TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Some minor changes are noted at the [end of the book.]

BY COMMAND OF His late Majesty WILLIAM THE IV^TH.
and under the Patronage of
Her Majesty the Queen.
HISTORICAL RECORDS,
OF THE
British Army
Comprising the
History of every Regiment
IN HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE.
By Richard Cannon Esq^re.
Adjutant General's Office, Horse Guards.
London.
Printed by Authority.

HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE FIFTY-THIRD,
OR
THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.

CONTAINING

AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1755

AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
TO 1848.

COMPILED BY

RICHARD CANNON, Esq.,

ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON:

PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,

30, CHARING-CROSS.

MDCCCXLIX.

LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET,
FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.

THE FIFTY-THIRD,

OR

THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT,

BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR

THE WORD "NIEUPORT;"

IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY IN THE DEFENCE OF THAT FORTRESS IN OCTOBER, 1793;

THE WORD "TOURNAY;"

IN TESTIMONY OF ITS HEROIC CONDUCT IN ACTION AGAINST A SUPERIOR FORCE OF THE ENEMY IN MAY, 1794;

THE WORDS "ST. LUCIA;"

AS A MARK OF DISTINCTION FOR ITS BRAVERY DISPLAYED AT THE CAPTURE OF ST. LUCIA, IN MAY, 1796;

THE WORDS

"TALAVERA," "SALAMANCA," "VITTORIA," "PYRENEES,"
"NIVELLE," "TOULOUSE," AND "PENINSULA,"

TO COMMEMORATE THE MERITORIOUS SERVICES OF THE Second BATTALION DURING THE PENINSULAR WAR, FROM 1809 TO 1814;

AND THE WORDS

"ALIWAL," AND "SOBRAON;"

AS A LASTING TESTIMONY OF THE GALLANT CONDUCT OF THE REGIMENT ON THE BANKS OF THE SUTLEJ, ON THE 28TH JANUARY, AND 10TH FEBRUARY, 1846.

THE FIFTY-THIRD,

OR

THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT.

CONTENTS
OF THE
HISTORICAL RECORD.

CONTENTS

OF THE

HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT,

CONTENTS RELATING TO THE SERVICES OF THE
SECOND BATTALION.

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

OF THE

FIFTY-THIRD

OR

THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.

PLATES.

GENERAL ORDERS.

HORSE-GUARDS,

1st January, 1836.

His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of doing the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars, viz.:—

—— The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any Achievement it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the Enemy.

—— The Names of the Officers, and the number of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the place and Date of the Action.

—— The Names of those Officers who, in consideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour.

—— The Names of all such Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in Action.

And,

—— The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.

By Command of the Right Honorable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
Commanding-in-Chief.

John Macdonald,
Adjutant-General.

PREFACE.

The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted.

Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable object than a full display of the noble deeds with which the Military History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in their honorable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication.

The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the "London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery; and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes.

It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic account of their origin and subsequent services.

This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty having been pleased to command that every Regiment shall, in future, keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad.

From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, being undisturbed by the presence of war, which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or no interval of repose.

In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor,—on their sufferings,—and on the sacrifice of valuable life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved.

The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; and their character has been established in Continental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have maintained their advantages against superior numbers.

In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders, ample justice has generally been done to the gallant exertions of the Corps employed; but the details of their services and of acts of individual bravery can only be fully given in the Annals of the various Regiments.

These Records are now preparing for publication, under his Majesty's special authority, by Mr. Richard Cannon, Principal Clerk of the Adjutant General's Office; and while the perusal of them cannot fail to be useful and interesting to military men of every rank, it is considered that they will also afford entertainment and information to the general reader, particularly to those who may have served in the Army, or who have relatives in the Service.

There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served, or are serving, in the Army, an Esprit de Corps—an attachment to everything belonging to their Regiment; to such persons a narrative of the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of the great, the valiant, the loyal, have always been of paramount interest with a brave and civilized people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes who, in moments of danger and terror, have stood "firm as the rocks of their native shore:" and when half the world has been arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war,—victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen, our brothers, our fellow citizens in arms,—a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us,—will certainly prove acceptable to the public.

Biographical Memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished Officers will be introduced in the Records of their respective Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying the value and importance of its services, will be faithfully set forth.

As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be completed, the Parts may be bound up in numerical succession.

INTRODUCTION
TO
THE INFANTRY.

The natives of Britain have, at all periods, been celebrated for innate courage and unshaken firmness, and the national superiority of the British troops over those of other countries has been evinced in the midst of the most imminent perils. History contains so many proofs of extraordinary acts of bravery, that no doubts can be raised upon the facts which are recorded. It must therefore be admitted, that the distinguishing feature of the British soldier is Intrepidity. This quality was evinced by the inhabitants of England when their country was invaded by Julius Cæsar with a Roman army, on which occasion the undaunted Britons rushed into the sea to attack the Roman soldiers as they descended from their ships; and, although their discipline and arms were inferior to those of their adversaries, yet their fierce and dauntless bearing intimidated the flower of the Roman troops, including Cæsar's favourite tenth legion. Their arms consisted of spears, short swords, and other weapons of rude construction. They had chariots, to the axles of which were fastened sharp pieces of iron resembling scythe-blades, and infantry in long chariots resembling waggons, who alighted and fought on foot, and for change of ground, pursuit or retreat, sprang into the chariot and drove off with the speed of cavalry. These inventions were, however, unavailing against Cæsar's legions: in the course of time a military system, with discipline and subordination, was introduced, and British courage, being thus regulated, was exerted to the greatest advantage; a full development of the national character followed, and it shone forth in all its native brilliancy.

The military force of the Anglo-Saxons consisted principally of infantry: Thanes, and other men of property, however, fought on horseback. The infantry were of two classes, heavy and light. The former carried large shields armed with spikes, long broad swords and spears; and the latter were armed with swords or spears only. They had also men armed with clubs, others with battle-axes and javelins.

The feudal troops established by William the Conqueror consisted (as already stated in the Introduction to the Cavalry) almost entirely of horse; but when the warlike barons and knights, with their trains of tenants and vassals, took the field, a proportion of men appeared on foot, and, although these were of inferior degree, they proved stout-hearted Britons of stanch fidelity. When stipendiary troops were employed, infantry always constituted a considerable portion of the military force; and this arme has since acquired, in every quarter of the globe, a celebrity never exceeded by the armies of any nation at any period.

