Part 10

Hotham's, } Sybourg's, } at Alicant 1200 Blossett's, } One Battalion Marines, }

Eliott's, } at Gibraltar 800 Watkin's, } Detachments at Denia 200 ---- Total 3702

[28] State of Europe, for June, 1708.

[29] Journal of the War in Spain, by a Chaplain of the army.

[30] See Lieut.-General Carpenter's letter, published in the Daily Courant of the 16th of September, 1710.

[31] Tradition has connected the badge of the ANTELOPE, borne on the colours of the regiment, with its services in Spain; and as the SIXTH captured several colours at SARAGOSSA, which colours were taken to England by their Colonel, THOMAS HARRISON, and presented to Queen Anne, it is not improbable but that an ANTELOPE was on one of the captured colours, and that Colonel HARRISON obtained her Majesty's permission for his regiment to bear the badge of an ANTELOPE in commemoration of the event. No documentary evidence has, however, been met with to substantiate the tradition.

[32] The Complete History of Europe, vol. 22, pages 111 and 152.

[33] Martial Recorder.

[34] The following return of the strength of the King's forces at Preston-pans was published in Douglas' History of the Rebellion:

Gardiner's (13th) and Hamilton's (14th) dragoons 567 2 Companies of Guise's (6th) and 8 of Lascelles'(47th) foot 570 5 Companies of Lee's (44th) 291 Murray's (46th) regiment 580 Highlanders 183 ---- Total 2191

[35] In the account of this battle, published by the rebels, it is stated that four companies of the regiment were present.

[36] Tradition affirms that the SIXTH formerly bore the Motto of "VI _et_ ARMIS," and on no occasion did the regiment more vigorously support its claim to bear it than at the Heights of Echalar. A pack, bearing that Motto under the Antelope, was preserved by the regiment so late as the year 1825.

[37] Now Major-General Sir John Gardiner, K.C.B., Deputy Adjutant-General of the Forces.

[38] The SIXTH foot, previous to their being styled "ROYAL," bore on their colours and appointments many "ROYAL" marks of favour, viz. "The Rose and Crown"--"The King's Crest"--"_Nec aspera terrent_"--"The Antelope within the Garter," and motto "_Honi soit qui mal y pense_." See page 68.

[39] On the 15th of June, 1837, authority was given for the badge of the "ANTELOPE" being resumed on the coats of the drummers of the SIXTH OR ROYAL FIRST WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT.

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

OF THE

SIXTH REGIMENT OF FOOT.

SIR WALTER VANE,

_Appointed 12th December, 1673_.

SIR WALTER VANE, fifth son of the celebrated Sir Henry Vane, secretary to King Charles I., served in the royal cause during the rebellion. He afterwards distinguished himself on the continent, and having acquired the character of a brave and meritorious officer, was advanced to the rank of marshal of the field in the Spanish service. On the decease of Colonel Robert Sidney, in 1668, King Charles II. conferred the colonelcy of the Holland regiment (now third foot, or the buffs) on Sir Walter Vane; who, in the winter of 1673-4, was promoted to the rank of major-general in the English army, and appointed commandant of the British troops in the pay of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, and colonel of one of the English regiments (now SIXTH foot) ordered to be raised for the service of the States-General. He joined the army in the field, commanded by the Prince of Orange, and signalized himself on the 1st of August, 1674, at the battle of Seneffe, where he was mortally wounded. He was interred in the great church at the Hague, and a mural monument was erected in the cloister of the said church, with the following inscription:--

Hic juxta reponuntur exuviae WALTERI VANE, militis, filii quinti; Henrici Vane militis, Carolo Primo Magnae Britanniae Regi A sacris conciliis et secretarii Principal. Qui a serenissimo principe Auriaco Campo præfectus, media inter agmina, forti manu, sed fortiori animo in Prælio Seneffensi Hostium impetum et rabiem repellens, Cæco sed inexpugnabili marte percussus, Montii oppido quod est Hannoniæ Anno Dom. CIƆ.IƆC.LXXIIII Ætatis suæ LV. III Nonas Augusti Invictam ver vulnera reddidit Animam Deo[40].

