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Colonels of the 15 th Regiment of Foot for this period were: 1768.09.21 Lt-Gen. Sir Charles (Hotham), 8 th Bt., KB THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE The causes of the American Revolution, or, depending on one’s standpoint, the American War of Independence are long and complex. The distance of the British-American population from their homeland, and the time spans caused by protracted trans-Atlantic communications seems to have given them the idea that they were being treated worse than their home cousins. In truth, there were few differences either in taxation or other matters. That many comestible items may have required some form of surcharge before they were imported into America might seem unfair, but when the costs of transport were added, there was indeed a need for such costs. Similarly, the tax imposed upon them to help pay for the French and Indian War may have seemed unjust, but, the cost of maintaining their sovereignty from the French was huge, and from the Westminster point of view, it seemed only fair to impose such a tax upon those who benefited most, i.e. the Americans. In addition, the so-called Founding Fathers were thinking that they were being denied their rights as British men and women. In truth, the British have no fundamental rights, no written constitution, other than Magna Carta, which was penned in the early 13 th century. The constitution of England was rather vague indeed composed as it was of Ancient Common Law, precedent, and the relative wealth and strength of the people concerned had governed the politics for each generation. It cannot be denied that many of the first colonists comprised of religious non-conformists, people who were already at odds with the British establishment, and whose views of things political gradually became more and more distant from the reality of what they thought constituted ‘freedom’, and the actuality of such a philosophical concept in Britain. The Founding Fathers seemed to think that there were certain ‘inalienable rights’ to which they were entitled to, and quite simply, these never had existed. Even the ‘right’ to vote was severely limited to certain classes, and most certainly was restricted to the male sex, those that had the rank or money which was seen as the soul requisite necessary, but which precluded the vast majority of the population. The normal method of governmental criticism employed in Britain was provided to the general populous by the press, and by pamphleteers, who were able to ridicule those in power, be they in Parliament, or at the royal palaces. None were exempt from the vitriol if by their actions or words, they incurred the wrath or contempt of those able to publish words and cartoons of those capable of lampooning them. This method of public ridicule and criticism was not available to their American cousins; all that was available was to write long and protracted letters to their representatives at Home, even if, by the time of the letters’ arrival, they were already outdated. This inevitable arrangement likely made many comments, regardless of the relevancy; seem extremely rural, and provincial. The use of mob riots was not unknown either as a means of protest, but at home; they were soon dealt with by the military. It seemed therefore not unusual for the military to be employed in a like manner in the colonies. The frustration this caused was more likely a basic reason for the annoyance and infuriation felt by the civilians and colonists. That plans, or at least the idea of independence from the Homeland, were being muted well before the eventual flashpoint can hardly be denied. As to when and where that flashpoint would happen was just a matter of time and circumstance, however plans had to be laid for the preparation and arming and training of those men who were prepared to use force to achieve the political aims of their leaders, if force proved to be considered a necessity. All manner of stores, weapons, munitions, clothing and rations had to be organised, as had some efficient means of communication between cities, towns, villages and farms. By the time of the eventual flashpoint, many of the prerequisites were in place, or virtually, and, it seems, any excuse would have served to spark rebellion. Military commanders in the colonies were not left in any doubt as to the general feelings of unease, and many warnings were sent to Westminster, however, as with such civilian unrest at home, the usual method for dealing with such matters, was to use the army, and in most cases, the mere threat of the Regulars was enough to quell, or at least give pause for thought prior to riots or unrest. The same methodology and philosophy was employed – the colonists, were after all, British, and were to be treated with the same strictness, and if necessary, severity. This, in the then present climate, was hardly the most diplomatic means of quelling the unease, even if it was seen by some as the most prosaic. The army was not known for its charity, and many of its officers were callous to the rightness or wrongness of the arguments. Some officers however, were more sympathetic, not to the