Chapter III: Part 3

The _battalion_ companies of the regiment had remained in Canada, where they eventually were joined by the _flank_ companies. On the 12th of March, 1781, the _light company_ was detached to Lake Champlain, with a view of reconnoitring the neighbourhood, and effecting the destruction of the military stores left at Ticonderago by Lieut.-General Burgoyne. The object was partly accomplished, and Captain Andrew Ross, who commanded the company, gained great credit for the skill and conduct he displayed in this difficult enterprise. The party consisted, in addition to the _light company_ of the THIRTY-FIRST, of men selected from the different Provincial corps, with a few Indians. It was in the spring of the year, when the ice was breaking up, and the operations were attended with difficulties and great privations. The men suffered so severely from fatigue, that the Provincials and Indians dropped off by degrees, and the party was reduced, on its return, to the _light company_ only.

During July the THIRTY-FIRST regiment was encamped on the Plain of Abraham, memorable as the scene of the British victory over the French under the Marquis de Montcalm, on the 13th September, 1759, by which Quebec was gained to England, and in which battle the celebrated Major-General Wolfe lost his life.

[Sidenote: 1782]

In October, 1781, the British army under Lieut.-General the Earl Cornwallis, after a gallant defence against the combined French and American forces, was compelled to surrender to General Washington at York-Town. The enormous expense of carrying on the war with America, so distant from the seat of preparation and power, with the other evils attending this memorable and ever-to-be regretted contest, were so apparent, that the desire for peace became general, and King George III. at length conceded the Independence of the United States. The Preliminary Articles of Peace were signed at Paris on the 30th of November, 1782, by the Commissioners of the King of Great Britain and by those of the American Congress, and the Treaty was concluded in the ensuing February.

While the THIRTY-FIRST was stationed in Canada, a letter, dated the 31st of August, 1782, conveyed to the regiment His Majesty’s pleasure that _County-titles_ should be given to the regiments of infantry, and the THIRTY-FIRST was directed to assume the name of the HUNTINGDONSHIRE regiment, in order that a connexion between the corps and that county should be cultivated, which might be useful in furthering the success of the recruiting service.

[Sidenote: 1783]

The preliminaries of the treaties between England, France, and Spain, were signed at Versailles on the 20th of January, 1783. St. Lucia was restored to France, also the settlements on the river Senegal, and the city of Pondicherry in the East Indies. France relinquished all her West India conquests, with the exception of Tobago; Spain retained Minorca (which she had captured in the previous year) and West Florida; East Florida was ceded in exchange for the restitution of the Bahamas to Great Britain.

On the 2nd of September, 1783, were signed the Preliminary Articles of Peace with Holland, the peace with that country having been postponed in consequence of the Dutch claiming an indemnification for the expenses of the war, and the restoration of Trincomalee, in Ceylon, which had been captured from the Dutch by the English, in January, 1782, and retaken by the French in August following. The place was, however, restored to Holland.

[Sidenote: 1787]

After eleven years’ service in North America, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked, on the 4th of October, 1787, at Quebec, and on the 7th of November landed at Portsmouth.

During the two following years the regiment remained in Great Britain.

[Sidenote: 1789]

In the year 1789 was effected the French Revolution; the Bastile was stormed by the Parisians on the 14th of July, and the Governor put to death. The National Assembly passed several decrees abolishing all the relies of the feudal system. On the 20th of August a declaration of rights was agreed on to serve as the basis of the French constitution. A national force was embodied, and no vestige of the old government remained, except a King without power, and a Court without splendour.

In the summer of 1789 two British vessels were seized by the commander of a Spanish frigate at Nootka Sound, on the western coast of North America, where a settlement had recently been established for carrying on the fur-trade with the natives. The settlement was taken possession of by Spain, and the British crews were made prisoners. The Government, on receiving this intelligence, called upon the Court of Madrid to make satisfaction for these injuries, and great preparations were made for war by both countries.

[Sidenote: 1790]

Accordingly in July, 1790, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at Spithead on board the fleet to perform its _original_ service of MARINES, in the event of a war with Spain, which appeared probable. The negotiations were protracted to a considerable length of time, but on the 28th of October a convention was entered into, by which Spain agreed to make reparation for the injuries sustained, and to restore Nootka.

[Sidenote: 1791]

In July, 1791, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment was sent hastily to Birmingham, to aid in the suppression of very serious disturbances, which broke out there in consequence of the celebration of the anniversary of the French Revolution, on the 14th of July, 1791, by a party of the “Friends of Freedom,” at a tavern. The populace destroyed the house and chapel of Dr. Priestley, the eminent philosopher, and burned many of the dwellings of those suspected to be friendly to the French cause. The troops employed were praised for their regularity and forbearance on this occasion.

When order had been restored in Birmingham, an outbreak among the miners at Whitehaven called for the assistance of the military, and the regiment was again employed in the delicate as well as unpleasant duty of aiding the civil power in the suppression of riot.

[Sidenote: 1792]

Major-General James Stuart was appointed from the half-pay of the Ninetieth regiment to the Colonelcy of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment on the 8th of February, 1792, in succession to Lieutenant-General Thomas Clarke, removed to the Thirtieth regiment.

On the 17th of April, 1792, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at Port Patrick for Ireland.

[Sidenote: 1793]

Colonel Henry Lord Mulgrave, from the Grenadier Guards, was appointed Colonel of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment on the 8th of February, 1793, in succession to Major-General James Stuart, deceased. His Lordship subsequently assumed the command of the regiment at Waterford, as its Colonel; and, after inspecting the corps in the field, entertained the officers at dinner.

