FOOTNOTES:
[1] Afterwards Colonel of the Twelfth Foot.
[2] The strength of the regiment at the battle of Culloden was, 2 field officers, 7 captains, 14 subalterns, 21 serjeants, 11 drummers, and 304 rank and file.
"14th October, 1765.
"Alterations in the clothing which is to be delivered in the year 1766 to the Fourteenth Regiment of Foot, commanded by the Honorable Major-General Keppel, and which are approved of by His Majesty.
"The breeches to be buff.
"The Grenadiers to have black bear-skin caps, fronted with red, the motto and horse white metal.
"The drummers to have white bear-skin caps, with a red front, motto and horse white metal.
"By order of the King.
"Edward Harvey
"Adjutant-General."
[4] "The British troops who had this opportunity of distinguishing themselves were the brigade of the line, viz., the Fourteenth, Thirty-seventh, and Fifty-third Regiments, with the battalion formed from the Light Infantry and Grenadier companies, under the command of Major-General Abercromby; seven pieces of cannon and two hundred prisoners were taken in the redoubts."—London Gazette.
[5] Lieutenant Richard Goodall Elrington received a musket-ball in the right thigh: after the wound was healed, he returned to his duty, when an abscess formed in the left thigh from which the ball was extracted; it having passed, in the flesh, from the right to the left side of his body, and sunk down the thigh to the spot where the abscess formed. This officer entered the army as an ensign in 1790; was promoted from a lieutenantcy in the Fourteenth to be captain in the First West India Regiment in 1795: was removed to the Forty-seventh Regiment in 1803, and was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy in June, 1813: he continued in command of the Forty-seventh Regiment until November, 1841, when he attained the rank of major-general. He died in London on 2nd August, 1845.
[6] Afterwards lieutenant-colonel of the Forty-eighth Regiment. Mr. Gilbert Cimitiere was appointed to an ensigncy in the Sixth West India Regiment on 1st July, 1795; promoted to a lieutenantcy in the Forty-eighth Regiment on the 15th June, 1796; in which he attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel, in 1824. He retired from the service in 1827.
[7] "Major-General Fox, with the Fourteenth, Thirty-seventh, and Fifty-third Regiments, was engaged with the whole of the French column which had marched from Lisle, and the different corps which had driven the rest of the army back fell upon his flanks and rear; perhaps there is not on record a single instance of greater gallantry or more soldier-like conduct than was exhibited on that day, by these three regiments. At length General Fox, finding that the whole army had left him, began to think of retreating, to effect which it was necessary to get possession of the causeway leading to Leers; but before that could be accomplished he was obliged to charge several battalions of the enemy, who were astonished that such a handful of men should presume to give them battle, and expected every moment that they would lay down their arms; but with a degree of intrepidity that words cannot describe, and is, indeed, scarcely conceivable, they gained the wished-for point, and then formed with such regularity that the enemy could not assail them: they secured their retreat towards Leers, and the next morning joined General Otto's column."—Captain Jones' Journal.
[8] While the troops were forming outside the village, a hare ran across the line, a man named Tovey knocked it down with his musket, and placed it in his haversack, with surprising coolness, although under so heavy a fire that it was difficult to form the men, from the frequent and numerous casualties which occurred; thus exemplifying that distinguished feature in the character of the British soldier, "cool and collected in the midst of danger."
[9] Private Ryan served many years afterwards with deep marks in his cheeks.
[10] "The Duke of York detached seven Austrian battalions, and the second brigade of British infantry, (Fourteenth, Thirty-seventh, and Fifty-third,) under Major-General Fox, who, though they had lost so many men only four days before, anxiously wished to get into action. Nothing could exceed their spirit and perseverance; they stormed the village of Pontechin, and after firing a few shot rushed with fixed bayonets into the heart of the enemy, and turned the fate of the day once more in favour of the allies. The charge was conducted with such skill and activity that it immediately threw the enemy into confusion, and forced them to give way. At this time the artillery came into action and directed their fire so well, and followed it up with such activity, the enemy could never be rallied so as to renew the attack, although they had fresh troops constantly coming up, but continued to lose ground till dark. Such a battle has seldom been fought; the enemy was in action, under an incessant fire of cannon and musketry, upwards of twelve hours, and left twelve thousand dead in the field, five hundred taken, and seven pieces of cannon.
"The loss of the allies, in this memorable action, amounted to four thousand men; one hundred and ninety-six were British, and all, except three, from General Fox's brigade. It is a fact, although it appears almost impossible, that a single British brigade, and that brigade less than six hundred men, on that great day, absolutely won the battle; for had it not come up, the allies would have been beaten."—Captain Jones' Journal.
[11] Every man of the Fourteenth was proud of the reputation which the regiment had acquired, with which he identified himself; even the recruits possessed the same esprit de corps. After the capture of Gueldermalsen a young soldier, named Sullivan, struck the butt-end of his musket against a cask, when the musket went off, and the ball passed through the soldier's body. He instantly called to Lieutenant Graves, and said, "I hope, Sir, you will let my friends know that I always behaved as became a good soldier," and immediately expired.
[12] Captain Jones, speaking of the conduct of the Fourteenth, Twenty-seventh, and Twenty-eighth Regiments, at Gueldermalsen, states in his Journal, "These regiments behaved with their usual gallantry, and faced every danger with that cheerfulness and perseverance which has peculiarly distinguished them."
[13] Sir Ralph Abercromby entertained a high opinion of the Fourteenth; in the West Indies he always landed with the flank companies, and the regiment furnished a corporal's guard at his quarters. When he was appointed to the command of the troops in the Mediterranean, with whom he proceeded to Egypt, he wrote to Captain Graves, stating, "I regret extremely that I cannot take you with me, as I intended, having found all my staff appointed when I got to London." He afterwards added, with great pleasantry, "I also greatly regret that the Fourteenth are not on the expedition, as I do not think any service can go on well without them."
[14] "It is peculiarly incumbent upon the Lieutenant-General to notice the vigorous attack made by the second battalion of the Fourteenth Regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel Nicolls, which drove the enemy out of the village on the left, of which he had possessed himself."—General Orders.
[15] "The gallant Fourteenth proceeded to scour the ramparts, and the capture of the Sultan rendered the victory complete."—London Gazette.
[16] Colonel John M'Combe died at Calcutta on the 12th October, 1828.
[17] A brigantine, having on board the head-quarters of the regiment, with six officers, one hundred and eight soldiers, and thirty women, under Lieut.-Colonel Everard, C.B., K.H., was wrecked on the rocks off Guadaloupe, before daylight on Christmas day; but the inhabitants came to their aid in boats, and no lives were lost.