cause, or to the arguments, but to the people in general, whom they saw as literally, their kith and kin, the prospect of a virtual civil war was never a pleasant one. Others were quite blatantly, incompetent, and not worth the military trust that was placed upon them. None of these however are unique to this forthcoming conflict, the ration of officer material available to the regular army was restricted to the sons of the landed gentry and nobility, and commissions were bought and sold like any other commodity. This led to a strange amalgam of ‘gentlemen’ leading the forces of ‘law and order’ There was severe mistrust between the population loyal to king George, and the population, which regarded them-selves outside the rule of law – of British law – and which were actively promoting revolt and rebellion. Of the latter, local militia units which had been convened for the purpose of defence from Native Americans, now saw them selves as a budding army to fight the British regular soldiers, whom they saw as invaders to be thwarted, and defeated where and whenever possible. Open rebellion, or protracted riots had made regular army commanders very nervous. They still considered all colonials to be British citizens, but the thought of shooting at them had to be considered. The rebels however, while fearing the firing of the first shot, were prepared to both amass arms, and train men, should they be considered necessary. A major arsenal at Fort William and Mary, sometimes called – the Castle – now called Fort Constitution at Portsmouth in New Hampshire, was in 1774, attacked by a mob determined to steel from the place its large cache of arms, guns including several cannons, munitions, and perhaps most importantly, over one hundred barrels of gun-powder. The fort was manned by a derisory garrison of five soldiers and a single officer and its defences had been very badly neglected. It had been originally sited to protect Portsmouth NH against a sea borne attack, and the prospect of land attack was not seriously foreseen. As the two factions polarised and tensions increased, it was decided to reinforce the garrison, and to remove the gunpowder from William and Mary to a more secure location. On the 13 th December, 1774, a certain Paul Revere was dispatched from Boston to the civilian authorities in Portsmouth with a letter warning them that a royal command had been issued forbidding the export of gunpowder to the colonies, that other colonists had taken the precaution of removing their caches to more secure locations, and also that orders had been received for the upgrading of the defences at Fort William and Mary, the reinforcement of the garrison, and the removal of the fort’s supply of gunpowder. Plans were immediately made for the capture of the gunpowder, an act which in its self was a declaration of war, and which indicates that such a course of action was without doubt well considered, and that such a war was intended from the start. It also points to a very slack understanding by British of the security aspect of their plans. Any such manoeuvre by them should have been made in secret, but it is obvious that there were spies everywhere, and none knew who could be trusted and who could not. This lack of security worked both ways, as one of the men who shared the communication brought by Revere, told Governor Wentworth, who in turn told the commander of the fort, Capt. John Cochran, who hailed from Londonderry NH., who straight away ordered a tightening of security, and extra watches to be maintained. Meanwhile in Portsmouth NH, members of the Committee began rallying people by marching through the streets with fife and drum exciting their ‘patriotic’ fervour. The local Chief Justice of the province warned the ever growing crowd that any attack on the fort would be “ the highest Act of Treason and Rebellion They could possibly commit, And that they would be answerable for such an Offense (sic) for twenty years to come - Nay, as long as they lived...” His counsel however was ridiculed by John Langdon (who was destined to become a future Governor of New Hampshire, and the first President of the United States Senate.) Within twenty-four hours of Revere’s arrival, over 400 people had been collected together from Portsmouth and as far away as Newcastle, Rye, and Kittery, Maine, to join in an armed attack on the British military installation. Against such numbers, and against his neighbours, Cochran and his men had scant chance of holding the fort, and it and its valuable contents fell to the rebels, with little other than a few cuts and bruises and some dented pride, it should be added. Wentworth immediately sent word to General Gage at Boston, telling him that four hundred rebels had “by violence carried away upwards of one hundred barrels of powder belonging to the King ... I am informed that expresses have been circulated through the neighbouring towns, to collect a number of people to-morrow, or as soon as possible, to carry away all cannon and arms belonging to the castle which they undoubtedly will effect, unless some assistance should arrive from Boston in the time to prevent it. This event too plainly proves the imbecility of this government