The spirit of enterprise, intrepidity, firmness, endurance, physical strength, and innate love of fame exhibited by the British troops, have not only contributed to elevate this Kingdom to its present exalted station among the nations of Europe, but in the numerous wars which have taken place in Christendom, other States have evinced strong desires to obtain British aid. In the Dutch war of independence, from 1572 to 1648, British valour was eminently displayed in procuring the advantages of civil and religious liberty for the inhabitants of the United Provinces: British courage gave important aid to Henry IV. of France in his struggles for the throne: in the splendid achievements of the great Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, the British had an important share: many of the conquests of Louis XIV., surnamed "The Great," were achieved by the aid of British troops; and the regiment which forms the subject of this memoir is one of the English corps raised for the service of a foreign state under the following circumstances.
1673
The only remaining corps[6] of the numerous bands of English lancers, cuirassiers, carabineers, archers, musketeers, harquebusiers, pikemen, and battle-axemen, who fought in the Dutch war of independence from 1572 to 1648, was recalled from Holland on the breaking out of hostilities between the English and Dutch in 1665: during the negociations for the peace of London in the winter of 1673-4, the States General pressed King Charles II. to recall his troops from the service of France[7], and solicited permission again to employ in their army a British division. The king refused to recall his regiments from France; but his majesty engaged not to permit any additional British corps to be levied for the service of Louis XIV., and to prevent the others being recruited: at the same time permission was given to the States to raise for their service a body of troops in England and Scotland, to be commanded by the colonel of the old Holland Regiment, Sir Walter Vane, who was promoted to the rank of major-general in the Dutch army, and appointed colonel of one of the regiments to be raised for this service, now the Sixth Regiment of Foot, his commission bearing date the 12th of December, 1673.
1674
The interests of the United Provinces and those of the reformed religion being intimately connected, their cause was popular in England; and when the king disbanded a great part of his army on the settlement of the peace in 1674, many officers and men voluntarily entered the Dutch service, particularly from the old Holland Regiment, which was reduced on that occasion from eighteen to ten companies. Among the most zealous in this service were Captains Sir Henry Bellasis, Thomas Monk, John Morgan, Philip Savage, Roger M'Eligott, Alexander Cannon, and four others, who arrived at the Briel during the summer of 1674 with a number of men, who were formed into ten companies. The Prince of Orange had in the meantime taken the field with the army, and Sir Walter Vane proceeding to the camp to complete some arrangements with his Highness, served as a volunteer at the battle of Seneffe on the 1st of August, 1674 (O. S.), and was killed.
Sir William Ballandyne was next appointed to command the British division, and the ten companies marched from the Briel to Bois-le-duc; from whence they were suddenly called to join the army and take part in the siege of Grave. They were commanded, while on this service, by Captain Hugh Mackay (afterwards lieutenant-general and commandant of the Scots brigade), who had transferred his services a few weeks previously from the French to the Dutch army; and was appointed major-commandant of the ten companies pro tempore. On the second day after their arrival before Grave, the ten companies were on duty in the trenches; and such was the fervour and eagerness of some of the officers and soldiers to signalize themselves, that Captain Savage and a few men stormed the counterscarp in the night without orders: they evinced great bravery, and gained some advantage, but were eventually repulsed, and Captain Savage was put in arrest, and reprimanded for his over-heated valour.
After the surrender of Grave on the 28th of October, the ten companies returned to Bois-le-duc, where four British regiments were formed during the winter;—two English, commanded by Colonels Lillingston and Disney;—one Scots, commanded by Colonel Graham;—and one Irish, of which the Viscount of Clare was colonel. Two old Scots regiments in the Dutch service were purged of foreigners and added to the above four: the six regiments formed as fine a body of troops as any in Europe, and they soon had opportunities of proving that they possessed the same heroic spirit and contempt of danger as their predecessors in the war of independence, and as the valiant English and Scots who so highly distinguished themselves under the great Gustavus Adolphus. Such was the origin of the Sixth Regiment of Foot. Its commanding officer was Colonel Luke Lillingston, whose appointment was dated in August, 1674.
1675
The campaign of 1675 was passed in marching, manœuvring, and watching the operations of the enemy. During the winter the regiment was in garrison in Holland, and the colonelcy was conferred on Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Ashley; the command of the second English regiment was conferred on Colonel Ralph Widdrington; and the Irish regiment having previously been given to Colonel John Fenwick, it lost its designation of Irish, and the three were accounted English regiments.
1676