Historical Record of the First Regiment of Foot

1696

In this city they passed the winter, and the losses of the preceding campaign were replaced. On the 9th of May, 1696, they marched out of Bruges, and pitched their tents along the banks of the canal towards Ghent; and having received their new clothing from England a few days before, they were reviewed, with several other corps, on the 16th of May, by the Prince of Vaudemont, and on the 28th by King William, and their appearance and discipline excited admiration.

The regiment passed this summer in camp along the banks of the Bruges canal, having its post on the right of the bridge at Mary-Kirk; and in the autumn it again proceeded into quarters at Bruges, where five regiments of cavalry and eleven of infantry were stationed during the winter.

1697

In the spring of 1697, when the Royal Regiment took the field, four companies were left in garrison at Bruges, where they remained during the summer. The remainder of the regiment marched to Brussels in the early part of March, and advanced from thence on the 12th of April to Waterloo, where a camp was formed of four English and eight Dutch battalions. The regiment was subsequently engaged in the several operations of the main army under King William; during the latter part of the month of May and the beginning of June it was encamped, with the army, on the plain of Bois-Seigneur-Isaac, and was stationed in front of the King's quarter; in the middle of June it marched to the vicinity of Brussels, and was encamped before that city until the war was terminated by the treaty of Ryswick, which was signed during the night between the 10th and 11th of September, 1697.

16981699

After the conclusion of the peace of Ryswick the Royal Regiment marched from Brussels to Ghent, and during the winter it embarked for Ireland; at the same time a reduction of four companies was made in the establishment. A further reduction was subsequently made, and in a warrant under the sign manual, bearing date the 1st of May, 1699, the numbers of the regiment are fixed at 22 companies of 3 officers, 2 serjeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 34 private men each.79

1700

Events transpired in Europe at the close of the year 1700 which occasioned the regiment to be again placed on a war establishment and sent on foreign service.

These events were the decease of Charles II., King of Spain, on the 1st of November, 1700, without issue, and the accession of Philip Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV. of France, to the throne of Spain, in violation of existing treaties, and to the prejudice of the house of Austria. Several European states being averse to the accession either of an Austrian or Bourbon prince to the throne of the Spanish monarchy, a partition had been contemplated; but the sudden acquisition of the dominions of Spain by a grandson of the most potent and ambitious monarch in Europe, with the prospect of France and Spain being eventually united under one sovereign, rendered the partition-treaty abortive, agitated the public mind, and produced a sensation of alarm throughout the greater part of Christendom.

1701

The interest of every state being affected by the change in the dynasty of Spain, the standing armies were augmented, and, while the din of hostile preparation was heard on every side, negotiations were commenced with the view of preventing a war. The French monarch, however, sent a body of troops to take possession of the Spanish Netherlands, and detained 15,000 Dutch, who, in virtue of a convention with Spain, formed the garrisons of the barrier towns. The loss of so large a body of their best troops, with the advance of a French army towards their frontiers, alarmed the States General of the United Provinces, and King William sent thirteen British battalions to Holland to assist the Dutch.

The Royal Regiment, having been augmented to 24 companies of 3 officers, 3 serjeants, 3 corporals, 2 drummers, and 59 private men each, was one of the corps selected to proceed on foreign service; it accordingly embarked at the Cove of Cork on the 15th of June, 1701, in two ships of war, and sailing on the following day, arrived at Helvoetsluys, on the island of Voorn, in South Holland, on the 8th of July. Here the English troops were removed from the ships of war on board of Dutch vessels, and sailed up the river Maese to the several garrisons of Breda, Gertruydenberg, Huesden, Worcum, Gorcum, and Borsch. From these stations they were recalled in the middle of September to the vicinity of Breda, and encamped on Breda Heath, where they were reviewed on the 21st of that month by King William, and afterwards returned to their former stations.80

Meanwhile the death of King James II. had occurred at St. Germain in France, and Louis XIV. caused the Pretender to be proclaimed King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. This indignity offered to the British sovereign and nation aroused the indignation of the people; the army was again augmented, and in the following spring additional forces were sent to Holland.