Meanwhile, Louis XVI. had been decapitated, and the progress of democracy menaced Europe with universal anarchy. On the 1st of February the National Convention of France declared war against Great Britain and Holland, and the British Government prepared for hostilities. A large army was sent, under the command of the Duke of York, to join the Austrian and Prussian allies. Several engagements occurred, and the French gained possession of the Austrian Netherlands. Holland opened her principal towns to the enemy, and they were garrisoned by French troops.

In September, 1793, the _flank_ companies of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked for Barbadoes, for the purpose of taking part in the capture of the French West India Islands.

[Sidenote: 1794]

In the beginning of 1794 an armament was assembled at Barbadoes, of which the _flank_ companies of the THIRTY-FIRST formed part, and early in February the expedition, under Admiral Sir John Jervis and General Sir Charles (afterwards Earl) Grey, sailed for _Martinique_. After some sharp fighting the island was taken possession of by General Sir Charles Grey, on the 22nd of March.[21]

From Martinique the _grenadiers_, under Prince Edward (afterwards Duke of Kent), the _light_ infantry, under Major-General Dundas, and three other regiments, embarked on the 30th of March for _St. Lucia_, where they arrived on the 1st of April, and the conquest of that island was effected in three days; His Royal Highness Prince Edward, with his brigade of grenadiers, and Major-General Dundas, with his brigade of light infantry, taking possession of St. Lucia on the 4th of April. The flank companies of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment were afterwards employed in the reduction of the island of _Guadaloupe_. A determined resistance was made by the enemy; but the island was captured by the 20th of April.

France did not view with indifference the loss of these valuable possessions, and in June a French armament arrived at _Guadaloupe_ for the recovery of that island. The light company, under Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Andrew Ross, highly distinguished itself on the night of the 13th of June, in attacking the enemy near _Point-à-Petre_. General Sir Charles Grey stated in his despatch:--

“Brevet Major Ross,[22] of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, who was
with the light infantry, behaved with great gallantry and good
conduct on this occasion, as he has done on every other.”

The light company also participated in a night attack on Fort _Fleur d’Epée_ between the 25th and 26th of June; on the day following, Brigadier-General Symes, with the grenadiers and light infantry, attacked the enemy, who was driven to Morne Mascot, where he again made resistance, but being charged with the bayonet, he fled into Fort Fleur d’Epée.

Lieut.-Colonel Ross, of the THIRTY-FIRST, commanded the second battalion of light infantry on these occasions.

Lieut.-Colonel Colin Graham, of the twenty-first Royal North British Fusiliers, was appointed to the command of the troops in Basse Terre, and he defended _Berville_ camp with the utmost gallantry until the 6th of October, when he was forced to surrender,--his force having become reduced by excessive exertion, and the unhealthiness of the climate, to one hundred and twenty-five rank and file fit for duty.

The troops at Guadaloupe suffered severely from the climate, and the arduous duties they had to perform, and could only muster 389 soldiers fit for duty on the 1st of September.[23]

By the articles of capitulation the British troops were to march out with the honors of war, and it was agreed to send the garrison to England on board French ships, as soon as transports were ready. The latter part of the agreement was not, however, complied with, as they remained prisoners for more than a year afterwards, during which time many of them died. The garrison consisted of the flank companies of the 17th, 31st, and 34th regiments; the 39th, 43rd, 56th (three companies), and 65th regiments. Their loss in the different actions between the 27th of September and the 6th of October amounted to two officers killed and five wounded; twenty-five non-commissioned officers and privates killed, and fifty-one wounded.

During the year 1794 Lieutenants Davies, Mackenzie, and Williams, of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, died of fever contracted in the West Indies.

The whole island of Guadaloupe, with the exception of Fort Matilda, had been recaptured by the French: this fort was defended by the troops under Lieut.-General Prescott until the 10th of December, when it was evacuated by the British.

On the 12th of July, 1794, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at Wexford for England, disembarked at Bristol, and marched thence to Southampton.

The regiment, on the 25th of July, 1794, was augmented to ten battalion and two flank companies; and on the 17th of August following embarked for Holland, where it was stationed at Middleburg and Flushing, in the island of Walcheren, but was not employed on any particular duty.

[Sidenote: 1795]

In this year the regiment returned to England, and landed at Plymouth on the 27th of February, 1795.

A camp was formed in the month of August, at Nursling, near Southampton, which the THIRTY-FIRST regiment joined on the 25th of that month, and received a reinforcement to its strength in drafts from the 43rd, 88th, 92nd, and 94th regiments, which raised its establishment to 1000 rank and file, with a second lieutenant-colonel, a major, and one additional lieutenant to each company, besides two recruiting companies.

On the 25th of October, 1795, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked for the West Indies, as part of the armament which had been prepared for the deliverance of the French West India Islands from the power of republicanism, and to reduce to obedience the insurgents of St. Vincent and Grenada. The expedition, commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, sailed with the immense fleet, under the convoy of a squadron of the Royal Navy, commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Hugh Christian. The troops amounted to about 25,000 men, in the highest state of equipment; and the armament on quitting the British shores presented a magnificent spectacle, calculated to impress the mind with a just idea of the power of England; but it unfortunately happened that the voyage had been delayed until a very late period of the year; three attempts were made to get under weigh, and each was prevented by the violence of the weather: many ships were driven from their anchors and stranded.

Three hundred sail got under weigh on the 11th of November, when an accident to the Admiral rendered the attempt of no avail. On the 15th another endeavour was overcome by the tempestuous weather. At length the fleet sailed, but it had scarcely got clear of the Isle of Wight, when another severe storm obliged the vessels that had ridden through it with safety to return to Portsmouth.

With great difficulty and exertion Admiral Christian collected the remainder of his convoy, and again sailed on the 9th of December, but four days afterwards a storm destroyed many of the transports, and so scattered the fleet as to render a re-union impossible.