TRANSLATION.

Close to this spot are deposited the remains of WALTER VANE, a soldier, Fifth son of Henry Vane soldier, Privy Councillor and chief secretary to Charles the first, King of Great Britain. He was made marshal of the field, by his serene highness Auriacus.

And while repelling, in the midst of his troops, with a brave hand, but with a braver soul, a furious attack of the enemy, at the battle of Seneffe, was struck with a blind, but inevitable blow, and in the town of Montium, which is a town of Hannonia,

In the year of our Lord 1674 In the 55th year of his own age On the 3rd day of August, He gave up his soul, unconquered by his wounds, To God.

LUKE LILLINGSTON,

_Appointed in 1674_.

This officer commanded a company in one of the regiments raised by King Charles II, in 1672; after the peace of London his regiment was disbanded, when he proceeded to Holland with a number of men of his company, and entered the Dutch service. He served at the siege of Grave, and during the following winter he was appointed colonel of one of the English regiments raised on that occasion, now the SIXTH foot; but his decease occurred before he attained any higher rank.

THOMAS ASHLEY,

_Appointed 13th September, 1675_.

THOMAS ASHLEY held a commission in the English army previous to the treaty of London in 1674; when his regiment was disbanded, and he entered the Dutch service. He served under the Prince of Orange (afterwards William III.), and towards the end of the campaign of 1675 he was promoted to the colonelcy of a regiment, now the SIXTH foot. He distinguished himself at the siege of Maestricht in 1676, and was at the disastrous battle of Mont-Cassel in the following year.

SIR HENRY BELLASIS, KNIGHT[41],

_Appointed 3rd April, 1678_.

SIR HENRY BELLASIS was educated in strict principles of loyalty and attachment to monarchical government, and though but a youth at the time, he suffered in the royal cause during the usurpations of Cromwell. Soon after the restoration he was appointed captain of an independent company of one hundred men, in garrison at Hull, of which fortress the Lord Bellasis (or Belasyse) was appointed governor; who resigned, in 1673, in consequence of the Test-act, he being a Roman Catholic. In the summer of 1674 Sir Henry Bellasis raised a company of musketeers and pikemen for the service of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, and was engaged at the siege of Grave in the autumn of that year. He also served at the siege of Maestricht in 1676; at the battle of Mont-Cassel in 1677; and in the following spring he succeeded Colonel Ashley in the command of the regiment which is now the SIXTH foot. At the battle of St. Denis, in 1678, he evinced signal valour and ability, vying in feats of gallantry with his commanders the Prince of Orange and the celebrated Earl of Ossory, and was wounded. During the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, in 1685, he accompanied his regiment to England; and in 1687 circumstances occurred which occasioned him to withdraw from the Dutch service; but he preserved his attachment to the protestant interest and to the Prince of Orange. In 1689 he succeeded the Duke of Norfolk in the colonelcy of a newly-raised regiment (now twenty-second foot), with which corps he served in Ireland under the veteran Duke Schomberg. He served as brigadier-general under King William in 1690; was at the battle of the Boyne; and at the siege of Limerick, where he again distinguished himself. In 1691 he acquired new honours at the siege of Athlone; he also displayed bravery and judgment at the battle of Aghrim; and on the reduction of Galway he was appointed governor of that fortress, and took possession of the town on the 26th of July, with his own and two other regiments of foot. The rank of major-general was conferred on this distinguished officer in April, 1692, and he commanded a brigade under King William in Flanders, in the autumn of that year. He acquired additional reputation at the battle of Landen, in 1693; also in the command of a brigade under King William during the following campaign; and in October, 1694, his Majesty rewarded him with the rank of lieutenant-general. His meritorious conduct procured him the favour and confidence of his sovereign, by whom he was employed on important services. He commanded the camp on the Bruges canal in May, 1695; and a division of the covering army was placed under his orders during the siege of Namur. At the close of the campaign he was appointed president of the general court-martial which tried the officers who surrendered Dixmude and Deinse to the enemy, and sentenced Major-General Ellemberg to be shot. He continued to serve in the Netherlands until the peace of Ryswick. In 1701 he obtained the colonelcy of the Queen Dowager's regiment (now second foot) in exchange with Colonel Selwyn. In 1702 he was second in command of the British troops in the expedition to Cadiz; and having been charged with participating in the plunder of Port St. Mary, he was tried by a court-martial and dismissed the service. His reputation was thus unfortunately tarnished; but his crime does not appear to have been considered of a heinous nature, as he was subsequently elected a member of parliament for the city of Durham; was appointed by Queen Anne, in 1711, one of the commissioners to inquire into several particulars respecting the accounts of the army in Spain; and in June, 1713, he was appointed governor of Berwick. He died on the 14th of December, 1717.

WILLIAM BABINGTON,

_Appointed 28th September, 1689_.

This officer served with distinction under the Prince of Orange in the Netherlands; he was rewarded with the lieut.-colonelcy of Sir Henry Bellasis' regiment (now SIXTH foot), and in September, 1689, he was promoted to the colonelcy. He commanded the regiment in Ireland; but retired in 1691, and his decease appears to have occurred before he attained any higher rank than that of colonel.

GEORGE PRINCE OF HESSE D'ARMSTADT,

_Appointed 15th April, 1691_.

GEORGE PRINCE OF HESSE D'ARMSTADT descended from an ancient and illustrious family in Germany, and was brother of the reigning landgrave of that name. Having entered the service of the emperor of Germany, he gave early proofs of innate valour in 1685, in the war with the Turks; he also signalized himself in the three succeeding campaigns,--particularly at the famous siege of Negropont; and in 1689 he served against the French with the army on the Rhine, and was wounded at the siege of Bonn, and also at the siege of Mentz. In the following year he visited England, and attending King William during the campaign in Ireland, he was wounded on the evening preceding the battle of the Boyne, by the cannon-ball which grazed his Majesty's shoulder. In April, 1691, the King rewarded him with the colonelcy of the SIXTH foot, and the appointment of brigadier-general on the staff of the army in Ireland, where he highly distinguished himself at the head of the grenadiers at the storming of Athlone; and led his regiment to the charge with surprising intrepidity at the battle of Aghrim, and was wounded. He also added to his rising reputation by his conduct during the siege of Limerick. King William was anxious to reward such distinguished merit, but the Prince, being a Roman Catholic, was not eligible for promotion in the British army: his Majesty, therefore, procured him an appointment in the Spanish service; and having signalized his valour, zeal for the confederate cause, and ability to command, during the siege of Barcelona, in 1697, the King of Spain constituted him viceroy of Catalonia.

The Prince quitted Spain on the accession of the Duke of Anjou, in 1701, to the throne of that kingdom, and proceeding to England, was consulted by King William respecting the best mode of recovering that monarchy from the power of the house of Bourbon. He accompanied the expedition commanded by the Duke of Ormond, to Cadiz, in 1702, in the capacity of plenipotentiary from the emperor of Germany; and he was subsequently employed on a mission to the court of Portugal. He had the honour of taking a distinguished part in the capture of Gibraltar in 1704; and the valour, skill, indefatigable industry, and unshaken resolution, with which he afterwards defended that fortress, were commended by the historians of that period. He accompanied the Archduke Charles of Austria in the expedition against Barcelona in 1705, and was killed at the head of the storming party at the capture of Fort Montjuich on the 13th August, 1705.

HENRY MARQUIS DE RADA,

_Appointed 1st February, 1694_.

This nobleman was the son of the Marquis de Montpouillan; he served at the head of the SIXTH foot, under King William, in the Netherlands, and died of a fever at Bruges, in the beginning of the campaign of 1695.

VENTRIS COLUMBINE,

_Appointed 23rd June, 1695_.

VENTRIS COLUMBINE served with reputation under the Prince of Orange in the Netherlands, and was promoted to the commission of major in the regiment which is now the SIXTH foot. He accompanied the Prince in the expedition to England in 1688, but the transport in which he was embarked was captured by the British ship, the Swallow. He was rewarded with the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment in 1689; served under King William in Ireland, in 1690; and, in 1691, was wounded at the storming of Athlone. He subsequently exchanged to the foot guards; served under King William in the Netherlands, and while engaged in the memorable siege of the strong fortress of Namur he was promoted to the colonelcy of the regiment in which he had formerly served with honour to himself and advantage to his Majesty's interest. He served at the head of his regiment in 1702, in the expedition to Cadiz, and was engaged in storming the forts at Vigo; but his decease occurred before he was promoted to a higher command.