The weapons carried by the infantry, during the several reigns succeeding the Conquest, were bows and arrows, half-pikes, lances, halberds, various kinds of battle-axes, swords, and daggers. Armour was worn on the head and body, and in course of time the practice became general for military men to be so completely cased in steel, that it was almost impossible to slay them.

The introduction of the use of gunpowder in the destructive purposes of war, in the early part of the fourteenth century, produced a change in the arms and equipment of the infantry-soldier. Bows and arrows gave place to various kinds of fire-arms, but British archers continued formidable adversaries; and, owing to the inconvenient construction and imperfect bore of the fire-arms when first introduced, a body of men, well trained in the use of the bow from their youth, was considered a valuable acquisition to every army, even as late as the sixteenth century.

During a great part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth each company of infantry usually consisted of men armed five different ways; in every hundred men forty were "men-at-arms," and sixty "shot;" the "men-at-arms" were ten halberdiers, or battle-axe men, and thirty pikemen; and the "shot" were twenty archers, twenty musketeers, and twenty harquebusiers, and each man carried, besides his principal weapon, a sword and dagger.

Companies of infantry varied at this period in numbers from 150 to 300 men; each company had a colour or ensign, and the mode of formation recommended by an English military writer (Sir John Smithe) in 1590 was:—the colour in the centre of the company guarded by the halberdiers; the pikemen in equal proportions, on each flank of the halberdiers: half the musketeers on each flank of the pikes; half the archers on each flank of the musketeers, and the harquebusiers (whose arms were much lighter than the muskets then in use) in equal proportions on each flank of the company for skirmishing.[1] It was customary to unite a number of companies into one body, called a Regiment, which frequently amounted to three thousand men: but each company continued to carry a colour. Numerous improvements were eventually introduced in the construction of fire-arms, and, it having been found impossible to make armour proof against the muskets then in use (which carried a very heavy ball) without its being too weighty for the soldier, armour was gradually laid aside by the infantry in the seventeenth century: bows and arrows also fell into disuse, and the infantry were reduced to two classes, viz.: musketeers, armed with matchlock muskets, swords, and daggers; and pikemen, armed with pikes from fourteen to eighteen feet long, and swords.

In the early part of the seventeenth century Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, reduced the strength of regiments to 1000 men. He caused the gunpowder, which had heretofore been carried in flasks, or in small wooden bandoliers, each containing a charge, to be made up into cartridges, and carried in pouches; and he formed each regiment into two wings of musketeers, and a centre division of pikemen. He also adopted the practice of forming four regiments into a brigade; and the number of colours was afterwards reduced to three in each regiment. He formed his columns so compactly that his infantry could resist the charge of the celebrated Polish horsemen and Austrian cuirassiers; and his armies became the admiration of other nations. His mode of formation was copied by the English, French, and other European states; but so great was the prejudice in favour of ancient customs, that all his improvements were not adopted until near a century afterwards.

In 1664 King Charles II. raised a corps for sea-service, styled the Admiral's regiment. In 1678 each company of 100 men usually consisted of 30 pikemen, 60 musketeers, and 10 men armed with light firelocks. In this year the King added a company of men armed with hand grenades to each of the old British regiments, which was designated the "grenadier company." Daggers were so contrived as to fit in the muzzles of the muskets, and bayonets similar to those at present in use were adopted about twenty years afterwards.

An Ordnance regiment was raised in 1685, by order of King James II., to guard the artillery, and was designated the Royal Fusiliers (now 7th Foot). This corps, and the companies of grenadiers, did not carry pikes.

King William III. incorporated the Admiral's regiment in the second Foot Guards, and raised two Marine regiments for sea-service. During the war in this reign, each company of infantry (excepting the fusiliers and grenadiers) consisted of 14 pikemen and 46 musketeers; the captains carried pikes; lieutenants, partisans; ensigns, half-pikes; and serjeants, halberds. After the peace in 1697 the Marine regiments were disbanded, but were again formed on the breaking out of the war in 1702.[2]

During the reign of Queen Anne the pikes were laid aside, and every infantry soldier was armed with a musket, bayonet, and sword; the grenadiers ceased, about the same period, to carry hand grenades; and the regiments were directed to lay aside their third colour: the corps of Royal Artillery was first added to the Army in this reign.

About the year 1745, the men of the battalion companies of infantry ceased to carry swords; during the reign of George II. light companies were added to infantry regiments; and in 1764 a Board of General Officers recommended that the grenadiers should lay aside their swords, as that weapon had never been used during the Seven Years' War. Since that period the arms of the infantry soldier have been limited to the musket and bayonet.

The arms and equipment of the British Troops have seldom differed materially, since the Conquest, from those of other European states; and in some respects the arming has, at certain periods, been allowed to be inferior to that of the nations with whom they have had to contend; yet, under this disadvantage, the bravery and superiority of the British infantry have been evinced on very many and most trying occasions, and splendid victories have been gained over very superior numbers.

Great Britain has produced a race of lion-like champions who have dared to confront a host of foes, and have proved themselves valiant with any arms. At Creçy, King Edward III., at the head of about 30,000 men, defeated, on the 26th of August, 1346, Philip King of France, whose army is said to have amounted to 100,000 men; here British valour encountered veterans of renown:—the King of Bohemia, the King of Majorca, and many princes and nobles were slain, and the French army was routed and cut to pieces. Ten years afterwards, Edward Prince of Wales, who was designated the Black Prince, defeated, at Poictiers, with 14,000 men, a French army of 60,000 horse, besides infantry, and took John I., King of France, and his son Philip, prisoners. On the 25th of October, 1415, King Henry V., with an army of about 13,000 men, although greatly exhausted by marches, privations, and sickness, defeated, at Agincourt, the Constable of France, at the head of the flower of the French nobility and an army said to amount to 60,000 men, and gained a complete victory.

During the seventy years' war between the United Provinces of the Netherlands and the Spanish monarchy, which commenced in 1578 and terminated in 1648, the British infantry in the service of the States-General were celebrated for their unconquerable spirit and firmness;[3] and in the thirty years' war between the Protestant Princes and the Emperor of Germany, the British Troops in the service of Sweden and other states were celebrated for deeds of heroism.[4] In the wars of Queen Anne, the fame of the British army under the great Marlborough was spread throughout the world; and if we glance at the achievements performed within the memory of persons now living, there is abundant proof that the Britons of the present age are not inferior to their ancestors in the qualities which constitute good soldiers. Witness the deeds of the brave men, of whom there are many now surviving, who fought in Egypt in 1801, under the brave Abercromby, and compelled the French army, which had been vainly styled Invincible, to evacuate that country; also the services of the gallant Troops during the arduous campaigns in the Peninsula, under the immortal Wellington; and the determined stand made by the British Army at Waterloo, where Napoleon Bonaparte, who had long been the inveterate enemy of Great Britain, and had sought and planned her destruction by every means he could devise, was compelled to leave his vanquished legions to their fate, and to place himself at the disposal of the British Government. These achievements, with others of recent dates in the distant climes of India, prove that the same valour and constancy which glowed in the breasts of the heroes of Creçy, Poictiers, Agincourt, Blenheim, and Ramilies, continue to animate the Britons of the nineteenth century.