to carry into execution his Majesty's order in Council for seizing and detaining arms and ammunition imported into this Province, without some strong ships of war in this harbor.” A second assault was made upon the fort the following day by more than a thousand rebels, who took away all of the small arms, bayonets, cartridge boxes, cannon shot, and other ordnance stores that they could locate. They also seized sixteen of the King's prized cannon, ten carriages, some useless muskets, and forty-two serviceable muskets with shot. Of far greater consequence was the striking of the king’s colour that had been flying over the fort, it was a direct and obvious declaration of intent, and it has to be said, a declaration of war. The events at Fort William and Mary, while seldom heard of, were of much more significance than those that had occurred at Boston harbour where the inebriated pantomime of the throwing of some tea casks into the harbour have received far more publicity and historic acclaim. The British government was not blind or ignorant of the ever increasing state of tension that was building in the colonies, and had ordered a reinforcement of their only means of quelling the disquiet and unrest, they sent more regiments. The rebellious and seditious colonists meanwhile had secreted away their stolen armaments, and stored them in various locations in the surrounding area. Their need for such stores did not require much imagination; they intended to fight. This concept of some ill trained militia challenging one of Europe’s premier armies must have been daunting, but as with all such causes, they were convinced that right was with them and that God too was with them (little changes!). In consequence of the worsening situation in America, the British government in London decided to reinforce their colonial garrison. The 15 th Foot was one of the regiments selected for service in North America. The regiment, embarking in Ireland early in 1776, landed in North Carolina in April, where it came under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Clinton. The British recognized the strategic importance of New York as the focal point for communications between the northern and southern colonies. Washington also recognized this, and in April of 1776 he marched his troops from Boston to New York. He positioned his troops on the western end of Long Island in anticipation of the British arrival. The American outpost of Colonel Edward Hand's sent word that the British were preparing to cross Long Island from Staten Island on August 22, at dawn. There were three frigates, the Phoenix, Rose, and Greyhound, and two bomb ketches named Carcass and Thunder, in Gravesend Bay. The frigates were anchored in the Namews. British generals Cornwallis and Clinton had a force of 4,000 men that included Von Donop's corps of jaegers and grenadiers. The force started crossing to Denyse Point and they were covered by the guns of the H.M.S. Rainbow. Two hundred men of Edward Hand's withdrew to Prospect Hill, destroying the property and supplies that the British might use. The British boats returned to Staten Island and landed in Gravesend Bay with more then 5000 men. By noon, they had landed almost 5,000 men and about 40 cannons safely on shore. On August 22, 1776 the British landed on Long Island. British General William Howe defeated General Charles Lee at the Battle of Long Island. This took place at Jamaica Pass in Brooklyn. The British had has lost 63 killed and 337 wounded and missing while Washington had lost about 970 men killed, wounded or missing, and 1,079 taken captive. George Washington had lost almost a quarter of his entire command. On August 26, General Charles Lee retreated to Brooklyn Heights. The British could have won an even greater victory if General William Howe had heeded the pleas of his officers to storm the American redoubts at Brooklyn Heights. General Howe wanted to avoid another Bunker (Breed's) Hill. He ordered his men to dig in and bring the guns into range. When George Washington arrived on August 27, he wasted no time on blaming who lost the battle of Long Island. Remaining cool, calm, and confident, he oversaw the construction of new fortifications on Brooklyn Heights. A serendipitous downpour made further British attacks unlikely. American troops found it hard to cook their food or to keep their powder dry. On August 28, additional troops arrived to boost the number of men under his command to 9,000. Washington realized that he had put himself in a trap. He had split his troops between Manhattan and Long Island, with the Hudson River, the East River, and Long Island Sound open to British warships and transport. Admiral Richard Howe, the brother of General Howe, could cut him off if moved the fleet from the New Jersey Shore to the East River to block movement from Long Island to Manhattan. Unfavourable winds and rains kept Admiral Howe from taking advantage of this opportunity to cut Washington off. Rain continued to be intermittent the next day, August 29. Washington realized his position was untenable and it was time to withdraw. The seagoing soldiers of John Glover's Marblehead [Massachusetts] Regiment noiselessly ferried