Richard Cannon

“ Undaunted by this, the Fourteenth dashed forward, cleared the walls as they went, and, turning to the right, they drove the enemy from bastion to bastion, and from tower to tower, with astonishing intrepidity and success, capturing a colour which was on one of the bastions. The enemy sprang a mine, which killed several soldiers of the regiment; the Bhurtpore artillerymen fought with great desperation, and the defenders of the walls evinced much personal bravery, but they could not withstand the superior prowess and discipline of the British troops. ”

“ Its veteran commanding officer, Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Browne, became quite exhausted, and sat for some time on a chair behind the colours. At length an aide-de-camp arrived from Major-General Fox, commanding the brigade, with orders for the Fourteenth to retreat; and while performing this retrograde movement, they preserved an unbroken formation. Surrounded by enemies, fired upon by infantry and artillery, and menaced by cavalry, the regiment preserved its order with astonishing firmness, forming divisions in the rear against cavalry, and marching over ground covered with dead bodies. ”

“ Every man of the Fourteenth was proud of the reputation which the regiment had acquired, with which he identified himself; even the recruits possessed the same esprit de corps. After the capture of Gueldermalsen a young soldier, named Sullivan, struck the butt-end of his musket against a cask, when the musket went off, and the ball passed through the soldier's body. He instantly called to Lieutenant Graves, and said, "I hope, Sir, you will let my friends know that I always behaved as became a good soldier," and immediately expired. ”

“ The Duke of York detached seven Austrian battalions, and the second brigade of British infantry, (Fourteenth, Thirty-seventh, and Fifty-third,) under Major-General Fox, who, though they had lost so many men only four days before, anxiously wished to get into action. Nothing could exceed their spirit and perseverance; they stormed the village of Pontechin, and after firing a few shot rushed with fixed bayonets into the heart of the enemy, and turned the fate of the day once more in favour of the allies. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The cavalry attacks on the British line were particularly severe, and were supported by large bodies of troops of all arms; the infantry pressing forward, while dragoons, lancers, carabineers, and cuirassiers advanced in overwhelming numbers, threatening to bear down all opposition; masking at times the advance of infantry; charging the British squares, and when repulsed, quickly re-forming; while individuals, spurred on by an ardent but unavailing intrepidity, were observed searching for an opening in the British battalions by which to penetrate, and usually perishing in the vain attempt. ”

“ King James died in France in 1701, when Louis XIV. proclaimed the Pretender King of Great Britain by the title of James III.; this event, with the elevation of the Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV., to the throne of Spain, in violation of solemn engagements, was followed by a sanguinary war with France and Spain, during which the continent of Europe, and the peninsula of Portugal and Spain, became theatres for the display of British valour, but the Fourteenth Regiment was selected to remain in Ireland. ”

“ The Fourteenth Regiment joined the expedition, and sailed with the immense fleet of Indiamen, transports, [54] and merchant-vessels, under the convoy of a squadron of the royal navy commanded by Admiral Christian, which, on quitting the British shores, presented a magnificent spectacle calculated to impress the mind with a just idea of British power; but the voyage had been delayed until a very late period of the year, and the fleet encountered so severe a storm that several ships foundered at sea, others were wrecked on the western coast of England, and the greater part returned to port. ”

“ In the mean time the war in Europe was prosecuted with great vigour; the British troops were victorious in the Peninsula, and every effort was made to bring a powerful army into the field. At this period a third battalion was added to the Fourteenth Regiment of Foot; it was raised by volunteers from the Militia and assembled at Weedon under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel the Honorable James Stewart, and was soon in a condition fit for active service. ”

“ Lieut.-Colonel Doyle being appointed to the command of one of the attacking columns, obtained permission to place at the head of his party, one hundred volunteers of the Fourteenth Regiment, and having assembled the corps, he said, "Soldiers, one hundred volunteers from among you are to lead the column that I am to command upon a service of the greatest danger; I have thought it right to state this before I call upon you; such of you as volunteer this dangerous enterprise, recover arms:" when every man brought his musket to the "recover." ”

“ Spain having united with France in the war against Great Britain, orders were issued to attack the Spanish possessions in the West Indies, and in the early part of February, 1797, the Fourteenth Regiment proceeded to Cariacou, where an expedition was assembled to attack the island of Trinidad. On the morning of the 15th of February the fleet sailed on the enterprise, and as it anchored near the shores of Trinidad, the Spaniards became conscious of their inability to resist, and set fire to their naval force in the harbour. ”

“ The troops landed in the bay of Mapou, and advanced through a thick wood, skirmishing occasionally with the French. On diverging into the open country, the British marched direct upon Port Louis, but the soldiers suffering much from the want of water, the army halted at the streams at the powder mills, five miles from the town. Resuming the march on the following day, the troops were opposed by the enemy in force, when some sharp fighting occurred, in which the British soldiers were triumphant. The Fourteenth had one man killed, and two wounded, on this occasion. ”

“ The energies of his mind were also directed to the improvement of the morale, as well as to ameliorate the materiel of the army. Being a man of high and sensitive honor himself, he wished to inspire all his brother officers with the same sentiments, by impressing them with a just idea of what they owed to themselves, both as individuals, and as members of the profession of arms. Conscious that no man can be truly respectable who does not respect himself, he was always anxious to uphold and encourage this principle ”

“ 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. ”

“ From Harwich the regiment marched to Hitchin and its neighbourhood; and when passing through the several towns on its route it was hailed with acclamations by the inhabitants; almost every officer and soldier bore marks of bullets having passed through his accoutrements or clothing; the colours were perforated in many places, and were borne by Lieutenants Stuart and Graves, the two senior subalterns,—so many casualties had occurred among the officers. The achievements of the regiment had been made known, and it was everywhere congratulated on its gallant exploits. ”

“ In the meantime a revolution had taken place in France, where a republican party had seized the reins of government, beheaded their sovereign, and involved the country in anarchy and bloodshed. Not content with carrying the horrors of democracy into every part of France, the republicans endeavoured to propagate their doctrines in all countries, and to overturn the constitution of every monarchy in Europe. ”

“ The Fourteenth was one of the regiments ordered home on this occasion; it arrived in the north of England, and formed part of the army assembled by Field-Marshal Wade, at Newcastle, to prevent the rebels penetrating into South Britain; and, in the second week of November, it was detached to Berwick, where it arrived in time to prevent the rebels capturing that town. The regiment afterwards marched to Scotland, and when the clans made a precipitate retreat from Derby, back to Scotland, it took up its quarters in the city of Edinburgh. ”

“ On advancing to the attack, the battalion was checked, at a sudden turn in a winding road cut on the side of a steep hill, by an abattis occupied by French troops, when Captain James Graves sprang up the bank by the aid of a branch, and being assisted by Captain Henry Cox, and Lieutenant George Morris, he helped a few soldiers to climb up the side of the hill, who fired down upon the flank of the troops in the abattis, who instantly abandoned it, and the Fourteenth continued their advance. On arriving on more open ground, the fire of the enemy's batteries was heavy ”

“ The several corps took up their ground; the investment became complete, several reconnoisances were made, and working parties cut down orange and date trees from the groves, and converted them into fascines and gabions. At an early hour on the morning of the 24th of December the fires of two batteries were opened on the town; additional works were constructed, the batteries became more numerous, and the siege was prosecuted with vigour; each successive day giving birth to fresh undertakings, and the progress, though tardy, becoming hourly more and more perceptible. ”