The British Soldier is distinguished for a robust and muscular frame,—intrepidity which no danger can appal,—unconquerable spirit and resolution,—patience in fatigue and privation, and cheerful obedience to his superiors. These qualities, united with an excellent system of order and discipline to regulate and give a skilful direction to the energies and adventurous spirit of the hero, and a wise selection of officers of superior talent to command, whose presence inspires confidence,—have been the leading causes of the splendid victories gained by the British arms.[5] The fame of the deeds of the past and present generations in the various battle-fields where the robust sons of Albion have fought and conquered, surrounds the British arms with a halo of glory; these achievements will live in the page of history to the end of time.

The records of the several regiments will be found to contain a detail of facts of an interesting character, connected with the hardships, sufferings, and gallant exploits of British soldiers in the various parts of the world where the calls of their Country and the commands of their Sovereign have required them to proceed in the execution of their duty, whether in active continental operations, or in maintaining colonial territories in distant and unfavourable climes.

The superiority of the British infantry has been pre-eminently set forth in the wars of six centuries, and admitted by the greatest commanders which Europe has produced. The formations and movements of this arme, as at present practised, while they are adapted to every species of warfare, and to all probable situations and circumstances of service, are calculated to show forth the brilliancy of military tactics calculated upon mathematical and scientific principles. Although the movements and evolutions have been copied from the continental armies, yet various improvements have from time to time been introduced, to ensure that simplicity and celerity by which the superiority of the national military character is maintained. The rank and influence, which Great Britain has attained among the nations of the world, have in a great measure been purchased by the valour of the Army, and to persons, who have the welfare of their country at heart, the records of the several regiments cannot fail to prove interesting.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] A company of 200 men would appear thus:—

20	20	20	30	20	30	20	20	20
Harquebuses.		Muskets.		Halberds.		Muskets.		Harquebuses.
	Archers.		Pikes.		Pikes.		Archers.

The musket carried a ball which weighed ¹/₁₀th of a pound; and the harquebus a ball which weighed ¹/₂₅th of a pound.

[2] The 30th, 31st, and 32nd Regiments were formed as Marine corps in 1702, and were employed as such during the wars in the reign of Queen Anne. The Marine corps were embarked in the Fleet under Admiral Sir George Rooke, and were at the taking of Gibraltar, and in its subsequent defence in 1704; they were afterwards employed at the siege of Barcelona in 1705.

[3] The brave Sir Roger Williams, in his Discourse on War, printed in 1590, observes:—"I persuade myself ten thousand of our nation would beat thirty thousand of theirs (the Spaniards) out of the field, let them be chosen where they list." Yet at this time the Spanish infantry was allowed to be the best disciplined in Europe. For instances of valour displayed by the British Infantry during the Seventy Years' War, see the Historical Record of the Third Foot, or Buffs.

[4] Vide the Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot.

[5] "Under the blessing of Divine Providence, His Majesty ascribes the successes which have attended the exertions of his troops in Egypt to that determined bravery which is inherent in Britons; but His Majesty desires it may be most solemnly and forcibly impressed on the consideration of every part of the army, that it has been a strict observance of order, discipline, and military system, which has given the full energy to the native valour of the troops, and has enabled them proudly to assert the superiority of the national military character, in situations uncommonly arduous, and under circumstances of peculiar difficulty."—General Orders in 1801.

In the General Orders issued by Lieut.-General Sir John Hope (afterwards Lord Hopetoun), congratulating the army upon the successful result of the Battle of Corunna, on the 16th of January, 1809, it is stated:—"On no occasion has the undaunted valour of British troops ever been more manifest. At the termination of a severe and harassing march, rendered necessary by the superiority which the enemy had acquired, and which had materially impaired the efficiency of the troops, many disadvantages were to be encountered. These have all been surmounted by the conduct of the troops themselves; and the enemy has been taught, that whatever advantages of position or of numbers he may possess, there is inherent in the British officers and soldiers a bravery that knows not how to yield,—that no circumstances can appal,—and that will ensure victory when it is to be obtained by the exertion of any human means."

Madeley lith. 3 Wellington S^t. Strand

For Cannon's Military Records

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

FIFTY-THIRD,

OR

THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.

1755

In the winter of 1755, when the attacks made by the French on the British settlements beyond the Allegany Mountains, in North America, appeared to render a war between the two countries inevitable, King George II. resolved to augment the strength of his regular army, and a letter of service was addressed to Colonel William Whitmore, major in the third foot guards, authorizing him to raise, form, and discipline a regiment of foot, of ten companies, which was numbered the FIFTY-FIFTH; but two colonial corps being soon afterwards disbanded, viz., Major-General Shirley's and Major-General Sir William Pepperell's, which had been numbered the Fiftieth and Fifty-first regiments, it obtained rank as FIFTY-THIRD regiment.[6]

This regiment was raised in the south of England: its uniform was cocked hats; red coats, faced with red, lined with yellow, and ornamented with yellow lace; red waistcoats and breeches, and white gaiters. The colonelcy was conferred on Colonel William Whitmore, by commission dated the 21st of December, 1755; the lieut.-colonelcy was given to Major George Craufurd, from the thirty-fifth regiment, then in Ireland; and Captain William Arnot was nominated major.

1756

Early in 1756 the formation of the regiment was completed, and the following officers were appointed to commissions in the corps:—

The formation of the regiment being completed, it received orders to embark for Gibraltar, and was stationed at that important fortress during the whole of the seven years' war, and remained there until 1768.

1758
1759

In October, 1758, Colonel Whitmore was removed to the ninth regiment of foot; and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the FIFTY-THIRD, in April, 1759, by Colonel John Toovey, from lieut.-colonel in the royal dragoons.

1768

The regiment was relieved from duty at the fortress of Gibraltar in 1768, when it embarked for Ireland, where it was quartered during the following eight years.

1770

Colonel Toovey died in the early part of the year 1770, and King George III. conferred the colonelcy on Colonel R. Dalrymple Horne Elphinstone, who had commanded the 120th regiment of foot, which was disbanded after the peace in 1763.

