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1 2 3
1
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6
HISTORICAL RECORDS
OP
THE BRITISH ARMY.
GENERAL ORDERS.
HORSE-GUARDS,
1st Jamiariff 18S0.
His Majesty has been pleased to command,
that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to Regi-
ments, as well as to Individuals who have distin-
guished themselves by their Bravery in Action with
the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every
Regiment in the British Army shall be published
under the superintendence and direction of the
Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall con-
tain the following particulars, viz.,
The Period and Circumstances of the Ori-
ginal Formation of the Regiment; The Stations at
which it has been from time to time employed ; The
Battles, Sieges, and other ISlilitary Operations, in
which it has been engaged, particularly specifying
any Achievement it may have performed, and the
Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from
the Enemy.
The Names of the Officers and the number
of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, Killed
or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the Place and
Date of the Action.
i
IV
GENERAL ORDERS.
The Names of those Officers, who, in con-
sideration of their Gallant Services and ISIeritorioiis
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 Regiment
may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes
on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any
other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.
By Command of the Right Honourable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
Commanding-in-Chief,
John Macdonald,
A djutant' General.
P 11 E F A C E.
Tub 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
honourable career, are among the motives that have given
rise to the present publication.
The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, an-
nounced in the " London Gazette," from whence they are
transferred into the public prints : the achievements of our
armies are thus made known at thb time of their occurrence,
and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which
they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses
of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the
Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under
vl
PREFACE.
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 suldier most highly prizes.
It has not, however, until late years, l)een the practice
(which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Con-
tinental armies) for British llegiments to keep regular
records of their services and achievements. Hence some
difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, particularly
from the old Regiments, an authentic account of their origin
and subsequent services.
This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His
Majesty having been pleased to command, that every Regi-
ment shall in future keep a full and ample record of its
services at home and abroad.
From the materials thus collected, the country will
henceforth derive information as to the difficulties and
privations which chequer the career of those who embrace
the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a
number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of
agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these
pursuits have, for so long a period, been undisturbed by the
presence of ivar, which few other countries have escaped,
comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active
service, and of the casualties of climate, to which, even
during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part
of the globe, with little or no interval of repose.
In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the
PREFACE.
vii
Ciiuntry derives from the industry and the enterpriic of the
Agriculturist nnd the trader, its happy inhahitants may be
supposed not often to reflect on tlie perilous duties of the
soldier nnd the sailor, — on their sufferings, — and on the
sacrifice of valuable life, by which so many national benefits
are obtained nnd 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 Con-
tinental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they
have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable
opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which
they have maintained their advantages against superior
numbers.
In the official Reports made by the respective 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 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 Cannox,
Principal Clerk of the Adjutant-General's Office; and while
the perusal of them cannot fail to be useful and interesting
to military men of every rank, it is considered that they will
also afford entertainment and information to the general
reader, particularly to those who may have served in the
Army, or who have relatives in the Service.
There exists in the breasts of most of those who have
f
viii
PREFACE.
served, or are serving, in the Army, an Etprit de Corps —
an attachment to every thing 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 mo-
ments of danger and terror, have stood, " firm as the rocks
of their native shore ;" and when half the World has been
arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their
Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a
record of achievements in war, — victories so complete and
surprising, gained by our countrymen, — our brothers,—- our
fellow-citizens in arms, — a record which revives the memory
of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us, will
certainly prove acceptable to the public.
Biographical memoirs of the Colonels and other distin-
guished O^icers, will be introduced in the Records of their
respective Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which
have, from time to time, been conferred upon each Regi-
ment, as testifying the value and importance of its services,
will be faithfully set forth.
As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each
Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when
the whole shall be completed, the Parts may be bound up
in numerical succession.
HISTORICAL RECORD
or
THE SIXTY-FIRST,
OR, THK
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT
Of
FOOT:
CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF
THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1768,
AND OP
ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO
18 4 4.
ILLUSTRATED WITH A PLATE OF THE COLOURS AND
UNIFORM.
LONDON:
PARKER, FURNIVALL, AND PARKER,
MILITARY LIBRARY, WHITEHALL.
M.I)CCC.X1.1V.
LONDON:
ITARni!)ON AND CO., PRINTRRS,
<<T. MAHTIN 8 f.ANK
THE SIXTY-FIRST,
OR, THE
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT
OF
FOOT,
HEAUS ON ITS REGIMENTAL COLOUR THE WOttl>
"EGYPT,"
WITH THE sphinx:
ALSO THE WORDS
"TALAVERA," "SALAMANCA," "PYRENEES,"
« NIVELLE," " NIVE," " ORTHES,"
" TOULOUSE," « PENINSULA,"
TO COMMEMORATE ITS HEROIC CONDUCT IN THESE ACTIONS.
THE FLANK COMPANIES
ALSO BEAR ON THEIR APPOINTMENTS THE WORD
"MAI DA,"
IN TESTIMONY OF THEIR DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY
AT THE BATTLE OF MAI DA ON
THE 4th OF JULY,
1806.
CONTENTS.
Year
1 758 Formation of the Regiment
Names of Officers ....
. Embarks for the West Indies
1 759 Capture of Guadaloupe . . . •
1760 Returns to England ....
1763 Proceeds to Ireland ....
1771 Stationed at Minorca ....
1782 Returns to England ....
Styled the South Gloucestershire Regiment
1783 Proceeds to Ireland ....
1792 Embarks for Gibraltar
1794 Proceeds to the West Indies . . . .
1795 Attack on St. Lucia
1796 Returns to England ....
1797 Proceeds to Guernsey
1798 Embarks for the Cape of Good Hope
1801 Expedition to Egypt
1803 Embarks for Malta ....
A Second Battalion added to the establishment
1804 Second Battalion proceeds to Guernsey .
1805 First Battalion proceeds to Italy
1806 Second Battalion proceeds to Ireland
——> Battle of Maida
Page
. 10
. 11
12
15
16
. 17
18
19
20
. 21
Vi CONTENTS.
Year Png*
1807 Second Battalion returns to England . . '22
First Battalion proceeds to Gibraltar . . .23
1809 Portugal . . —
Battle of Talavera
1810 Second Battalion proceeds to Ireland
Battle of Busaco
181 1 Blockade of the Fortress of Almeida
1812 Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo .
the Forts of San Vincente, St. Cajetano,
and La Merced .
Battle of Salamanca .
Siege of Burgos Castle .
1813 Battle of the Pyrenees
Passage of the Nivelle
— — ^— Nive .
1814 Blockade of Bayonne
Battle of Orthes
■ Toulouse •
Embarks for Ireland .
Second Battalion disbanded
1816 Proceeds to England .
Embarks for Jamaica
1822 Returns to England .
1 824 Proceeds to Ireland
1828 Embarks for Ceylon .
1 840 Returns to England
1843 Proceeds to Ireland .
Conclusion . . • .
25
27
28
29
33
35
37
39
40
41
45
46
47
49
52
i
CONTEXTS.
Vil
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
Year
1758 Granville Elliott . . . •
1759 George Gray . • • • •
1768 John Gore . . . • •
1773 John Barlow
1778 Staates Long Morriss . . • •
1800 Sir George Hewett, Bart., G.C.B. .
1840 Sir John Gardiner, K.C.B.
1844 Sir Jeremiah Dickson, K.C.B.
Page
. 55
. 66
. 57
. 58
APPENDIX.
1801 Lieut-Colonel Barlow's Journal of the March of a
Detachment from Cosseir to Kene
59
1809
to
1814
.Casualties during the Peninsular War
67
PLA.TE.
Colours, and Present Costume, to face page 9.
:^l
BIXTT-FIR8T (TEH SOOTH OLOUCE8TEH3H1RE) HFOIMENT OF FOOT,
//:
/
a ^
HIXTV tlKST ,Tnii SOUTH OLODCESTERSHHiF, REumENT OF FOOT.
[I'll fwc ItllJ' I
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF THE
SIXTY-FIRST,
OR
J'llK SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT
o»
FOOT.
i»i</f I
/
In the early part of the eighteenth century, the 1755
British Colonies in North America were extended
along the coast ; — at the same time, the Indian trade
drew many persons into the interior of the country,
where they found a delightful climate, and a fruitful
soil ; and a company of merchants obtained a charter
for a tract of land beyond the Allegany Mountains,
where they commenced establishing a settlement.
The French laid claim to this part of the country,
drove away the settlers, and erected a fort to command
the entrance into the lands on the Ohio and the Mis-
sissippi rivers. These aggressions giving indication of
an approaching war, the British army was augmented
in the winter of 1755-6, and that distinguished veteran
corpSj the Third Regiment of Foot, or the
Buffs, was increased in numbers to twenty-two com-
panies, and was divided into two battalions in 1756. 1756
In the summer of 1757, the Third Regiment 1757
formed part of an expedition against the coast of
France, the land forces being under General Sir John
Mordaunt, and the fleet commanded by Admiral Sir
Edward Hawke. The Isle of Aix was captured in
61 B
10
IIIHTORICAL KECOIll) OK
;
f
1757 September, and an attack on Rochefort was Rontem-
plated; but the wind proved unfavourable, and tlie
fleet returned to Kngland.
In the spring of 17^>!^) the second battalion of
1758 the Buffs was constituted the *' Sixty-first Regi-
ment/' under the command of Major-Qeneral Gran-
ville Elliott, from the Austrian service, by commis-
sion dated the 21st of April; the lieut.-colonelcy was
conferred on Major John Barlow, of the Buffs, and
the majority on Captain Christopher Teesdalc, senior
captain of the Buffs. The Regiment, being thus formed
from the Third Foot, was permitted to assume the
Buff facing.
After its formation, the regiment was encamped at
Chatham, with the Thirty-seventh and Sixty-fifth,
under Major-General the Earl of Panmure.
The following officers were holding commissions in
the regiment : —
Colonel, Majob-Genekal Granville Elliott.
Lieut.-Colouel, John Barlow.
Major, Christopheii Teesdale.
James Patterson
A. Singleton
Thomas Hardcastle
M. Brabazon
John Acklom
W. Peyton
John Rowland
John Waugh
John Read
N. Doolan
Captains.
Roger Crowle
William Buckley
John Barford
Lieutenant!.
Peter Maturiu
S. Pearce
John Poole
William Wilson
F. Blomberg
A. Leishman
Ensigns.
John Keir
Edward Crowe
Samuel Homer
Captain-Lieutenant.
William Gunning.
D. Gilchrist
Thomas Brown
G. V. Clietwode.
R. Beatson
R. KeUy
J. Badger
James Savage
John Arbuthnot.
John Skinner
John Ireland
Jarvis Palmer
Chaplain, George Shaw; Adjutant, Wil'iam Gunning;
Surgeon, Peter Johnston ; Quarter-Master, Samuel Grey.
Towards the end of the year thr. regiment em-
1)arked for the West Indies, with the arriairient s'^nt
TIIR HIM'Y-KIIINT FOOT.
11
againot tlic Frcndi WeMt Iiidiu IslaiuiH, under Major- 17''>H
(Jenvral liupsun and Commodore Moore.
On the IGth of January, 17^^) ' ^ troops landed l7r><j
on the island of MutHnico; but so many diflliculties
were encountered, that ihey were re-embarked, and the
attack on this island was abandoned.
From Martinico the fleet proceeded to Guadaloupe,
and the forts and batteries on the shore having been
silenced by the sliips-of-war, the troops landed on the
24th of January, and took possession of the town and
citadel of Basse-Tcrre; the French s(»ldier3 and inha-
bitants, with their armed negroes, letireil to the moun-
tains, and prepared for a desperate defence of the
interior of the island.
For three months hostilities were continued on the
island, and during this period the officers and soldiers
of the Sixty-first evinced valour and perseverance
in carrying operations against, and making attacks on,
the posts occupied by the enemy. Captain William
Gunning, of the regiment, was killed at the attack of a
hill near Fori Louis; "he was an excellent officer, and
" universally lamented by the army*." Lieut.-Colonel
Barlow distinguished himself at the head of a detach-
ment at the capture of St. Maries, when a party of the
Sixty-first penetrated a thick wood, and gained the
rear of a strong post, from which the French were
soon driven. The regiment also made a very deter-
mined effort to penetrate the woody mountains, and
turn the enemy's main position, and the operations of
the day were successful. After much desultory fight-
ing, the French were forced to surrender the island.
The Sixty-first had a number of men killed and
wounded j ' '^ others died from the eflfects of the
climate : the loss of the regiment in officers was Capt.-
* Beatsok's yaval and Military Memoirs.
li 2
12
HISTORICAL RECORD OP
1759 Lieutenant William Gunning killed ; Lieutenant John
Rowland wounded ; Ensign Samuel Horner died. The
conduct of the officers and soldiers of the Sixty-first
was commended in orders.
On tlie decease of Major-General Elliott, he was
succeeded in the colonelcy of the regiment Ly Lieut.-
Colonel George Gray, from the first troop, now first
regiment, of Life Guards.
The regiment, having become considerably reduced
in numbers, returned to England to recruit, and in the
1 760 summer of 1760 it was encamped at '^hatham ; in
176I it proceeded to the islands of Jersey and Guern-
sey, where it was stationed until the termination of the
1763 seven years' war^ snd in 1763 it proceeded to Ireland,
where it remained seven years.
On the 9th of May, 1768, Major-General Gray
was removed to the Thirty- seventh Regiment; and
King George III. conferred the colonelcy of the Sixty-
first on Major-General John Gore, from lieutenant-
colonel in the Third Foot Guards.
