Kitabı oku: «Historical Record of the First Regiment of Foot», sayfa 16

James Hepburn, Appointed 26th August, 1636

This officer was cousin to Sir John Hepburn, and heir apparent of the ancient house of Wachton. He was one of the gallant Scots, who, led by a native ardour for military fame, sought renown in foreign lands, and fought under the great Gustavus Adolphus in the glorious attempt made by that monarch to rescue the Protestant princes of Germany from the power of the emperor. In toils, dangers, and triumphs, he was the companion of Sir John Hepburn. He rose to the rank of Lieut. – Colonel in the Swedish army; and having transferred his services to the crown of France, he succeeded Sir John Hepburn in the Colonelcy of the Scots corps, now the Royal Regiment. He was killed in action in Lorraine a few months afterwards; but the particular circumstances connected with his fall have not been ascertained.

Lord James Douglas, Appointed in 1637

Lord James Douglas, second son of William, first Marquis of Douglas, acquired celebrity in the wars between the house of Austria and the Protestant league, and distinguished himself in France, Flanders, Italy, and Germany. He obtained the Colonelcy of the Scots corps, now the Royal Regiment of Foot, in 1637; and was killed while in the command of a flying camp between Douay and Arras in October, 1655. A monument was erected to his memory in the church of St. Germain de Prez, at Paris, with an inscription in Latin.

Lord George Douglas, Appointed 21st October, 1655

Lord George Douglas was the son of William, first Marquis of Douglas, by his second wife Mary, daughter of George, first Marquis of Huntly. In his youth he was page of honour to Louis XIV. Having made choice of the profession of arms, he entered the service of the king of France, and succeeded his brother in the Colonelcy of the Scots Regiment, now the Royal Regiment, in the British line. In 1672 he served with the French army in the Netherlands, and was attached to the division commanded by Marshal Turenne. He afterwards served several campaigns with the French army on the Rhine; highly distinguished himself in the defence of Treves, and was promoted to the rank of Major-General in France. He was created Earl of Dumbarton on the 9th of March, 1675.

In the early part of the reign of King James II. the Earl of Dumbarton was Commander-in-Chief in Scotland; and he commanded the troops which suppressed the rebellion of the Earl of Argyle in the summer of 1685. He was subsequently elected a Knight Companion of the Order of the Thistle. He held the rank of Lieut. – General in England, and was second in command of the army encamped on Hounslow Heath in 1687 and 1688. At the Revolution he adhered to King James II., whom he followed to France, where he died in 1692.

Frederick Duke Schomberg, Appointed 31st December, 1688

Frederick de Schomberg descended from an ancient and noble family of that name of the Palatinate, or Lower Rhine; and, during the struggle made by the Protestant states of Europe against the power of Austria and Spain, he served under Frederick Henry Prince of Orange, after whose death he engaged in the service of the King of France.

Portugal, after having been subject to Spain many years, asserted its independence in 1640; and a sanguinary war commenced between the two kingdoms. The Spaniards had penetrated into the heart of Portugal, and were anticipating its speedy subjugation, when Louis XIV. sent General de Schomberg secretly to the aid of the house of Braganza. He was already famous for his successful defence of Bourbourg against two powerful armies, and for his conduct in the wars in Rouissillon; and, when placed at the head of the Portuguese forces, his name at once aroused the desponding adherents of the Braganza family, and inspired them with new hopes and new expectations. While his presence infused courage into the army, his discretion, for which he was always remarkable, directed its energies to advantage; towns were taken, battles were won, and finally a powerful army headed by Don John of Austria was defeated, and the Spanish monarch forced, in 1668, to acknowledge the independence of Portugal, and to conclude a peace with the house of Braganza. His success excited the surprise of Europe, and his achievements were celebrated by poets and orators in several languages.¹⁴¹

