GENERAL ORDER.
'Head Quarters,
'Quebec, 2nd September, 1832.
'On the 21st of May last, a detachment of the Fifteenth regiment, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh, having under his orders Captain Temple of the same regiment, was called out by the magistrates of Montreal, for the purpose of aiding the civil power in the suppression of a riot in that city, by which the lives and property of the inhabitants were endangered; and the magistrates having failed in their efforts to restore order by other means, the troops were required to make use of their arms, on which occasion three individuals were unfortunately killed, and others wounded.
'The loss of life caused by the fire of the troops is an event deeply to be deplored, and the Commander of the Forces is persuaded that throughout the colony there are not to be found any individuals who more sincerely and more sensibly lament that event than Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh, Captain Temple, and those very soldiers whose painful duty it was to make use of their arms on the 21st of May. It is, however, consoling to reflect that the riot was suppressed without a further sacrifice of human life, which there was every reason to apprehend; and perhaps very many of the peaceable inhabitants of the city of Montreal are at this moment indebted for the preservation of their lives and property, to the timely interference of the troops acting under the direction of the magistrates.
'Although the Commander of the Forces was disposed to place the greatest reliance on the discretion and judgment of Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh, and upon the steadiness and discipline of the regiment under his command, his Lordship, nevertheless, considered it to be incumbent upon him to suspend the judgment in regard to the events of the 21st of May, until the whole of the circumstances connected with those events should have undergone the fullest investigation before the proper tribunals of the country, whose duty it is to take cognizance of criminal offences.
'This duty has now been performed, and Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh, Captain Temple, and the troops under their command, in suppressing the riot at Montreal on the 21st of May last, having been absolved from all blame, the Commander of the Forces hastens to embrace the opportunity thus afforded him, to convey to Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh, Captain Temple, and the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Fifteenth regiment, employed in the suppression of a riot at Montreal on the 21st of May last, his approbation of the judgment, steadiness, and discipline, displayed by them in their respective stations on that occasion.'
An address was likewise presented to Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh and Captain Temple, by the citizens of Montreal, from which the following extracts are made:—
'Gentlemen—We, the subscribers, citizens of Montreal, feel it a duty that we owe to you, to express our thanks for your conduct and that of the troops under your command, on the occasion of your being called upon to restore and preserve the public peace, so unhappily broken, at the close of the poll for the election of a member for the west ward of this city on the 21st of May last.
'So strong was our conviction of the importance of the services rendered by you and the magistrates on that occasion, that our desire was to have expressed our testimony of them immediately upon their occurrence; but considerations arising from the interposition of judicial authority prompted us to defer it.
'These considerations having now been removed in a manner the most satisfactory to you and to ourselves, we beg most respectfully to convey to you this expression of the obligation we feel we are under to you for the safety, that we then, and have since, enjoyed in our persons and property through your means; for that it is to the military, and to the magistrates, that we owe our preservation, has been manifestly brought to light before the grand jury, by their finding and presentments lately returned into the Court of King's Bench.
'We have only further to express a regret that the performance of a necessary but painful duty, should have subjected any one of you to unpleasant and unmerited restraint.'
The following letter from the Military Secretary of the General Commanding in Chief, addressed to Lieut.-General Lord Aylmer, K.C.B., Commander of the Forces in Canada, was published in the General Orders of the Colony:—
'Horse Guards, Oct. 23rd, 1832.
'My Lord,
'I have had the honor to receive and submit to the General Commanding in Chief, your Lordship's despatches of the 30th July and 7th September last, conveying, for Lord Hill's information, reports of what had taken place in consequence of a detachment of the Fifteenth Regiment of Foot, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh and Captain Temple, called out in aid of the civil power at Montreal on the 21st of May last, having been compelled to resort to the use of their arms, by which, unfortunately, three persons were killed, and several wounded. The General Commanding in Chief, equally with your Lordship, laments the loss of life upon the occasion adverted to; but, in justice to Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh and Captain Temple, feels bound to say, after an attentive perusal of all the papers bearing upon the case, that he knows no instance in which troops have been employed in the suppression of riots, where greater judgment, discretion, or humanity, has been displayed; and if these officers have since been annoyed by accusations of murder, and by every proceeding which could tend to keep alive anxiety, they have at least the consolation of feeling that they have discharged a painful but imperative duty, with temper and moderation, and that by so doing they put an end to disorders, which would probably have led to consequences most disastrous to the city of Montreal.
(Signed) 'Fitzroy Somerset.'
In the month of June of this year, the colony was visited by that afflicting scourge, the Asiatic cholera. One of the very first individuals attacked was a sentry on the regimental guard; he was relieved from his post, complaining of the usual symptoms, and despite the most prompt attention, he expired in a few hours. From this time the utmost consternation prevailed in the city, the disease making rapid progress: the deaths were one in ten of the whole population, without distinction of age or rank. Several men were hourly admitted into hospital, where death very shortly ended their sufferings. The hospital serjeant and all the orderlies (several of whom had volunteered to assist their unfortunate comrades) fell sacrifices to their zeal, when the disease was on the decline. One man only, who was in the worst stage of the disease, finally survived. It is worthy of remark that none of the officers were in the least affected, although their duties exposed them constantly, by day and night, to an infected atmosphere.
In order to give increased ventilation in the barracks, as well as to relieve the attention of the soldiers, a large detachment, chiefly of married men, was sent to La Prairie to occupy an old cavalry barrack there; but this step proved fatal to many of them. It was shortly after determined to remove the whole regiment to the Island of St. Helen's, opposite to the city, where the men were encamped. Thirty-seven men died of this scourge between the 12th and 24th of June, 1832, but not a single case occurred after the regiment was placed under canvass. Lieut.-Colonel Macintosh proceeded to England, and did not again rejoin the regiment, having exchanged to half-pay with Lieut.-Colonel G. W. Horton.
The regiment was moved to Kingston, Upper Canada, in the spring of this year, where it had been stationed on first arriving in the colony, detaching one company to Brockville in aid of the civil power, and a company to Cornwall, where some public works were in course of construction.
The Fifteenth moved this year to Toronto, the seat of Government in Upper Canada, detaching one company to Fort George and another to Amherstburg, frontier posts; and a subaltern's party proceeded to Penetanquishene, the most advanced military post on Lake Huron. The Canadas were again visited this year by the Asiatic cholera; the regiment, however, did not suffer in the least.
Lieut.-Colonel G. W. Horton, from the half-pay, vice Macintosh, assumed the command of the regiment.
During the year 1836 the detachments at Fort George and Amherstburg, were relieved by companies from head quarters.
In the year 1837 all the detachments were withdrawn, and the regiment moved to Quebec, in expectation of returning to England: the unsettled state of the Canadas, however, called for an increased force, and the regiment remained in that garrison during the autumn and winter of 1837.
The importance of the citadel at a time when a rebellion had actually broken out, and the population of the place hostile to the government, caused the duty of the garrison to bear heavily upon the regiment, which, with two companies of the sixty-sixth regiment, two companies of artillery, and a battalion of volunteer militia, raised on the emergency, formed the whole force for the protection of this important place.
On the 9th May, several ships of war were announced by telegraph; and they shortly after anchored opposite the citadel, having on board the Governor-General, the Earl of Durham, and suite, and a brigade of guards, consisting of upwards of 1600 men, under Major-General Sir James Macdonnell.
The regiment immediately vacated its quarters and proceeded to Chambly, on the river Richelieu, an important post, as being situated in the centre of a populous and disaffected country.
Two drafts consisting of 226 men joined from the depôt companies, nearly 100 of them volunteers from the nineteenth regiment. New accoutrements were supplied, and all unserviceable arms were likewise replaced.
Lieut.-Colonel Horton resigned the command of the regiment, and proceeded to England in the month of June, at which time two troops of the seventh hussars were added to the garrison of Chambly.
Lieut.-Colonel Lord Charles Wellesley, who exchanged from half-pay with Lieut.-Colonel Horton, arrived in Canada, and assumed the command of the regiment in October, 1838.
On the 18th of October the head-quarter division of the first (or King's) dragoon guards, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel the Honorable George Cathcart, replaced the squadron of the seventh hussars. About midnight, a fire was discovered in the centre of the officers' quarters, which consisted of a long range of buildings of one story only, but being very old, and entirely of wood, they were consumed in less than half an hour. The regiment had to deplore the loss of the two senior Ensigns (Walter Carey and William Dering Adair Roe), the fire having originated in the particular porch in which their quarters were situated. Ensign Carey had got clear of all danger, but incautiously attempted to secure a favourite object of value, when he sank in the midst of the burning mass. Ensign Roe was rescued from the flames, apparently not much burnt; he walked nearly half a mile to the hospital without assistance, but died in the course of the day, mortification having rapidly taken place: the unfortunate sufferers were committed to the same tomb, and a tablet was erected to their memory in the parish church, by their brother officers, as a mark of their regard, and of deep regret at their untimely fate. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained.
Although the revolt of 1837 had been put down, another attempt to wrest the colony from the control of the Supreme Government was known to be in agitation; and, as the line of the Richelieu was the most disaffected, several parties of the military forces were employed in searching for arms, and apprehending suspected persons. About mid-day of the 8th November, an unexpected order was received to move the chief part of the regiment to St. John's, (where a detachment of 100 men had been stationed for some time,) and although the weather was most inclement, the regiment reached its destination shortly after dark.
His Excellency Lieut.-General Sir John Colborne, now Lord Seaton, Commander of the Forces and Governor-in-Chief, was there in person, with the whole of his staff. The seventy-third regiment had also been brought from Montreal.
A large body of insurgents having taken possession of a village near the frontier, their sympathizing friends in the United States endeavoured to open a communication with them and join them; that, being united, they might act with more effect against the isolated positions occupied by the troops: in this object they were, however, frustrated by the timely approach of the Commander of the Forces in person.
As the troops advanced, the country was deserted by the misguided inhabitants, who did not anticipate the immediate consequences of their disaffection, and on arriving near the village of Napierville, where the rebels were said to be in force, it was discovered that they had dispersed; nor could they afterwards be brought to face the troops in any single instance. A small party, however, of volunteers, signalized themselves by attacking a superior force of the disaffected, who in their turn became the aggressors, but they were repulsed, and dispersed with great loss.
The troops were cantoned for a few days in the immediate neighbourhood of Napierville, during which the misguided habitans sheltered themselves in the woods, submitting their property to the pillage of the soldiery, who were living at free quarters during the time.
An irruption being threatened by the sympathizers, at a place called Hemingford, a short distance from the frontier, but on the opposite side of the Richelieu, the Commander of the Forces moved there, accompanied by a division of the Fifteenth and seventy-third regiments, some artillery, and two troops of the first (or King's) dragoon guards.
The loyal portion of the inhabitants were speedily formed, and prepared to assist the troops in acting as circumstances might require. But the activity of the Commander of the Forces checked the ardour of the marauders, who never fairly made their appearance.
During the remainder of the month of November, the regiment was employed in searching for arms, throughout the counties bordering on the Richelieu, and succeeded in securing large quantities of them, after which service the corps returned to Chambly.
The head-quarters were again moved in December to St. John's, and from thence to the Isle aux Noix, sending two companies to take post at Napierville, thus occupying the frontier line. But one occasion offered for proving the alacrity and discipline of the regiment. An order was received about eleven o'clock, A.M., on the 5th January, to move two hundred and fifty to Henryville, a small hamlet to the east of the Richelieu, with all possible despatch; and the division, in complete marching order, arrived at its destination before sunset; although the distance was only seven miles, the march had to be performed through uncleared woods, and over roads in many places breast-deep in snow, where the men were obliged to file in single rank. The sixty-sixth regiment, and some companies of the grenadier guards, together with a half battery of artillery, were already concentrated there, under the command of Major-General Sir James Macdonnell. The promptness of this forward movement, however, deterred the marauders from effecting their nefarious designs; and the troops shortly returned to their several stations.
The regiment moved to Montreal, and took up quarters at the island of St. Helen's, withdrawing the companies at Napierville, but detaching two companies to William Henry, and one to Three Rivers.
During the summer, the regiment suffered severely from ophthalmia, and although situated most favourably (the rapid and clear stream of the St. Lawrence perpetually flowing round the island), and unremittingly watched by the staff and regimental surgeons, the disease was not eradicated.
The service companies returned to England on the 25th June of this year, on board the "Athol" troopship, and disembarked at Portsmouth, where the depôt companies awaited their arrival.
The regiment was quartered at the Haslar and Fort Monckton barracks, until January, 1841, when it marched to Winchester. From thence it was moved to Woolwich in June, detaching three companies to Deptford.
The Fifteenth moved to Windsor early in the month of April, where the regiment remained until November. On being relieved by a battalion of the grenadier guards, the regiment proceeded to Manchester, the head-quarters moving shortly after to Chester Castle.
Whilst stationed at Windsor, the regiment was highly honored by the personal inspection of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and her August Consort, the Prince Albert.
Her Majesty, on another occasion, reviewed the regiment in the Home Park, attended by H.R.H. the Prince Albert, and the Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha.
Her Majesty was, on both occasions, most graciously pleased to express her approbation of the appearance of the men, and the precision of their movements.
The half-yearly inspection of the regiment, by Lieut.-General Sir John Macdonald, G.C.B., Adjutant-General to the Forces, took place in the Home Park at Windsor, on the 22nd of July. He was pleased to approve highly of the interior discipline and appearance of the regiment.
At this period, upwards of five hundred men had been recruited for the regiment since its return from Canada, and fifty-eight volunteers were furnished to the following corps this year, namely, to the forty-second royal Highland regiment, the ninety-seventh regiment, and the St. Helena regiment.
On the 31st October and 1st November, the Fifteenth proceeded from Windsor to the northern district, and were stationed at Chester, where the regiment remained until June 1843, when it marched to Manchester, and in the following month embarked for Ireland, and was stationed at Templemore.
1845
In March, 1844, the regiment proceeded from Templemore to Limerick; and in July, 1845, it was formed into six service and four depôt companies. The former marched to Cork, and embarked on the 8th and 17th September, in the "Maria Somes" and "Mariner" transports, for Ceylon; the head-quarter division under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Thomas A. Drought, and the second division under Major R. A. Cuthbert. The depôt companies proceeded from Limerick to Waterford in August, 1845, and were quartered there during the following year.
1847
The service companies arrived at Ceylon on the 15th and 26th January, 1846, and were stationed at Colombo until the 26th November, when the head-quarters were removed to Kandy, remaining there during the year 1847. The depôt companies marched from Waterford to Clonmel, in July, 1847; and on the 21st October embarked at Dublin for Liverpool, and proceeded to Chester.
In June, 1848, the period of the conclusion of this Record, the service companies of the Fifteenth regiment remained at Kandy; the depôt companies removed in the month of May, from Chester Castle to South Wales, the head-quarters being stationed at Brecon, with detachments at Dowlais and Swansea.
1848.
FOOTNOTES:
[6] Afterwards colonel of the twenty-seventh foot.
[7] Memoirs of Captain George Carleton. This officer was appointed lieutenant in the Fifteenth foot, from the Dutch service, in June, 1687. He was born at Ewelme in Oxfordshire, and was descended from an ancient and honorable family: Lord Dudley Carleton, who died Secretary of State to King Charles I., was his great-uncle; and in the same reign, his father was envoy in Spain, and his uncle ambassador in Holland. Several editions of his Memoirs have been printed.
[8] Carleton's Memoirs.
[9] London Gazette.
[10] Carleton's Memoirs.—From a defect of memory, Captain Carleton has placed the expedition to Inverlochy after the action at Cromdale.
[11] Cape Breton had been previously captured, in the year 1745, by the New England Militia, under the command of Colonel William Pepperell, assisted by a naval squadron under Commodore Warren. Mutual restitutions taking place by the conditions of the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, Cape Breton was restored to France, in exchange for Madras, which had been taken by the French.
[12] In censuring the grenadiers for their rash conduct, Major-General Wolfe observed in orders, 'Amherst's (the Fifteenth) and the Highlanders (seventy-eighth), alone, by the soldier-like and cool manner in which they formed, would, undoubtedly, have beaten back the whole Canadian army, if the enemy had ventured to attack them.'
[13] General Sir Charles Grey's despatch.
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
OF THE
FIFTEENTH, OR YORKSHIRE EAST RIDING
REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Sir William Clifton, Bart.
Appointed 22nd June, 1685.
William Clifton succeeded, on the decease of his uncle, in January, 1675, to the dignity of Baronet, of Clifton in Nottinghamshire. On the breaking out of the rebellion of James Duke of Monmouth, he evinced loyalty to King James II., and interested himself in raising a regiment for His Majesty's service, now the Fifteenth foot, of which he was appointed colonel, by commission dated the 22nd of June, 1685. When tranquillity was restored, he retired from the service, and was not afterwards employed in a military capacity.
Arthur Herbert.
Appointed 12th May, 1686.
Arthur Herbert (son of Sir Edward Herbert, attorney-general to King Charles I., and afterwards keeper of the great seal) was educated for the naval service, and after serving in subordinate commissions, he had the command of a squadron before Tangier; he afterwards was at the head of a fleet sent against Algiers, and obtained the reputation of an able naval commander. King James II. gave him the colonelcy of a corps of musketeers and pikemen, now the Fifteenth foot; but afterwards deprived him of his commission for opposition to the measures of the court. He proceeded to Holland, and was well received by the Prince of Orange, who nominated him Admiral of the Dutch fleet which accompanied His Highness to England in the autumn of 1688, when the revolution was accomplished. When the Prince and Princess of Orange were elevated to the throne, Admiral Herbert was raised to the peerage by the title of Baron Torbay and Earl of Torrington, his creation bearing date the 29th of May, 1689. He was also constituted first commissioner of the Admiralty, commander-in-chief of the fleet, and colonel of a regiment of marines, which was afterwards disbanded. He commanded the British shipping in a sharp engagement with the French, in Bantry-bay, in the summer of 1689; he also commanded the British fleet in the disastrous naval action off Beachy-head, in the summer of 1690; and was afterwards committed to the Tower on suspicion of treachery, in consequence of his not having brought the British fleet gallantly into action, which occasioned the Dutch shipping to sustain severe loss in contest with superior numbers. He was brought to trial before a court-martial, and acquitted; but he was removed from his appointments, and was not afterwards employed in the service of his sovereign. He died in April, 1716.
Sackville Tufton.
Appointed 12th March, 1687.
Sackville Tufton, brother of the Earl of Thanet, was several years an officer of the first foot guards, in which corps King Charles II. promoted him to the commission of captain of His Majesty's own company. He also served in the foot guards in the early part of the reign of King James II., who promoted him to the colonelcy of a corps of infantry, now the Fifteenth foot. At the revolution in 1688, he adhered to the interest of the Stuart dynasty, and refusing to take the oath to the Prince of Orange, he was superseded in the command of his regiment. He died in 1741.
Sir James Lesley.
Appointed 31st December, 1688.
This officer served with reputation in the Queen's regiment, now second foot, or the Queen's Royal, at Tangier in Africa, where he had opportunities of distinguishing himself against the Moors, and King Charles II. promoted him to the majority of his regiment. He served against the rebels under the Duke of Monmouth, in the summer of 1685; was at the battle of Sedgemoor; and was rewarded by King James II. with the lieut.-colonelcy of the Queen Dowager's regiment. Joining the interests of the Prince of Orange, at the Revolution, he was nominated colonel of the Fifteenth foot, with which corps he served against the insurgent clans in Scotland, and also under King William III., in Flanders. He commanded a brigade at the attack of Fort Kenoque in 1695; and was afterwards engaged in the defence of Dixmude, where he yielded to the suggestions of the governor, and voted, in a council of war, for the surrender of the town, for which he was cashiered, by sentence of a general court-martial. The governor, the Dutch General Ellemberg, was beheaded at Ghent.
Emanuel Howe.
Appointed 1st November, 1695.
Emanuel Howe, brother of Viscount Howe, of Ireland, served under King William III., in the Netherlands, in the first foot guards, in which corps he was advanced to captain and lieut.-colonel. In the autumn of 1695, His Majesty nominated Lieut.-Colonel Howe, to the colonelcy of the Fifteenth foot, with which corps he served during the remainder of the war. In the reign of Queen Anne he was employed in a diplomatic capacity, and was several years envoy extraordinary at the court of Hanover. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1707, and to that of lieut.-general in the beginning of 1709. He died on the 26th of September, 1709.
Algernon Earl of Hertford.
Appointed 23rd October, 1709.
Algernon Seymour, Earl of Hertford, eldest son of the Duke of Somerset, served with reputation under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough, in Flanders, and was at the battle of Oudenarde, and covering the siege of Lisle, in 1708. In 1709 he served at the siege of Tournay, the battle of Malplaquet, and the siege of Mons; and on the death of Lieut.-Gen. Howe, he was nominated to the colonelcy of the Fifteenth foot, at the head of which regiment he served in Flanders during the campaigns of 1710, 1711, and 1712; and he was appointed governor of Tynemouth castle, and Clifford-fort. On the accession of King George I., the Earl of Hertford was appointed to the second troop, now second regiment, of life guards; in 1737 he was nominated governor of Minorca and was removed in 1740 to the royal regiment of horse guards (blue); in 1742 he resigned the government of Minorca, and was appointed governor of Guernsey. In 1748 he succeeded to the dignity of Duke of Somerset. His decease occurred in February, 1750.
Harry Harrison.
Appointed 8th February, 1715.
This officer entered the army as ensign in a regiment of foot, on the 22nd of February, 1695, and served two campaigns in Flanders under King William III. He also served with reputation in the wars of Queen Anne, and was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of the thirty-ninth foot, with which corps he embarked for Portugal in 1707. He served the campaign of 1708, on the frontiers of Portugal, under the Marquis of Fronteira; and in 1709, evinced signal gallantry at the battle of the Caya. He served in Portugal during the remainder of the war; was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1711; and at the peace of Utrecht, accompanied his regiment to Minorca. In 1715, King George I. rewarded his services with the colonelcy of the Fifteenth foot, with which regiment he served in the action at Glensheil in 1719. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general in 1735, to that of major-general in 1739, and lieut.-general in 1748. He died in March, 1749.
John Jordan.
Appointed 15th April, 1749.
John Jordan procured a commission in the army in December, 1704, and served in the war of the Spanish succession. In 1739 he was appointed major, and in 1741 lieut.-colonel of the tenth dragoons; and his constant attention to all the duties of his station was rewarded, in 1749, with the colonelcy of the Fifteenth foot. In April, 1756, he was removed to the ninth dragoons. He died in the following month.
Jeffery Amherst.
Appointed 22nd May, 1756.
Jeffery Amherst attached himself in early life to the profession of arms, and in 1745 he was appointed captain and lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards. In 1756 he was promoted to the colonelcy of the Fifteenth foot; and in 1758 he was nominated commander-in-chief in North America (with the local rank of lieut.-general), and colonel-in-chief of the sixtieth regiment: in the following year he was promoted to the rank of major-general.
The achievements of the British forces in North America, during the period he was commander-in-chief in that country, are inscribed on an obelisk in the grounds of his seat at Montreal, viz:—
Louisbourg surrendered, and six battalions made prisoners of war, July the 26th, 1758.
Fort du Quesne taken possession of, 24th November, 1758.
Niagara surrendered, 25th July, 1759.
Ticonderago taken possession of, 26th July, 1759.
Crown Point taken possession of, 4th August, 1759.
Quebec capitulated, 18th September, 1759.
Fort Levi surrendered, 25th August, 1760.
Isle aux Noix abandoned, 28th August, 1760.
Montreal surrendered, and with it all Canada, and ten French battalions laid down their arms, 8th September, 1760.
St. John's, Newfoundland, re-taken, the 18th of September, 1762.
In 1768 Sir Jeffery Amherst resigned his commissions; but was soon afterwards appointed colonel of the third regiment of foot, and also re-appointed colonel-in-chief of the sixtieth, or royal American regiment of foot. He was advanced to the peerage by the title of Baron Amherst of Holmesdale, in the county of Kent, in 1776; and three years afterwards the colonelcy of the second troop of horse grenadier guards was given to his lordship. On the decease of Lord Robert Bertie, in 1782, Lord Amherst was appointed colonel of the second troop of life guards, which, in 1788, was formed into the second regiment of life guards. His Lordship retained the commission of colonel of the second life guards, and performed the court duty of Gold Stick until his decease in 1797.
Charles Hotham.
Appointed 21st September, 1768.
Charles Hotham, son of Sir Beaumont Hotham, Baronet, was many years an officer in the first foot guards, in which corps he was promoted to the rank of captain and lieutenant-colonel in May, 1758, and in 1762 he obtained the rank of colonel in the army: he also held the court appointment of groom of the bedchamber to King George III., who nominated him to the colonelcy of the sixty-third regiment in 1765, and removed him to the Fifteenth foot in 1768. On the decease of his father, in 1771, he succeeded to the dignity of Baronet; and his relation, Mr. Thompson, a wealthy merchant, having left him a valuable legacy, he obtained His Majesty's permission to assume the surname of Thompson. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1772; to that of lieut.-general in 1777; and general in 1793; he was also honored with the dignity of Knight of the Order of the Bath. He resigned the colonelcy of his regiment in 1775; he also relinquished his court appointment of groom of the bedchamber to His Majesty, but the King kept the situation vacant until his decease in 1794.
Richard Earl of Cavan.
Appointed 7th September, 1775.
Richard Lambart, son of the Honorable Henry Lambart, third son of Charles third Earl of Cavan, served in the army in the war of the Austrian succession, and in June, 1756, he was promoted to captain and lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards. He was advanced to the rank of colonel in 1762, and to that of major-general in 1772; he succeeded to the dignity of Earl of Cavan in the same year. In 1774 he was appointed colonel of the fifty-fifth regiment; and was removed to the Fifteenth in the following year: in 1777 he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general. He died in November, 1778.
Sir William Fawcett, K.B.
Appointed 12th November, 1778.
William Fawcett, descended from the ancient family of Fawcetts, of Shipden Hall, near Halifax, having, from his early youth, a strong predilection for a military life, his friends procured him an ensign's commission in General Oglethorp's regiment, which was stationed in Georgia; but a British force having been sent to Flanders in 1742, he resigned his commission, proceeded to the continent, and, serving as a volunteer, was at the battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy, where his gallantry attracted admiration; and he was appointed ensign in a regiment raised by Colonel Johnstone, with which he served until the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, when it was disbanded.
Being now unemployed, he engaged in the service of a mercantile establishment in the city of London; but finding his propensity to a military life invincible, he subsequently purchased an ensign's commission in the foot guards, and, by a strict attention to his duties, procured the favour of his Royal Highness William Duke of Cumberland, who gave him the adjutancy of the second battalion of the third foot guards, which he held together with a lieutenantcy, which gave him the rank of captain. Neglecting no opportunity of qualifying himself for the highest posts in his profession, he studied the German and French languages, acquired a knowledge of Prussian and French tactics; and in 1757 published a translation of the 'Memoirs upon the Art of War, by Marshal Count de Saxe,' and 'The Regulations for Prussian Cavalry;' and, in 1759, 'Regulations for the Prussian Infantry,' and 'The Prussian Tactics.' These works met with great attention, and a new edition in 1760 was also well received.
In the early part of the Seven Years' War, Captain Fawcett served in Germany as aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-General Grenville Elliott, where he acquired increased knowledge of the military art; and his ardour, intrepidity, and attention to the duties of his situation, were such, that on the decease of Lieutenant-General Grenville Elliott, Captain Fawcett was recommended for the appointment of aide-de-camp to Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, and he had also the offer of the same appointment to the Marquis of Granby; he chose the latter, and was sent to England with the despatches which gave the account of the victory at Warbourg; on which occasion, King George II. was highly gratified at having the particulars of this engagement related to him in the German language by Captain Fawcett. He was advanced to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the army on the 25th of November, 1760; and, continuing to serve in Germany, was appointed military secretary to the Marquis of Granby. It is recorded that, in Lieutenant-Colonel Fawcett's character, strength and softness were happily blended together, and to coolness, intrepidity, and extensive military knowledge, he added all the requisite talents of a man of business, and the most persevering assiduity. He was highly esteemed by every officer on the staff of the army, and was the intimate and confidential friend of the Marquis of Granby. He remained on service until the peace in 1763, when he returned to England; and his knowledge of the German language, with the information he possessed from his late office, was the occasion of his being employed by King George III. as commissary to settle the claims made by the Allies against Great Britain for the expenses of the war.
In November, 1767, he obtained a company in the third foot guards; and in 1772 he was promoted to the rank of colonel in the army, and nominated deputy adjutant-general of the forces.
At the commencement of the American war, Colonel Fawcett was sent to Germany, to negotiate with the states of Hesse, Hanover, and Brunswick, for a body of troops to serve in British pay. In 1776 he was appointed governor of Gravesend and Tilbury-fort; was promoted to major-general in 1777, and nominated colonel of the Fifteenth foot in 1778: in 1781 he was constituted adjutant-general of the forces. The rank of lieut.-general was conferred upon this valuable servant of the crown in 1782; in 1786 His Majesty honored him with the riband of the Order of the Bath, and in 1792, gave him the colonelcy of the third, or Prince of Wales's, dragoon guards.
In May, 1796, Sir William Fawcett received the rank of general, and was appointed governor of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, in July following. The duties of adjutant-general requiring greater exertions than his health would admit of, he obtained the King's permission to resign, and on retiring from office His Majesty honored him with distinguished marks of his royal favour and approbation. In 1799 Sir William Fawcett was appointed general on the staff, and performed the duties of commander-in-chief during the absence of the Duke of York on the continent.
He died in March, 1804, and his funeral was honored with the presence of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York, Clarence, Kent, and Cambridge, and of many noblemen and general officers.
James Hamilton.
Appointed 22nd August, 1792.
This officer served with reputation in the reign of King George II., and in 1761 he took an active part in raising the 113th regiment, or Royal Highlanders, of which corps he was appointed major-commandant. At the peace in 1763 his corps was disbanded, and he was placed on half-pay; he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-colonel in May, 1772, and appointed to the twenty-first regiment, or Royal North British Fusiliers, in March, 1774. He served with reputation in the American war; was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1780; to that of major-general in 1787; appointed colonel of the Fifteenth regiment in 1792, and removed to the twenty-first in 1794. He obtained the rank of lieut.-general in 1797, and that of general in 1802. His decease occurred in 1803.
Henry Watson Powell.
Appointed 20th June, 1794.
At the augmentation of the army in 1756, this officer was appointed captain of a company in the second battalion of the eleventh foot, which battalion was numbered the sixty-fourth regiment in 1758. In 1770 he obtained the majority of the thirty-eighth, and in 1771 the lieut.-colonelcy of the fifty-third, at the head of which corps he served in the American war. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1779, and to that of major-general in 1782; in 1792 he obtained the colonelcy of the sixty-ninth regiment, from which he was removed in 1794 to the Fifteenth foot. In 1796 he obtained the rank of lieut.-general, and that of general in 1801. He died in 1814.
Sir Moore Disney, K.C.B.
Appointed 23rd July, 1814.
This officer commenced his career in the army, as an ensign in the grenadier guards, on the 17th April, 1783, and served with them to the close of the American war. He was promoted lieutenant and captain on the 3rd June, 1791, and from the end of 1793 till the return of the army in May, 1795, he served under his Royal Highness the Duke of York in Flanders, being present at the different actions between those periods. On the 12th June, 1795, he succeeded to a company, with the rank of lieut.-colonel; on the 29th April, 1802, was appointed colonel by brevet; and brigadier-general on the Home Staff in December, 1805. In July, 1806, he commanded a battalion of the foot guards in Sicily; in August, 1807, was appointed brigadier-general in Sicily; and in 1808 joined the army in Spain under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, where he commanded a brigade in the reserve, and was present at the battle of Corunna, for which he obtained a medal. He commanded the first brigade of foot guards on the Walcheren expedition in July, 1809, and on the 25th October following was promoted to the rank of major-general. In 1810 he was ordered to Cadiz as second in command, and in the succeeding year was appointed to the command there. On the 4th June, 1814, he was advanced to the rank of lieutenant-general, and on the 23rd July of that year His Majesty King George III. conferred on him the colonelcy of the Fifteenth regiment; and on the 7th April, 1815, he was nominated a Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath. He was promoted to the rank of general on the 10th January, 1837, and died on the 19th April, 1846.
General Sir Phineas Riall, K.C.H.
Appointed 24th April, 1846.
(From the seventy-fourth, Highland regiment.)
APPENDIX.
Battle, Sieges, &c., in the Netherlands, during the reign of King William III., from 1689 to the Peace of Ryswick, in 1697.