HER MAJESTY'S ARMY A DESCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF THE VARIOUS REGIMENTS NOW COMPRISING THE QUEEN'S FORCES, FROM THEIR FIRST ESTABLISHMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME BY WALTER RICHARDS Coloured ^lustrations M&> IN FOUR DIVISIONS DIV. IV. LONDON J. S. VIRTUE & CO., LIMITED 294, CITY ROAD AND 26, IVY LANE TERRITORIAL REGIMENTS. 177 brigade and suffered severely, having five officers killed, seven wounded, and their Lieutenant- Colonel taken prisoner. The following year they were engaged in covering the siege of Hay, and the only British officer killed during this campaign was Captain Sacheverell of the 14th. In 1695 they were employed at various sieges, notably at that of Naniur, where, as Tidcombe's Foot, they "crowned themselves with glory ;" and throughout the later battles of that year they followed the dashing lead of the gallant Lord Cutts. For the following two or three years they were stationed in Ireland, whence, however, they sent detachments at various times to join the British army in Spain. When Prince Charles Edward made his attempt in 1715 the 14th were summoned to Scotland, and fought as Jaspar Clayton's Foot at Dunblane, and four years later at Glenshiel, where Captains Moore and Heighinton were wounded. In 1727 they went to Gibraltar, of which their Colonel, Jaspar Clayton, was Lieutenant-Governor, and assisted in its successful defence against the Spaniards, remaining there for several years. The 14th were not at Dettingen, but amongst those who fell there was their gallant Colonel, who was on the staff. They fought at Falkirk in 1746 as Price's Foot, and were in the first line in the division of General Cholmondcley. Complete though the defeat of King George's army was, the 14th have little to reproach them- selves with, they and the King's Own made a determined stand and withstood the " fury of the charging Highland host with astonishing firmness, evincing most heroic valour under circumstances of peculiar danger and difficulty." At Culloden they were to America again in the first line, and fortunately did not incur much loss. They went in 17G6 and five years later to St. Vincent, returning to America in 1773. Though battle the regiment was not as a whole engaged at Bunker's Hill, they lost in that two of their officers who were employed on the staff. A few months later the 14th distin- guished themselves at an action known as that of Great Bridge, but do not seem to have and been very actively engaged during the remainder of the War of Independence, returned to England in 1777. After a short sojourn in Jamaica in 1782, they took part to arrive. iu the campaign in Holland eleven years later, being one of the first regiments They fought at Famars in May, 1793. On this occasion it is related that the Bedford- of men shire Kegiment, as they had been styled in 1782, being mainly composed young who had never been in action before, though evincing the most daring courage, got called a somewhat out of order. Colonel Doyle, seeing this, galloped to the front, halt, reinforced the ranks, and then, bidding the band strike up the French Eepublican in measure air, Ca ira, led them on to the charge. The loss of the regiment, owing great VOL. II. A. A ARM'}'. 1 7 8 HER MAJESTY'S to this action of their Colonel, was slight, and they were specially thanked in General Orders. At Valenciennes a hundred volunteers were required from the 14th to join the forlorn hope. Colonel Doyle assembled his men and, pointing out the danger of the to undertake it enterprise, requested that those who were prepared should "recover" " arms. Instantly the whole regiment "recovered as one man, and their Colonel, with of genuine pride and emotion, directed that instead any volunteering, which all were each should be ready to do, the first ten men of company chosen. In the operations about Dunkirk to quote an instance which is typical of the enthusiastic devotion which has ever characterised the 14th when the deep ditch threatened to prove a formidable obstacle, Lieutenant Clapham jumped in and stood with the water up to his arm-pits, that the grenadiers might use his shoulders as stepping-stones to the other side ! They at Landrecies and Cateau at fought ; Tournay they particularly distinguished themselves, gaining the first name on their colours. They were for a long time isolated from the " rest of the army and hemmed in on all sides by the whole weight and power of the enemy's overwhelming numbers." Eetreat became inevitable, though to retreat seemed almost to court annihilation. Yet, "surrounded by the enemy, fired on by artillery and infantry, and menaced by cavalry," the gallant 14th moved as though at a review. There was no or excitement in defeat as in and hurry ; victory they were, knew that one of the finest of the finest in the world their retreat they were, regiments army ; was dignified, deliberate, defiant. On the road by which they must pass was erected a strong barricade behind which the enemy had gathered in force. At this last disaster " even the brave General expressed his fear that they must surrender. No, sir," replied Captain Clapham, "the 14th can cut through them." And the 14th did cut through them, and received from friends and foes alike the meed of praise due to as gallant an action as any troops ever performed. Again at Guildermalsen they evinced the same heroic courage, and returned home in 1795, having gained a reputation second to none. In 1796 they fought at St. Lucia and St. Vincent, receiving the thanks of Abercrombie, who, when it was decided that the 14th were not to accompany him on his further expeditions, expressed his regret with the very distinguished compliment that "he did not think any service could go on well without them." A second battalion which had been formed fought at Corunna, where, under Colonel Nicholls of the regiment, they greatly distinguished themselves in driving the French out of the adjoining village. They fought also at "Walcheren with equal distinction. The 1st battalion were in engaged 1810 at the Mauritius, and the following year won "Java" TERRITORIAL REGIMENTS. , 79 for their their under colours by splendid courage, Colonel Watson, at the storming of Cornelis. The further disturbances in Java occupied them for some months, after which they experienced some active service amongst the pirates at Borneo. The 14th were represented at Waterloo by a third battalion, which, under Colonel Tidy, was brigaded with the 23rd and 51st in the Fourth Division. It is needless to recount again the oft- told tale of the at Waterloo suffice it here to that the General's victory ; say Eeport " declared that the 3rd battalion of the in this its 14th, first trial, displayed a gallantry and steadiness veteran troops." were also at after becoming They engaged Cambray ; which, in common with many others, the 3rd battalion of the 14th were disbanded. In the year of Waterloo the 1st battalion were serving in Nepaul, and for the following years were engaged in the almost constant struggle with the Pindarees and Mahrattas. Bhurt- pore, in 1825, brought fresh honours to the 14th. Two lieutenant-colonels of the regiment Colonels M'Combe and Edwards were acting as brigadiers, and the regiment itself was commanded by Major Everard. At the terrible explosion which cleared the way for the stormers, Colonel M'Combe was severely struck by the falling debris, but the regiment, " in splendid order and high spirits," fought their way into the breach. When the stronghold surrendered, the Commander-in- Chief entered at the head of the 14th a graceful compliment to the signal valour they had displayed. They returned home in 1831, and five years later went to the West Indies, where, and in Canada, their time was chiefly passed till the Crimean War. Early in January they landed at the Crimea, and took part in the assault of the 18th of June. The 2nd battalion, raised in 1858, was ordered to New Zealand, and served in the Maori Wars of 1860 to 1863, remaining abroad till 1870. The same battalion subsequently took part in the Afghan campaign of 1879 80, gaining thereby the last distinction on their honoured colours. The 14th (2nd Battalion) were at Lucknow when they received orders to join the Reserve Division of the force in northern Afghanistan. They proceeded to Peshawar, and thence, with General Hill's Brigade, to Jamrud, subsequently moving to Laudi Kotal and Pesh Bolak. In the following May they took part in the action of Mazina, where General Gile successfully encountered and dispersed the Afghans under Ghulam Ahmad. la the Order published by the General, he thus refers to the regiment: "The Second Battalion of the 14th, although composed chiefly of young soldiers, behaved with great in their steadiness, coolness and gallantry, and were kept well hand by commanding action officer, Colonel Warren, assisted by the company officers. The was well calculated to produce wild firing, but there was none. Captain Noyes (of the regiment) behaved A A 2 i8o HER MAJESTY'S ARMY. with great gallantry in storming a sungah, in which he got wounded, and the Brigadier- General will have much pleasure in bringing his name to the notice of the Major- General Commanding." The next month four companies of the regiment joined a and in column commanded by their officer, Colojiel Warren, were employed destroying some of the enemy's defences near Sunga Seraj, returning two months later to India.* In treating of the EOYAL MARINES f we find ourselves treating of a corps which, so to speak, are in themselves, " abstracts and brief chronicles of the time," during which, by sea and by land, the Island Empire has forced its way to the foremost place amidst the nations of the earth.