The King of France finding that not only had an effectual stop been given to his arms, but that he was likely to lose many of his conquests, endeavoured to weaken the confederates by causing England to become the theatre of civil war. A party favourable to the Stuart dynasty still remained in England; the Duke of Berwick and several French officers were sent across the Channel to persuade the friends of King James to rise in arms; at the same time a plot for the assassination of King William was formed; and a French army marched to the coast to be in readiness to embark with King James for England.

Information of these events having been obtained, the Queen's regiment of foot was suddenly ordered from its cantonments in the city of Malines to embark for England. It marched to Sas Van Ghent, where it went on board of transports, and sailed to Flushing, from whence a convoy of Dutch men-of-war accompanied the fleet to England. In the mean time the conspirators had been discovered, a British fleet was sent to blockade the French ports, and the designs of Louis XIV. were frustrated. The greater part of the forces which were ordered home on this occasion returned to Flanders without landing in England; but the Queen's was one of the corps which disembarked at Gravesend, and was selected to remain on home service that year.

In the summer of 1697 the regiment again embarked for the Netherlands; and having joined the army commanded by King William near Brussels on the 14th of July, was reviewed by His Majesty on the 16th. Soon afterwards the King had the satisfaction of seeing his exertions in behalf of the liberties of, and balance of power in, Europe, crowned with a treaty of peace, which was concluded at Ryswick in September; and in the succeeding month this regiment was ordered to return to England. It landed in the beginning of December at Woolwich; from whence it marched to Plymouth and Penryn, where its establishment was reduced from nine hundred and twenty-five to five hundred and seventy-two officers and soldiers.

The danger arising from the exercise of so unconstitutional a prerogative as the raising of troops and the maintaining of a large army on the authority of the Crown only, as practised in the reign of King James II., was provided against at the Revolution. In the Bill of Rights, the raising or keeping of a standing army within the kingdom, in time of peace, unless with the consent of parliament, was declared to be contrary to law, and from that period to the present time the army has been maintained under the authority of an Act, annually renewed, called an "Act for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the better payment of the army and their quarters." This Act specifies the number of soldiers to be kept up; the conditions under which they are enlisted, paid, billeted, &c.; and lays down a system of martial law for their government. Owing to the jealousy with which a standing army was regarded, and the cost of its maintenance, it was confined, after the peace of Ryswick, within very narrow limits; and in 1699 it was reduced, in opposition to the most obvious considerations of expediency, and in despite of the efforts of the King, to so few as seven thousand men. These troops were limited to "His Majesty's natural born subjects," and King William, who had been the instrument, under Divine Providence, of establishing a free government in these realms, and of fixing the balance of power in Europe, was obliged to submit to the mortification, which he felt most acutely, of dismissing his favourite regiments of Dutch guards and French refugees. When this reduction took place, the establishment of the Queen's regiment was decreased to ten companies of thirty-six private men each. It continued to occupy Plymouth and Penryn, with one company detached to the Isle of Scilly.

The success which had attended the exertions of King William to prevent the aggrandizement of France by conquest, and to establish the balance of power in Europe upon an apparently solid foundation, was suddenly countervailed by the accession of the Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV., to the throne of Spain; and two years had scarcely elapsed, before the signs of approaching war appeared, and the short-sighted policy of placing the army upon so low an establishment proved a source of great inconvenience.

The strength of the Queen's regiment of foot was again increased to twelve companies, and in February, 1702, King William conferred the colonelcy on Brigadier-General William Seymour from the twenty-fourth regiment.

His Majesty having died in the following month, was succeeded by Queen Anne,[14] who declared war against France; and the first service in which the Queen's regiment of foot was called upon to engage in this reign, was the expedition to the coast of Spain under the command of General the Duke of Ormond, a nobleman more remarkable for generosity and personal bravery, than for ability as commander-in-chief of an army.

Information had been received in England that the garrison of the city of Cadiz was weak in numbers, the fortifications out of repair, and that the inhabitants of that part of Spain were favourable to the house of Austria. This fortress had been captured by a British armament in the reign of Queen Elizabeth,[15] and, in the anticipation of a similar result, an expedition was fitted out, and the Queen's (now fourth) regiment of foot embarked[16] from Plymouth (mustering upwards of eight hundred men) to join in the enterprise.

When the fleet arrived on the Spanish coast, some delay was occasioned by the Admiral, Sir George Rooke, on pretence of seeking for information; but the troops landed in the middle of August, and dispersed a body of Spanish cavalry which was drawn up to oppose them, on which occasion the grenadier company of this regiment was engaged.

After landing, the Queen's regiment took part in the operations by which the capture of the towns of Rota and Port St. Mary's, and also Fort St. Catherine, was effected; it also took part in the siege of the fort of Matagorda; but the delay in landing had given the Spaniards time to recover from their first surprise, and Cadiz was found better prepared for resistance than was expected. The expedition proving too weak for the capture of this fortress, the troops retired to Rota, where they re-embarked, and afterwards sailed for England.

Nothing gives rise to more painful feelings in the breasts of British soldiers than the failure of an attempt of this nature. Though their honour and fame were untarnished, and their personal bravery had been conspicuous throughout, yet their fondly cherished hopes and sanguine expectations were blighted; the palm of victory and glory of conquest, which had appeared almost within their grasp, had vanished, and they were returning to England (where the anticipations of the people had been incautiously heightened by paragraphs in the Gazette expressive of the certainty of success) without having achieved anything to answer the expectations of their sovereign and country. The remembrance of their disappointment, however, suddenly vanished on the receipt of information of the arrival of a Spanish fleet from the West Indies, under a French convoy, at the harbour of Vigo in Gallicia. The prospect of capturing this prize gave new life to the seamen and troops, and the squadron immediately bent its course thither.

The French Admiral, M. Chateaurenaud, had placed his shipping and the galleons within a narrow passage, the entrance to which was defended by a castle on one side, and by platforms mounted with cannon on both sides of the river; and a strong boom was laid across the entrance. These obstructions, instead of daunting the British and Dutch, raised their energies and gave new vigour to their movements. The fleet passed Vigo under a heavy cannonade from the works, and anchored within four miles of Rondendella. The Duke of Ormond landed with two brigades, in one of which was the Queen's regiment of foot, in a sandy bay on the south side of the river, two leagues from Vigo; and captured the platforms and castle by storm in a most intrepid and gallant manner; while the fleet forced the boom, and bore down upon the enemy's men-of-war and galleons, which were all captured or destroyed. In this brilliant enterprise the troops had only two officers and forty men killed, and four officers and thirty men wounded; among the latter was Colonel Seymour of the Queen's regiment.

The Duke of Ormond took possession of the town of Rondendella, and being inspired with confidence from this success, he was desirous of capturing Vigo, and of passing the winter with the troops in Spain, in order to follow up the advantage he had acquired in the spring; but the admiral could only supply the troops with two months' provision, and could not leave more than six frigates on the coast; the design was consequently laid aside and the expedition returned to England with its booty. Queen Anne went in state to St. Paul's cathedral to return thanks for this success, and each of the regiments of infantry received £561 10s. prize money.

After its return to England, the regiment was again stationed at Plymouth with four detached companies in village cantonments; a thirteenth company was added to its establishment, and in the summer of 1703 the nature of its services was changed, and it became a corps of Marines.

A corps was raised for SEA service by King Charles II., in 1664, and designated the admiral's regiment; and during this reign battalions for sea service were formed as the occasions of the state required, of drafts from the land forces, and embarked on board the fleet. In 1689 King William III. incorporated the admiral's regiment in the second foot guards, and two marine regiments were established for service on board the fleet. These regiments were disbanded in 1698; but on the breaking out of the war of the Spanish succession, six regiments of marines were raised, and six regular regiments of foot were placed on the establishment of the navy for sea service.[17] In May, 1703, the Queen's regiment, commanded by Colonel Seymour, was constituted a corps of Marines; and its colonel was appointed to the care and command of Her Majesty's marine forces.

The uniform of the regiment underwent some alteration on this occasion, and the three-cornered cocked hats, worn by the officers and men, were replaced by high-crowned leather caps, covered with cloth of the same colour as the facing of the regiment, and ornamented with devices, the same as the caps worn at this period by the grenadiers.[18]

The first service in which the Queen's (now fourth) regiment was called upon to engage after it was constituted a corps of Marines, was embarking on board the fleet commanded by Admiral Sir George Rooke, for the purpose of conducting to Portugal the Archduke Charles of Austria, who had been acknowledged by the British, Dutch, Imperial, and Portuguese governments as sovereign of Spain by the title of Charles III., an event which excited a lively interest at the time, and from which most important results were anticipated.

His Catholic Majesty arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th of December, and was received by the fleet and town with the honours paid to crowned heads; after visiting Queen Anne at Windsor, he went on board, and put to sea, but was driven back by a storm.

The fleet again set sail on the 12th of February, 1704, arrived at Lisbon on the 25th of that month, and was followed by transports having a British and Dutch force on board under the command of Duke Schomberg, which force was designed to assist King Charles in his attempt to gain the throne of Spain.

It was customary at this period to employ marines occasionally in the field; but this regiment did not land. It remained on board the fleet, which, having put to sea, proceeded to the city of Barcelona, and expecting the Catalonians would declare in favour of King Charles III. as soon as they should be assured of protection and support, the governor was required to surrender; but he refused to receive the summons. Although the fleet was not prepared to capture the place, yet a body of Marines was landed, and the town was bombarded. This producing no alteration in the governor's resolution, and the people exhibiting no marks of attachment to the house of Austria, the Marines were re-embarked. The British and Dutch squadron subsequently proceeded in quest of the French fleet under the Count of Thoulouse, and, although the latter had the advantage in point of numbers and other particulars, yet the French admiral avoided an engagement.

Being unable to force the enemy to fight, the British and Dutch admirals resolved to make a sudden attempt on Gibraltar, and the Queen's Regiment of Marines, now the Fourth or King's Own Regiment of Foot, had the proud distinction of taking part in the capture of this stupendous fortress, a conquest from which the kingdom has probably derived as much advantage as from any previous achievement of the British arms, and which remains a monument of the national glory. The combined fleet arrived in the bay of Gibraltar on the 21st of July; a body of English and Dutch Marines were landed on the neck of land northward of the town under the orders of the Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, to cut off the communication of the garrison with the country, and the governor was summoned to surrender the fortress for His Catholic Majesty King Charles III. This being refused, a heavy cannonade was opened on the 23d, by which the Spaniards were driven from their guns at the head of the south mole. The boats were manned, a body of men from the fleet, climbing up the difficult acclivity, with signal gallantry captured the fortifications on the mole, but had two lieutenants and forty men killed, and sixty wounded, by the explosion of a mine. Another body of men landed, and, urged forward by their innate valour and thirst for glory, captured a detached bastion between the mole and the town; and the governor, having been again summoned, agreed to surrender on condition of being permitted to march out with all the honours of war. On taking possession of the fortress, the seamen and Marines were astonished at their own success; and they viewed, with a mixed feeling of wonder and delight, fortifications which a comparatively small number of men might have defended against a numerous army. The capture of Gibraltar gave rise to new hopes and expectations to the friends of the house of Austria, and it derived additional interest from the fact that it preceded, but a very few days, the glorious victory gained by the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim.

The loss of Gibraltar disconcerted the measures of Philip II., and his grandfather Louis XIV. Eight thousand men, under the Marquis de Villadarias, were immediately detached from the Spanish army to retake the fortress; and the French admiral received orders to engage the British and Dutch fleet, and to co-operate in the re-capture of Gibraltar.

At this period the French monarch possessed a naval force of considerable magnitude, and his fleet under the Count of Thoulouse exceeded in numbers and power the combined British and Dutch squadron. The hostile fleets engaged on the 24th of August, about eleven leagues south of Malaga, and, after both sides had suffered severely, they were separated in the night.

The Marquis de Villadarias, having been joined by four thousand French from the fleet, commenced the siege of Gibraltar on the 22d of October; and part of the Queen's Regiment of Marines, being in garrison, had now the honour of defending that magnificent fortress which they had so nobly assisted to capture. The garrison was weak in numbers; but Sir John Leake and Rear-admiral Vander Dussen arrived in the bay from Lisbon, with thirteen English and six Dutch men-of-war, and, thus securing the besieged from an attack from the sea, gave them an opportunity to direct all their energies to the repulsing of the attacks from the land side.

During the night of the 11th of November, five hundred of the enemy contrived, by means of rope-ladders and other inventions, to ascend the mountain by a way which was deemed impracticable, and were supported by another body of three thousand men. The men engaged in this daring enterprise were, however, soon discovered, and were charged by five hundred of the Marines in garrison with such resolution, that two hundred of the enemy were killed on the spot, upwards of two hundred were taken prisoners, and the remainder, endeavouring to escape, fell down the rock and were dashed to pieces.

The fire of the enemy's batteries having damaged the works, a body of men was landed from the fleet to assist in the defence, and Brigadier-General Fox with several other officers and a number of men having been killed, (5th of December, 1704,) aid was solicited from the army in Portugal. Meanwhile the enemy had made several breaches, and the garrison was held in constant readiness to resist an attack on the works by storm. British courage and endurance were now sternly proved. The governor, the Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, spent his days in the works, and the greatest part of every night in the covered way, and his example produced so good an effect, that the conduct of the troops exceeded all expectation, and "The English Marines gained immortal honour."[19] New works were constructed within those already damaged, mines were prepared, and every means used to give the French and Spaniards a warm reception if they attempted to assault the fortress. In the midst of these preparations the garrison was reinforced by a battalion of foot guards, part of the English regiments of Barrymore (thirteenth foot) and Donegal (thirty-fifth foot), and of the Dutch regiment of Waes; and during the night of the 22d of December, a body of men issued from the fortress in the dark, forced the Spanish lines, routed a body of cavalry, levelled part of the works, burnt the fascines and gabions, and retired with little loss. The success which attended this display of British intrepidity, with the discovery of a conspiracy which several residents in the garrison had entered into with the enemy, disconcerted the measures of the besiegers and retarded their operations.

The siege was, however, prosecuted with vigour, and the Marquis of Villadarias, having received a considerable reinforcement, attacked the round tower in the beginning of February, 1705. On this occasion a chosen band of French grenadiers climbed the rock with hooks in one hand and their swords in the other, but were repulsed with loss.

A second attempt was made about four days afterwards. Six hundred select French and Walloon grenadiers, supported by a large body of Spaniards, ascended the hill with great silence during the night, and concealed themselves in the cliffs and hollow grounds until day-break. When the night-guard had been withdrawn from the breach near the round tower, they made a sudden rush at the wall, and with a shower of hand-grenades drove the ordinary guard from its post. At the same time two hundred French grenadiers attacked the round tower by storm. The troops in garrison were soon alarmed. Captain Fisher of the Queen's Regiment of Marines, an officer of a most daring and heroic spirit, charged the enemy at the head of seventeen men; but his small party was soon overpowered and himself taken prisoner. Major Moncall, of Lord Barrymore's regiment, rushed to the scene of the conflict at the head of four hundred men, and being seconded by Colonel Rivett of the foot guards, who had climbed the rock on the right of the covered way with twenty grenadiers, he charged the enemy sword in hand, retook the round tower, and liberated Captain Fisher of the Queen's Marines. Additional troops were brought forward, and the French and Walloon grenadiers were chased from the works with the loss of more than half their numbers; but the gallant Captain Fisher, being foremost in the pursuit, was again made prisoner.

The French and Spaniards continued their attempts against this fortress with unavailing assiduity, until their formidable army was half ruined, and towards the end of March, 1705, they raised the siege, and retired. "And thus," observes the author of the Annals of Queen Anne, "the siege of that important place, after six months' toil and fruitless attempts, was at last raised, by the obstinate and valiant defence of our brave Englishmen;" and the Queen's Marines had their share in the glory of this brilliant success. The importance of Gibraltar occasioned the siege to become a subject of great interest throughout Christendom, but especially in England; the result gave rise to the most lively feelings of joy and exultation; and the conduct of the British troops was the subject of merited commendation.

In the subsequent actions during this war, the regiments of Marines gained additional honour. They had their share of the glory acquired in the capture of Barcelona in the autumn of 1705, and in the gallant defence of that city in 1706; they fought at the unfortunate battle of Almanza in 1707; took part in the capture and defence of several fortified towns in Spain, and in the capture of the island of Minorca in 1708. In some of these services, detachments of the Queen's Marines were probably engaged; but, after the defence of Gibraltar, the regiment appears to have been employed, generally, on board the fleet.

Six companies of the regiment, having landed from on board the fleet, were stationed, during the winter of 1709, in Devonshire, and after reposing a few months in quarters, were removed, in March, 1710, to garrison duty at Plymouth. In July of the same year, the other seven companies, having arrived at Spithead, landed on the Isle of Wight, where they encamped until September, and afterwards proceeded to Portsmouth.

About this period the regiment was removed from the establishment of the navy, its title of Marines was discontinued, and it resumed its station among the regular regiments of infantry; it was, however, included in the estimate for 1711, in the list of regiments for sea-service; but this did not prevent its being employed on other duties.

In January, 1711, the six companies at Plymouth having been relieved by Colonel Andrew Windsor's (now twenty-eighth) regiment, marched to Portsmouth; and on the 23d of that month the regiment received orders to hold itself in readiness to proceed to Portugal; but its destination was soon afterwards changed.

During the nine years which this war had been raging in Europe, British blood and treasure had been expended in making conquests for the house of Austria. The only advantage which had accrued to Great Britain was, that the power of the house of Bourbon had been diminished and that of Austria augmented: even Gibraltar and Minorca, though subsequently ceded to Great Britain, had been captured for the house of Austria. The new ministry chosen by Queen Anne in 1710 resolved to act upon a different principle. Colonel Nicholson having made a successful attack on Port Royal in Nova Scotia, on his return to England he submitted to the government a plan for the reduction of Placentia and Quebec, as a preparatory measure in order to secure Canada to the British Crown, to drive the French out of Newfoundland, and regain the fishery.

Canada is stated to have been discovered by the famous Italian adventurer, Sebastian Cabot, who sailed under a commission from Henry VII., and as the English monarch did not make any use of the discovery, the French soon attempted to derive advantage from it. Several small settlements were established, and in the early part of the seventeenth century the city of Quebec was founded for the capital of the French possessions in this part of the world. Although the colony continued in a very depressed state for some time, and the settlers were often in danger of being exterminated by the Indians, yet, in the beginning of the eighteenth century, it had become of such importance, that its capture was considered one of the best means of weakening the power of the ambitious Louis XIV. An expedition was placed under the orders of Brigadier-General Hill, with a naval force under Commodore Sir Hovenden Walker; and the Queen's regiment was selected to take part in this enterprise. On arriving at North America the fleet called at Boston for a supply of provisions, and the troops landed and encamped a short time on Rhode Island; but on the 20th of July they re-embarked, and, having been joined by two regiments of provincial troops, sailed on the intended expedition.

While the brave men who adopt the profession of arms are engaged in the service of their sovereign and country, they are exposed to numerous dangers; their hopes of conquest and prospects of fame are often suddenly terminated by adverse fortune, and such was the case in the expedition to Quebec. As the fleet was proceeding up the river St. Lawrence, it became enveloped in a thick fog, and encountered a severe gale of wind; and the veterans who had fought the battles of their country found themselves in the dangerous navigation of this immense river, in a dark and stormy night, with inexperienced men collected on a sudden to act as pilots. Eight transports crowded with men were dashed upon the rocks, and a number of officers and soldiers, who but a few hours before had meditated scenes of conquest, victory, and glory, were entombed in the deep. At the head of the list of officers and men lost by the regiment which forms the subject of this memoir, is Major Fisher,[20] who is probably the same officer who displayed such heroism in the defence of Gibraltar. The other officers lost by the Queen's regiment were,—Brevet Major Walker; Captains Stringer and Bush; Captain-Lieutenant L'Hulle; Ensigns Hyde, Hawker, Richardson, and Loggan; Quartermaster Redix; and Surgeon Jones; with ten serjeants, eighteen corporals, thirteen drummers, one hundred and sixty-seven private soldiers, and twenty women. This lamentable disaster occasioned all thoughts of prosecuting the enterprise to be laid aside. The fleet returned to England, and the Queen's regiment, having landed at Portsmouth on the 10th of October, marched into dispersed quarters in Hampshire, and commenced recruiting its diminished numbers.[21]

In the autumn of 1712 the regiment was removed from country quarters to garrison duty at Portsmouth and Plymouth, where it passed the succeeding year.

From Portsmouth the regiment proceeded in September, 1713, to the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and Scilly, with two companies at the town of Pendennis. A treaty of peace having been concluded at Utrecht, its establishment was reduced to ten companies of three officers, two serjeants, two corporals, one drummer, and thirty-six private men, each; but after several of the newly-raised corps had been disbanded, its numbers were augmented to forty private men per company.

While the regiment occupied these stations Her Majesty Queen Anne died, and was succeeded by King George I., on the 1st of August, 1714.

In the autumn of 1715 the regiment was withdrawn from the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and Scilly, and proceeded to the town of Windsor, and the adjacent villages; and for several months it furnished the guard at Windsor Castle. While on this duty His Majesty was graciously pleased to confer upon it the title of The King's Own, an honorary distinction which it has continued to bear to the present time. The regiment occupied these quarters during the rebellion of the Earl of Mar, and in July, 1716, marched into garrison at Portsmouth.

The regiment remained at Portsmouth until May, 1717, when it proceeded to Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Wight; with two companies detached, one to Windsor, and one to Hampton Court. These companies were, however, relieved from duty at the residence of their Sovereign in November, by the foot guards, and joined the head-quarters at Jersey in the same month.

Lieut.-General William Seymour, after commanding the regiment nearly sixteen years, was succeeded by Colonel the Hon. Henry Berkeley, third son of Charles second Earl of Berkeley, by a commission dated the 25th of December, 1717.

The King's Own remained at the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Wight during the succeeding year, and in the spring of 1719 they were removed to Plymouth. While at this station, their Colonel, the Hon. Henry Berkeley, was removed to the second, or Scots, troop of horse grenadier guards; and was succeeded by the Hon. Charles Cadogan, afterwards Lord Cadogan, Baron of Oakley, by commission dated the 21st of April, 1719.

In June of the same year the regiment was removed from garrison duty at Plymouth, and marched to Exeter; and it occupied various stations in the south and west of England until the summer of 1722, when, the government having received information that the friends of the Stuart dynasty were conspiring to effect the elevation of the Pretender to the throne, it formed part of a body of troops encamped on Salisbury Plain, to be in readiness to act on any emergency. It was reviewed with the other forces encamped on the plain, by King George I. and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (afterwards George II.) on the 30th of August, and in September struck its tents and marched into quarters at Exeter.

In the following summer the King's Own were encamped near Newbury; and in 1724 they occupied quarters at Newbury and Reading; from whence they occasionally furnished detachments for duty at Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. In the summer of 1725 they marched to Berwick, and from thence proceeded to Perth, and were placed under the orders of the commander-in-chief in North Britain.

Returning to England in 1731, the regiment was stationed that year at Bristol: from whence it marched in July, 1732, to Exeter. In 1733, and the two succeeding years, it furnished detachments on coast duty in Sussex, and also in Cornwall.

In the summer of 1734 Lord Cadogan was removed from the King's Own to the sixth or Inniskilling regiment of dragoons, and was succeeded by Brigadier-General William Barrell from the twenty-second regiment of foot, by commission dated the 8th of August, 1734.

Having called in its detachments, the regiment marched to the north of England in May, 1736; and after halting two months at Newcastle and Durham, proceeded to Edinburgh; but returned to England in July, 1737, and was stationed at York.

The regiment continued to be employed on home service: its establishment in this year was seven hundred and five officers and men; and in 1739 it was augmented to eight hundred and fifteen officers and men; at which number it continued until after the decease of Charles VI., Emperor of Germany, in 1740, when a war broke out between the Archduchess Maria Theresa and the Elector of Bavaria, respecting the kingdoms of Bohemia and Hungaria, and England became involved in the contest. During the summer of that year the regiment was encamped near Newbury, and in the autumn marched into quarters in Lancashire and Cheshire.

France took part with the Elector of Bavaria, and Great Britain with the house of Austria, and in 1742 a British army proceeded to Flanders; but the King's Own were employed on home service until June, 1744, when they embarked for Flanders, and joined the allied army at its camp near the banks of the Scheldt. The regiment served the campaign of this year under Field-Marshal Wade, and was employed in several operations; but no general engagement occurred, and it had no opportunity of distinguishing itself.

In the following year, when the French besieged Tournay, and the allied army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland advanced to the relief of the town, the King's Own were left in garrison at Ghent, and were consequently not at the battle of Fontenoy. The Duke of Cumberland, having failed in his attempt to relieve Tournay, retreated; and the King's Own were relieved by one of the regiments which suffered severely at Fontenoy, and joined the army at its camp on the plains of Lessines on the 21st of May.

The King's Own remained in Flanders until the rebellion broke out in Scotland, and Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, advanced at the head of several highland clans and captured Edinburgh. The regiment was then ordered to return to England, and it formed part of the army under the veteran Field-Marshal Wade, which was assembled in Yorkshire.

When the young Pretender and his adherents penetrated into England, this regiment was employed in covering Yorkshire, and, after the retreat of the rebel army from Derby, the regiment marched in pursuit of the enemy towards Scotland, and arrived at Newcastle-on-Tyne on the 26th of December.

The King's Own were afterwards ordered to march to Edinburgh, where they arrived on the 10th of January, 1746, and the appearance of the royal forces at that city was hailed with illuminations and public rejoicings.

The rebels undertook the siege of Stirling Castle, and a detached party of Highlanders under Lord George Murray advanced to Linlithgow, from whence they were driven on the 13th of January by a body of troops under Major-General Huske. On the following day the Buffs, King's Own, and Pulteney's (now thirteenth) regiment, advanced to Barrowstownness; and on the 16th, these troops having pitched their tents near Falkirk, were joined by the remainder of the army under Lieut.-General Hawley.

On the 17th of January, as the King's troops were at dinner in the camp, the advance of the enemy was discovered; the royal forces seized their arms, and proceeded along some rugged and difficult grounds to a large moor, where the rebel army appeared in order of battle.

Success or failure in the hour of battle has sometimes been found to depend upon accidental circumstances over which the commanders of armies have no control. Such was the case at the battle of Falkirk, where a tempest of wind and rain beat so violently in the faces of the royal forces at the moment when they engaged their adversaries, that the ammunition was spoiled in the act of loading; the soldiers could not see their opponents, and several regiments gave way. The King's Own, however, evinced the same valour and intrepidity which were so successfully displayed at the fortress of Gibraltar; they were formed in brigade with Price's (now fourteenth) regiment under the orders of Brigadier-General Cholmondeley, and these two corps withstood the fury of the charging Highland host with a firmness which redounded to their honour.[22] Having been joined by the Royals, Buffs, and Ligonier's (now forty-eighth), these five regiments repulsed one wing of the rebel army, and continued on the field of battle until night, when they returned to the camp, and subsequently proceeded to Edinburgh.

The King's Own formed part of the army under His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland which advanced from Edinburgh, on the 31st of January, towards Stirling, when the Highlanders made a precipitate retreat. The royal forces followed in pursuit, but were delayed in their advance by severe weather. The King's Own formed part of the advance-guard under Major-General Bland which proceeded to Inverary on the 12th of March, and on the 17th advanced towards Strathsbogie to attack a thousand rebel foot and sixty hussars, posted at that place under Roy Stewart; but the enemy fled on the approach of the King's troops, and were pursued for several miles: the Marquis of Granby, Colonel Conway, Captain Holden, and several other officers, displayed their zeal for the royal cause by the spirited manner in which they pursued the Highlanders.

On the 12th of April the army crossed the river Spey, and on the 16th of that month the King's Own were engaged in the action with the rebels on Culloden Moor. The regiment was posted on the left of the front line of the royal army. After a sharp cannonade several select clans of mountaineers sprang forward, and with shouts and dismal yells attacked the King's forces sword in hand. This regiment had to bear the brunt of the furious onset of the clans: for a moment it was disordered by the weight of the attacking column, and the men staggered; but only for a moment: two battalions advanced to sustain them, and recovering, they rushed upon their kilted adversaries with a resolution and valour which proved they were not unworthy of their distinguished title of the King's Own. A furious conflict ensued; the Highlanders with their swords and targets were unable to withstand the ruthless charge of the royal forces; the carnage was dreadful, and the ground was literally covered with slaughtered rebels.[23] A decisive victory was gained; and the rebellion was effectually suppressed. When the news of this event reached England, the nation was transported with joy; both houses of parliament addressed His Majesty on the subject, and passed a vote of thanks to the Duke of Cumberland and the brave troops who had fought under his orders.

The regiment lost in this action Captain Lord Robert Kerr and seventeen men killed; and had Lieut.-Colonel Rich, Captain Romer, Lieutenant Edmonds, Ensigns Campbell and Brown, and one hundred and eight non-commissioned officers and private men, wounded.

After halting a short time at Inverness, the army advanced into the highlands, and encamped in the gloomy valley surrounded by rugged precipices near Fort Augustus, from whence detachments were sent out to search for arms, and for persons who had been engaged in the rebellion, and also to execute summary punishment on the guilty clans. This regiment afterwards marched back to Stirling; and it was employed in home duties for a period of eight years.

Lieut.-General Barrell died on the 9th of August, 1749; and King George II. conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on the lieut.-colonel, Robert Rich, who highly distinguished himself at the battle of Culloden, where he was wounded.

In 1751 a warrant was issued regulating the clothing and colours of the regiments of the line. In this warrant the regiment is styled the "Fourth, or the King's Own Royal Regiment;" and the facing is directed to be blue; the King's Own are also authorized to bear—

"In the centre of their colours the King's cipher on a red ground within the garter, and crown over it; in the three corners of their second colour the Lion of England,[24] being their ancient badge.

"On the grenadier caps the King's cypher, as on the colours, and crown over it; white horse and motto on the flap.

"The drums and bells of arms to have the King's cypher painted on them, in the same manner, and the rank of the regiment underneath."

The regiment remained in Great Britain until the year 1754, when it proceeded to the island of Minorca to relieve the thirty-third regiment, which returned to England.

The island of Minorca, at which the King's Own were stationed, and where they were eventually called upon to perform most arduous and trying services, is the second of the Balearic islands, situated in the Mediterranean near the coast of Spain. This island had fallen successively under the dominion of the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Vandals, the Moors, the Arragonese, and the Castilians, and in 1708 it was captured by the British for the house of Austria; but at the peace of Utrecht, when the Austrian family was excluded from the throne of Spain, it was ceded to Great Britain; it had remained a part of the possessions of the British crown, and was garrisoned by a company of artillery and four regiments of foot. In this small island, which is diversified with hills and valleys, and in some parts rich in vegetation and abounding with the necessaries and many of the luxuries of life, the King's Own passed two years, during which time a dispute between the governments of France and England, respecting the extent of their possessions in North America, had occasioned a war between the two kingdoms, and in the early part of 1756 the French made preparations at Toulon and Marseilles for the capture of Minorca.

At this period the King's Own occupied extensive quarters in the several towns on the island, and their regimental head-quarters were at Ciudadella, the capital. The other corps were at Port-Mahon, which is stated to be one of the finest harbours in the world, and at Fort St. Philip; and the brave Lieut.-General Blakeney was lieut.-governor and commander-in-chief on the island. The regiments on the island were not discouraged at the preparations making in France; on the contrary, an officer, in a letter published at the time, observed,—"Our spirits are so good, our garrison so hearty, and our supplies so ample, that if our works do not defend us, and we defend our works until we can be relieved by a strong hand, we deserve to be buried in their ruins."

The French armament, commanded by Marshal Duke de Richelieu, arrived at Minorca in the middle of April, and effected a landing at Ciudadella on the 18th of that month; and as no part of the island was fortified to resist so powerful a force, excepting Fort St. Philip, situate on a rocky promontory at the entrance to the harbour of Port Mahon, the King's Own were withdrawn from the interior, and effected their retreat to the fort with the loss of one corporal taken prisoner by the enemy.

Preparations were made for a vigorous defence of the fort, and the French commander encountered so gallant and determined a resistance, that he was obliged to send for additional forces. The perseverance and endurance of the garrison became the subject of much admiration, and the vigilance and bravery of the officers inspired the troops with confidence. On the 19th of May the British fleet was descried bearing towards the island, and the men having become much exhausted by hard duty, looked forward for the expected relief with anxiety; but were disappointed: Admiral Byng, after skirmishing with the French squadron, retired, and was afterwards brought to trial for his conduct and shot. Lieut.-General Thomas Fowke, then commanding at Gibraltar, was also brought to trial for not sending a reinforcement from that garrison to Minorca, and was sentenced to be suspended from his appointment for one year. King George II. confirmed the sentence, but directed Lieut.-General Fowke to be dismissed from the service.

Although abandoned to their fate, Lieut.-General Blakeney and the four regiments under his orders defended their post with great gallantry; the men were nearly worn out with incessant duty and watching, so that they frequently fell asleep under a heavy cannonade; yet they persevered with astonishing resolution. About midnight on the 27th of June, a general assault was made at several different points; the garrison met the assailants with great courage, and repulsed them several times with much slaughter; many of the sick and wounded men came out of the hospital to join in the defence. Though repulsed at several points, the enemy, after much hard fighting, gained three of the out-works. Upon this subject a military historian observes,—"So many attacks made at one time against so small a body of men, who had such a variety of works to defend, it is rather a matter of surprise that the enemy were repulsed at so many, and succeeded at so few places."[25]

On the following day conditions of capitulation were tendered. "Thus did four regiments, and one company of artillery, maintain the fort against such numbers of the enemy by sea and land for such a length of time as can, perhaps, scarcely be paralleled in history. The terms on which the fort was at last surrendered by a handful of men, so distressed, so shattered, and so neglected, remain a lasting monument to their honour."[26]

The following is an extract from the articles of capitulation.

"The noble and vigorous defence which the English have made, having deserved all the marks of esteem and veneration which every military man ought to show to such actions, and Marshal Richelieu, being desirous also to show to General Blakeney the regard due to the defence he has made, grants to the garrison all the honours of war they can enjoy under the circumstances of going out for an embarkation; to wit, firelock on their shoulders, drums beating, colours flying, twenty cartridges each man, and also lighted match. He consents also that General Blakeney and his garrison carry away all the effects that belong to them."

During the period the King's Own were engaged in the defence of Fort St. Philip, the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Alexander Duroure from the thirty-eighth regiment, by commission dated the 12th of May, 1756.

The regiment embarked from Minorca immediately after the surrender of Fort St. Philip, and proceeded to Gibraltar, where it remained a few weeks, and subsequently embarked for England. It landed at Torbay in November, and immediately on its arrival it was augmented to two battalions.