Richard Cannon

“ The arms and equipment of the British Troops have seldom differed materially, since the Conquest, from those of other European states; and in some respects the arming has, at certain periods, been allowed to be inferior to that of the nations with whom they have had to contend; yet, under this disadvantage, the bravery and superiority of the British infantry have been evinced on very many and most trying occasions, and splendid victories have been gained over very superior numbers. ”

“ These have all been surmounted by the conduct of the troops themselves: and the enemy has been taught, that whatever advantages of position or of numbers he may possess, there is inherent in the British officers and soldiers a bravery that knows not how to yield,—that no circumstances can appal,—and that will ensure victory, when it is to be obtained by the exertion of any human means. ”

“ During the seventy years' war between the United Provinces of the Netherlands and the Spanish monarchy, which commenced in 1578 and terminated in 1648, the British infantry in the service of the States-General were celebrated for their unconquerable spirit and firmness; [3] and in the thirty years' war between the Protestant Princes and the Emperor of Germany, the British Troops in the service of Sweden and other states were celebrated for deeds of heroism. [4] In the wars of Queen Anne, the fame of the British army under the great Marlborough was spread throughout the world ”

“ 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 [v] long a period, being 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. ”

“ Bows and arrows gave place to various kinds of fire-arms, but British archers continued formidable adversaries; and, owing to the inconvenient construction and imperfect bore of the fire-arms when first introduced, a body of men, well trained in the use of the bow from their youth, was considered a valuable acquisition to every army, even as late as the sixteenth century.
During a great part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth each company of infantry usually consisted of men armed five different ways; in every hundred men forty were "men-at-arms," and sixty "shot;" ”

“ 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 enemy had a great superiority of numbers; but the Duke of Cumberland, trusting to the innate bravery of his troops, resolved to hazard a general engagement on the 11th of May, when the ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS had their valour and endurance put to a severe test, and they proved themselves not unworthy successors of the gallant officers and soldiers who triumphed at Blenheim and Ramilies under the great Duke of Marlborough. ”

“ The King being a Roman Catholic, some disaffected persons supposed the people would not submit to his government; and the Earl of Argyle and the Duke of Monmouth, who were both in exile on the Continent, for their political conduct, agreed to raise the standard of rebellion,—the former in Scotland, and the latter in England. The Earl of Argyle landed in Argyleshire in May, and assembled a body of men; when the Earl of Mar's regiment was again called into the field. The King's troops were commanded by the Earl of Dumbarton ”

“ Advancing from the field of battle, the regiment moved towards Washington, and was the first corps which entered that city; it was fired upon by the Americans, and had sixty-eight men killed and wounded; but all resistance was soon overcome: the arsenal, docks, and other public property were set on fire, and the conflagration of burning buildings illuminated the sky during the night, while the exploding magazines shook the city, and threw down houses in their vicinity. Having completed this service, the British troops marched back to St. Benedict, and re-embarked on board of the fleet. ”

“ The rank and influence which Great Britain has attained among the nations of the world, have in a great measure been purchased by the valour of the Army, and to persons who have the welfare of their country at heart, the records of the several regiments cannot fail to prove interesting. ”

“ During the early part of the action the NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS, the Third foot, and three regiments of cavalry, were stationed on the heights of Foulz, where they had a view of the field of battle. An important crisis in the battle arriving, these corps descended from the heights,—the FUSILIERS and Third Foot forced their way through a morass, crossed the Little Gheet, ascended the acclivity between that river and the Jauche, and charging the enemy's left flank, forced three French regiments into some low grounds, where the greater part of them were either killed or taken prisoners. ”

“ The weapons carried by the infantry, during the several reigns succeeding the Conquest, were bows and arrows, half-pikes, lances, halberds, various kinds of battle-axes, swords, and daggers. Armour was worn on the head and body, and in course of time the practice became general for military men to be so completely cased in steel, that it was almost impossible to slay them. ”

