| Year | Page | |
| 1803 | The Second Battalion of the Fifty-third Regiment formed from men raised under the Army of Reserve Act in Yorkshire, and assembled at Sunderland | 35 |
| 1804 | Embarked for Ireland | 36 |
| 1807 | The men enlisted for limited service transferred to a Garrison battalion; the remainder embarked from Dublin, and proceeded to Shrewsbury; thence to Weymouth, where the Battalion was augmented by volunteers from the Militia | 37 |
| 1808 | Proceeded to Bletchington, thence to Portsmouth, and embarked for Ireland | — |
| 1809 | Embarked at Cork for service with the army in Portugal | — |
| —— | Marched to Oporto | — |
| —— | Advanced into Spain, and engaged in the Battle of Talavera | 38 |
| —— | Received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Talavera" on the colours and appointments | 39 |
| —— | Withdrew into Portugal | — |
| 1810 | Advanced from Guarda to the valley of Mondego | 39 |
| —— | Ciudad Rodrigo captured by the French | 40 |
| —— | Engaged at the Battle of Busaco | — |
| —— | Occupied the lines of Torres Vedras | — |
| 1811 | The French retreated to the Portuguese frontier | — |
| —— | The fortress of Almeida invested | 41 |
| —— | Removed to San Pedro | — |
| —— | Engaged in the action at Fuentes d'Onor | — |
| —— | Resumed its post before Almeida | — |
| —— | Joined the army in the Alemtejo | — |
| —— | Crossed the Agueda to protect the inhabitants from the French garrison of Ciudad Rodrigo | — |
| 1812 | Siege and capture of Ciudad Rodrigo | 42 |
| —— | Formed part of the covering army during the siege and capture of Badajoz | — |
| —— | Moved forward to assist in the attack at Almaraz | 43 |
| —— | Employed in the siege of the French troops left in two fortified convents | — |
| —— | Engaged at the Battle of Salamanca | 44 |
| —— | Received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Salamanca" on the colours and appointments | 45 |
| —— | Entered the city of Valladolid | 46 |
| —— | Stationed at Cuellar | — |
| —— | Employed in the siege of Burgos castle | 47 |
| —— | Retired from Burgos to the Portuguese frontier | — |
| 1813 | Four companies formed part of the second Provisional battalion | — |
| —— | Six companies proceeded to England | — |
| —— | Proceeded through the Tras-os-Montes, and crossed the Esla river | 48 |
| —— | Engaged in the Battle of Vittoria | — |
| —— | Received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Vittoria" on the colours and appointments | — |
| 1813 | Followed the French army to the vicinity of Pampeluna | 49 |
| —— | Employed in the blockade of Pampeluna | — |
| —— | Advanced into the Pyrenees in support of the troops in the Pass of Roncesvalles | — |
| —— | Conflict in front of Pampeluna | — |
| —— | Received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Pyrenees" on the colours and appointments | — |
| —— | Pursued the French army through the Pyrenees | 50 |
| —— | Storming and capture of St. Sebastian | — |
| —— | Attack of the French troops on the heights of San Marcial, and Pass of St. Antonio | — |
| —— | Passage of the Bidassoa | — |
| —— | Advanced into France | 51 |
| —— | Engaged in the Battle of Nivelle | — |
| —— | Received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Nivelle" on the colours and appointments | — |
| —— | Passage of the river Nive | 52 |
| 1814 | Marched to St. Jean de Luz | — |
| —— | Rejoined the army at Grenade | — |
| —— | Marched towards Bordeaux | — |
| —— | The six companies sent to England in 1813, returned to Spain, and advanced to Tarbes | — |
| 1814 | Employed in operations against the castle of L'Ourde | 52 |
| —— | Engaged in the Battle of Toulouse | — |
| —— | Received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Toulouse" on the colours and appointments | — |
| —— | Termination of the Peninsular War | 54 |
| —— | Received the Royal Authority to bear the word "Peninsula" on the colours and appointments | — |
| —— | Encamped at Bordeaux | — |
| —— | Embarked for Ireland | — |
| —— | Re-embarked for England | 55 |
| 1815 | Stationed at Portsmouth | 55 |
| —— | Battle of Waterloo, and surrender of Napoleon Bonaparte | — |
| —— | Proceeded with Napoleon Bonaparte to St. Helena | — |
| —— | Medals presented to certain Serjeants for services in the Peninsular War | — |
| 1817 | Returned from St. Helena to England | 56 |
| —— | Arrived at Portsmouth, and proceeded to Canterbury | 57 |
| —— | Disbanded at Canterbury | — |
|
|
||
| The Conclusion | 59 | |
OF THE
FIFTY-THIRD
OR
THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.