Washington's troops across the East River to Manhattan on the night of August 29. Darkness, fog, and bad weather immobilized Admiral Howe's fleet. Washington's cool and firm command exacted superb discipline from green troops. They remained quiet throughout the ordeal. He had kept the British high command in utter ignorance of the evacuation that he hastily ordered. When the British charged in the morning, they founded empty trenches. Washington's army lived to fight another day. I have been privileged to have been permitted by Jeff brown, of the King’s Company Re-enactment Group to use an image, taken by Jeff of some of the members in their splendid representations of the uniforms worn by the Regiment at this time in their history. There is no comparison between seeing a drawing and seeing a real person kitted out thus, and my sincere thanks go to Jeff, and to the members of The King’s Company for their co-operation. The 15 th, falling as they did under the command of General Clinton, took part in the above actions. Battle of Brandywine Britain’s campaign for 1777 was to split off New England from New York, obtain and hold western and northern New York, and take Philadelphia. This last objective was assigned to the Commander-in-Chief of the British army in America, Sir William Howe. Howe believed that the capture of Philadelphia, capital of the nation and a major supply center, would demoralize the Americans and ensure his victory over them. Accordingly, in July of 1777, Howe and his army sailed 264 ships south toward Philadelphia from their encampment in New Jersey. As they approached the city, however, Howe was informed of American fortifications and a small navy force in and along the Delaware River, blocking his path. He changed course to the Chesapeake Bay, planning to land at Elk Ferry (about 8 miles below the present Elkton, Maryland) and march his 4,000 to 5,000 German Hessians and 11,000 to 13,000 British troops thirty miles northeast to Philadelphia. Opposing him was General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the American (or Continental) army. He had won two winter engagements over British outposts at Trenton and Princeton on December 26, 1776, and January 3, 1777, then had moved his army into quarters near Morristown, New Jersey. He had spent the summer of 1777 encamped in the secure Watchung Mountains of New Jersey, descending to skirmish with the British. In July, when he learned of Howe’s movement southward, Washington marched his own 11,000 man force south to Wilmington, Delaware, arriving on August 25th. Howe landed the same day at Elk Head. By September 3, the majority of Howe’s army, recovered from malnutrition suffered during the month-long sail, started marching toward Philadelphia. The next five days saw the two armies positioning themselves along the White Clay Creek, west of Newport and Wilmington, but neither general engaged. Washington expected Howe to march toward him in Wilmington as the city was situated between Howe at Elk Head and his destination of Philadelphia. Howe, however, preferred to meet the rebel force elsewhere, thus preventing Washington from making use of the advantageous ground he occupied there. He feinted north towards Pennsylvania, forcing Washington to change his defensive ground. The latter chose the Brandywine River in Chadds Ford. The Continentals reached the Brandywine on the 9th and camped on its east side. There they prepared to make a stand. Washington positioned his troops on the high ground east of the Brandywine River, a natural barrier and an excellent defensive position with advantageous high ground behind and thickly wooded slopes offering concealment. He positioned brigades and regiments at the main fords (shallow places where an army could cross), including Buffington’s Ford (about a mile above today’s bridge at Lenape), Chadds Ford, and Pyle’s Ford (south of Route 1). One advisor counseled that Howe would try to outflank them by sending his main force northward while a decoy force attacked at Chadds Ford. Washington was aware of this possibility, but had been assured by local informants that Jefferis’ Ford, the next ford above Buffington’s, was difficult to cross, because it was very deep, more than half the height of a man, and that the road southward was poor. Washington, therefore, expected the British to cross at Chadds Ford and, accordingly, put the strength of his army there. Howe, however, had indeed decided to repeat the flanking strategy he had used successfully at Long Island. He sent half his army, about an 8,000 man troop, straight to Washington at Chadds Ford to act as decoy. This force was led by Hessian general Wilhelm von Knyphausen who had a company of men equipped with the new rapid-firing breech-loading rifles invented by Patrick Ferguson. The rest of Howe’s army marched north 17 miles to cross the Brandywine above the fords that Washington guarded. Howe then marched south, down what is today Birmingham Road, to launch a surprise attack on the right flank of Washington. Washington had been receiving conflicting reports throughout the morning about the location of Howe’s army. Was there British troop movement near Jefferis’ Ford? Had Howe