1775

While the regiment was stationed in Ireland, the misunderstanding between Great Britain and her North American provinces on the subject of taxation, was followed by open hostilities; and a body of American troops undertook the siege of Quebec.

1776

In the spring of 1776 the FIFTY-THIRD and several other corps proceeded, under Major-General Burgoyne, for the relief of Quebec: this regiment embarked from Ireland on the 4th of April, arrived in Canada towards the end of May, and took part in the operations by which the American troops were driven from the confines of the British provinces. During the winter the regiment was stationed at Chambly.

1777

The flank companies of the regiment were selected, in the spring of 1777, to form part of the force under Lieut.-General Burgoyne, who was directed to penetrate the United States from Lake Champlain to the river Hudson, and advance upon Albany, with the view of bringing that part of the country into submission to the British crown. The troops employed on this service proceeded to Crown Point in boats, and afterwards moved towards Ticonderoga, forcing the Americans to abandon that post, and pursuing them a considerable distance. Some fighting occurred, in which the British soldiers evinced great gallantry, and the companies of the FIFTY-THIRD had opportunities of distinguishing themselves. The army advanced towards the river Hudson, encountering much greater difficulties than had been expected. The country through which it marched was a wilderness; numerous obstructions had to be removed, forty bridges had to be constructed, and others repaired; but every difficulty was overcome by the cheerful perseverance of the soldiers. Their hardships were, however, daily augmented; and after passing the river Hudson, they were opposed by very superior numbers of the enemy. Several actions occurred, and British valour was conspicuous; but incessant toil and a scarcity of provisions reduced the army to 3500 men, who were environed by 16,000 Americans, and their retreat cut off. Under these circumstances a convention was concluded, by which the British agreed to lay down their arms on condition of being sent to England. The Americans afterwards violated the conditions of the convention, and detained the English soldiers some time.

1778
1781

Eight companies of the regiment had remained in Canada, where they were eventually joined by the flank companies, and the regiment was stationed in that part of the British dominions several years.

1782

The American war terminated in 1782:—In the same year the regiment received instructions to assume the title of the FIFTY-THIRD, OR THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT, and to cultivate a connexion with that county, which might, at all times, be useful towards recruiting.

1789
1790

In the summer of 1789 the regiment, being then in garrison at Quebec, was relieved by the twenty-fourth foot, and embarked for England, where it landed on the 31st of August. It passed the winter at Bridgenorth, and towards the end of the year 1790 embarked on board the fleet to serve as marines, on which service it was employed a short time.

1791
1792

Embarking from Plymouth on the 17th of February, 1791, the regiment proceeded to Glasgow, and was stationed in Scotland during the year 1792.

1793

In the meantime a revolution had taken place in France, and in 1793 the republicans of that country beheaded their king. They also attacked the frontiers of Holland, when a body of British troops was sent to the Netherlands to take part in the war. The FIFTY-THIRD regiment was one of the first corps selected to proceed on foreign service; it embarked from Scotland in March, and, after landing in Flanders, advanced up the country to Tournay.

The regiment formed part of the column under the command of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, which passed the Ronelle river on the 23rd of May, and forced the French to quit several batteries of their strong camp at Famars. It was stated in the public despatch sent to England on this occasion—"The troops of the different nations displayed the utmost firmness and intrepidity. The British who had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, were the fourteenth and FIFTY-THIRD regiments, with the battalion formed from the light infantry and grenadier companies, commanded by Major-General Sir Ralph Abercromby." The regiment lost four men on this occasion.

This success was followed by the siege of Valenciennes, in which service the regiment was actively employed, and had several men killed and wounded. It also sustained some loss at the storming of the outworks on the 25th of July, which was followed by the surrender of the fortress.

From Valenciennes the British troops proceeded towards Dunkirk, which place was besieged; but circumstances occurred which rendered it necessary for the army to withdraw from this position: and the FIFTY-THIRD regiment was detached to the town of Nieuport. The French made a strenuous effort to capture this place on the 24th of October, by a coup-de-main, when the FIFTY-THIRD resisted the attack of a very superior force, with heroic gallantry, and their commanding officer, Major Robert Matthews, particularly distinguished himself. The gallant conduct of the regiment on this occasion excited universal admiration. Its loss was Lieutenant Phanuel Latham and ten soldiers killed; Captain Ronald C. Fergusson and eighteen soldiers wounded. The French continued to cannonade the place several days, causing the regiment a further loss of thirteen men; but the garrison being augmented, the enemy retired. General Sir Charles (afterwards Earl) Grey, who arrived with a reinforcement, stated in his despatch—"The artillery under Captain Bothwick, with the FIFTY-THIRD regiment, whose loss has been greatest, have been very much distinguished; and I think it only an act of justice to mention in terms of the highest approbation Major Matthews (commanding the FIFTY-THIRD), whose long services and particular exertions on this occasion will, I hope, recommend him to His Majesty's notice."

The Royal authority was given for the regiment to bear the word "Nieuport" on its colours, to commemorate its distinguished conduct in the defence of that fortress.

1794

General Elphinstone died in the spring of 1794, when the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Major-General Gerard Lake, from lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards.

Taking the field in April of this year, the regiment was engaged in the operations by which the enemy was driven from his positions at Vaux, Prémont, Marets, &c., on the 17th of that month, when the Duke of York expressed in general orders the sense he entertained of the bravery and conduct of the troops engaged.

The regiment was subsequently employed in covering the siege of Landrécies; it was in line on the 26th of April, when the attack of the French on the British position at Cateau was repulsed; and after the surrender of Landrécies, the regiment marched to the vicinity of Tournay.

On the 10th of May the position near Tournay was attacked, and the French were repulsed with severe loss.

