“ During two long trying days the combatants fought a desperate battle, until at last Bouquet’s genius as a leader achieved a brilliant victory. This victory, pronounced by an American historian “the best contested action ever fought between white men and Indians,” was followed up in the coming year by a vigorous advance by Bradstreet upon Detroit by way of Lake Erie; and by Bouquet marching from Fort Pitt with a column consisting of his own Battalion of the 60th, the 42nd, and Provincial troops, which he led into the very heart of the enemy’s country. ”

“ The troops, though completely surrounded, maintained the fight for nearly seven hours, until at last, in the gloom of approaching night and a heavy thunderstorm, the fire ceased and the enemy sullenly withdrew.
The Battalion had lost five out of thirteen officers, and 119 out of 295 other ranks; of I Company only one officer and thirteen men were left, but nowhere had the enemy gained ground. The survivors, without food or water, and with ammunition running short, but with courage and discipline still unshaken, then faced the last ordeal of that long day. ”

“ Through the bold initiative of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Bouquet, [1] a Swiss officer of distinction, commanding the 1st Battalion, the 60th Royal Americans adopted Colonial methods of equipment, simpler drill, open formations, and the Indian system of forest warfare, thus early acquiring those attributes of individual action, swift initiative, and of elastic though firm discipline, which have been the conspicuous characteristics of the Regiment throughout its long and brilliant career, characteristics which have made its reputation. ”

“ In consequence, the rapidity and smartness of manœuvre, the strong self-reliance and individuality of the Riflemen, and the excellent feeling existing between officers and men were conspicuously the attributes of the rejuvenated 3rd Battalion. The Battalion, therefore, not only won for itself a great reputation as a fighting unit, but conveyed later the same spirit to the Mounted Infantry, for the inception and success of which its officers and Riflemen were largely responsible. ”

“ By a rapid charge he overwhelmed the rear guard, captured two guns, killed Benson, and surrounded the column, but was eventually beaten off. The 25th M.I. fought with a stubborn courage, and by their sturdy gallantry kept the Boers at bay and gloriously upheld the traditions of the Regiment, losing in the action eleven men killed, five officers and forty-five men wounded.
Thus—stoutly fought out on both sides by mounted troops of this especial type—ended a fight which has been described as unique in the annals of war. ”

“ On the 21st of June Wellington gained a splendid victory over King Joseph at Vittoria, capturing 150 guns and his whole transport. The companies of the Regiment with Picton and the 3rd Division played an especially brilliant part. Ignominiously driven from Spain the French Army rallied on the Bidassoa, where Soult assumed command, having been despatched by Napoleon to supersede his brother King Joseph and Marshal Jourdan. He immediately attacked the English, but was defeated with great slaughter at the battle of the Pyrenees, which lasted eight days, July the 24th to August the 2nd. ”

“ The Mounted Infantry movement therefore may be said to owe its inception, and in a large measure its success, to the officers of the 60th, and to their riflemen.
The Mounted Infantry system thus begun was largely developed, so that upon the outbreak of the South African war in 1899 there were many thousands of officers and men throughout the infantry of the Army who had been trained as Mounted Infantry. ”

“ In June, 1886, a comprehensive scheme for raising and training Mounted Infantry in England was first proposed, before a public audience, by an officer of the 60th, under the powerful wing of Lord Wolseley, and in November of the same year Mounted Infantry were raised and trained under Captain Lewis Butler at Shorncliffe from detachments of the 2nd Battalion and other regiments, under the effective supervision of Colonel Sir Baker Russell. ”

“ These officers and men brought with them into the Battalion the vigorous spirit of the Regiment, its flexible drill and tactics, its ideals of rapidity and elasticity of movement, rendered possible by the most careful attention to detail ”

“ When, in 1887, it was subsequently decided to form a regiment of Mounted Infantry for service with the Cavalry Division, composed of detachments from nearly all infantry battalions on home service, the command and organisation was again given to an officer of the 60th, and, out of the eight companies composing the original regiment, the 60th and Rifle Brigade found two, or one-fourth of the whole corps. ”

“ Soult, following in pursuit, attacked them in the act of embarking, but met with a crushing defeat. The British, however, paid a high price for their victory: Baird was severely wounded, and the gallant Sir John Moore was killed—his death being a heavy loss to the British Army. At this juncture General Hope [18] took over the command and completed the embarkation of the troops. The Regiment, having been allotted to the defence of the town of Corunna, was not actually engaged in the battle. ”

