THE ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS.
Sir John Doyle, Bart., G.C.B. and K.C.
Appointed 3rd May 1796.
This officer was descended from an ancient Irish family, and was born at Dublin in the year 1756. He was at first intended for the law, which, on the death of his father, he relinquished for the military profession, and was appointed Ensign in the Forty-eighth regiment on the 21st of March 1771, in which he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the 17th of September 1773, and was wounded while on duty in Ireland. Lieutenant Doyle exchanged to the Fortieth regiment on the 1st of March 1775, and embarked with that corps for North America in the same year. During the War of Independence in that country he served with his regiment in the descent on Long Island in August 1776, and was present at the actions of Brooklyn, White Plains (28th of October), Fort Washington, Haerlem Creek, Springfield, and Iron Hills. In the action at Brooklyn, on the 27th of August, Lieutenant Doyle was brought into notice by conduct which combined the best feelings with the most animated courage. He was Adjutant of the Fortieth, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Grant, who was regarded as a father by the younger portion of the corps. The Lieut.-Colonel was desperately wounded early in the action, which becoming very hot where he lay, Lieutenant Doyle, fearing he might be trampled to death, rushed with a few followers into the midst of the enemy, and dragged away the body of his friend; but it was too late, for he had expired. This act made a strong impression on all who witnessed it, and produced a handsome compliment from the Commander-in-Chief, General the Honorable Sir William Howe.
Lieutenant Doyle was present at the action of Brandywine, fought on the 11th of September 1777, which was followed by the capture of Philadelphia. He shared in the surprise of General Wayne’s corps during the night of the 20th of September, and was again wounded at the battle of Germantown on the 4th of October. In the latter the Fortieth regiment highly distinguished itself by the defence of Chew’s Stone House, which was occupied under the following circumstances:—About three weeks after the affair of Brandywine, when the American troops were supposed to be totally dispersed, General Washington made a movement with the intention of surprising the British at Germantown. The advanced post of the British army was occupied by a battalion of light infantry and the Fortieth regiment, then commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Musgrove. These troops were attacked about daybreak on the 4th of October by the main body of the American army, commanded by General Washington in person. After a very spirited defence they were obliged to give way to numbers, and to retire towards Germantown. In this retreat Colonel Musgrove took possession of a large stone house, with such of the regiment as were nearest to it. This small body, not exceeding five officers and about one hundred and fifty men, stopped the progress of the enemy’s whole column, consisting of five thousand men, for a considerable time, notwithstanding cannon being brought to bear upon the house. This gallant defence was highly instrumental in saving the British army. In this affair Lieutenant Doyle and two officers were wounded. For this service the detachment was honored with His Majesty’s particular thanks.
In the spring of 1778, General the Honorable Sir William Howe, K.B., returned to England, and the command of the army in North America devolved on General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B. The next action in which Lieutenant Doyle shared was that at Monmouth Court-House on the 28th of June 1778, and on the 24th of October following he was promoted to a company in the corps raised by Lord Rawdon (afterwards Marquis of Hastings), which was at first named the “Volunteers of Ireland,” but which was subsequently numbered the One hundred and fifth regiment. Shortly after General Sir Henry Clinton assumed the chief command, it was deemed a measure of policy to withdraw from the ranks of the enemy the natives of Scotland and Ireland. Two regiments were raised by distinguished noblemen of these countries; one was designated the “Caledonian Volunteers,” and the other the “Volunteers of Ireland.” The former was given to Lord Cathcart, and the latter to Lord Rawdon, then Adjutant-General in America. The officers were chosen from the line, and Lieutenant Doyle obtained a company as above stated.
In the celebrated retreat through the Jerseys, Captain Doyle acted as Major of Brigade. During the winter of 1779 his regiment was ordered to South Carolina, under the command of Lord Rawdon, where he assisted at the siege of Charleston. After the fall of this place in May 1780, Captain Doyle accompanied Lieut.-General the Earl Cornwallis up the country, by whom he was appointed Major of Brigade, and was honorably mentioned in his Lordship’s despatch relative to the action at Camden, which was fought on the 16th of August 1780.
Upon Lord Cornwallis quitting the province of South Carolina, Captain Doyle served in the same capacity to Colonel Lord Rawdon, who succeeded to the command of this portion of the troops, and soon had another opportunity of distinguishing himself. General Green, having contrived after the battle of Guildford, on the 15th of March 1781, to turn Lord Cornwallis’s left, by a rapid movement penetrated the upper parts of South Carolina, and presented himself before the village of Camden, where Lord Rawdon commanded a small detachment, not exceeding nine hundred men, while the enemy’s force consisted of three thousand regulars, a fine corps of cavalry, and a numerous body of militia, strongly posted on the heights above the village in which the British were quartered. His Lordship seeing the difficulty of a retreat, boldly determined to advance against the enemy. Accordingly on the 25th of April 1781, he chose the hour of mid-day to make his attempt, when least expected, his march being concealed by a circuitous route through thick woods. This sudden and rapid manœuvre enabled his Lordship to reach Hobkirk Hill before General Green became aware of the movement, and the British gained a complete victory. The exertions of Brigade-Major Doyle on this well-fought field were alluded to in highly honorable terms in his Lordship’s despatch. Having raised the siege of Ninety-six, Lord Rawdon returned to England on account of ill health, when the Brigade-Major prepared to join the Earl Cornwallis in Virginia; but in consequence of the effects of the action at Ewtaw Springs on the 8th of September 1781, he was requested, from his knowledge of the country, to remain in the province to fill a more prominent situation. He subsequently acted as Adjutant-General and Public Secretary to Colonel Paston Gould; and on that officer’s decease in the following year, he was honored with the same confidence by his successors, Major-General James Stuart and Lieut.-General the Honorable Alexander Leslie.
Captain Doyle was promoted on the 21st of March 1782 to the rank of Major in the “Volunteers of Ireland,” which corps at this period was numbered the One hundred and fifth regiment. Major Doyle formed a corps of light cavalry from amongst the backwoodsmen, with which he rendered essential service to the army, and was again severely wounded. In the expedition against General Marion he charged the State regiment of Carolina dragoons with his advanced corps of seventy horse, the killed, wounded, and prisoners of the enemy exceeding his whole force. The American War shortly afterwards terminated, and the One hundred and fifth regiment was ordered to Ireland, when Major Doyle was entrusted with public despatches to the ministers.