Three years afterwards the regiment was removed
from Ireland, and stationed at the island of Minorca,
which had been captured by tlie British in 1 708, and
was ceded to Queen Anne by the treaty of Utrecht in
1713.
Lieut.-General Gore was removed to the Sixth
Foot in 1773, when the colonelcy of the Sixty-first
was conferred on the lieut. -colonel of the regiment,
1778 Colonel John Barlow; who was succeeded, in 1778,
by Major-General Staates Long Morriss, whose regi-
ment, the Eighty-ninth, had been disbanded at the
termination of the seven years' war.
1772 in the mean time the American war had com-
menced ; France had united with the revolted British
provinces in their resistance; and Spain also com-
menced hostilities against Great Britain, and under-
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
13
took the siege of Gibraltar in 1779* The capture of 1779
Minorca was also contemplated by the court of Spain ;
and in the middle of August, 1781, a powerful Spanish 1781
and French armament appeared before the island.
The British troops employed on the detached stations
were withdrawn, and the whole assembled in the citadel
of St. Philip, the garrison of which place consisted of
the Fifty-first and Sixty-first Regiments, two corps
of Hanoverians (viz.. Prince Ernest^s and Goldacker*s
regiments), and a proportion of artillery, the whole
amounting to two thousand five hundred men, com-
manded by Lieut.-General the Hon. James Murray,
and Lieut.-General Sir William Draper, K.B. The
combined French and Spanish forces mustered sixteen
thousand men, commanded by Lieutenant-General the
Duke of Crillon, who proved an officer of ability.
The British garrison, however, made a resolute defence
of the fortress intrusted to their charge ; and the King
of Spain, losing patience with the slow progress of the
siege, caused a large sum of money to be offered to the
British general, to induce him to betray his trust,
which was rejected with indignation**
For several months the British soldiers defended
" Lieutenant-General the Honorable James Murray's answer to
this proposal is printed in Beatson's Naval and Militarif Memoirs,
and is as follows; —
«,Sir, « Fort St. Philip, October 16, 1781.
" When your brave ancestor was desired by his sovereign
" to assassinate the Due de Guise, he returned the answer which
" you should have done, when the King of Spain charged you to
" assassinate the character of a man whose birth is as illustrious as
" yiiuY own, or that of the Due de Guise. I can have no further
" communication with you but in arms. If you have any humanity,
*' you may send clothing to your unfortunate prisoners in my pos-
" session ; leave it at a distance, because I will admit of no contact
" for tlie future but such as is hostile in the most inveterate degree.
" I am, kc,
" To the Due de Crillon." " James Mubhav."
■. m
V. -i.":Tx • p. ^-.^
u
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1782 St. Philip with great gallantry; but at length the
scurvy, a putrid fever, and the dysentery, broke out
among them with so much violence, that in the begin-
ning of February, 1782, there was not a sufficient
number of men able to bear arms for one relief of the
ordinary guards, and not one hundred men free from
disease. Under these circumstances the governor
capitulated.
Lieut.-General the Honorable James Murray stated,
in his despatch, — *' I flatter myself that all Europe will
"agree that the brave garrison showed uncommon
" heroism, and that thirst for glory which has ever dis-
" tinguished the troops of my royal master. . . . Such
" was the uncommon spirit of the King's soldiers, that
" they concealed their diseases and inability rather than
'•'go into the hospital; several men died on guard, after
"having stood sentry; their fate was not discovered
" until called upon for the relief, when it came to their
"turn to mount sentry again. . . . Perhaps a more
" noble, nor a more tragical scene was ever exhibited
" than that of the march of the garrison of St. Philip
" through the Spanish and French lines. It consisted
" of no more than six hundred decrepid soldiers ; two
"hundred seamen, one hundred and twenty royal artil-
" lery, twenty Corsicans, and twenty-five Greeks, &c.
" Such was the distressing appearance of our men, that
" many of the Spanish and French soldiers are said to
" liave shed tears.**
In the articles of capitulation the Duke of Crillon
stated, — " No troops ever gave greater proofs of hero-
" ism than this poor worn-out garrison of St. Phili^^'s
" Castle, who have defended themselves almost to the
"last man." Beatson, the historian of these wars,
states, — " The zeal, bravery, and constancy, displayed
"by all the corps composing the garrison of St. Philip,
" under an accumulation of nusfortunes, may have been
" equalled, but never exceeded."
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
15
Returning to England after the surrender of Fort 1782
St. Philip, the regiment was engaged in recruiting its
numbers until the termination of the war; in August,
17B2, it received the county title of the Sixty-first,
or the South Gloucestershire Regiment: and in 1783
1 783, it proceeded to Ireland.
The regiment was stationed in Ireland until the 1792
spring of 1792, when it proceeded to Gibraltar.
While the regiment was at Gibraltar the French 1793
revolutionary war commenced, and in 1794 the French 1794
West India islands of Martinico, St. Lucia, and Gua-
daloupe were captured. The French republican govern-
ment fitted out an expedition for the recovery of the
conquered islands, and some success attended their
efforts. This occurrence occasioned an order to be
received for the Sixty-first Regiment to be embarked
from Gibraltar to reinforce the British troops in the
West Indies, where it arrived in December, and landed
at the island of Martinico.
From Martinico the regiment proceeded to St. 1795
Lucia, and was engaged in the attack of the French
troops on that island in April, 1795, under the orders
of Brigadier-General Stewart. Some severe fighting
took place ; the regiment had several men wounded on
the 14th of April; and on 22nd of that month it had
nine men killed; Captains Riddle and Whelan, Lieu-
tenants Grant and Moore, Ensign Butler, seven Ser-
jeants, two drummers, and fifty-three rank and file
wounded; five rank and file prisoners. A series of
actions followed, in which considerable loss was sus-
tained. The enemy being reinforced, obtained so great
a superiority of numbers, that it was found necessary
to evacuate the island in June, when the regiment
returned to Martinico.
In the following year an armament, under Lieut.- 179G
General Sir Ralph Abcrcromby re-captured St. Lucia
I
16
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
i a
1796 and other islands. The Sixty-first Regiment having
lost nearly four hundred men by disease, killed in
action, died of wounds, &c., it embarked for England,
where it arrived in October, and commenced recruiting
its ranks.
1797 The regiment embarked for Guernsey in 1797'
Holland had, in the mean time, become united to
France, and in 1 795 the Cape of Good Hope was cap-
tured by a British armament. A rebellion breaking
out on the frontiers of the colony, the Sixty-first
embarked for the Cape of Good Hope in the summer
1798 of 1798; the regiment arrived at that settlement in
1799 January, 1799, and was stationed there upwards of two
years..
During its stay at the Cape of Good Hope, the
regiment was employed against the hardy and warlike
tribes of Kafirs, who committed depredations in the
colony. On one occasion the light infantry company
marched upwards of forty miles in one day, to support
a detachment of the Eighth Light Dragoons, in an
attack upon the Kafirs, and the timely appearance of
the soldiers of the Sixty-first contributed to the
success gained on that occasion.
The Sixty-first Regiment, with a detachment of
the Eighty-first, built a block-house, and threw up
works at Algoa Bay, and thus commenced the forma-
1 800 tion of a settlement at that place, which has since risen
into importance.
On the decease of General Morriss, King George
III. conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-
General George Hewitt, from Colonel-Commandant of
the second battalion of the Fifth Regiment, by com-
mission dated the 4th of April, 1800.
1801 ^" February, 1801, four companies of the Sixty-
first Regiment embarked from the Cape of Good
Hope, for a secret service ; but they were afterwards
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
17
directed to join the Indian army commanded by Major- 1801
General Baird, destined to proceed up the Red Sea,
traverse the Desert, and co-operate, with the troops
from Europe, in the expulsion of the French " Army of
the East" from Egypt. The remaining six companies
of the regiment sailed from the Cape of Good Hope on
the 30th of March, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel
Carruthers, to join the expedition in the Red Sea.
The army from India arrived at the port of Cosseir
on the Red Sea in June, and marched through the
Desert to Kenna on the Nile, by divisions. The
four companies of the Sixty-first Regiment, a de-
tachment of the Tenth Foot, and a party of the
Eighth Light Dragoons, mustering five hundred and
eighty-two soldiers, under Lieut.-Colonel Barlow, of
the Sixty-first*, commenced their march from Cos-
seir through the Desert on the 18th of July; they
suffered much from excessive heat, thirst, and the
fatigue of a long march through a sandy desert, and
arrived at Kenna in ten days. The other companies
landed at Cosseir on the 10th of July, and commenced
their march on the 20th of that month for Kenna,
where they arrived in nine days, with the loss of only
one man, a drummer, who died of fatigue. When the
company, to which the drummer belonged, arrived at
camp, he was missed, and Private Andrew Connell
asked permission to return, notwithstanding the pre-
vious fatigue he had undergone, and assist the drum-
mer : his humane exertions were, however, unavailing,
as he found the drummer dead. This humane conduct
brought Andrew Connell into notice, and he was even-
tually promoted to a commission in the regiment.
On the 2nd of August the regiment embarked in
* Lieut.-Colonel Barlow wrote a journal of this mai'cli, which is
printed at the end of this Record.
18
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
m
1801 seventeen d'jirms (boats), and proceeded down the
river Nile, about four hundred miles, to Cairo, which
city had surrendered to the British troops a sliort time
previously. The regiment afterwards continued its
route down the Nile to the vicinity of Rosetta. The
siege of Alexandria was carried on with vigour, and
the deliverance of Egypt was completed by the sur-
render of the French garrison in the beginning of
September.
The Sixty-first received, in common with the
other corps which served on this expedition, the honor
of bearing on their colours the word "Egypt" with the
Sphinx, as a distinguished mark of His Majesty's royal
approbation of their conduct: the officers were per-
mitted to accept of gold medals from the Grand Seignior.
After the departure of the French troops, the regi-
ment was quartered a short time at Alexandria, and
afterwards in Fort Charles.
1802 The deliverance of Egypt was followed by a treaty
of peace, which was concluded in the spring of 1802.
In this year the regiment quitted Fort Charles, and
encamped near Alexandria.
1803 Hostilities were resumed with France in 1803; and
in March of the same year the regimen > embarked
from Eg5'pt for the island of Malta, where it was
stationed two years.
Napoleon Bonaparte having assembled a numerous
army at Boulogne, and made preparations for the inva-
sion of England, the British military establishment was
considerably augmented, and a second battalion was
formed and added to the Sixty-first Regiment; it
was composed of men raised in the counties of Durham
and Northumberland, under the provisions of the Army
of Reserve Act, passed in the summer of 1 803, and was
placed on the establishment of the army on the 9th
of July.
THE SIXTY-FIUST FOOT.
19
The strength of the second battalion was aug- 1804
mented in 1804, with the men raised in the county of
Northumberland under the provisions of the Additional
Force Act, passed in July of that year. On the 10th
of Octoljer the battalion embarked from Ramsgate for
the Island of Guernsey, where it was stationed during
the foUowiiig year.
While the first battalion was at Malta, Bonaparte 1805
was elevated to the dignity of Emperor of France and
King of Italy, and in 1805 he marched his armies into
Germany to crush the combination forming against his
interests.
At this memorable period the regiment embarked
from Malta, and sailed for Italy with the force under
Lieut.-General Sir James Craig, designed to support
the interests of the allies in that quarter.
A treaty of neutrality had been concluded between
France and Naples, by which Napoleon agreed to with-
draw his troops from the Neapolitan territory, where
they had been stationed since the commencement of
the war with England; and the King of Naples was
bound not to admit the fleet or armies of any state at
war with France into his ports or territory. These
articles were, however, violated; an English and Rus-
sian armament appeared in the Bay of Naples in
November, 1805, and the Sixty-pibst, and several
other British regiments, landed at that city. This
provoked the wrath of Napoleon; and the great suc-
cess of the French arms in Germany having enabled
their ambitious sovereign to assume the tone of a
dictator, on the morning after the signature of the
peace of Presburg, he issued a proclamation declaring,
"The Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to reign," and
denouncing vengeance against the family he had thus
resolved to dethrone, in terms which left no hope
of accommodation.
20
IIISTOP.ICAL RECORD OF
Im
8
k
1805 The Russians withdrew from Naples; and the
British, under Lieut.-General Sir James Craig, were
too few in numbers to think of defending the king-
dom against the powerful armies which Napoleon sent
1806 against that devoted country, in the early part of 1806,
under Joseph Bonaparte.
The Sixty-first embarked from Naples in January,
1806; the King and Queen quitted their capital, and
proceeded to the island of Sicily, which was preserved
in their intcicst by the British; the Sixty-first were
landed at the city of Messina, on the north-east side
of Sicily, and were stationed there several weeks. The
Neapolitans abandoned their royal family to its fate,
and submitted to the dictates of Napoleon, who Issued
a decree conferring the crown of Naples on his brother
Joseph: the city of Naples was illuminated, and the
nobles were eager to shew their attachment to their
new King. Insurrections occurred in several places;
but the French arms were successful, and the provinces
became tranquil.
On the 26th of February the second battalion
embarked from Guernsey for Ireland, and landed at
Cork in March.
It was important to England that Sicily should not
fall under the dominion of France, and the restoration
of Ferdinand IV. to the throne of Naples, Mas never
lost sight of. Preparations being made on the oppo-
site coast of Calabria, for the invasion of Sicily, Major-
General Stuart, commanding the British troops in
Sicily, formed the design of cutting off the French
division under General Regnier: the flank companies of
the Sixty-first* were formed in flank battalions, com-
* The grenadier company of the Sixty-first was selected hy
Major-General Stuart, for liis personal escort during the recouuois-
sanccs which he made before the battle.