indeed split his army? Or was the force united and preparing for a full frontal assault? He considered crossing the river to launch an assault on Von Knyphausen but held off. He didn’t receive a reliable report until early afternoon, too late. The British were marching toward Birmingham Friends Meeting House. The Continentals scrambled to reform themselves to meet this attack, attempting to take the high ground behind the meeting house. Their line not completely formed, the Continentals fell back, leaving behind their dead and wounded along with various pieces of equipment and artillery. Fighting continued until dusk, by which time ammunition was running low or was completely gone. Washington’s army retreated to Chester, twelve miles east, in good spirits despite the defeat, which they attributed to bad intelligence reports rather than to a lack of fighting skill on their part. "Notwithstanding the misfortune of the day, I am happy to find the troops in good spirits, and I hope another time we shall compensate for the losses now sustained," Washington wrote to Congress. On September 12th, Washington issued orders for the troops to press on to Germantown. The exhausted British did not pursue the Americans through the night, but remained behind, camping on the battlefield, and treating the wounded and burying the dead. Casualties on both sides appear to have been heavy, although battle reports of the day and modern estimates vary. About 300 Americans were taken prisoner, 400 to 800 killed, and 600 to 800 wounded. British losses were heavier—somewhere between 600 to 2,000. During the five days following the battle, the British camped in the area from Dilworthtown to the present day Brandywine Battlefield Park, and ransacked Chadds Ford houses and properties, looting books, furnishings, livestock, food, clothing, and money. They then moved north toward Paoli and marched into Philadelphia on September 26th. They occupied the city throughout the winter while the American army languished at Valley Forge.
Although the Battle of Brandywine receives scant attention in the annals of military history, it is significant as one of the largest land battles, as the only battle in which Washington and Howe fought head to head, as a great morale booster for the American army, and is thought to be one of the first battles in which the Ferguson rifle was used and in which the Betsy Ross flag was flown. ” The regiment, under the command of Major-General Lord Cornwallis, formed part of the column sent to turn the American right flank. It was during this action that the supply of ball ammunition began to run short in the ranks of the 15 th, so hot had been their firing. What was left was handed over to the marksmen of the regiment, while the remainder were ordered to commence ‘snapping’, that is to say, firing only the powder charge of their muskets, while running from tree to tree, hence giving the impression of greater numbers, and, a ready supply of ammunition. From this is derived the Regimental nickname of “The Snappers”. BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN In the evening of the 3 rd October, Washington’s troops began their march towards Germantown, in the hope of encircling Howe’s army. The Colonial troops mustered about 8,000 to which were added a further 3,000 militia. The American general officers were Adam Stephen, Nathanael Greene, Alexander McDougall, John Sullivan, Anthony Wayne, and Thomas Conway, under the overall command of George Washington. The battle that followed was little short of a shambles from the American point of view; one wing marched down the wrong road, and General Conway's brigade inadvertently alerted the British to the impending attack. In the course of battle, Wayne and Stephen's men fired upon each other in confusion [tempted to suggest the first of many such ‘blue on blue’ incidents since!] and Greene's retreat was mistakenly taken by the rest of the troops as a signal for a general retreat. Washington’s somewhat sanitised version of events to Congress can be seen in manuscript form at: A reasonable tactical account of the battle can be seen from the American perspective at: http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/ppet/germantown/page1.asp?secid=31 but even this sees the Battle of Germantown as little more than a prelude to later events, which, in a way, it was. It remains however, a British victory. Another American version of events says “The cost for the Americans were 152 killed, 521 wounded and, 400 missing. The casualties for the British were 71 killed, 450 wounded and, an unknown number of troops missing in action. The battle lasted 2 hours and 45min. During this time the battle proved that Americans could stand up and fight against the British. Also, it provided a morale boost because of the near win. Plus, it got the French to think about helping the American cause. Of course, their help would prove to be immeasurable at the Battle of Yorktown.” http://amh.freehosting.net/germantown.html The 15 th, together with two other regiments were during the engagement, brought forward from the British Reserve, and made a determined counter-attack, which was completely successful. The Regiment