Part 14
Bastia was afterwards besieged by sea and land, and surrendered on the 22nd of May. An assembly of the Deputies afterwards agreed to unite the island to Great Britain, which was performed with the solemnities customary on such occasions. But _Calvi_, a fortified town thirty-three miles from the capital, and situated on a tongue of land which forms one of the most beautiful harbours in the island, still held out; and the ROYALS formed part of the land force commanded by Lieut.-General Stuart selected for the siege of this place. The battalion accordingly embarked from Bastia, and, having landed near Calvi on the 19th of June, took post on a ridge of mountains three miles from the town. Owing to the numerous rocky heights and steep mountains before the town, the soldiers and seamen had to make roads along difficult precipices, to drag the guns up the mountains, and to carry up materials for erecting the batteries, which they performed with cheerful alacrity. The fire of the heavy artillery having made a practicable breach on the west side of the Mozello, on the 18th of July the light infantry and ROYALS, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Moore, "proceeded with a cool, steady confidence, and unloaded arms, towards the enemy, forced their way through a smart fire of musketry, and, regardless of live shells flung into the breach, or the additional defence of pikes, stormed the Mozello; while Lieut.-Colonel Wemyss, with the Royal Irish Regiment, and two pieces of cannon, under the direction of Lieutenant Lemoine, equally regardless of opposition, carried the enemy's battery on the left, and forced the trenches without firing a shot."[104] The capture of these posts proved of great importance, and, the siege being continued with vigour, the garrison surrendered on the 10th of August. The loss sustained by the 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment was very trifling, viz., about four men killed and Captain Colin M'Donald and seven men wounded. The battalion was afterwards stationed in garrison at Calvi, where it remained nearly two years.
[Sidenote: 1st Batt.]
The republican principles which produced the revolution in France soon extended to the French West India settlements; and the inhabitants of colour in the island of _St. Domingo_ (now the black empire of Hayti), having imbibed the doctrine of equality, rose in arms against the whites, and carried fire and bloodshed through the settlement. Many of the planters having, from the distracted state of France, no hope of relief from that country, were desirous of placing themselves under the protection of Great Britain: a body of troops was accordingly sent to their aid, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke; and while the 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment was engaged in the defence of Toulon and the capture of Corsica, the 1st battalion embarked from Jamaica and sailed to St. Domingo.
Much resistance was met with from the republican troops and revolted negroes on the island. In February, 1794, the light company of the ROYALS advanced against the fortress of _L'Acal_, in the vicinity of Leogane. Part of the force designed for this service was embarked in transports, and the remainder, including the light company of the ROYALS, proceeded by land. The wind proving unfavourable, the troops in transports could not disembark; the remainder, however, advanced against the fort,--ascended the hill, which was rendered difficult by trees placed in all directions,--and, attacking the enemy with fixed bayonets, drove them from their works. After obtaining possession of the fort, two officers and thirteen private men were killed by the explosion of a magazine, which was fired by a negro recently from Africa, who did not know the use of gunpowder. One of the officers thus killed was Captain Morshead, of the light company of the ROYALS, who was wounded in the assault of the fort. Captain Hutchinson,[105] of the ROYALS, who was doing duty with the artillery, was wounded at the commencement of the attack, but he continued at his post of duty until the fort was carried.