[Sidenote: 1796]

Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby sailed in the “Arethusa” frigate, with such vessels as could be collected, and on the 14th of March, 1796, arrived at Barbadoes.

The THIRTY-FIRST regiment, having weathered the storm, which had dispersed the fleet in the Channel, proceeded on the voyage, but was unable to make good the passage, and on the 5th of February, 1796, after being six weeks at sea struggling against the violent tempests, the regiment was landed at Gosport, whence it marched to Poole, in Dorsetshire; the regiment was not long inactive, as on the 19th of March it was again on board ship at Southampton, and proceeded to its original destination.

On the 1st of May the THIRTY-FIRST arrived off the island of _St. Lucia_, on which Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby had already effected a landing. The regiment disembarked immediately, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Hay, and was cantoned near the point of disembarkation at Choc Bay. The fortress of _Morne Fortunée_ was invested by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby; _Morne Chabot_, another strong position, having been carried with great gallantry by Brigadier-General (afterwards Sir John) Moore.

The batteries against _Morne Fortunée_ were opened on the 14th of May, and on the night of the 17th the strong outpost of _La Vigie_ was assaulted. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment marched from its position, near Choc Bay, at sunset, for the purpose of a night-attack upon this post, which was remarkably strong. It formed a peninsula, accessible only by a narrow isthmus, and commanded the entrance on one side of the Carenage harbour. The post was defended by two batteries; the first placed midway upon the acclivity, and the second on the summit of the height. The approaches to both were by a circuitous path, and the guide who accompanied the regiment was mortally wounded by the first fire from the enemy’s piquet stationed on the isthmus. The regiment, being ignorant of the country, missed the proper direction. Lieut.-Colonel Hay ordered it to ascend the hill _en force_, which was done, although attended with great difficulty from the precipitous nature of the ground. The first battery was gallantly carried by storm, and the enemy retired to the higher one. The regiment was unfortunately separated in the ascent, and was unable to make a concentrated and effectual attack upon the works that crowned the height, which it nevertheless, in spite of all obstacles, bravely attempted, but the enemy’s grape-shot took such effect that the regiment was obliged to withdraw, after a severe struggle.

The THIRTY-FIRST had Captains Johnson and Walker, four serjeants, and eighty rank and file _killed_; Lieut.-Colonels Hay and Arbuthnot, Captains Murray and Sorrell, Lieutenants Sullivan and Hawkshaw, four serjeants, and one hundred and twenty-one rank and file _wounded_.

On the 25th of May the island of St. Lucia capitulated, and the THIRTY-FIRST, forty-fourth, forty-eighth, and fifty-fifth regiments, under Brigadier-General Moore, were selected to occupy the place. The possession of the island was not a quiet one; small bodies of French, who had deserted from the different fortresses at their capitulation, withdrew into the interior, and joined the runaway slaves and Caribs; taking advantage of the impenetrable nature of the country, they formed themselves into bands for the purpose of molesting the British, and plundering the planters and other residents of the island. Brigadier-General Moore took the field, and penetrated with his force into the wildest quarters of the mountains, in order to eradicate these predatory bands.

The THIRTY-FIRST was employed on this harassing duty, and suffered much from fatigue, privation, and continual exposure; on the service being concluded, the regiment went into quarters at _Vieux Fort_, and other posts, when it became so unhealthy that the authorities were compelled to remove the corps from the island. The deaths among the men were for a time sixteen each day; on the embarkation of the regiment, on the 22nd of December, for Barbadoes, it had scarcely a soldier fit for duty; and on its disembarkation there, six days afterwards, it became necessary to send the entire regiment into hospital, which was the _second_ time the THIRTY-FIRST had been rendered unserviceable from sickness, the corps having suffered in a similar manner while stationed in Florida in the year 1765.

During the year 1796 the regiment had lost seventeen officers, and eight hundred and seventy men, including those who fell in the attack of _La Vigie_, in St. Lucia.

In the previous year Prussia had concluded a peace with the French republic, and, in consequence of the United Provinces of Holland having leagued with France, England had taken possession of the Cape of Good Hope; in February, 1796, the island of Ceylon was also captured from the Dutch by Great Britain. The former allies of England now became converted into enemies. War was declared by Holland, which had been constituted the Batavian republic, against Great Britain in May, and Spain followed the example in October. In the same month Lord Malmesbury was sent to Paris to negotiate a peace on the part of the British Government, but the French insisted upon retaining, as integral parts of the republic, the conquests lately made: these terms could not be acceded to consistently with the general interests of Europe, and the negotiation was discontinued.

[Sidenote: 1797]

On the 14th of February, 1797, the combined fleets of France and Spain were defeated off Cape St. Vincent, by Admiral Sir John Jervis, afterwards created Earl St. Vincent, on account of this glorious victory, for which the honor of knighthood was also conferred on Commodore (afterwards Admiral Viscount) Nelson. On the 18th of February the Spanish island of Trinidad surrendered to a British force under Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby.

In April, 1797, Austria signed the preliminaries of peace with the French Republic, and, in July, Lord Malmesbury was sent a second time to negotiate a treaty, but the demands of the French Directory rendered the attempt abortive.

In the year 1797 the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, greatly reduced in numbers, embarked for England and landed at Gravesend in July; it mustered only _eighty-five_ men, including serjeants, drummers, and rank and file. Shortly after disembarkation the regiment marched to Doncaster, and remained at stations between that place, Hull, and York, for the two following years.

In this year alarming mutinies occurred on board the fleet at Spithead and the Nore, but the British seamen nobly redeemed their character on the 11th of October, 1797, in the victory gained by Admiral Duncan (who was in consequence created Viscount Duncan), over the Dutch fleet, off Camperdown, which was proceeding to join that of the French at Brest.

