HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FIRST, OR ROYAL REGIMENT OF FOOT. (continued 4)

3rd and 4th Batts.

While the first and second battalions were in the West Indies two additional battalions were embodied at Hamilton, in North Britain, on the 25th of December, 1804, and added to the establishment of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot, which now consisted of four battalions, all fit for active service.

1805

4th Batt.

Soon afterwards the fourth battalion marched to Stirling Castle, and, after doing duty there a short time, embarked for Ireland.

3rd Batt.

In May, 1805, the third battalion marched from Scotland to the south of England.

2nd Batt.

1806

In February of the same year the two flank companies of the second battalion were detached from Tobago, for the defence of the island of Antigua; and the battalion companies embarked for the defence of Trinidad; and in July the whole returned to Tobago, where the battalion remained until November of the same year, when, after transferring its effective non-commissioned officers, drummers, and private men to the first battalion, it embarked for England, and landed in January, 1806, a mere skeleton.

4th Batt.

3rd Batt.

This year (1806) the fourth battalion quitted Ireland, and on its arrival in England it was quartered at Horsham, and afterwards at Bexhill barracks. The third battalion was also stationed, during the winter of the same year, at Bexhill barracks.

1807

2nd Batt.

In the meantime information arrived in England of the revolt of two battalions of Sepoys, in the service of the East India Company, at Vellore, and of their attack on a few companies of the King's troops at that place in July, 1806; also of the alarming spirit of insubordination evinced by the native troops in other parts of India; and the second battalion of the Royal Regiment was immediately ordered to embark for India, to strengthen the European force in that country. When the order arrived the battalion only mustered about 500 men; but it was completed in twenty-four hours to 1000, by volunteers from the third and fourth battalions, then at Bexhill barracks. On the 17th of April, 1807, it embarked at Portsmouth in six China ships, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel A. Stewart, arrived off the west coast of the Malay peninsula in September following, and landed on the 18th of that month on the Prince of Wales's Island.

3rd Batt.

The third battalion had in the meantime proceeded to the island of Jersey, from whence it embarked, in September, for Ireland.

4th Batt.

The fourth battalion, consisting, after it had transferred its service-men to the second, of about 40 rank and file, embarked in April of the same year at Portsmouth, for Scotland; arrived at Glasgow on the 29th of that month, and commenced recruiting its numbers.

2nd Batt.

1808

While the second battalion remained at the Prince of Wales's Island it lost about 100 men from disease. In November it embarked for the continent of India, landed at Madras in December, and, marching into the interior, was stationed at Wallajahbad and Bangalore, where it remained until March, 1808, when it returned to Madras.

4th Batt.

During the summer of 1808 the fourth battalion, having recruited its ranks, embarked from Scotland, and arrived in England in August.

3rd Batt.

1809

The resistance of the Portuguese and Spaniards to the tyrannical government of Napoleon had, in the meantime, occasioned a British force to be sent to their aid; and Portugal had been freed from the power of France. Spain was overrun by the legions of Napoleon; the Spaniards were rising in arms in every quarter; and a British force was ordered to their aid, under the command of Lieut.-General Sir John Moore. The third battalion of the Royal Regiment was selected to form part of this force; and it accordingly embarked at Cork in September, 1808, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Andrew Hay,[108] and sailed for Spain with a body of troops under the orders of Lieut.-General Sir David Baird. These troops landed at Corunna in October, and marched up the country; at the same time another British force was advancing into Spain from the frontiers of Portugal, under Sir John Moore; and a junction was effected on the 20th of December at Majorga, from whence the united forces advanced on the following day to Sahagun, in the province of Leon. The Spaniards had, however, been defeated and dispersed; and the few troops under Sir John Moore were unable to cope with the overwhelming numbers with which Napoleon advanced to attack the British army. A retreat was consequently resolved upon; and the third battalion of the Royal Regiment shared with the other corps in all the fatigues and privations consequent upon a retrograde movement, continued for a distance of 250 miles, along roads covered with snow, over mountains and rivers, and through narrow defiles, with an enemy above three times as numerous as themselves following in full career, and frequently skirmishing with the rear-guard. Yet such was the ability of the British commander, and the native energy and resolution of the troops, that this retrograde movement was successfully executed, and in the middle of January, 1809, the army arrived, unbroken, in front of Corunna. Napoleon, having been foiled in his object, had desisted from the pursuit; but he had detached a large body of troops, under Marshal Soult, to pursue the British to the sea-shore; and a general engagement was fought on the 16th of January, when the British were victorious. The third battalion of the Royal Regiment was formed, on this occasion, in brigade with the 26th (Cameronians), and the second battalion of the 81st, under Major-General Manningham, in the division commanded by Sir David Baird. Before the action commenced, Captain Rowan was sent forward with 100 men of the Royals, and joined the 81st Regiment, which had also been posted in advance. On the approach of the enemy this party was attacked by very superior numbers, and Captain Rowan brought back very few of his men. When the enemy approached Sir David Baird's division, it did not wait to be attacked, but advanced under a heavy fire to meet its opponents; on no occasion was the valour of British troops more manifest, and the Royals, with the remainder of their brigade, were thanked in general orders for their gallant conduct. This victory was, however, purchased at the expense of many valuable lives; and the death of Sir John Moore, who was killed by a cannon-ball, was an irreparable loss to his country. The British troops afterwards embarked at Corunna, and returned to England. When the Royals arrived in England, it was discovered that they had sustained, in killed, wounded, missing, and death from fatigue, a loss of about 250 men: and their gallantry was rewarded with the Royal permission to bear the word Corunna on their colours.

2nd Batt.

This year (1809) the 2nd battalion marched, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel H. Conran, from Fort St. George, Madras, to take the field. Previously to quitting this station the following order was issued by the Governor-General in Council:—

"On the march of the 2nd battalion of the Royals from the garrison of Fort St. George, Lieut.-Colonel Conran will assume the command of the force under the orders of march to the ceded districts, without interfering with the command of the troops in the centre division of the army.

"The Governor-General in Council is pleased to express his entire approbation of the conduct of the 2nd battalion of the Royals while they have been stationed at Fort St. George.

"The Governor-General in Council requests Lieut.-Colonel Conran will accept the expression of his warmest thanks for the able and satisfactory manner in which he has conducted the duties incidental to the command of the troops in the garrison of Fort St. George."

After the Royals had been in the field a short time they were separated, and one wing proceeded to Hyderabad, and the other to Masulipatam, a considerable sea-port in the district of Condapilly, where they remained during the succeeding year.

3rd Batt.

The 3rd battalion had, in the meantime, been selected to form part of an expedition to Holland, under the command of the Earl of Chatham, for the purpose of destroying the enemy's shipping, arsenal, &c., on the Scheldt. It accordingly embarked from Portsmouth in July, under the command of Major Gordon, and landed at Walcheren, one of the Dutch islands in the German ocean, situated at the mouth of the river Scheldt, and was engaged in the siege of Flushing, the capital of the island. On the 7th of August the enemy issued from the town, and attacked the British troops. "Their principal effort was directed against the small wood on the left of our advanced piquet on the dyke; and their left column advanced towards that point in a heavy mass, attempting to deploy while they entered the small meadow which lies between the two woods. Here they were received with a most destructive fire by the Royals, posted on the dyke, and were gallantly charged by the light company of that regiment." These gallant exertions being seconded by the 5th and 35th regiments, and two six-pounders, the enemy fell back, having sustained very considerable loss.

An attempt was afterwards made to drive the enemy from their posts in front of the advanced piquets. "The 3rd battalion of the Royals advanced along the sand-hills; and the light company of that battalion, under Captain Hay, charged the enemy most gallantly. Very little resistance was made, and the enemy retired into the suburbs of the town, to which they set fire. They had with them two small field-pieces, one of which was taken in a most gallant manner by Lieutenant Jackson and thirty men of the Royals."[109] The Commander of the Forces expressed his approbation of the conduct of the Royals on this occasion, in general orders, and attributed the success principally to the rapid and gallant charge made by Captain Hay with the light company at the moment of the enemy's deployment.

The siege was afterwards prosecuted with vigour, and the town surrendered on the 15th of August. After the capture of this place, the expedition prepared to carry the original design into execution; but the enemy had, in the meantime, removed his shipping higher up the Scheldt, and collected so large a body of troops for the defence of Antwerp, that further proceedings were abandoned, and the troops returned to England. The loss of the Royals in this expedition was—Lieutenant M'Lean, 1 drummer, and 8 private men, killed; Captain J. Wilson, Lieutenants Jackson and M'Kenzie, 7 serjeants, and 81 rank and file, wounded; and 6 rank and file missing. The unhealthy climate of Walcheren, however, produced a much greater loss from disease.

1810

1st Batt.

The 1st battalion had continued in the West Indies, and was stationed at Demerara and Tobago, from whence fifty men were detached, under the command of Captains Lynch and Mullen,[110] to form part of an expedition under Lieut.-General Sir George Beckwith, K.B., against the island of Guadaloupe. The Royals formed part of the 2nd battalion of light infantry, under Lieut.-Colonel David Stewart, of the 8th West India Regiment. A landing was effected on the 28th of January, 1810, and the Royals took part in the operations, by which the enemy was forced to surrender the island in the early part of February. The Royals had 3 rank and file killed, and 1 serjeant and 12 rank and file wounded, in this service.

3rd Batt.