A combined attack on the posts occupied by the French army was made on the 17th of May; when the FOURTEENTH, THIRTY-SEVENTH, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments, forming the second brigade, under Major-General Fox,[7] were attached to the column under the Duke of York's immediate command, which captured Lannoy, Roubaix, and Mouveaux; and the three regiments were afterwards posted on the main road from Lisle to Roubaix. Meanwhile the failure of the other columns of the allied army had left the British troops exposed to the whole weight and power of the enemy's overwhelming numbers, and early on the 18th of May the fourteenth, thirty-seventh, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments were attacked by a numerous force. A historian of that campaign states,—"Major-General Fox, with the fourteenth, thirty-seventh, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments, was engaged with the whole of the column which had marched from Lisle, and the different corps, which had driven back the rest of the army, fell upon his flanks and rear. Perhaps there is not on record a single instance of greater gallantry and more soldier-like conduct than was exhibited on that occasion by these three regiments. At length Major-General Fox, finding that the whole army had left him, began to think of retreating; to effect which it was necessary to get possession of the causeway leading to Leers, and before that could be accomplished, he was obliged to charge several battalions of the enemy, who were astonished that such a handful of men should presume to give them battle, and expected every moment that they would lay down their arms; but with a degree of intrepidity that words cannot describe, and is, indeed, scarcely conceivable, they gained the wished-for point; then forming with such regularity that the enemy could not assail them, they secured their retreat towards Leers, and the next morning joined General Otto's column. This brigade, which consisted of only eleven hundred and twenty men, left in the field five hundred and thirty-three."[8]

The FIFTY-THIRD regiment had Lieutenant John Rhind, eight serjeants, two drummers, and one hundred and ninety-one rank and file killed and missing; Major Thomas Scott, Captain Thomas Brisbane, Ensign E. Pierce, one serjeant, and fourteen rank and file wounded.[9]

Resuming its post in front of Tournay, the regiment was in line on the 22nd of May, when a numerous French army attacked the position occupied by the allies. The right wing of the army being pressed by the enemy, Major-General Fox's brigade was detached to its support. Speaking of the FOURTEENTH, THIRTY-SEVENTH, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments on this occasion, the Duke of York stated in his despatch, "Nothing could exceed the spirit and gallantry with which they conducted themselves, particularly in the storming of the village of Pontéchin, which they forced with the bayonet. The enemy immediately began to retreat." In general orders it was stated, "His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief desires to express his particular thanks to Major-General Fox; to the fourteenth regiment, under the command of Major Ramsey; to the thirty-seventh regiment, commanded by Captain Lightburne; to the FIFTY-THIRD regiment, commanded by Major Wiseman; and to the detachment of artillery that was attached to them, under the command of Captain Trotter, for their intrepidity and good conduct, which reflects the greatest honor upon themselves, at the same time that it was highly instrumental in deciding the important victory of the 22nd instant."

In Jones's Journal it is stated:—"There never was a better opportunity of putting British valour to the test; nor could there be anything more conspicuous than the proof they gave of what highly disciplined soldiers, well led on, may be brought to do. It appears almost impossible; but it is a fact, that a single British brigade, less than six hundred men, on that great day absolutely won the battle; for had they not come up, the allies would have been beaten."

The regiment had six rank and file killed: Lieutenants Rogers and Robertson, Ensign Pierce, one serjeant, and twenty-three rank and file wounded; twelve rank and file missing.

The word "Tournay," displayed by royal authority on the colour of the regiment, commemorates its heroic conduct on this occasion.

The enemy afterwards acquired so great a superiority of numbers, that the British army withdrew from its position, and a series of retrograde movements brought the army to the banks of the Rhine and the Waal.

1795

A severe frost having rendered the rivers passable on the ice, the British troops retired through Holland to Germany. The FIFTY-THIRD shared in the toil, privation, and suffering occasioned by long marches through a country covered with ice and snow: in the spring of 1795 they embarked for England, where they arrived in May.

The regiment was encamped near Southampton, where its ranks were completed by drafts from the 109th regiment; in November it embarked for the West Indies, and afterwards sailed with the armament, under General Sir Ralph Abercromby, for the conquest of the French West India Islands. The disasters which befell this fleet from storms at sea, and the number of shipwrecks which took place, are recorded in the naval history of Great Britain.

1796

Four companies of the regiment, commanded by Major Brisbane, arrived at Barbadoes in March, 1796, and they formed part of the armament which proceeded against St. Lucia; three other companies also arrived in time to share in the enterprise. A landing was effected on the 26th and 27th of April, and at midnight on the last-mentioned day, Brigadier-General (afterwards Sir John) Moore advanced with seven companies of the FIFTY-THIRD, under Lieut.-Colonel John Abercromby, and a detachment of Rangers along a defile in the mountains, and falling in with the enemy's post at Morne Chabot, carried it after a considerable resistance. The FIFTY-THIRD distinguished themselves on this occasion; and Sir Ralph Abercromby's thanks were expressed to the regiment in orders, accompanied by the declaration that he would bring its conduct before His Royal Highness the Duke of York.

The loss of the regiment on this occasion was one drummer and twelve rank and file killed; Captain Charles Stuart, Lieutenant Richard Collins, and John Carmichael, two serjeants, forty-four rank and file wounded; one drummer and eight private soldiers missing.

The regiment was engaged in the subsequent operations for the reduction of the island, which was accomplished before the end of May; and the Royal authority was given for the word "St. Lucia" to be borne on the colours of the regiment, to commemorate its distinguished conduct on this service.

After the reduction of St. Lucia, the regiment was embarked for St. Vincent, where an insurrection had broken out, and the native Caribs and many French colonists were in arms against the British authority. The insurgents were speedily overcome, and the Caribs fled to the woods. The hostile spirit which these people had long shown towards the British interests, occasioned the government to resolve to remove them from the island. The measures for this purpose were attended with much harassing duty to the troops, and many skirmishes occurred; but the Caribs were eventually forced to submit. The regiment was afterwards withdrawn from the island, when it received the following communication from Major-General Peter Hunter, dated 26th November, 1796:—

"Sir,—I beg you, and the officers and soldiers of the FIFTY-THIRD regiment, under your command, will accept of my best thanks for the zeal, activity, and humanity which have been testified by you and them, on all occasions, while under my command, during the brigand and Caribbee war in the island of St. Vincent. I am also requested by the Council and Assembly of the island to communicate, not only to the officers and soldiers now serving in St. Vincent, but to all those whom I have had the honor to command since my arrival here, the sentiments that the Assembly and inhabitants of this colony entertain of the good conduct and behaviour of the troops, and to offer their warmest, most grateful, and unfeigned thanks for the eminent services the army has rendered this island."

Major-General Lake having been removed to the seventy-third regiment, he was succeeded in the colonelcy of the FIFTY-THIRD by Major-General Welbore Ellis Doyle, by commission dated the 2nd of November, 1796.

1797

Spain having united with France in hostility to Great Britain, the FIFTY-THIRD were employed in an expedition against the Spanish settlement of Trinidad, which was captured in February, 1797, without loss.

The army subsequently proceeded against Porto Rico, and a landing was effected on the 18th of April; but the expedition proved of insufficient strength for the capture of this place, and the troops re-embarked on the night of the 30th of April. The FIFTY-THIRD had three rank and file killed; Captain John Rhind and three men wounded; Captain Samuel Dover taken prisoner. The regiment returned to St. Vincent.