however, lost its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John Bird, who was among those killed in the action. In spite of such local victories however, the British were unable to make any real progress in their attempts to subdue the Colonists. And in 1778, the French [forever waiting to be a thorn in the British side], believing the Colonists would be successful, intervened in the war on the American side. As a consequence of this it was deemed necessary to remove some regiments from the mainland to Barbados, under the command of Major-General Grant, as British interests in the West Indies were under threat from the French, who had at that time a superiority of sea-power in the area. So it was that the 15 th were spared the ignominy of the surrender at Yorktown in October 1781, which saw the end of British influence in the Colonies. SAINT LUCIA Ignominy however did was not evaded by the 15 th, which was later transferred to the island of St. Kitts in the Leeward Islands, from where in 1780, it moved to St. Eustatius, which had been captured from the Dutch previously. However, together with their companion garrison regiment, the 13 th of Foot, they were taken by surprise when a French force commanded by the Marquis of Bouille came ashore and captured the bulk of the regiment. Many of them were reported lost, as prisoners of war, when the ship they were being transported in, the Ville de Paris, was sunk by the Royal Navy. Among those who did not return was the commanding officer of the 15 th, who in his absence was court-marshalled and cashiered for his part in the loss of St. Eustatius. What remained of the 15 th in garrison on St. Kitts, were also captured, but they at least fought a hard and bloody battle to prevent their eventual capitulation. Thus it was that for the time being, the Regiment virtually ceased to exist Since the island sold arms and ammunition to everyone who wanted to pay for it, the island was one of the few ways for the rebellious Thirteen colonies to obtain weaponry. This good relationship between Sint Eustatius and the United States resulted in the famous flag incident, when Commander Johannes de Graaff of Sint Eustatius decided to answer the salute fire of the Andrew Doria that visited the island on 16 November 1776. The United States gave the answering salute great publicity since the island de facto recognized the independence of the United States. (See The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman) The British did not take the incident too seriously, although they protested against the continuous trade between the United States and Sint Eustatius. In 1778 Lord Stormont claimed in Parliament that 'if Sint Eustatius had sunk into the sea three years before, the United Kingdom would already have dealt with George Washington'. The trade of Sint Eustatius with the United States was the main reason for the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, which was disastrous for Dutch trading. As a result of the war, Sint Eustatius was taken by the British on 3 February 1781. Commander de Graaff, who at the moment was not informed about the declaration of war but seeing that he was facing superior forces, surrendered the island to the British Admiral Rodney. Ten months later the island was conquered by the French, allies of the Dutch in this war. The Dutch regained command over the island in 1784. At its peak Sint Eustatius may have had a population of over 20,000 people. At the conclusion of the campaign the remnants of the 15 th Regiment were returned to Britain, in 1782, in which year, another army reform instigated territorial designations for regiments, they officially became the 15 th Yorkshire East Riding Regiment. They were sent to Beverley in the East Riding to recruit the regiment back to full numbers after the heavy losses sustained in America and the West Indies. They then remained on home duty for a further eight years, with periods in Ireland, prior to embarking for Barbados, again. The regiment was awarded ST. LUCIA 1778, as another Battle Honour. In 1763 Dominica was ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris. The Royal Proclamation establishes "Government of Grenada" with jurisdiction over Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Tobago and Dominica - one Governor and one Legislature for the group. As part of the administration of these islands, the 15 th formed part of the garrison. “In the West Indies between 1785 and 1795 the 700 men of the 15 th Foot were less concerned about dress than fundamental problems of existence. There were no ale houses, barrack accommodation was of a makeshift kind, and although much of the local food was quite unsuited to British stomachs, the troops had to eat it. Food, flies, yellow fever and dysentery all exacted their toll. In 1795 the 15 th was ordered to Dominica to deal with a Negro [sic] insurrection [then] flaming across the whole of the West Indies, and after the custom of the time, the Regiment’s women were taken along. One hundred and two wives followed their husbands, but when the Regiment returned home a few years later, only seven wives came back – the rest remained in forgotten graves in the region where no-one now remembers the men of the ‘Yorkshire, East-Riding.’” [The East Yorkshire Regiment by A. J. Barker, Leo Cooper Ltd., London, 1971, ISBN 0 85052 057 6, p., 57]
