Passing over a long interval of comparative peace which succeeded, like the calm, the storm that but lately raged, we have only time in our present sketch to note that the Royals formed part of the British army in the Crimea. The Crimean campaign gained for them the several distinctions of the “Alma,” “Inkermann,” and “Sevastopol.”
On the alarm occasioned by the recent Indian Mutiny, in 1857, the first battalion of the Royals was sent out to reinforce our army, destined to suppress the Sepoy Revolt. Afterwards the second battalion formed part of the Chinese Expedition, which, chastising the perfidy of the boasted “Celestials,” reduced the “Taku forts,” and occupied Pekin.
We close our narrative of the First Royal Regiment, or Royal Scots, with these lines from an old military ditty, the favourite apostrophe of that distinguished veteran and representative of our old Scots brigade in the Swedish service—Sir Dugald Dalgetty, the illustrious hero represented by Sir Walter Scott in his “Legend of Montrose.” Thus he sang when waiting in the guard-room of Inverary Castle:—
“When the cannons are roaring, lads, and the colours are flying,
The lads that seek honour must never fear dying:
Then stout cavaliers let us toil our brave trade in,
And fight for the Gospel and the bold King of Sweden.”
1862. TWENTY-FIRST, OR ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS. 1678.