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
21
manded by Lieut.-Colonel James Kempt and Lieut.- 1806
Colonel R. W. O'Callaghan, and being employed on
this enterprise, they had the honor of distinguishing
themselves at the battle of Maida, on the 4th of
July.
On this occasion the light battalion, commanded
by Lieut.-Colonel James Kempt, of which the light
company of the Sixty-first formed part, was directly
opposed to the celebrated French regiment, Le I"
Leger; the two corps fired a few rounds at about a
hundred yards' distence, and then advancing simulta-
neously to the charge, both preserved great steadiness
until the bayonets began to cross, when British prowess
proved victorious; the French faced about and fled;
they were pursued, and great slaughter made with the
bayonet. British valour was triumphant at every part
of ihs field, and the boasted invincible legions of
Napoleon were proved to be inferior to the English in
close combat with the bayonet.
The British minister at Palermo, writing to the
Secretary of State, observed, — " The battle of Maida,
"upon the 4th of July, will long be remembered in
" this part of Europe, as a remarkable proof of the
" superiority of British courage and discipline over an
"arrogant and cruel enemy. Of the nine thousand
"men whom General Regnier commanded in the
"province of Calabria ulterior, not more than three
" thousand are left to attempt their retreat towards
" Apulia; the remainder are all either kL^ed, wounded,
" or made prisoners. Every fort along the coast, — all
the stores, ammunition, and artillery prepared for the
attack upon Sicily, are become the prey of the vic-
" tors; and what, perhaps, may be considered of still
" more consequence than these advantages, an indelible
*' impression is made ia this country of the superior
" bravery and discipline of the British troops.'
(t
(C
I
>j
22
MISTORICAI. IlKCORO OP
\
180G In forwarding a vote of thanks to Major-General
Stuart, and the troop under his orders, from the
House of Lords, the Lord Chancellor stated, — " lle-
" fleeting upon the disasters which have fallen upon
** powerful princes, and populous territories, under the
" pressure of the vast armies of France, I recollect,
" at the same time, that they were not defended by
" British soldiers, and that, when the triumphal monu-
" ments of Paris shall record the victories of Austerlitz
" and Jena, it shall appear upon the less ostentations
" journals of a British Parliament, that upon the plains
" of Maida her choicest battalions fell beneath the
" bayonets of half the number of our brave country-
" men, under vour direction and that of the officers
" who were your glorious companions."
Major-General Stuart was rewarded with the dignity
of a Knight of the Bath; and was created Count of
Maida by the King of the Two Sicilies. Medals were
given to commanding officers, — the first instance in the
British army. The word " Maida," on the appoint-
ments of the grenadiers and light infantry of the
Sixty-first, commemorates the gallant conduct of the
flank companies on this occasion.
Shortly after the victory at Maida, the battalion
companies of the Sixty-first quitted Messina, and
proceeded to Scylla and Calabria.
I8O7 The second battalion, after remaining in Ireland
ten months, received orders to return to England ; it
embarked from Dublin on the 4th of February, 1807,
and landed at Liverpool two days afterwards.
At this period the decrees of Napoleon, Emperor
of France, for the annihilation of British commerce,
were in operation, and the French emperor demanded
that the court of Portugal should exclude British ship
ping from their ports, and confiscate the property of
British merchants. This being refused, a French army
;( .Ui
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
2.]
under MnrNhnlJunot, (afterwards Duke of Abrantes,) 1807
advanced to invade Portugal: when the Sixty-first
Uegiincnt embarked from Sicily, with the troops under
Major-Oeneral Moore, to aid the Portuguese; but
arriving at Gibraltar in December, it was there ascer-
tained that the royal family of Portugal had abandoned
the country, and fled to the Brazils : under these cir-
cumstances the regiment landed at Gibraltar, where it
remained during the year 1808, receiving reinforce- 1808
ments from time to time from the second battalion,
which was removed to Guernsey in the summer of this
year.
While the regiment was at Gibraltar, Portugal was
delivered from the power of France by British skill
and valour; but Spain was subject to the oppression
of Napolcoi'j who had removed his brother Joseph
from the tiirone of Naples, and caused him to be
proclaimed King of Spain.
In the summer of 1809, the regiment was ordered 1809
to proceed to Portugal, to take part in the attempt to
deliver the Peninsula; it embarked from Gibraltar on
the 9th of June, arrived at Lisbon in eleven days, and
aiKancing up the country, joined the army commanded
by Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, at Oropesa,
where ii was attached to Brigadier-General Cameron's
brigade, in the first division, commanded by Major-
General Sherbrooke.
The regiment shared in the movements and priva-
tions which preceded the battle of Talavera; and when
the army formed in position, it was posted, with its
division, in the front line, and near the centre of the
British troops, with the light infantry among the
underwood and trees in front of the line. On the
evening of the 27th of July, the enemy made a deter-
mined attack on the height on the left of the position,
when the Sixty-first Regiment was moved to the
n
94
IIIHTORICAL RRCORD OP
...
f!
i
1
1809 support of the troops nttnekcd, who repulsed their oppo-
nents with the bayonet, and the regiment returned to
its former post, having lost tliree men killed ; Major
Robert John Coghlan, and three soldiers woundtd.
Another attack on the left was repulsed early on the
following morning,
' About mid-day on the 28th of July, the numerous
artillery of the enemy opened a heavy fire, under the
cover of which the columns of attack advanced against
the British line. The French bullets smote the ranks
of the Sixty-first with fatal eflfect, and one shell
killed four grenadiers and wounded three others. The
French battalions cleared the ravine, and ascended the
position in full assurance of victory; but they were
received with a general fire of all arms, and charged
with bayonets with so much vigour, that they were
speedily forced back : the Sixty-first closed on their
adversaries with distinguished gallantry, and following
up their first advantage, drove the French beyond the
ravine. Having become broken by a rapid advance
over rugged ground abounding with obstructions, the
regiment re-formed its ranks under a heavy fire. The
distinguished conduct of Corporal Rose, on this occa-
sion, was rewarded with the rank of serjeant in the
field, and a subsequent display of zeal for the service,
procured him a commission.
The French were repulsed at all points, and they
retired during the night.
Major Henry Francis Orpen, Captain Henry James,
Lieutenant Daniel James Hemus, one drummer, and
forty-two rank and file were killed; Captains Andrew
Hartley, William Furnace, .Tames Laing, and David
Goodman, Lieutenants Graves Collins, H. T. Tench,
George McLean, and James Given, Ensign William
Brackenbury, Adjutant Richard Drew, ten Serjeants,
and one hundred and eighty-three rank and file
wounded ; sixteen rank and file missing.
1^1
TIIK SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
M t I
Licutcnnnt-Coloncl SauiidorH niul Major Co^hliui 180!)
received gold medals ; and the royal authority was
niven for the regiment to l)ear the word "Talaveka"
on its colours, to commemorate its distinguished eon-
duct on this occasion.
At the battle of Talavera full proof was given of
the qualities of British soldiers; but the superior
numbers which the enemy was afterwards enabled to
l)ring forward, prevented the victory being followed by
ilccisive results, and retrograde movements became
necessary. On the advance of the enemy, the Spa-
niards abandoned Tulavero, and the wounded officers
and soldiers of the Sixty-first fell into the hands of
the French. During the retreat much suffering was
endured from the want of provision, and while the
army was in position on the Guadiana, a fever broke
out which thinned the ranks. In the autumn the
Sixty-first were gratified, amidst their sufferings and
losses, by the arrival of Major Coghlan and Adjutant
Drew, who had escaped from prison at Madrid.
Three hundred men joined from the second batta- 1810
lion in February, 1810, and thus restored the regiment
to its former numbers. In April the second battalion
proceeded from Guernsey to Ireland.
Continuing with the first division of the allied
army, the regiment proceeded to the northern frontiers
of Portugal to meet the French invading army, under
Marshal Massena, who boasted that he would drive tlie
English into the sea, and plant the eagles of France on
the towers of Lisbon ; and he possessed so great a
sujjeriority of numbers, that the allied army was forced
to retreat before him. Suddenly the rugged rocks of
fiuftaco were seen sparkling with British bayonets,
assembled to oppose his advance, and the desperate
attempts made by the French veterans to force the
position, on the 27th of September, were met by a
CA C
26
IIISTOttlCAL RECORD OK
1.1
1810 resistance which they could not overcome. The
Sixty- FIRST were in position on this occasion, and
the light company skirmished with tlie French marks-
men ; but the regiment was not seriously engaged.
The French having turned the position by a flank
movement, the British army withdrew to the fortified
lines of Torres Vedras, where the invading army found
its progress arrested by a barrier which it did not
venture to attack, and after halting a few weeks before
the lines in hopeless inactivity, retreated to a strong
position at Santarem.
On arriving at the lines, the Sixty-first were
removed to the fourth division, and stationed at the
village of Caxaria, and it was in position every morning
two hours before daylight to resist any attack tlie
enemy might be disposed to make. The regiment was
subsequently removed to the sixth division, with which
its services are identified during the remainder of the
war; it was united in brigade with the Eleventh and
Fifty-third Regiments, commanded by Brigadier-Ge-
neral Hulse.
After the retreat of the French to Santarem, the
regiment was stationed at the Convent of Alenquer,
where several officers and men were taken suddenly ill,
and the only remaining monk suggested, that it was
proljably occasioned by the water, — the French having,
on their retreat, cast several dead men into the well in
the centre of the square, to save the trouble of burying
them : on examination this proved to be true, — and the
sensations produced by the discovery may be easily
conceived. In a few days afterwards the regiment was
removed to the hamlet of Arunda.
1811 Unable to fulfil his menace of driving the English
into the sea, and having consumed all the provisions
he could procure, the French Marshal retreated from
his position at Santarem, on the 5th of March, 1811,
THK SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
27
and the Sixty-first were engaged in following the 1811
retreat of the enemy to the frontiers of Portugal: they
were afterwards employed, with their division, in the
blockade of the fortress of Almeida, and were quartered
at the village of Junca, from whence they furnished a
daily piquet near the works.
The French army advancing to relieve Almeida,
the Sixty-first quitted the blockade, and were in
position when the French were repulsed at Fuentes
d'Onor; but did not sustain any loss.
Resuming its quarters at Junca, the regiment again
furnished piquets before Almeida. An unusual noise
during the night of tlie 11th of May occasioned the
regiment to assemble at its alarm post, and march
towards Almeida ; the grenadier company advanced to
the walls, and Captain Furnace discovered a chasm in
the works, at which he entered and ascertained that
the French garrison had blown up a great part of
the works, and evacuated the fortress; when Major
Coghlan ordered a guard of one hundred men to take
possession of the town, which was found much injured
by the explosions.
Lord Wellington having undertaken the siege of
Badajoz, Marshals Soult and Marmont marched the
armies under their orders to the relief of that fortress,
when the Sixty-first proceeded with their division to
the Alemtejo, and were in position on the Caya. The
French armies having separated, the regiment again
traversed the country towards the Agueda; and in
September the light company, under Captain Owen,
distinguished itself by repulsing, by its steady fire, the
attack of several squadrons of French dragoons, who
had driven back a body of British cavalry near Ciudad
Rodrigo, when Marshal Marmont relieved the blockade
of that fortress.
After retiring a few miles before the superior
ii
28
HISTORICAL RFXOllD OP
1811 numbers of the enemy, the regiment went into winter
quarters, where it received a draft of two hundred men
from the second battalion.
Colonel Saunders being promoted to the rank of
major-general, Lieut. -Colonel Barlow arrived in Por-
tugal to command the first battalion, and Lieut.-
Colonel Coghlan proceeded to Ireland to command
the second battalion. Lieut.-Colonel Coghlan had
commanded the first battalion during two campaigns.
1812 In January, 1812, the regiment was employed in
covering the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, which fortress was
captured by assault during the night of the 19th of that
month. The regiment afterwards traversed the country
to the Alemtejo, from whence it advanced across the
Guadiana, and was employed in Spanish Estremadura
during the siege of Badajoz, which fortress was cap-
tured by assault on the 6th of April. After these
brilliant enterprises were completed, the regiment
retuvned to the northern frontiers of Portugal, and
marched to sustain the troops which destroyed the
French works at the bridge of Almarez.
Advancing into Spain, the allied army drove a
French corps from the city of Salamanca, which was
taken possession of amidst the rejoicings of the inha-
bitants, and the Sixty-first Regiment was one of the
corps employed in the siege of the forts of San Vin-
cente, St. Cajetano, and La Merced, in which the
French had left garrisons. On the night of the
22nd of June the light company was engaged in an
attempt to capture St. Cajetano and La Merced by
escalade, when Captain John Owen led the assault
with distinguislied gallantry; he had gained the top
of one of the ladders, and was in the act of entering
the fort, when he was shot through the left arm, which
was dreadfully shattered, and the next moment another
shot in the shoulder precipitated him into the ditch.
THE SIXTY-FIHST FOOT.
29
Private Charles Carr saw his Captain fall, and leaping 1812
into the ditch under a heavy fire raised the fallen
Captain, — called a comrade to his aid, and they carried
their officer to a place of safety. The attack failed.
Captain Owen was promoted to the rank of major,
and on receiving the usual pension for the loss of his
arm, he settled an annuity upon Private Charles Carr.
