Historical Record of the Seventy-Second Regiment, or the Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders / Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1778, and of its subsequent services to 1848
Date: 2021-12-22T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Great Britain. Army. Seaforth Highlanders -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot; 72nd -- History

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Title: Historical Record of the Seventy-Second Regiment, or the Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders

Author: Richard Cannon

Release date: December 22, 2021 [eBook #66993]

Language: English

Credits: Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT, OR THE DUKE OF ALBANY'S OWN HIGHLANDERS ***

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been placed at the end of each major section.

The page numbering at the front of the book goes from xxv to xxxvi, then from i to xvi. This has not been changed.

Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book. These are indicated by a dotted gray underline.

BY COMMAND OF His late Majesty WILLIAM THE IVTH.
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 Esqre.
Adjutant Generals Office, Horse Guards.
London.
Printed by Authority.

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT,
OR,
THE DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN HIGHLANDERS;

CONTAINING

AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
IN 1778,

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.

M DCCC XLVIII.

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

THE SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT,

OR

THE DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN HIGHLANDERS,

BEARS ON ITS REGIMENTAL COLOUR

THE DUKE’S CIPHER AND CORONET

AS A REGIMENTAL BADGE;

ALSO THE WORD

“HINDOOSTAN,”

IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS SERVICES IN THE EAST INDIES FROM 1781 TO 1798;

AND THE WORDS

“CAPE OF GOOD HOPE,”

IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS SERVICES AT THE CAPTURE OF THAT COLONY IN 1806.

SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT,

OR

DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN HIGHLANDERS.

CONTENTS OF HISTORICAL RECORD.

| | Page
Year | Introduction | xxxiii
1778 | Formation of the Regiment | 1
—— | The Earl of Seaforth appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant | 2
—— | Officers appointed to Commissions | 3
—— | Establishment and National Composition | —
—— | Assembled and inspected at Elgin | 4
—— | Marched to Edinburgh | —
—— | Embarked for Jersey and Guernsey | 5
1779 | Defended Jersey against a French Naval force | —
1781 | Embarked for Portsmouth | 6
—— | ———— for the East Indies | —
—— | The Earl of Seaforth died on the passage | —
—— | Casualties on the voyage to India | —
1782 | Arrived at Madras | —
1783 | Joined the army destined for the attack of Cudalore | 7
—— | Attack of the fortress of Cudalore | 8
—— | Peace concluded with France | 9
—— | Decease of Hyder Ali, and succession of his son, Tippoo Saib | —
—— | Negotiations of Peace with Tippoo Saib | —
1783 | Decease of Colonel Humberston | 9
—— | Major-General James Murray appointed Lieut.-Colonel Commandant | —
—— | Advanced into the Mysore country | 10
—— | Capture of the fortress of Palacatcherry | —
—— | Capture of the fortress of Coimbetore | 10
1784 | Termination of the War in India | 11
1785 | Re-formation of the Regiment by volunteers from other Corps | —
1786 | The numerical title altered from Seventh-eighth to the Seventy-second Regiment | —
1787 | Establishment increased | —
1789 | War with Tippoo Saib recommenced | 12
1790 | Marched to Trichinopoly | —
—— | Advanced to Caroor, and encamped | —
—— | Marched to Daraporam | —
—— | Thence to Coimbetore | —
—— | Flank Companies of Seventy-first and Seventy-second Regiments engaged in the siege of Palacatcherry | 13
—— | Advanced from Coimbetore to Velladi | 14
—— | Returned to Coimbetore | 15
—— | Capture of Palacatcherry | —
—— | Advanced from Coimbetore to Erroad | —
—— | Traversed extensive districts in pursuit of the Sultan Tippoo Saib | —
—— | Returned to the Carnatic | 16
—— | Arrived and encamped at Arnee | —
1791 | General the Earl Cornwallis assumed the command of the army | —
—— | Advanced to Vellore | —
—— | Traversed the pass of Mooglee | 17
—— | Marched towards the fortress of Bangalore | —
—— | Storming and capture of Bangalore | 18
—— | Received the thanks of Earl Cornwallis | 20
1791 | Joined by the Nizam’s Troops | 21
—— | Advanced towards Seringapatam | 22
—— | Returned to Bangalore | 23
—— | Storming and capture of Savendroog | 25
—— | ———— ———— of Outra-Durgum | 26
—— | Again completed by recruits from Scotland | 27
1792 | Marched for Seringapatam | —
—— | Crossed the Lokany River | 28
—— | Victory over the army of Tippoo Saib | 30
—— | Termination of the War | 31
—— | Marched from Seringapatam to Wallajabad | —
1793 | Proceeded against Pondicherry | 32
1794 | Returned to Wallajabad | 33
—— | Major-General A. Williamson appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to General Murray, deceased | 33
1795 | Embarked from Fort St. George, and proceeded against Ceylon | —
—— | Siege and capture of Trincomalee | 34
—— | Surrender of Batticaloe | —
—— | ———— of Manaar | —
1796 | ———— of Colombo | —
1797 | Removed to Pondicherry | 35
1798 | Embarked at Madras for England | —
—— | Arrived at Gravesend and proceeded to Scotland | —
—— | Authorised to bear the word “Hindoostan” on its Colours and Appointments | —
—— | Major-General James Stuart appointed to the Colonelcy in succession to Gen. Williamson, deceased | —
1801 | Embarked for Ireland | —
1802 | Establishment reduced after the Peace of Amiens | 36
1803 | War with France recommenced | —
1804 | Second Battalion formed in Scotland | —
1805 | First Battalion formed part of an expedition under General Sir David Baird | —
1805 | Arrived in the Bay of Funchal in Madeira | 37
—— | Sailed to the Brazils, where the troops were landed at St. Salvador for a few hours for refreshment | —
—— | Proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope | —
1806 | Effected a landing at Lospard’s Bay | 38
—— | Advanced against the Dutch troops | 39
—— | Expression of thanks and compliments to the Highland Brigade | 40
—— | Authorised to bear the words “Cape of Good Hope” on its Colours and Appointments | 41
—— | Surrender of the colony of the Cape of Good Hope to the British Crown | 42
1807 | Stationed at Cape Town for three years | —
1809 | Discontinued the Highland Costume | 43
—— | Second Battalion embarked for Ireland | —
1810 | Marched from Cape Town to Stellinbosch | —
—— | Formed part of an Expedition with troops from India against the Mauritius | —
—— | Surrender of the Mauritius | —
—— | Remained at the Mauritius upwards of three years | —
1814 | Embarked for the Cape of Good Hope | 44
1815 | Appointment of Lieut.-General Lord Hill to the Colonelcy, in succession to General Stuart, deceased | 45
—— | Embarked for Bengal | 46
—— | Re-embarked for the Mauritius | —
1816 | Proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope | —
—— | Disbandment of the Second Battalion | —

1817

Appointment of Major-General Sir George Murray to the Colonelcy, in succession to General Lord Hill, removed to the Fifty-second regiment

47

—— | Proceeded to Algoa bay, and engaged in detachments against the Kafirs | —
1819 | Detachment engaged with a party of Kafirs; Captain Gethin killed | 48
1821 | Embarked for England | 49
1821 | Received the thanks of the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope | —
1822 | Arrived at Portsmouth | —
1823 | Proceeded to Jersey and Guernsey | —

——

Appointment of Lieut.-General Sir John Hope to the Colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General Sir George Murray, removed to the Forty-second Royal Highland Regiment

—

——

Authorised by King George IV. to resume the Highland Costume, the Officers and men wearing Trews instead of Kilts, and to bear the title of “The Duke of Albany’s own Highlanders”

50

1824 | Embarked for Plymouth | —
—— | Authorized by King George IV., to assume as a regimental badge, the Duke of Albany’s Cipher and Coronet | —
—— | Embarked for Scotland | —
1825 | Presentation of New Colours | 51
—— | Embarked for Ireland | 52
1827 | Formed into six Service Companies and four Depôt Companies | —
—— | Service Companies embarked for Liverpool, and marched to London | —
1828 | Reviewed in St. James’s Park | —
—— | Marched to Canterbury, and inspected by General Lord Hill, Commanding-in-Chief | 53
—— | Embarked for the Cape of Good Hope | —
1830 | Depôt Companies removed from Ireland to Scotland | —
1833 | Service Companies engaged in war with the Kafir tribes | —
1835 | Depôt Companies proceed to Ireland | 55
1838 | Service Companies continued on active service at the Cape of Good Hope | —
—— | Depôt Companies returned to Scotland | —
1840 | Service Companies returned to England | 56
—— | Service and Depôt Companies re-united | —
—— | Expression of approbation of the conduct of the Regiment by the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope | —
1841 | Proceeded from Portsmouth to Windsor | 57

1842

Presentation of New Colours by Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington, at Windsor Castle, in presence of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the Prince Albert, the King of Prussia, &c.

—

—— | Marched into Lancashire | 60
1843 | Embarked for Ireland | —
1844 | Formed into six Service, and four Depôt Companies | —
—— | Service Companies embarked for Gibraltar | —
1847 | Depôt Companies removed from Ireland to Scotland | —
1848 | Service Companies embarked for the West Indies | —
—— | Arrived at Barbadoes | 61
—— | Depôt Companies embarked from Scotland | —
—— | Arrived at Sheerness | —
—— | The Conclusion | —

SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT,

OR

DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN HIGHLANDERS.

SUCCESSION OF LIEUTENANT-COLONELS COMMANDANT AND COLONELS.

Year | | Page
1777 | Kenneth, Earl of Seaforth | 63
1782 | Thomas F. M. Humberston | —
1786 | James Murray | 65
1794 | Adam Williamson | 66
1798 | James Stuart | 67
1815 | Rowland Lord Hill | 69
1817 | George Murray | 70
1823 | John Hope | —
1836 | Colin Campbell | 71
1847 | Neil Douglas | 72

PLATES.

Costume of the Regiment | to face | 1
Colours of the Regiment | ” | 62

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT.

As several corps have, at successive periods, within the last century, been borne on the establishment of the Army, and numbered Seventy-second regiment, it is considered necessary to prefix to the Historical Record of the services of the Regiment, which at present bears the title of the “Seventy-second Highlanders,” the following explanatory details, in order to prevent the blending, or misconception, of the merits and services of corps which, although bearing the same numerical title, have been totally distinct and unconnected.

1.—In April, 1758, the Second Battalions of fifteen regiments of infantry, from the 3rd to the 37th, were directed to be formed into distinct regiments, and to be numbered from the 61st to the 75th successively, as shown in the following list, viz.:—

2nd Batt. 3rd Foot, constituted | 2nd Batt. 19th Foot, constituted
| as 61st | Regiment. | | as 66th | Regiment.
| ”        4th as 62nd | ” | | ”       20th as 67th | ”
| ”        8th as 63rd | ” | | ”       23rd as 68th | ”
| ”       11th as 64th | ” | | ”       24th as 69th | ”
| ”       12th as 65th | ” | | ”       31st as 70th | ”

The Second Battalion of the 32nd was constituted the 71st Regiment.
” ” | 33rd | ” ” | the 72nd       ”
” ” | 34th | ” ” | the 73rd       ”
” ” | 36th | ” ” | the 74th       ”
” ” | 37th | ” ” | the 75th       ”

The above 71st, 72nd, 73rd, 74th, and 75th regiments were disbanded in the year 1763, after the peace of Fontainebleau.

The Seventy-second Regiment, formed in 1758, was constituted, as above shown, from the Second Battalion of the Thirty-third regiment, and Major-General the Duke of Richmond was appointed the colonel. It was disbanded on the 29th of August, 1763.

2.—On the commencement of the American war in 1775, additional forces were raised, and the number of the regular regiments of infantry, which had been reduced in 1763 to Seventy, was increased to One Hundred and Five, exclusive of 11 unnumbered regiments, and 36 independent companies of invalids.

In the year 1777, a corps was authorised to be raised at the expense of the town of Manchester, consisting of ten companies of one hundred men per company; it was numbered the Seventy-second Regiment, or Royal Manchester Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Charles Mawhood, and was placed on the establishment of the army in December, 1777. The Regiment embarked at Portsmouth for Gibraltar on the 28th April, 1778, and was employed in the memorable siege of that fortress from 1779 to 1782, and continued on duty in that garrison until the early part of the year 1783, when the Spaniards abandoned their attempts to regain possession either by force or stratagem. The regiments at Gibraltar were relieved in the spring of 1783, and the Seventy-second Regiment, to which Major-General Charles Ross had been appointed, in October, 1780, in succession to Colonel Mawhood, deceased, returned to England in 1783.

The number of infantry regiments was again reduced in 1783, after the termination of hostilities with America, by the treaty of peace concluded at Paris on the 30th of November, 1782, and when peace had also been concluded with France, Spain, and Holland; the Seventy-second, or Royal Manchester Volunteers, was disbanded on the 9th of September, 1783.

3.—The disbandment of certain regiments after the conclusion of the general peace in 1783, occasioned an alteration in the numerical titles of certain regiments, which were retained on the reduced establishment of the army: the Seventy-third was directed to be numbered the Seventy-first Regiment; the Seventy-eighth to be numbered the Seventy-second Regiment; and the Second Battalion of the Forty-second to be constituted the Seventy-third Regiment. These corps had been raised in Scotland, in 1777, and denominated Highland Regiments.

They embarked for India in 1779 and 1781; the alterations took place in 1786 in their numerical titles, which were regulated by the dates at which they were placed on the establishment of the Army, viz.:—

71st late 73rd Highland Regiment on 19th December, 1777

72nd late 78th ” on 29th December, 1777

73rd late Second Battalion of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment raised in 1779, and constituted the 73rd Regiment on the 18th April, 1786.

The details of the services of the present Seventy-second Regiment, or The Duke of Albany’s own Highlanders, are contained in the following pages; the histories of the 71st and 73rd Regiments are given in distinct numbers.

1848.

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 Crecy 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 Crecy, 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 well suited 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.

SEVENTY-SECOND
OR
DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN
HIGHLANDERS.

For Cannon’s Military Records
Madeley lith. 3 Wellington St Strand.

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.”

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT;

OR THE

DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN HIGHLANDERS.

ORIGINALLY NUMBERED AS THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH HIGHLAND
REGIMENT ON ITS FORMATION IN 1778,

AND AFTERWARDS NUMBERED THE SEVENTY-SECOND
HIGHLAND REGIMENT IN 1786.