FRENCH REVOLUTION and 1 ST EMPIRE Colonels The Committee of Public Safety and the Revolutionary Tribunal were instituted immediately after the execution of the King. The Reign of Terror, during which the ruling faction ruthlessly exterminated all potential enemies, of whatever sex, age, or condition, began in September of 1793 and lasted until the fall of Robespierre on July 27, 1794: during the last six weeks of the Terror alone (the period known as the "Red Terror") nearly fourteen hundred people were guillotined in Paris alone. The Convention was replaced in October of 1795 with the Directory, which was replaced in turn, in 1799, by the Consulate. Napoleon Bonaparte became Emperor in May of 1804 .” As the situation in France became evermore bloodthirsty, so the revulsion in Britain became evermore pronounced. Revolutionary fervour demanded its expansion, the fire of ‘liberty and equality’ seen as a beacon of hope for the French, who wanted nothing less than to share their new-found enlightenment with the world, became a serious threat to the stability of the British establishment. So it was that in due course, war was yet again declared on the newly formed, but nonetheless feisty and ambitious French. In 1794, General Sir Charles Grey decided that the French island of Martinique (again) was vulnerable to attack, although it was strongly garrisoned, its defenders were scattered across the island. The 15 th was included in the force chosen for the operation, and was placed in the 1 st Brigade under the command of Colonel Sir Charles Gordon. During the six weeks that followed, the 15 th was involved in a great deal of action, which included the storming of Mount Mathurine when the Regiment pressed home their attack with considerable gallantry. The island eventually surrendered on the 23 rd March, whereupon the 15 th remained there as part of the British garrison until they were called upon to assist with the capture of another French held island, Guadeloupe, in late April the same year. One interesting feature about Martinique is that Alexandre, viscount de Beauharnais was born on the island in 1760, a staunch revolutionary, he there married a certain Josephine, born Marie-Josèphe-Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, who, in due course was to marry Napoleon Bonaparte. She herself was a native of the island, for such a relatively innocuous place, its influence on European history was considerable! Meanwhile, Sir Charles Grey, greatly impressed by the quality of the men in his command, said of them that they had shown “extraordinary merit”, and MARTINIQUE 1794 was added to the growing list of honours to be added to the Regimental Colours of the 15 th. The Regiment was repatriated in 1796, and with a threatened French invasion, a 2 nd Battalion was mustered during the years 1799 and 1802, but quickly disbanded with the signing of the Peace of Amiens. The Treaty, “Signed in 1802, marked the end of the French Revolutionary War. For the British, it brought respite from conflict abroad. As part of the peace treaty, Britain, isolated from her allies, agreed to return recent territorial conquests to France, Spain and Holland. These terms were heavily resented and the British, worried about Napoleon’s plans, refused to withdraw from Malta.” A fully translated (into English) version of the Treaty can be viewed at: http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/diplomatic/c_amiens.html It was an ill-fated piece of diplomacy at best, and “However, objections to the treaty were growing in the United Kingdom, especially as it seemed that the UK was making all the concessions. In addition Bonaparte had interfered with the Batavian and Cisalpine Republics and sent troops into Switzerland, breaking earlier treaties. Concerns were also raised by the sending of a major French Army to the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo, where it re-imposed slavery and cracked down on the independence movement. As a result the British Government balked at implementing certain terms, such as evacuating their military presence from Malta, due to this French refusal to respect other terms of the treaty. Despite appeals from French Foreign Minster Talleyrand, Bonaparte refused to concede much, especially as it was rumoured that he had designs on Egypt again. As a result Addington strengthened the Royal Navy, and imposed a blockade of France. After the resumption of hostilities, the 15 th, after spending some time in Ireland, was shipped off to the West Indies again. At home, the 2 nd Battalion of the 15 th was re-mustered, and used in several minor roles at home, while still providing for the losses incurred by the 1 st Battalion. On the 4 th June, 1805, the 1 st/15 th was embarked aboard the Fleet to serve as auxiliary Marines, but after only a brief spell of this nautical duty, they were relieved temporarily, during which time the Fleet, as commanded by Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, clashed with the combined fleets of France and