History of the Scottish Regiments in the British Army

by Archibald K. Murray

CHAPTER XII.

“The warrior boy to the field hath gone,

And left his home behind him;

His father’s sword he hath girded on—

In the ranks of death you’ll find him.”

ORIGIN—EARLY SERVICES—CIVIL WARS—WARS OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION—WARS OF THE AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION—1678–1748.

Success is too commonly esteemed, by a short-sighted public, to be the criterion of excellence. It remains, however, to each of us, an exercise of faith and duty to confute this popular fallacy, inasmuch as it has wronged, foully wronged, many a brave heart who, battling with several and powerful foes, struggling manfully, yet desperately, for the very life, has as yet failed to rise beyond the surface; and hence the man bowed down by adversity, as yet unrewarded by a better success—regarded as nothing beyond the common—this deceitful, false world cannot recognise the heroic soul in the martyr to circumstances. Thus it is that the gallant regiment, whose history we are now about to narrate, is in danger of being done injustice to, since its history is not always garnished with splendid success, nor its path to honour strewn with the glittering distinctions of victory, nor its heroism illustrated by a long series of triumphs, which gild many a page of our national history.

This regiment claims an origin co-eval with that of the Scots Greys and Scots Foot Guards. It was regimented and commanded by Charles, Earl of Mar, at a time when the rampant bigotry of the King—oppressing the consciences of the people, had exiled many of the bravest and best, or driven them to desperate measures—induced them to draw together for defence of their liberty and lives. Such was the state of things in Scotland in 1678 when our Fusiliers were raised to hunt down our covenanting forefathers, who, for conscience sake, branded as heretics, endured the cruel ban of the Church of Rome; who, “not ashamed to own their Lord,” freely resigned life and property for His sake. The history of the regiment is one with that of the Scots Greys and Scots Foot Guards, already in our previous chapters alluded to, where it may almost be traced page by page; it is therefore needless for us to repeat the incidents which marked their early history. They were present at the battle of Bothwell Bridge, where the Covenanters were signally defeated, and were afterwards engaged in repressing the Rebellion of Argyll in 1685. At length the day of retribution arrived, when the voice of the people declared the sovereignty of the House of Stuart to be an intolerant burden no longer to be submitted to,—by a general rising decreed its overthrow, and by an almost universal welcome hailed the advent of a better state of things under the healthier government of the House of Orange. Amid these changes our Fusiliers remained faithful to James II. Having marched into England with a strength of 744 men, under Colonel Buchan, they were stationed in the Tower Hamlets. The flight of the King rendering all resistance to the advancing forces of William futile and needless, the regiment submitted to the victorious party of William and Mary. Removed to Oxfordshire, the command was conferred on Colonel O’Farrell. Colonel Buchan, adhering to the fallen fortunes of James, followed him into exile. His name has acquired a melancholy interest as the chief who, a few years later, after the death of Dundee at Killiecrankie, headed the rebel forces in a vain attempt to restore the dominion of the Stuarts. Subsequently, in 1689, the regiment embarked at Gravesend for Flanders, where, under Marlborough, it formed part of the British division which, with the Dutch, strove to check the aggressions of the French. In the early part of the campaign they were associated with their countrymen of the Third, or Scots Foot Guards, and the First, or Royal Scots Regiment, besides other British troops. These shared the glory of the victory of Walcourt, where an attack of the French under D’Humieres