Part of the battalion was afterwards engaged in an unsuccessful attack on _Bombarde_, in which service sixteen men were killed and twenty-six taken prisoners. The attack was made before day-break in the morning, and, the retreat being sudden, ENSIGN JOHN GARSTON, of the ROYALS, with eight men of his company, became separated from the detachment, and, losing the road, wandered in a wrong direction. Towards mid-day he fell in with a patrol of six men of the enemy, and was called upon to surrender; but this brave young officer answered by a threat to fire upon them if they attempted to interrupt him. He continued to stray farther from his intended point; the enemy followed at a distance, and again called upon him to surrender, but he constantly refused. At night the patrol, fatigued with following him over dry and sandy plains, retired. The ensign and his little party continued to wander--fainting with hunger, thirst, and fatigue--two days and a night, during which time two men died of want and weariness, having found nothing but the fruit of Indian fig-trees and aloes. At length they arrived at a demolished port, where they found an old fishing-boat, in which they embarked, and arrived on the morning of the third day at the entrance of the bay of the mole St. Nicholas, from whence the fishermen brought them into the town.[106]
Lieutenant M'Kellar, of the ROYALS, who commanded the light company after the death of Captain Morshead, occupied an unfinished block-house near the fortress of _L'Acal_, where he was attacked by the enemy; but he repulsed the assailants with signal gallantry, and his conduct on this occasion was mentioned in orders.
_Port-au-Prince_, the capital of the French possessions in the island, was still in the power of the republicans, and the siege of this place was resolved upon. The flank companies of the battalion took part in this service, and the enemy evacuated the town on the 4th of June, and it was immediately occupied by the British troops. Unfortunately, a malignant fever broke out in the town, and the British lost 40 officers and 600 rank and file within two months after the surrender of the place.
A detachment of the ROYALS, under Lieutenant Clunes, formed part of the garrison of 120 men at _Fort Bizzeton_, which was attacked on the 5th of December by 2000 of the enemy, who were repulsed with considerable loss. Major-General Sir Adam Williamson, speaking of this affair in his public despatch, stated,--"Captain Grant (13th) and his two Lieutenants, Clunes of the ROYALS and Hamilton of the 22nd Regiment, merit every attention that can be shown them. They were all three severely wounded early in the attack, but tied up their wounds and continued to defend their posts. It has been a very gallant defence, and does them great honour." The loss of this little garrison was, one serjeant and four rank and file killed; three officers, one serjeant, and thirteen rank and file, wounded.
[Sidenote: 1795]
A detachment of the battalion was engaged in the defence of an out-post at the commencement of the year 1795; and Lieutenant Spencer was wounded, and Lieutenant Watts killed, by the blowing up of a block-house.
[Sidenote: 1796]
[Sidenote: 2nd Batt.]
The 2nd battalion had, in the mean time, remained in garrison at Calvi, in the island of Corsica; but the French having violated the neutrality of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and taken possession of the city of Leghorn, directed the cannon of the fortresses against the British shipping in the road, and seized on British property; it was believed they had the same design against Porto Ferrajo, in the island of Elba; and the ROYALS were withdrawn from Corsica in July, 1796, to take possession of this place. Meanwhile the success of the French arms in various parts of Europe, particularly the victorious career of General Bonaparte in Italy, had produced a revolution of feeling amongst the inhabitants of Corsica. Bonaparte was a native of the island, and the Corsicans gloried in him as a man who reflected honour on his country; this produced a feeling of regret that the island had become annexed to Great Britain, and they began to plot measures to effect its separation. It appearing evident that the cost of the defence would exceed the advantage derived from the possession of the island, it was evacuated in October, and the remainder of the troops proceeded to Elba, where the 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment was stationed.
[Sidenote: 1797]
[Sidenote: 1st Batt.]
The 1st battalion had, in the meantime, been much reduced in numbers by its arduous services in the island of St. Domingo; and in May, 1797, it returned to England, from whence it was ordered to Scotland to recruit.
[Sidenote: 2nd Batt.]
The French republic had concluded a treaty of peace with Spain, and entered into negociations with the Portuguese; but the Queen of Portugal refused to ratify the treaty, and agreed to receive British troops into several ports of Portugal. The 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment was, in consequence, withdrawn in the summer of 1797 from the island of Elba to proceed to Portugal; calling at Gibraltar, it there received drafts from the several regiments in that garrison, and, on its arrival in the river Tagus, it was placed in garrison at Cascaes, a small sea-port in the district of Torres Vedras, fifteen miles west of Lisbon, where the battalion was stationed during the remainder of this and the following year.
[Sidenote: 1798]
[Sidenote: 1st Batt.]
[Sidenote: 1799]
[Sidenote: 2nd Batt.]
In 1798 the 1st battalion, having recruited its numbers, proceeded from Great Britain to Ireland; and in the beginning of 1799 the 2nd battalion was withdrawn from Portugal, and after its arrival in England it was encamped on Barham Downs.
Bonaparte was at this period in Egypt, French troops were also engaged in operations on the Rhine, on the Danube, and elsewhere; and a favourable opportunity appeared to present itself for rescuing Holland from the power of France, into which it had fallen after the unfortunate issue of the campaign in the Netherlands in 1794. A plan of co-operation was concerted between Great Britain and Russia, in the expectation that the Dutch would rise in arms against the French, and in favour of the Prince of Orange, and, aided by the Anglo-Russian force, would exert themselves to effect their emancipation. The 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment was selected to form part of the expedition to Holland, and it sailed from Deal on the 13th of August, with several other corps commanded by General Sir Ralph Abercombie, and, after some delay from contrary winds, landed on the 27th on the Dutch coast, near the _Helder_. A considerable body of French and Dutch troops assembled near the point of debarkation, some sharp fighting occurred, and in the evening the enemy retreated to a position six miles in his rear. The garrison in the Helder also abandoned its post, which was taken possession of on the following day by the 2nd battalion of the ROYALS and the 92nd Regiment. A numerous train of heavy and field artillery was found in this important post; and two days afterwards the Dutch fleet surrendered without striking a blow, and hoisted the colours of the Prince of Orange.
The Dutch people did not, however, manifest a disposition to rise against the French; but on the 10th of September the united French and Dutch forces attacked Sir Ralph Abercombie's position near _Shagen_, and were repulsed by the steady valour of the British troops. The British commander observed in his despatch,--"It is impossible for me to do full justice to the good conduct of the troops." The 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment had Lieutenant Gordon and three private men wounded on this occasion.
Additional forces were sent from England, and His Royal Highness the Duke of York arrived and took the command of the army. A Russian force also arrived; and on the 19th of September an attack was made on the enemy's position, but, owing to the inconsiderate valour of the Russians, it failed. On the 2nd of October another attack was made on the enemy's positions between Bergen and _Egmont-op-Zee_, in which the ROYALS had another opportunity of signalizing themselves. "The points where this well-fought battle were principally contested were from the sea-shore in front of Egmont, extending along the sandy desert, or hills, to the heights above Bergen, and it was sustained by the British columns under those highly-distinguished officers General Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Lieut.-General Dundas, whose exertions, as well as the gallantry of the brave troops they led, cannot have been surpassed by any former instance of British valour[107]." The ROYALS were engaged with the enemy's troops occupying the sand-hills in front of Egmont-op-Zee, and lost on this occasion seven private men killed, Captains Barns and Hunter, Lieutenants Ainslie, Edmonston, Patten, Bowe, Fraser, and Johnstone, Ensign Birmingham, four serjeants, and sixty-one rank and file wounded, Lieutenant Hope wounded and taken prisoner, and ten rank and file missing.
The gallant conduct evinced by the battalion on this occasion was afterwards rewarded with the Royal permission to bear the word "EGMONT-OP-ZEE" on its colours.
The Dutch people were not aroused by these gallant exertions on their behalf to make any attempt to deliver themselves from the power of France; and, several circumstances, calculated to render the expedition unsuccessful having occurred, it was decided that, instead of fighting for a people who were not resolved to be free, the troops should be withdrawn from Holland. A convention was in consequence concluded with the enemy, and the 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment returned to England.
[Sidenote: 1st Batt.]
The 1st battalion was stationed during the whole of this year in Ireland.
[Sidenote: 1800]
[Sidenote: 2nd Batt.]