1702

The Royal Regiment, having passed the winter amongst the Dutch, quitted its cantonments on the 10th of March, and proceeded to Rosendael, where the British infantry assembled and encamped under the orders of Brigadier-General Ingoldsby. Here the troops received information of the death of King William III. on the 8th of March, and of the accession of Queen Anne. They also learnt that Her Majesty was resolved to prosecute the war with vigour, and the officers and soldiers took the oath of allegiance to the Queen.

In the middle of April a strong fortress on the Lower Rhine called Kayserswerth, which was occupied by the French, was besieged by the Germans, and a few days afterwards the Royal and other British corps quitting their camp at Rosendael, marched across the country to the Duchy of Cleves, where they joined a body of Dutch and Germans under the Earl of Athlone, and encamped at Cranenburg on the Lower Rhine to cover the siege. While the Royal Regiment lay with the army at this camp, a French force of superior numbers, commanded by the Duke of Burgundy and Marshal Boufflers, traversed the forest of Cleves, and advanced through the plains of Goch to cut off the communication of the allied army with Grave and Nimeguen. In consequence of this movement, the allied army struck its tents a little before sunset on the 10th of June, and having continued its retreat throughout the night, arrived about eight o'clock on the following morning within a few miles of Nimeguen, at the same time the French columns appeared on both flanks and in the rear, marching with all possible expedition to surround the allies. Some sharp skirmishing occurred; the Royals, Foot Guards, and other British corps forming the rear guard, behaved with distinguished gallantry, and having taken possession of some hedges and buildings, held the enemy in check while the army effected its retreat under the works of Nimeguen: in three days afterwards Kayserswerth surrendered.

In the meantime additional forces had arrived from England, and the Earl of Marlborough assumed the command of the British, Dutch, and auxiliary troops. The French had, at this period, overrun the Duchy of Cleves, and were menacing the frontiers of Holland; but when the Earl of Marlborough had assembled the troops of the several nations, he advanced against the enemy, and by skilful movements forced the French commanders to retire. The Royals formed part of the force under the Earl of Marlborough, and were engaged in several movements designed to bring on a general action, which the enemy avoided. In September the regiment was encamped a few miles from Maestricht, and formed part of the covering army during the siege of Venloo, a town in the province of Limburg, on the east side of the river Maese, which surrendered on the 25th of September. In a few days after the capture of this place, the siege of Ruremonde was undertaken; at the same time one battalion of the Royal Regiment, commanded by Brigadier-General the Earl of Orkney, was detached, with other troops, from the main army near Maestricht to besiege Stevenswart, or Fort St. Etienne, situated on a small island in the river Maese, nineteen miles from Maestricht. Two batteries opened a sharp fire against the fort in the beginning of October, and at day-break on the morning of the third of that month the troops reared their ladders against the walls and began to ascend to attack the place sword in hand, when the garrison beat a parley and surrendered. The battalion of the Royal Regiment rejoined the army on the 6th of October, and Ruremonde surrendered on the same day. On the tenth, at one o'clock in the morning, the main army struck its tents and advanced in two columns towards the city of Liege, and at four in the afternoon encamped near the works. The French set the suburb of St. Walburgh on fire, and retired into the citadel and Chartreuse, when the magistrates delivered up the city, and the army commenced the siege of the citadel, which was taken by storm on the 23rd of October; the British grenadiers and fusiliers engaged in the assault highly distinguished themselves, and had 154 officers and soldiers killed, and 380 wounded. The Chartreuse surrendered a few days afterwards; and these conquests terminated the campaign. The British troops quitted the pleasant valley of Liege on the 3rd of November, and marched to Tongres, where they halted one day, and afterwards continued their route to Holland; the Royal Regiment proceeded to Breda, in which city it appears to have passed the winter in garrison, together with a battalion of Foot Guards and two or three other corps.

1703

Leaving these quarters towards the end of April, 1703, the Royal Regiment traversed the country to the vicinity of Maestricht. Meanwhile the Dutch and Germans were besieging Bonn, a strong town on the Rhine; and the French commanders, Marshal Villeroy and Boufflers, thinking to take advantage of the dispersed state of the army, made a sudden advance to surprise the troops in their quarters. The first attack was made on two British regiments81 at Tongres, a town surrounded by a wall and defended by a few dilapidated towers; these regiments, however, defended themselves upwards of twenty-four hours before they surrendered. While the contest was in progress at Tongres, the Royals, with a number of other corps, struck their tents, and proceeding to Maestricht, formed in order of battle near the works; the French commanders advanced and reconnoitred the position, and, after a sharp cannonade, retreated to Tongres.