The regiment sustained considerable loss on this
occasion in killed and wounded, and among the latter
was Lieutenant Given.
Some delay took place in the capture of the con-
vents, from the want of ammunition; but a supply
having been received, they v/ere reduced before the
end of June.
From Salamanca the regiment advanced to the
banks of the Douro, and when the French army passed
the river and advanced, the British fell back a few
stages.
On the 22nd of July, the opposing armies ma-
nojuvred near Salamanca, and the French commander
making a faulty movement, the British general ordered
his divisions forward and commenced the battle. For
some time the Sixty-first were formed, with their
division, behind the village of Arapiles, to support
the fourth division, which was engaged upon a rising
ground beyond the village; the regiment was exposed
to a heavy cannonade; and the village was soon in
flames from the bursting of shells. The fourth division
being pressed by very superior numbers, the sixth
division advanced at a running pace to its support,
and on passing the village of Arapiles the Sixty-first
opened their fire ; but the French soldiers were so min-
gled with the men of the fourth division, that the regi-
ment ceased firing for fear of destroying friends as well
as enemies. The French carried the hill, and, elated
with success, rushed forward with great impetuosity;
PL
III
'iOM
30
HlSTOllICAh UKCUHU OK
1812 but tlie Eleventh and Sixty -first gave three cheers,
fired a volley, and charged with bayonets with so much
resolution that the torrent of battle was arrested, and,
after a desperate effort, the French were overpowered,
and the hill was re-captured. Lieut.-Colonel Barlow,
Major Downing, eight other officers, and about a
hundred soldiers had fallen ; but the survivors pressed
upon their opponents with the bayonet until ordered
to halt on the low ground beyond the hill. The
French rallied under a cloud of skirmishers, and ap-
peared intent on attempting to recover the hill. At
this moment the regiment was exposed to the fire of
a number of sharpshooters, and a numerous artillery,
it was threatened with a charge of infantry, and a
hostile body of cavalry was manoeuvring on its left,
yet it was as steady as on an ordinary parade; the
surviving officers and soldiers formed four divisions
two deep, and prepared to charge with their gallant
associates of the Eleventh Regiment. Colonel Napier
states, in his History of the Peninsular IVar, — "The
"struggle was no slight one. The men of General
" Hulse's brigade, which was on the left, went down
"by hundreds, and the Sixty-first and Eleventh
" Regiments won their way desperately, and through
"such a fire as British soldiers only can sustain."
The southern ridge was regained, and " the reserve of
" Boyer's dragoons coming on at a canter, were met and
" broken by the fire of Hulse's noble brigade. Then
" the changing current of the fight once more set for the
" British." In this second advance the Eleventh and
Sixty-first drove the enemy before them a consider-
able distance. The two regiments then halted, and
being within range of the enemy's artillery, Major-
General Hulse directed the men to sit down ; but the
French fire occasioned many casualties, and the major-
general called the commanding officers of regiments
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
31
forward and directed them to acquaint their men with 1812
his intention of attacking the heights in front. This
was answered by three cheers from the surviving
officers and men, and an immediate advance, under a
destructive fire from the French artillery and skir-
mishers ; but the brigade pressed gallantly forward and
speedily gained the summit. The French formed
column. The Eleventh and Sixty-first changed
front, and opening their fire, soon forced the enemy
to retire. The officers and Serjeants with the colours
of the Sixty-first fell under the enemy's fire, when
the colours were seized by Privates William Crawford
and Nicholas Coulson, who carried them to the top of
the hill. Crawford was instantly promoted to serjeant;
the same rank was offered to Coulson, but he answered
that he was over-rewarded already by the cheers and
thanks of his comrades, and the approbation of his
officers. Serjeant Crawford fell a sacrifice to his gal-
lantry in a subsequent engagement.
Lieutenants Wolfe and Armstrong took charge of
the colours, and the regiment continued to advance.
The sixth division was engaged towards the close of
the action, in forcing the French from the last height
on which they ventured to make a stand: and when
darkness put an end to the fight, the British were
victorious at every part of the field; at the same time
the broken remains of the French army were hurrying
from the scene of disaster in confusion.
The loss of the Sixty-first on this occasion was
very severe,— Lieut.-Colonel Barlow, Captains Stubbs,
Horton, and Favell, Lieutenants Chawner and Parker,
Ensign Bere, three Serjeants, one drummer, and thirty-
five rank and file, killed; Major Downing, Captains
Oke, Mc Leod, and Greene, Lieutenants Falkner,
Daniel, Chapman, Chipchase, Furnace, Gloster. Col-
lis, Wolfe, Brackenbury, Royal, and Toole, Ensigns
32
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
4 :
1812 White and Singleton, twenty-two Serjeants, one drum-
mer, and two hundred and eighty rank and file,
wounded. Major Downing died of his wounds*.
Captain Annesley, who commanded the regiment at
the close of the action, received a gold medal ; and the
word "Salamanca" was inscribed on the colours,
by royal authority, to commemorate its distinguished
. gallantry on this memorable occasion.
Shortly after the battle of Salamanca the command
of a brigade in the fifth division was conferred on
Major-General Hulse, who took leave of the brigade he
had previously commanded in the following orders : —
" His Excellency the Commander of the Forces having
" been pleased to remove Major-General Hulse to the
" command of a brigade in the fifth division, the major-
" general cannot leave the officers and soldiers of the
" brigade he had the honor and happiness to command
" for nearly two years, without assuring them how fully
'• satisfied he has ever been with their excellent con-
" duct, both in quarters and in the field, during that
"period. The major-general wishes, most pointedly,
" to express how much he feels indebted to them for
" their steadiness and determined courage displayed in
"the action of the 22nd instant. It will ever be to
" him a source of the greatest pride to have had the
" honor to command them on that glorious day. Never
" did British troops acquit themselves in a more gallant
style ! and Major-General Hulse hopes all will accept
his best thanks for their exemplary conduct, and his
" warmest wishes for their future welfare.'*
«,
«i
! * Casualties at the battle of Salamanca,
_
Soldiers. a|
1
Officers.
Strength in the iield
.
27
420 ■
Killed and wounded
!
•
24
342 ■
Remainiiig
3
1
Six ri'liofs of ofticei-s and
1
1
1
Serjeants were
shot under the colours
THIi 81XTY-F1KST FOOT.
,i.i
After pursuing the broken remains of the Frencli I HI J
army to ValladoUd, the Britisli General marched to
Madrid, leaving the Sixty-first, and a few other
corps, at the town of Cuellar, situate on the declivity
of a hill in the province of Segovia. The French army
being reinforced, advanced down the Pisuerga valley,
when the British infantry removed to Arevalo, and the
French took possession of ValladoUd. Lord Welling-
ton returning from Madrid, the French again retreated,
and the British advanced up the beautiful Pisuerga and
Arlanzan valley to Burgos, and commenced the siege
of the castle, in which service the Sixty-first were
engaged ; many of the officers and soldiers having re-
covered of their wounds, were again at the post of
honor, and the regiment mustered about two hundred
men, under Captains Sparrow, Greene, and Annesley,
Lieutenants Mc Lean, Furnace, Wolfe, Armstrong, and
Harris. Lieutenant Stuart was attached to the engi-
neer department, and was severely wounded.
For a short time the regiment was encamped about
a mile from the fortress, but afterwards removed to the
Hopital del Rey. Captain Annesley and a party of
the regiment distinguished themselves at the storming
of the outworks on the 4th of October, for which they
were thanked in orders by Colonel Bingham, the field
officer on duty in the trenches at the time. The dis-
tinguished gallantry of Private Edmonstone, on this
occasion, was rewarded with the rank of serjeant.
On one occasion, the post occupied by a small
piquet, under Lieutenant Armstrong, was destroyed by
a mine, which killed and wounded two-thirds of the
piquet ; the enemy at the same time making a sortie.
The lieutenant was thrown some distance by the ex-
])losion, but was not seriously injured; and he took
possession, with the surviving men, of some houses,
and by a steady fire forced the French to retire within
34
III8TOUICAL RECURI) OP
18:2 their works; — Lieutenant Armstrong humorously ob-
serving, " My cloak is on the post, and the French
" shall not even possess that as a trophy." On another
occasion, Lieutenant Harris and a party of the regi-
ment evinced great intrepidity on the glacis.
The concentration of the enemy's numerous forces
rendered it necessary for the British to raise the siege
of Burgos Castle and retire, and the Sixty-first
shared in the fatigues and privations of this retrograde
movement. On one occasion the light company, under
Lieutenant Wolfe, was employed in retarding the pas-
sage of a river by the enemy; and the regiment also
aided in the destruction of one of the bridges across
the Douro, The regiment arrived at the frontiers of
Portugal, without losing more than one man during
the retreat. It proceeded into quarters under the
orders of Lieut.-Colonel Coghlan; and was joined by
a strong detachment from the second battalion during
the winter.
1813 The progress of military organization in Portugal
and Spain, with the arrival of reinforcements from
England, enabled the British commander to take the
field in May, 1813, with a formidable army. lie drove
the French from Salamanca, turned their positions on
the Douro, and forced them back in disorder upoji
Burgos, when they destroyed the castle and retreated
to the Ebro, the passage of which river they were pre-
pared to defend; but he turned their position by a
flank march, and obliged them to fall back upon Vit-
toria, where they formed for battle. The sixth division
was left behind at Medina de Pomar, to cover the
march of the magazines, and the Sixty-first were
thus prevented sharing in the victory at Vittoria on
the 21st of June. They were sufficiently near to hear
the firing, and arrived at the field of battle on the fol-
lowing day, to take charge of the captured artillery and
stores.
THK SIX'IY-KIUST FOOT.
85
The regiment was subsequently employed in at-
tempting to intercept the French division under
General Clausel, and when this I'orce had escaped to
France, the regiment proceeded t,o Pampeluna, to take
part in the blockade of that fortress, from which duty
it was relieved by a Spanish corps, on the 14th of July,
and advanced into the Pyrenean Mountains to San
Estevan, situated in a beautiful valley, where it halted.
Thus, after marching nearly six hundred miles in seven
weeks, passing six great rivers, gaining one decisive
battle, and investing the two fortresses of Pampeluna
and San Sebastian, the allied army stood triumphant
on the lofty Pyrenees, and the officers and soldiers
panted for opportunities to acquire additional honors.
The French army having Y. m reiniorced, and re-
organized, advanced under Marshal Soult, and attacked
the British posts in the mountains, when the allied
army fell back to a position in front of Pampeluna.
The sixth division, to which the Sixty-first con-
tinued to belong, quitted San Estevan to support the
troops first attacked ; but when advancing, Lord Wel-
lington rode up to the division, and ordered it to halt
for the night. It afterwards retired through the moun-
tain passes, and bivouacked, during the night of the
27th of July, in a pine-wood. At daybreak on the
following morning it resumed its march ^ and joining
the army in position in the mountains, formed for battle
across the valley in the rear of the left of the fourth
division, its right on the village of Oricain, and its left
on some heights.
Soon after the regiment had taken its post, columns
of attack were seen in motion to commence the battle
of the Pyrenees, where the Sixty-first had another
opportunity of distinguishing themselves. A body of
French troops moved along the valley of Lanz towards
the mountain at its extremity, and the Sixty-first,
^mi
3fi
IIISTOIIICAL IIECOHII OK
1813 with two other British corps, were ordered to move nt
a running pace and occupy the mountain. The Sixty-
first hastened up the hill on one side, as the French
skirmishers ascended on the other; but the British
gained the summit first, and opened their fire with
terrible effect. The French were encompassed in the
valley ; two brigades smote them from the left, the
Portuguese smote them from the right, and the sixth
division forced them back with a terrible carnage. The
enemy retreated behind the village of Sauroren. The
Sixty-first, and two other regiments, advanced to a
post near the village, and the fire of small-arms was
kept up until dark.
No serious fighting occurred on the 29th of July ;
but on the morning of the 30th the British batteries
opened from the heights, and a cloud of skirmishers
advanced against Sauroren. The firing at this point
afterwards subsided ; but was eventually renewed, and
the Sixty-first had the honor to participate in
storming the village and heights of Sauroren, and in
forcing the French from a position, which, from its
natural strength and advantages, appeared almost im-
pregnable. The pursuit was continued until night, and
many prisoners were taken.
The regiment had seventy men killed and wounded;
Captains Charleton and McLean, Lieutenants Wolfe
and O'Kearney, and Volunteer Leebody, were wounded.
Lieut.-Colonel Coghlan received a gold medal ; and
the word " Pyrenees" was placed upon the colours of
the regiment, as a mark of royal approbation of its
gallant conduct.
Continuing the pursuit of the enemy to the extre-
mity of the Pyrenees, the regiment ascended the sum-
mit of one of the highest mountains on the 2nd of
August, and as the soldiers beheld the beautiful plains
of France, which Napoleon had often declared to be
TIIK SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
37
inviolable, spread in rich landscape scenery before ]8i3
them, they experienced emotions of exultation in the
anti(!ipation of future conquests. In the afternoon the
rej;itnent encamped on a piece of high ground, sur-
rounded by inaccessible rock, the only entrance to
which was through a chasm; a beautiful stream ran
along the hollow below, with a cannon foundry on its
banks. Two days afterwards it marched to the vale of
Los Alduidos: and afterwards penetrated France some
distance; but withdrew towards Maya, and relieved
the second division on the heights commanding the
pass of Maya, where the soldiers threw up breastworks.