1798

On the death of Major-General Doyle, the colonelcy was conferred on Lieut.-General Charles Crosbie, from the late Royal Dublin regiment, his commission bearing date the 3rd of January, 1798.

1799
1800

After remaining at St. Vincent during the years 1798 and 1799, the regiment was removed to St. Lucia in 1800.

1802

At the peace of Amiens, in 1802, the island of St. Lucia was restored to France, when the regiment returned to England, much reduced in numbers by the climate of the West Indies.

1803

On the arrival of the regiment in England, the men enlisted for limited service were discharged at Hilsea barracks, and in January, 1803, it marched, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Lightburne, for Shrewsbury.

1805

The first battalion, having been completed to eight hundred rank and file, embarked at Portsmouth, on the 20th of April, 1805, for the East Indies, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Sebright Mawby. The fleet sailed under the convoy of His Majesty's ship "Blenheim," on the 24th of April: in the early part of August it encountered a French line-of-battle ship and a frigate, when some firing took place, but nothing serious occurred; and on the 23rd of that month it arrived in Madras roads, when the FIFTY-THIRD landed, and marched into Fort St. George, where they lost a very promising officer, Captain Henry Knight Erskine, whose death was much regretted. In October they proceeded in boats to the fertile district of Dinapore, on the right bank of the Ganges, and occupied that station, in the midst of a country abounding with grain, cattle, and sheep.

1806

In consequence of the unhealthy state of the battalion, it was withdrawn from Dinapore, when Major-General Clarke expressed, in orders, his approbation of its conduct while under his command, and the high sense he entertained of the zeal and abilities of Lieut.-Colonel Mawby and of the officers generally. It arrived at Berhampore, a considerable station on the left bank of the Hoogly river, on the 6th of July.

1807

General Crosbie having died, the colonelcy was conferred on Major-General the Honorable John Abercromby, by commission dated the 21st of March, 1807, the sixth anniversary of the battle of Alexandria.

In September the first battalion embarked in boats to proceed up the Ganges, when Major-General Palmer recorded, in orders, his approbation of its exemplary conduct while stationed at Berhampore. After a voyage of eleven weeks in boats up the river, the battalion landed at Cawnpore on the 29th of November, and marched into the spacious barracks on an elevated site at that place.

The gallant conduct of two serjeants and fourteen private soldiers of the first battalion on board of the Company's ship Fame, when it was captured by a French frigate (the Piedmontaise), was rewarded by a donation from the Court of Directors, of 5l. to each of the serjeants, and 4l. to each private soldier.

The first battalion was stationed at Cawnpore during the year, and was highly commended in orders for its correct discipline and excellent conduct.

1809

On the 19th of January, 1809, three companies were detached, under Captain Piercy, to the province of Bundelcund, and joining the troops under Lieut.-Colonel Martindell, were employed in reducing some refractory native Sirdars. These companies were at the siege and capture of the fort of Adjighion, situate upon a lofty mountain; and after the surrender of this place they rejoined the regiment, which took the field in November, and joined a numerous division under Lieut.-Colonel Martindell. This body of troops was called out in consequence of signs of defection in the native Madras army, and it performed many long and difficult marches.

1810

The first battalion continued in the field until March, 1810, when it returned to Cawnpore. Lieut.-Colonel Mawby, the officers and soldiers, received the thanks of the Commander of the field force for their excellent conduct.

1811

During the year 1811 the first battalion remained at Cawnpore, where Lieut.-Colonel Buckland assumed the command.

1812

Five companies of the first battalion proceeded from their quarters at Cawnpore to take part with the division under Colonel Martindell, in the reduction of the strong fortress of Callinger, before which place the troops arrived on the 19th of January, 1812. A breach having been reported practicable, the fortress was assaulted on the 2nd of February. A serjeant and twelve privates of the FIFTY-THIRD regiment formed the forlorn-hope, which led the assault of the breach; they were followed by the grenadiers and light infantry of the FIFTY-THIRD, under Captain Fraser, supported by the remaining three companies of the FIFTY-THIRD, and the grenadiers and light infantry of the native regiments. The fortress of Callinger is situated upon a high rock of difficult access and great extent, in one of the ranges of mountains in the province of Allahabad; and when that portion of the country was ceded to the British, this strong fortress, which had resisted native armies, became the asylum of the disaffected and of the banditti of the province. These desperate characters crowded the breach as the FIFTY-THIRD rushed forward to storm the works. Select marksmen of the garrison were supplied with loaded muskets by other men as fast as they could fire them, and huge stones were in readiness to be thrown upon the assailants. The signal being given, the storming party, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Sebright Mawby and the officers and soldiers of the FIFTY-THIRD, made a gallant effort to gain the breach; ladders were placed against the rock and the men ascended with enthusiastic ardour; but showers of huge stones and a storm of musketry destroyed every man who gained the top of the rock; at the same time it was found impracticable to get other ladders fixed to communicate with a second small projection of the rock which appeared in the breach; under these circumstances the storming party was ordered to retire. The FIFTY-THIRD had Captain Fraser, Lieutenant and Adjutant Nice, one serjeant, one corporal, and ten private soldiers killed; Captain Cuppage, Lieutenants Stone, Young, Stewart, Daly, Cruice, Davis, and Booth, and one hundred and twenty soldiers wounded; several men died of their wounds.

In regimental orders issued on the 3rd of February, it was stated:—"Lieut.-Colonel Mawby has not words to express his admiration of the conduct of every officer and soldier of the FIFTY-THIRD in the storm of yesterday; anything he could say on the occasion would fall very short of what they deserved, for greater bravery and perseverance never were displayed by men, and had it been possible to have carried the breach, their bravery would have done it. His feelings for the severe loss sustained by the regiment may be imagined, but cannot be expressed; it is, however, a great consolation to know that the whole army before Callinger speaks of their bravery in terms of the highest commendation."

The conduct of the storming party was also commended in orders by Colonel Martindell, who stated,—"If the difficulties which they had to surmount had been found of a nature to be overcome, the persevering energy and undaunted courage of the troops, so very admirably conspicuous, would have been crowned with that success, which their animated exertions, and steady cool bravery, so eminently deserved."

In general orders by the government it was stated, "His Lordship in Council cordially unites in the sentiments of admiration expressed by His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, of the exemplary exertions, zeal, and persevering courage manifested by Lieut.-Colonel Mawby, FIFTY-THIRD regiment, and the brave officers and men acting under his command."

Lieut.-Colonel Mawby particularly reported the gallant conduct of Serjeant-Major Thomas Clarke, of the FIFTY-THIRD regiment.

