A History of the British Army, Vol. 2 / First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' War

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
This volume covers the period from 1713 to 1763. The Julian calendar was still in use in England for much of this time. The change to the Gregorian calendar took place in Europe beginning in 1582, but in Britain not until 1752, producing a difference of eleven days between the Julian Old Style (OS) and the modern Gregorian New Style (NS) dates. Many Sidenotes and some Footnotes for the years before 1753 give both dates since contemporary English reference documents of that period used the OS date.
The OS/NS dates are shown for example as Sept. 20 Oct. 1. or Mar. 2 13 .
A History of The British Army BY The Hon. J. W. FORTESCUE FIRST PART—TO THE CLOSE OF THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR VOL. II Quæ caret ora cruore nostro London MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1899 All rights reserved



1713. 1714.
The work of disbanding the Army began some months before the final conclusion of the Peace of Utrecht. By Christmas 1712 thirteen regiments of dragoons, twenty-two of foot, and several companies of invalids who had been called up to do duty owing to the depletion of the regular garrisons, had been actually broken. The Treaty was no sooner signed than several more were disbanded, making thirty-three thousand men discharged in all. More could not be reduced until the eight thousand men who were left in garrison in Flanders could be withdrawn, but even so the total force on the British Establishment, including all colonial garrisons, had sunk in 1714 to less than thirty thousand men. The soldiers received as usual a small bounty on discharge; and great inducements were offered to persuade them to take service in the colonies, or, in other words, to go into perpetual exile.
Aug. 1 12 .
All these designs, however, were suddenly shattered by the death of Queen Anne. The accession of the Elector of Hanover to the throne was accomplished with a tranquillity which must have amazed even those who desired it most. Before the new King could arrive the country was gladdened by the return of the greatest of living Englishmen. Landing at Dover on the very day of the Queen's death, Marlborough was received with salutes of artillery and shouts of delight from a joyful crowd. Proceeding towards London next day he was met by the news that his name was excluded from the list of Lords-Justices to whom the government of the country was committed pending the King's arrival. Deeply chagrined, but preserving always his invincible serenity, he pushed on to the capital, intending to enter it with the same privacy that he had courted during his banishment in the Low Countries. But the people had decided that his entry must be one of triumph; and a tumultuous welcome from all classes showed that the country could and would make amends for the shameful treatment meted out to him two years before.