The prospect from these heights was particularly inte-
resting: on the left was seen the sea, and the fortress of
Bayonne ; on the right the thickly wooded plains of
Cias(!()ny, interspersed with towns and villages; in
front was the French army ; and in the rear of the
right and left, the lofty Pyrenees crowned with the
tents of the British army.
On the 1st of September the division drove the
enemy from two heights in its front ; ana on the 9th
of Octoljcr, it again attacked the French, to favour the
operations of the British troops which had passed the
Bidassoa. Three companies of the Sixty-first were
engaged on this occasion.
Invigorated by the mountain air, and impatient to
win the fair plains of France before them, the soldiers
received with joyful anticipations the orders to advance,
and attack the enemy's positions on the Nivelle. The
Sixty-first descended from the mountains by moon-
light on the night of the 9th of November, and lay
concealed near the enemy's piquets until the following
morning. The day broke with great splendour, and as
the first rays of light gilded the summits of the moun-
tains, three guns gave the signal for the attack, and the
French beheld "ith astonishment the allied army rise
3H
HISTORICAL RBCOKI) OP
181.3 from its concealment, and rush to liattle with an impe-
tuosity they were not prepared to withstand. The
Sixty-first passed the Nivellc river, and marched
'trough a rugged country towards the bridge of Amotz,
to attack the works at that place ; the skirmishers of
the regiment were in front under Lieutenant Harris.
Advancing up a difficult ascent, covered with bushes,
under a sharp fire, the regiment drove a body of
French troops from a semicircular breastwork ; several
officers of the regiment outran the men, who had
knapsacks to carry, and first jumped into the works : —
Captain William Henry Furnace, who had repeatedly
distinguished himself, fell a sacrifice to his gallantry ;
and Lieutenant Christopher Kellet was killed about
the same time. The regiment pressed resolutely for-
ward to storm a redoubt at the top of the hill; its
commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Coghlan, re-
ceived a shot through the cap, which grazed the top of
his head, — several officers and men fell, but the regi-
ment continued its rapid advance, and Lieutenant
Harris jumped across the ditch of the redoubt, when
the French fled in dismay, and many of them were
intercepted in the rear of the redoubt. Lieutenant-
General Sir Rowland Hill came up to the regiment, and
thanked the officers and soldiers repeatedly for the very
gallant manner in which they had ascended under the
enemy's fire. A second redoubt was captured at this
part of the enemy's line, and afterwards a third. The
Sixty-first penetrated the enemy's camp, which had
been abandoned and set on fire. The light company
of the regiment was detached on this occasion, and
distinguished itself. A decisive victory was gained,
and the British army established itself in tlie French
territory. Captains James Horton, Marcus Annesley,
and Hugh Eccles, Lieutenants Robert Belton, and
Archer Toole, were all severely wounded.
TIIK «1XTY-FinST FOOT.
3U
le
Id
Lieutenant-Colonel Cojriilan received nn honorary 1«1.1
distinction ; Major Oke was promoted to the rank of
licut.-coh)nel ; and the gallantry displayed by the regi-
ment on this occasion, was rewarded with the word
" Niveli.e" on its colours.
After this success, the regiment occupied quarters
at Ustaritz, which was found an agreeable change ; the
bleak summits of the mountains, on which it had been
long stationed, having become extremely cold. The
moral and physical energies of the men were in full
power, and nothing could have withstood their con-
quering progress had the weather been favourable.
Early in December a forward movement was
ordered ; and on the morning of the 9th of that month
a beacon lighted on the heights above Cambo gave the
signal for the attack, when the passage of the river
Nive was forced, and the enemy driven back towards
])ayonnc. The sixth division passed the river on float-
ing bridges. The advanced-guard (in which was the
light company of the S i xt v-fi rst, formed in a light bat-
talion under Captain Greene, of the regiment,) evinced
great gallantry, and surprised the first French piquet,
which fled in dismay. Some sharp fighting occurred ;
Captain Greene was wounded, and Captain Charleton
was sent from the regiment to take command of the
light battalion. The swampy nature of the country
retarded the advance of the division, and gave time for
the French troops to effect their retreat towards
Bayonne. The enemy advanced and attacked the
British troops on the three following days, but were
repulsed.
At the passage of the " Nive" the regiment earned
another honorary inscription for its colours; and Cap-
tain Greene received a medal. Its loss was limited to
Captains Greene and Charleton wounded, and a few
private soldiers killed and wounded.
L iLlB.^i!L-.'J"ag'IiJ->'J
40
HISTORICAL RECORD OP
1S14 The regiment was stationed at Ville-Franque from
tlie middle of November until the 22nd of February,
1814, assisting in the blockade oi Bayonne. On one
occasion, when the regiment had gone out for field
exercise, leaving the officers, bat-men, pioneers, and the
quartermaster-serjeant in quarters, a heavy fall of rain
so swelled the stream of the Nive, that the pontoon-
bridge of communication was detached from its moor-
ings, and was seen floating down the stream. Quarter-
master-Serjeant Rose (who distinguished himself at
Talavera) and Private Thomas Dawson got hold of the
bridge, and, at the hazard of their lives, succeeded in
securing it, by which much inconvenience to thfe service
was prevented. The quartermaster-serjeant was re-
warded with a commission, and a sum of money was
given to Private Dawson.
Quitting Ville-Franque, the regiment advanced up
the country, and passing the river near Bereux, by a
pontoon-bridge, on the morning of the 27th of Feb-
ruary, it afterwards ascended by a narrow way between
high rocks to the great road to Peyrehorade, which
brought it into the presence of the French army, under
Marshal Soult, in position near Orthes. The action
commenced in the forenoon. The third and sixtli
divisions won, without difficulty, the lower part of the
ridges opposed to them, and endeavoured to extend
their left along tlie French front with a sharp fire of
musketry. On the other flank the French defended
their post with more resolution. During the early
part of the day, the skirmishers only of the Sixty-
first were engaged, and the regiment was in reserve;
wlien the French army gave way, two fine battalions
were seen attempting to cover the retreat, and Lieut.-
Colonel Coghlan led the Sixty-first Regiment against
them at a running pace. The two battalions fired a
volley and retreated, pursued by the Britisli light
cavalry.
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
41
Lieut.-Colonel Coghlan received another honorary 1814
distinction for this battle; and the word **'Orthe8,"
on the colours, commemorates the gallant bearing of
the regiment on this occasion. Its loss was limited to
one Serjeant and ten men, killed and wounded.
Pursuing the retreating enemy on the following
day, the regiment took some prisoners, and, being in
advance, discovered part of the French army on an
eminence near St. Sever; the enemy again retreated
after dark, and was followed on the succeeding days.
On one occasion the regiment lost a serjeant and seven
men in a skirmish; and Lieutenant Furnace, of the
light company, had a narrow escape, a ball having
passed through the collar of his coat.
The regiment again came up with the enemy on
the IGth of March, near Tarbes, and had a few men
wounded. The weather was fine, the soldiers healthy,
vigorous, and animated with their uninterrupted career
of success, so that they were ready for any service;
but the French continued their retreat without hazard-
ing a serious engagement.
Marshal Soult concentrated the French troops
under his command in a fortified position at Toulouse;
and on the morning of the 10th of April, the Sixty-
FiusT Regiment was in motion with the fourth and
sixth divisions, under Marshal Beresford, to turn the
enemy's right fiank. The regiment being halted be-
yond the river Ers, while Lord Wellington and his
staff reconnoitred the enemy, Lieut.-Colonel Coghlan
took that opportunity to address the officers and men
in a short and animated speech, which made a great
impression on their minds. Immediately afterwards
the regiment advanced; it^ crossed the river Ers, and
marclied along the left bank exposed to the enemy's
cannonade. On arriving jit its destined point, the
brigade was wheeled into line by Major-Goneral
61 i>
48
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1814 Lambert, who led it forward to attack a formidable
height occupied by French troops. The enemy de-
scended with loud shouts to meet the advancing line,
and opened a heavy fire of musketry; the Sixty-first
rushed forward without firing a shot, the officers ani-
mating the men by their example, and answering the
French shouts with a loud and confident huzza ! They
carried the height with fixed bayonets, but sustained
severe loss. Many. of the officers having outrun their
men, who were retarded by the weight of their knap-
sacks, entered a French redoubt at the moment the
defenders were quitting it, when a number of French
soldiers turned round and fired with fatal effect: of the
Sixty-first, Lieut.-Colonel Oke, Captain Charleton
(who was calling to the enemy to surrender), and
Lieutenant Arden, were wounded, — the latter mortally.
The regiment advanced along the height until it was
ordered to halt under an earthen fence, which par-
tially sheltered it from the enemy's guns. Early in
the action its gallant commanding officer, Lieut.-
Colonel Coghlan, was mortally wounded*. In the
afternoon the regiment, much reduced in numbers,
supported the attack of the Scots brigade on a range
of redoubts, from which the enemy was driven with
loss: and the Sixty-first were directed to occupy
* Lieut.-Colonel Robert John Coghlan was a most distin-
guished and gallant officer, and highly respected and beloved by the
SixT YFiBST, who chcrishcd the memory of his exalted virtues with
peculiar veneration. The regimental record shows the number of
times he led the corps to battle and to victory, and the honorary
distinctions he had acquired. The Duko of Wellington directed liis
remains to be removed from the grave in which they had been
hastily laid, on the field of battle, and honored with a public funeral,
himself attending to pay the last tribute of respect to departed
valour. A marble slab, placed by his brother officers in the Pro-
testant churchyard of Toulouse, murks the spot where the remains
of this gallant officer are deposited.
rilE HlXTY-FIUaT FOOT,
43
le
;he
one of the captured redoubts. The French advanced IBM
to recover the redoubts; when Major-General Lambert
directed a division of the Sixty-first to cross the
road, which was commanded by the enemy's fire, and
reinforce the troops in another redoubt. This was a
perilous movement ; but Captain Cmarleton, whose
wound was dressed in the field in time to enable him
to rejoin and command the regiment in its second
attack, placed himself in front of the division, exclaim-
ing, "I will show the way!" Serjeant Fra^er stepped
to follow his captain, and, encouraged by this example,
the division made the movement at a running pace;
several officers and soldiers were, however, hit by the
French marksmen. The regiment defended the post
committed to its charge, and the French were driven
from their works, and forced to take refuge in the
suburbs of the city of Toulouse. At the termination
of the action, the surviving men of the regiment were
brought out of the field by Adjutant B . assisted by
two ensigns and Serjeant Robert He . hose name
merits notice from his zealous exertions during the
action.
The Sixty-first was included, in Lord Welling-
ton's despatch, among the corps which had sustained
severe loss, and were highly distinguished throughout
the day.
Lieut.-Colonel Coghlan, Lieutenant H. Arden, and
Ensign W. A. Favell, were killed on this occasion;
Major J. Oke, Captains W. Greene and E. Charleton,
Lieutenants A. Porteus, N. Furnace*, T. Gloster,
D. O'Kearney, J. Wolfe, E. Gaynor, W. White f,
* Lieutenant Norbury Furnace had fought with his regiment in
every battle and skiimish in which it Ixad been engaged in the
Peninsula and South of France, and liad, lost two brothers gallantly
combating in the same cause.
+ Lieutenant William White was on his way to join the rej^i-
U 2
44
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1814 J. Harris, G. Stewart, and J. H. Ellison, Ensigns
J. Wright, Cuthbert Eccles, and S. Bartlett, wounded.
The regiment had also eight se'-jeaots and one hundred
and fifty-three rank and file kiUecl and wounded.
Medals were conferred on Lieut.-Ce^'Miel Oke,
Captain Charleton (who was twice wouiiojd), and
Adjutant Bace: and the vord "Touvhse** was
added to the inscriptions o i the colour:i of the regi-
ment.
The French retreated frjm Toulouse, followed by
the British army, and at I5t. Felix five officers and
seventy men joined the Sixty-first, from the second
battalion in Ireland, und<ir the orders of Captain
Hamilton.
Hostilities were terminated a few days afterwards ;
the power of Bonaparte had been destroyed, and the
Bourbon dynasty was restored to France. The gallant
veterans of the Sixty-first were thus gratified with
a complete triumph over the enemies of their country.
They had traversed kingdoms, fought battles, and con-
quered powerful armies for the good of Europe ; their
valour had exalted the glory of the British arms, and
preserved their native country from the presence of
war: and the word "Peninsula" was added to the
numerous inscriptions on their colours, to commemo-
rate their heroic conduct. ,
After reposing a short period in quarters, the regi.
ment marched for Bordeaux; and at Bazas the Por-
tuguese brigade, which had long served with the sixth
division, was separated from it to return to Portugal ;
a feeling of respect for these brave companions in
ment from Ireland; hearing at Tai-bes of the probability of an
action at Toulouse, he travelled by post to arrive in time to take
part in it. He was twice wounded, and, although bleeding pro-
fusely, be refused to quit his post. A general officer saw the state
he was in, and directed him to be taken to the surgeons.
THE SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
45
ns
;d.
in
te
Si
war pervaded all ranks of the British army: many jgj^
reciprocal acts of kindness had marked the estimation
in which the soldiers of the British and Portuguese
armies held each other.
On the 30th of June, the regiment embarked for
Ireland, when the following order was issued: — "Major-
*' General Lambert cannot allow the regiments com-
posing the left brigade of the sixth division of the
army under the Duke of Wellington, to separate
"without requesting the oiBcers, non-commissioned
"officers, and soldiers, to accept his best thanks for
"their services while under his command. Though
"the period has not been long, yet it will be ever
memorable; and the distinguished good conduct of
the brigade, so repeatedly mentioned during this
period, especially in the action of the 10th of April,
" will ever make him consider his appointment to the
brigade as one of the most fortunate events of his
military life."