1778

The Highlanders of Scotland have long been celebrated for the possession of every military virtue, and the services of the warlike natives of North Britain have been consequently sought by foreign potentates on many and important occasions, when the less martial spirit of the people of other states would not enable them to contend against their oppressors. The achievements of the Scots regiments, which fought in the armies of France and Sweden, and of the celebrated Scots Brigade in the service of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, are recorded in the military histories of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; and the annals of the last hundred years abound in instances in which the Scots troops in the British army have displayed, in every quarter of the globe, the qualities of intrepidity, valour, and temperance, which adorn the national character of the natives of North Britain. The Seventy-second regiment, or The Duke of Albany’s own Highlanders, is one of the corps which has performed valuable services to the crown and kingdom; its formation took place in 1778, under the following circumstances:—

William, fifth Earl of Seaforth, having engaged in the rebellion of 1715, was afterwards included in the acts of attainder, and forfeited his title and estate. His eldest son, however, became a zealous advocate for the Protestant succession, and supported the government during the rebellion in 1745; his grandson, Kenneth Mackenzie, was permitted to re-purchase the estate from the Crown,—and was created an Irish peer, in 1766, by the title of Baron Ardeloe, in the county of Wicklow, and Viscount Fortrose, in Scotland,—and in 1771, he was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Seaforth, which had been long enjoyed by his ancestors. The American war commenced in 1775, and the Earl of Seaforth, in gratitude for the favours he had received, made an offer to His Majesty, to raise a regiment of foot on his estate, which, in former times, had been able to furnish a thousand men in arms. This offer was accepted in December, 1777; the Earl of Seaforth received a letter of service to raise a regiment of foot, of which he was appointed Lieut.-Colonel Commandant, and in January, 1778, the following officers received commissions:—

Lieut.-Col. Commandant, Kenneth, Earl of Seaforth.

Major, James Stuart, (from Capt. 64th Regt.).

Captains.

Thos. F. Mackenzie Humberston
Robert Lumsdaine
Peter Agnew
Kenneth Mackenzie[6]

George Mackenzie
Hugh Frazer
Hon. Thomas Maitland
Charles Halkett[7]

Captain Lieutenant, Thomas Frazer.

Lieutenants.

Donald Moody
William Sutherland
Colin Mackenzie
Kenneth Mackenzie
Patrick Haggard
Thomas Mackenzie
George Innes
Charles Mc Gregor
David Melville
George Gordon
James Gualie

George Mackenzie
Charles Gladoning
William Sinclair
Charles Mackenzie
John Campbell
James Stewart
Robert Marshall
Philip Anstruther
Kenneth Macrae
John Mc Innes

Ensigns.

James Stewart
James Finney
Aulay Mc Aulay
Malcomb Mc Pherson

Robert Gordon
John Mitchell
Ewen Mc Linnan
George Gordon

Staff.

Chaplain, Wm. Mackenzie
Surgeon, —— Walters

Adjutant, James Finney
Quar.-Mr. George Gunn

The establishment was to consist of fifty serjeants, two pipers, twenty drummers and fifers, and a thousand and ten rank and file.

The men were principally raised from the clan of “Caber Fey,” as the Mackenzies were called from the stag’s horns on the armorial bearings of Seaforth. Five hundred men were from the Earl of Seaforth’s own estates, and about four hundred from the estates of the Mackenzies of Scatwell, Kilcoy, Applecross, and Redcastle, all of whom had sons or brothers holding commissions in the regiment: the officers from the Lowlands brought upwards of two hundred, of whom seventy-four were English and Irish. The clan Macrae had long been faithful followers of the Seaforth family, and on this occasion the name was so general in the regiment, that it was frequently designated the regiment of “the Macraes.”

On the 15th of May the Earl of Seaforth’s regiment assembled at Elgin, in Moray, amounting to one thousand and forty-one rank and file; it was inspected by Major-General Robert Skene, adjutant-general in North Britain, and the men were found so remarkably effective and fit for His Majesty’s service, that nearly every one was accepted: the corps was placed on the establishment of the regular army under the designation of “Seaforth’s Highlanders;” the supernumerary men were formed into a recruiting company, and the regiment received orders to march southward, for the purpose of embarking for the East Indies. It soon afterwards obtained the numerical title of the “Seventy-eighth Regiment.”

Towards the end of July, the regiment was ordered to Edinburgh Castle; and on its arrival there, the men began to show symptoms of dissatisfaction; the result of investigation proved that some of them had not received their bounty, and that others had contrived to obtain it twice, which was the more easily accomplished in consequence of so many men being of the same name. Full attention being paid to their claims, they embarked at Leith shortly afterwards, with much cheerfulness, being highly gratified in consequence of their commander, the Earl of Seaforth, being about to accompany them on service.

The departure of the regiment was however delayed. The king of France had taken part with the revolted British provinces in North America, and had commenced hostilities against Great Britain; when the French settlements in Bengal were seized by detachments of troops from Calcutta, and Pondicherry was besieged and captured with so little loss, that it did not appear necessary to send additional troops to India at that time. The regiment was ordered to Jersey and Guernsey, where it arrived towards the end of November, five companies being stationed at each island.

1779

On the 1st of May, 1779, a French naval force approached the island of Jersey, and made preparations for landing a body of troops in St. Owen’s bay; when the five companies of Seaforth’s regiment, with some of the militia of the island, hastened to the spot, dragging some artillery with them through the heavy sands, and opened so well-directed a fire, that the French soldiers returned to their ships, and quitted the coast, followed by several British vessels of war, which inflicted a severe loss on the enemy. The defeat of the enemy’s designs on this occasion was in a great measure owing to the zeal and efforts of Major Thomas Frederick Mackenzie Humberston of Seaforth’s regiment, who had been promoted from captain to second major, on the 22nd of March, 1779.

1781

The regiment remained at Jersey and Guernsey during 1780, and the early part of the following year, in which time, circumstances had occurred in India, which occasioned its removal to that part of the British dominions.

Hyder Ali, a soldier of fortune, had risen to the chief command of the army of the ruler of Mysore, and when the rajah died, leaving his eldest son a minor, the commander-in-chief assumed the title of guardian of the young prince, whom he placed under restraint, and seized on the reins of government. Having a considerable territory under his control, he maintained a formidable military establishment, which he endeavoured to bring into a high state of discipline and efficiency, and he proved a man possessed of activity, courage, and talent. He soon evinced decided hostility to the British interests in India, and formed a league with the French. Hostilities had also commenced between Great Britain and Holland, and the British troops were employed in dispossessing the Dutch of their settlements in Bengal, and on the coast of Coromandel. Thus three powers were opposed to the British interests in India, and Seaforth’s Highlanders were ordered to reinforce the British army in that country.

Towards the end of April, 1781, the regiment was removed from Jersey and Guernsey, to Portsmouth, where it embarked on the 1st of June, for the East Indies, mustering nine-hundred and seventy-five rank and file, all in excellent health.

During the passage the Earl of Seaforth died suddenly in August, and was succeeded in the commission of lieut.-colonel commandant, by Thomas Frederick Mackenzie Humberston, from lieut.-colonel commandant of the one hundredth regiment, by commission dated the 13th of February, 1782.

1782.

At that period the passage to India occupied about ten months; the accommodation in the ships was very limited, and the provision issued to the troops not of good quality; this was attended with serious results, and the regiment lost two hundred and forty-seven men, of scurvy and other diseases, during the passage to India; which is now frequently performed in less than half the time, and under superior regulations, without the loss of a man.

On arriving at Madras in the beginning of April, 1782, the regiment only mustered three hundred and sixty-nine men fit for duty; the pressure of the service did not, however, admit of delay, and all who were able to march, advanced up the country under the command of Lieut.-Colonel James Stuart, and joined the army commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Eyre Coote, K.B., at Chincleput, a town and fortress on the north-east bank of the Palar river, thirty miles from Madras. Chincleput served as a place of arms, and a refuge for the natives, during the war with Hyder Ali. The soldiers of the regiment suffered from having been so long on salt provision; they were also sinewy and robust men, and were more susceptible of the sun’s violence than men of slender habits. Sir Eyre Coote ordered them into quarters, leaving the few, who were healthy, attached to Mc Leod’s Highlanders (now seventy-first regiment) the only European corps then with the army. The men gradually recovered, and in October six hundred rank and file were fit for duty; their constitutions became accustomed to the climate, and their health and efficiency were afterwards preserved under fatigues and privations calculated to exhaust the physical powers of Europeans when endured under an Indian sun.

1783

Six hundred gallant Highlanders appeared in the field, arrayed under the colours of the regiment, to engage in Indian warfare, and on the 10th of April, 1783, when they joined the army assembling under Major-General Stuart, their appearance excited great interest. This force consisted of the seventy-third, and SEVENTY-EIGHTH Highlanders, the hundred and first regiment, a considerable body of native troops and a detachment of Hanoverians, under Colonel Wangenheim; it was destined for the attack of the fortress of Cudalore in the Carnatic, situate on the western shore of the bay of Bengal, which had been taken by the French in 1782. On the 6th of June, 1783, the army took up a position two miles from the town, having its right on the sea, and its left on the Bandipollum hills; the enemy under General Bussy occupied a position half a mile in front of the fort.

On the 13th of June a general attack was made on the French line, on which occasion the gallant bearing of the Highlanders was conspicuous, and the ardour and intrepidity they evinced, gave presage of that renown which the two corps (now seventy-first and SEVENTY-SECOND) afterwards acquired. The action commenced about four o’clock in the morning, and was continued until near two in the afternoon, during which time the French were driven from the principal defences on their right. Major-General Stuart designed to renew the attack on the following morning; but the French retreated into the fortress during the night.

The regiment had Captain George Mackenzie and nine rank and file killed; Lieutenants Patrick Grant and Malcomb Mc Pherson, two serjeants, and twenty-eight rank and file wounded; two men missing.

Major-General Stuart stated in his public despatch—“Nothing, I believe, in history, ever exceeded the heroism and coolness of this army in general, which was visible to every one, for the action lasted from four in the morning to two in the afternoon.” The Major-General also stated in Orders:—“The Commander-in-chief, having taken time minutely to investigate the conduct and execution of the orders and plan in attacking the enemy’s posts, lines, and redoubts, on the 13th instant, with the comparative strength in numbers and position of the enemy, composed almost entirely of the best regular troops of France, takes this occasion to give it as his opinion to this brave army in general, that it is not to be equalled by anything he knows, or has heard of, in modern history.” The conduct of Lieut.-Colonel James Stuart of the regiment was commended in the Major-General’s despatch and in Orders.

On the morning of the 25th of June the French made a sally from the fortress; but were repulsed with severe loss; Colonel the Chevalier de Damas was among the prisoners taken on this occasion.[8]

The siege of Cudalore was soon afterwards terminated by the arrival of news from Europe of a treaty of peace having been concluded between England and France.

In the meantime Hyder Ali had died, in December, 1782, and was succeeded, in the government of the Mysore, by his son, Tippoo Saib; who, being deprived of his French allies by the peace, entered into negociations for terminating the war between Mysore and the British, and an armistice took place.

Colonel Humberston was wounded in an action at sea, on the coast of India, and died, in his twenty-eighth year, universally lamented, as a young man of superior accomplishments, and of great promise in his profession. He was succeeded, as lieut.-colonel commandant of the regiment, by Major-General James Murray, by commission dated the 1st of November, 1783.

The regiment was detached from Cudalore, with other troops amounting to about fifteen thousand men, under the command of Colonel Fullerton, and, marching southward, was employed in reducing to obedience several refractory chiefs. The colonel afterwards purposed penetrating the country of Mysore, and advancing upon Seringapatam; but he halted during the armistice with Tippoo Saib. Negociations for peace having been broken off, and hostilities resumed, Colonel Fullerton pursued his original design of penetrating into the Mysore, and he resolved to take the fortress of Palacatcherry, which commanded a pass between the coasts, and secured a communication with a great extent of fertile country. This place he designed to occupy as an intermediate magazine, and a stronghold upon which to retreat in case of a repulse. During the march the army encountered much difficulty from woods and heavy rains, and a detachment under Captain Hon. Thomas Maitland of the SEVENTY-EIGHTH (now SEVENTY-SECOND) Highlanders performed valuable service by acting on the flanks, and preserving a communication through thick woods and a broken country. After taking several small forts, the army arrived, on the 4th of November, before Palacatcherry, and on the 13th two batteries opened their fire against the works. At night a heavy storm of wind and rain occasioned the Mysoreans to take shelter, and leave the covered way exposed, when Captain Hon. Thomas Maitland of the regiment dashed forward with his flanking corps, surprised and overpowered the Mysoreans, who fled into the fortress, leaving the first gateway open. Captain Maitland pursued, but was stopped at the second gateway; but he defended the post he had captured until additional troops arrived; and the garrison, becoming alarmed at the apprehension of a general assault, surrendered a fortress capable of a long defence under more resolute troops.

After this success the army marched to Coimbetore, where it arrived on the 26th of November, and the garrison surrendered before a breach was made. Preparations were then commenced for further conquests, and the capture of Seringapatam, with the subversion of Tippoo’s power, was in full view; but at the moment when arrangements were made for an advance, the commissioners appointed to treat with Tippoo, sent orders for a retrograde movement.

1784
1785

Peace was concluded with the ruler of the Mysore in March, 1784. Seaforth’s Highlanders having been raised on condition of serving three years, or during the war, four hundred and twenty-five men claimed their discharge at the peace, and returned to Scotland; the remainder volunteered to remain in India, receiving a bounty of ten guineas; the regiment received many volunteers from the ninety-eighth, one hundredth, and one hundred and second foot, which corps were ordered to return to England for reduction (among whom was a considerable number of Highlanders who had enlisted into the hundredth regiment with Colonel Humberston), and the effective strength was seven hundred men; which was augmented, in 1785, by volunteers from different corps, and by recruits from Scotland, to nearly eleven hundred non-commissioned officers and soldiers.

1786
1787
1788

Many senior corps having been disbanded, the regiment was numbered, in 1786, the SEVENTY-SECOND foot; at the same time the commission of lieut.-colonel commandant was changed to that of colonel; and in December, 1787, the establishment was fixed at forty-four officers, and eight hundred and four non-commissioned officers and soldiers. Success continued to attend the recruiting of the regiment, and the arrival of strong healthy young men from Scotland, preserved it in a high state of efficiency, and its discipline and moral conduct were particularly exemplary.

1789

The insatiable ambition of Tippoo Sultan, the powerful ruler of the Mysore, soon involved the British government in India in another war; he appeared near the confines of the country of Travancore, at the head of a powerful army, made unreasonable demands on the rajah, a British ally, and commenced hostilities towards the end of December, 1789.