A British army was at this period in Portugal, under the command of Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley; and the 3rd battalion of the Royal Regiment, having, after its return from Walcheren, been recruited to 1000 rank and file, embarked at Portsmouth in February, 1810, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Barns,[111] for Portugal. After landing at Lisbon it joined the army under Sir Arthur Wellesley, and formed part of Major-General Leith's division. Marshal Massena was advancing from Spain with an immense army, and he vaunted that he would drive the English into the sea. The British and Portuguese troops manœuvred to retard the advance of the enemy, and in September the army took up a position on the rocks of Busaco. This position was attacked by the enemy on the 27th of September; a desperate engagement ensued, and the British, by astonishing efforts of valour, overcame their antagonists, and stood triumphant on the lofty heights. Sir Arthur Wellesley, in his despatch, stated,—"Major-General Leith reports the good conduct of the Royals;" and the royal permission was afterwards obtained for the regiment to bear the word Busaco on its colours, in commemoration of the good conduct of the battalion in this engagement.

The army afterwards retired to the lines of Torres Vedras, where a series of works constructed with skill opposed an insurmountable barrier to the progress of the enemy. The French Marshal, after reconnoitring the works, retired to Santarem, and the two armies confronted each other during the remainder of the year.

4th Batt.

1st Batt.

2nd Batt.

The 4th battalion proceeded, in August of this year, from England to Scotland; the 1st battalion continued in the West Indies; and the 2nd battalion passed the year at Hyderabad and Masulipatam, in the East Indies.

1811

In the early part of 1811[112] the left wing of the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment proceeded by forced marches from Hyderabad to Masulipatam, where it joined the right wing, in the expectation of embarking with the expedition commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty, against the Dutch island of Java. The battalion mustered 1036 rank and file, and the officers and men panted for an opportunity to signalize themselves; but, to their great regret, the order for their embarkation was countermanded. They remained at Masulipatam until July, when they proceeded to Trichinopoly, a strong city in the Carnatic.

3rd Batt.

The 3rd battalion remained opposed to the French army in Portugal. Marshal Massena occupied his position at Santarem until his numbers were reduced by sickness and privation, and on the night of the 5th March, 1811, he retreated towards the frontiers. The Royals, moving forward with the army, took part in the operations which followed; the French retired into Spain, leaving a garrison in Almeida, which was blockaded by the allies. Having crossed the frontiers, the Royals were engaged on the 5th of May at Fuentes d'Onor, on which occasion the French Marshal was defeated in his attempt to relieve Almeida. The Royals had one serjeant and 8 rank and file wounded in this action.[113]

1812

This battalion was also before the strong fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, when it was besieged by the allied army in January, 1812, and captured by storm on the 19th of that month.

On the 11th of February, 1812, "His Royal Highness the Prince Regent was pleased, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, to approve of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot, being in future styled, The First Regiment of Foot, or Royal Scots."

From the province of Leon the 3rd battalion marched towards Spanish Estremadura, and was before the city of Badajoz when that fortress was besieged and taken by storm in the month of April; in which service the Royals had two officers wounded; namely, Lieutenants Rea and O'Neil, who were attached to the engineer's department.

After the capture of Badajoz the battalion proceeded with its division (the 5th) towards Ciudad Rodrigo, and advanced upon Salamanca, which city the French were forced to evacuate in the middle of June. The enemy retreated beyond the Douro, and part of the allied army advanced to Trabancos. The French subsequently re-passed the Douro, when the Royal Scots, with the remainder of the division, advanced to Torrecille de la Orden, to cover the retreat, and insure the junction of the corps in advance. On the 18th of July the French army commanded by Marshal Marmont pushed forward, some sharp skirmishing occurred, and the Royals were partially engaged, and had two men wounded. The allied army afterwards retreated, and took up a position on the rocky heights near Salamanca.

On the 22nd of July, while the French army was manœuvring and extending to the left, the British commander commenced the attack at a favourable moment. The 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots, with the remainder of the 5th division, formed behind the village of Arapiles; and, advancing from thence, attacked the enemy in front with distinguished bravery, and, engaging in a fierce combat of musketry, drove the French from one height to another. Lieut.-General Leith, commanding the division, was carried out of the field wounded. Lieut.-Colonel Barns was severely wounded while leading the battalion to the charge, and obliged to withdraw, and the command of the Royal Scots devolved on Major Colin Campbell. The battalion continued to press forward, and forced the legions of Napoleon to give way. A decisive victory was ultimately gained; and the valour of the Royal Scots was rewarded with the Royal permission to bear the word Salamanca on their colours. Major Campbell signalized himself at the head of the battalion after the fall of Lieut.-Colonel Barns, and was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-Colonel in the army. The loss of the battalion in action was,—Lieutenant Neils Falks, 1 serjeant, and 22 rank and file, killed; Lieut.-Colonel Barns, Captain Logan, Lieutenants Kellett, O'Neil, M'Killigan, and Clark, Ensign Stoyte,[114] 7 serjeants, 2 drummers, and 120 rank and file, wounded. Volunteer M'Alpin, who was attached to the Royal Scots, was also wounded.

After this victory the battalion advanced with the army to Madrid, and was present at the surrender of the Retiro on the 14th of August. From Madrid the battalion proceeded to Burgos, where it remained during the siege of that fortress, in which Lieutenant Rea of the regiment, who was acting as engineer, was again wounded. When the British Commander found himself unable to withstand the overwhelming numbers which were advancing against him, he retired, and while on the retreat the Royal Scots were detached to Palencia, to protect the men employed in the destruction of the bridges over the Carrion. The enemy assembled a considerable force at this point, and Lieut.-Colonel Campbell retreated to Villa Muriel; the battalion was sharply engaged during this day's manœuvres, and had 2 serjeants and 6 rank and file, killed; 1 serjeant and 7 rank and file wounded; and 1 serjeant and 26 rank and file missing. The retreat was continued to the frontiers of Portugal, where the Royal Scots passed the winter.

1st Batt.

During this contest the tyrannical decrees published by Napoleon, with the view of destroying the commerce of Great Britain, had occasioned the government to issue orders in council respecting the trade of neutral nations, for the purpose of counteracting the intentions of the French Emperor. The enforcing of these orders, and the pressing of British seamen on board of American ships, eventually brought on a war between the British Crown and the United States of North America; and the 1st battalion of the Royal Scots was withdrawn from the West Indies, where it had been stationed since 1801, to strengthen the British force in Canada. Five companies and the head-quarters embarked from Demerara[115] on the 24th of April, and sailed for Barbadoes. During their passage a remarkable eruption of Mount Souffre, in the island of St. Vincent, took place on the 1st May, when a total darkness ensued, which continued for nearly six hours, accompanied by a fall of volcanic ashes which covered the decks and rigging of the vessels. The five companies stationed at Tobago and Berbice had previously arrived at Barbadoes; and on the 24th of June the whole battalion, mustering 1094 rank and file, under the command of Major John Gordon, sailed in seven transports for Quebec. During the passage one of the transports was captured by an American frigate; but it was afterwards allowed to proceed on its voyage on conditions of not serving against the United States until regularly exchanged. In the early part of August the battalion arrived at Quebec; and on the 14th of that month the flank companies, under Major Gordon, and a detachment of the Royal Artillery with a light three-pounder, proceeded in bateaux to Point Levi, but returned to Quebec towards the end of the same month.

In the beginning of September the flank companies sailed up the St. Lawrence to Montreal, and proceeded from thence to Chambly, a fort on the river Sorel, which issues from Lake Champlain. In November the head-quarters and five battalion companies marched, under the command of Major Gordon, for St. John's; but on their route they received orders to proceed direct to Montreal, to resist the threatened attack of an American force under General Dearborn. The plans of the enemy were disconcerted, and General Dearborn retreated without making the attack, when the five companies of the Royal Scots proceeded to their original destination.

2nd Batt.

The 2nd battalion, in the East Indies, remained at Trichinopoly; and in July, 1812, four companies, commanded by Captain John Gordon, were ordered to suppress a mutiny amongst the Company's native troops at Quilon, which then threatened most serious consequences to the British possessions in India. After performing this service, the four companies returned to their former quarters at Trichinopoly.

1813

1st Batt.

Three of the companies and the head-quarters of the 1st battalion in Canada were withdrawn from St. John's in April, 1813, to Montreal, where two other companies also arrived from Quebec. Soon afterwards an attack on the American post at Sackett's Harbour, on Lake Ontario, was resolved upon; and 2 serjeants and 25 rank and file of the Royal Scots were placed under the orders of Colonel Baynes, to take part in this service. The grenadier company was also ordered from Chambly to engage in the expedition; but before its arrival, the other troops sailed from Kingston, and, having effected a landing on the 29th of May, advanced with great gallantry along a causeway connecting the island with the main land, dashed into a thick wood, and, encountering the Americans, drove them from amongst the trees. The detachment afterwards set fire to the American storehouses near the fort, and retired. The Royal Scots had 2 private men killed, 7 wounded, and 1 taken prisoner by the enemy, in this service.

During the same month, the light company of the Royal Scots was sent from Chambly to Kingston, for the purpose of instructing the flank companies of the Canada militia regiments, which had been formed into a light battalion, in light infantry drill.

On the 4th of June the head-quarters and one company arrived at Kingston, from Montreal; on the 17th seven companies advanced to Four-Mile Creek; and on the following day two companies embarked from Kingston, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, to attack a strong post occupied by the Americans at Sodius. The detachment made good its landing on the 20th of June, captured a great quantity of stores, and burnt the public buildings; and re-embarking on the same day, sailed to Four-Mile Creek; having sustained a loss of 3 private men killed, and 1 serjeant and 3 private men wounded.

While the battalion lay at Four-Mile Creek, frequent skirmishes occurred between the British and Americans; and on the 12th of August the Royal Scots had several private men wounded.

From Four-Mile Creek the battalion proceeded to St. David's, and went into cantonments at that place until the 1st of September, when it marched to Cross-roads, and was there partially engaged with a body of Americans, but experienced little loss. The battalion encamped a short time at Cross-roads; and on the 8th of October some sharp fighting took place, in which the Royal Scots had 5 private men wounded, and 1 taken prisoner. On the 11th the battalion went into quarters at Burlington.