After his success in Portugal he commanded a French force against the Spaniards in Catalonia; and his merits became so conspicuous, that in 1675 he was promoted by Louis XIV. to the dignity of a marshal of France. He subsequently commanded the French army in the Netherlands, and in 1676 he forced the Prince of Orange to raise the siege of Maestricht. In a few years afterwards the king of France endeavoured to suppress the Protestant religion in his kingdom, when Marshal de Schomberg, refusing to become a papist, his services appear to have been, to a certain extent, forgotten. Various means had formerly been used, and prospects of advancement to the highest honours held out, to induce him to change his religion, but in vain; and he now obtained liberty to quit France on condition of his proceeding to Portugal. Soon afterwards he obtained permission to proceed to Germany; and the emperor designed to have placed this distinguished veteran at the head of his armies, but was prevented by the influence of the Jesuits. The Elector of Brandenburg availed himself of the services of Marshal de Schomberg, and appointed him a minister of state, and Generalissimo of Prussia.

When William Prince of Orange (afterwards William III.) was preparing an army for a descent on Britain, to oppose the proceedings of James II., his Highness was desirous of obtaining the services of Marshal de Schomberg, who was considered one of the greatest captains of his time, and, being devoted to the Protestant interest, he consented to accompany the Prince. The success which attended this enterprise enabled his Highness to reward the veteran commander, who was appointed Colonel of the Royal Regiment, and Master-General of the Ordnance. He was also constituted a Knight of the Garter, and created Baron of Teyes, Earl of Brentford, Marquis of Harwich, and Duke Schomberg. During the summer of 1689 he was sent Commander-in-Chief to Ireland to relieve the persecuted Protestants, and to rescue that kingdom from the power of King James; and he was killed at the battle of the Boyne, in July, 1690, while gallantly advancing with a regiment of foot to charge the enemy. Thus terminated the life of this distinguished veteran in the 84th year of his age. He was buried at St. Patrick's, Dublin, where a stone with an inscription was placed over his tomb by the Dean and Chapter of the church.

Sir Robert Douglas, Appointed 5th March, 1691

Amongst the many officers which Scotland has produced, who have signalized themselves in war, few have evinced brighter military virtues than the brave Sir Robert Douglas of Glenbervie. He was second cousin to the Earl of Dumbarton; he served many years in the Royal Regiment, in which he rose to the rank of Lieut. – Colonel; and he was known as a brave and generous aspirant to military fame, when King William III. promoted him to the Colonelcy of the Regiment. Bright prospects of future glory were before him. He had already given astonishing proofs of personal bravery at the battle of Steenkirk, when he saw one of the colours of his regiment in the hands of the French. He instantly rushed forward into the thickest of the enemy's ranks, and rescued the colour at the expense of his life, as more fully detailed in the historical record of the Royal Regiment. He lived beloved and admired, and fell regretted by his sovereign and country, but more particularly by the officers and men of his regiment, with whom he had served in various parts of the world, and in whose breasts his memory was cherished with particular tenderness. By his fall he purchased a renown which more fortunate commanders have failed to acquire; and the story of his gallantry will survive to the remotest ages.

Lord George Hamilton, Appointed 1st August, 1692

Lord George Hamilton, fifth son of William Duke of Hamilton, was an officer in the Royal Regiment in the reign of Charles II., and also of James II.,¹⁴² and, adhering to the Protestant interest at the Revolution in 1688, he was advanced to the rank of Lieut. – Colonel, and on the 1st of March, 1690, to the brevet rank of Colonel. He served under King William III. in Ireland, and distinguished himself at the battle of the Boyne; and in 1691 he was at the siege of Athlone, at the battle of Aghrim, and at the capture of Limerick. In January, 1692, he was appointed Colonel of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, at the head of which corps he distinguished himself at the battle of Steenkirk, and his gallantry was rewarded with the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment. Continuing to serve under King William in the Netherlands, he distinguished himself in 1693 at the unfortunate battle of Landen, and in 1695 at the siege and capture of Namur, and while engaged in this service he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. On the 3rd of January, 1696, he was advanced to the peerage by the title of Baron Dechmont, Viscount of Kirkwall, and Earl of Orkney; and in March, 1702, he was promoted to the rank of Major-General. He served the campaign of this year under the Earl of Marlborough, and was engaged in the siege of Stevenswart. He commanded a brigade of infantry during the campaign of 1703, was advanced to the rank of Lieut. – General, and invested with the Order of the Thistle in 1704; and, having proceeded with the army into the heart of Germany, took part in gaining the glorious victories of Schellenberg and Blenheim. In 1705 he distinguished himself at the siege and capture of Huy; and in the following year at the battle of Ramilies, and the siege of Menin. He also took a distinguished part in the battle of Oudenarde; in covering the siege of Lisle; and in forcing the passage of the Scheldt in 1708. In 1709 he distinguished himself in the movements which preceded and led to the battle of Malplaquet, and during this hard contested action he signalized himself at the head of fifteen battalions of infantry. He also signalized himself at the siege of Douay in 1710; and in the beginning of the following year he was promoted to the rank of General. He was also engaged in passing the French lines in 1711, and commanded twenty battalions of infantry at the siege of Bouchain.

On these occasions the Earl of Orkney had evinced personal bravery and military talents of a superior character. At the close of the war he was a member of the Privy Council, and Governor of Edinburgh Castle. On the accession of George I. he was appointed one of the Lords of the Bedchamber to His Majesty, and Governor of Virginia; and in January, 1736, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. He was many years one of the sixteen representatives of the Scottish peerage, and died in January, 1737.

Honourable James St. Clair, Appointed 27th June, 1737

This officer entered the army in the reign of Queen Anne, and had the honour of serving under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough. He was several years in the 3rd Foot Guards; and in 1722 he obtained the brevet rank of Colonel. In October, 1734, King George II. appointed him Colonel of the 22nd Foot; and in 1737 promoted him to the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment. He obtained the rank of Brigadier-General in 1739, that of Major-General in 1741, and Lieut. – General in June, 1745, at which time he was performing the duty of Quarter-Master General to the army in the Netherlands, commanded by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland. In the following year he commanded an expedition which was originally designed for an attack on the French settlements in Canada; but was countermanded, and afterwards made an attack on the French sea-port L'Orient, and on the peninsula of Quiberon.¹⁴³ He was subsequently employed on an embassy to the courts of Vienna and Turin.¹⁴⁴ On the decease of his brother in 1750, he became entitled to the dignity of Lord Sinclair, a Scottish peerage; but he preferred a seat in the House of Commons, of which he had been many years a member, and he therefore did not assume the title. He was promoted to the rank of General in 1761, and died at Dysart in November, 1762.

Sir Henry Erskine, Bart., Appointed 17th December, 1762

Sir Henry Erskine was an officer of the Royal Regiment, in which corps he was appointed Captain on the 12th March, 1743; in April, 1746, he was promoted to the rank of Lieut. – Colonel, and held the appointment of Deputy Quarter-Master General to the expedition under Lieut. – General St. Clair, which made a descent on the French coast, in which service he was wounded. In June, 1759, he was promoted to the rank of Major-General; and in October, 1760, he obtained the Colonelcy of the 67th regiment, from which he was removed in 1761 to the 25th Regiment, and in 1762 to the Colonelcy of the Royals. He was a Member of Parliament, and Secretary to the Order of the Thistle, and died in August, 1765.

John Marquis of Lorne, Appointed 11th September, 1765

John Campbell entered the army in the reign of King George II., and was appointed Lieut. – Colonel of the 54th Regiment, now the 43rd Light Infantry, on the 25th of April, 1745, and served a short time on the Continent. The rebellion breaking out in Scotland in the same year, he quitted the Netherlands, and joined General Hawley with 1000 Argyleshire highlanders in January, 1746, on the day of the unfortunate battle of Falkirk. He subsequently joined the Duke of Cumberland at Perth, and accompanied his Royal Highness to the north. In November, 1755, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel, and appointed Aide-de-camp to the King. In the following month he obtained the Colonelcy of the 54th Regiment, then first embodied, from which he was removed in April, 1757, to the 14th Dragoons, and two years afterwards he was promoted to the rank of Major-General, and appointed Colonel of the Argyleshire Fencibles. In January, 1761, he was promoted to the rank of Lieut. – General. On the decease of his uncle, Archibald, third Duke of Argyle, in 1761, his father, General John Campbell, of the Scots Greys, succeeded to that title, and Lieut. – General Campbell of the 14th Dragoons obtained the designation of Marquis of Lorne. In 1762 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in Scotland, and in 1765 he obtained the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment of Foot. He was again appointed Commander-in-Chief in Scotland in 1767, and in 1770 he succeeded to the title of Duke of Argyle. In March, 1778, he was promoted to the rank of General; four years afterwards he was removed from the Royals to the 3rd Foot Guards, and he was advanced to the rank of Field Marshal in 1796. The many virtues for which his Grace was distinguished occasioned him to be highly honoured and respected in society; and he died lamented on the 24th of May, 1806, in the 83rd year of his age.

Lord Adam Gordon, Appointed 9th May, 1782

Lord Adam Gordon, fourth son of Alexander second Duke of Gordon, was appointed Captain in the 18th Royal Irish Regiment of Foot on the 12th of December, 1746, and Captain and Lieut. – Colonel in the Third Foot Guards on the 2nd of January, 1756. In 1758 he proceeded with the expedition under General Bligh against the French coast; was at the capture of Cherbourg, and the descent on the coast of Brittany, and distinguished himself at the head of his company while bringing up the rear of the army when attacked by the enemy during the embarkation at St. Cass. He was promoted to the Colonelcy of the 66th Regiment in January, 1763, and subsequently held a command in North America. In May, 1772, he was promoted to the rank of Major-General; in December, 1775, he was removed to the 26th Cameronians; and in the following year he rose to the rank of Lieut. – General. He was appointed Governor of Tynemouth Castle in 1778; was removed to the Royal Regiment in 1782; and appointed Commander-in-Chief in Scotland in 1789. He was further promoted to the rank of General in 1793, and in 1796 he was appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle. He was several years a Member of Parliament, but vacated his seat in 1788. He prided himself much on being Colonel of the Royal Regiment, and took particular interest in everything connected with the corps. His decease took place in August, 1801.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, Appointed 21st August, 1801

During the early part of this century the Royal Regiment of Foot had the honour of being commanded by a Prince who was distinguished alike for his social and military virtues, – namely, Field Marshal His Royal Highness Edward Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the father of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen Victoria.

Prince Edward, fourth son of His Majesty King George III., was born on the 2nd of November, 1767. In the eighteenth year of his age he proceeded to Germany for the completion of his studies, and resided successively at Lunenburg and Hanover, and was appointed, on the 30th of May, 1786, Colonel of the Hanoverian Guards. During the succeeding year he removed to Geneva, and while pursuing his studies at this place, His Majesty conferred upon him the Colonelcy of the 7th Royal Fusiliers. Early in 1790 he returned to England; and after passing a few days with his family he embarked, in obedience to the King's command, for Gibraltar, in order to acquire a knowledge of garrison duty under Major-General O'Hara. While at Gibraltar he commanded for several months the 2nd, or Queen's Regiment, until the arrival of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, as a reinforcement to the garrison, in August, 1790. In 1791 he sailed with his regiment from Gibraltar for Quebec; and while serving in Canada he was promoted to the rank of Major-General. From North America he proceeded, during the winter of 1793-4, through the United States to Boston, where he embarked for the West Indies, and joined the army under General Sir Charles Grey, at the commencement of the siege of Fort Bourbon, in the island of Martinique, and commanded the detached camp at La Coste, above Point à Petre. During the several attacks His Royal Highness's conduct excited the admiration of the army: his life was frequently exposed to the most imminent peril; and his aides-de-camp, Captain, afterwards General Sir Frederick, Wetherall, and Lieutenant Vesey, were wounded near his Royal Highness's person.¹⁴⁵ In compliment to the gallantry evinced by His Royal Highness on this occasion, the lower fort, called Fort Royal, was subsequently named Fort Edward.

After the capture of Martinique, the army proceeded to St. Lucie; and His Royal Highness commanded the grenadier brigade, which, in conjunction with the light infantry brigade, under Major-General Thomas Dundas, formed the storming-party which carried Morne Fortuné. From St. Lucie the army proceeded to the island of Guadaloupe; and the flank companies were detached under Prince Edward and Major-General Dundas, who succeeded in gaining possession of Morne Marscot and Fleur D'Epée, commanding Point à Petre. His conduct again excited admiration, and His Royal Highness received the thanks of Parliament. After the capture of the French West India Islands¹⁴⁶, His Royal Highness returned to North America, and was shortly afterwards appointed Commander of the Forces in Nova Scotia and its dependencies. On the 12th of January, 1796, he was promoted to the rank of Lieut. – General; and, having returned to England on account of ill health, he was created, on the 23rd of April, 1799, Earl of Dublin, in Ireland, and Duke of Kent and Strathearn, in Great Britain; in the following month he was promoted to the rank of General, and appointed Commander-in-Chief of all the forces in British North America. On his return to North America his arrival was greeted by all ranks; and during his stay in that country he introduced numerous improvements in the system of conducting public business. In August, 1800, His Royal Highness returned to England; and in the following year he was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment of Foot. In 1802 he was appointed Governor of the important fortress of Gibraltar, whither he immediately proceeded; and while attempting to effect the removal of several long-existing abuses and irregularities, His Royal Highness experienced that opposition which has attended every attempt to remedy evils, when the private interests and privileges of individuals are concerned. The Duke of Kent returned in 1803 to England, where he continued to reside upwards of fifteen years. He was promoted to the rank of Field-Marshal on the 5th of September, 1805; he was also elected a Knight of the Garter; constituted a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath; and appointed Keeper and Ranger of Hampton Court Park.

During the period His Royal Highness resided in England the Royal Regiment of Foot experienced the advantage of his constant care and anxiety for its interests, and of his influence in the kingdom. It was recruited with facility, and he had the satisfaction of having four battalions on foreign service, amounting to 5000 men, at the same time in three different quarters of the globe. The attachment of His Royal Highness to his corps was evinced on all occasions, and he frequently expressed himself in terms of exultation at its achievements. His concern was not, however, limited to his regiment, as there was scarcely a public charity in the metropolis which did not derive benefit from his patronage, personal eloquence, and contributions, and over many he presided. His private acts of benevolence, in the cases of widows and orphans who were known to His Royal Highness as deserving objects of relief, were very numerous, and the instances of his charity and philanthropy were attested by the grateful acknowledgments of those who had no claim on His Royal Highness's bounty beyond the circumstance of a husband, father, or other relative, having performed faithful service under his command. The provision made by His Majesty's Government for His Royal Highness had not been equal to his necessary expenditure to support the dignity of a Prince of the royal blood, particularly for the periods he was on foreign service; and in 1816 economical views induced him to proceed to the Continent. In May, 1818, he was married at Coburg, according to the Lutheran rites, to Her Serene Highness Victoria Maria Louisa, youngest daughter of the late reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg. Shortly after the solemnities the royal pair proceeded to England, and were remarried at Kew Palace on the 11th of July, 1818, according to the rites of the Church of England. In a few weeks after this ceremony the Duke returned with his bride to the Continent; in the succeeding year they revisited England; and on the 24th of May, 1819, the Duchess gave birth, at Kensington Palace, to a daughter, named Alexandrina Victoria, Her present Majesty.

In a few months after this happy event this amiable Prince, whose social, private, and public virtues endeared him to his family and friends, and procured him a place in the affections of the British people, was attacked by pulmonary inflammation, produced by accidental cold, and he died at his temporary residence at Sidmouth on the 23rd of January, 1820. The remains of His Royal Highness were removed from Sidmouth and deposited in the royal vault at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor Castle, on the 12th of February, 1820, with the usual honours and solemnities observed at the funerals of the members of the Royal Family.