“ Then came the retreat to Ladysmith by a forced march under peculiarly trying circumstances, and on the 30th October took place the battle of Lombard’s Kop, which, indecisive in its effect, led to the investment by the Boer Army. The four months Defence of Ladysmith was the result, the chief battle being that of Waggon Hill on January the 6th, 1900.
Up to March, 1900, the Battalion lost eight officers and forty-three men killed, eight officers and 180 men wounded, and eighty-one men who died in hospital. ”

“ Nov. 15th, 1764, RED INDIAN CAMPAIGN. It was at once decided that Fort Pitt on the Ohio, guarding as it did the Western frontier of the Colonies, must be saved at any cost, but owing to the reduction 7of the Army in America after the great war, it was with the utmost difficulty that, at Carlisle, 150 miles west of Philadelphia, a small column was formed under Bouquet, consisting of barely 500 men of the 1st Battalion 60th Royal Americans and the 42nd Highlanders. ”

“ July 22nd, 1812, SALAMANCA. The next year, 1812, opened with the siege, assault, and capture of Ciudad Rodrigo, and immediately afterwards ensued the successful siege of Badajoz. Sending Hill to destroy the bridge of Almarez, Wellington proceeded northwards, and on the 22nd of July defeated Marmont at the battle of Salamanca, the crowning feat of a long series of brilliant manœuvres. The English General thereupon marched towards 14Madrid, and, driving King Joseph before him, entered the capital in triumph on the 12th of August. ”

“ It had been found that the slow and ponderous movements of troops trained 3upon the European model, with their heavy accoutrements, tight uniforms, and unsuitable tactics, were helpless against savages, and almost equally helpless against soldiers habituated to wars in the dense forests and trackless wastes of America. ”

“ On the termination of the campaign the Commander-in-Chief in India published the following General Order:
“The 2nd Battalion 60th Rifles has throughout the war maintained its high reputation for efficiency. ”

“ This Battalion—commanded for fourteen years (1860–1873) by Lieutenant-Colonel Hawley, [37] an officer of commanding personality and ability—achieved at this period 24and later the highest reputation for its system of light drill and of organisation then far in advance of the age, a system which has gradually been adopted by the whole Army. The Regiment, both individually and collectively, is deeply indebted to Hawley. Sir Redvers Buller [38] and Lord Grenfell [39] owed their early training to his tuition ”

“ This order was promptly carried out; the men clung to the side as they stood (the ship lurching and bumping heavily) , and passed out the women and children through; no man murmuring or moving from his post. ”

“ THE KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS.
“Celer et Audax.”
“Louisberg,” “Quebec, 1759,” “Martinique, 1762, 1809,” “Havannah,” “Roleia,” “Vimiera,” “Talavera,” “Busaco,” “Fuentes D’Onor,” “Albuhera,” “Ciudad Rodrigo,” “Badajoz,” “Salamanca,” “Vittoria,” “Pyrenees,” “Nivelle,” “Nive,” “Orthes,” “Toulouse,” “Peninsula,” “Punjaub,” “Mooltan,” “Goojerat,” “Delhi,” “Taku Forts,” “Pekin,” “South Africa, 1851–2–3, 1879,” “Ahmad Khel,” “Kandahar, 1880,” “Afghanistan, 1878–80,” “Egypt, 1882, 1884,” “Tel-el-Kebir,” “Chitral,” “South Africa, 1899–1902,” “Defence of Ladysmith,” “Relief of Ladysmith.” ”

“ If this is so, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps may lay a fair claim to a goodly share of such an important result.
38 IX.
1886–1898.—Indian Frontier. Chitral. Manipur. Wreck of the “Warren Hastings.”
1891, INDIAN FRONTIER. In March, 1891, the 1st Battalion, then recently arrived in India, formed part of the 3rd Brigade, Hazara Field Force, and took part in the operations on the Samana Range, where Colonel Cramer, [59] commanding the Battalion, was severely wounded; and the command throughout the remainder of the campaign devolved upon Major the Hon. Keith Turnour. ”

“ A second section, formed in December, 1899, fought 47with Dundonald’s mounted troops in the Relief of Ladysmith, subsequently joining Gough’s M.I. at Blood River Poort, where it was severely handled and its commander, Mildmay, was killed. ”