Notwithstanding the severity of a Canadian winter, military operations were continued; and on the 17th of December the grenadier and one battalion companies of the Royal Scots marched from Burlington, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, towards Niagara; and on the 19th the grenadiers, commanded by Captain Bailey, assisted at the storm and capture of Fort Niagara without sustaining any loss; and the battalion company advanced to dislodge the enemy from the heights of Lewiston. Colonel Murray, in his report of this transaction to Lieut.-General Drummond, observes—"I have to express my admiration of the valour of the grenadier company of the Royals under Captain Bailey, whose zeal and gallantry were very conspicuous;" and in a general order published at the time, Lieut.-General Drummond stated—"The troops employed on this occasion were the grenadier company of the Royal Scots, 100th regiment, and flank companies of the 44th. Their instructions were, not to fire, but to carry the place at the point of the bayonet. These orders were punctually obeyed—a circumstance that not only proves their intrepidity, but reflects great credit on their discipline.

"Lieut.-General Drummond will perform a most gratifying duty in bringing under the notice of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, through his Excellency the Commander of the Forces, the admirable execution of this brilliant achievement on the part of every individual concerned.

"The Lieut.-General has received from Major-General Riall a very favourable report of the zeal and alacrity of the detachment of the Royal Scots under Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, and the 41st battalion companies under the command of Major Friend, who advanced under the Major-General's command to dislodge the enemy from the heights of Lewiston. The Lieut.-General has only to regret that the enemy's rapid retreat from Lewiston heights did not afford to Major-General Riall an opportunity of leading them to victory."

After this success five companies of the battalion, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, crossed the Niagara river, and were employed, on the 29th of December, in storming the enemy's batteries at Black Rock and Buffalo, and in burning and laying waste the enemy's frontier between these places and Fort Niagara; in which service 2 corporals and 13 private men were killed, and 3 serjeants and 27 rank and file wounded, and 6 rank and file were missing. The conduct of the troops on this service was described in general orders as follows:—

"The conduct and bravery of the officers and soldiers of the advance-corps of the right division having been crowned with the most complete success by the capture of Fort Niagara, with all the enemy's guns and stores, and the destruction of four armed vessels, and of the cover along the whole of their frontier from that fort to Buffalo Creek—a measure dictated not only by every consideration of military policy, but authorised by every motive of just retaliation—it only remains for Lieut.-General Drummond to thank the troops for their exertions, and to express his admiration of the valuable qualities which they have displayed in the course of that short but severe service, in which they have cheerfully borne the absence of almost every comfort, and the rigours of a climate for which they were far from being prepared. The immediate reward of their gallant conduct the Lieut.-General trusts will be felt in the repose which they have so well earned for themselves, by depriving the enemy of all the means of present annoyance; the more remote recompense of their exertions will be found in the approbation of their king and country."

2nd Batt.

While the 1st battalion was actively employed in Canada, the 2nd battalion marched to Bangalore; and in April, 1813, the right wing, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel M'Kellar, took the field, and joined the force in the southern Mahratta country, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Dowse, and remained in the field twelve months.

3rd Batt.

Meanwhile the 3rd battalion, advancing from the frontiers of Portugal into Spain, was actively employed in operations. The French army, disconcerted by the superior tactics of the British commander, retreated, and took up a position in front of Vittoria. The allied army followed the retreating enemy in full career, traversing rocks and mountains, passing rivers, and overcoming difficulties heretofore deemed insurmountable, still hovering round the retiring enemy, and attacking his columns when an opportunity offered. On one of these occasions the Royal Scots were engaged (18th June) near Osma, and had 3 rank and file killed, 9 wounded, and 4 missing.

On the 21st of June the army advanced in three columns to attack the enemy in his position in front of Vittoria. The Royal Scots, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Campbell, being in the left column under Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch, advanced against the enemy's right flank. This portion of the army carried the heights commanding the village of Abechuco, and then advanced against the village of Gamarra Major, which was carried in gallant style, the enemy being dislodged at the point of the bayonet with great slaughter, and the loss of three guns. Lieut.-Colonel Campbell of the Royal Scots was severely wounded, and the command of the battalion devolved on Major Peter Fraser. Towards the close of the action the Royal Scots, with the remainder of the division, crossed the river Zadora, turned the enemy's right, and cut off his retreat by the Bayonne road. The other divisions were also successful at their several points of attack; the French army was completely routed, with the loss of its cannon, ammunition, baggage, and military chest; and it fled a mere wreck to the frontiers of France. The gallant conduct of the Royal Scots in this memorable action was rewarded with the Royal permission to bear the word "Vittoria" on their colours. The battalion lost Captain Hay and Lieutenant Glover, who died of their wounds; 11 rank and file killed; Lieut.-Colonel Campbell, Lieutenants Armstrong, Rea, M'Killigan, and Cross, Ensign Green, Volunteer Dobbs, 4 serjeants, and 92 rank and file, wounded.

After this victory the Royal Scots marched towards the coast, and were engaged in the siege of the strong fortress of St. Sebastian. A breach having been made on the left flank, Major-General Hay was directed to storm the fortress with his brigade, of which the Royal Scots formed a part.

The battalion had passed the night of the 24th of July in the trenches. At day-break on the following morning it led the attack under the orders of Major Peter Fraser, and, though exposed to a most destructive shower of grape and musketry, which thinned the ranks, it advanced in the teeth of this storm of fire, in the most cool and determined manner. Major Peter Fraser, while gallantly encouraging his brave followers by his example, was killed; and Captain Mullen, being next in seniority, assumed the command of the battalion, which duty he performed with much credit. Though the cannon of the fortress thundered in front, the French soldiers poured down their volleys of musketry, and hand-grenades, shells, and large stones, flew in showers through the darkened air; yet onward went the Royal Scots, and assailed the breach with a degree of valour and intrepidity which rivalled the gallant exploits of their predecessors under the great Gustavus Adolphus. But the defences round the breach had not been destroyed, and success was found to be impossible; the storming party was consequently ordered to retire.[116] The battalion lost, on this occasion, Major Fraser, Captain Cameron, Lieutenants Anderson, Clark, Massey, and Adjutant Cluff, 6 serjeants, and 75 rank and file, killed; Captains Arguimbeau, Logan, Stewart, Macdonald, and Buckley, Lieutenants O'Neil, Eyre, and Reynolds, Volunteer Miller, 7 serjeants, and 230 rank and file, wounded; Lieutenant Reynolds died of his wounds, and Lieutenant Eyre was taken prisoner.

The siege was afterwards prosecuted with vigour, and on the 31st of August the fortress was again attacked by storm. The Royal Scots, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Barns, were directed to make their attack on the left of the second breach, and were supported by the 38th regiment. The assault was made with great gallantry; some of the traversers of the semi-bastion were carried by the leading companies, but were retaken by the enemy. Nothing could exceed the bravery and steadiness of the troops employed at this point; and the enemy, observing the whole division in motion, sprung a mine on the top of the curtain; but the explosion was premature, and only a few of the leading men of the Royal Scots suffered from it. Yet undismayed by the bursting mine, and fierce opposition of the enemy, the Royal Scots pressed forward upon their adversaries, and carried the coverlain; the troops crowded into the town in every direction, and in the course of an hour were masters of the place, excepting the citadel.[117]

On the 8th of September batteries mounting fifty-four pieces of ordnance opened a tremendous fire upon the citadel. In less than three hours the enemy hoisted a flag of truce, and, after some discussion, surrendered. As a testimony of the royal approbation of the signal valour evinced by the Royal Scots during this siege, and of the value attached to their services, they were permitted to bear the words "St. Sebastian" on their colours. Their loss in the successful storm of the town was, Ensign Boyd, 3 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 48 rank and file, killed; Lieutenants Armstrong, Holebrooke, Macdonnell, Clark, and Suckling, 7 serjeants, and 133 rank and file, wounded. Captain James Stewart, who was performing the duty of aide-de-camp to Major-General Hay, was killed from the castle while reconnoitring the works on the 4th of September. Captain Robert Macdonald was promoted to the rank of Major in the army, for his distinguished services at the storm of St. Sebastian.

After the capture of this fortress the troops advanced to the frontiers; and on the 7th of October the light company of the Royal Scots, commanded by Lieutenant J. N. Ingram, crossed the Bidassoa, followed by the remainder of the battalion and that portion of the army which had reduced St. Sebastian; the Royal Scots being the first British corps of the allied army which entered France. Thus, after driving the legions of Napoleon out of Portugal and Spain, the seat of war was transferred to the enemy's country; and the interior of France became the scene for the display of British prowess. After crossing the Bidassoa the troops drove the enemy to the heights of Irun, a distance of about three miles.

On the 10th of November the enemy's formidable line of works on the river Nivelle were attacked, and the Royal Scots, with the other regiments of the 5th division, drove the enemy from a field redoubt, and pursued them under the guns of Bayonne. The battalion lost, on this occasion, 1 rank and file, killed, and 4 serjeants and 15 rank and file wounded. Further operations were retarded by snow and rain; but in the early part of December the army passed the river Nive, and drove the French into their entrenched camp in front of Bayonne; from whence they issued on the three following days, and attacked the allies, but were repulsed. The Royal Scots were warmly engaged on these occasions, and their gallantry was rewarded with the royal permission to bear the word "Nive" on their colours. Their loss was 3 rank and file killed, and 1 serjeant and 3 rank and file wounded.

4th Batt.

In the meantime important events had transpired on the continent of Europe. The invasion of Russia by Napoleon, the burning of Moscow, the disastrous retreat of the French army from the north, and the separation of Prussia, Austria, and other states, from the interest of Napoleon, were followed by a treaty of alliance and subsidy between Great Britain and Sweden, in which it was stipulated that a Swedish army commanded by the Crown Prince should join the allies; and on the 2nd of August, 1813, the 4th battalion of the Royal Scots embarked under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Muller for Stralsund, in Swedish Pomerania, forming part of an expedition sent thither under the orders of Major-General Gibbs. Thus a battalion of the regiment proceeded to the same part of the world to which a body of daring Scots, who formed the nucleus of this distinguished corps, proceeded exactly 200 years before, to engage in the service of the Swedish monarch. The battalion remained at Stralsund until the middle of December, when it advanced to support the army of the Crown Prince of Sweden on the Elbe, and halted on the 24th of December at Lubeck.