On the 17th of October the definitive treaty of peace between Austria and the French republic was signed at Campo Formio, so that Great Britain was left to continue the contest single-handed with France and her allies.

[Sidenote: 1798]

The threat of invasion, renewed by France, called forth the patriotic feelings of the British nation; the militia force was increased, and volunteer corps were formed in every part of the kingdom.

Napoleon Bonaparte, against whose legions in the Peninsula, in subsequent years, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment acquired great renown, was now rising step by step to that Imperial sway which he afterwards attained. The French Directory, jealous of his ambition, sent him on the expedition to Egypt, with the view of acting from that country against the British empire in India. Napoleon took Alexandria by storm, and soon established himself at Cairo. The Sublime Porte, incensed by the invasion of Egypt, declared war against France, and formed an alliance with Russia. The fleet, which had conveyed the expedition to Egypt, was almost destroyed by Admiral Nelson in _Aboukir Bay_ on the 1st of August. So large a portion of the French army being thus secluded in a distant land, gave fresh impulse to the Allies, and in November the island of _Minorca_ surrendered to the British arms. In December the co-operation of Russia against France was secured by Great Britain.

[Sidenote: 1799]

At this period of the war the soldiers of the English militia regiments were permitted to extend their services to the regular army;--the THIRTY-FIRST regiment received eight hundred and fifty-three volunteers from the militia.

In March, 1799, war was declared by the French Directory against Austria, and the combined Austrian and Russian armies were so successful as to recover the greater portion of Italy.

In August, 1799, a corresponding attempt was made by Great Britain to recover Holland from the dominion of France, and a numerous army was selected to proceed to that country, under His Royal Highness the Duke of York. Previously to the arrival of the Duke of York, the army was commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, K.B., with the local rank of General.

The THIRTY-FIRST regiment marched to Deal, embarked for Holland on the 8th of September, and arrived at the Helder on the 15th of the same month. The THIRTY-FIRST and other regiments were embarked after the departure of General Sir Ralph Abercromby, in order to reinforce his army. The Duke of York, having preceded these additional troops by two days, was already in command of the army, which was intrenched in the advance of the Helder on the Zuype, in which lines Sir Ralph Abercromby had, on the 10th of September, near the village of _Crabbendam_, repulsed the attack of the French and Dutch under General Brune.

Immediately on landing, the THIRTY-FIRST marched to the lines, and joined Major-General the Earl of Chatham’s brigade, in the division of General Sir Ralph Abercromby, on the 15th of September. The Duke of York, having been reinforced by the expected arrival of a corps of twelve thousand Russians, under Lieut.-General Hermann, resolved on attacking the French position in advance of _Alkmaar_, reaching from Zuyder-Zee on the right, to Camperdown on the left, and embracing the town of Bergen.

The attack was made on the 19th of September, in four columns: the right, formed entirely of Russians, under Lieut.-General Hermann, moved on Bergen; the centre divisions, under Lieut.-General Dundas and Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney, forced the village and post of Oude Carspel, on the road to Alkmaar; while the left column, in which was the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, under General Sir Ralph Abercromby, advanced to the capture of Hoorne.

The point of attack selected for Sir Ralph Abercromby’s division being at a considerable distance beyond the extent of the line, the THIRTY-FIRST, and other regiments, marched at eight o’clock on the night of the 18th of September, and the movement was performed with such skill and secrecy, that Hoorne was surprised and carried on the following morning without loss, which placed the French position in considerable peril. The Russians having failed in holding Bergen, after having entered it in gallant style, rendered it impossible for the centre division to continue in possession of the posts it had acquired. The British troops were therefore withdrawn to their former lines upon the Zuype, to which the Russians had retreated. Hoorne was evacuated, and the THIRTY-FIRST, with the other regiments of Sir Ralph Abercromby’s division, returned on the night of the 19th of September to the ground they had quitted on the former evening.

From the 20th of September until the 1st of October, both armies remained within their intrenchments, strengthening their lines of defence; the French had received reinforcements, and had inundated a large tract of country on their right by cutting the sluices, thus contracting the ground of operations to six or seven miles.

The Duke of York, on the 2nd of October, made another attack on the French position between _Bergen_ and _Egmont-op-Zee_. The combined attacks were made in four columns; the division under General Sir Ralph Abercromby, being on the right, marched along the beach. The left of the French army was posted and concentrated about Bergen, a large village surrounded by extensive woods, through which passed the great road leading to Haarlem; between which and the sea was an extensive region of high sand-hills impassable for artillery. Behind the sand-hills, and to the enemy’s right, through the whole extent of North Holland, lies a wet and low country, intersected with dykes, canals, and ditches. The French centre was supported by the town of Alkmaar. The battle soon became serious in front of _Bergen_, upon which Lieut.-General Dundas had been ordered to proceed.

Meanwhile Sir Ralph Abercromby had passed Bergen in order to turn the position of the French at _Alkmaar_, and overcame every opposition until he reached _Egmont-op-Zee_, which post was occupied in great numbers, and gallantly defended. Sir Ralph Abercromby, however, here overthrew a corps of the French army, and wheeling his division to the left, turned the enemy’s position at _Bergen_, upon which General Brune, the commander-in-chief of the French and Batavian army, fell back, taking up an equally strong position at a short distance to the rear.

The THIRTY-FIRST regiment had an opportunity of distinguishing itself particularly throughout this arduous contest, which lasted from six in the morning until the same hour in the evening. In the attack of Bergen, the regiment took two pieces of artillery from the enemy; the corps on the right frequently charged with the bayonet, and lost a great number of men. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment had one serjeant and twenty-seven rank and file _killed_; Captain Smith, Ensign King, and fifty-five rank and file _wounded_.

During the night of the 2nd of October, Bergen and Egmont-op-Zee were evacuated by the enemy.