Spain off Cape Trafalgar, on 21 st October, 1805, thus did they miss, by a cat’s whisker, the opportunity to add TRAFALGAR 1805 to their list of Battle Honours. During the following 2 years the 1 st/15 th was stationed in the West Indies, until once more they were called upon, as part of the force of 11,000 men, of which almost 50% were of the British West India Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-General George Beckwith, to re-take Martinique, which had been handed back to French control as part of the Treaty of Amiens. Once again, the island’s French defenders put up a token defence which lasted little more than a month, surrendering on the 24 th February, and the Regiment was privileged to accept MARTINIQUE 1809 as the next Battle Honour. During this campaign the Regiment formed a bond with Lieutenant-Colonel Riall, whose family continued to maintain a connection with the Regiment throughout the rest of its history. “Even though he spent seven years on half pay, he was Major in the 15th Regiment in 1805. He sailed with them to the West Indies, and seems to have first seen serious action when he commanded the regiment at the capture of Martinique in 1809. The next year, he commanded a brigade at the capture of Guadeloupe. After this, he returned to England”. After several more months campaigning, which saw the 1 st/15 th helping to take the Saints islands, they were sent to Grenada for a well earned rest, where they remained until January 1810. It was then embarked as part of the force to re-take the French island of Guadalupe, which had also been returned to French control by the Treaty of Amiens. Once more under the overall command of General Beckwith, the force of 3,000 men, commanded by Major-General Maitland, was, upon being set ashore, was divided into two Divisions. The 1 st/15 th was brigaded with Major-General Harcourt’s 2 nd Division, and came ashore on the 30 th January, near Les Vieux Habitans. “The French opposed the landing, but were soon driven back and within a month the island had been captured with very few casualties. All in all this was a most successful operation, and the Regiment’s contribution was recognised by the award of GUADALOUPE as another Battle Honour, a medal for Colonel Riall, and the presentation to the Regiment of a drum-major’s staff with a silver head by General Beckwith. (Subsequently this silver staff-head was converted into a snuff-box which, until the Regiment amalgamated, was retained by the 1 st Battalion and was then presented to the Army Museum.) “ The following months were misery for the men of the Regiment, the unhealthy conditions of the islands led to 276 officers and men dying of yellow fever in eighteen months. It was not until May 1812 that their plight was deemed so bad, that they were removed to the healthier climate of St, Kitts in order to preserve what was left of them, and to bolster their numbers yet again. So quick had been the diplomatic manoeuvring in the brief restoration of the French monarchy that those islands of the West Indies formerly of French control were yet again, handed back to them, but, as soon as Napoleon was back in Paris, the French army almost to a man, went over to his cause, and, they had to be re-taken yet again. This all seems remarkably short sighted in retrospect, but the prevailing political conditions made it all a necessity, for which, the 15 th had once more to pay the price in their blood and lives. Under the overall command of Lieutenant-General Sir James Leith, the 15 th once more embarked for Guadeloupe. For the brief time of about one hundred days between the return of Napoleon, and his final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the garrison of the island had reverted to their imperial allegiance. This was also short-lived also, and they quickly surrendered to after the arrival of the British. Napoleon’s last exile was to the south Atlantic island of St. Helena, from whence the only escape was his death in allegedly controversial circumstances on the 5 th May, 1821. Perhaps coincidentally, it was the same year the Regiment was eventually returned to England after spending time at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Unlike our other Yorkshire regiments, the 15 th had not been destined for the ‘glories’ of the European theatre, where great battles were fought for the destiny of a continent. Their fate was more a policing role of maintaining trade and commerce with a British bias in the lucrative West Indian islands. That is not to say however that their task was any the less important to the eventual outcome. They did what was asked of them, and while the men of other British regiments fell in droves to cannon and shot, the men of the 15 th died in misery equally appalling of high fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, and backache. After a brief recovery period, the infection can lead to shock, bleeding, and kidney and liver failure. Liver failure causes jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes), which gives yellow fever its name.
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Designed by Richard Hayton 2006 |
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