While the first battalion was at Malta, Bonaparte was elevated to the dignity of Emperor of France and King of Italy, and in 1805 he marched his armies into Germany to crush the combination forming against his interests.
At this memorable period the regiment embarked from Malta, and sailed for Italy with the force under Lieut.-General Sir James Craig, designed to support the interests of the allies in that quarter.
A treaty of neutrality had been concluded between France and Naples, by which Napoleon agreed to withdraw his troops from the Neapolitan territory, where they had been stationed since the commencement of the war with England; and the King of Naples was bound not to admit the fleet or armies of any state at war with France into his ports or territory. These articles were, however, violated; an English and Russian armament appeared in the Bay of Naples in November, 1805, and the Sixty-first, and several other British regiments, landed at that city. This provoked the wrath of Napoleon; and the great success of the French arms in Germany having enabled their ambitious sovereign to assume the tone of a dictator, on the morning after the signature of the peace of Presburg, he issued a proclamation declaring, “The Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to reign,” and denouncing vengeance against the family he had thus resolved to dethrone, in terms which left no hope of accommodation.
1806
The Russians withdrew from Naples; and the British, under Lieut.-General Sir James Craig, were too few in numbers to think of defending the kingdom against the powerful armies which Napoleon sent against that devoted country, in the early part of 1806, under Joseph Bonaparte.
The Sixty-first embarked from Naples in January, 1806; the King and Queen quitted their capital, and proceeded to the island of Sicily, which was preserved in their interest by the British; the Sixty-first were landed at the city of Messina, on the north-east side of Sicily, and were stationed there several weeks. The Neapolitans abandoned their royal family to its fate, and submitted to the dictates of Napoleon, who issued a decree conferring the crown of Naples on his brother Joseph: the city of Naples was illuminated, and the nobles were eager to shew their attachment to their new King. Insurrections occurred in several places; but the French arms were successful, and the provinces became tranquil.
On the 26th of February the second battalion embarked from Guernsey for Ireland, and landed at Cork in March.
It was important to England that Sicily should not fall under the dominion of France, and the restoration of Ferdinand IV. to the throne of Naples, was never lost sight of. Preparations being made on the opposite coast of Calabria, for the invasion of Sicily, Major-General Stuart, commanding the British troops in Sicily, formed the design of cutting off the French division under General Regnier: the flank companies of the Sixty-first[4] were formed in flank battalions, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel James Kempt and Lieut.-Colonel R. W. O’Callaghan, and being employed on this enterprise, they had the honor of distinguishing themselves at the battle of Maida, on the 4th of July.
On this occasion the light battalion, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel James Kempt, of which the light company of the Sixty-first formed part, was directly opposed to the celebrated French regiment, Le 1er Leger; the two corps fired a few rounds at about a hundred yards’ distance, and then advancing simultaneously to the charge, both preserved great steadiness until the bayonets began to cross, when British prowess proved victorious; the French faced about and fled; they were pursued, and great slaughter made with the bayonet. British valour was triumphant at every part of the field, and the boasted invincible legions of Napoleon were proved to be inferior to the English in close combat with the bayonet.