The army remained during the night on the ground it held at the close of the battle, and on the 3rd of October _Alkmaar_ was occupied by detachments of British troops. On the 6th of October, the advanced posts in front of Alkmaar, Egmont-op-Hooff, and Egmont-op-Zee, were pushed forward, preparatory to a general forward movement. At first little opposition was shown, and the British took possession of some villages, and of a position on the sand-hills near Wyck-op-Zee; but the column of Russian troops, under the command of Major-General D’Essen, in endeavouring to gain a height in front of their intended advanced post at Baccum, was vigorously opposed, and afterwards attacked by a strong body of the enemy.

This movement obliged General Sir Ralph Abercromby to move up in support with the reserve of his corps; the French advanced their whole force; the action became general along the whole line from Limmen to the sea, and was maintained with great obstinacy on both sides until night, when the enemy retired, leaving the British masters of the field of battle. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment, on the 6th of October, had Lieutenant Forster, one serjeant, and thirty-five rank and file _killed_; Captain Pickering, Lieutenants Mullins, Walker, Ball, Ensigns Williams and Johnson, three serjeants, and eighty-four rank and file _wounded_.

In the meantime the French army had been reinforced; the state of the weather, the ruined condition of the roads, the total want of the necessary supplies, offered great obstacles; besides which, the efforts which had been made for the liberation of Holland were not seconded by the Dutch people, so that it was determined to withdraw the British army. A convention was ultimately concluded with General Brune at Alkmaar, on the 18th of October.

On the 16th of November the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at the Texel, and landed at Deal three days afterwards, when it marched immediately to Canterbury, where the effects of the Dutch campaign began to be perceptible. Before the army left Holland dysentery had broken out among the men, arising from their exposure to the damp and fogs natural to the country. The THIRTY-FIRST lost a great number of men, from this cause, while stationed at Canterbury.

[Sidenote: 1800]

On the 15th of May, 1800, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at Dover for Ireland, landed at Cove on the 6th of June, and marched directly to Cork, where a force was collecting for a secret service, to which it was added. On the 27th of June the embarkation took place, and on the 8th of July the armament reached the Bay of Quiberon; the twenty-third, THIRTY-FIRST, fifty-second, and sixty-third regiments landed on the Isle de Houat, where they remained encamped, under the command of Brigadier-General the Honorable Thomas Maitland, until the 19th of August, when they again embarked and joined the expedition under Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney, destined for the coast of Spain. A landing was effected at _Ferrol_ on the 25th of August; the troops advanced to the heights which overlook the town, and the THIRTY-FIRST had some skirmishing with the enemy’s piquets. After viewing the town and its defences, Sir James Pulteney abandoned the idea of attacking the place; the troops were re-embarked on the following morning, and the fleet sailed for Vigo, where it arrived on the 27th of August. Here General Sir Ralph Abercromby joined with other troops, and assumed the command of the whole force. After remaining in Vigo Bay for some time, the fleet sailed for Cadiz, where it arrived on the 3rd of October. Sir Ralph Abercromby summoned the Governor to surrender, but an epidemic fever was raging in the city, and the fleet quitted the coast for fear of infection, and proceeded to Gibraltar.

At this period General Sir Ralph Abercromby received orders from the British Government to proceed to Egypt; but the three battalions of the ninth foot, the second battalion of the twenty-seventh, the THIRTY-FIRST, and two battalions of the fifty-second regiment, being composed principally of volunteers from the militia, whose conditions of enlistment limited their services to time and place, were not available for the expedition to Egypt: they were accordingly ordered to proceed to Lisbon, where they arrived on the 27th of November, having suffered much from confinement on board ship, and the use of salt provisions.

[Sidenote: 1801]

On the 27th of January, 1801, the THIRTY-FIRST was again at sea, and on the 14th of February disembarked at Minorca, which had surrendered to Great Britain in November, 1798; this island was restored to Spain at the Peace of 1802.

[Sidenote: 1802]

The successes of the British arms in Egypt, by which the French were expelled from that country, were followed by a Treaty of Peace, which was signed on the 27th of March, 1802, at Amiens, between the French Republic, Spain, and the Batavian Republic, on the one part, and Great Britain on the other. The principal features of the treaty were, that Great Britain restored all her conquests during the war, excepting Trinidad and Ceylon, which were ceded to her, the former by Spain, and the latter by the Batavian Republic. Portugal was maintained in its integrity, excepting that some of its possessions in Guiana were ceded to France. The territories of the Ottoman Porte were likewise maintained in their integrity. The Ionian Republic was recognised, and Malta was to be restored to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. The French agreed to evacuate the Neapolitan and Roman states, and Great Britain all the ports that she held in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean.

In May, 1802, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment sailed from Minorca for England, and early in June landed at Portsmouth, on the 19th of which month it was reduced to the Peace Establishment.

[Sidenote: 1803]

In the year 1803 the regiment was removed to Jersey.[24]

Napoleon Bonaparte was now approaching the zenith of his power: the unsettled state of affairs in France had induced him to quit his army in Egypt, and on his return the Directory was abolished, Bonaparte being appointed First Consul of the French Republic. This occurred in 1799, and in the following year Europe was astounded by his daring passage of the Alps, followed by the victory of Marengo, which caused Austria to sue for peace.

The French being driven from Egypt in 1801 by the gallant Abercromby and his brave troops, in which the THIRTY-FIRST regiment would probably have shared, had it not been for the circumstances stated at page 61, the Peace of Amiens was concluded; it, however, gave but a slight interval of tranquillity to Europe. The military spirit of the French nation had been aroused by the genius of Napoleon, who endeavoured to realize his schemes for the aggrandizement of France;--and England appeared as a barrier to his designs.

