92nd Regiment of Foot

“ During the further progress of the siege, the regiment lost a field-officer, Major Thompson, who was killed in the trenches on the night of the 28th, and on the same night Brevet-Major Murphy was wounded. In the final assault on the 6th of April, the escalade of the castle was the duty allotted to the third division. Lieutenant Whitelaw of the Eighty-Eighth volunteered to lead the advance of twenty men, but less fortunate than his brother officer, Lieutenant Mackie at Ciudad Rodrigo, fell at the moment of victory ”

“ Existing treaties were thus openly violated; at the same time the liberties of Europe were invaded by the seizure of the Spanish Netherlands, by the troops of France, and the detention of the Dutch garrisons in the barrier towns; and war was resolved upon. A considerable augmentation was made to the British army, and the Thirty-fourth Regiment of Foot is one of the corps embodied on this occasion. Its first colonel was Robert Lord Lucas, from the lieutenant-colonelcy of Sir John Jacob’s Regiment, now Thirteenth Light Infantry, his commission bearing date the 12th of February, 1702. ”

“ Amongst the measures of defence taken at this time by the government to secure the country against the invasion with which it was threatened by Buonaparte, a general order was issued from the Horse-Guards on the 2nd of December, 1803, commanding that (in case of the enemy’s effecting a landing in any part of the United Kingdom) all officers below the rank of general officers, and not attached to any particular regiment, should report themselves in person to the general officer commanding [6] the district in which they might happen to reside ”

“ But early in 1847 it was found necessary to add nine regiments of infantry and one regiment of dragoons. [29] Of the infantry unit's, eight were of the conventional type; the ninth was formed as the Regiment of Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen. Theoretically, only half of this latter regiment was to be mounted. Each horseman was to be paired with a foot soldier who was to get up behind and ride double when speed was needed. In practice, however, none of the Voltigeurs were mounted; the entire unit fought as foot riflemen. ”

“ 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 [xii] similar to those at present in use were adopted about twenty years afterwards.
An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1685, by order of King James II., to guard the artillery, and was designated the Royal Fusiliers (now 7th Foot) . ”

“ An irregular warfare of detachments followed, in which the British troops were usually victorious; but they purchased every advantage at an immense sacrifice of life. At length Major-General Hopson died, and the command devolved on Major-General Barrington, who embarked the troops on board of transports, (excepting the sixty-third regiment, late second battalion of the eighth foot, and a detachment of artillery left in garrison,) to attack other parts of the island. ”

“ If, however, the period of its stay in Canada was barren of laurels to the Eighty-Eighth, it gave the regiment an opportunity of displaying qualities which, if not so dazzling and brilliant, are equally valuable in, and honourable to the soldier, namely, firm discipline and unshakeable fidelity to his king, his country, and his colours. The extent to which desertion prevailed amongst the British troops in America, is unhappily but too well known ”

“ One hundred and seventy-nine of the enemy were left dead on the field, while the loss of the British was limited to seven men killed and twelve wounded. The enemy’s camp, colours, baggage, and ammunition, with one piece of artillery, fell into the hands of the victors.
Major-General Nisbett Balfour was appointed colonel of the Thirty-ninth regiment on the 2nd of July 1794, in succession to General Sir Robert Boyd, K.B., deceased. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Before the ground had been well quitted, it was covered by the enemy’s troops, who could be seen cutting down every straggler they met; they came close on the rear, annoying it as much as they could; all the wounded and sick as were able to make their way to the line were placed on the guns, and such officers’ horses as could be found; in a short time the guns were laden with them as much as could by any method be placed on them, which much increased the difficulty of moving, the soldiers being chiefly obliged to drag the guns. ”

“ 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 regiment, after being employed in several manœuvres, formed part of the corps commanded by the hereditary Prince of Brunswick, which marched on the 10th of July to take post on the heights of Corbach; but found the ground occupied by the enemy in force; when a sharp skirmish occurred in which the Fifth lost five men. ”

“ The column was now become a confused rabble, scattered in wild disorder, and cut down by the English horsemen on every side; while the English foot, slinging their muskets and drawing their swords, joined in the pursuit and chased the enemy a considerable distance. One hundred and fifty of the Irish were killed on the spot; and 1 major, 5 captains, 9 lieutenants, 2 ensigns, 1 adjutant, 1 surgeon, 6 serjeants, 17 corporals, 3 drummers, and 82 private men, were made prisoners; 150 muskets were also collected, which the Irish had thrown away to facilitate their flight. ”

“ The sun was set, and the shades of night had gathered over the hostile armies, when suddenly a body of French troops was seen advancing boldly to the attack, and in an instant the regiments were engaged in a sharp conflict. Colonel Donkin’s brigade beat the enemy in front, and the Twenty-Ninth Regiment, by a gallant charge, drove back part of the Ninth French Regiment. The enemy returned to the attack; the fighting became vehement ”