“ In 1664 King Charles II. raised a corps for sea-service, styled the Admiral's regiment. In 1678 each company of 100 men usually consisted of 30 pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with light firelocks. In this year the King added a company of men armed with hand grenades to each of the old British regiments, which was designated the "grenadier company." Daggers were so contrived as to fit in the muzzles of the muskets, and bayonets, [xiv] similar to those at present in use, were adopted about twenty years afterwards. ”

“ Regiments of infantry, at this period, were generally armed with pikes and muskets; but the practice was introduced of arming every man, of a few select corps, with a fusil, or a light musket, and these regiments were called FUSILIERS. The Earl of Mar's regiment was one of the first corps which obtained this distinction. ”

“ On this occasion the regiment was engaged in a severe musketry action, and it succeeded in driving the French corps opposed to it from field to field, until the darkness of the night put an end to the conflict. Before the following morning the wreck of the French army had retreated in disorder towards Ghent.
After this victory, the siege of Lisle, the capital of French Flanders, was resolved upon. This fortress was deemed almost impregnable; it was garrisoned by fifteen thousand men, commanded by Marshal Boufflers, who resolved upon making a desperate defence. ”

“ The left wing of the rebel army was overpowered, and driven from the field with great slaughter; and the left wing of the Royal army was also forced to retire; thus each commander had one wing victorious, and one wing defeated: the rebels were prevented [19] marching southward, and retired; and the King's troops returned to their camp at Stirling.
The regiment had one captain, two lieutenants, three serjeants, and eighty-five rank and file killed; one captain, one serjeant, and twenty-four rank and file wounded. ”

“ Companies of infantry varied at this period in numbers from 150 to 300 men; each company had a colour or ensign, and the mode of formation recommended by an English military writer (Sir John Smithe) in 1590 was:—the colour in the centre of the company guarded by the halberdiers; the pikemen in equal proportions, on each flank of the halberdiers: half the musketeers on each flank of the pikes; half the archers on each flank of the musketeers, and the harquebusiers (whose arms were much lighter than the muskets then in use) in equal proportions on each flank of the company for skirmishing. ”

“ The regiment occupied various stations in Scotland until June, 1800, when it embarked from Portpatrick for Ireland, where its numbers were increased to eight hundred rank and file by volunteers from the Scots fencible regiments then in that country.
In October of the same year, the regiment marched to Enniskillen, where it was quartered nearly two years, [32] during which time its numbers were increased to a thousand men by recruits. The good conduct of the regiment, during its stay at this place, occasioned it to stand very high in the estimation of the inhabitants ”

“ John, Viscount Mordaunt, son of Charles, Earl of Peterborough, was an officer in the first regiment of Foot Guards, in which corps he rose to the rank of captain and lieut.-colonel. [54] He evinced great gallantry at the battle of Schellenberg, where he headed fifty grenadiers, at the storm of the enemy's works, and of that number, only himself and ten grenadiers escaped. ”

“ A number of recruits from Scotland having replaced the losses of the preceding campaign, the regiment appeared complete [13] and in good order when it took the field to serve the campaign of 1705. It was employed in the expedition up the Moselle: and returning to the Netherlands, was afterwards engaged at the forcing of the French lines at Helixem and Neer Hespen, on the morning of the 18th of July, when the superior tactics of the British Commander, and the gallantry of his troops, were very conspicuous. ”

“ They had also men armed with clubs, others with battle-axes and javelins.
The feudal troops established by William the Conqueror consisted (as already stated in the Introduction to the Cavalry) almost entirely of horse; but when the warlike barons and knights, with their trains of tenants and vassals, took the field, a proportion of men appeared on foot, and, although these were of inferior degree, they proved stout-hearted Britons of stanch fidelity. When stipendiary troops were employed, infantry always constituted a considerable portion of the military force ”

“ To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in their honorable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication. ”

“ He served in Ireland under King James, and was detached with a few men to Scotland, to support the Highland clans in their resistance to the government of King William III. The clans were, however, not successful in their enterprises, and they submitted to the authority of King William; when he retired to France. ”