At the close of the services of the regiment in the
Peninsula and South of France, the names of the
following non-commissioned officers, whose meritorious
services had been rewarded with commissions, were
inserted in the Record Book, —
(e
te
ee
te
ei
William Douglas.
William Hack.
James Nevin.
John Abraham.
John Robinson.
William Fortune.
George Armstrong.
John Thompson.
Simon Musgrave.
William Hall.
John Mc Kav.
William Bace.
Patrick Melvin.
Andrew Connell.
Thomas Williams.
W'illiam Scott.
Francis Begg.
Christmas Knight.
John Bell.
George Tyrrell.
Samuel Rose.
46
HISTORICAL RECORD OP
I?'
■J' ■
1814 The regiment landed at Cork in July, and marched
to Dundalk, where the second battalion was disbanded
on the 24th of October; the men fit ic duty being
transferred to the first battalion.
1815 From Dundalk the regiment marched to Newry,
where it was stationed during the year 1815, — a period
memorable in the history of Europe, on account of
the return of Bonaparte to France, — his overthrow on
tlie field of Waterloo, — and his removal to St. Helena.
ISIG In June, 1816, the regiment embarked from Ire-
land, and proceeded to Portsmouth, where it landed,
and was stationed during the summer months at Fort
Cumberland. In the autumn it embarked for Jamaica,
and arrived at Spanish-town in December.
I,sl7 The regiment was stationed at Spanish-town, Up-
park camp. Stony-hill, and Kingstcii, in Jamaica,
1821 upwards of five years, during which period it lost by
disease seven officers, and three hundred and fifty-
six non-commissioned officers and soldiers.
1822 Having transferred the men who volunteered to
remain in the country to other corps, the regiment
embarked from Jamaica in March, 1822, and landed
at Plymouth in May following.
1824 The regiment performed garrison duty at Plymouth
until the spring of 1824, when it proceeded to Ireland;
it was stationed at Cork until October, when it marched
to Limerick.
1825 Leaving Limerick in 1825, the regiment proceeded
to the counties of Roscommon, Leitrim, Longford, and
Westmeath.
1826 In 1826 the head-quarters were established at
Athlone, with detachments at various stations in the
neighbouring counties.
1827 The regiment was assembled at Birr, in June, 1827,
and in July marched to Richmond Barracks, Dublin,
where it was divided into six service and four depot
TUB SIXTY-FIRST FOOT,
47
companies; the service companies embarked in October 1827
for Liverpool, from whence they proceeded by canal
to Fenny Stratford, and afterwards marched to
Chatham.
On the 30th of June, 1828, the service companies, 1828
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. E. P.
Barlow, embarked from Gravesend for the island of
Ceylon where, they arrived in November, and landed at
Colombo.
Lieut.-General Sir Edward Barnes inspected the
Sixty-first on their arrival at Ceylon, and inserted
the following statement, in his own hand-writing, in
the Record Book of the regiment : —
" Having inspected the Sixty-first Regiment,
" commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Barlow, it affords me
" much gratification to place upon the Records of the
" Regiment an expression of my admiration of its
" appearance and high order, — of the coolness, celerity,
" and precision, with which it performed the several
" evolutions, and of its system of interior economy:
'* such a state of things evinces the great ability, assi-
" duity, and perseverance of the commanding officer,
" and the able support of Major Wolfe and the rest of
" the officers, and is in the highest degree creditable
"to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers; and
** greatly enhances the pleasure which I feel in the
" renewal of my long acquaintance with the Sixty-
" first Regiment, and adds very materially and essen-
" tially to my satisfaction in having it under my
" command.
" E. BARNES, Lieut.-General."
" Colombo, December 18, 1828."
The depot companies were withdrawn from Ireland 1 833
in November, 1833, and proceeded to Chatliam; they
retiirned to Ireland in 183G. 1S3G
48
HISTORICAL RECORD OF
II
1834 Tlie service companies remained at Colombo until
16th October, 1834, when they embarked for Trin-
comalee.
1837 ^" *'^® 22nd May, 1837, the regiment sustained a
loss of three officers, viz.. Lieutenants Shaw and Hark-
ness and Ensign Walker, who were unfortunately
drowned, while on a shooting excursion, by the upset-
ting of a boat, in a squall off Cottiac.
The service companies re-embarked for Colombo in
July, and after being inspected by Major-General Sir
John Wilson, they marched for Kandy, where they
arrived on the 22nd August, 1837.
1838 On the promotion of Colonel Edward Darley to the
rank of major-general, on the 28th June, 1838, Major
Charles Forbes was advanced to the lieutenant-colonelcy,
and the command of the service companies devolved on
Major Simmonds.
While on duty at Kandy, the following order was
inserted in the Regimental Record Book, by Lieutenant-
General Sir John Wilson, K.C.B., in his own hand-
writing, viz: —
" Being on the eve of my departure from Ceylon, I
" feel much pleasure in adding to the honourable testi-
" monies contained in the regimental records, the
" expression of my approbation of the general good
conduct and military discipline manifested by the
Sixty-first Regiment, during a period of seven
"years that it has served under my orders, it having
"been, during a great part of that time, under the
" command of the present Major-General Darley.
" It is gratifying to me to be able to state, that at
*' the present half-yearly inspection, after a lapse of
" so many years, I find the regiment in the same high
*' state of moral and military discipline, in whicli I had
" the satisfaction of finding it on my arrival to assume
" this command, and which had previously called forth
" the highest eulogiums from my predecessor.
((
THB SIXTY-FIRST FOOT.
49
il
a
" To have maintained this character during a period 18.i8
"of more than ten years' service in this colony, is a
" circumstance which cannot but h^ considered to reflect
" great credit on the officers, non-commissioned officers,
" and privates of this distinguished corps, and will, no
*' doubt, meet with a just appreciation in their own
" country, to the shores of which (as the regiment is
" about to return home) I earnestly wish them a speedy
" and prosperous voyage.
" I cannot conclude without requesting the present
" commanding officer. Major Simmonds, to accept my
" best acknowledgments for the zeal and attention dis-
" played by him in the command of the Sixty-first
" Regiment.
(Signed) « JOHN WILSON, Lieut. -General,
" Commanding the Forces"
Dated " Kandy, 2'Jth December, 1838."
On the 12th February, 1839, the regiment marched 1839
to Colombo, preparatorily to its embarkation for Eng-
land; and on the 3rd March, Her Majesty's troop-ship
ship "Jupiter" came to anchor in Colombo roads, having
on board the service companies of the Ninety-fifth
Regiment, under the command of Colonel James Camp-
bell, intended for the relief of the Sixty-first Regi-
ment; but in consequence of disturbances in India, the
embarkation of the regiment was directed to be delayed.
After performing duty in various parts of the island
of Ceylon for eleven years, during which period the
regiment lost six officers and three hundred non-
commissioned officers and privates, it embarked for
England on board of Her Majesty's ship *^ Jupiter," and
the following general order was issued by the General
Officer commanding, dated " Head Quarters, Colombo,
22nd October, 1839:"—
" In taking leave of the Sixtv-fiust Uegiiucnt,
50
HISTORICAL KECOUD OK
1839 "which will embark to-morrow for England, Major-
" General Sir Robert Arbuthnot should not do justice
" to his own feelings, and this distinguished corps,
" whose gallantry he has so often witnessed in the
" field, if he did not express the great satisfaction he
** felt in assuming the command of this island, to find
" at his first and last inspection, that the same cxcel-
" lent system, discipline, steadiness under arms, and
" interior arrangements existed in time of peace, which
" had been the means of gaining them so great honour
" ill time of war.
" In wishing Major Simmonds, the officers and
" soldiers of the regiment, a prosperous and speedy
" voyage to England, the major-general must express
" his warm acknowledgment to the former for the
" anxious zeal displayed by him while in command of
" the regiment; to the officers for the able support
*' they have given him, * and which is so essential to
" ' the well-being of any corps,' and to tlic noii-com-
" missioned officers and privates, who merit all the
" praise he can bestow, and who, in quitting the
" colony, leave behind them the regrets and good
" wishes of all classes, which of itself, after a resi-
" dence of eleven years, is sufficient proof of the good
" system, discipline, and general respectability of a
" corps."
1840 In consequence of meeting with stress of weather in
the British Channel, Her Majesty's sliip "Jupiter" put
into the Cove of Cork, on the 4th of Murcli, 1840, and
was towed over to Southampton, l)y the steam-frigate
" Cyclops," having on 1)oard the depot companies from
Ireland. The whole regiment landed at Southampton
on the 12th of March, and proceeded l)y railroad to
Wincliester; where it was inspected by Major-General
♦he Honorable Sir Hercules Pakenham, commanding the
Tim HIXTY-KIRST FOOT.
51
South-West district, and subsequently by Lord Hill, 1810
the General Commanding in Chief, Iwth of whom were
pleased to express their entire approbation of its ap-
pearance, discipline, and interior economy.
In August following it was removed to Woolwich,
and performed the dockyard duties there, and at
Deptford, until the summer of the following year.
General the Right Honorable Sir George Hewett,
Bart., G.C.B., died a few days after the arrival of the
regiment in England, and Her Majesty was pleased to
confer the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-General
Sir John Gardiner, K.C.B., Deputy Adjutant-General
of the Forces.
In June 1841, the regiment proceeded by railroad 1841
to the Northern district, and was detached in the coun-
ties of Northumberland, York, and Lancaster.
In consequence of the reverses sustained by the
British troops in Affghanistan, in the winter of 1841,
the Sixty-first Regiment was ordered to recruit to
the Indian establishment of one thousand rank and file,
and to prepare, with the Fifty-eighth Regiment, to
embark for India.
The successful camj^aign of the following season, 1842
and the withdrawal of t. <i troops from the AiFglian
territory, occasioned an alter...tion in the destination of
the regiment.
In August, 1842, two companies, under the com-
mand of Major Burnside, were called upon ])y the civil
authorities of Halifax, to suppress a formidable and
organised riot which broke out in that town: numbers of
the rioters had assembled from the adjacent towns, and
were so confident in their strength and numbers as
to attack a party of the Eleventh Hussars, several of
whom were severely injured. The detachment of the
SiXTV-FiiiST Regiment was fired on by the mob, and
Captain Iloey and five men were wounded with slu^
igs.
52
HISTORICAL RECORD UV
1842 Tlie order was then given to the Military to fire, when
the peace of the town was speedily restored. The
owners and occupiers of the mills and other property
at Halifax, and in the neighbourhood, conveyed a vote
of thanks to Major Bumside for his services on this
occasion.
1843 In March, 1843, the regiment was directed to fur-
nish, by volunteers, two hundred men to the Ninety-
eightlj Regiment, in China: the required number were
immediately produced; and the detachment embarked
on the 1st of April, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, for Winches-
ter, to join the depot of the Ninety-eighth Regiment.
In the spring of 1843, the regiment proceeded by
railway to Carlisle, where it embarked for Ireland, and
landed at Dublin on the Gth of April; and was shortly
afterwards inspected by Lieutenant-General the Right
Honorable Sir Edward Blakeney, Commander of the
Forces in Ireland, who was pleased ^-o express his
approbation of the appearance of the regiment in the
field, and of its conduct in quarters.
On the 3rd June, five companies, under the com-
mand of Major Mc Leod, embarked on board of Her
Majesty's steamer " Rhadamanthus" for Waterford,
on a particular service: the detachment landed on the
following day, and re-inforced the garrison in barracks
until the Gth June, when it re-embarked and returned
to Dublin.
During the stay of the regiment in the garrison
of Dublin, Lieutenant- Colonel Forbes died after a
protracted illness. This distinguished officer had com-
manded the Sixty-first Regiment five years, and by
his impartial and temperate exercise of authority, he
had rendered hinr elf respected and beloved by all who
had the good fortune to serve under his command.
Upon bis decease, Major Henry Bumside was promoted
to the lieutenant-colonelcy on the 9th May, 1843.
THE 8IXTY-PIRBT FOOT.
53
Id
In July, 1843, the regiment proceeded from Dublin 1843
to Limerick, where it is stationed at the commencement
of the year 1844, to which period this record of its
services is brought.
On the 20th January, 1844, Her Majesty was 1844
pleased to remove Lieutenant-Qeneral Sir John Gar-
diner from the Sixty-first to the Fiftieth Regiment,
in succession to Lieutenant-General Sir Hudson Lowe,
deceased, and to appoint Major-General Sir Jeremiah
Dickson, K.C.B., to the colonelcy of the Sixty-first
Regiment.
Few regiments have been engaged in services which
have called into exercise the moral and physical ener-
gies of the officers and soldiers to a greater extent than
the duties in which the Sixty-first Regiment has
been employed; and none have displayed the heroic
virtues of the British military character more fully
than this meritorious corps.
Whether at the Fort of St. Piiilif, in Minorca, —
in the valley of the Tagus, at Talavf.ra, — on the
plains of Salamanca, — on the lofty Pyrenees, — or
in the southern provinces of France, the same valour,
constancy, patience, and perseverance, have shone
forth with a splendour which has elevated the reputa-
tion of the corps; and its conduct in quarters has also
elicited the connnendations of the general officers
under whom it has served. Deriving its origin from
the Third Regiment of Foot, or the Buffs, the Sixty-
first Regiment has inherited the same spirit which
animated the officers and soldiers of that veteran corps
during the wars of three centuries.