1790

The SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders, mustering nearly a thousand officers and soldiers, healthy and acclimated, pitched their tents on the plain of Trichinopoly, where an army was assembled, in the early part of 1790, to exact full reparation of Tippoo Sultan for his wanton and unprovoked violation of treaty in attacking the rajah of Travancore. Major-General Medows assumed the command, and the SEVENTY-SECOND, commanded by Captain Frazer, with the seventy-first, and first East India Company’s European battalion, formed the second European brigade, under Lieut.-Colonel Clarke; Lieut.-Colonel Stuart of the SEVENTY-SECOND commanded the left wing of the army.

Advancing from Trichinopoly plain, on the 26th of May, and penetrating the country of the enemy, the army arrived, on the 15th of June, at the fort of Caroor, where the troops encamped eighteen days, while provisions were being collected, and a magazine formed. Leaving this place on the 3rd of July, the army marched to Daraporam, which was abandoned by the enemy; a garrison was left at this place, and the army marched through a beautiful country in a high state of cultivation, to the city of Coimbetore, which was found evacuated, and some valuable stores left behind by the enemy. On the 23rd of July, Lieut.-Colonel Stuart was detached, with the fourth brigade of native infantry, a number of pioneers, &c. against Palacatcherry, leaving the SEVENTY-SECOND at the camp at Coimbetore; he was impeded by heavy rains, and, his force proving insufficient for the capture of the place, he rejoined the army. He was afterwards detached, with another body of troops, against Dindigal, a strong fortress on a rock, which surrendered on the 22nd of August. He was subsequently directed to proceed a second time against Palacatcherry; and the flank companies of the seventy-first and SEVENTY-SECOND regiments were ordered to traverse the country and take part in the siege, when Captain Frazer of the SEVENTY-SECOND resigned the command of the regiment, for that of the flank companies detached on this service.[9] These companies left Coimbetore on the 6th of September, were joined by Lieut.-Colonel Stuart’s division, at Podoor,[10] on the following day, and arrived on the 10th, before the fortress of Palacatcherry, which had been strengthened and improved since its capture in 1783: the siege was immediately commenced. The regiment remained at Coimbetore.

At that time the army was separated in three divisions;—one at Coimbetore, one at Sattimungal, sixty miles in advance, and one besieging Palacatcherry, thirty miles in the rear; and Tippoo resolved to attack, and if possible destroy, the division in advance before the main body could arrive to its support; but its commander, Colonel Floyd, fell back and took up his positions in retreat, with so much ability, that the Sultan failed in his object. The SEVENTY-SECOND, and other corps, advanced from Coimbetore to support Colonel Floyd’s division, and a junction was formed at Velladi, on the 15th of September, when Tippoo retired. On that day the flank companies, commanded by Captain Frazer, were suddenly ordered to make a forced march to Coimbetore: if the enemy had taken the place, to endeavour to re-capture it by surprise; if it was invested, to force their way into it, and to defend it to the last extremity. The march was commenced at four o’clock in the afternoon, and the flank companies arrived at the gates of Coimbetore at half past two o’clock on the following morning; the enemy had not approached the place, and the companies took possession of the fort, Captain Frazer assuming the command of all the troops at that place.

The army returned to Coimbetore on the 23rd of September, when the flank companies rejoined the regiment; and Lieut.-Colonel Stuart, having captured and garrisoned Palacatcherry, arrived on the 26th of that month.

Disappointed in his object of destroying the divisions of the British army in detail, the Sultan resolved to attack the chain of depôts; he gained possession of Erroad, and the stores at that place, and afterwards marched southwards. The English army advanced from Coimbetore on the 29th of September, and, arriving at Erroad on the 4th of October, found the place abandoned, and Tippoo’s army gone. He had marched in the direction of Coimbetore, but, hearing that the garrison was augmented, he advanced rapidly upon Daraporam, of which he gained possession on the 2nd of October.

The British army marched in search of the Sultan, traversing extensive tracts of country, and undergoing much fatigue under an Indian sun. In these services the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders preserved a high state of discipline and efficiency. Lieut. Campbell of the regiment stated in his journal, “We perform our journeys with ease and comfort; marching is become familiar and agreeable to us.” In the middle of November the army traversed the difficult pass of Tapoor, winding through deep valleys, and dragging the guns over precipices. On emerging from the pass, Tippoo’s camp was seen at a distance; it was supposed to be that of the Bengal division, under Colonel Maxwell, and three guns were fired as a signal, when the Sultan struck his tents and made a precipitate retreat. Colonel Maxwell’s division joined two days afterwards, and the seventy-first, SEVENTY-SECOND, and seventy-fourth regiments were formed in brigade under Lieut.-Colonel Clarke, with six twelve-pounder and six six-pounder guns attached to them.

The Sultan resolved to leave the British army in his own country, and to invade the Carnatic, which would bring the English back for the defence of Trichinopoly. Major-General Medows was about to carry offensive plans into execution, when the movements of Tippoo rendered it necessary to return to the Carnatic, and the army arrived at the vicinity of Trichinopoly in the middle of December. The Sultan’s success was limited to devastations and the capture of a few posts; he was pursued as far as Trincomalee; the British army afterwards turned off to Arnee, where the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment arrived on the 12th January, 1791, and was encamped several days.

1791

General Charles Earl Cornwallis, K.G., assumed the command of the army, and some alteration was made in the disposition of the troops; the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders, commanded by Captain Frazer, continued to form, with the seventy-first and seventy-fourth regiments, the second European brigade, under Lieut.-Colonel Clarke, in the left wing of the army: Lieut.-Colonel Stuart, of the SEVENTY-SECOND, commanded the right wing. The army advanced to Vellore, where it arrived on the 11th of February, 1791. Tippoo was ready to oppose any attempt to penetrate into the country under his dominion by the easiest passes; but Earl Cornwallis contrived the appearance of a march towards Amboor, which completely imposed upon the Sultan, and then turning suddenly to the north, traversed the difficult pass of Mooglee, without the enemy having power to offer the least obstruction, and arrived on the 20th of February on the table-land of the Mysore. On the 22nd of February the troops commenced their march towards the strong fortress of Bangalore, where Tippoo had built a splendid palace, with extensive gardens; and the safety of his harem, &c., so engrossed his attention, that he marched with his army to accomplish the removal of his women and valuables from the palace, and left the English at liberty to continue their march unmolested, until they arrived within ten miles of the town. He made an attempt on the baggage on the 5th of March, but was frustrated, on which occasion the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders had a few men wounded: in the evening the army took up a position before the town.

On the 7th of March the pettah was stormed by the thirty-sixth regiment, supported by the third brigade of sepoys; and the siege of Bangalore was immediately commenced. During the night, the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders were posted under the outer pettah wall, close to the gate. “The enemy kept up a sharp fire; their shots, which were many of them thirty-two pounders, came very close to the regiment, making a great rattling in the trees and bamboo hedge, near the line; but no casualties occurred.”[11]

On the evening of the 10th of March, the regiment was on duty in the trenches, the grenadier company taking the advance post, and many of the men of the other companies working at the batteries; it was relieved on the evening of the 12th.

During the night of the 15th of March, the troops were ordered under arms, in consequence of circumstances indicating the approach of Tippoo’s army; a flight of rockets came into the camp, and the grenadiers of the SEVENTY-SECOND rushed towards the spot from whence the rockets came; but the Mysoreans fled without waiting the attack. At five o’clock on the following evening the regiment marched into the pettah, and relieved the thirty-sixth on duty in the trenches. Soon after midnight a crowd of Mysorean musketeers entered the thick jungle near the pettah, and commenced a sharp fire; the SEVENTY-SECOND formed behind a mud wall expecting their post to be stormed every moment by thousands of enemies, whom they were prepared to receive with fixed bayonets: but the Mysoreans did not venture on so desperate an enterprise; many of the soldiers’ bayonets were hit by bullets, but not one man injured. On the evening of the 18th the regiment was relieved and returned to camp.

At four o’clock on the afternoon of the 20th of March six companies of the regiment marched into the trenches; and on the evening of the following day the regiment was ordered to prepare to take part in storming the fortress; the grenadier company was to join the storming party appointed to advance by the left approach; the light company that by the right approach, and the battalion companies were formed on the right of the parallel, to support the grenadiers: three of the SEVENTY-SECOND grenadiers joined the forlorn hope under Serjeant Williams of the seventy-sixth regiment. Lieutenant Campbell of the regiment states in his Journal,—“The storming party primed and loaded, and sat down on their arms; our batteries, both gun and mortar, kept firing frequently during the evening. At a quarter before eleven we got into motion; an opening was made in the centre of the second parallel; the signal for storming was given (three guns in quick succession), and out we rushed. The covered way instantly appeared as a sheet of fire, seconded from the fort, but with no aim or effect; our batteries answered with blank cartridge; and we were in the covered way in a moment, and on the breach as quick as thought. I pushed on, carried forward by a powerful impulse, and found myself at the top of the breach with the front files. The grenadiers immediately turned off to the right with a huzza; their progress was suddenly stopped by an opening; the fort was hung with blue lights, a heavy fire was opened upon us, but with little effect: the difficulty was overcome, and our troops ascended the ladders with every possible expedition. The grandest, and most striking sight I ever beheld, was the rushing up of the troops to the top of the breach, and the ascent of the grenadiers in crowds by the scaling-ladders. We now heard the grenadiers’ march beating in every quarter; our soldiers shouted with joy, and we swept round the ramparts with scarce anything to oppose us: every enemy that appeared had a bayonet in him instantly; the regiments that supported us came in by the gateway, and cleared the town below, where numbers were killed; in two hours we were in thorough possession of the fort, and Lieutenant Duncan, of the seventy-first regiment, pulled down the flag and put his own sash in its place. The union-flag was afterwards hoisted, and the troops gave three cheers.” Very extensive stores were found in the place, particularly of ammunition. The kiledar, or governor, was killed while fighting with three grenadiers; he was dressed in a white gown, over which he wore a jacket of quilted purple satin.

The regiment had six rank and file killed; one serjeant and twenty-three rank and file wounded, on this occasion.

In the Orders issued on the following day, it was stated—“Lord Cornwallis feels the most sensible gratification in congratulating the officers and soldiers of the army on the honorable issue of the fatigues and dangers they have undergone during the late arduous siege. Their alacrity and firmness in the execution of their various duties has, perhaps, never been exceeded, and he shall not only think it incumbent on him to represent their meritorious conduct in the strongest colours, but he shall ever remember it with the sincerest esteem and admiration.

“The conduct of all the regiments, which happened, in their tour, to be on duty that evening, did credit in every respect to their spirit and discipline; but his Lordship desires to offer the tribute of his particular and warmest praise to the European grenadiers and light infantry of the army, and to the thirty-sixth, SEVENTY-SECOND, and seventy-sixth regiments, who led the attack and carried the fortress, and who, by their behaviour on that occasion, furnished a conspicuous proof, that discipline and valour in soldiers, when directed by zeal and capacity in officers, are irresistible.

“Lieut.-colonel Stuart (SEVENTY-SECOND regiment) maybe assured that Lord Cornwallis will ever retain the most grateful remembrance of the valuable and steady support which that officer afforded him, by his military experience and constant exertions to promote the public service.”

After the capture of the fort, the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders were posted at the breach; they were relieved on the morning of the 23rd of March, by the fifty-second regiment, and returned to the camp.

On the 28th of March, the army quitted Bangalore, to join the forces of the Nizam, sent to co-operate with the English in this war; and, as the troops approached the ground they purposed encamping upon after the first march, they saw the forces of Tippoo striking their tents, and commencing a precipitate retreat; when the seventy-first, SEVENTY-SECOND, and seventy-fourth regiments formed line, and advanced, supported by the native infantry of the first line, but were unable to come up with the enemy. “The nature of the country at this place, which presents continual ridges at almost equal distances, made the pursuit particularly interesting; for every new view we gained of the enemy, enlivened the soldiers afresh, and occasioned them to push on with infinite eagerness and ardour.”[12] A fine new brass nine-pounder gun was captured, with a great quantity of cattle and forage; but the Sultan’s army could not be overtaken.

The Nizam’s troops joined on the 13th of April, amounting to about fifteen thousand horsemen, some of them, from Affghanistan, being celebrated for valour. The army afterwards returned to Bangalore, where preparations were made for the siege of Seringapatam, and the army advanced upon the capital of the Mysore, on the 4th of May. The troops marched through a difficult country destitute of forage, and the cattle employed in conveying stores and baggage died in great numbers; provision for the troops also became scarce.

As the army approached Seringapatam, the Sultan resolved to hazard an engagement, and his formidable position was attacked on the 15th of May, when the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders had another opportunity of distinguishing themselves. The Mysoreans stood the fire of artillery with steadiness, and kept up a cannonade with much effect, but the instant an attempt was made to charge them with bayonets, they made a precipitate retreat. They were driven from every post; and towards the close of the action the SEVENTY-SECOND ascended an eminence and captured a round redoubt. The army was thanked in Orders for its gallant conduct. The regiment had about twenty men killed and wounded: Captain Braithwaite and Lieutenant Whitlie wounded.

On the following day, some sharp firing was heard at the advance-posts, when Major Frazer obtained permission to proceed to their support with the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders; he afterwards sent the adjutant to Earl Cornwallis to request his Lordship’s authority to storm a fortified pagoda, but permission was not granted. On the 18th of May, when the army moved towards the fords of the river, Major Frazer obtained the post of honour for the regiment, in covering the rear, expecting Tippoo would hazard an attack, but no such event occurred.

When the army had arrived at the extreme point of its operations, it had sustained the loss of nearly all its cattle from the want of forage; the supply of provisions for the men was nearly exhausted; the camp-followers were without food, and the rainy season had set in earlier than had been expected. Under these circumstances further success was become impracticable; the battering train and stores were destroyed, and on the 26th of May the troops commenced their march back towards Bangalore. Before commencing the retreat, the soldiers were thanked in Orders for their conduct throughout these services, and it was added,—“So long as there were any hopes of reducing Seringapatam before the commencement of the heavy rains, the Commander-in-chief thought himself happy in availing himself of their willing services; but the unexpected bad weather, for some time experienced, having rendered the attack of the enemy’s capital impracticable, until the conclusion of the ensuing monsoons, Lord Cornwallis thought he should make an ill return for the zeal and alacrity exhibited by the soldiers, if he desired them to draw the guns and stores back to a magazine, where there remains an ample supply of both, which was captured by their valour; he did not, therefore, hesitate to order the guns and stores which were not wanted for field service to be destroyed.”

The army retreated to the vicinity of Bangalore, being joined by the Mahratta forces on the march; and detachments were afterwards sent out to reduce several strong hill-forts, which were very numerous.

On the morning of the 9th of December, the fifty-second and SEVENTY-SECOND regiments, with the fourteenth and twenty-sixth Bengal sepoys, were detached, under Lieut.-Colonel Stuart of the SEVENTY-SECOND, against the fortress of Savendroog, situate on the side of a mountain, environed by almost inaccessible rocks;[13] the troops arrived before the place on the 10th, and during the night the grenadiers of the fifty-second and SEVENTY-SECOND, with a battalion company from each regiment, supported by the twenty-sixth sepoys, climbed a steep hill; traversed sheets of rock; descended into a valley by a path so rugged and steep that the soldiers let themselves down in many places by the branches of trees growing on the side of the rock; traversed the valley; ascended a rock nearly three hundred feet high, crawling on their hands and feet, and helping themselves up by tufts of grass, until they attained the summit, where they established themselves on a spot which overlooked the whole of the fortress, about three hundred yards from the wall. The batteries were speedily constructed; the flank companies of the seventy-first and seventy-sixth regiments arrived to take part in the siege; and practicable breaches having been effected, storming-parties paraded on the morning of the 21st of December. The right attack was made by the light companies of the seventy-first and SEVENTY-SECOND, supported by a battalion company of the SEVENTY-SECOND; the left attack by the two flank companies of the seventy-sixth and grenadier company of the fifty-second; the centre attack under Major Frazer of the SEVENTY-SECOND, by the grenadiers and two battalion companies of the SEVENTY-SECOND, two companies of the fifty-second, the grenadiers of the seventy-first, and four companies of sepoys, supported by the sixth battalion of sepoys; the whole under Lieut.-colonel Nisbitt, of the fifty-second regiment. The storming-parties proceeded to their stations; the band of the fifty-second took post near them, and suddenly striking up the tune Britons strike home, the whole rushed forward with the most heroic ardour. The Mysoreans made a feeble defence, and in less than two hours the British were in possession of the fort, with the trifling loss of five men wounded. The troops were thanked in General Orders, for their very gallant conduct, in which it was stated,—“Lord Cornwallis thinks himself fortunate, almost beyond example, in having acquired by assault, a fortress of so much strength and reputation, and of such inestimable value to the public interest, as Savendroog, without having to regret the loss of a single soldier.”

Two days after the capture of Savendroog, the troops advanced against Outra-Durgum: they arrived within three miles of the place that night, and, on the following day, summoned the garrison to surrender. Lieut.-Colonel Stuart, observing the people flying from the pettah to the fortress on the rock, directed the guns to open upon them, and two battalion companies of the fifty-second and SEVENTY-SECOND regiments, supported by the twenty-sixth sepoys, to attack the pettah by escalade, which was executed with so much spirit, that the soldiers were speedily in possession of the town.

“Lieutenant Mc Innes, senior officer of the two SEVENTY-SECOND companies, applied to Captain Scott for liberty to follow the fugitives up the rock, saying he should be in time to enter the first gateway with them. The captain thought the enterprise impracticable. The soldiers of Mc Innes’s company heard the request made, and not doubting of consent being given, had rushed towards the first wall, and were followed by Mc Innes. The gate was shut: but Lieutenant Mc Pherson arrived with the pioneers and ladders, which were instantly applied, and our people were within the wall, as quick as thought, when the gate was unbolted and the two companies entered. The enemy, astonished at so unexpected an attempt, retreated with precipitation. Mc Innes advanced to the second wall, the men forced open the gate with their shoulders, and not a moment was lost in pushing forward for the third wall; but the road leading between two rocks, was so narrow that only two could advance abreast; the pathway was, in consequence, soon choked up, and those who carried the ladders were unable to proceed; at the same time, the enemy commenced throwing huge stones in numbers upon the assailants, who commenced a sharp fire of musketry, and Lieut.-Colonel Stuart, who had observed from a distance this astonishing enterprise, sent orders for the grenadiers not to attempt anything further. Lieutenant Mc Pherson forced his way through the crowd, causing the ladders to be handed over the soldiers’ heads, from one to another, and before the colonel’s orders could be delivered, the gallant Highlanders were crowding over the third gateway. The enemy fled on all hands; the foremost of our men pursued them closely, and gained the two last walls without opposition (there were five walls to escalade). The garrison escaped by the south-east side of the fort, over rocks and precipices of immense depth and ruggedness, where many must have lost their lives. By one o’clock, our two companies were in possession of every part of the fort, and Mc Innes had planted the colours on the highest pinnacle, without the loss of a single man. The Kiledar and two of his people were taken alive. Colonel Stuart declared the business to be brilliant and successful, beyond his most sanguine hopes.”[14]

Thus was the important fortress of Outra-Durgum captured by two companies of Highlanders (Major Petrie’s, and Captain Hon. William M. Maitland’s) of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment; the officers with the two companies were Lieutenants Mc Innes, Robert Gordon, —— Getty, and Ensign Andrew Coghlan: Lieutenant Mc Pherson conducted the pioneers. The whole were thanked in General Orders by Earl Cornwallis, who expressed his admiration of the gallantry and steadiness of the officers and soldiers engaged in this service.

The regiment rejoined the army on the 26th of December. Its establishment had been augmented in March of this year to forty serjeants and a thousand rank and file, and so many recruits had arrived from Scotland that it was nearly complete. It was considered the most effective corps in the army.

1792

The rainy season being over, the army reinforced, the lost cattle replaced, and arrangements made for an abundant supply of provision, the army commenced its march, on the first of February, 1792, for Seringapatam. The Sultan took up a formidable position to cover his capital, and was attacked during the night of the 6th of February. The following statement of the share the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders had in this engagement, is from Lieutenant Campbell’s Journal:—

The regiment formed part of the left division under Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell, which advanced to the attack in the following order—Grenadier Company, SEVENTY-SECOND; Light Company, SEVENTY-SECOND, with scaling-ladders; Pioneers; Twenty-third Native Infantry; SEVENTY-SECOND Regiment; First and Sixth Native Infantry. “We (the SEVENTY-SECOND) moved from the left along the north side of the ridge of hills extending from the Carriagat pagoda to the Cappalair rocks; by ten at night we found ourselves near the base of the hill, where the officers were directed to dismount. When we were about two hundred yards from the lower entrenchment, our grenadiers filed off from the right with trailed arms, a serjeant and twelve forming the forlorn hope. When about fifty yards from the works, the sentinel challenged us, and instantly fired his piece, which was followed by a scattered fire from the rest of their party. We rushed among them, and those who did not save themselves by immediate flight, were shot or bayoneted. The greatest number of them ran down to the Carriagat pagoda, where they made a stand, and kept up a smart fire until we were almost close to them; then retired under our fire to the foot of the hill, where they were joined by a strong body from the plain, and made a stand at a small choultry, from which a flight of steps led to the bridge across the nulla. By this time the general attack on the enemy’s lines had commenced, and there was an almost connected sheet of fire from right to left; musketry, guns, and rockets rending the air with their contending noise. We sat upon the brow of the hill a few minutes, while our men were recovering their breath, and had a commanding prospect of the whole attack, though nearly three miles in extent, as we contemplated the scene before us, the grandest, I suppose, that any person there had beheld. Being rested a little, Colonel Maxwell led us down the hill under a smart fire; we rushed forward and drove the enemy across the nulla in great haste, although they stood our approach wonderfully. We crossed the bridge under a constant fire, the enemy retreating as we advanced; we crossed the Lokany river, the opposite bank of which was well covered by a bound-hedge, and their fire did execution: a serjeant of grenadiers was killed, Captain Mackenzie mortally wounded, Major Frazer and Captain Maitland shot through their right arms, besides other casualties. After we had penetrated the bound-hedge, the enemy took post behind an extensive choultry; but nothing could stop the ardour of our men,—we charged without loss of time, and soon dislodged the enemy, who retreated along the banks of the Cavery to a second choultry, where their numbers were reinforced. We had now got into their camp, upon the right flank of their lines; they retreated steadily before us, and our fire and bayonets did great execution among them, the road being strewed with their bodies. We charged and dislodged them from the second choultry; here Lieutenant Mc Pherson of the grenadiers was wounded; we pursued the enemy to a large pagoda; they attempted to cross the river, but the place was so crowded with guns, tumbrils, bullocks, elephants, camels, followers, and heaven knows what, that we were in the midst of them before they could escape, and for some minutes there was nothing but shooting and bayoneting. Colonel Maxwell came up with the twenty-third native infantry; the sepoys of the fourteenth native battalions advanced; they took us for the enemy, and fired, but their officers suppressed the fire before much injury was done: the seventy-first regiment also joined us, and preparations were made to cross the river and force the lines on the opposite side. Colonel Baird requested me to lead with twenty men; I instantly rushed into the stream, followed by twenty grenadiers of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment; we pushed on through holes, over rocks and stones, falling and stumbling at every step, the enemy’s shot reducing our numbers; and myself, with about half a dozen grenadiers, arrived at a smooth part of the stream which proved beyond our depth; five of us, however, got over; but the regiments did not venture to follow, and we returned with difficulty. An easy passage had been found out lower down; the seventy-first and SEVENTY-SECOND regiments had got into the island; the flank companies of the fifty-second, seventy-first, and seventy-fourth regiments forded higher up, and the enemy, seeing our troops on all sides of them, betook themselves to flight.

“About one o’clock in the morning the seventy-first, and SEVENTY-SECOND regiments advanced to the pettah, from which the inhabitants had fled, and we released a number of Europeans from prison. About seven o’clock the SEVENTY-SECOND marched into the famous Llal Baugh, or, as I heard it translated, ‘garden of pearls,’ and were posted in one of the walks during the day.”

A decisive victory was gained on this occasion over the army of Tippoo, and, perhaps, no regiment had performed a more distinguished part on this occasion than the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders; they had forced the passage of one nulla, and two rivers, and had charged nine successive times, overpowering their enemies on every occasion. Their loss was Captain Thomas Mackenzie and fourteen rank and file killed; Major Hugh Frazer, Captain Hon. William M. Maitland, Lieutenants Mc Pherson and Ward, one serjeant, two drummers, and forty rank and file wounded, one man missing.

In the General Orders issued on the 7th of February, it was stated—“The conduct and valour of the officers and soldiers of this army have often merited Lord Cornwallis’s encomiums; but the zeal and gallantry which were so successfully displayed last night, in the attack of the enemy’s whole army in a position that had cost him much time and labour to fortify, can never be sufficiently praised; and his lordship’s satisfaction on an occasion which promises to be attended with the most substantial advantages, has been greatly heightened by hearing from the commanding officers of divisions, that the meritorious behaviour was universal, through all ranks, to a degree that has rarely been equalled.”

The power of the Sultan being greatly reduced, and the siege of his capital about to commence, he solicited conditions of peace, and hostilities were suspended. He afterwards ceded half of his dominions to the allies, paid a large sum of money, and was permitted to retain the other half of his territory.

The war being thus terminated, and a great accession of territory made to the British dominions in India, the army quitted the island of Seringapatam, towards the end of March, and the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders proceeded to the cantonment of Wallajabad, where they arrived on the 28th of May. The Governor in Council evinced the high sense he entertained of the conduct of the troops, by presenting them with a gratuity out of the money paid by Tippoo Sultan, which was confirmed by the Court of Directors, and six months’ batta, or field allowance, added thereto.

1793
1794

The SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders remained at Wallajabad, with two companies detached to Arnee, upwards of twelve months, during which period the French Revolution, which commenced a few years previously, had assumed a character that called forth the efforts of other countries to arrest the progress of its destructive principles with the effects of its example in the world, and war commenced between Great Britain and France. News of this event arrived in India in May, 1793; in June the regiment was ordered to prepare to take the field, and on the 26th of that month, pitched its tents east of Shiveram Hill under the orders of Major Frazer; it marched soon afterwards against the French settlement of Pondicherry, on the coast of Coromandel, and arrived before the fortress in July,—being formed in brigade with the seventy-third, seventy-fourth, and third East India Company’s European regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel Baird; the troops employed on this service were commanded by Colonel John Brathwait. The siege of Pondicherry was commenced in the early part of August, the army encamping in a thick wood where tigers were so numerous that the natives durst not travel in the night. On the 11th of August the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders were on duty in the trenches, and had two men killed; they also lost two men on the following day;[15] and several others on the 22nd of that month, on which day a white flag was displayed by the garrison, with a request for permission to surrender. The French soldiers in the fortress had embraced democratical principles and were particularly insubordinate; they insisted that the governor should surrender, but after the white flag was displayed, they fired two shells, which killed several men, and wounded Major Frazer of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment. During the night they were guilty of every species of outrage, breaking into houses and becoming intoxicated. On the following morning, a number of them environed the governor’s house, and threatened to hang the governor, General Charmont, before the door, when application was made for English protection. The British soldiers rushed into the town, overpowered the insurgents, rescued the governor, and preserved the inhabitants from the further effects of democratical violence.

After the completion of this service, the regiment returned to the cantonment at Wallajabad, where it arrived on the 11th of September, and was stationed at that place during the year 1794.

On the decease of General Murray, the colonelcy was conferred on Major-General Adam Williamson, from the forty-seventh regiment, by commission dated the 19th of March, 1794.

1795

While the regiment was reposing in cantonments at Wallajabad, and the officers and soldiers were reflecting with exultation on the reputation they had acquired in the Mysore, circumstances occurred in Europe which occasioned them to be again called into active service. The Dutch people had imbibed the democratical doctrines of the French republic, and in the early part of 1795 Holland became united to France. When information of these events arrived in India, an expedition was immediately fitted out against the large and mountainous island of Ceylon, where the Dutch had several settlements, and the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders were selected to take part in the enterprise; the troops employed on this service were commanded by their Lieut.-Colonel, James Stuart, who was promoted to the rank of major-general at this period. The regiment embarked from Fort St. George on the 30th of July, and two days afterwards the fleet arrived on the coast of Ceylon; on the 3rd of August the troops landed four miles north of the fort of Trincomalee, and the siege of this place was commenced as soon as the artillery and stores could be landed and removed sufficiently near to the place. On the 26th of August a practicable breach was effected, and the garrison surrendered the place. The regiment had Ensign Benson, two serjeants, and seven rank and file wounded on this service.

The commanding officer of the regiment, Major Frazer, who was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy on the 1st of September, was detached against the fort of Batticaloe, which surrendered to him on the 18th of September. The two flank companies of the regiment were afterwards detached, with two companies of sepoys, under Captain Barbutt, against the fort and island of Manaar, which surrendered on the 5th of October.

1796

The regiment continued to be actively employed until the whole of the Dutch settlements in Ceylon were reduced, which was accomplished in February, 1796, when the governor, John Gerand Van Angelbeck, surrendered the fortress of Colombo to the British arms. The people in the interior of the island had not been deprived of their independence by the Dutch, and they were not interfered with by the British so long as they preserved a peaceful demeanour.

1797

As the island of Ceylon—which produces an astonishing diversity of vegetables, with the finest fruits—is celebrated for the number of cinnamon trees it produces—and abounds in most animals indigenous to the East, particularly in wild elephants—the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders remained until March, 1797, when they were removed to Pondicherry, preparatory to their return to England.

1798

The regiment transferred its men fit for service to the corps about to remain in India, and embarked at Madras in February, 1798. On arriving at Gravesend, it received orders to proceed to Perth, where it landed in August, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Hugh Frazer.

The services of the regiment in the East Indies were afterwards rewarded with the royal authority to bear the word “Hindoostan” on its colours.

On the 23rd of October, Major-General James Stuart, who had long commanded the regiment with reputation in India, was appointed to the colonelcy, from the eighty-second foot, in succession to General Adam Williamson deceased.

1799
1800
1801

The regiment was stationed at Perth two years, and its recruiting was not successful, not more than two hundred recruits having joined: in 1801 the regiment was removed to Ireland;[16] and its numbers were augmented by drafts from the Scots fencible regiments.

1802
1803

At the conclusion of the peace of Amiens in 1802, the establishment was reduced; but on the re-commencement of hostilities in 1803, it was again augmented: it was soon in a high state of efficiency and discipline, two-thirds of the men being Scots Highlanders, and about one-third English and Irish.

1804

Great efforts were made to repel the threatened French invasion in 1803 and 1804, and a second battalion was added to the regiment; it was formed of men raised in Aberdeen, for limited service, under the Additional Force Act, and was placed upon the establishment of the army from the 25th of December, 1804. It was embodied at Peterhead, and remained in Scotland some time.

1805

While the French army was at Boulogne menacing England with invasion, a coalition was forming in Germany to oppose the domination of Bonaparte, whom the French had elevated to the title of Emperor, and the first battalion of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment was appointed to form part of a secret expedition under Lieut.-General Sir Eyre Coote, K.B.; this enterprise was, however, laid aside, and in August, 1805, the regiment, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Colquhoun Grant, embarked with a secret expedition under Major-General Sir David Baird, which sailed at the end of the month. At day-break on the 28th of September the fleet approached the island of Madeira, and the soldiers were gratified by the sight of its high mountains, covered on the lower slopes with vines, and on the loftier summits with forests of pine and chesnut, gilded with the rays of the rising sun; and about eight o’clock the whole anchored in the spacious bay, in the centre of which stands Funchal, the capital; the lofty black rocks adorned with brilliant verdure rising behind the town, form a striking contrast with the white houses, and present to the view a splendid landscape. At this place the fleet remained six days, and afterwards sailed to the Brazils, entering the harbour of St. Salvador on the 12th of November. Captain Campbell of the SEVENTY-SECOND stated in his Journal:—“The town was opening as we approached the inner part of the bay, and displayed the most gay and romantic scenery. It is built on the ridge of a hill, and some of the houses are showy and extensive; they are generally white with red tiles; but those in the lower part of the town consist of from five to seven flats, or stories, each; and, the streets being narrow, the houses almost meet above. The hills are enclosed as gardens, and whichever way one turns, the eye is equally gratified with the variety and luxuriance of the scenery.”

The regiments were landed in succession for a few hours; horses were procured for the cavalry, and some supplies obtained for the voyage. It was a remarkable circumstance that the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment had not one sick man.

On the 28th of November the fleet again put to sea, and directed its course towards the Dutch colony of the Cape of Good Hope, then in possession of the Batavian government, which was united with France in hostility to Great Britain.

1806

On the 3rd of January, 1806, the lofty promontory which marks the southern extremity of Africa was seen, with its summit in the clouds, and at five o’clock on the afternoon of the following day, the fleet anchored off the Cape of Good Hope. At four o’clock on the morning of the 6th of January the signal was made for the seventy-first, SEVENTY-SECOND, and ninety-third regiments, forming the second or Highland brigade under Brigadier-General Ferguson, to enter the boats; and, moving to the shore, it effected a landing in Lospard’s Bay; the light companies of the seventy-first and SEVENTY-SECOND regiments driving the Dutch sharp-shooters from the contiguous heights, killing and wounding thirteen of the enemy.[17] After pursuing the enemy some distance, the troops halted near the Blue Mountains.

Before daylight on the following morning the SEVENTY-SECOND advanced, with one six-pounder, to surprise a body of the enemy, encamped at a small village; but the Dutch made a precipitate retreat, and the regiment returned to its camp, where it arrived about eight o’clock.

At three o’clock on the morning of the 8th of January the Blue Mountains echoed the sound of the British bugles summoning the soldiers to arms, and when the troops had advanced to the summit of the hills, the Batavian army was seen formed, with twenty-three pieces of cannon, in order of battle, in the valley in front. The grenadiers of the twenty-fourth regiment drove the Dutch mounted riflemen and jaggars from the high grounds on the front and on the flank, and the Highland brigade moved forward to engage the opposing army. Nineteen Dutch guns sent forward showers of bullets as the three British regiments advanced rapidly upon their opponents; when within five hundred yards, the enemy commenced with grape, and when at two hundred and fifty yards distance, the fire of musketry was opened along his whole front; but the advance of the brigade was too rapid for the enemy to take correct aim. Arriving within one hundred and fifty yards of the opposing line, the Highlanders levelled their muskets with steady aim, advancing and firing, until within sixty yards of their adversaries, when Brigadier-General Ferguson gave the word “CHARGE.” A loud British shout instantly rent the air, and the heroic Highlanders closed with bayonets upon their numerous adversaries, who instantly fled in dismay, pursued across the deep sands by the victorious Highland brigade. The Dutch marksmen on the right flank, with two guns, keeping up a constant fire, Captain Campbell of the SEVENTY-SECOND was detached against them with his grenadier company; he soon drove the Dutch sharp-shooters from the bushes, and was about to charge the guns, but they were removed with too much speed to be overtaken.

After gaining a complete victory, and pursuing the enemy three miles under a burning sun, and along deep sands, the Highlanders were ordered to halt, and the first brigade urged the pursuit.[18]

Major-General Sir David Baird stated in his public despatch:—

“The Highland brigade advanced steadily under a heavy fire of round shot, grape, and musketry. Nothing could resist the determined bravery of the troops, headed by their gallant leader, Brigadier-General Ferguson; and the number of the enemy, who swarmed the plain, served only to augment their ardour, and confirm their discipline. The enemy received our fire and maintained his position obstinately; but in the moment of charging, the valour of British troops bore down all opposition, and forced him to a precipitate retreat.”

“Your lordship will perceive the name of Lieut.-Colonel Grant among the wounded; but the heroic spirit of this officer was not subdued by his misfortune, and he continued to lead his men to glory, as long as an enemy was opposed to His Majesty’s SEVENTY-SECOND regiment.”

The loss of the regiment was limited to two rank and file killed; Lieut.-Colonel Grant,[19] Lieutenant Chrisholme, two serjeants, one drummer, and thirty-three rank and file wounded.

The word “Cape of Good Hope,” borne by royal authority on the colours of the regiment, commemorates its distinguished gallantry on this occasion.

After the action, the army took up a position in the Reit Valley; on the 9th of January, the troops advanced towards Cape Town, taking post on the south of Salt River, and the town surrendered. Lieut.-General Janssens had taken up a position in a pass leading to the interior of the country. On the 10th of January, the regiment marched to Wineberg barracks; and on the 11th, Lieutenant M’Arthur of the SEVENTY-SECOND was detached, with thirty men of the regiment, to take possession of Hout’s Bay. “After Lieutenant M’Arthur’s departure, it was ascertained that the enemy had a strong garrison at Hout’s Bay, and Major Tucker, of the SEVENTY-SECOND, was sent after him on horseback, to detain him until a reinforcement should arrive; but the lieutenant had reached the vicinity of the place with much expedition, and finding how matters stood, showed his men rank entire, and only partially, but to the most advantage. Having procured pen, ink, and paper, he summoned the garrison to unconditional surrender, otherwise he would blow the place about their ears, assault the works, and give no quarter. The Dutch immediately surrendered at discretion, and when the major arrived, he found Lieutenant M’Arthur in full possession of the works, consisting of a strong block-house and two batteries.”-See Captain Campbell’s Journal.

Wineberg-Camp, 12th January, 1806.

Brigade Order.—“In consequence of Brigadier-General Ferguson being ordered into Cape Town, he is under the necessity of taking a short leave of the Highland brigade. Short as his absence will be, he cannot go without returning his sincere thanks to every individual of the brigade he has the honor to command, for the zealous support he has received from the officers, and the uniform good behaviour of the men. Their conduct on the day of landing, the cheerfulness with which they have endured every fatigue and privation, and their distinguished bravery in the action of Blaw Berg, while it has gained them universal admiration, lays him under an obligation, which no time can obliterate from his memory.”

On the same day that this order was issued the regiment advanced up the country to co-operate with the troops under Brigadier-General Beresford, and in a few days the Batavian governor surrendered the colony to the British arms. From this period the important colony of the Cape of Good Hope has formed part of the possessions of the British Crown.

After the surrender of the Cape, the head-quarters of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment were established at Simon’s Town, where the Hottentots in the Dutch pay tendered their services to the British government, and were afterwards formed into a corps, now the “Cape Mounted Riflemen:” the regiment had also detachments at Muisenberg, Hout’s Bay, and Oliphant’s Bay, and in September it took the garrison duty at Cape Town.

1807
1808
1809

The regiment was stationed at Cape Town during the years 1807, 1808, and 1809: in April of the latter year King George III. approved of its discontinuing the Highland Costume.

In February of this year the second battalion proceeded from Scotland to Ireland.

1810

In February, 1810, the first battalion marched from Cape Town to Stellinbosch, and while stationed at this place it was selected to form part of an expedition, designed to co-operate with troops from India in the capture of the Mauritius. It embarked eight hundred men, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Monckton, from Simon’s Town, on the 22nd of September, 1810, but various circumstances occasioned a delay of nearly five weeks before it commenced the voyage, and a landing of the troops from India had taken place a few days before the division from the Cape arrived. Its appearance off the island was, however, particularly opportune, as the French governor had previously resolved to defend his lines before Port Louis, but when he saw the division from the Cape approach the island, he lost all hope of being able to make effectual resistance, and surrendered this valuable colony to the British arms.

The regiment landed at Port Louis on the 7th of December, and was selected to form part of the garrison of the island.

1811

On the 25th of September, 1811, the establishment of the first battalion was augmented to a thousand rank and file, and it was completed by drafts from the second battalion, then in Ireland.

1812
1814

After performing duty at the Mauritius upwards of three years, the regiment received orders to proceed to North America, war having commenced between Great Britain and the United States; and it embarked from Port Louis on the 27th of June, 1814, with orders to proceed, in the first instance, to the Cape of Good Hope. The following General Orders were issued on this occasion, by Lieut.-General Sir Alexander Campbell:—

“In obeying the orders of His Royal Highness the commander-in-chief, for the removal of the first battalion of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment from these islands to the Cape of Good Hope, the Commander of the Forces is impelled, not less by the calls of justice and public duty, than by his personal and private feelings, to express to Lieut.-Colonel Monckton, and all the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates of that excellent, respectable, and valuable corps, how sensible he is of the loss this command sustains by their departure. The Lieut.-General, however, derives some consolation from the ardent hope he entertains that the regiment is proceeding to fields of glory, where opportunities will be afforded for sustaining the high character it has already established, and adding to its well-earned fame, by fresh deeds of valour, emulating those of our most distinguished battalions, whose prowess and discipline have rescued Europe from the tyrant’s grasp. He requests their acceptance of his best thanks for their most exemplary good conduct, during the period he has had the honor to have them under his orders, and which he shall not fail to communicate to His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, for our Sovereign’s information, and likewise to His Excellency the Commander of the Forces at the Cape of Good Hope, a station where their gallantry and orderly behaviour are so well known and appreciated.”

The design of sending the regiment to America was afterwards abandoned, in consequence of the termination of the war in Europe having rendered several other corps disposable: the SEVENTY-SECOND landed at the Cape of Good Hope, and was stationed At Cape Town.[20]

1815
1816

On the 26th of April, 1815, Lieut.-General Rowland Lord Hill, G.C.B., was appointed Colonel of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment, from the ninety-fourth foot, in succession to General Stuart, deceased.

After remaining at the Cape of Good Hope ten months, the regiment received orders to transfer its services to India, to take part in the war with the Rajah of Napaul. Some delay occurred in procuring transports; but on the 29th of June the head-quarters embarked for Bengal, under Lieut.-Colonel Monckton, and landed at Calcutta on the 5th of September; the remainder of the regiment arrived soon afterwards. The war had in the meantime terminated, and the regiment was ordered to return to the Cape of Good Hope, proceeding, in the first instance, to the Mauritius; the annexation of that island to Great Britain, by the treaty of peace which was concluded after the removal of Bonaparte from the throne of France, having been followed by circumstances which rendered the augmentation of the garrison necessary. The regiment embarked from Fort William in November, and arrived at Port Louis in the early part of January 1816; but the garrison had previously been reinforced by the fifty-sixth regiment from Madras, and the detention of the SEVENTY-SECOND was not necessary.

From the Mauritius the regiment continued its voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived in Table Bay on the 14th of February; but having touched at the Mauritius, where an epidemic disease prevailed, it was detained in quarantine until the 3rd of March, when it landed at Cape Town.

The termination of the war in Europe and North America had been followed by the reduction of the strength of the army, and the second battalion of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment was disbanded at Londonderry on the 3rd of January, 1816; the men were sent to the Isle of Wight for the purpose of joining the first battalion. The regiment had, however, returned from India, and its numbers being above the establishment of a corps on the Cape station, they were permitted either to volunteer to regiments not complete, or receive their discharge. The establishment, at this period, was fifty-four officers, one thousand and seventy-seven non-commissioned officers and soldiers; but a reduction of thirteen officers and two hundred and ten soldiers was soon afterwards made.

In October one company of the regiment was detached to the frontiers of the colony, to relieve a company of the eighty-third regiment, which had been detached a considerable period.

1817

Lieut.-General Lord Hill was removed to the fifty-third regiment, in February, 1817, and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the SEVENTY-SECOND, by Major-General Sir George Murray, G.C.B., G.C.H.

On the 10th of June four companies of the regiment embarked at Simon’s Town, for Algoa Bay, where they arrived in fifty-four hours, and marched from thence to Graham’s Town, the frontier head-quarters, to relieve the twenty-first light dragoons, who were ordered to proceed to India. These companies were distributed in detachments along the bank of the Great Fish River, to occupy posts established a short time previously, and to construct others, in continuation of a chain, to protect the frontiers against the depredations of the warlike tribes of Kafirs, who maintained a constant state of preparation for aggression and acts of hostility, and whose propensities appear more suited to plunder and warfare, than the cultivation of their country. This proved an arduous and toilsome duty, in a country nearly devoid of resources, infested by savage animals and marauding Kafirs; the soldiers lived under canvas, were frequently exposed to the inclemency of the weather, especially while constructing new posts, and patrols were constantly moving from station to station; yet the men were preserved, by the care and attention of their officers, remarkably healthy, and the eldest soldiers, who had been long accustomed to the comparative ease and luxury of the service at the Mauritius and Cape Town, performed this difficult duty with facility.

1819

Notwithstanding every effort made to cover the country, depredations were frequently committed, and a party of Kafirs having succeeded in stealing a quantity of cattle from a Dutch farmer, in the beginning of February, 1819, the circumstance was reported to Captain Gethin, who was stationed at De Bruins Drift. The captain instantly pursued the robbers, with a few soldiers, accompanied by a number of Dutch farmers, mounted and armed; he came up with the cattle in a country covered with thick underwood, and trusting to the support of the armed farmers, in the event of an attack, he entered the bush with a few men, and was proceeding to drive out the cattle, when the party in advance was surrounded and attacked by a number of Kafirs armed with spears and clubs. The captain and his small party made a determined resistance; but the farmers stood aloof, leaving the soldiers to perish. Captain Gethin was overpowered, and fell pierced with thirty-two wounds; one serjeant and one private soldier were also killed on this occasion. Captain Gethin was a highly respected, brave, and intelligent officer; he had distinguished himself in the Peninsular war, particularly at the siege of St. Sebastian, and had been rewarded with promotion; his death was much regretted.

1821

A detachment of the regiment continued on the frontiers, and took an active part in the border warfare with the Kafirs, whose predatory habits it was found difficult to restrain; the head-quarters remained at Cape Town, with detachments at Simon’s Town and Robben Island, until December, 1821, when it was relieved by the sixth regiment, and embarked for England. Two companies remained behind three months for the want of transport, and fifty soldiers of good character who had claims to pension, were permitted to settle in the country.

On the departure of the regiment from the Cape, the Governor, General Lord Charles Somerset, was pleased to express, in orders, his approbation of the conduct of the corps during its stay at that colony, and to add, that he should not fail to make known its excellent behaviour to the Commander-in-Chief, and to recommend it to His Royal Highness’s particular favour and protection.

1822

In March, 1822, the regiment landed at Portsmouth, from whence it proceeded to Fort Cumberland, and in May to Plymouth, where the two companies left at the Cape, joined in June. In July the regiment embarked for Woolwich, where it occupied part of the Horse Artillery barracks.

1823

The regiment was removed to the islands of Jersey and Guernsey in May, 1823.

Major-General Sir George Murray was removed to the forty-second, the Royal Highland regiment, in September, 1823, and was succeeded by Lieut.-General Sir John Hope from the ninety-second regiment.

The excellent conduct of the regiment on all occasions, which had procured for it the commendations of the general officers under whom it had served, had been repeatedly brought before the Commander-in-Chief, His Royal Highness the Duke of York and Albany, by the commanders of the colonies in which it had served, and had been communicated to His Majesty, King George IV., who was graciously pleased to authorise, on the 11th of December, 1823, its resuming the Highland Costume, with this difference, that the officers and men should wear trews instead of kilts: at the same time the King was pleased to approve of its assuming, as a special mark of royal favour and approbation, the title of the “Seventy-second, or the Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders.”

1824

On quitting the islands of Jersey and Guernsey in April, 1824, the regiment received a vote of thanks and approbation from the principal inhabitants and public functionaries of the former, and a similar document from the Royal Court of the latter, expressing their high sense and admiration of its discipline, and of the peaceful and orderly behaviour of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers. The regiment embarked from Jersey and Guernsey in April, and proceeded to Plymouth, to relieve the sixty-first foot.

In June His Majesty approved of the regiment assuming, as a regimental badge, the Duke of Albany’s Cipher and Coronet, to be borne on the regimental colour.

From Plymouth, the regiment embarked for Scotland on the 31st of August: it landed at Newhaven on the 13th of September, and was met on the beach by its Colonel, Lieut.-General Sir John Hope, who marched into Edinburgh Castle at its head: the regiment afterwards sent detachments to Stirling, Fort William, and Dumbarton.

1825

New colours having been prepared for the Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders, the regiment was assembled at Bruntsfield Links, on the 1st of August, 1825, under Lieut.-Colonel Calvert. The new colours were presented to the Colonel, Lieut.-General Sir John Hope, by Lady Hope, with a suitable address; they were afterwards consecrated by the Chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Moon, in an eloquent prayer, in which he implored the God of Battles ever to crown them with honour and victory; Sir John Hope then presented them to the regiment, which was formed in square to receive them, and said:—

“In delivering to your charge these colours, which have been presented to the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment by Lady Hope, I am fully aware that I am not addressing a newly-raised corps, whose name and character have yet to be acquired. As it has pleased His Majesty to confer so distinguished an honour on the regiment, as to permit the SEVENTY-SECOND to assume the name of the Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders, I cannot omit congratulating the corps on having received so flattering and honorable a mark of approbation, and expressing my conviction, that this additional badge, which is now placed on these colours, will afford a new and powerful inducement for maintaining the high character which the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment has so long and so deservedly possessed. I feel particularly gratified that the honour of delivering these colours has devolved on me, and that their presentation should also have taken place in the capital of the country where the regiment was first raised, and after its return from a long period of honorable and distinguished service. The country being now at peace, there is no opportunity for the SEVENTY-SECOND to gain fresh honours by victories in the field; but the regiment may deserve and obtain almost equal honour and credit by setting an example of discipline and good conduct on home service, which becomes now particularly incumbent when so highly distinguished by being named after His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, to whom the whole army is indebted for the present state of order and discipline to which it has attained. That the SEVENTY-SECOND will ever continue to deserve the approbation of His Royal Highness I make no doubt: and I have now to offer my most sincere good wishes for the prosperity of the corps collectively, and of every individual officer, non-commissioned officer, and private soldier of the regiment.”

Towards the end of July, routes were received for marching to Port Patrick, for embarkation for Ireland; and before quitting Edinburgh, the regiment received the thanks of the Lord Provost and Magistrates for its exemplary conduct; it landed at Donaghadee on the 26th of August; and the head-quarters were established at Belfast.

1826
1827

In September, 1826, the regiment marched to Londonderry, from whence nineteen detachments were sent out; and in May, 1827, the detachments were called in, and the whole proceeded to Dublin.

Orders were received in September to form six service and four depôt companies; the service companies embarked for Liverpool, from whence they proceeded to London, where they arrived on the 9th of October, and took the duty at the Tower.

1828

On the 5th of January, 1828, the first life guards, royal horse guards, four battalions of foot guards, and the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment, were reviewed on the parade in St. James’s park, by Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington, in presence of Don Miguel, Infant of Portugal.

In April the regiment marched to Canterbury, where it was inspected on the 2nd of June by General Lord Hill, commanding-in-chief, who was pleased to state,—“That although it had been his lot to see and serve with most of the regiments in the service, he felt he should not be doing full justice to the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders, if he did not express his particular approbation of every thing connected with them, and add, he had never before seen a regiment their equal in movements, in appearance, and in steadiness under arms.”

The regiment remained at Canterbury until the end of June, when it marched to Gravesend, where it embarked, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Arbuthnot, for the Cape of Good Hope—a colony where the reputation of the corps was established, and it landed at Cape Town in September and October following.

1830

In May, 1830, the depôt companies were withdrawn from Ireland, and landing at Glasgow, were stationed in Scotland during the five following years.

1833

While the service companies were stationed in Cape Town, the aggressions of the Kafir tribes, which are divided into three nations,—the Amapendas, the Tambookies, and the Amakosa, assumed a formidable and an atrocious character previously unknown. The colonial boundary extended, on one side, to the Keiskamma, but a chief named Macoma, had been permitted to reside within the British territory. Owing to some atrocities committed by him and his followers on the Tambookies, which were attended with the shedding of human blood within the colony, he was deprived of the lands he held by sufferance in the British territory. His expulsion was, however, not strictly enforced until 1833, when he was removed beyond the boundary, and he became violently exasperated against the British. The predatory habits of the Kafirs also led to disputes, when the British were searching for stolen property, and the lenity observed towards the aggressors emboldened them, and occasioned them to become more audacious in their attacks.

1834

Towards the end of 1834 thousands of Kafirs rushed into the colony, and commenced the work of murder, rapine, and devastation by fire, among the settlers.

1835

The SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders were stationed at Cape Town, when the news of these alarming events arrived at the seat of government, and they were immediately ordered towards the frontiers. Three companies sailed for Algoa Bay, on the 2nd of January, 1835, and arrived at that place on the 10th; the other three companies advanced up the country by horse waggons; and as the regiment approached Graham’s Town, it traversed the scenes of outrage, and witnessed the ruins of once flourishing farms bearing marks of savage vengeance; the town was found barricaded, and the houses turned to fortifications. Ten thousand Kafirs had penetrated the colony, and the smoke of ruined farms, with the cries of widows and orphans, were seen and heard on every side.

Having advanced towards the frontiers, the head-quarters were established at Graham’s Town, and detachments were employed in chasing the vengeful marauders from the confines of the British possessions.

Preparations were made to carry hostilities into the heart of Kafirland, to visit with necessary chastisement the atrocious aggressions of the tribes, and to enforce such measures as should be calculated to prevent the recurrence of similar outrages. The force assembled for this service was divided into four columns: the first was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel John Peddie, K.H., SEVENTY-SECOND regiment; it consisted of a detachment of the royal artillery with two guns, a detachment of the Cape mounted riflemen, the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders, a provisional battalion, and the Swellendaham burghers; and in the middle of March it advanced to the right bank of the Keiskamma, from whence it penetrated into the interior of Kafirland. The predatory tribes were incapable of offering serious opposition; they were chastised for their atrocious conduct, subdued, deprived of a portion of their territory bordering on the frontiers of the colony, and such additional precautionary measures were adopted as appeared necessary to ensure the safety of the British subjects.

The SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders were employed in Kafirland during the months of April and May: the head-quarters were afterwards established at King William’s Town until October, when they were removed to Graham’s Town.

In June of this year the depôt companies proceeded from Scotland to Ireland.

1836

On the death of Lieut.-General Sir John Hope, the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Major-General Sir Colin Campbell, K.C.B., from the ninety-ninth foot, by commission dated the 15th of August, 1836.

1837
1838

The head-quarters of the service companies remained at Graham’s Town three years, furnishing detachments along the frontiers, occupying posts, and performing much trying and difficult service: in October, 1838, they were relieved from this duty, and returned to Cape Town.

In May, 1838, the depôt companies returned to Scotland.

1839

During the year 1839 the service companies were stationed at Cape Town, and the depôt companies at Paisley and Dundee.

1840

After taking part in the important duty of protecting the possessions of Great Britain at the Cape of Good Hope nearly twelve years, the service companies were relieved in April, 1840, and returned to England, and disembarked at Portsmouth on the 8th of June following: the regiment was subsequently stationed at Fort Cumberland: the depôt had proceeded from North Britain to Portsmouth in May, 1840.

The following general order was issued by Major-General Sir George Napier, K.C.B., commanding the forces at the Cape of Good Hope, on the 10th of April, 1840, upon the embarkation of the SEVENTY-SECOND for England:—

“His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief cannot permit the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders to embark for England, from the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, in which they have been stationed for the long period of twelve years, without his expressing his marked approbation of the conduct of this highly disciplined and exemplary corps while under his immediate command; and from the reports His Excellency has received from Colonel Smith, the Deputy-Quarter Master-General, under whose orders this regiment has been during the greater part of the above period, including a very arduous and active service in the Field, His Excellency is enabled to record, which he does with great satisfaction, the very meritorious services of the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders, in whatever duty they have been engaged, whether in the Field or in Quarters.

“His Excellency begs to assure Major Hope, the officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers of the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment, that he will ever feel a lively interest in their welfare.”

1841

In July, 1841, the regiment proceeded from Portsmouth to Windsor.

1842

On the 26th of January, 1842, new colours were presented to the SEVENTY-SECOND Highland regiment by Field-Marshal His Grace the Duke of Wellington, in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle, the ceremony being honoured by the presence of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, the King of Prussia, and other distinguished personages. The following is the Duke of Wellington’s address to the regiment on this interesting occasion:—

“Colonel Arbuthnot,[21] and you, Gentlemen, Officers, and you, Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers, of the SEVENTY-SECOND Highland regiment,—I have attended here this day, in compliance with the wishes of your Commanding Officer, and by permission of Her Majesty, to present to you your new colours. These colours have been consecrated by one of the highest dignitaries of our Church, and are presented to you in the presence of Her Majesty, and of her Illustrious and Royal Guest the King of Prussia, of Prince Albert, and a number of most distinguished personages. They are composed of the colours of the three nations, and bear the cipher of Her Majesty; and I have no doubt, from your previous character and your present high state of discipline, that you will guard them under every circumstance, to the utmost of your power. These Colours you are henceforth to consider as your Head-Quarters, and in every circumstance, in all times of privation and of distress, you will look to them as your rallying point; and I would again remind you, that their presentation is witnessed by the Monarch of one of the most powerful nations in Europe—a nation which boasts of an army which has heretofore been a pattern for all modern troops,—and which has done so much towards contributing to the general pacification of Europe. I have long known the SEVENTY-SECOND Highland Regiment. Half a century has now nearly elapsed since I had the pleasure of serving in the same Army with them in the Plains of Hindoostan; since that period they have been engaged in the conquest of some of the most valuable colonies of the British Crown; and latterly, in performing most distinguished services at the Cape of Good Hope. Fourteen years out of the last sixteen they have spent on Foreign service; and with only eighteen months at home for their re-formation and their re-disciplining, appear in their present high state of regularity and order. The best part of a long life has been spent by me in Barracks, Camps, and Cantonments, and it has been my duty, as well as my inclination, always to study how best to promote the health and discipline of the troops; and I have always found it only to be done by paying the strictest regard to regularity and good order, and the greatest attention to the orders of their Officers. I address myself now particularly to the older soldiers, and wish them to understand that their strict attention to their discipline, and respect to their superiors, will often have the best effect on the younger soldiers; and it is, therefore, their duty to set a good example to their juniors by so doing; and by these means alone can they expect to command the respect and regard of the community amongst whom they are employed. I have made it my business to enquire particularly, and am rejoiced to find that the SEVENTY-SECOND have always commanded that respect and regard, wherever they have been stationed, to which their high state of discipline and good order so justly entitle them. You will, I am sure, always recollect the circumstances under which these Colours are now given into your charge; having been consecrated by one of the highest dignitaries of the Church, in the presence of Her Majesty, who now looks down upon you, and of her Royal Visitor: and I give them into your charge, confident that at all times, under all circumstances, whether at home or abroad, and in all privations, you will rally round them, and protect them to the utmost of your power.”

Colonel Arbuthnot, in reply, said:—

“My Lord Duke,—It would be highly presumptuous in me, if I were to make any reply to the address which your Grace has delivered to us; but I cannot avoid stating that it is impossible for me, and indeed, I may add, out of the power of any one to express, how deeply I, my Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Men, feel the high honour which has been conferred on us, by having had our Colours presented to us by the greatest Soldier the world has ever seen, and that in the presence of our Sovereign, His Majesty the King of Prussia, and Field-Marshal His Royal Highness Prince Albert.”

The regiment remained at Windsor until April, 1842, when it proceeded to Salford Barracks, from thence to Blackburn, and in September to Bolton, Lancashire.

1843

In April, 1843, the seventy-second regiment proceeded to Dublin, and in August to Templemore, marching from thence to Fermoy in September.

1844

Quitting Fermoy on the 2nd of July, 1844, the regiment proceeded to Buttevant, and on the 28th of September to Cork, having been put under orders for Foreign service. The six service companies, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Lord Arthur Lennox, embarked for Gibraltar in Her Majesty’s troop-ship Resistance, from Cork, on the 27th of November, 1844, and disembarked at their destination on the 12th of December following.

1845
1846
1847

The depôt companies marched from Cork to Templemore in April, 1845, and to Nenagh in February, 1846. In September, 1847, they proceeded to Charles Fort, near Kinsale, and in December were removed to Scotland, and stationed at Paisley.

1848

The regiment remained at Gibraltar until February, 1848, and on the 15th of that month embarked for Barbadoes under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Gascoyne, on board the Bombay transport. The following letter was addressed by General Sir Robert Wilson, Governor of Gibraltar, to the Adjutant-General reporting the embarkation:—

Gibraltar, 15th of February, 1848.

“Sir,

“I have the honour to acquaint you that Her Majesty’s SEVENTY-SECOND regiment embarked this morning on board the transport Bombay, and I have the satisfaction to add, that up to the last moment this distinguished corps conducted itself so as to merit the highest approbation that could be bestowed on the commanding officer, officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates for military qualities, and general deportment towards the community at large.

I have, &c.
R. T. Wilson,
General and Governor.”

The SEVENTY-SECOND arrived at Barbadoes on the 14th of March, 1848.

The depôt companies continued in North Britain, until the 18th of May, when they embarked for England, under Lieut.-Colonel C. M. Maclean, and arrived at Sheerness on the 24th of May, at which period this Record is concluded.

1848.

SEVENTY-SECOND
OR
DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN
HIGHLANDERS.

For Cannon’s Military Records
Madeley lith. 3 Wellington St Strand.

FOOTNOTES:

[6] From the Dutch service.

[7] From the Austrian service.

[8] Among the French prisoners was a wounded young serjeant of very interesting appearance and manners, who was treated with much kindness by Lieut.-Colonel Wangenheim, commanding the detachments of Hanoverians. Many years afterwards, when the French army entered Hanover, General Wangenheim attended the levée of General Bernadotte, who referred to the circumstance at Cudalore in 1783, and added,—“I am the individual who, when a young serjeant, received kindness from you in India.”—Colonel David Stewart on the Scots Highlanders.

[9] “1790, 5th Sept. Camp at Coimbetore.—Dined with Captain Frazer; he talked of nothing but the storm of Palacatcherry. Captain Frazer has applied for, and obtained, the command of the four flank companies; it is very spirited of him, leaving the command of the regiment, and volunteering so dangerous a service; but he was as great as Cæsar this evening, and nothing would serve him but dying in the breach. He often appealed to me, when speaking of what the grenadiers could do.”—Journal of Lieutenant Ronald Campbell, of the Grenadier Company, Seventy-second Regiment, 2 vols., fol. MS.

[10] Lieutenant Campbell, of the SEVENTY-SECOND foot, appears to have been delighted with this part of the Mysore: he states in his journal:—“I have never seen any part of India comparable to the valley on our right; it is truly beautiful beyond conception! The hills that bound it form an amphitheatre, covered with wood, except where a rugged precipice or stupendous rock shows itself, and waterfalls enrich the scene. The valley is covered with delightful verdure, and luxuriant crops, interspersed with clumps of the stateliest trees in the world, bearing a charmingly variegated foliage; and beneath their shade, small houses, built of cajan-leaf and bamboo, afford shelter to the cow-herds who tend their flocks and watch their fields. Numberless villages are strewed in the valley, and everything bears the mark of peace and plenty. The inhabitants are protected by us, and as we passed, we saw in every field the busy husbandmen reaping the fruits of their labour. After coming to our camp ground, I walked out with Captain Braithwaite, and we found the untilled land covered with bringals, yams, and other vegetables, growing spontaneously. On our left hand lie the Animalli woods, famous for their extent and thickness, and for the size, variety, and quality of their trees (teak-wood being in the greatest abundance and perfection); also for the number of wild animals viz.—elephants, tigers, bears, wolves, and the wild-boar, with a numerous tribe of the rarest birds—peacocks in great numbers. Wild elephants are so numerous, that when Tippoo was here, about four months since, he caught, as we are told, seventy of them. We are encamped on the ground he occupied; I can trace the place where, they say, his own tents stood.”

[11] Journal of Lieutenant Ronald Campbell, of the Grenadier Company Seventy-second regiment, 2 vols, fol. MS.

[12] Journal of Lieutenant R. Campbell.

[13] A drawing of this fortress is given in the Journal of Lieutenant Campbell of the Seventy-second Highlanders.

[14] Lieutenant Campbell’s Journal.

[15] On the 12th of August, as the Grenadiers and Captain Gordon’s company of the SEVENTY-SECOND were on duty in the trenches, exposed to a burning sun, and a severe cannonade from the fortress, Colonel Campbell, field officer of the trenches, sent his orderly to Lieutenant Campbell of the Grenadiers, requesting that the piper of the Grenadiers might be directed to play some pibrachs. This was considered a strange request to be made at so unsuitable a time; it was, however, immediately complied with: “but we were a good deal surprised to perceive that the moment the piper began, the fire from the enemy slackened, and soon after almost entirely ceased. The French all got upon the works, and seemed more astonished at hearing the bag-pipe, than we with Colonel Campbell’s request.” Lieutenant Campbell’s Journal.

[16] On the 5th of May, 1801, the regiment lost its distinguished commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel Hugh Frazer, who had always evinced a lively interest in its reputation. He entered the army in November, 1775, as lieutenant in the first battalion of the seventy-first regiment, then raised under Major-General Simon Frazer and Lieut.-Colonel Sir William Erskine, for service in North America; and in 1778 he was promoted captain in Seaforth’s Highlanders, now the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment, which corps he accompanied to India. He served with his regiment at the attack on Cudalore, and the capture of Palacatcherry, in 1783; and he commanded the SEVENTY-SECOND during the campaigns in the Mysore in 1790, 1791, and 1792, at the capture of Pondicherry in 1793, and at the conquest of Ceylon in 1795, and was conspicuous for personal bravery, ability, and a deep interest in the honour of his corps. He was always foremost to volunteer his personal services, and those of his regiment, at the post of honour and danger; and some high ground near Seringapatam, the scene of his gallantry, was named “Frazer’s Hill.” He was promoted to the majority of the regiment on the 2nd of March, 1791, and to the lieut.-colonelcy on the 1st of September, 1795. He bequeathed 500l to the officers’ mess, to be appropriated in such manner as should best commemorate his attachment to the corps, and his esteem for the officers.

[17] Number of men which landed at the Cape of Good Hope in January, 1806, under Major-General Sir David Baird:—

Brigades.

Regiments.

Number landed,
including
Recruits for
India, attached.

1st. Commanded by | { | Twenty-fourth | 600
Brigadier-General | { | Thirty-eighth | 900
Beresford | { | Eighty-third | 800
2nd. Under | { | Seventy-first | 800
Brigadier-General | { | Seventy-second | 600
Ferguson | { | Ninety-third | 800
| | Fifty-ninth | 900
| | Company’s recruits | 200
| | Seamen and marines | 1100
| | Artillery | 200
| | Twentieth Light Dragoons | 300
| | | ————
| | Total. | 7200

[18] “The soldiers suffered excessively from the heat of the sun, which was as intense as I ever felt it in India; though our fatigue was extreme, yet, for the momentary halt we made, the grenadier company (SEVENTY-SECOND) requested the pipers might play them their regimental quick step, Capper fiedth, to which they danced a Highland Reel, to the utter astonishment of the fifty-ninth regiment, which was close in our rear.”—Journal of Captain Campbell, Grenadier Company, SEVENTY-SECOND regiment.

[19] Afterwards Lieut.-General Sir Colquhoun Grant, K.C.B. and G.C.H., Colonel of the Fifteenth, or King’s Hussars, who died in December 1835.

[20] In December of this year the regiment lost a valuable officer, Lieut.-Colonel Ronald Campbell, extracts from whose Journal have been given in the preceding pages. He performed duty in India with the 36th regiment; and was appointed Ensign in the SEVENTY-SECOND, by commission dated the 20th of November, 1788. He was attached to the grenadier company during the war with Tippoo Sultan, and signalized himself on several occasions, particularly at the storming of Bangalore, and at the capture of Savendroog; he also distinguished himself at both the engagements near Seringapatam. His Journal, with the plans and drawings, contains a detailed account of the leading events of the war with a description of the country; they show the interest he took in his profession, with a laudable desire to become well informed on military subjects, and they prove him to have been an intelligent, brave, and zealous officer. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in May 1792; and served at the capture of Pondicherry in 1793; also at the reduction of the Dutch settlements in Ceylon in 1795; in October, 1797, he obtained the command of a company. In 1805 he was brigade-major to Brigadier-General Mc Farlane, who commanded a portion of the Western district in Ireland, and was afterwards appointed brigade-major in Jamaica, but resigned his situation on the staff of that island, to command his company (the grenadiers) in the expedition to the Cape of Good Hope, where he had additional opportunities of distinguishing himself, and was appointed Commissary of Prisoners. On the 22nd of November, 1807, he was promoted major in his regiment, which he accompanied, in 1810, with the expedition against the Mauritius, where many valuable stores were captured, and he was nominated prize-agent to the brigade from the Cape of Good Hope. In 1812 he was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-colonel in the army, and appointed deputy adjutant-general to the forces serving on the island of Jamaica. He performed the duties of that situation two years, and fell a victim to the climate, his decease taking place on the first night after his arrival at Portsmouth, on the 14th of December, 1814. He had the reputation of a virtuous, brave, intelligent, humane officer, endowed with a strict sense of honor and distinguished as a polite gentleman and scholar.

[21] Colonel Charles George James Arbuthnot was appointed from the half-pay unattached to the SEVENTY-SECOND regiment on the 25th of September, 1826, and on the 17th on May, 1831, was removed to the ninetieth light infantry; on the 23rd of February, 1838, he exchanged to his former regiment, the SEVENTY-SECOND; and on the 28th of June of that year, he was promoted colonel by brevet. In November, 1841, he was appointed one of the Equerries to Her Majesty, and on the 14th of April, 1843, was removed to the half-pay unattached.

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

OF

THE SEVENTY-SECOND,

OR THE

DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN HIGHLANDERS.

Kenneth, Earl of Seaforth.

Appointed Lieut.-Colonel Commandant 29th Dec. 1777.

Kenneth Mackenzie, grandson of William fifth Earl of Seaforth, who was deprived of his title and estates by act of attainder, for joining the rebellion headed by the Earl of Mar in 1715, adopted a line of conduct more consistent with the best interests of his country, than that pursued by his ancestors, and was a zealous supporter of the house of Hanover. He was created Baron of Ardelve in the county of Wicklow, and Viscount of Fortrose, in Scotland, in 1766, and advanced to the dignity of Earl of Seaforth, in Ireland, in 1771. Grateful for these marks of royal favour, and anxious to promote the well-being of the kingdom, when Great Britain was engaged in war with the United States, and menaced by France, Spain, and Holland, he tendered his services to raise a regiment of Highlanders, now the SEVENTY-SECOND, of which he was appointed lieut.-colonel commandant by commission dated the 29th of December, 1777. His corps was soon fit for active service, and was admired for its warlike appearance. He embarked with it for the East Indies, and died on the passage in August, 1781, when his titles became extinct.

Thomas Frederick Mackenzie Humberston.

Appointed Lieut.-Colonel Commandant, 13th Feb. 1782.

Thomas Frederick Mackenzie Humberston, grandson of Colonel the Honorable Alexander Mackenzie, second son of Kenneth fourth Earl of Seaforth, was appointed Cornet in the first dragoon guards in June, 1771; in 1775 he was promoted to a Lieutenancy, and in 1777 to Captain of a troop in the same corps. He took great interest in the formation of the Highland corps raised by his cousin, the Earl of Seaforth, now the SEVENTY-SECOND, or the Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders, in which regiment he was appointed Captain in January, 1778, and Major in March, 1779. He was quartered with his regiment at Jersey, and took an active share in repulsing the attempt made by a body of French troops to land on that island on the 1st of May, 1779. He afterwards took an active part in the formation of another corps of Highlanders, which was numbered the 100th regiment, of which he was appointed Lieut.-Colonel Commandant on the 5th of August, 1780. Soon after its formation, the 100th regiment was selected to form part of an expedition against the Cape of Good Hope, and its commandant had the local rank of Colonel in the expedition; the naval part of the enterprise was under the direction of Commodore Johnstone. While the fleet was at Praya Bay, in St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verd Islands, it was suddenly attacked by a French squadron; Colonel Humberston happened to be on shore at the time; but so great was his ardour to share in the enterprise, that he swam to one of the ships that was engaged with the enemy, who was repulsed. In the meantime the Dutch garrison at the Cape had been reinforced, the project of attacking that colony was laid aside, and Colonel Humberston proceeded with the land force to Bombay, where he arrived on the 22nd of January, 1782.

In the meantime the Earl of Seaforth had died on the passage, without male issue, and Colonel Humberston purchased his estates, and succeeded him in the command of the regiment, now SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders.