Thus at the conclusion of the year 1813 the regiment had four battalions on foreign service in three different quarters of the globe; namely—

1st battalion in Upper Canada, America.

2nd " the East Indies, Asia.

3rd " France, Europe.

4th " Germany, "

1814

1st Batt.

The services of the 1st battalion were limited, during the early part of 1814, to the usual duties of a corps stationed on an enemy's frontier. On the night of the 3rd of March, Captain Stewart received information of the appearance of a strong body of Americans in Longwood, in advance of Delaware town; and he directed the light companies of the Royal Scots, and 89th regiment, to march at day-break, to support the advance posts. At five o'clock on the evening of the 4th the Americans were discovered, in very superior force, posted on a commanding eminence, protected with breastworks formed of logs of wood. The companies of the Royal Scots and 89th instantly attacked the enemy in front, "in the most gallant manner," while a company of rangers, and a detachment of Canadian militia, made a flank movement to the right, and a small band of Indians made a similar movement to the left, with a view of gaining the rear of the position. "After repeated efforts to dislodge the enemy in an arduous and spirited contest of an hour and a half's duration, which terminated with the daylight, the troops were reluctantly withdrawn, having suffered severely, principally in officers."[118] The Royal Scots had Captain David Johnstone, 1 serjeant, and 9 private men killed; Lieutenant Angus Macdonald, 2 serjeants, and 37 private men, wounded; and a bugler taken prisoner.

The battalion assembled at Fort George on the 1st of June; and on the 3rd of July two flank and five battalion companies marched from that place towards Chippewa. In the meantime a body of Americans had landed at Black Rock, and had driven in the garrison of Fort Erie. On the 4th the enemy advanced in force by the river, and the light company of the Royal Scots was engaged in a skirmish with the American riflemen. On the 5th of July a severe engagement with very superior numbers of the enemy took place.[119] The attack was not attended with success. Major-General Riall, speaking of the conduct of the troops in general orders, observed—"Although their efforts were not crowned with the success they deserved, yet he has the greatest satisfaction in saying it was impossible for men to have done more, or to have sustained with greater courage the heavy and destructive fire with which the enemy, from his great superiority in numbers, was enabled to oppose them." The Royal Scots had Captain E. P. Bailey, 5 serjeants, and 71 rank and file killed; Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, Lieutenants W. Campbell, A. Macdonald, A. Campbell, J. T. Connell, B. Fox, George Jackson, and Charles Hendrick, 12 serjeants, and 132 rank and file, wounded; Captains E. M. Bird and John Wilson severely wounded and taken prisoners; 5 serjeants and 72 rank and file missing.

Fort Erie afterwards surrendered to the superior numbers of the enemy; the Royal Scots returned to Fort George; and on the 13th of July seven companies took up a position at Fifteen-mile Creek.

The three companies left at Fort George quitted that place a few days afterwards, and, having crossed the Niagara river on the 25th of July, marched to Lewiston to attack a body of the enemy; but the Americans fled, and the Royal Scots captured a quantity of stores and other articles. The three companies afterwards re-passed the river at Queenstown; and, advancing to the Falls of Niagara, formed in the position of Lundy's Lane, under the orders of Lieut.-General Drummond. In the mean time the other seven companies were on the march from Fifteen-mile Creek towards the Falls.

The three companies of the Royal Scots had scarcely taken their post in the centre of the position of Lundy's Lane, when about 5000 Americans advanced, and attacked the British troops with great fury; and a most sanguinary contest ensued. During the heat of the conflict the seven companies of the Royal Scots arrived from Fifteen-mile Creek, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, and took post on the right of the line. The enemy attempted to force the centre for the purpose of gaining the crest of the position, but were repulsed with loss, and the Royal Scots distinguished themselves in driving back the assailants. About nine in the evening there was an intermission of firing; but the Americans renewed the attack soon afterwards with fresh troops, and a fierce conflict of musketry and artillery followed in the dark. The Americans charged up the hill; the British gunners were bayoneted while in the act of loading, and the guns were in the possession of the enemy for a few moments; but the troops in the centre, where the three companies of the Royal Scots were fighting, soon drove back the Americans, and retook the guns. The storm of battle still raged along the heights; the muzzles of the British and American artillery were within a few yards of each other, and the fight was kept up with a sanguinary obstinacy seldom witnessed. In limbering up the guns, at one period an American six-pounder was put by mistake on a British limber, and a British six-pounder on an American limber. At one moment the Americans had the advantage; at the next the shout of victory rose from the British ranks; and about midnight the enemy retreated.[120] The troops were thanked for their distinguished bravery in general orders on the following day; and "the admirable steadiness of the Royal Scots, under Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, at several very critical points and movements, claimed the Lieut.-General's particular notice." The three companies in the centre of the line particularly distinguished themselves, and were twice mentioned in the Lieut.-General's public despatch in terms of the highest commendation. The Royal Scots lost on this occasion Lieutenant William Hemphill, 3 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 48 rank and file, killed and missing; Captain Brereton, Lieutenants Haswell and Fraser, 4 serjeants, and 93 rank and file, wounded; Lieutenants Clyne, Lamont, and Fraser taken prisoners. The conduct of the battalion on this occasion, with the distinguished bravery evinced by the grenadier company in the storm of Fort Niagara on the 19th of December, 1813, obtained the Royal permission to bear the word "Niagara" on the colours of the regiment.

An attack on Fort Erie having been resolved upon, the 1st battalion of the Royal Scots appeared before this place on the 4th of August, and formed part of the besieging force. During the progress of the siege several slight skirmishes occurred; and on the 10th of August the Royal Scots had Lieutenant Gregor M'Gregor and 3 private men killed and 9 private men wounded.

The batteries having produced an impression on the place, a general assault was made on the fort and adjoining works on the 15th of August before day-break; and two companies of the Royal Scots formed part of the force selected to storm the fort and entrenchments leading from it to the lake. This portion of the storming party made its attack with signal gallantry, and after a desperate resistance succeeded in effecting a lodgment in the fort through the embrasures and demi-bastion, and turned the guns against the enemy, when a sudden explosion of some gunpowder placed under the platform occurred, and almost all the men who had entered the place were either killed or dreadfully mangled. This occasioned the troops to retreat; the enemy opened a heavy fire of musketry, and the storming party retired. The eight companies of the Royal Scots which had not taken part in the storming of the fort were immediately thrown out to cover the retreat—"a service which that valuable corps executed with great steadiness."[121] The loss of the battalion in this unfortunate affair was—Captain Torrens and 32 rank and file killed, 2 serjeants and 37 rank and file wounded.

The troops continued before the fort, and on the 9th of September 2 private soldiers of the Royal Scots were killed, and Lieutenant P. Grant wounded by a shell. On the 17th the enemy made a sortie, and an engagement took place, which lasted nearly five hours. "On the right the enemy's advance was checked by the 1st battalion Royal Scots, supported by the 89th regiment, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gordon of the Royals; and in the centre he was driven back by the Glengarry light infantry, under Lieut.-Colonel Battersby, and directed by Lieut.-Colonel Pearson, inspecting field officer."[122] On this occasion the battalion lost 2 serjeants and 22 rank and file killed and missing; Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, Lieutenant Rutledge, and 30 rank and file, wounded. Lieutenant Rutledge died on the same day, and Lieut.-Colonel Gordon on the 25th.[123]

On the 17th of October the battalion marched to Chippewa, and engaged the enemy at Cook's Mills, drove the Americans from their post, without sustaining any loss. Shortly afterwards the battalion proceeded to Fort Niagara, where it was stationed during the remainder of the year.

2nd Batt.

In April, 1814, the left wing of the 2nd battalion in the East Indies marched to Bellary; at the same time the right wing, forming part of the force in the southern Mahratta country, quitted the field, and joined the left wing at Bellary in May. Soon afterwards the battalion proceeded to Hyderabad, where it remained until the beginning of November, when it received orders to proceed to Ellichpoor, to join the field force under the command of Brigadier-General Doveton, and was subsequently employed against a barbarous people called the Pindarees, who infested the British territory in India at this period, and committed dreadful ravages wherever they appeared.

3rd Batt.

The 3rd battalion was employed in the spring of 1814 in the blockade of the strong fortress of Bayonne, in France; while a great part of the allied British, Spanish, and Portuguese army, which had passed the Pyrenees mountains, advanced up the country.

4th Batt.

In the meantime the Dutch had made an energetic struggle to free themselves from the power of Napoleon, and a strong party had declared in favour of the Prince of Orange. A British force was sent to Holland under the orders of Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch, and the 4th battalion of the Royal Scots was ordered from the north of Germany to join the troops in Holland. The battalion accordingly commenced its march from Lubeck on the 17th January, 1814, and encountered many difficulties, from the inclemency of the weather. While traversing the forest of Shrieverdinghen, 120 men were lost in a snow storm; much extreme suffering occurred during the journey; and on the 2nd of March the men went into cantonments at Rozendalh. After halting six days the battalion was ordered to join the force destined to make an attempt on the strong fortress of Bergen-op-Zoom; and was selected to form part of the 4th column of attack; at the same time its flank companies were detached to join another column. The attack was made about ten o'clock on the night of the 8th of March. The Royal Scots succeeded in crossing the Zoom, and forced an entrance by the water-port. Having gained possession of the ramparts round the water-port gate, the battalion was exposed to a heavy fire of grape and musketry from two howitzers, and a strong detachment of French marines, stationed near the arsenal: two companies were detached to keep the enemy in check, and were relieved every two hours by two other companies of the battalion. These companies were actively engaged in this service from eleven o'clock until daylight; when the enemy made a furious attack in strong columns, which bore down all before them. The two detached companies of the Royal Scots were attacked by a host of combatants, and driven in. A heavy fire of grape was opened upon the battalion from the guns of the arsenal; and it was forced to retire by the water-port gate, when a detached battery opened upon it. Being thus placed between two fires, with a high palisade on one side, and the Zoom filled with the tide on the other, the battalion was unfortunately obliged to surrender. The colours were first sunk in the river Zoom by Lieutenant and Adjutant Galbraith: the battalion then surrendered, on condition that the officers and men should not serve against the French until exchanged. The failure of the coup-de-main on Bergen-op-Zoom occasioned an immense sacrifice of gallant men. Of the Royal Scots, Captains M'Nicol, Edward Wetherall, and Purvis, Lieutenant Mills, 1 serjeant, and 36 rank and file, were killed; Lieutenants Robertson, Stoyte, Midgley, and Stewart, 7 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 63 rank and file, wounded.

On the following day the battalion marched out of Bergen-op-Zoom, and on the 8th of April it embarked for England: on the 21st it arrived at Hilsea barracks, where it was supplied with clothing and equipments, and on the 6th of May it embarked on board the Diomede and Leopard (two sixty-fours, armed en-flute), and sailed for Canada.

3rd Batt.

Meanwhile the success of the arms of the allied sovereigns in various parts of Europe had been followed by the abdication of Bonaparte, and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty to the throne of France. This event occurred in April, 1814, at which time the 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots was employed in the blockade of Bayonne. The French commandant in this fortress, not believing the statement of Bonaparte's abdication to be true, made a sortie with the garrison on the morning of the 14th of April, and gained a temporary advantage; but was afterwards repulsed. Major-General Hay,[124] Lieut.-Colonel of the Royal Scots, was killed at the first onset; the battalion also had 5 rank and file killed; Captain Buckley, Lieutenant Macdonnell, 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and 32 rank and file, wounded; also a few private men missing.

This was the last action of the war; and the British troops, after vanquishing the legions of Bonaparte in various parts of the globe, stood triumphant in the interior of France, and saw the fall of that gigantic power which had shaken the throne of every sovereign on the continent of Europe, and, aiming at universal empire, had sought to rule the world with Asiatic despotism. The Royal Scots remained encamped near Bayonne until August, when they marched back to Spain, and were the last British corps which quitted the French territory after the termination of this glorious war. The battalion, having embarked at Passages for Ireland, landed at the Cove of Cork on the 13th of September, 1814.

His Royal Highness the Prince Regent was pleased to confer upon the 3rd battalion the honour of bearing the word "Peninsula" upon its colours, as a mark of his royal approbation of its meritorious conduct in Portugal and Spain.

4th Batt.

The right wing of the 4th battalion, which sailed for Canada in May, arrived at Quebec on the 26th of June, and on the 1st of July sailed up the St. Lawrence to Three Rivers; but the left wing, in the Leopard, was wrecked on Anticosti, a barren island in the mouth of the river St. Lawrence, and lost all its arms and baggage. The right wing afterwards returned to Quebec, and, the left having joined it, the battalion formed part of that garrison until May of the following year.

1815

1st Batt.

4th Batt.

1st and 4th Batts.

In January, 1815, the first battalion quitted Fort Niagara, and proceeded to Queenstown. From this place it proceeded to Fort George, Kingston, Prescott, Montreal, and Three Rivers, which latter place it reached on the 25th of May, when it embarked for Quebec; and on its arrival off Cape Diamond, peace having been concluded with the United States, it was removed on board of transports. At the same time the 4th battalion was withdrawn from garrison at Quebec, and, having embarked on board the fleet, both battalions sailed for England, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 17th and 18th of July.

3rd Batt.

In the meantime Napoleon Bonaparte, with that perfidy which had ever marked his conduct, had quitted the island of Elba, and, attended by 600 men, made his appearance on the shores of France. The French troops joined the standard of the invader, the royal family fled, and Bonaparte reascended the throne with a rapidity which exceeded the wildest flights of poetry or romance. The peace of Europe was thus broken. The allied sovereigns resolved to wage war against the usurper; and in April, 1815, the 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots was suddenly ordered from its quarters at Fermoy to the Cove of Cork, to embark for the Netherlands, where a British force was assembling to engage in the approaching contest, under Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington—a leader under whose eye this portion of the Royal Regiment had already acquired numerous laurels in the Peninsular War.

The battalion landed at Ostend in the early part of May, and proceeded to Ghent, and from thence to Brussels, where it was stationed several weeks. It formed part of the 9th brigade, commanded by Major-General Sir Denis Pack, and was placed in the 5th division, under the command of Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Picton.

During the night between the 15th and 16th of June, while the Royal Scots were reposing in comfortable quarters at Brussels, the men were suddenly aroused by the bugles sounding and drums beating to arms. Instantly quitting their beds, the soldiers prepared for action, and, seizing their muskets, issued in bands from every part of the city; and in a few hours the British regiments were passing through the dark forest of Soignes in the direction of Charleroi, a sharp conflict having already commenced between the corps in advance and the enemy. After a march of about twenty-two miles, the 5th division arrived at the scene of conflict soon after mid-day on the 16th of June, and, diverging from the high road, confronted the enemy on the undulating grounds near the farm-house of Quatre Bras.

The Royal Scots, advancing from their post in the centre of the 5th division, by a movement to their left through a field of corn which reached to the shoulders of the tallest men, encountered a column of French infantry, and by a determined charge drove it from its ground. The enemy's musketeers rallied under the protection of their formidable cavalry, and opened a galling fire, which was returned by the Royal Scots with steadiness and precision. The enemy, having the advantage of a rising ground, poured down volley after volley of grape and musketry with dreadful execution. The Royal Scots stood their ground with unflinching firmness; and, after fighting for some time in line, the battalion formed square, to resist the French cavalry, which was advancing in great force. The valour and intrinsic merit of the corps were now tested; but in vain the foaming squadrons of cuirassiers came rushing forward—in vain the daring swordsmen sought to penetrate the square; neither the superiority of their numbers, nor the fury of their charge, availed against the Royal Scots; the battalion stood firm, and resisted every attack of the enemy with an unshaken fortitude, which reflected honour on the corps.[125] After repulsing the formidable onsets of the enemy's steel-clad horsemen, the battalion deployed; again the French cuirassiers and lancers advanced, and the battalion once more formed square. The daring squadrons rushed forward in full career; the battalion sent forward a shower of balls, which emptied a hundred saddles, and the remaining horsemen wheeled round, and galloped away.[126] Thus the Royal Scots were triumphant, and they were soon afterwards moved to sustain the 28th regiment, which had suffered severely: another furious onset was made by the French cavalry, when the two corps formed one square, and repulsed their assailants with firmness. The French, dismayed by the sanguinary resistance of their adversaries, and being attacked in turn, were already giving way. Sir Thomas Picton placed himself at the head of the Royal Scots and 28th regiment, and leading them to the charge, the enemy was driven from his position with loss.

The battalion passed the following night on the field. The Prussians had been attacked on the 16th of June at Ligny, and forced to retreat to Wavre; a corresponding movement was made by the Duke of Wellington, to keep up the communication with the Prussians, and the Royal Scots, retreated on the 17th of June, with the remainder of the army, to the elevated grounds in front of the village of Waterloo, where the troops passed a stormy night in the open fields, drenched with rain.

On the memorable 18th of June the battalion formed part of the reserve under the gallant Sir Thomas Picton. At the commencement of the battle, when the enemy sent forward a cloud of skirmishers, and developed his massy columns of attack, the Royal Scots, commanded by Major Colin Campbell, were instantly engaged with the legions of Napoleon. "I have great pleasure," observes an officer, who was an eye-witness, "in detailing the conduct of the gallant 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots, and though I have been present with the battalion at the battles of Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor, Salamanca, Vittoria, both stormings of St. Sebastian, the passage of the Bidassoa, &c., &c., in all which they bore a most conspicuous part, and suffered severely, I can assure you they never evinced more steadiness, or more determined bravery, than at the late battle.

"About nine o'clock on the morning of the 18th June, the battalion was attacked by the enemy, and, with very little interruption, the entire day it formed a line of skirmishers in front of the brigade.

"I have often seen the battalion engaged, but, I must confess, on this trying day, it far excelled anything I had ever witnessed; and indeed, so pleased was the late General Picton with its gallantry and good conduct, that he several times expressed it himself to the battalion in the most flattering terms."

Thus, while the thunder of 400 cannon, the roll of musketry, the occasional explosion of caissons, the hissing of balls and grape-shot, the clashing of arms, and the impetuous shouts of the combatants, produced an awful scene of carnage and confusion, the Royal Scots were seen amidst the storm of battle, boldly confronting the torrent of superior numbers, and fighting with a constancy and valour which the enemy could not overcome. Corps after corps advanced; but amidst the dense smoke which often prevented the combatants from distinguishing each other, the British colours waved triumphant, and the shout of victory rose above the din of combat. Paralyzed by the astonishing resistance of the British arms, the attacks of the enemy relaxed; the Prussians arrived on the left, to co-operate, the Anglo-Belgian army formed line, and with one impetuous charge overthrew the French host, and drove it in wild confusion from the field of battle, with the loss of its cannon and equipages. Those warlike and numerous legions, which a few hours before meditated only rapine and conquest, were mingled in utter confusion along the road, and over the fields, while the allied squadrons poured on their shattered flanks and rear, and sabred the panic-struck fugitives without mercy or intermission. Thus ended a battle, the greatest of past or present times, the importance and character of which are above the reach of sophistry or mis-statement; a battle, which may in itself be considered an era, and the story of it, serving as a monument to commemorate the national glory, will survive when the brightest historical epochs on record shall be lost amid the obscurity and confusion of ages. In the important conflicts on the 16th and 18th of June, the Royal Scots had Captain Buckley, Lieutenants Armstrong, O'Niel, and Young, Ensigns Kennedy, Robertson, and Anderson, 1 serjeant-major, 4 serjeants, and 29 rank and file, killed; Major Campbell; Brevet-Majors Arguimbeau, M'Donald, Massey, and Dudgeon; Lieutenants Rea, Ingram, Simms, Clark, Mann, G. Stewart, Alstone, Dobbs, Morrison, Miller, Lane, Black, Scott, and Adjutant Cameron; Ensigns Cooper, Stephens, and M'Kay; Quarter-Master Griffith; Volunteer Blacklin; 20 serjeants, and 275 rank and file, wounded.

The battalion advanced with the main army into France, and encamped on the 6th of July at Clichy, on the banks of the Seine, two miles from Paris, where it remained nearly four months.

1st and 4th Batts.

In the meantime the 1st and 4th battalions had arrived at Portsmouth from Canada (as before stated), and the 4th having been completed to 1000 effective rank and file, by the transfer of men from the 1st, sailed for the Netherlands, to join the allied army under the Duke of Wellington; at the same time the remainder of the 1st battalion sailed for Scotland, and was stationed in Edinburgh Castle.

4th Batt.

The 4th battalion having landed at Ostend, marched up the country to Paris, and pitched its tents at Clichy, where the 3rd battalion was also encamped.

3rd Batt.

After the flight of Bonaparte, and the restoration of Louis XVIII. to the throne of France, rewards were conferred on the officers who had distinguished themselves during the war;[127] and the honour of bearing the word "Waterloo" on its colours, was conferred on the 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots; every officer and man present at the battles on the 16th and 18th of June, 1815, also received a silver medal, to be worn on the left breast, attached by a crimson and blue riband, and the soldiers had the privilege of reckoning two years' service towards additional pay and pension on discharge.

The 3rd battalion quitted the camp at Clichy on the 29th of October to go into cantonments for the winter: it occupied successively Maule, Montmorency, and Gillecourt, and their adjacents.

4th Batt.

1816

During the winter the 4th battalion was ordered to return to England,[128] where it arrived in the early part of 1816. From the period of its formation the 4th battalion was considered as a depôt to the other battalions of the regiment, until it embarked for Germany, in 1813. All recruits enlisted for the regiment, volunteers from the militia, and sick and wounded men sent home from foreign service with any prospect of being again fit for military duty, joined the 4th battalion; and the recruits were completely drilled before they were sent to join the other battalions.[129] Peace having been restored, the battalion was disbanded at Dover on the 24th of March, 1816.

1st Batt.

In February of the same year the 1st battalion marched from Edinburgh Castle to Port Patrick, where it embarked for Ireland, and remained in that country nearly ten years.

3rd Batt.

1817

The 3rd battalion, forming part of the army of occupation in France, marched from Gillecourt in January, 1816, and went into garrison at Valenciennes. It quitted this place in March, 1817, and proceeded to Calais, where it embarked for England, and landed at Dover on the 24th of the same month. It shortly afterwards marched to Canterbury barracks, where it was disbanded on the 24th of April, 1817.

1st and 2nd Batts.

The regiment was thus reduced to its former establishment of TWO BATTALIONS; and the men of the 3rd battalion having been transferred to the 1st and 2nd battalions, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent was pleased to grant permission to the 1st and 2nd battalions to bear the words "Busaco," "Salamanca," "Vittoria," "St. Sebastian," "Nive," "Peninsula," and "Waterloo," on their colours, in commemoration of the distinguished services of the 3rd battalion of the regiment, as before narrated.

2nd Batt.

In the meantime the 2nd battalion had continued actively employed in the East Indies against the Pindarees, and these barbarous hordes being composed entirely of horsemen, the services of the corps were of an arduous and trying nature; traversing extensive districts by forced marches, passing rivers and thickets, and attempting to surprise these bands of plunderers, were duties calculated to exhaust the physical powers of Europeans when performed under an Indian sun.

While the Royal Scots were engaged in these services, several of the native princes prepared to wage war against the British. Their designs were partly discovered and disconcerted by the Marquis of Hastings. Hostilities, however, followed, and the battalion was called upon to engage in the contest. The eight battalion companies formed part of the second division under the command of Brigadier-General Doveton; and the flank companies were destined to form part of the 1st division of the army of the Deccan, under Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Hislop, Baronet.

The battalion was stationed at Jaulnah; from whence the flank companies marched on the 11th of October, 1817, under the command of Captain Hulme, with two regiments of native cavalry, and four guns, to join the head-quarters of the 1st division, and arrived at Hurda on the 22nd. The battalion companies quitted Jaulnah on the 15th of October, under the command of Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, (Lieut.-Colonels N. M'Leod,[130] and Neil M'Kellar having the command of brigades,) and arrived, with the remainder of the 2nd division, its train of elephants, camels, and horses, at Meiker, on the 23rd. From this place the Royal Scots were detached, with the battering train, down the Berar Ghats, with the design of taking part in the reduction of Asseerghur, an important fortress, belonging to a native sovereign named Scindia; but the order was suddenly countermanded, and the division was directed to proceed to Nagpore, the capital of the Mahratta territories, an attack having been made on the British force at that place. The division proceeded for this station without delay; and the Royal Scots, following by forced marches, rejoined the head-quarters on the 7th of November, at Oomrouttee. From this place Brigadier-General Doveton pushed forward with the Royal Scots, and part of his division, and having encountered excessive fatigue, by constant marching, arrived on the 12th in the vicinity of Nagpore, where he was joined by the remainder of the division on the following day. In the meantime the British troops at this place had taken post on two strong eminences near the residency, on which attacks had been made by the Rajah's forces, and one of the eminences had been carried by a great superiority of numbers; but the other, though attacked, had been maintained.

On the arrival of Brigadier-General Doveton's division, the Rajah was inclined to come to terms, and he at length agreed to surrender his guns and disperse his troops; but the treachery he had already evinced induced the Brigadier-General to dispose his troops in order of battle when he advanced to take possession of the guns. The troops were accordingly formed in the following order:—Two regiments of native cavalry and six horse artillery six-pounders on the height; on its left Lieut.-Colonel M'Leod's brigade, composed of a wing of the Royal Scots, four regiments of native infantry, and the flank companies of another native regiment; Lieut.-Colonel M'Kellar's brigade, consisting of a division of the Royal Scots, a regiment of native infantry, and a detachment of horse artillery with four guns; on its left was Lieut.-Colonel Scot's brigade, of a division of the Royal Scots, a regiment of native infantry, and a detachment of foot artillery with sappers and miners, and two guns; a reserve of native infantry supported the line, and the principal battery of the artillery was posted in the rear of Lieut.-Colonel M'Leod's brigade. On the left of the position was an enclosed garden; beyond it the Nagah Nuddee; a small river ran from thence past the enemy's right; and three parallel ravines, terminating in the bed of the river, crossed the space between the infantry and the enemy; but in front of the cavalry, and on their right, the country was open. The enemy's position was masked by irregularities of the ground and clusters of houses and huts, and a thick plantation of trees, with ravines, and a large reservoir. On this ground the Rajah had formed an army of 21,000 men, of which 14,000 were horse, with seventy-five guns. Such was the ground on which the battle of Nagpore was fought. Beyond the river lay the city, from the walls of which the movements of both armies could be perceived.

The Rajah had agreed, after much procrastination, to surrender his guns at noon on the 16th of December; and the British force was put in motion to receive them. The first battery was taken possession of without opposition; but on the troops entering the plantation, the enemy treacherously opened a sharp fire of musketry on them. The action then commenced. The columns deployed. The brigades under Lieut.-Colonels M'Leod and M'Kellar carried the enemy's right battery with great gallantry, and afterwards drove the right wing from its ground. The other batteries were also carried, and the supporting troops routed, and the enemy was driven from all his positions, and pursued a distance of five miles. The enemy's camp equipage, 40 elephants, and 75 guns were captured; and the Royal Scots added to their former honours that of standing triumphant in the interior of India, over an immense superiority of numbers of the enemy. The battalion lost on this occasion 9 rank and file killed, and 26 wounded.

After this success the siege of the city of Nagpore was commenced. The troops which defended this place, consisting of about 5000 Arabs and Hindoostanees, insisted upon extraordinary terms; and these not being granted, they resolved on a desperate defence. On the 23rd of December a breach was made at the Jumma Durwazza gate, and an assault on the place was resolved on. One company of the Royal Scots, under the command of Lieutenant Bell, with five of native infantry, and a proportion of sappers and miners, were allotted for this service; and two other companies of the Royal Scots, under the command of Captain H. C. Cowell, were destined to attack the city at another gate; and the remaining five companies were kept for the protection of the batteries.

At half-past eight o'clock on the morning of the 24th of December the signal was given, when the storming party, rushing from the trenches, gained the breach, but were instantly assailed by a heavy fire of matchlocks from the adjoining buildings; at the same time the British troops were unable to injure their numerous antagonists, either by the fire of musketry or coming to close quarters. The Arabs, thus sheltered behind walls, each marked with fatal aim, and with impunity, his destined victim; and their fire under these circumstances is destructive at distances beyond that where European musketry is considered effective. Lieutenant Bell, of the Royal Scots, a most promising officer, who had served with the 3rd battalion during a great part of the war in Spain, was killed while gallantly leading his men to the attack; and the breach being found untenable, the troops were ordered to withdraw. The other storming parties succeeded in gaining the desired points; yet their positions were also untenable, and they were ordered to retire.

On the following day the Arabs renewed their offer to surrender; and their terms being acceded to, they marched out of the city on the 1st of January, 1818, and were allowed to go where they pleased, with the exception of proceeding to Asseerghur. The loss of the Royal Scots in the attack on Nagpore was 1 lieutenant (Bell) and 10 rank and file killed, with 2 serjeants and 49 rank and file wounded.

Brigadier-General Doveton, in his despatch to the Commander-in-Chief in India, stated—"During the operation in the field of the 2nd division of the army of the Deccan under my command, the conduct of the 2nd battalion of His Majesty's Royal Scots, under the immediate command of Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, has been invariably such as to entitle that valuable corps to my highest approbation and applause; and more particularly in the action with the enemy's army at this place on the 16th ultimo, their gallantry, steadiness, and good conduct were most exemplary."

Thus, whether Europe, Asia, Africa, or America be the scene of conflict, the conduct of the Royal Scots appears to have been uniformly the same; and the gallantry displayed by the 2nd battalion on this occasion was rewarded by the royal permission, dated the 29th of March, 1823, to bear the word "Nagpore" on its colours.

In the meantime the two flank companies, commanded by Captain Hulme, had been engaged in several movements with the 1st division of the army of the Deccan, and passed the Nerbuddah in flat-bottomed boats on the 30th of November. On the 8th of December the division arrived at Peepleea, and after four marches encamped in the vicinity of Oojain, a short distance from Maheidpoor, where the army of Mulhar Rao Holkur, one of the coalesced Mahratta powers against the British interests in India, was assembled. After various fruitless negociations, the division advanced against the enemy on the morning of the 22nd of December; and as the troops were crossing the ford of the Seeprah river they were exposed to a powerful and concentrated cannonade. About half a mile beyond the river stood the army of Holkur; and after passing the stream Brigadier-General Sir John Malcolm advanced with two brigades of infantry to attack the enemy's left and a ruined village situated on an eminence near the centre. The companies of the Royal Scots formed part of this force; and in the action which followed they evinced their native valour in a signal way. The enemy's left was brought forward in anticipation of the attack, and a destructive fire of grape shot was opened on the British; yet, encouraged by the example of Sir John Malcolm and Lieut.-Colonel M'Gregor Murray,[131] the Royal Scots rushed forward in the face of this tremendous fire; the enemy's infantry were driven from their position, and the village and batteries were carried at the point of the bayonet; the enemy's artillerymen were resolute, and stood their ground until they were bayoneted. While the Royal Scots were victorious at their point of attack, the enemy's right was overpowered; his centre gave way on the appearance of a brigade ascending from the river; and his troops, occupying a position where his camp stood, also fled on the advance of a British force to attack them. Thus the army of Mulhar Rao Holkur was routed; and in a general order, dated the 23rd of December, the Commander-in-Chief of the army of the Deccan observed—"The undaunted heroism displayed by the flank companies of the Royal Scots in storming and carrying, at the point of the bayonet, the enemy's guns on the right of Lieut.-Colonel Scot's brigade, was worthy of the high name and reputation of that regiment. Lieutenant M'Leod fell gloriously in the charge, and the conduct of Captain Hulme, Captain M'Gregor, and of every officer and man belonging to it entitles them to his Excellency's most favourable report and warmest commendation."

The loss of the Royal Scots on this occasion was Lieutenant Donald M'Leod, 1 serjeant, and 7 rank and file, killed; Lieutenants John M'Gregor and Charles Campbell, 4 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 27 rank and file, wounded. In commemoration of the valour evinced by these two companies the battalion obtained the royal permission to bear the word "Maheidpoor" on its colours.

1818

2nd Batt.

Arrangements having been made for the pursuit of Holkur, the troops advanced on the 28th of December, and on the 30th formed a junction with part of the Bombay army, under the command of Major-General Sir William Keir Grant, at Taul. Advancing from thence on the following day, the troops encamped in the beginning of January, 1818, at Mundesoor, and soon afterwards, Holkur's government having been brought to submission, the presence of the 1st division of the army of the Deccan being no longer necessary in this part of India, it marched southward. On the 22nd of January it crossed the Seeprah river, on the 24th it reached Oojain, where it halted until the 28th. On the 30th it was at Indoor; on the 13th of February it recrossed the Nerbuddah, and proceeding in the direction of the Taptee, encamped on the left bank of that river on the 27th, in the vicinity of Talnere, a town and fortress belonging to Holkur, formerly the capital of the sultans of the Adil Shahy dynasty, in the fifteenth century, which, it had been agreed, should be delivered up to the British government, but which, unexpectedly, opened a fire upon the advanced part of the division. A summons was sent to the Killedar, who commanded the garrison, warning him of the consequences of resistance; and, no answer being returned, a battery was brought to bear on the fort, which silenced the enemy's fire in a few hours, but not before several casualties had occurred from the well-directed fire of matchlocks from the walls. On a further examination of the fort, one of the outer gates was discovered to be in a ruinous state; and the flank companies of the Royal Scots and of the Madras European regiment, were placed under the orders of Major Gordon, of the Royal Scots, for the attack of the gate. The garrison offered to capitulate; and an unconditional surrender was demanded without delay; but, the evening being advanced, it was suspected the enemy would attempt to escape during the approaching darkness, and the storming party advanced up to the gate. A passage for single files between the walls and the frame of the outer gate was discovered, and no opposition being offered, the storming party and pioneers entered: they subsequently passed the second gate, and at the third were met by the Killedar and some natives. Lieut.-Colonel Conway, the Adjutant General to the army, with Lieut.-Colonel M'Gregor Murray, had entered with the storming party, and they passed through the third and fourth gates; but at the fifth and last gate they were stopped, though the wicket was opened. A hurried conversation about terms of surrender now took place; and Colonel Murray, concluding that there was an urgent necessity for establishing such a footing as would secure eventual success should the enemy hold out, entered by the wicket with Major Gordon and three grenadiers of the Royal Scots, but refrained from drawing his sword, to show he had no intention of breaking off the parley. Five persons only had passed the wicket when the enemy fell upon them, and in a moment laid them all dead, excepting Colonel Murray, who fell towards the wicket covered with wounds. The enemy attempted to close the wicket, but were prevented by a grenadier, private Sweeny, of the Royal Scots, who thrust his musket into the aperture: Lieut.-Colonel M'Intosh and Captain M'Craith forced the wicket open, and it was held in this state while the captain was with one hand dragging Colonel Murray through, and with the other warding off blows with his sword. A fire was then poured in through the wicket, which cleared the gateway sufficiently for the grenadiers of the Royal Scots, under Captain M'Gregor, who formed the head of the storming party, to enter, and the fort was carried by assault, but at the expense of the captain's life. The garrison was put to the sword, and the Killedar was hanged on the same evening. The Royal Scots had Major Gordon, Captain P. M'Gregor, and 3 private men killed; Lieutenant John M'Gregor (brother to the captain),[132] and 3 rank and file, wounded. The conduct of the Royal Scots on this occasion was spoken of, in general orders, in terms of commendation; and the intrepidity and courage of Major Gordon and Captain M'Gregor were especially noticed.

In the meantime, the 2nd division of the army of the Deccan, with which the eight battalion companies of the Royal Scots were serving, had been withdrawn from Nagpore, and proceeded (22nd January) towards Ellichpoor. In the early part of February, detachments from the division captured the two strong hill-forts of Gawelghur and Narnullah. The division was afterwards encamped at Ootran; in March it proceeded to Copergaum, and on the 17th of that month encamped on the left bank of that noble river the Godavery, near Fooltaumba; at the same time the 1st division was encamped on the opposite bank of the river. Here the 2nd division resumed its former designation of the Hyderabad division. Two flank and three battalion companies of the Royal Scots were directed to proceed to Hyderabad; and the remaining five companies continued in the field with the force under Brigadier-General Doveton. These companies were commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, and on his appointment to the command of a brigade, by Captain Joseph Wetherall,[133] the next officer in seniority.

The division was engaged in operations against Peishwah Bajee Rao (one of the Mahratta confederacy), who, with an army of cavalry said to amount to 20,000 men, studiously avoided a conflict with the British field force, and sought to accomplish his object by sudden marches and surprises. Information having been received of an intended attack of this chief on the cantonments of Jaulnah, the Hyderabad division, with which were three companies of the Royal Scots, commanded by Captain Wetherall (the other two companies remaining at Fooltaumba), proceeded seventy-two miles in two forced marches, and before the remaining thirty miles were accomplished, the Peishwah had proceeded in another direction. After a short halt, the division continued the pursuit of the flying enemy, encountering many difficulties while traversing parts of the country which had never before witnessed the presence of a British army, and using the most indefatigable exertions, it frequently occurring that the troops occupied the ground which Bajee Rao had left on the preceding day. After a circuitous route, having performed forty-one marches in forty days, at the hottest period of the year, during which time the division had only two halts, the troops returned for supplies to Jaulnah, where they encamped on the 11th of May. In this difficult service the European soldiers had not evinced any want of physical power; they had performed their marches cheerfully, and their only complaint was not being able to overtake the flying enemy. After a halt of two days, the division again resumed the chase of its flying foe, and continued the pursuit until the Peishwah surrendered himself to the British government, when it returned to Jaulnah.

Meanwhile the two companies of the Royal Scots left at Fooltaumba, under the command of Lieutenant Bland, had marched with a body of troops, under Lieut.-Colonel M'Dowall, of the East India Company's service, into the Candeish country, and had captured the fort of Unkye, situated on the summit of the Candeish Ghats, also the forts of Rajdeir and Inderye, in which service the two companies had a few private men wounded. They were next engaged in the reduction of the strong hill-fort of Trimbuck, situated near the source of the river Godavery, which surrendered on the 25th of April; their loss on this occasion was 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and 8 private men, wounded. The conduct of the Royal Scots in this service was spoken of in terms of commendation in detachment orders. The capture of Trimbuck was followed by the surrender of seventeen other forts.