Bonn surrendered in the middle of May, and the army was afterwards assembled in the vicinity of Maestricht, where the first battalion of the Royal Regiment was formed in brigade with the battalion of Foot Guards, and the regiments of Stewart, Howe, Ingoldsby, and Marlborough,82 under the orders of Brigadier-General Withers; and the second battalion with the regiments of North and Grey, Derby, Row, and Ferguson,83 under the command of Brigadier-General the Earl of Derby. On the 24th of May the army advanced towards Tongres, when the French quitted their post and made a precipitate retreat, and the confederates encamped at Thys. The army subsequently made several movements for the purpose of bringing on a general engagement, which the French avoided, and took post behind their fortified lines, where the Duke of Marlborough was desirous of attacking them, but was prevented by the Dutch generals and field deputies. In August the army advanced to Huy, a strong fortress on the Maese above the city of Liege, which was besieged and captured in ten days. Another proposal to attack the French lines was declined by the Dutch; and the main army afterwards advanced to St. Trond; at the same time a detachment invested Limburg, a city of the Spanish Netherlands situated on a pleasant eminence amongst the woods near the banks of the little river Wesdet. The siege of this place was commenced on the 10th of September, and on the 27th the governor, with a garrison of 1400 men, surrendered at discretion. Thus Spanish Guelderland was delivered from the power of France, and the Dutch were freed from the dread of an invasion. The capture of Limburg was followed by the separation of the army for the winter; the Royal Regiment struck its tents on the 10th of October, and proceeded to the neighbourhood of Tongres, where it halted ten days, and afterwards continued its march through the province of Limburg to Holland.

While the army, of which the Royal Regiment formed part, was engaged in operations in the Netherlands, the Elector of Bavaria took arms against the Emperor of Germany; and a French force commanded by Marshal Villiers having traversed the Black Forest and joined the Bavarians, the united armies were making considerable progress in the heart of Germany. This event occasioned the Royals, with a great portion of the English and Dutch forces under the Duke of Marlborough, to transfer their services from the Low Countries to Germany, to arrest the progress of the French and Bavarians.

1704

Previous to quitting the Netherlands, the regiment sent a detachment of six hundred men to Maestricht to garrison that city, while the Dutch troops were working at the entrenchments on the heights of Petersberg. In the early part of May, 1704, the remainder of the regiment marched from its winter quarters towards the Rhine, and was joined at Bedburg by the detachment from Maestricht. On the 19th of May the army directed its march from Bedburg along the course of the Rhine towards the Moselle, and traversed both rivers at Coblentz on the 25th and 26th of that month; thence proceeding towards the Maine, arrived at the suburbs of Mentz in the beginning of June; the cavalry being in advance with the Duke of Marlborough, the infantry and artillery a few stages in the rear under General Charles Churchill. From the Maine the infantry directed its march through the Landgraviate of Hesse, towards the Neckar, passed this river on the 15th of June, and proceeding in the direction of the Danube, was soon afterwards at the seat of war in Germany, and co-operating with the forces of the empire.