In consequence of the difficulty experienced in the reduction of Callinger, Major Piercy, who commanded the five companies of the regiment left at Cawnpore, received orders to proceed as rapidly as possible to join the besieging army; but before he arrived, the garrison had surrendered. The cool determined bravery of the officers and soldiers of the FIFTY-THIRD, at the storming of the breach, had produced a great impression on the defenders of the fortress, who declared to their commander, that they would not stand a second assault: the Killedar, therefore, was forced to capitulate and deliver up the fortress.

The regiment afterwards returned to Cawnpore, where its appearance and discipline elicited the commendations of the Commander-in-Chief in India at a review in September of this year. In October the regiment marched to Meerut on the north-west frontier.

1813

During the year 1813 the first battalion was stationed at Meerut.

In the meantime circumstances had occurred which occasioned the battalion to be called from its quarters at Meerut, to take the field against the Nepaulese, whose depredations on the British territory could not be restrained without force of arms. The FIFTY-THIRD marched from Meerut on the 14th of October, and joined the division of the army appointed to invade the kingdom of Nepaul, or the Gorca state, under the orders of Major-General Robert Rollo Gillespie. This division was directed to penetrate the Himalaya mountains by the pass of the Deyrah Doon, and capture the strong fort of Kalunga, situate upon a peak in the mountains between the rivers Sutlej and Ganges, which was defended by a garrison of warlike mountaineers, under a celebrated Hindoo warrior named Bulbudder.

1814

Two companies of the FIFTY-THIRD, commanded by Lieutenant Young, were detached with a small column under Lieut.-Colonel Carpenter of the seventeenth native infantry, and ascending the Timlee pass, into the Deyrah valley, joined at midnight on the 24th of October, another detachment under Colonel Mawby of the FIFTY-THIRD regiment, who advanced to capture the fort of Kalunga by a coup-de-main; but upon approaching the place, it was found to be a strong work of excellent stone masonry, more formidable than it had been represented to be, and not to be taken without cannon. After a close reconnoissance, Colonel Mawby retired, and received the acknowledgments of Major-General Gillespie, in orders, for his conduct on the occasion. The Major-General afterwards advanced with the leading corps, and taking with him a few light field-pieces on the backs of elephants, had them placed in battery upon a piece of table-land near the fort, and on the morning of the 31st of October storming parties were in readiness to attack the fort. The troops moved forward with great gallantry, but under such unfavourable circumstances, that the assault failed; among the other disasters the pioneers bearing the ladders fell, from the fire of the garrison, in the midst of a village of grass huts, which caught fire, and the storming party was thus deprived of the means for ascending the walls of the fort. The two companies of the FIFTY-THIRD lost several men, and had Lieutenants Young and Anstice severely wounded. Three of the columns of attack had not advanced, in consequence of not hearing, or not understanding, the signal, and the messengers despatched to them never reached their destination. The columns which had advanced, withdrew to the village. At this moment three companies of the FIFTY-THIRD arrived from a long march, under Captain Wheeler Coultman, and were ordered to join the storming party, which consisted also of a brigade of Bengal horse artillery (six-pounders), under the command of Captain Charles Pratt Kennedy, for the purpose of making another determined effort to capture the place. Major-General Gillespie headed the assault in person. A party of the FIFTY-THIRD dragged two of the guns forward with ropes up a steep ascent under a sharp fire, and after overcoming the difficulty of a stockade across the path, a few shots were fired at a small gate in the wall, to force it open. A destructive fire was opened from the walls upon the storming party, crowded in a narrow space, waiting for the gate to be forced open and a passage to be made; Major-General Gillespie placed himself at the head of the troops, and while leading the men to the assault, he fell mortally wounded. The attack failed; the storming party retired; and afterwards withdrew from before the fort to await the arrival of a battering train. The FIFTY-THIRD had sixteen men killed and seventy-five wounded.

The battering train having arrived from Delhi, the siege was resumed by the troops under Colonel Mawby, and on the 27th of November the flank companies of the FIFTY-THIRD, with one battalion company of the regiment, and the grenadiers of the native corps, stormed the breach under the orders of Major William Ingleby of the FIFTY-THIRD. A numerous body of mountaineers defended the breach with desperate resolution. Major Ingleby was wounded, and withdrew, leaving the storming party under Captain Coultman. Lieutenant Harrington and a few men of the FIFTY-THIRD ascended the breach, but were instantly killed. The storming party proving not sufficiently numerous to capture the place, the remaining companies of the regiment were ordered forward, and the attack was repeated, but without success: the approach to the breach proved very difficult, and the defenders numerous and desperate; after a severe loss had been sustained, the storming party was ordered to retire. Lieutenant Harrington and twenty men of the regiment were killed on this occasion; Major Ingleby, Captain Stone, Lieutenants Horsley, Green, and Brodie, Ensign Aufrere, twelve serjeants, three drummers, and one hundred and eighty-four rank and file wounded.

The battery resumed its fire to widen the breach; but further loss was prevented by the garrison evacuating the fort, and retreating and forcing their way through the besieging corps.

From Kalunga the division moved along a ridge of mountains towards Nahn; the enemy evacuating the fortifications as the British approached, and retiring to another ridge of mountains of much greater elevation. On the 27th of December the flank companies of the regiment were engaged in driving back the enemy's outposts, in order to make lodgments for besieging some fortified places on the Jampta heights, and had one serjeant and eight rank and file killed.

1815

In 1815 the Nepaulese were brought to submission, and the regiment marched from the camp in the mountains to the banks of the Ganges, where it embarked in boats and proceeded down the river to Berhampore, where it landed on the 30th of August, and was joined by a strong detachment from the second battalion, under the command of Major Giles. On the 20th of October the regiment again embarked in boats, and proceeded to Calcutta, where it remained until December, when it embarked for Madras.

1816

In January, 1816, the first battalion marched from Madras to Wallajahbad; but in March three companies returned to Madras, and seven proceeded to the Naggery Pass, to keep in check the plundering bands of Pindarees, who infested the British territory in India at this period. These marauding tribes having been driven from British India with severe loss, the seven companies marched to Bangalore, where they were joined by the detachment from Madras in June; also by a detachment from Europe. In November the battalion commenced its march for Trichinopoly, where it arrived on the 12th of December, after a march of two hundred and seven miles.

1817

On the 14th of February, 1817, Lieut.-General Sir John Abercromby, G.C.B., died at Marseilles, in the south of France, at which place he had resided some time for the benefit of his health. The high military character and private virtues of this distinguished officer, with his attachment to, and the lively interest he took in every thing connected with, the FIFTY-THIRD regiment, occasioned his death to be much regretted. He was succeeded by Lieut.-General Rowland Lord Hill, G.C.B., from the ninety-fourth regiment.

