1814
On the 14th of February, 1814, the battalion broke up from its cantonments, and on the 24th, it was sharply engaged with the enemy. Captain Culley, of the Fifth, with the light companies of his own battalion, the Eighty-seventh, and Ninety-fourth, was ordered to force a deep ford of the river Gave d'Oleron; he effected the passage, but, being attacked by superior numbers, was driven back with considerable loss. Captain Culley, and Lieutenant R. Pennington, of the Fifth, were severely wounded on this occasion, and the battalion lost seven rank and file, killed, and thirteen taken prisoners.
The battalion took part in the battle of Orthes, on the 27th of February; also in frequent and successful skirmishes with the French rear guard during its retreat through the vineyards between Pau, Vicq, and Tarbes, and finally, in the battle of Toulouse, the closing struggle and crowning victory of the Peninsular war, on which occasion the first battalion of the Fifth behaved with its usual gallantry; its commanding officer, Colonel Pratt, received medals for the battles of Orthes and Toulouse, and by authority, dated July the 4th, 1818, the names of these battles are inscribed upon the colours. The loss of the battalion in the battle of Orthes was one Lieutenant, Hopkins, and eleven rank and file, killed; and thirty-three wounded: in subsequent actions it had one rank and file, killed, and twelve wounded.
The gallant exploits of the British troops having caused the overthrow of the tyrannical power of Buonaparte, hostilities ceased on the continent: the regiments went into quarters of refreshment, and the veterans of the Fifth could now look back with exultation at the scenes of victory and triumph which had attended their career in this war. They could reflect with delight on the fame they had acquired, but especially at the glorious result, that their valour had preserved their native land from the presence of war, and their efforts had acquired peace for Europe.
On the extension of the most honourable military order of the Bath in 1815, Colonel Charles Pratt, of the Fifth, was nominated a Knight-Commander, and Colonels the Honourable Henry King, and Edward Copson, Companions of the Order. The regiment also, in reward and commemoration of its services throughout the Peninsular war, received permission by authority, dated April the 22nd, 1815, to inscribe, in addition to its other distinctions, the word "Peninsula" upon its colours.
Although peace had been restored to Europe, war was continued in America, and the first battalion of the Fifth was allowed but a few days repose, before it was ordered to the scene of conflict. It marched out of quarters on the 11th of May, and arrived on the 20th at Bourdeaux, from whence, after a halt of eleven days, it embarked, and sailed for Canada, disembarking on the 7th of August at Sorel, on the river St. Lawrence, about one hundred miles above Quebec. From Sorel it marched to Chambly to join the troops encamped there under Lieutenant-General Sir George Prevost, and formed, with the Third, Twenty-seventh, and Twenty-eighth regiments, the brigade of Major-General Sir Manley Power. It was present at the unsuccessful attack made by Sir George Prevost on the Americans near Plattsburg, in the early part of September, and afterwards went into barracks at La Prairie; in November it marched to Montreal, detaching five companies to Coteau du Lac.
1815
Early in February, 1815, the first battalion moved from Montreal to Upper Canada, where three companies were stationed at Johnstown, and the remaining seven quartered at the farmers' houses along the St. Lawrence, and scattered over a space of nearly twenty-eight miles. But in May, these seven companies and head-quarters were re-assembled in Fort Wellington. Peace having been concluded with the Americans, early in June the battalion marched to Montreal, and sailing down the St. Lawrence in steam vessels to Quebec, it embarked on the 8th in four transports for Europe.
In the mean time the return of Buonaparte to France, in violation of the treaty of 1814, had rekindled the war on the continent, and the first battalion of the Fifth was immediately ordered to France. After touching at Portsmouth, it disembarked on the 11th of July at Ostend; proceeded by the canal to Ghent, and marching from thence to Paris, joined the British troops encamped at St. Denis on the 24th of August, thus missing being present at the glorious and decisive victory of Waterloo, which, to a regiment, that had so conspicuously shared in all the peninsular campaigns, was at once a disappointment and a misfortune.