JAMES RIVERS,

_Appointed 2nd November, 1703_.

JAMES RIVERS had the honour of serving under King William in Ireland and the Netherlands, and his meritorious conduct was rewarded with the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment which now ranks as SIXTH foot, with which corps he served in the expedition to Cadiz, and at the storming of the forts at Vigo. In 1703 Queen Anne promoted him to the colonelcy of the regiment; but he only enjoyed that honourable command two years, and died in the winter of 1705-6.

WILLIAM SOUTHWELL,

_Appointed 6th February, 1706_.

This officer entered the army previous to the Revolution in 1688, and rose to the rank of major in the regiment which is now the SIXTH foot. He served in the expedition to Cadiz and at the storming of the forts at Vigo, in 1702; and was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy in 1703. He commanded the regiment in the expedition under the Earl of Peterborough, in 1705; and his distinguished conduct at the siege of Barcelona (as narrated in the record of the SIXTH foot) was rewarded with the colonelcy of the regiment. He afterwards served in Catalonia and Valencia; but retired in 1708. In 1714 he was appointed commandant of the company of foot-guards armed with battle-axes, and instituted for the guard of the lord-lieutenant of Ireland.

THOMAS HARRISON,

_Appointed 14th June, 1708_.

THOMAS HARRISON served under King William in the Netherlands, and, during the war of the Spanish succession, he was adjutant-general to the British forces in Spain. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in the army on the 6th of February, 1706, and was rewarded with the colonelcy of the SIXTH foot in June, 1708. He was sent to England with the news of the victory at Saragossa in 1710; and after the peace of Utrecht he was employed on the staff of the army in South Britain.

ROBERT DORMER,

_Appointed 7th March, 1716_.

After serving many years in the life-guards, and rising to the rank of lieut.-colonel of the first troop (now first regiment), Robert Dormer was promoted by King George I. to the colonelcy of the SIXTH regiment of foot, which he retained four years.

JAMES DORMER,

_Appointed 9th April, 1720_.

JAMES DORMER entered the army in 1701, and while serving under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough was promoted to the rank of colonel in the army in 1707, and to that of brigadier-general in 1711. After the decease of Lord Mohun, who was killed in a duel with the Duke of Hamilton, Brigadier-General Dormer was appointed colonel of his Lordship's regiment of foot. This corps was, however, disbanded at the peace of Utrecht; and in 1715 he was commissioned by King George I. to raise, form, and discipline a regiment of dragoons (now the fourteenth light dragoons); from which he was removed, in 1720, to the SIXTH foot. In 1727 he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and in 1735 to that of lieut.-general. In 1738 he was removed to the first troop of horse grenadier guards, the command of which troop he retained until his decease in 1742.

JOHN GUISE,

_Appointed 1st November, 1738_.

JOHN GUISE obtained a practical knowledge of the profession of arms in the wars of Queen Anne; he served many years in the first foot guards, and was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of that regiment in 1736. In 1738 King George II. rewarded him with the colonelcy of the SIXTH foot. In 1739 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, in 1742 to that of major-general, in 1745 to that of lieut.-general, and in 1762 to that of general. He held the appointment of governor of Berwick several years; and died in June, 1765.

WILLIAM RUFANE,

_Appointed 14th June, 1765_.

WILLIAM RUFANE entered the army in 1721, and served many years in the twenty-fourth regiment of foot, of which corps he was appointed major in 1741, and lieut.-colonel in 1751. On the 16th of January, 1761, he was appointed colonel of the seventy-sixth foot, then newly raised; and he served under Lieut.-General Hodgson, at the capture of Belle Isle, and highly distinguished himself. He also served in the West Indies, and was promoted to the rank of major-general on the 10th of July, 1762. In 1763 his regiment was disbanded; and in 1765 King George III. gave him the colonelcy of the SIXTH foot. He was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general in May, 1772, and died in February following.