Colonel Mawby commanded the regiment in cantonments at Trichinopoly; and in June the flank companies were detached, under the command of Major Giles, to join a flank battalion forming at Darwah, to serve with a division of the army under Colonel Pritzler, which was called to take the field in consequence of several native chiefs having prepared to wage war against the British power in India.

While the flank companies were in the field, the strength of the regiment was augmented by the detachment from the second battalion, and a number of volunteers from the eightieth regiment.

1818

In 1818 the regiment sustained great loss from the cholera.

1819

The flank companies were actively employed with the field force under Brigadier-General Pritzler, who reduced several fortified places to submission to the British authority, and among others the fort of Copaul Droog, the garrison of which place made a desperate defence. The excellent conduct of the troops employed in this service was made known in general orders dated the 22nd of June, 1819. The flank battalion led the assault of the place; and the conduct of Captain Cuppage, and Lieutenant Silver of the FIFTY-THIRD regiment, was particularly noticed. Lieutenant Silver was wounded.

1820

Leaving Trichinopoly in January, 1820, the regiment commenced its march for Bellary, a distance of about three hundred and ninety miles, under the orders of Colonel Mawby. The cholera broke out in the regiment on the march, and it lost a highly esteemed officer, Lieut.-Colonel Fehrszen, who had distinguished himself while serving with the second battalion in Spain and the south of France; he was buried with military honours at Salem. Lieutenant George FitzGerald, who had also served with reputation in the Peninsular War, died a few days afterwards, and was buried at Nimdydroog. While passing through the Mysore, the cholera disappeared; and on the 25th of February the regiment arrived at Bellary; having lost two officers and eighteen soldiers on the march.

Colonel Mawby having been promoted to the rank of major-general, the command of the regiment devolved on Lieut.-Colonel Mansel.

After halting at Bellary five months, the regiment commenced its march for Bangalore, where it arrived on the 1st of August. Lieutenant John Wilton, a gallant and meritorious officer, died on the 28th of August, much regretted.

The flank battalion, under Major Giles, had continued to perform much arduous and valuable service, under Brigadier-General Pritzler; but the necessity for its continuing in the field having ceased, the several companies marched to join their respective regiments. The companies of the FIFTY-THIRD arrived at head-quarters on the 30th of November. The gallant, zealous, and exemplary conduct of these companies, during the three years and a half which they had been employed on field service, was highly commended in orders. The regiment was at this period commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Edward Carey Fleming.

1821

Major John Giles, who had commanded the flank battalion on field service with reputation, died on the 2nd of May, 1821, at Cannanore. Quarter-master Robert Blackie died soon afterwards; he had risen by merit from the ranks of the regiment, and had held the commission of quarter-master nineteen years: he was much respected in the regiment.

1822

In May, 1822, the regiment quitted the Mysore, having first received the thanks of Lieut.-General Bowser, in division orders, for its exemplary conduct, and proceeded to Fort St. George, where it arrived on the 5th of June; having lost, on this march of two hundred miles, fifteen men by cholera. Major Wheeler Coultman also died on the 22nd of May.

The forty-first regiment arriving from England in July, the FIFTY-THIRD marched out of Fort St. George and encamped at a village on the Poonamallee Road, and were placed under orders for embarkation for England.

1823

Seven hundred and fifty-six non-commissioned officers and soldiers volunteered to transfer their services to other corps, and to remain in India; twenty-one old soldiers were placed on the out-pension of Chelsea Hospital, and permitted to reside in India; and the regiment embarked from Madras on the 9th of March, 1823, after a service of eighteen years in India.[10] It landed at Gravesend on the 8th of July, and marched to Chatham, where it halted a few days, and afterwards proceeded to Hilsea barracks. It was subsequently removed to Weedon barracks, and active measures were adopted for recruiting its numbers.

1825
1826

In 1825 the regiment proceeded to Chatham, and afterwards to Portsmouth, where it was inspected and reviewed by its colonel, General Lord Hill, in May, 1826, and elicited his Lordship's approbation. It afterwards marched into Lancashire, and in October embarked at Liverpool for Ireland: it landed at Dublin, and marched from thence to Templemore.

1827

Leaving Templemore in the spring of 1827, the regiment proceeded to Cork; and in the autumn the head-quarters were removed to Kilkenny.

1828
1829

In April, 1828, the regiment marched to Dublin; and in the spring of 1829 to Birr, where it was formed into six service and four reserve companies, preparatory to the former proceeding to a foreign station.

The service companies proceeded to Cork, where they embarked on the 2nd of November for Gibraltar, and arrived at that important fortress in December.

1830

A pair of new colours bearing the words "Nieuport," "Tournay," "St. Lucia," "Talavera," "Salamanca," "Vittoria," "Pyrenees," "Nivelle," "Toulouse," and "Peninsula," having been received, the regiment was formed on parade on the 12th of January, 1830, under Lieut.-Colonel James Considine's command; the colours were consecrated by the Rev. J. S. Pering, the garrison Chaplain; they were then handed by the Lieut.-Governor, Sir George Don, to Mrs. Considine, who presented them to the regiment, with a suitable address. The day was concluded by a supper and ball, given by the officers of the regiment, to which the officers in garrison, and the principal inhabitants of the place, were invited. The soldiers were treated with a dinner and a hogshead of wine on the following day; and on the 14th, the serjeants were permitted to treat their friends to a supper and a dance in one of the large store-rooms, which was fitted up for the occasion.

The reserve companies remained in Ireland until May of this year, when they embarked at Dublin, for Liverpool.

In November, 1830, General Lord Hill, G.C.B., G.C.H., K.C., was removed to the Royal regiment of Horse Guards, and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the FIFTY-THIRD by Major-General Lord FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, K.C.B.

1834
1835

The service companies remained on duty at Gibraltar until March, 1834, when they proceeded to the island of Malta, where they remained during the year 1835; in October the depôt companies returned to Ireland.

1836

In the summer of 1836 the service companies embarked at Malta for the Ionian Islands, and landed at Corfu in July.

1840

After remaining nearly four years in the Ionian Islands, the service companies embarked at Corfu on the 28th of April, 1840, for England, and landed on the 9th of June at Plymouth, where they were joined by the depôt companies from Ireland.

1841

The regiment remained at Plymouth until July, 1841, when it embarked for Scotland, and marching to Edinburgh, was stationed in the castle of that city during the year 1842.