The 2nd battalion did not remain long on home service before it was again ordered to embark; and it formed part of the force under Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney which landed on the 25th of August, 1800, on the coast of Galicia, in Spain, with the view of attacking the strong fortress of _Ferrol_, a sea-port situated at the influx of the river Javia into the extensive inlet called the Bay of Corunna. Having made good their landing, the troops advanced to the heights which overlook the town; some sharp skirmishing took place, and the ROYALS had one private soldier killed, and Lieutenant Edmonston and one private soldier wounded. After viewing the town and its defences, Sir James Pulteney resolved not to lose time in attacking this place, but to re-embark the troops and proceed to join General Sir Ralph Abercrombie, who commanded a British force in the Mediterranean. The united forces afterwards sailed to _Cadiz_, and summoned the governor to surrender; but a disease was ravaging the city at the time, and the fleet quitted the coast for fear of infection, and proceeded to Gibraltar.
[Sidenote: 1st Batt.]
During the summer the 1st battalion quitted Ireland, and proceeded to Scotland, where it continued during the remainder of the year.
[Sidenote: 2nd Batt.]
After its arrival at Gibraltar the 2nd battalion was selected to form part of an expedition under the orders of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, designed to drive the French army out of Egypt; and in November it sailed from Gibraltar to the island of Malta, where the men were disembarked to refresh themselves after having been many months at sea. The abundance of fresh provisions which the island afforded, the comforts of the beautiful city of Valetta, with the luxury of the scenery, soon restored and reanimated the troops; and on the 20th of December the expedition sailed for the Bay of Marmorice, in Asiatic Turkey, where the fleet arrived in nine days.
[Sidenote: 1801]
Here the troops remained for several weeks, in a bay surrounded by mountains, which presented to the eye the most picturesque scenery imaginable; the regiments were successively disembarked and exercised; Turkish horses were purchased for the cavalry; gun-boats were procured to cover the landing of the troops in Egypt, and a plan of co-operation was arranged with the Turks. The delays of the Turks detained the fleet some time; but on the 23rd of February, 1801, it again put to sea, when a gale of wind dispersed the Greek and Turkish vessels. The British continued their course, and having arrived on the 1st of March off the celebrated city of Alexandria, the ancient capital of Egypt, they bore down at sunset into the bay of _Aboukir_.
The 2nd battalion of the ROYALS was formed in brigade with the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 54th, and the 92nd Highlanders, commanded by Major-General Coote, and formed part of the van-guard of 5000 men, which entered the boats on the morning of the 8th of March, to effect a landing. At nine o'clock the boats moved forward, and as they approached the shore, the French troops poured down a shower of shot, shells, grape, and musketry, which cut the surface of the water into deep furrows, and sank several of the boats. Yet the undaunted Britons pressed forward;--the reserve leaped out of the boats on the shore and formed as they advanced;--the 23rd and flank companies of the 40th rushed up the heights in the face of dangers and difficulties sufficient to intimidate ordinary men;--the 28th and 42nd also formed and mounted the position;--while the Foot Guards and 58th prolonged the attack;--and the ROYALS and 54th pushed forward to sustain their brave companions in arms. A column of French infantry advancing through a hollow way with fixed bayonets against the left flank of the Foot Guards, encountered the ROYALS and 54th; the British pressed forward to engage their antagonists with their characteristic ardour; the French hesitated, fired a volley, and then retreated; and the ROYALS and 54th continued their advance. The regiments, which first ascended the enemy's position, had already gained considerable advantage, and when the ROYALS reached the heights and joined in the attack, the French retreated. They, however, maintained a scattered fire from the rear sand-hills for about an hour and a half, when they were obliged to retreat, with the loss of eight pieces of cannon and many horses. Sir Ralph Abercrombie expressed his approbation of the conduct of the troops in general orders in the following terms:--"The gallant behaviour of the troops in the action of yesterday claims from the Commander-in-Chief the warmest praise that he can bestow; and it is with particular satisfaction that he observed their conduct marked equally for ardent bravery, and by coolness, regularity, and order." The loss of the 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment was--Lieutenant Lyster, 1 serjeant, and 11 rank and file, killed; Captain---- M'Donald, Lieutenants Graham and Fraser, 3 serjeants, and 40 rank and file, wounded.