After a short stay at Bombay, Colonel Humberston sailed for Madras, but receiving alarming news on the voyage, of the success of Hyder Ali, he called a council of war, which decided, that a diversion on the Malabar side of Hyder’s dominions would be likely to prove of great advantage to the British interest; he accordingly landed at Calicut on the 18th of February, with a thousand men, and joining Major Abington’s Sepoys, assumed the command of the united force. He took the field, drove Hyder’s troops before him, and captured several forts. The monsoon approaching, he returned to Calicut, and placed the troops in quarters; he afterwards concluded a treaty with the sovereign of Travancore, who reinforced him with twelve hundred men. In September he again advanced—obtained possession of Ramjarree, and approached Palacatcherry, and had the misfortune to lose a portion of his baggage, when an attack was made on his rear. Hyder Ali detached his son Tippoo Saib against Colonel Humberston, with twenty thousand men; this force approached the British division and attacked its rear. After fighting every step of a long march, the colonel arrived at the river Paniané, which appeared impassable, but, after a painful search of two hours, a deep ford was found, and the soldiers passed the river, up to the chin in water, and only lost two black camp followers; they afterwards gained the fort of Paniané. Tippoo expected to find Colonel Humberston’s force an easy prey, and neglected to keep strict watch; he was surprised to find the British had passed the river. He afterwards attempted to carry the lines at Paniané by assault; but was repulsed with severe loss on the 28th of November. He blockaded the fort until he heard of his father’s death, when he withdrew.

Colonel Humherston afterwards joined the troops under Major-General Matthews, and was employed in several operations on the Malabar coast. He subsequently accompanied Colonel Macleod to Bombay, to make some representations to the council, and sailed from thence, on the 5th of April, 1783, in the Ranger, to rejoin the army. Three days afterwards that vessel was attacked by the Mahratta fleet, and after a desperate resistance of five hours, was taken possession of. Every officer on board was either killed or wounded, and among them the gallant Colonel Humberston was shot through the body with a four-pound ball, of which he died at Geriah on the 30th of April, 1783.

James Murray.

Appointed Lieut.-Colonel Commandant, 1st November, 1783, and Colonel in 1786.

James Murray, second son of Lord George Murray, who was lieut.-general of the Pretender’s forces during the rebellion in 1745 and 1746, served many years in the Forty-second Highlanders, in which corps he was appointed Captain on the 20th of July, 1757. He served with his regiment in North America, under General Sir Jeffery (afterwards Lord) Amherst, and after the conquest of Canada in 1760 he returned to Europe, and served under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick in Germany, where he received a musket-ball in the breast, which could never be extracted, and which prevented his being able to lie in a recumbent posture during the remainder of his life. In 1769 he was promoted to captain and lieut.-colonel on the 18th of December, 1777. He took an active part in the formation of the regiment of Highlanders raised by his uncle, John fourth Duke of Athol, which was numbered the 77th regiment, and he was appointed to the colonelcy by commission dated the 25th of December, 1777: in 1782 he was promoted to the rank of major-general. At the peace in 1783, when the Athol Highlanders were disbanded, he was nominated commandant of the Seventy-eighth, now SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders. He was appointed governor of Fort William, in Scotland; was many years a member of parliament for the county of Perth, and was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general in 1793. He died on the 19th of March, 1794. About eight weeks before his death he was stopped by two footpads on Hounslow Heath, when he jumped out of his carriage, drew a dirk, wounded one, and put both to flight.

Adam Williamson.

Appointed 19th March, 1794.

Adam Williamson entered the army in the reign of King George II., and on the 21st of April, 1760, he was promoted captain in the fortieth regiment. He served in North America during the seven years’ war, and in 1770 he was promoted to the majority of the sixty-first foot, with which corps he served at the island of Minorca; on the 9th of December, 1775, he was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of the eighteenth regiment, which corps he commanded many years with credit to himself, and advantage to the service. On the 20th of April, 1790, he was rewarded with the rank of major-general, and in July following with the colonelcy of the forty-seventh regiment, from which he was removed in 1794 to the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders. In January, 1797, he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general; he was also honored with the dignity of Knight of the Order of the Bath, and appointed governor of Jamaica. His death took place on the 21st of October, 1798, and was occasioned by a fall.

James Stuart.

Appointed 23rd October, 1798.

James Stuart commenced his career of brilliant and honorable service, as ensign in the sixty-fourth regiment, in October, 1761; in 1764 he was promoted to a lieutenancy, and in 1768 he accompanied the regiment to North America, where he was advanced to captain of the grenadier company in 1770. He was stationed at Boston when hostilities commenced between Great Britain and the colonies in North America. He shared in the severe duties at Boston during the winter of 1775-6, when that town was blockaded on the land side by the Americans, and subsequently proceeded to Halifax, from whence he sailed with the expedition towards New York, and was employed, under General Sir William Howe, in the reduction of Long Island, in August, 1776, also in the movements by which possession was gained of New York, and the Americans forced from their positions at White Plains, which was followed by the capture of Fort Washington and Fort Lee. In the summer of 1777 he was engaged in operations in the Jerseys, and afterwards in the expedition to Pennsylvania; he was engaged at the battle of Brandywine, and in repulsing the attack of the Americans on the position at Germantown. In the winter he was selected, as an officer of ability and experience, for the commission of major in the regiment of Highlanders, raised by the Earl of Seaforth, now the SEVENTY-SECOND, or Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders, to which he was appointed by commission dated the 18th of December, 1777; but he did not arrive from America until August, 1778. He accompanied his regiment to the East Indies in 1781, with the local rank of lieut.-colonel in that country, and on the 2nd of June, 1782, he was at the action with the forces of Hyder Ali near Arnee, under Lieut.-General Sir Eyre Coote. He commanded his regiment, in which he had been appointed lieut.-colonel in February, 1782, under Major-General Stuart, in the action near Cudalore, on the 13th of June, 1783, and was commended in the general’s public despatch, and in orders. He served at the siege of Cudalore; and subsequently penetrated into the Mysore under Colonel Fullerton, and was at the capture of the fortresses of Palacatcherry and Coimbetore. In 1788 he commanded a detachment sent against the refractory Rajah of the little Murwar country, when he engaged his opponents at Kallengoody, and captured Caliacoil, the capital. When Tippoo Sultan attacked the Rajah of Travancore, a British ally, Lieut.-Colonel Stuart commanded the left wing of the army assembled on Trichinopoly plain under Major-General Medows, and penetrated the Mysore. After the capture of Caroor, Daraporum, and Coimbetore, he was detached on the 23rd of July, 1790, against Palacatcherry, but his progress was impeded by heavy rains and mountain torrents, and his force was too weak for the reduction of the fortress; he therefore returned to Coimbetore. He was again detached, on the 2nd of August, against the fortress of Dindigal, which he took after a short siege. He afterwards traversed the country to Palacatcherry, which he besieged, and, when a practicable breach was made in the works, the garrison surrendered. He subsequently rejoined the army with his detachment, and was commended in general orders; and he took part in the operations of the campaign, evincing great personal bravery and ability on all occasions.

Lieut.-Colonel Stuart commanded the right wing of the army under General Charles Earl Cornwallis, K.G., during the campaign of 1791; and after the capture of Bangalore the commander-in-chief expressed in orders his “most grateful remembrance of the valuable and steady support afforded him by Lieut.-Colonel Stuart.” The lieut.-colonel also evinced personal gallantry and judgment at the battle near Seringapatam on the 15th of May, 1791, and in the other operations of this arduous campaign, including the retreat to Bangalore. On the 9th of December he was detached against Savendroog, which he captured by storm on the 21st of that month; and three days afterwards he took the fortress of Outra-Durgum by a coup de main, for both of which services he was highly commended in general orders. He commanded the centre division, under Earl Cornwallis, at the attack of the fortified lines at Seringapatam on the 6th of February, 1792, when he again distinguished himself, and also in the subsequent operations until the power of Tippoo was subdued, and he solicited terms of peace. On the 8th of August, 1792, he was honored with the appointment of aide-de-camp to the King, with the rank of colonel; and in February, 1795, he was promoted to the rank of Major-General. He commanded the expedition against the Dutch Settlements in the island of Ceylon, captured Trincomalee after a short siege, took the forts and island of Manaar, and completed the conquest of the Dutch colony at Ceylon by the reduction of Colombo in February, 1796. On the 3rd of May following he was promoted to the local rank of lieut.-general in the East Indies, and appointed commander-in-chief of the army under the Bombay presidency. On the 2nd of March, 1797, he was appointed colonel of the eighty-second regiment, and in 1798 he was removed to the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders.

When Tippoo Sultan sought union with the republican government of France, for the purpose of waging war against the British power in India, Lieut.-General Stuart commanded the forces from Bombay, which co-operated from Malabar, in the invasion of the Mysore. Having passed the eastern frontier, he was met by Tippoo at the head of a numerous force, and he repulsed the attack of the Mysorean army at Seedasere on the 6th of March, 1799. He afterwards advanced to Seringapatam, where he arrived in the early part of May, and took part in the siege of that fortress, which was captured by storm on the 4th of May, 1799, when Tippoo Sultan was killed, which terminated the war.

On the 24th of February, 1801, Lieut.-General Stuart was appointed commander-in-chief of the forces on the coast of Coromandel; in 1802 he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general; and in 1805 he returned to England. He was advanced to the rank of general in 1812. The decease of the excellent and highly respected officer occurred in 1815, after a distinguished service of fifty-four years.

Rowland Lord Hill, G.C.B.

Appointed 26th April, 1815.

Removed to the fifty-third foot in 1817, and to the Royal Horse Guards in 1830.

Sir George Murray, G.C.B., G.C.H.

Appointed 24th February, 1817.

Removed to the forty-second, the Royal Highland regiment, in 1823.

Sir John Hope, G.C.H.

Appointed 6th September, 1823.

John Hope entered the Dutch service, as a cadet, in one of the Scots regiments (Houston’s) in the service of the United Provinces, in 1778, and served at Bergen-op-zoom and Maestricht, going through the subordinate ranks of corporal and serjeant. In 1779 he was appointed ensign, and in 1782 he was promoted captain of a company; but, being called upon to renounce his allegiance to the British monarch, he quitted the Dutch service, and in 1787 he was appointed captain in the sixtieth foot, but his company was soon afterwards reduced. On the 30th of June, 1788, he was appointed captain in the thirteenth light dragoons, and in 1792 he was nominated aide-de-camp to Lieut.-General Sir William Erskine, in which capacity he served the campaigns of 1793 and 1794, in Holland, and returned to England in 1795, when he was promoted to the majority of the twenty-eighth light dragoons, and in 1796 to the lieut.-colonelcy of the same corps, with which he embarked for the Cape of Good Hope in the same year. He served at the Cape until 1799, when his regiment was incorporated in other corps, and he returned to England. In April, 1799, he was appointed to the thirty-seventh foot, which corps he joined in 1800, in the West Indies, where he remained until 1804, when he returned to England, and exchanged to the sixtieth regiment. In 1805 he was nominated assistant adjutant-general in Scotland, and in 1807 he served as deputy adjutant-general to the expedition to Copenhagen, under Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart. He was appointed brigadier-general on the staff of North Britain in 1808, and subsequently deputy adjutant-general in that part of the United Kingdom. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1810, and appointed to the staff of the Severn district, from whence he was removed to the staff of the Peninsula in 1812, and served with the army under the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Salamanca, for which he received a medal. He subsequently served on the staff of Ireland and North Britain until 1819, when he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general. He was honored with the dignity of Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order. In 1820 he was appointed colonel of the ninety-second regiment, from which he was removed, in 1823, to the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders. He died in August 1836.

Sir Colin Campbell, K.C.B.

Appointed 15th August, 1836.

This officer commenced his military career, as an ensign in the First West India regiment, his commission being dated 3rd of October, 1799. On the 21st of August, 1801, he was promoted lieutenant in the thirty-fifth regiment, and on the 12th of February, 1802, he exchanged into the seventy-eighth regiment, from which he was promoted to a company in the seventy-fifth foot on the 9th of January, 1805. He obtained the brevet rank of Major on the 2nd of September, 1808, and was promoted to the rank of major in the seventieth regiment on the 15th of December following; he was promoted to the brevet rank of lieut.-colonel in May, 1810, which was subsequently ante-dated to the 15th of December, 1808. On the 13th of August, 1812, he exchanged to the sixty-third regiment; on the 4th of June, 1814, was promoted to the rank of colonel, and on the 25th of July, 1814, was appointed lieut.-colonel in the Coldstream regiment of foot guards. He served during the Peninsular war, and was for a considerable time upon the staff of the army under the Duke of Wellington. The Prince Regent appointed him a Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath on the 2nd of January, 1815, and he also received a cross and six clasps for Talavera, Busaco, Fuentes d’Onor, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, and Toulouse. Sir Colin Campbell also greatly distinguished himself in the field at the ever memorable Battle of Waterloo. He was advanced to the rank of major-general on the 27th of May, 1825, and in March, 1828, was appointed Lieut.-Governor of Portsmouth;—on the 15th of August, 1834, His Majesty King William IV. conferred upon him the colonelcy of the ninety-ninth regiment, from which he was removed to the SEVENTY-SECOND Highlanders on the 15th of August, 1836. On the 28th of June, 1838, he obtained the rank of lieut.-general, and Her Majesty, in July, 1839, was graciously pleased to appoint Sir Colin Campbell to serve upon the staff of the army in Nova Scotia and its dependencies; in November, 1840, he was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Ceylon, from which island he had returned but a short period, when, after an illness of only two days, he expired at his residence in King Street, St. James’s, on Sunday the 13th of June, 1847.

Lieut.-General Sir Neil Douglas, K.C.B. and K.C.H.

Appointed from the Eighty-first regiment on the 12th of July, 1847.

London: Printed by William Clowes and Sons, Stamford Street.
For Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added, when a predominant preference was found in the original book.

Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.

Pg xxviii: Inserted —— and — for the date and page number, in the entry ‘Proceeded to Algoa Bay ...’.
Pg 34: Missing Sidenote ‘1797’ inserted at the start of the paragraph ‘As the island ...’.
Pg 57: Missing Sidenote ‘1841’ inserted at the start of the paragraph ‘In July, 1841, the ...’.
Pg 68: ‘which he besiged’ replaced by ‘which he besieged’.

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Table of Contents

- SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT, OR, THE DUKE OF ALBANY’S OWN HIGHLANDERS;

- CONTENTS OF HISTORICAL RECORD.

- SUCCESSION OF LIEUTENANT-COLONELS COMMANDANT AND COLONELS.

- PLATES.

- INTRODUCTION

- GENERAL ORDERS.

- PREFACE.

- INTRODUCTION TO THE INFANTRY.

- FOOTNOTES:

- HISTORICAL RECORD

- FOOTNOTES:

- SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

- THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE