1805
By July, 1805, the second battalion was fully embodied, and in October proceeded from Chester to Winchester, where the first battalion was stationed.
While the French were pursuing their victorious career in Germany, they experienced dreadful reverses from the navy of Great Britain. On the 21st of October the combined fleets of France and Spain were completely defeated off Cape Trafalgar. The victory was, however, clouded by the death of Admiral Viscount Nelson, to whose memory the highest honors were paid by a grateful and admiring nation.
1806
On the 9th of January, 1806, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment was present at the funeral of Admiral Viscount Nelson, and formed part of the line between which the procession passed on its way to St. Paul’s Cathedral, in which the Admiral’s remains were interred, and where a monument was erected by order of Parliament.
In November of the preceding year a squadron of English and Russian vessels landed some troops at Naples without any opposition from the Neapolitan Court. The French Emperor, on receiving intelligence of this transaction, issued a proclamation that “the Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to reign,” and an army, under his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, assisted by Marshal Massena, marched for Naples. On the 15th of February the French entered that capital, and soon obtained possession of the whole kingdom, excepting Gaeta; Ferdinand IV. and his Court having previously retired to Sicily. A decree was shortly issued by Napoleon, conferring the crown of Naples on his brother Joseph, who was proclaimed King on the 30th of May.
England being desirous of preserving Sicily from the dominion of France, troops were embarked for that island;—on the 26th of April the first battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at Tilbury-fort, and landed at Messina on the 26th of July.
Previously to the arrival of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, the French had assembled a force in Calabria for the invasion of Sicily, and Major-General Stuart, commanding the British troops in that island, formed the design of cutting off the French division under General Regnier; the result was the battle of Maida, where a victory was gained by the British troops on the 4th of July. Major-General Stuart being sensible that he could not, with his small force, maintain himself in Calabria, recrossed the straits of Messina and returned to Sicily. For this victory Major-General John Stuart received the dignity of Knight of the Bath, the thanks of Parliament, and was created Count of Maida by the King of the Two Sicilies.
1807
Admiral Sir John Duckworth having failed in his coercive mission to detach Turkey from the interests of France, Great Britain determined to seize upon Egypt, as a check to any fresh demonstration by the French against the British possessions in the East Indies.