JOHN GORE,

_Appointed 19th February, 1773_.

The early services of this officer were in the third regiment of Foot Guards, in which corps he was appointed captain and lieut.-colonel in 1750, first major in 1760, and lieut.-colonel in 1761. In 1762 he was promoted to the rank of major-general; in 1768 he obtained the colonelcy of the sixty-first regiment; in 1772 he was advanced to the rank of lieut.-general, and in February of the following year he was removed to the colonelcy of the SIXTH Foot. He died in November, 1773.

SIR WILLIAM BOOTHBY, BARONET,

_Appointed 18th November, 1773_.

Having entered the army in the reign of King George II., Sir William Boothby served with reputation several years, and was promoted on the 19th of March, 1750, to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the thirtieth foot. In 1760 he succeeded General Watson in the colonelcy of the sixty-third regiment, was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1762, was removed to the fiftieth regiment in 1764, and to the SIXTH Foot in 1773; the command of which corps he retained until his decease on the 15th of April, 1787.

LANCELOT BAUGH,

_Appointed 18th April, 1787_.

This officer served many years in the first foot guards, in which regiment he was appointed lieutenant and captain in 1747, and captain and lieut.-colonel in 1758. In 1771 he was promoted to the rank of colonel, in 1777 to that of major-general, and in 1779 to that of lieut.-general. The colonelcy of the SIXTH Foot was conferred by King George III. on Lieut.-General Baugh in 1787; and he retained this appointment until his decease in April, 1792.

SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY, K.B.,

_Appointed 26th April, 1792_.

This distinguished officer commenced his military career as cornet in the third dragoon guards in 1756; in 1762 he was appointed captain in the third horse (now sixth dragoon guards), and was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of the regiment in 1773. Under his vigilant care and attention to all the duties of commanding officer, his regiment became distinguished as an efficient cavalry corps; and he was rewarded with the rank of colonel in the army in 1780; in the following year he was appointed colonel of the 103d regiment, or King's Irish infantry, which corps was disbanded at the peace in 1783. In 1787 he was promoted to the rank of major-general; and in September, 1790, he was appointed colonel of the sixty-ninth regiment, from which he was removed in 1792 to the SIXTH foot.

On the breaking out of the war with France in 1793, he was promoted to the local rank of lieut.-general on the continent, and he held a command under the Duke of York, in Flanders. In this service he highly signalized himself, and his conduct was spoken of in the warmest terms of commendation in his Royal Highness's despatches; particularly his gallantry at the battle of Cateau on the 26th of April, 1794, and in the general attack made on the French posts on the 11th of May following. He also took an active and distinguished part in conducting the unfortunate retreat through Holland, and was wounded before Nimeguen on the 27th of October, 1794.

Shortly after his return to England he was sent with an expedition to the West Indies, to complete the deliverance of the French West India islands from the power of the republican government, and to reduce to obedience the insurgents in the islands of St. Vincent and Grenada. In this service he had distinguished success: he took Grenada--obtained possession of the settlements of Demarara and Essequibo--completed the capture of St. Lucia and St. Vincent--and afterwards reduced the Spanish colony in the island of Trinidad, and placed it under the dominion of the British crown. In the mean time he had been appointed to the colonelcy of the Princess Royal's dragoon guards, and created a Knight of the Bath; and in November, 1796, he was removed to the command of the Scots Greys. His distinguished merit was also rewarded with the appointment of lieut.-governor of the Isle of Wight, and the government of Forts George and Augustus.

In 1799 he was selected to command the first division of the Anglo-Russian army destined to attempt the deliverance of Holland from the power of France; and in effecting a landing on the 27th of August,--in repulsing the troops assembled to oppose him,--and in gaining possession of the forts of the Helder, which was followed by the surrender of the Dutch fleet, he evinced the abilities of a consummate general and the valour of a hero. He was also successful in the action of the Zyp on the 10th of September. After the arrival of the Duke of York he commanded a division under His Royal Highness with reputation; and in the accounts of the engagements which followed, his conduct was mentioned in terms of the highest praise.