On the 2nd of July, at three o'clock in the morning, the army marched in the direction of Donawerth, to attack a body of French and Bavarians under the Count d'Arco, in an entrenched camp on the heights of Schellenberg, on the left bank of the Danube. After traversing a difficult tract of country, the troops crossed the river Wernitz and arrived in front of the enemy's camp, and about six in the evening the leading division, consisting of a detachment from each British regiment, with the Foot Guards, Royals, and Ingoldsby's regiment (23rd), commanded by Brigadier-General Fergusson, and a Dutch force under General Goor, advanced under cover of a heavy cannonade, to attack the enemy's entrenchments. When these brave troops arrived within the range of the enemy's cannon they were assailed by a volley of grape, which produced a dreadful carnage. General Goor and many brave officers fell; Lieut. – Col. White of the Royals was severely wounded; yet the assailants moved forward with a firm tread until they arrived at a ravine which they were unable to pass, when they shrunk back before the shower of bullets which assailed them. At this moment the enemy issued from the entrenchments and charged the British and Dutch with great fury, but were gallantly opposed by the English Foot Guards. The Royals and Ingoldsby's regiment also confronted the charging Bavarians with firmness, and the enemy was repulsed and driven back into the entrenchments. A second attack was soon afterwards made on the heights, and the Royals were again sharply engaged. The French and Bavarians made a vigorous resistance, and sallying from the trenches attacked the leading regiments of the allies; the British and Dutch infantry being exhausted by a continued struggle up a rising ground, and their ranks thinned by a destructive fire, once more shrunk back; they were, however, supported by the cavalry under Lieut. – General Lumley, and having rallied, they returned to the attack with great resolution. This protracted contest shook the strength and weakened the resistance of the enemy. The Imperialists, commanded by the Margrave of Baden, arrived at the scene of conflict and attacked the enemy's left; at the same time the British and Dutch made another furious attack. Three field-officers of the Royals had already been carried from the field wounded, yet the regiment was seen pressing upon the enemy, and making a desperate effort to force the entrenchments; the Scots Greys dismounted to join in the attack; and the French and Bavarians were overpowered and driven from the heights with dreadful carnage. The cavalry under General Lumley charged the fugitives, and completed the overthrow of the enemy. Sixteen pieces of artillery, a number of standards and colours, with the enemy's tents, and the equipage, and the plate of Count d'Arco, fell into the hands of the confederates.

Thus the Royals were triumphant near the same ground where the regiment, when forming part of the Green Brigade in the service of Gustavus Adolphus, distinguished itself in March 1632.

The first battalion of the Royal Regiment had Captain Murray, Ensigns M'Dugal and M'Ilroy, one serjeant, and 38 rank and file killed; and Lieut. – Colonel White, Major Cockburn, Captains Hume, Irwin, and Brown; Lieutenants Kid and Ballatine; Ensigns Stratton, Cunningham, and Stewart; with 3 serjeants, and 103 rank and file, wounded.

The second battalion had Captain Baily and Lieutenant Levingston, with 1 serjeant and 76 private men, killed; and Major Kerr, Captain Carr, Lieutenants Pearson, Moore, Vernel, Hay, Dickson, and Hamilton, Ensigns M'Queen, M'Onway, Moremere, Elliot, Inglis, and Moore, with 12 serjeants, and 184 rank and file, wounded.

The victory at Schellenberg was immediately followed by the flight of the enemy from Donawerth, which place was taken possession of by the allies. At the same time the Royal Regiment crossed the Danube, and advancing into Bavaria, was engaged in operations with the army; while the French and Bavarians, having made a hasty retreat to Augsburg, formed an entrenched camp near that city. The enemy also abandoned several small towns, which were taken possession of by the allies, and Rayn was captured after a short siege. The army afterwards advanced towards Augsburg, and halted a short time within sight of the enemy's fortified camp. In the mean time each regiment sent out parties to plunder the country. This occasioned the Elector of Bavaria to engage in a treaty with the view of an accommodation; but he soon afterwards received information that another reinforcement of French troops had traversed the Black Forest, when he broke off the treaty, which so incensed the Imperialists that they laid a great part of Bavaria in ashes.

The fortified camp at Augsburg being found too strong to be attacked with any prospect of success, the troops retired a few stages, and the siege of Ingoldstadt was undertaken by a detachment of Germans, at the same time the Royal Regiment formed part of the covering army.

The Elector of Bavaria quitted his entrenched camp, and having formed a junction with the reinforcements which Louis XIV. had sent to his aid, the united armies encamped in the valley of the Danube, near the village of Blenheim. At the same time the allied army, commanded by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy, had advanced to the village of Minster, and was encamped with its left to the Danube.

