Richard Cannon

“ Thus terminated the celebrated siege of Gibraltar; the nations of Europe were struck with admiration of the gallant defenders of the fortress; the British people applauded their governor and his brave garrison; and the officers and soldiers received the thanks of Parliament and the approbation of their Sovereign. ”

“ Lord Charles Manners, ninth son of John, second Duke of Rutland, was many years an officer in the Third Regiment of Foot Guards, in which corps he was promoted to the rank of captain and lieutenant-colonel, on the 27th of May, 1745. On the breaking out of the seven years’ war, he was commissioned to raise, form, and discipline a regiment of foot, now the Fifty-sixth, of which he was appointed colonel in December, 1755. In 1759 he was promoted to the rank of major-general. ”

“ The King of Spain then seized on what appeared to be a favorable opportunity to declare war, and to wrest from Great Britain the important fortress of Gibraltar, which had resisted every attempt to retake it, since its capture by the British in 1704.
In June, 1779, the intercourse of the garrison of Gibraltar with the Spanish territory was suddenly stopped, so that several officers on leave of absence, experienced difficulty in rejoining their corps. A numerous Spanish army speedily blockaded the fortress on the land side, and the garrison became insulated from the rest of the world. ”

“ The Spaniards appeared astounded at this disgrace; they made no attempt to extinguish the flames; but appeared at a loss how to proceed. Early in December they began to arouse themselves, and to restore the batteries; but were retarded by the fire of the garrison. While the besiegers were using diligence in repairing the old works, and constructing new ones, the gallant defenders of the fortress were equally indefatigable,—every Serjeant, drummer, musician, officer’s servant, and private soldier was required to use the musket, shovel, and pickaxe, as his services were necessary. ”

“ In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, been undisturbed by the presence of war, which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service, and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or no interval of repose. ”

“ Measures for enforcing a system of economy, having interfered with the emoluments which British officers in the command of native regiments had been accustomed to receive, from the contract for supplying their corps with camp equipment, the civil and military authorities of Madras became opposed to each other; from this misunderstanding resulted serious disaffection and disobedience of orders in the native army; and the head-quarters and companies of the first battalion of the Fifty-sixth at Bombay, were suddenly ordered to Madras. ”

“ The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; and their character has been established in Continental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have maintained their advantages against superior numbers. ”

“ Scarcely had the fleet cast anchor, when the enemy’s batteries opened, and the fire of upwards of one hundred guns and mortars enveloped the fortress in a storm of war; a number of gun-boats augmented the iron tempest which beat against the rock, and the houses of the inhabitants were soon in ruins. Surgeon Thomas Chisholm, of the Fifty-sixth, was severely wounded by the splinter of a shell, on the 15th of April; Lieutenant Edward Vicars of the regiment was also wounded on the 26th of October, and Ensign Richard Edgar on the 3rd of November. ”

“ In April, the head-quarters marched to Fermoy, and from thence to Cork, where the regiment was concentrated, in expectation of being removed to England. The public service, however, required that it should remain in Ireland, and it has since furnished detachments to Ballincollig, Bandon, Buttevant, Mallow, Dummanway, Skibbereen, Millstreet, &c., in order to be in readiness to aid the civil power, if its services should be required, in consequence of meetings of large masses of the people, to agitate the repeal of the union between Great Britain and Ireland. ”

“ In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor,—on their sufferings,—and on the sacrifice of valuable life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved. ”

“ The Fifty-sixth Regiment is distinguished for its career of valuable service to the crown and kingdom; and it was conspicuous for its pre-eminent efficiency in point of numbers and discipline during the war from 1803 to 1815, during which period it was augmented to three battalions, which were all employed on foreign service. It was a favourite corps in England, particularly in the county of Surrey; and although many men were lost by casualties abroad, yet its effectives [54] generally amounted to two thousand rank and file. ”

“ A finer body of men than compose this regiment is perhaps nowhere to be seen; they are clean and soldierlike in appearance, well appointed, and in no respect deficient: in short, the care and attention of Lieut-Colonel Barclay, and of the officers, and the good disposition of the men, are evident, and could alone have led to the state in which the Fifty-sixth Regiment now is. ”

“ All the troops of the expedition conducting themselves with heroic ardour, the opposition of the enemy was speedily overcome, and the conquest of the island accomplished in so short a period of time, that Lieutenant-Colonel Keating stated in his public despatch,—“In all the operations the troops evinced the native energy and gallantry of Britons, and in a few hours this rich, extensive, and valuable colony was added to the British dominions.” Lieutenant Mallet and a party of the regiment, proceeded with the French troops which had surrendered, to the Cape of Good Hope. ”

“ Notwithstanding its numerous losses, the recruiting of the regiment was conducted with great success, under the influence and zealous efforts of its colonel, and its ranks received a constant supply of young men, many of them from the county of Surrey. At this period the war in Europe had attained a crisis: the British forces had triumphed in Portugal and Spain, and had forced the barrier of the Pyrenees and penetrated France; the Emperor Napoleon had lost a numerous army in the north ”

“ On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery, and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's Approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes. ”

“ This frigate cannonaded the port of Aleppi, where a party of the Twelfth Foot had been treacherously seized, their wrists broken with a heavy piece of iron, their hands tied behind them, and after lying several days in a dungeon, were precipitated from a rock into the sea. ”

“ THE character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour, by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted. ”

“ The Fifty-sixth Regiment had twelve rank and file killed; one officer and twenty-three rank and file wounded: the regiment also sustained the loss of many brave men from diseases.
For its distinguished conduct on this occasion, the regiment was honored with the royal authority to bear the word “Moro” on its regimental colours, which forms a conspicuous feature in its Record; few corps having acquired an honorary inscription for their colours on their first service. ”

“ At this period a favorable opportunity appeared to present itself for rescuing Holland from the power of France, into which it had fallen during the early part of 1795, and a plan of co-operation was concerted between Great Britain and Russia, in the expectation that the Dutch would rise against the French, and, aided by the Anglo-Russian force, would exert themselves to effect their emancipation. The Fifty-sixth being selected to share in this enterprise, joined the troops at Barham Downs on the 31st of July, and in the middle of September embarked at Deal for Holland. ”

“ Having been promoted to the rank of major-general in 1805, and returned to Europe, he served on the staff of the eastern district, from December of that year to April, 1808; and he subsequently commanded the King’s German Legion in the expedition to the Baltic, &c., under Sir John Moore, whom he accompanied to Portugal. ”

“ HORSE-GUARDS,
1st January, 1836.⁠ His Majesty has been pleased to command, that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars, viz.,
——The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time employed ”