93rd Regiment of Foot

“ 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. ”

“ The conduct of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers of the Eighty-sixth Regiment, is above all praise; they have fought the enemy with every species of disadvantage and deprivation; they have borne the latter without a murmur, and their determined valour has achieved victory. In spite of every obstacle, they have nobly sustained the character of their country, and it will be gratifying to their feelings to know that their gallant exertions have been witnessed and applauded by the whole of the British force off the shore. ”

“ As the British advanced, the fire of the enemy slackened, and they seemed inclined to give way, when several of their officers advanced in front to animate the men, and one officer of the Twenty-Second, (the leading regiment of the French column,) seizing a firelock, ran out in front of his men and shot Major Murphy of the Eighty-Eighth through the heart. ”

“ On the 1st of July, 1751, a warrant was issued under the sign manual for regulating the standards, colours, and clothing of the army, in which numerical titles were given to the several corps, and this was styled the "First, or Royal Regiment of Foot." The rank of the several regiments was first established by a board of general officers assembled in the Netherlands, by command of King William, on the 10th of June, 1694; another board of general officers was assembled by Queen Anne in 1713, to decide on the rank and seniority of regiments raised after 1694 ”

“ The 93rd, along with the 53rd, 84th, 90th, 1st Madras Fusiliers, and 4th Punjab Rifles, constituted the 4th Infantry Brigade forming part of the main column, and was under command of Brigadier Adrian Hope. The regiment had already lost, of sick, wounded, and killed, about 140 men, so that its strength as it entered the desperate struggle was 934 men. A detachment of 200 men of the 93rd formed part of the rear guard, which also contained 200 of the 5th Brigade under Lt.-Col. ”

“ While in quest of the enemy, the advance-guard of the Seventy-fifth Regiment was suddenly attacked, when emerging from a defile, on the 6th of February, and overpowered, with a loss of many men and a gun. The three companies of the Eighty-sixth, being at the head of the column of march, moved forward, encountered the enemy, and, by a determined charge, routed the hostile forces, chasing them across the bed of a river into the jungle, where they dispersed, leaving their tents, baggage, camels, horses, and the captured gun behind. The regiment lost very few men in this gallant exploit. ”

“ In the course of the march an accident occurred both annoying and prejudicial to the regiment. In order to facilitate the movements of the army, to render the column of march less encumbered, and to lessen the fatigue of the troops, it was customary, when not in the presence of the enemy, to proceed either by brigades or single corps: Major-General Sir Thomas Brisbane’s brigade, of which the Eighty-Eighth formed part, moved by regiments. ”

“ The Light Division, which was destined to play an important part in this campaign, and whose highest glory was to emulate the successes of the famous legion of the Peninsula whose name they bore, consisted of the following regiments:—The 7th Fusileers, the 23rd Fusileers, the 19th Foot, the 33rd or Wellington's Regiment, the 77th Foot, the 88th Connaught Rangers, and the Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion. They formed in front of their tents, and after a rapid inspection were ordered to strike tents. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ By the 13th of August, the preparations for the attack on the town were completed, and on the night of the 14th one of the enemy’s batteries, advanced upon the sea dyke in front of Lieut.-General Alexander Mackenzie Fraser’s position, was most gallantly carried at the point of the bayonet by detachments from the Thirty-sixth, Seventy-first, and the light battalions of the King’s German legion, under Lieut.-Colonel Denis Pack, of the Seventy-first, although opposed to great superiority of numbers; the troops took forty prisoners, and killed and wounded a great many of the enemy. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Thus, without troubling myself much about the change which was to take place in the hitherto quiet routine of my days, I was drafted into the 66th Regiment of Foot, bid good-bye to my shepherd companions, and was obliged to leave my father without an assistant to collect his flocks, just as he was beginning more than ever to require one; nay, indeed, I may say to want tending and looking after himself, for old age and infirmity were coming on him; his hair was growing as white as the sleet of our downs, and his countenance becoming as furrowed as the ploughed fields around. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 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) . ”

“ For a period of nineteen years no case of punishment occurred in this or any other company of the 93rd, and this regiment still retains that esprit de corps which has been handed down in the ranks, and is as powerful for good as the inheritance of a noble name or the pride of ancestry. The Sutherland men, instead of spending their leisure hours in drunkenness and debauchery, have devoted them to those athletic sports which muscular Christianity has revived among other classes. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ It commenced its march on the 31st of October, and, joining the division under Major-General John Sulivan Wood, was engaged in the unsuccessful attack on Jutgurgh. The Major-General stated in his despatch—"His Majesty's SEVENTEENTH regiment of foot led the column, headed by its gallant commander, Colonel Hardyman, and supported by the grenadiers of the second battalion of the seventeenth and fourteenth regiments of [35] Native infantry, and advanced upon the works ”

“ This short and pointed address was received by the regiment with such a burst of enthusiasm that the gallant old chieftain must have felt assured of its loyalty and devotion, and confident that wherever he led, the 93rd would follow, and if need be, die with him to the last man. The 93rd was the first regiment on that occasion that made any outward display of confidence in their leader, but as the veteran commander returned along the line, the example was taken up by others, and cheer upon cheer from every corps followed him as he rode back to the camp. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”