In May, 1803, the war was renewed; Hanover was overrun by the French, and severed for a time from the British Crown. An immense flotilla was also assembled at Boulogne for the invasion of England. The threat of invasion aroused the patriotism of the British people, and the most strenuous measures were pursued to defeat the French ruler’s designs; the “_Army of Reserve Act_” was passed in June, 1803, for raising men for home service by ballot; numerous volunteer and yeomanry corps were formed in every part of the kingdom; and all party differences merged into one universal effort for the preservation of Great Britain.

[Sidenote: 1804]

On the 18th of May, 1804, Napoleon was invested with the dignity of _Emperor of the French_, and on the 26th of May of the following year he was crowned _King of Italy_ at Milan.

Further measures of defence were adopted by Great Britain, and the “_Additional Force Act_” was passed on the 14th of July, 1804, by which a _second battalion_ was added to the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, to be formed of men raised in the county of Chester, for limited service.

The regiment embarked at Jersey for England on the 9th of November, and on the 27th of that month arrived at Portsmouth, whence it marched to Winchester, and received a further number of volunteers from the Militia.

On the 12th of December the Court of Spain issued a declaration of war against England, in consequence of the capture of some frigates off Cadiz, which had been intercepted while on their way to France with cargoes of treasure,--Spain having agreed to furnish a powerful aid to Napoleon.

[Sidenote: 1805]

By July, 1805, the second battalion was fully embodied, and in October proceeded from Chester to Winchester, where the first battalion was stationed.

While the French were pursuing their victorious career in Germany, they experienced dreadful reverses from the navy of Great Britain. On the 21st of October the combined fleets of France and Spain were completely defeated off Cape _Trafalgar_. The victory was, however, clouded by the death of Admiral Viscount Nelson, to whose memory the highest honors were paid by a grateful and admiring nation.

[Sidenote: 1806]

On the 9th of January, 1806, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment was present at the funeral of Admiral Viscount Nelson, and formed part of the line between which the procession passed on its way to St. Paul’s Cathedral, in which the Admiral’s remains were interred, and where a monument was erected by order of Parliament.

In November of the preceding year a squadron of English and Russian vessels landed some troops at Naples without any opposition from the Neapolitan Court. The French Emperor, on receiving intelligence of this transaction, issued a proclamation that “_the Neapolitan dynasty had ceased to reign_,” and an army, under his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, assisted by Marshal Massena, marched for Naples. On the 15th of February the French entered that capital, and soon obtained possession of the whole kingdom, excepting Gaeta; Ferdinand IV. and his Court having previously retired to Sicily. A decree was shortly issued by Napoleon, conferring the crown of Naples on his brother Joseph, who was proclaimed King on the 30th of May.

England being desirous of preserving Sicily from the dominion of France, troops were embarked for that island;--on the 26th of April the _first battalion_ of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at Tilbury-fort, and landed at Messina on the 26th of July.

Previously to the arrival of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, the French had assembled a force in Calabria for the invasion of Sicily, and Major-General Stuart, commanding the British troops in that island, formed the design of cutting off the French division under General Regnier; the result was the battle of _Maida_, where a victory was gained by the British troops on the 4th of July. Major-General Stuart being sensible that he could not, with his small force, maintain himself in Calabria, recrossed the straits of Messina and returned to Sicily. For this victory Major-General John Stuart received the dignity of Knight of the Bath, the thanks of Parliament, and was created Count of Maida by the King of the Two Sicilies.

[Sidenote: 1807]

Admiral Sir John Duckworth having failed in his coercive mission to detach Turkey from the interests of France, Great Britain determined to seize upon Egypt, as a check to any fresh demonstration by the French against the British possessions in the East Indies.

An armament accordingly sailed from Melazzo, on the coast of Sicily, in February, 1807, under the command of Major-General Alexander Mackenzie Fraser, Colonel of the seventy-eighth regiment, and landed at Aboukir on the 18th of March. On the 21st of March, Alexandria was occupied by the British troops, and it is a singular coincidence that it was the anniversary of the battle fought near there in the year 1801, when the gallant General Sir Ralph Abercromby received the wound which terminated his honorable career.

On the 27th of March a force of fifteen hundred men, of which the THIRTY-FIRST regiment formed part, was detached under the command of Major-General Wauchope to Rosetta. The troops arrived before the city on the 31st of March, and not having been impeded in their progress to the environs, entered the place. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment marched into Rosetta, while the grenadier battalion occupied a high sandy mound without the city.

Rosetta is situated upon a slight eminence, commanding a view of the river Nile and the fertile lands of the Delta; the streets are somewhat wider than the generality of Egyptian towns, and planted here and there with trees. The houses are high, the lower half of each being a dead wall, with a small door, leading into a narrow passage, well secured with bolts and bars of iron. The chambers are above, with trelliced windows projecting over the streets. The Turks had garrisoned their houses, and remaining quiet, allowed the British to continue their march until some way into the town, when through the loop-holes they had constructed on purpose, and their trelliced windows, a destructive and unexpected fire was opened upon the column. The troops, although placed in a most trying and perilous situation, behaved extremely well, and after having suffered very materially in killed and wounded, retired to Aboukir, from whence they returned to Alexandria.

Major-General Wauchope, who commanded the force, was killed; the THIRTY-FIRST regiment had Captain John Robertson, three serjeants, three drummers, and sixty-nine rank and file _killed_; Captain Patrick Dowdall, Lieutenants Edward Knox, Peter Fearon, John Thornton, ---- Sladden, and Francis Ryan, Ensign Richard Kirby, seven serjeants, one drummer, and one hundred and twenty-nine rank and file _wounded_. Lieutenant Sladden subsequently died of his wounds.

Brigadier-General the Honorable Robert Meade (Lieutenant-Colonel of the THIRTY-FIRST), the second in command, was also severely wounded.

Major-General Fraser finding that a famine would be the consequence of the British remaining at Alexandria, without the occupation of Rosetta, detached another body of troops, amounting to two thousand five hundred men, under Brigadier-General the Honorable William Stewart, to reduce the place. The force consisted of a detachment of Royal Artillery, a detachment of the twentieth light dragoons, light infantry battalion, first battalion of the thirty-fifth regiment, second battalion of the seventy-eighth regiment, the Baron De Roll’s regiment, and a detachment of seamen. A large Turkish force coming down the Nile from Cairo, the troops were compelled to retire, fighting all the way to Alexandria.

A formidable force now approached Alexandria, and Major-General Fraser sent a flag of truce offering to evacuate Egypt, on condition that the British prisoners should be liberated. The proposal was readily accepted, and on the 19th of September the British troops embarked for Sicily, where they arrived on the 16th of October.

[Sidenote: 1808]

The first battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked from Sicily for Malta, on the 17th of September, 1808, where it remained until August, 1810, when it returned to Sicily.

[Sidenote: 1810]

[Sidenote: 1811]

On the 17th of August, 1810, the first battalion landed at Messina, and remained in garrison in the citadel until April, 1811, when Lieut.-General Lord William Bentinck, being about to proceed to the eastern coast of Spain, sent it to Malta, in order that a stronger corps might be drawn from that island, the thirty-first having been reduced considerably in numbers while stationed in the Mediterranean. The battalion landed at Malta on the 18th of April, but the force left in Sicily being found insufficient, four companies were immediately recalled, and on the 22nd of April re-embarked for Messina; a few months afterwards the head-quarters were ordered back to Sicily, and on the 28th of August joined the detached companies, when the battalion was once more united in Sicily.

[Sidenote: 1812]

About this period the British authorities in Sicily detected the traces of a conspiracy set on foot the year before by the Queen of Naples, who, it is said, had proposed a scheme to Napoleon for massacring the English. A new constitution was established in Sicily, upon the model of that of Great Britain, under the auspices of Lieut.-General Lord William Bentinck, who had been appointed Captain-General of the Island, and the Queen was sent into retirement.

In November, 1812, the grenadier company of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked from Sicily for the east coast of Spain, under Lieut.-General Frederick Maitland, and landed at Alicant on the 2nd of December. In April, 1813, it returned to Sicily, where it arrived in May.

[Sidenote: 1813]

The first battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment remained in garrison in the citadel of Messina until towards the end of 1813, when, in consequence of disturbances at Palermo, the capital of Sicily, which threatened to spread, the troops were detached to various central positions. The THIRTY-FIRST, by a detour, marched upon Castro Giovanni, and remained there until January, 1814, when the battalion returned to Messina.

[Sidenote: 1814]

On the 28th of March, 1814, the battalion embarked at Melazzo, as part of an expedition destined for the shores of Italy, under Lieut.-General Lord William Bentinck. In the beginning of April the first division of the army arrived off the coast above and below the city of Genoa, and threatened a descent upon _Voltri_, rather to engage the attention of the enemy, however, in that quarter, than for any other purpose.

On the 5th of April the second division of the Anglo-Sicilian army disembarked at Leghorn, and marched directly upon Sestri. The French reinforced that place to protect the coast batteries, and prevent the British communicating with the people of the mountains, who were ready to rise against the French. The two British divisions had united, and attacked the enemy, on the 8th of April, at _Sestri_; the battle lasted throughout the day, and in the night the French General Ronger St. Victor retired towards Recco, taking up his position in rear of Rafallo, where he left his advanced guard; a third British division, in which was the first battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST, hovered about the coast, and made some attempts to land fresh troops, but was prevented by the enemy’s detachments at Recco.

On the 9th and 10th of April the squadron cannonaded _Recco_, but was obliged to stand out again; in the night of the 10th General Pègot, who had arrived to relieve General Ronger St. Victor, retired, and occupied, on the 11th of April, a position at Mount Fascia. The English squadron and transports had all arrived before _Genoa_, and a detachment from the divisions on shore had been able to communicate with the native levies at Fontana Buona. On the 12th of April the position of Mount Fascia was attacked, and, after a hard day’s contest, General Pègot fell back in the night, and took up another strong position at _La Sturla_, on the heights of Albaro, his right on the sea being covered by a battery of four pieces of artillery, and his left resting on Fort Richelieu. The remainder of the British army disembarked at Nervi, and immediately attacked the enemy on the heights of Albaro, on the 13th of April.

The THIRTY-FIRST, under the command of Colonel Bruce, belonged to this division, and, with the 8th battalion of the Line of the King’s German Legion, dashed in among the enemy the instant of their debarkation, notwithstanding the intersected and difficult nature of the ground, which assisted so materially the obstinate defence of the French. Meanwhile the light company of the THIRTY-FIRST, under Captain Nunn, had carried the battery which covered the enemy’s right, with conspicuous bravery, and dismounted the four guns upon it under a galling fire of musketry and artillery from another battery near that captured.

The THIRTY-FIRST had Captains Stewart and Cruice, three serjeants, one drummer, and thirty-six rank and file _wounded_; one serjeant and thirteen rank and file _killed_.

The following extract from Division Orders, dated La Sturla, 14th of April, 1814, bears testimony to the conduct of the corps:--

“The conduct of the troops in the long contested action of
yesterday, at _La Sturla_, was most honorable to them, and
Major-General Montresor feels the greatest satisfaction in doing
justice to their merits, by publicly declaring his high sense
of their persevering gallantry in surmounting the numberless
obstacles which the broken and intersected nature of the country
presented, in every step, to their advance, whilst it afforded
the best shelter to the enemy, who, well accustomed to his
ground, defended it with the greatest obstinacy.

“However justly entitled the whole may be to individual
distinction, it nevertheless would be unjust not to notice, in
particular, the ardour and spirited skill in which the Royal
Flotilla, and the detachments of the third Italian Levy, and of
the second and third extra regiments, and Royal Marines, began
the attack, and the very gallant manner in which the THIRTY-FIRST
regiment, and the 8th King’s German Legion, dashed in amongst the
enemy after their debarkation, and the conspicuous bravery of
the light company of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, in carrying the
battery on the left.”

During the 14th and 15th of April the attacks upon the heights of Albaro were repeated, and on the 17th, while disaffection among the people was rapidly spreading in Genoa, the posts of St. Francisco and St. Martin d’Albaro were carried, and the French retired behind the Bizagno.

By the 18th of April the disaffection in Genoa had reached a crisis, and upon the following day the advance upon the city took place. The THIRTY-FIRST drove the enemy from a strong battery of ten brass guns and two 13½ inch brass mortars, without sustaining any loss.

During the night of the 19th of April a convention was signed; on the morning of the 21st, the enemy marched out of the city and evacuated all his posts. On the 22nd the head-quarters of the THIRTY-FIRST were within the city of Genoa, when the Commander-in-Chief, Lieut.-General Lord William Bentinck, issued the order from which the following extract is taken:--

“Head-Quarters, Genoa, 24th April, 1814.

“The Commander of the Forces has much satisfaction in witnessing
the zeal and gallantry evinced by the whole of the troops
under his orders in the late operations, which have led to the
possession of this important fortress; and he has not failed
to represent their conduct in the most favourable terms to His
Majesty’s government.

“Major-General Montresor has particularly reported to him the
great assistance he received from Brigadier-General Roth, Colonel
Bruce, and Lieut.-Colonel Travers.

“The Commander of the Forces himself observed the very gallant
and successful attack made by the third Italian regiment, under
the orders of Lieut.-Colonel Ciravignac, and favourable reports
have been made to him of the conduct of the light company of the
twenty-first regiment, commanded by Captain Renny, the light
company of the THIRTY-FIRST, under Captain Nunn, and the light
company of the second Estero regiment, under Captain-Lieutenant
Fulghier.”

On the 27th of April the first battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST sailed with a force for the island of Corsica; when the troops arrived opposite Ajaccio, that place capitulated. The THIRTY-FIRST regiment then sailed for Bastia (the birth-place of Napoleon), and landing there on the 11th of May, remained until the 24th of June following, when it embarked for Sicily, and again went into garrison in the citadel of Messina, on the 18th of July, 1814.

In the meantime the brilliant successes gained over the French in the Peninsula and South of France, by the troops under the Duke of Wellington, in which the _second_ battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment bore a prominent part, led to a treaty of peace with France; Napoleon retired to Elba, which island was ceded to him in full sovereignty for life, with a pension payable from the revenues of France; and on the 3rd of May, 1814, Louis XVIII. entered Paris, and ascended the throne of his ancestors.

On the 24th of October, 1814, the _second_ battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment was disbanded at Portsmouth, and the officers and men fit for service were transferred to the first battalion, with which they were incorporated on the 6th of May, 1815, at Messina.

In commemoration of the services of the _second_ battalion during the Peninsular War, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment has received the Royal Authority to bear on the Regimental Colour and Appointments, the words “TALAVERA,” “ALBUHERA,” “VITTORIA,” “PYRENEES,” “NIVELLE,” “NIVE,” “ORTHES,” and “PENINSULA.”

[Sidenote: 1815]

Although the first and second battalions of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment were employed in different countries, yet they were engaged in the promotion of the same interests, namely, the restoration of the exiled families of the House of Bourbon to the thrones of their ancestors; the achievements of the _second_ battalion were in the most distinguished arena, but the _first_ battalion, although it was stationed among the pastoral beauties of Sicily, and the luxurious towns of Italy, maintained its discipline and character, besides adding honors to those formerly acquired on the field of battle, whenever, as on the heights of _Albaro_, an opportunity had offered.

The peace of Europe was again to be disturbed. The French army retained a chivalrous veneration for Napoleon, who returned from Elba, landed at Cannes, in Provence, on the 1st of March, 1815, and was joined by his former troops. Louis XVIII. withdrew from Paris to Ghent, and Napoleon assumed his former dignity of Emperor of the French.

Marshal Murat, the brother-in-law of Napoleon, by whom in 1808 he had been made King of Naples, upon Joseph Bonaparte being constituted King of Spain, had, in January, 1814, signed a treaty with England, and engaged to co-operate with the allies against France. Napoleon’s triumphal return to France caused Murat to espouse his cause, and he at once commenced hostilities against Austria, issuing a proclamation asserting the independence of Italy. Naples was thereupon invested by the Austrians, while an English squadron entered the port and acted in co-operation.

The allied powers, however, refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of Napoleon, and determined on his dethronement.

These events caused the THIRTY-FIRST regiment to be embarked at Melazzo for Naples, where it arrived on the 25th of May. The city had capitulated to the British fleet, under Admiral Lord Exmouth, and the troops landed to hold possession until the restoration of order in the kingdom, and Ferdinand IV. should be reinstated on the throne of the Two Sicilies. After an exile of nine years, this sovereign entered his capital on the 17th of June; on the following day the hopes of Bonaparte were crushed by his defeat on the memorable field of Waterloo, which victory triumphantly closed the campaign; and on the 8th of July Louis XVIII. re-entered Paris, and the Bourbon government was restored.

In the beginning of July the THIRTY-FIRST had sailed from the Bay of Naples for Genoa, and remained there to support the arrangements for restoring the Sardinian dominions to their original state.