was repulsed. In 1690 the ill success of the allied general, Prince Waldeck, yielded to the enemy many and important advantages, especially in the disastrous battle of Fleurus. In the following year the Scots brigade was further augmented by the addition of the regiments of Mackay and Ramsay, known to fame as the Old Scots Brigade in the Dutch service, or as the Ninety-Fourth in later times in the British service. To these were added the Earl of Angus’s regiment of Cameronians, now the Twenty-sixth, and subsequently the Earl of Leven’s regiment of King’s Own Borderers, the present Twenty-fifth. The arrival of King William, who in person assumed the command, as it set at rest the national jealousies which hitherto prevailed among the troops, and hushed the petty contests for precedence on the part of their leaders, infused at the same time new life and vigour into the movements of the Allies. In a vain attempt to surprise the fortress of Mons, Colonel Sir Robert Douglas of the Royals, and Colonel O’Farrell of our Fusiliers, were taken prisoners by the French, but released on payment of the customary ransom. Both were destined for very different fates. The former, as narrated in a previous chapter, fell, gallantly fighting at the head of his regiment, at the battle of Steenkirk; the latter, surviving that bloody day, was reserved to be the unlucky commander who surrendered the fortress of Deinse, garrisoned by his regiment, to the enemy without striking a blow in its defence. This denial of the courage of our Fusiliers under his command, who, with able hands and ready hearts, might have successfully challenged the attempts of a numerous foe—whilst they were delivered over to be prisoners of war—justly received the severe censure of the King; and, tried by court martial, Brigadier-General O’Farrell was cashiered, and his command conferred on Colonel Robert Mackay. Meanwhile, three years previously, the battle of Steenkirk had been fought, and the superior numbers of the French, directed by the ability of the Duke de Luxembourg, had triumphed, notwithstanding the desperate valour of the British. Our Fusiliers, with the Royals, formed part of the advanced guard of our army, and fiercely assailed the French, who, strongly posted behind a series of thick hedges, poured in a deadly fire into our ranks. Successively they were driven from their strong position, but only to take a new position, equally defensible, behind a second hedge. A third and a fourth position was assumed and bravely defended, yet nothing could withstand the onset of our troops. Every obstacle was overcome, and victory was within our grasp, when disasters in other parts of the field compelled the abandonment of all these hard-earned advantages. D’Auvergne says: “Our vanguard behaved in this engagement to such wonder and admiration, that though they received the charge of several battalions of the enemy, one after the other, yet they made them retreat almost to their very camp;” and the London Gazette records: “The bravery of our men was extraordinary, and admired by all; ten battalions of ours having engaged above thirty of the French at one time.” At the battle of Landen in 1693, brigaded with the Twenty-fifth, the Twenty-sixth, and the regiments of the Old Scots Brigade, separated from the army by the prevailing efforts of the French, they most heroically maintained themselves, until overwhelming numbers compelled them to retire. With difficulty they effected their retreat, without disorder, by fording the river Gheet, and so succeeded in rejoining the main army. The ignominious surrender of Deinse, and the consequent dismissal of Colonel O’Farrell, occurring in 1695, have been already alluded to. Nothing of importance falls to be recorded in the history of our Fusiliers during the remainder of the war, which was terminated in 1697 by the peace of Ryswick. Returning to Scotland, the rest they enjoyed was but of short duration. Once again the rude blast of war lashed into fury the ambition of princes. Would that princes acted out the words of the ballad writer—