1844.
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF
THE SIXTY-FIRST,
OB,
THE SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT OF
F GOT.
Granville Elliott.
Appointed 21 st April, 1758.
Granville Elliott served with distinction in the army
of the Emperor of Germany, and returned to England with
the reputation of a brave and experienced officer; he was
admitted into the British service, by King George II., in
1758, with the rank of major-general, and was appointed
colonel of the Sixty-first Regiment, on its formation from
the second battalion of the Third Foot, or the Buffs. He
commanded a brigade, under Charles, Duke of Marlborough,
in the expedition to St. Maloes in 1758; and .afterwards
proceeded to Germany, where he served as major-general,
under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. His experience in
continental service induced him to suggest to the British
government the advantage of having a considerable portion
of light cavalry in the army. The subject was previously
under consideration, and the formation of regiments of light
dragoons was commenced in the following year. He died in
Germany in 1759.
George Gray.
Appointed IQth July, 1759.
George Gray was many years an officer in the house-
hold caval-y, and in July, 1749, he was promoted lieutenant-
5G
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
It
colonel of the first troop, now first regiment, of Life Guards.
In 1759, King George II. rewarded him with the colonelcy
of the SiXTY-FinsT llegiment, from which ho was removed,
in 176fi, to the Thirty-seventh. He was promoted to the
rank of major-general in 1761» and to that of lieut.-general
in 1770. He died in 1773.
John Gore.
Appointed Qtk May^ 1768.
The early services of this officer were in the third regi-
ment of Foot Guards, in which corps he was promoted captain
and lieutenant-colonel, in 17^0, first major, with the rank of
colonel, in 1760, and lieutenant-colonel in 1771- On the 10th
of July, 1762, he was advanced to the rank of major-general;
and in 1768 he was nominated to tlie colonelcy of the Sixty-
FinsT Regiment : in 1772 he was promoted to the rank of
lieut.-general, and was removed to the Sixth Foot in February
of the following year. He died in November, 1773.
John Barlow.
Appointed 19th February, 1773.
John Barlow was many years an officer in the Third
regiment of foot, or the Buffs, with which corps he served at
the battle of Dettingen. He was promoted captain of a
company on the 22nd of February, 1745, and afterwards
served with the Buffs at the battles of Fontenoy, Falkirk,
and Culloden; also at the battle of Val in 1747- I« 1755
he was promoted major of the Buffs, and on the formation of
the Sixty-first Regiment, from the second battalion of the
Third Foot, he was nominated to the lieut. -colonelcy of that
corps, which ho commanded in the expedition to the West
Indies, and distinguished himself on several occasions at the
reduction of Guadaloupe in 1759. His services were re-
warded with the colonelcy of the regiment in 1773; and in
August, 1777> he was promoted to the rank of major general.
He died in 1778.
SIJ
CCES%ION OV COLONELS.
57
Staates Long Mou.uss.
Appointed Uth May. 177B. ^ ^ ^
T.„s office, served ^^^^^^ ^^ "^^ ^^ IJ^e
George II.; was P-n-ted to U ^^^ .^ ^^.^ ^^ ^,
Thirty-sixth Regiment ;« ^^^^'J^^ ^j^^,,,, nnder Charles,
,„.ployod in the exped.t.on to St. ^^^^^^^^ .^ ^^^ ^^^.
Dulco of Marlborough "y; /„ ,f ^hich he was ap-
„.ation of the l^^^S^^ V" \Sant in (3ctober, 1759 : he
pointed lieutenaut-c.lone— ^^,3^ ^,,, ,t was
Urved at the head of tl"« J ,,„^ „f cohmel m
disbanded. He was V^^^^^.^l^^^ . ^.d in the following
1772 ; to that of -«J-S7;^ XelcV of the Sxxxv-..usx
year he was nominated to the . ^^ Ueut.-geueval
Regiment. He was advanced to the .^ ^^^^
fnV, and to that of general m 1796.
Sxu George Hewett, Bart., G.C.B.
A«»oin<.^ 4<A April, 1800.
«« many years an officer of the
GEonGK Hewett .^^« J";"^ ^^^ ,oted to the rank
SeventiethFoot, in w neh c r^ he w ^ J^^ .^ ^^^^^^^
of captain in June, 1775, *n^ December. 1781, he
during the war o^ -^^P-^^^^^^^^
.as promoted to a -^J^f ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ and was advanced to
.hich corps he served -^^J ^^^ ^^ . j^ May, 1796, he was
the rank of colonel .n ^^^^ ' ^^^^^^ and on the 5th 0
promoted to the rank of '"^^'^^^ ^^^ commandant of the
August. 1799, he was «;-"^^;^; ^ 1800, King George III.
second battalion of the Fifth Foot g^^.^.^^RsT Regi-
Inferred upon him the ^^^^^^J^^^^^, also in the West
™ent. He served m th«^-\;^^ ,J lieut.-general m Sep-
Indies; was promoted to th a" ^^ ^^^ Recruitmg
tember, 1803- "^^ J^^te'coUence^^^^^ of tl. vvar
Department m 1803, and a ^^, ^is orders all the
.ith France, the Government pla-d ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^,
Irpsraised under the P-^^JJ^^^^^ I Ireland ; and m
He^assubsequen^y^^^^^^^^ in the East
1806 he was appomteu ^,
61
58
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
Indies, the duties of which important situation he performed
five years. On the 4th of June, 1813, he was promoted to
the rank of general, and in November of the same year he
was created a baronet : he was afterwards honoured with the
dignity of Knight Grand Cross of the most honourable Order
of the Bath. He performed the duties of barrack-master-
general for a short period. He was of a kind and benevolent
disposition, was highly esteemed for his social virtues, and
distinguished as a benefactor to the poor. He took an in-
terest in the Sixty-fibst Regiment, of which he was colonel
forty years, and expressed a wish to see his corps once more ;
but took his bed on the day it landed at Southampton, from
the island of Ceylon, and died on the 21st of March, 1840,
at his seat at Freemantle Park, near Southampton. He was
a member of the privy council for Ireland at the time of his
decease.
Sib John Gardiner, K.C.B.
Appointed 30th March, 1840.
Removed to the Fiftieth Regiment in 1844.
Sir Jeremiah Dickson, K.C.B.
Appointed 20th January, 1844.
APPENDIX.
, ,.fn March of a Detachmenl of Troops- .."*'■
I xnmvED in Hi. Majesty « «^»'P f^^^^ j,,y, igOl, after
Sind, at Cosscir, from Mocha on the 14
a paUge, against tke monsoon of two .^ ^^^^.^^^^
J.i^ I7th.--I was oi^^^^- I ^.y,^ , distance of
„,arch across the ^-J^\lS ^ -Y -'"-^"'^ '?' T '^t
about 130 m leB, a-^^^^^^,;^^^^ ReoLcnt, and a detaehnu^nt
,Ues of His Majesty sbixTVjm ^ ^^^^^^^^^^ ,^
of His Majesty s Tenth Bc^gm^e^^,^
smanpartyoftheE^ghthL^^^tl rag ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ,
582 soldiers;-twenty b^x s J ^^^^^ ^^^^,, of up-d^
under my escort The im ^^^^^ camel-dn>trs,
of 850 men, including Indian
&c., ^^' , „n mv iournal of the very fatiguing
Before I F^'^^f ^^^^^^T/ention a few observations upon
„.arch I underwent 1 shall ^^^^^^J^ ., ^,n known as a
Cosseir, in Upper EgyP • J^ ^^^^, ^.^.erable spots m
of UPF' Eaypt. A^""' ' ^'^,,\;,,cr» tl.e Indian arn,y »=«
t^Jara of it, «a» the g onnd > ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^„,^ a
arid, not a Uado of any k« d » /^ „^„Un '-and the weaned
vvhich bound the m^w ^ g
CO
APPENDIX.
country appears quite unfit for the existence of human
beings : nature baa furnished it with no sources of fresh
water, and that indispensable necessary of life is only to be
obtained by digging wells in the sand, into which oozos a
kind of bitter salt water, the most offensive thing to the taste
imaginable; and its effects arc no less noxious, — as people
who drink it are always (at first) attacked with a violent
vomiting and purging, which is accompanied by the nvist
intolerable and burning thirst. Oui soldiers wore nearly to
a man, in a more or less degree, afflicted with this disease,
and though it only proved fatal to a few, still it handled very
roughly all those who were under tlio necessity of using this
detestable water. The heat when 1 was at Cosseir was
almost intolerable. Provisions were plentiful and cheap, —
the fish excellent ; but although i\w i::habitai)ts possess as
fine wheat as any in Europe, tlieir bread w;i3 detestablf,
being a kind of dough cake half-baked, or rath- r burnt, in
the du)^ty I'-ihes.
July inth. — Every preparation having been in^.^lo, I
marched at six o'clock, p.m., >vith the troops, I'olli/vvers,
drivers, &c., a** already stated; avkd our lino of inarch was
considerably iucreaseJ by a number of asses, the property of
individuals, wIjo had loaded these useful animals with an
independent supply of water. We continued our route,
keeping a large range of n^cky and burnt-up hills on our
left ; a very fine moon shono only to render this dreary scene
the more awful ; the setting ssun brought us little, if any,
relief as to heat. After marching; about five miles we came to
some springs, or rather a black rivulet of water, very bitter,
which crosses the valley through which the road leads. I
endeavoured in vain to prevent the soldiers from drinking of
this infernal brook ; thirst was too imperious^ and I soon
four d that my orders had been disregarded by all the rear.
Many of the men soon felt the ill effects of their folly, and
began to fall back faint and oppressed, and this was much
aggravated by the very extraordinary closeness of the boat :
what air did exist, was like the breathing of a furnace.
At twelve o'clock we reached the new wells. I reckon
the distance about thirteen miles, where I found a subal-
tern officer and a few Sepoys stationed to take charge of,
and protect them. After placing the necessary guards, &c..
APPENDIX.
61
I ordered the detachment to lie down, and we enjoyed a most
refreshing repose for about three hours. At this time the
captain of the rear-guard came up, and reported that a great
many stragglers were still behind.
I ordered the drums to beat half an hour before day,
when tlio camp was pitched, and the men sheltered from
the sun, which rciso with a most blazing and fiery aspect.
From nii'ijnglit, imtil a little after sunrise, the air in the
desert is del i<j;htf ally <•(. >! and refreshing (I mean compa-
ratively witli tlx: iCSt v\' i .iC twenty-four hours); nature, I
suppo .;», has kindly ordained this comfort to the unfortunate
traveliers, and still more miserable inhabitants of this dreary
waste.
yfuli/ J9th. — It vvas ?^te in the day when all our strag-
glers oame up. I was much c(mccrned to find that the mus-
saclcs* (or w.ftor-bags) had leaked considerably, and that I
should bo unci:", the nocessity of replenishing them from the
wells of this poSt. I must hero observe, that General Baird
had caused, both at this and other posts on the desert, wells
to be dug, in order to procxire a supply of that greatest of
all necessaries of life (in such a climate as this) — water. In
these scanty sources, it was thick and muddy; however,
oven this, could we have obtained it in abundance, would
have been reckoned a luxury ; but, alas ! a very limited
supply was all wo could get: therefore, at half-past five, p.m.,
I inarched. We passed for some hours through a long and
winding valley; high, brown, rugged mountains, with here
and there a solitary eagle perched upon a projecting crag,
were the only gloomy objects that presented themselves.
We continued our route northerly, through the same desolate
wilderness, and at one o'clock I judged it necessary to halt ;
but this halting-place was not to be distinguished from any
accommodations, not from a spring or rivulet of water, not
from any shelter from the scorching sun, and more suffocating
hot wind, but it became a place of repose merely from the
total incapacity of the troops to move a mile further: hero
then I ordered the baggage to be unloaded, and the detach-
ment to lie down to rest. I never suffered the tents to be
* Mussacks are largo leatlieni bags made so as to 'lold water,
and are placed on the backs of camels like panniers.
(52
APPENDIX.
pitched until just before sunrise, as I found tho soldiers
always inarched more refreshed by letting them take their
rest the instant they halted, than to undergo the fatigue and
confusion of pitching their tents in the dark. No di-w falls
in the desert ; the air is so greedy of moisture, that the least
wet is instantly absorbed, and sleeping in the open air was
here a luxury.
J^dy 20th. — I was much grieved at daylight to find that
about forty men were still behind. I trembled at tho horrors
these poor fellows would be exposed to, should they be left
destitute and forlorn in the desert. After seriously reflecting
upon this most melancholy circumstance, I sent for the chief
Arab, who, as a kind of sclieik, had some sort of control over
the camel-drivers, and ordered him to eollcct some of the
principal ones; as soon as they came to my tent, I told them
the apprehensions I was under, and proposed to them to
return in the track we had come the day before for at least
seven miles, and promised to reward them lfl)orally for every
soldier they should bring up. All their attention was called
forth by the mention of money, and they became eager to be
useful. Twenty camels set off, and my brother, Captain
Frederick Bailow, SiXTY-FinsT Regiment, very humanely
volunteered, notwithstanding the Intolerahle heat, to attend
the camels. I filled a cag with a mixture of port wine and
water, which he took with him, and it proved of the most
essential service. At the distance of from four to six miles
from camp, he picked up twenty-one poor exhausted fainting
wretches, who, without this assistance, must have died in a
very few hours : some not able to speak, and the whole
totally incapable (»f walking a step further. One fine lad in
particular, was so far gone, as to lay stretched out on the
sand as if expiring ; but upon pouring some of the wine and
water down his throat, he gradually recovered, and he was
brought into camp in a man's arms on a camel. Water, and
afterwards some wine, soon restored him to sufficient strength
to enable him to proceed on a camel, with other sick men,
that afternoon : before two o'clock all the absentees got into
camp. This day we contrived to dine tolerably well; but
for want of water to wet the bags, our wine was as hot as
milk immediately from the cow, — the water we had to <lriiik
■was the same, therefore to quench our thirst was impossible.