In the evening after the action the victorious troops advanced three miles on the road towards Alexandria; on the 10th they advanced three miles further, and, owing to the depth of the sand, the men were three hours proceeding that short distance. On the 12th they encamped near Mandora Tower, and on the succeeding day marched through the wood of date-trees to attack the enemy on the ridge of heights in front. Some sharp fighting occurred, and the French were driven from their position, and forced to retreat over the plains to their lines on the heights before Alexandria. The ROYALS lost during this day's service 4 men killed and 21 wounded.
After this victory the British troops took up a position with their right to the sea, and their left to the canal of Alexandria; and the Arabs visited the camp and brought sheep, goats, fowls, eggs, and everything the country afforded, and appeared happy to engage in a friendly intercourse with their deliverers. On the 19th 500 Turkish troops arrived and encamped three miles in the rear of the army. The French at _Alexandria_ having been increased in numbers by troops from the interior, advanced on the 21st of March to attack the British, and the ROYALS had another opportunity of acquiring laurels on the distant shores of Egypt. The battalion, being on the right of the 1st brigade, had its post in the centre of the front line, on the left of the Foot Guards. As soon as the day dawned a column of French grenadiers advanced, supported by a heavy line of infantry, to assault this part of the position. The Foot Guards threw forward a line of skirmishers; these being driven in, and the French column near, the brigade opened its fire with great precision. The enemy attempted to turn the left flank of the Guards, but was checked; and the ROYALS, with the remainder of their brigade, coming forward at the moment to engage the enemy, the French grenadiers were driven from their ground and forced to retreat. A crowd of French sharp-shooters afterwards advanced against the ROYALS and other regiments at this part of the field, and the French artillery played incessantly. But the British stood their ground manfully, and repelled the attacks of the enemy with a constancy and valour which redounded to their honour. The French were repulsed at every point of attack, and forced to retreat; and at 10 o'clock A.M. the action ceased. The splendour of the victory was, however, clouded with the fall of the British commander, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, who was wounded in the action and died a few days afterwards. The loss sustained by the 2nd battalion of the ROYAL Regiment was--9 rank and file killed; with Captain Goodson, Lieutenants Gordon, M'Pherson, and Johnstone, 1 serjeant, and 68 rank and file, wounded. Four days after the battle, between five and six thousand Turks arrived. Soon afterwards a body of British and Turks traversed the country to the city of _Rosetta_, situated near the mouth of one of the great channels of the river Nile, a place distinguished by the beauty of its environs, being completely embosomed in a grove of date, banana, sycamore, orange, lemon, and pomegranate trees, while the lofty palm-tree, towering over all, added magnificence to the landscape. This place was soon captured; but the fort of St. Julian held out, and, while the siege was in progress, the ROYALS marched across the country to _Hamed_, on the Nile, five miles above Rosetta, where they arrived on the 12th of April. A small force of British, Turks, and Greeks, assembled at this place, to cover the siege, several skirmishes occurred, and the ROYALS had two drummers and eight private men killed.
After the surrender of St. Julian, General Hutchinson, who commanded the British forces in Egypt, having left a body of troops before Alexandria, advanced with the remainder, on the 5th of May, along the banks of the Nile, through a rich country, abounding in rice, sugar, wheat, barley, and other necessaries and luxuries of life, and on the 7th of May drove the French from the post of _El-Aft_. He also forced the enemy to quit their fortified post at _Rahmanie_, and to retire through the desert to the city of _Cairo_, the metropolis of modern Egypt. The ROYALS had three men wounded in the skirmish near Rahmanie. The British and Turks continued their route along the banks of the Nile, and arrived, on the 1st of June, within sight of the Pyramids. On the 8th they encamped within a few miles of these stupendous structures, where they halted several days; then advanced to _Cairo_ and commenced the siege of the city, and in a few days the French surrendered the place.