At three o'clock on the morning of the eventful 13th of August, 1704, the allies advanced to attack the French and Bavarians. About seven the heads of columns arrived in presence of the enemy, and a pause ensuing, the chaplains performed the usual service at the heads of their respective regiments. About mid-day, a column, of which one battalion of the Royal Regiment formed part, advanced under the direction of Lieut. – General Lord Cutts and Major-General Wilks, to attack the village of Blenheim, where the French commander, Marshal Tallard, had posted a considerable number of troops, and entrenchments and pallisades had been constructed. This column, consisting of the two British brigades, commanded by Brigadier-Generals Row and Fergusson, a brigade of Hessians, and a brigade of Hanoverians, proceeded to the banks of the little river Nebel, and took possession of two water mills, which the enemy evacuated, and set on fire. Thence advancing towards the inclosures, the leading brigade received the fire of the troops in Blenheim, and many officers and men fell; but the gallant Row struck his sword in the enemy's pallisades before he gave the word "fire." His brigade was, however, unable to force the entrenchments against the superior numbers of the enemy; and while retiring it was charged by the French cavalry, but the enemy was repulsed by the Hessians. Soon afterwards, Fergusson's brigade and the Hanoverians traversed the Nebel, near the lower water-mill, and attacked the front of the village, but were repulsed three successive times; the firing was, however, continued against Blenheim; and the remainder of the forces traversed the rivulet, and attacked the main body of the French army. The other battalion of the Royal Regiment was now brought into action; the blaze of musketry extended along the whole front; and the troops of the several nations fought with distinguished bravery. The combat of musketry, and the charges of the cavalry, were continued for some time with varied success. Eventually the main body of the enemy was overpowered, and chased from the field with great slaughter; many prisoners were also captured, and amongst them the French commander, Marshal Tallard.

When the main body of the French army was defeated, the troops posted in Blenheim attempted to escape by the rear of the village, but were repulsed. A second attempt was made in another direction, but was checked by the Scots Greys. A third attempt was also made, but the French were again driven back, and forced to take shelter behind the houses and inclosures. Though encompassed and intercepted on every side, the French obstinately defended their post. Additional forces were brought against them; the batteries opened a tremendous fire; Lieut. – General the Earl of Orkney attacked the French troops posted in the churchyard with eight battalions; Lieut. – General Ingoldsby attacked the right side of the village with four battalions, supported by the Royal Irish (late 5th) Dragoons; and both battalions of the Royals were now engaged. A sharp struggle ensued, which ended in a parley, and eventually twenty-four French battalions of infantry, and twelve squadrons of cavalry, surrendered prisoners of war. The Germans who attacked the enemy's right were also triumphant. Thus the struggle of this eventful day ended in a complete victory, which reflected lustre on the confederate arms, and showed in its native colours the true character of the British soldier. The French and Bavarians are reported to have lost in killed, wounded, prisoners, and from other causes, about forty thousand men, with nearly all their tents, cannon, and ammunition, and a great number of standards, colours, and kettle-drums.

The Royal Regiment lost in this action84 Lieut. – Colonel White, Ensigns M'Conway and Craig, killed; Captain Lord Forbes died of his wounds; and Captains Montgomery, Bruce, and Lindsay, with Lieutenants Harrowby and Lisle, and Ensign Hume, wounded.

The number of French and Bavarians taken on this occasion was so great that the second battalion of the Royals, with the regiments of Prince George of Denmark, Lords North and Grey, Row and Meredith, commanded by Brigadier-General Fergusson, were sent to Holland in charge of the prisoners. These troops marched with the prisoners to Mentz, where they embarked in boats and sailed to Holland, and, having delivered them into the charge of other corps, were placed in garrison for the remainder of the year.

Meanwhile the first battalion continued with the army in Germany; and the enemy abandoned several important cities, which were occupied by the allies. The battalion of the Royal Regiment proceeded through the circle of Swabia and directed its march to Philipsburg, where it crossed the Rhine on the 7th of September, and subsequently formed part of the covering army during the siege of Landau, a town in the Bavarian circle of the Rhine, situated in a beautiful valley on the river Queich. On the 13th of October this battalion, with the regiments of Hamilton, Ingoldsby, and Tatton, marched from the covering army encamped at Croon-Weissemberg to Germersheim, and embarking in boats, sailed down the Rhine to Holland, and were placed in garrison for the winter.