“Oh, were I Queen of France, or still better, Pope of Rome,

I would have no fighting men abroad, or weeping maids at home.

All the world should be at peace, or if kings would show their might,

I’d have those that make the quarrels be the only ones to fight.”

BLENHEIM. DRAWN FROM NATURE BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MʻNIVEN.

Unhappily, it is not so, and perhaps, however beautiful the idea, it is better it should be otherwise. In 1702 the war of the Spanish Succession broke out, which was destined to witness the splendid successes of a renowned soldier—the Duke of Marlborough. Brigaded with the second battalion of the Royals, the Tenth, the Sixteenth, and the Twenty-sixth regiments, our Fusiliers were present at the siege of Huy, and, detached from the army, took part in the enterprise which resulted in the capture of Limburg. But these events, however glorious, sink into insignificance when compared with the marvellous achievements which shed a flood of glory upon our national history, as recorded in the memorable year of 1704. Then the plains of Germany for the first time owned the tread not of a mere band of island adventurers, as in the ancient days of our veteran Royals, but now these plains resounded with the martial tramp of a British army. In the attack upon the heights of Schellenberg our Fusiliers bore an honourable part, but that was but the prelude to the grander victory of Blenheim, wherein the confederate might of France and Bavaria succumbed before the allied arms of Britain and Germany. But this signal triumph was not accomplished save by the most desperate bravery. “Brigadier-General Row, (Colonel of the Royal North British Fusiliers,) who charged on foot at the head of his own regiment with unparalleled intrepidity, assaulted the village of Blenheim, advancing to the very muzzles of the enemy’s muskets, and some of the officers exchanged thrusts of swords through the palisades; but the avenues of the village were found strongly fortified, and defended by a force of superior numbers. Brigadier-General Row led the North British Fusiliers up to the palisades before he gave the word ‘Fire,’ and the next moment he fell mortally wounded; Lieutenant-Colonel Dalyel and Major Campbell, being on the spot, stepped forward to raise their colonel, and were both instantly pierced by musket-balls; the soldiers, exasperated at seeing the three field-officers of the regiment fall, made a gallant effort to force their way into the village, but this was found impossible, and the regiment was ordered to retire. The moment the soldiers faced about, thirteen squadrons of French cavalry galloped forward to charge them, and one of the colours of the regiment was captured by the enemy; but the French horsemen were repulsed by the fire of a brigade of Hessians, and the colour was recovered.” A second assault failed likewise, so resolute was the defence of the enemy, but a third attempt, with additional forces, was crowned with success; the French being driven out of the village with great loss. There is no more treasured illustration of the worth of our British soldiers than is recorded in this famous battle, and no more distinguished honour than belongs to the regiments who have won a title, by their presence and brave deeds on the occasion, to share its glory or bear upon their colours the proud and envied word “Blenheim.” But this mode of commemorating battles was not adopted until a later period,—Minden, borne by the Twenty-fifth King’s Own Borderers, and other corps,—being the earliest instance of a battle thus emblazoned.[^[A]] Throughout the remaining years of the war, graced by the victories of Ramilies, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet, and the capture of many of the strong fortresses of the Netherlands, our Fusiliers maintained their character for bravery and steadiness, proving themselves in every way worthy the honours their valour had hitherto won. During this period they were successively commanded by Viscount Mordaunt, Brigadier-General De Lalo—a distinguished French Protestant officer, who fell whilst gallantly leading his regiment at the battle of Malplaquet—Major-General Meredith, and the Earl of Orrery. Peace at length terminated the struggle, and our heroes returned home in 1714. Shortly afterwards a rebellion broke out in Scotland, under the Earl of Mar, son of the Earl of Mar who first commanded our Fusiliers. Supported largely by the clans, presenting a formidable array, he advanced into the Lowlands, proclaiming the Pretender—the son of James II.—to be the rightful sovereign. His vacillating policy—notwithstanding the uncertain issues of the battle of Sheriffmuir, where the royal troops, including our Fusiliers, led by the Duke of Argyle, encountered the rebels—ruined the cause he had assumed to maintain; so that when the Pretender joined his partizans, he found them reduced to such desperate straits, that whilst prudence counselled, cowardice sought the earliest opportunity to effect an escape, leaving his friends to suffer alone the vengeance of the Government. The clans dispersing or submitting, the rebellion died out in 1716.

[A]. Vide “Curiosities of War,” page 225.

In 1743 the war of the Austrian Succession once more stirred up the wrathful passions of man, and plunged the European continent into all the horrors of war. The combatants were much the same as on previous occasions—France and Bavaria pitted against Austria and Britain. The Scots Greys, the Third or Scots Foot Guards, (first battalion,) the First or Royal Scots, (first battalion,) the Twenty-first or Royal North British Fusiliers, the Twenty-fifth or King’s Own Borderers, and the Forty-second or Royal Highlanders, formed the Scottish regiments embraced in the British army. Under the eye of their chivalric monarch, George II., who in person commanded, our Fusiliers were greatly distinguished by their good conduct, especially at the victory of Dettingen. Subsequently, under Marshal Wade, the regiment was with the army which penetrated into France in 1744. In the following year, under the Duke of Cumberland, present at the disastrous battle of Fontenoy, the regiment lost 285 officers and men. The valour of our troops, and the successes they had achieved, were negatived, and the battle lost, by the failure of the Dutch in other parts of the field. So severe had been the losses of our Fusiliers on this occasion, that, for the sake of being recruited, the regiment was removed from the army to garrison Ostend, where, assailed by a very superior French force, it was compelled to surrender. At this crisis in our country’s history, the King of France, aiding and abetting the Jacobites, succeeded but too well in inciting the clans to rebellion under Prince Charles Edward. These troubles at home occasioned the recall of the major part of the British army, and amongst others, our Fusiliers, who, advancing from Edinburgh, were engaged in the pursuit and ultimate overthrow of the rebels at Culloden. Thereafter returning to the continent, the regiment was engaged at the unavailing battle of Val in 1747, which led to the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle.