, were happily overcome by the unanimity which existed between the land and sea forces. The progress made in erecting batteries, carrying forward approaches, and sapping and mining the works, with the fire of the artillery, having alarmed the Spanish governor, he resolved to attempt to relieve the Moro. 1500 men were ferried over the harbour, and they made three separate attacks on the British line; the four companies of the Royals were brought forward to sustain the posts, and the Spaniards were repulsed, with considerable loss. The siege was afterwards continued with vigour; two mines were sprung; a practicable breach was made, and a detachment of the Royals was ordered to form part of the storming party,96 under Lieut. – Colonel Stuart, of the 90th Regiment. The attack was made on the 30th of July. Lieut. Charles Forbes, of the Royals, led the assault, and, ascending the breach with signal gallantry, formed his men on the top, and soon drove the enemy from every part of the ramparts. The garrison was taken by surprise; the Spanish commander, Don Louis de Velasco, exerted himself to save the fortress; and, while endeavouring to rally his men, he was mortally wounded. The confusion amongst the ranks of the enemy was thus augmented; nearly 150 Spaniards were killed, 400 threw down their arms and were made prisoners, and the rest were either killed in the boats, or drowned in attempting to escape to the Havannah. As Lieutenants Forbes, of the Royals, Nugent, of the 9th, and Holroyd, of the 90th Regiments, were congratulating each other on their success, the two latter were killed by a party of desperate Spaniards, who fired from the light-house. Lieutenant Forbes, being exasperated at the death of his companions, attacked the light-house with a few men, and put all in it to the sword.

The capture of the Moro facilitated the attack on the Havannah; and on the 11th of August a new series of batteries opened so well-directed a fire that at two o'clock in the afternoon the guns of the garrison were silenced, and flags of truce were hung out from every part of the town and from the ships in the harbour. The capitulation was signed on the 13th, and on the following day the British troops took possession of this valuable settlement. Three Spanish men-of-war, with a company's ship, were found sunk at the entrance of the harbour, nine men-of-war were delivered up to the victors, and two were found upon the stocks. The loss sustained by the Royal Regiment in this important service was Lieutenants Cook and Ashe, 1 serjeant, and 31 rank and file, killed; Captain Balfour, Lieutenant Ruth, Ensign Keating, 2 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 75 rank and file, wounded; two rank and file missing; 3 men dead of their wounds, and 12 from diseases arising from the climate and severe exertions in carrying on the siege.

The British government having withdrawn many troops from North America to the West Indies, the French sent an armament across the Atlantic, and took possession of St. John's, Newfoundland. Detachments were immediately ordered from the British garrisons to dislodge the enemy; and the two flank companies of the second battalion of the Royal Regiment, having been left in North America, were employed in this service, under the command of Lieut. – Colonel William Amherst. A landing was effected, on the 13th of September, at Torbay, and the troops gained possession of the strong post of Kitty Vittiy. A detachment was sent to the top of a high rock which commanded the ford, and under cover of the fire of these men the light companies of the Royal and Montgomery's Highlanders passed the river. The grenadiers of the Royal and 77th Regiments supported the attack; and the French were driven from their post on a hill beyond the river. Two other heights were afterwards carried; and on the 17th, a battery being ready to open its fire on the fort, the French commander surrendered.