Al'PKNDIX.
68
At half an hour past nine I marched, and we had not pro-
ceeded two miles, the heat absolutely suffocating, when we
were met by a convoy of camels, loaded with most excellent
water. This very seasonable supply had been forwarded to
us from Moila, owing to my having sent on to the officer
commanding at that post, to say how distressed I was for
water from the leakage of our niussacks. Many of the sol-
diers quitted their ranks, and eagerly ran up to the camels to
seiicc upon the water. I had no little difficulty in restraining
them. I even told the officers to acquaint their men, that I
would not permit the camels to be unloaded if the least
irregularity took place. This had an immediate cffiict ; and
ns the detachment stood in o])en column of half companies,
the whole, in less than an hour, were regularly served with
an ample supply, besides filling their canteens ; as this water
came in largo earthern jars, it was quite cool, and had such
an astonishing effijct upon the troops, that wo were enabled
to get on with great vigour, and at half-past one on the 2l8t
of July, we reached Moila.
This extraordinary spot is situated in a ravine between
steep and rugged rocks, and is uncommonly romantic. Here,
then, I found it absolut<ily necessary to halt, that is, to
remain till the evening of the ti2i\d, as the men stood in the
greatest need of a little repose. In the course of the day
many Arabs came to the camp with various articles of provi-
sions for sale. Mutton we received as rations in abundance,
— indeed at every post in the desert where water was to be
had, even in the smallest quantity. General Baird had made
depots of provisions; therefore we had only to carry the
necessary supply for those halting-places where no water
icm to he found. All our stragglers reached the camp before
two P.M. of this day.
July 22nd. — 1 this day ordered the men to wash their per-
sons, and otherwise to put themselves into as clean and good
order as circumstances would permit. At six o'clock p.m.
we marched. The road leads through a most romantic
valley; at about six miles' distance, under some craggy rocks
on the left hand, are three wells or springs of water. Three
miles from these are the nine mile wells, where we arrived
at about ten p.m. Here I found an officer and a party of
Sepoys, but was informed by him, that my detachment was
CA
Al'PKNUlX-
.>muncrous '. would ^^;^j;'Zy^Xv^ZJ^
,vaH postod at; and the -f 7i",,,,ehed, and just before
bo got from them. ^'^'\^'\^,^,^, proved to bo a ion.
We continued our route o^^^^^^^^ J;„,,„ ,vere excessively
.vaste for seven bour« wlu.nl found ^^ ^^^^^^ ^^
fatigued. AcH^ordmg y { J^_;7;ji,tance between the mnc
bad not arrived at ^l^^^-''^l% down upon a large and
„,ile wells and Logattah. AVe U y ^^ ^^^^^ , ^j^^ ,
extensive desert plam, and at (^^^ - '^^„,,i or - omedary
iCtched. n-^t£t^' '«^-'^ «^^*'^""^' ''"^'
to Legattah with a lette > ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ,^^^
requesting him to send a up >y ^^ ^^ ^.^ ,,,, g able to
„,areb to that place; 7^';^ .^d the nninsaeks before I
comply with my request, I nnpt^^ ^^^ ^^.^st we had
cfttb- clreary ^-^\-^"^'^;" 'birched from this abomi-
asyet experienced. ^ ^ ^^r six hours' march the men
nable and bum ng ^r** , ^^ fto,n the want of water, and I
Lean to complain f ^«^«"^ y/^er at Legattah had not
confess I almost f-^^;;\ tX-l^«^'^^^""'%'^''r"t
found it possible to -"d a supi^^ i„,,pressible f if f ^ ^
a little aft^r midmght, I haa t j _^j^^ ^.^t thing
; ceive a large «-«'\?^"*'"?, rglittering of the Sepoys
Tat attracted my -^'^'^llZV\^!^onr,--y^^^^^^ F^^^^ *"
arms, the moon shining m groa sp^l^o ^^.^^^^ ^ ^
Ttienty-eight c-^^^^f ' ^^^^^^^^^ when I rode along
expressthesensations of our po ^^^ ^^^^^, ,. „
th! line of '"a-^\*^""^"^''";^^^^^
front. I halted, and upon inquiry ^^^^^^^ .^ ^,^ ^^ i^
ad fallen behind ; after Bupply"^g * ^^^ ,,,en camels
t!ly, I caused a captains g"-^;;^; \t and unloaded camel
Toad of water, together wih ev ry g _^^ ^^^^^ ,, ^r^ng up
U could spare to ---" ^^^^ ^^^ that those able to march
the stragglers. 1 then told tl r ^^^^^^,^ ^^^^ ^ ^ ,^ a
„,gUtgoonwith m,^^^^^^^^^^ aistant "j- ^ ^ J, 1^^
to push on tor i^e^'^" >^ capable ot proctt h
the treasure and those of the trooi 1 ^^.^ ^^^^^ la
To my great surprise, ajmos the w ^^ ^^^ ^ ^
LcWrom the comfortable JP^J^;^^^^^ ,^,,,,,,e, after
APPENDIX.
(55
tornn, ono Burgeon, tho water and camels aa ahovo stated, I
continued my route, and after two hours' march had the
natiHfuction to come in night of thv lights of TiOgattah cam)i.
80 fatiguing was this forced inarch, th;it I was frequently
in dangf^r of falling from my horse from sleep. An officer of
tho Tenth Regiment f<-11 from an ass he rode, and hurt himself
conHiderably. I got in just Ijcforo the dawn of day, af/ of uh
excwdxTnyly exhausted; and it was not until three p.m. that
tho captain with the rear-guard and stragglers came up;
this made it impossihl ■ for mo to leave the camp until tho
evening following, — the poor fellows who dro])jH'd in during
tho day, jianting and fainting, wore incapable of further
exertions. Tho thermometer in my tent was here at 114°.
At Legattah wo found a largo detachment of Sepoys,
under Captain Mahony, of tho Seventh Bombay Regiment :
ho behaved to us in the most attentive and liberal manner.
Wo were supplied with every necessary by this officer; and
ho fulfilled the duties of his post, not to the strict letter of
his orders, but to the fullest extent of every humane and
hospitable construction of them. Tho ensuing march t(»
Buramba was to bo a very long one ; and I found it necessary
to make it in two, as follows: at six p.m. of tho 2()th, we
loft Legattah, and continued our route for six hours and a
half by my watch, when I ordered the detachment to halt,
caused the treasure camels to be unloaded, and directed
tho rest with tho tents, baggage, sick, &c., to proceed on
Buramba. I then ordered the detachment to be served with
plenty of water, when we all lay down and enjoyed three
hours' most refreshing sleep. A little before day the drums
boat, tho treasure was reloaded, and we proceeded, and
arrived at Buramba at six a.m. of the 27th. Here we first
saw verdure: this agreeable prospect opened to us imme-
diately upon the dawn of day, and infused spirit into every-
body. This village seemed to us a little paradise, and, like
sailors arrived at a shore of plenty and ease, after the perils
of shipwreck, distress, and want, was looked upon by all as
a blessed haven. At noon I despatched an officer with a
report to General Baird, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian
army, who was at Kene on the Nile, of my having reached
Buramba without the loss of a single man; and at two o'clock
A.M. on the 28tli. I marched (having previously at midnight
Gl P
fjf5
APPENDIX.
sent on tho tents and bnggago). Shortly after daylight we
passed two niiserahlc Arab villagos; wo then found ouraelvoi
in cultieated ground, and were eagerly looking out for the
glorious Nile, whoso direction wo could easily trace from the
duto-trees and vegetation api)arcnt upon its banks, although
wo could not see that noble river; shortly afterwards we got
sight of Kene, and a mile or two from it wcro met by
(ienoral Daird and his suite. Me ordered mo to proceed to
the banks of the Nile, and at seven o'clock we encamped
about a quarter of a mile westward of tho town of Kene, and
fifteen yards from the brink of the river. One cannot picture
tho joy wo all felt lit arriving amongst our brother soldiers,
after tho ten days of uncommon fatigue wo had just
oxjieriencod. Kene abounded with every kind of provision,
such as mutton, poultry, fish, milk, vegetables, &c., tho
whole at the most reasonable rates. Tho heat in this eau)])
was excessive, certainly greater than at Cosseir. The General
ordered tho troops to be in readiness to embark in d'jirms,
already collected to convey tho army down tho Nile, and
which were to rendezvous at Cairo, where the Ooncral meant
to collect all his army, in order to carry it entire to Rosetta,
from which place ho could make every arrangement for our
junction with tho English army before Alexandria. We
embarked on the 2nd of August ; the SixTV-PinsT Regiment,
about 900 strong, was allowed seventeen d'jirms, and fell
«lown with the current. Tho distance to Cairo is about 400
miles. Wo arrived at that celebrated place on tho 11th.
Tho army encamped on the island of Rhoda on tho Nile,
between Cairo and Gaza; and on the 28th, tho whole being
collected, we re-enibarked and proceeded towards Roaetta;
and on the .Slst we landed and encamped at El Ilamcd,
four miles to the southward of that town; two days after
which the General changed his camp to Aboumandour, so
called from the tower which stands just above the Nile, about
one mile and a quarter to the S.E. of Rosetta: it was from
this tower that Pousseilgue made such accurate remarks upon
the memorable battle between the English and French fleets
in Aboukir Bay.
.1. J. Barlow,
Lieut -Colonel, Gist Re(jiment,
APPENDIX.
SIXTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
Return of i .^blalties during; the Peninsular War, from 1809 to 1814.
67
Total LoM. 1
NAMU-S OF
OFFICERS.
1
Place and Dato
J
.
of Action.
1
a
1
Rank
and
Killed.
Wounded.
_
t
1
File.
Major R. J. Coghlon
Captain A. Hartley
„ W. Furnace
Buttle of
ni^AI AVITBA
Major II. F. Orpen
„ J. Laing
„ D. Goodman
KlUad
3
1
46
87th and 28th
.fuly, 1801).
Captain II. James
Lieut. G. Collins
Wounded
11
io
. .
186
Lieut. D. J. llomiis
„ II. T. Tench
„ G. Mc Lean
MlMing
••
. a
16
„ J. Given
Ensign W. Brackenbnry
Adjutant II. Drew
Storming the
Killed -i
and \
Forts at
Captain J. Owen
1
1 i%
Salamanca,
Lieut. J. Given
2
1
12
22nd June, 1812.
WoundedJ
Major J. Downing (died)
Captain 8. FavcU (died)
„ J. Oke
„ W. Mc Leod
„ W. Greene
Lieut. S. Folkner
Lieut.-CoI. F. Burlow
„ II. Daniel
Battle of
Salamakca,
22nd July, 1812.
Captain G. Stubbs
„ J. Chapman
„ P. B. P. Ilorton
„ J. Chipchase
Killed
6
3
1
36
Lieut. A. Chawncr
„ J. Parker
„ T. Gloster
„ N. Furnace
Wounded
18
22
1
280
Ensign II. Bere
„ J. CoUis
„ J. Wolfe
„ W. Brackenbury
„ J. Royal
„ A. Toole
Ensign W. White
„ J. F. Singleton
Siege of the
Castle of
BuRoos,
Lieut. G. Stuart
Killed
and
I
10
in October, 1812.
Wounded.
G8
APPENDIX.
Place and Date
of Action.
NAMES OF OFFICERS.
Total Loss. 1
1
1
I
1
Rank
and
FUe.
Killed.
Wounded.
Battle of the
Pyrenees,
28th July, 1813.
Captain E. Charleton
„ G. Mc Lean
Lieut. J. Wolfe
„ G. O'Kearney
Killed \
and >
WoundedJ
4
• •
70
82
8
Battle of the
Nl/ELLE,
10th Nov., 1813.
Captain W. H. Furnace
Lieut. C. KeUet
Captain J. Horton
„ M. Annesley
„ H. Eccles
Lieut. R. Belton
„ A. Toole
KUlcd \
and >
WoundedJ
7
5
Battle of the
NiVE,
9th Dec, 1813.
Captain W. Greene
„ E. Charleton
Killed \
and \
WoundedJ
2
Battle of
Orthes,
27th Feb., 1814.
KUled \
and \
WoundedJ
••
1
• •
10
4
At Tarbes,
:8t March, 1814.
Wounded
» •
At Grenada,
2nd March, 1814.
Killed
Wounded
. .
••
• •
1
4
Battle of
Toulouse,
loth April, 1814.
Lieut. -CoL R. J.Coghlan
Lieut, n. Arden
Ensign W. A. Favell
Lieut.-Col. J. Oke
Captain W. Greene
„ E. Charleton
Lieut. A. Porteus
„ N. Furnace
„ T. Gloster
„ D. O'Kearney
„ J. Wolfe
„ E. Gaynor
„ W. White
„ J. Harris
„ G. Stewart
„ J. II. Ellison
Ensign J. Wright
„ C. Eccles
„ S. Bartlett
Killed
Wounded
3
16
1
7
13
140
rotal Loss.
Rank
and
File.
70
2 . . . .
82
10
13
140
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