After this service the detachment proceeded to the strong fort of Malleygaum, situated on the river Moassum, and defended by a party of the Arabs, who surrendered to Brigadier-General Doveton at Nagpore. This place was defended by two lines of works, with very high walls, the inner one of superior masonry and surrounded by a ditch 25 feet deep and 16 feet wide. On the 18th of May a sortie of the garrison was repulsed; and on the 19th two batteries opened their fire. A breach having been effected, an attempt was made to carry the fort by storm: 2 officers and 50 rank and file of the Royal Scots, commanded by Lieutenant Bland, formed part of the principal storming party against the breach, and Lieutenant Orrock and 25 rank and file part of a column destined to make an attack on another point; but success was found impracticable, and the storming party was withdrawn. Another point of attack was afterwards selected, and new batteries raised. Two of the enemy's magazines having been blown up, the garrison surrendered, and the British flag was hoisted on the walls of Malleygaum, on the morning of the 13th of June. The Royal Scots lost in this siege 5 rank and file killed; Ensign Thomas, 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and 11 rank and file, wounded.

1819

The whole of the hill-forts in the Candeish being reduced, the two companies of the Royal Scots proceeded to Jaulnah, and joined the other three companies of the battalion, with the Hyderabad division at that place. Here the troops expected to take up their monsoon quarters; but, when all who were obliged to live under canvass were busily engaged in making arrangements to mitigate the severity of the approaching rains, the division was ordered to proceed with all possible expedition to Nagpore. Quitting Jaulnah on the 7th of August, the troops commenced the march, and the dreaded rains immediately set in; the roads became almost impassable; the baggage was unable to keep up with the troops, and the tents were consequently in the rear, so that the men were frequently exposed for twenty-four hours to incessant rain; no shelter could be procured in the villages, and every comfort was wanting. Exposed to these calamities, the troops arrived at Ellichpoor on the 3rd of September in such a state as to be totally unfit to proceed any further. Here they halted until the 21st of December, when they were again put in motion, and halted at Walkeira on the 30th, where the five companies of the Royal Scots were, in consequence of their long service in the field, relieved by a division of His Majesty's 30th regiment from Hyderabad. The five companies then returned to Jaulnah, expecting to continue their march to the Deccan, but were ordered to proceed to Boorhaunpoor in charge of a battering train which lay at Jaulnah. On the 1st of March, 1819, they rejoined the Hyderabad division, encamped near the city of Boorhaunpoor, and marched to engage in the siege of the celebrated fortress of Asseerghur, which, on account of its strength, was termed "the Gibraltar of the East." This fortress is situated on a detached hill, not commanded by any other in its neighbourhood. It consists of an upper and lower fort; the upper one, of an irregular form, about 1100 yards from east to west, and about 600 from north to south; it crowns the top of the hill, which is about 750 feet in height; and all round it, with the exception of one place which is strongly fortified, there is a perpendicular precipice from 80 to 120 feet, surmounted with a low wall full of loop-holes. Below this are two lines of works, the outer one forming the lower fort, which rises directly above the pettah, and the entrance to which is protected by strong gateways and flanking works; and immense labour and great skill had been employed in rendering this naturally strong post almost impregnable. Such was the formidable fortress against which the five companies of the Royal Scots were about to be employed.

The Hyderabad division was encamped at Neembolah, about seven miles from this celebrated fortress, belonging to his Highness Doulat Rao Scindia, and, negotiations having failed, about twelve o'clock on the night of the 17th of March, five companies of the Royal Scots,[134] commanded by Captain J. Wetherall, with the flank companies of the 30th, 67th, and Madras European regiments, five companies of native infantry, and a detachment of sappers and miners, the whole commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, of the Royal Scots, and a reserve, commanded by Major Dalrymple, of the 30th, assembled at the camp for the attack of the pettah of Asseer; another party was also directed to co-operate in this service from Sir J. Malcolm's division.

Between one and two o'clock the column commenced its march; advancing up the bed of a deep nullah, or small river, nearly dry at the time, the assaulting party arrived unobserved within 500 yards of the pettah, then rushed upon the gate with the greatest ardour and steadiness, the five companies of the Royal Scots leading the way. The enemy was surprised, and, after discharging a few rounds of grape, retired without making further opposition. The head of the attacking column forced the gate, and, proceeding up the main street, encountered an advanced piquet of the enemy, which retired to the lower fort, firing occasionally at the head of the column. Major Charles M'Leod, of the East India Company's service, Deputy Quartermaster-General, acted as guide on the occasion, and by his direction the leading files of the Royal Scots pursued the enemy close under the walls of the fortress, from whence an incessant fire of artillery and matchlocks was kept up, and a few ill-directed rockets were also discharged. The leading sections of the Royal Scots, which had pursued the enemy up the hill, were joined by one or two files of the 30th and 67th regiments, the whole amounting to about 25 or 30 men; and as soon as the enemy saw the small force before which they had so precipitately fled, they immediately rallied, and came shouting down the hill with augmented numbers to attack this small party, but were repulsed by a spirited charge with the bayonet, which, with a few rounds of musketry, obliged them to retreat within the works, some of which were within 50 or 60 yards of this handful of men, leaving their chief, who was shot by a soldier of the Royal Scots, and several men, on the ground. Major M'Leod, being wounded, proceeded to the rear; and the enemy having established a cross fire from the walls of the lower fort and from two cavaliers, Captain Wetherall ordered the advanced party to retire a short distance to a post established by Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, where there was some cover for the men. The loss of the leading sections in this affair was 1 private soldier killed; Major M'Leod, Lieutenant Bland, and 11 rank and file, wounded. The remainder of the column did not sustain any loss, the men being protected from the enemy's fire by the houses in which they had established themselves.[135]

The assaulting party maintained its post until night, when it was relieved by fresh troops, and the five companies of the Royal Scots returned to their tents, which had been left standing at Neembolah; but Lieut.-Colonel Fraser remained in command of the troops at the pettah. At day-break on the 19th a heavy gun battery opened against the fort. At dusk in the evening a party of the enemy issued from the lower fort, crept unperceived down a deep ravine to the rear of the pettah, and gained the main street, where they encountered the British troops, and were repulsed and forced to abandon their enterprise. Lieut.-Colonel Fraser, of the Royal Scots, while in the act of gallantly encouraging the soldiers, and directing them to withhold their fire and give the enemy the bayonet, was shot in the head and fell dead on the spot: his body was afterwards conveyed to the camp at Neembolah and interred with military honours.[136]

On the 21st of March the five companies of the Royal Scots took their turn of duty in the pettah, where they arrived a little before day-break. As soon as it was light a heavy gun battery opened on the forts with great effect, but it had only fired about a dozen rounds when, from some accident which could not be explained, the magazine in the rear of it, containing 130 barrels of gunpowder, exploded, killing a conductor of ordnance, a native officer, and 34 non-commissioned officers and rank and file, and wounding another native officer and 65 non-commissioned officers and rank and file. Such was the violence of the explosion that about six inches of the top of a bayonet was blown nearly six hundred yards from the battery. From this period until the 29th new batteries of heavy guns and mortars were erected, and, a breach having been effected in the wall of the lower fort, the enemy abandoned it and retired to the upper one: the lower fort was taken possession of on the morning of the 30th by part of Sir John Malcolm's division.

The Royal Scots, with the remainder of the Hyderabad division, had in the meantime removed from their ground at Neembolah and occupied a position three miles north-east of the fortress. During the progress of constructing the new batteries on elevated and commanding situations, the dragging of ordnance into many of them was performed by the European soldiers, who literally worked like horses; and during the whole of the time they were annoyed by a constant fire of matchlocks from the walls of the upper fort, but which was too distant to prevent the execution of this herculean labour, which was performed with that ardour and cheerfulness so characteristic of British soldiers, when necessity demands any extraordinary exertions from them.

On the 31st of March part of the Bengal army, consisting of 2,200 native troops, with 22 pieces of heavy ordnance, commanded by Brigadier-General Watson, joined the besieging force; and these guns were soon placed in battery, and opened on the fort. The storm of war now raged round Asseerghur with awful fury; the shot and shells from the numerous British batteries flew in showers, a dozen shells sometimes exploding within the area of the upper fort at the same moment, and a breach was soon effected in the outer retaining wall at the only assailable part of the fort; at the same time two batteries of 18 and 24-pounders were directed against the inner wall. This unremitting fire was continued until the 6th of April, when the garrison, apprehending the consequences of having to sustain an attack on the works by storm, forced the Killedar to sue for terms, namely, "liberty to preserve their arms and to depart with their personal property." These conditions being refused, hostilities recommenced; the Killedar, however, accepted the terms offered on the 8th, and agreed on his part to surrender the fort on the morning of the 9th, and the firing ceased; but, as he said he could not answer for the garrison, the control of which he had lost, preparations were made for renewing operations in case of refusal. The garrison, however, submitted; a British guard took possession of the gates at the appointed hour; and a union flag was sent, with an escort of 100 Europeans and the like number of native infantry, to the upper fort, and hoisted under a royal salute from all the batteries. The garrison, amounting to 1200 men, marched out at noon and grounded their arms. Their loss was inconsiderable, from having such good cover from the fire of the British batteries, being only 43 killed, and 95 wounded; and this was chiefly occasioned by the bursting of shells. The loss of the besieging army was 11 European and 4 native officers, and 95 European and 213 native soldiers killed and wounded, including the loss at the explosion of the magazine on the 21st of March. Of this number the Royal Scots had only 7 rank and file killed and wounded in addition to the loss on the 18th of March. The force employed against Asseerghur amounted to about 20,000 men; the ordnance of all calibre to 61 guns and 40 mortars and howitzers: the enemy had 119 guns and mortars mounted on the works, and some of the guns were of immense calibre—one a 384-pounder.[137]