“ The conduct of the second battalion of the Fifth regiment, commanded by Major Ridge, in particular, affords a memorable example of what the steadiness and discipline of the troops, and their confidence in their officers, can effect, in the most difficult and trying situations. ”

“ Since that period the arms of the infantry soldier have been limited to the musket and bayonet.
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. ”

“ On the 16th of March, 1826, the head-quarters embarked at Dominica for England. The regiment landed at Portsmouth on the 12th and 22nd of April and 3rd of June, according as the transports arrived: marched in three divisions on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of June, from Cumberland Fort, and arrived on the 29th, 30th, and 31st, at Weedon, in Northamptonshire, where it was joined on the 24th of July by the depôt, consisting of four captains, four subalterns, one surgeon, one serjeant, [88] and sixty-nine rank and file, from Tynemouth Castle. ”

“ The 3d Regiment of Foot, raised in 1665, known by the ancient title of The Old Buffs, have the privilege of marching through London with drums beating, colours flying! which the city disputes not only with all other Corps, but even with the King's Guards going on duty to the Tower! It happened in the year 1746, that as a detachment of Marines were beating along Cheapside, one of the Magistrates came up to the Officer, requiring him to cease the drum, as no Soldiers were allowed to interrupt the civil repose. ”

“ The loss in private men fell chiefly on the Thirty-sixth, that regiment and the flank companies of the Seventy-sixth being the troops which formed the front division of the column. The grenadiers of the Thirty-sixth, who led, in advancing to the redoubt, had twenty men killed and wounded. ”

“ The French at Alexandria having been increased in numbers by troops from the interior, advanced on the 21st of March to attack the British, and the Royals had another opportunity of acquiring laurels on the distant shores of Egypt. The battalion, being on the right of the 1st brigade, had its post in the [Pg 169] centre of the front line, on the left of the Foot Guards. As soon as the day dawned a column of French grenadiers advanced, supported by a heavy line of infantry, to assault this part of the position. The Foot Guards threw forward a line of skirmishers ”

“ The French rallied under a cloud of skirmishers, and appeared intent on attempting to recover the hill. At this moment the regiment was exposed to the fire of a number of sharpshooters, and a numerous artillery, it was threatened with a charge of infantry, and a hostile body of cavalry was manœuvring on its left, yet it was as steady as on an ordinary parade; the surviving officers and soldiers formed four divisions two deep, and prepared to charge with their gallant associates of the Eleventh Regiment. ”

“ He was himself, in charging with his regiment, shot through the body and his left arm fractured at the shoulder-joint by a musket-shot. He was promoted to be brevet lieutenant-colonel on 30 May 1811, and on 4 July of the same year was gazetted to the command of the 29th foot.
On his return to England in 1812 with the skeleton of the 29th regiment (about a hundred effective men) , Way by considerable exertion reformed the corps, and embarked a second time for the Peninsula in 1813. ”

“ After eulogising the gallantry of the ninetieth regiment, which formed the advanced guard of the right column, Lieut.-Colonel Wilson, added:—
“The conduct of the NINETY-SECOND had been no less meritorious. Opposed to a tremendous fire, and suffering severely from the French line, they never receded a foot, but maintained the contest alone, until the marines and the rest of the line came to their support.” ”

“ Early in the year 1767 a system of honorary distinctions for long-continued good behaviour was introduced into this regiment, which was found to stimulate the indifferent to good conduct, and those already worthy, to perseverance in well-doing, and it produced such a body of non-commissioned officers as few corps could boast of. ”

“ In the hours of leisure they do not wear their swords; on the march, like the rank and file, they wear a sort of gaiter of black cloth reaching almost to the knee. A regiment of foot-soldiers completely equipped for action presents an appearance at once pleasing and martial. ”

“ On this occasion the light company of the regiment behaved with much gallantry, and, having advanced to a wood on the left, kept in check a considerable body of the enemy, who meditated an attack on the batteries.
On the fall of Landrécies, the British troops moved to the vicinity of Tournay, where they were attacked on the 10th of May by a numerous body of French, who were defeated with severe loss. The Fourteenth Foot lost only one man on this occasion. ”

“ Whereas we have thought fit to order a regiment of foot to be forthwith raised, under your command, which is to consist of ten companies, with three serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, and fifty-seven private men in each company, with two fifers to the grenadier company, besides a serjeant-major and quarter-master-serjeant, together with the usual number of commissioned officers ”

“ 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. ”

“ Brevet Lieut.-Colonel John Piper, Lieutenants John Staveley, C. H. Farrington, William Clarke, Edward Rawlins, John Sutherland, James Marshal, and Ensign James Gardner, with eight serjeants, and ninety rank and file wounded.
During the winter additional honours were conferred on the officers who had commanded regiments in the late actions; and Lieut.-Colonel Brooke, of the King's Own, obtained a cross inscribed Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, and St. ”