| Year | Page | |
| 1755 | William Whitmore | 59 |
| 1759 | John Toovey | — |
| 1770 | Robert Dalrymple Horne Elphinstone | 60 |
| 1794 | Gerard Lake, afterwards Viscount Lake | — |
| 1796 | Welbore Ellis Doyle | 62 |
| 1798 | Charles Crosbie | 63 |
| 1807 | Honorable John Abercromby, G.C.B | — |
| 1817 | Rowland Lord Hill, G.C.B. | 65 |
| 1830 | Lord FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, G.C.B. | 68 |
|
|
||
| Memoir of the Services of Major-General Sir George Ridout Bingham, K.C.B. | 69 | |
| Costume of the Regiment | to face Page | 1 |
| Colours of the Regiment | 34 | |
| Monument erected at Shrewsbury to the memory of the officers and soldiers of the Regiment who were killed at the Battles of Aliwal and Sobraon, on the 28th January and 10th February, 1846 | 58 | |
HORSE-GUARDS,
1st January, 1836.
His Majesty has been pleased to command that, with the view of doing the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars, viz.:—
—— The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any Achievement it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the Enemy.
—— The Names of the Officers, and the number of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the place and Date of the Action.
—— The Names of those Officers who, in consideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour.
—— The Names of all such Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Privates, as may have specially signalized themselves in Action.
And,
—— The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.
By Command of the Right Honorable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
Commanding-in-Chief.
John Macdonald,
Adjutant-General.
The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted.
Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable object than a full display of the noble deeds with which the Military History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in their honorable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication.
The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the "London Gazette," from whence they are transferred into the public prints: the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery; and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes.
It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic account of their origin and subsequent services.
This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty having been pleased to command that every Regiment shall, in future, keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad.
From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, being undisturbed by the presence of war, which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or no interval of repose.
In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor—on their sufferings—and on the sacrifice of valuable life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved.
The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; and their character has been established in Continental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have maintained their advantages against superior numbers.
In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders, ample justice has generally been done to the gallant exertions of the Corps employed; but the details of their services and of acts of individual bravery can only be fully given in the Annals of the various Regiments.
These Records are now preparing for publication, under his Majesty's special authority, by Mr. Richard Cannon, Principal Clerk of the Adjutant General's Office; and while the perusal of them cannot fail to be useful and interesting to military men of every rank, it is considered that they will also afford entertainment and information to the general reader, particularly to those who may have served in the Army, or who have relatives in the Service.
There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served, or are serving, in the Army, an Esprit de Corps—an attachment to everything belonging to their Regiment; to such persons a narrative of the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of the great, the valiant, the loyal, have always been of paramount interest with a brave and civilized people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes who, in moments of danger and terror, have stood "firm as the rocks of their native shore:" and when half the world has been arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war—victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen, our brothers, our fellow citizens in arms—a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us—will certainly prove acceptable to the public.
Biographical Memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished Officers will be introduced in the Records of their respective Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying the value and importance of its services, will be faithfully set forth.
As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be completed, the Parts may be bound up in numerical succession.
The natives of Britain have, at all periods, been celebrated for innate courage and unshaken firmness, and the national superiority of the British troops over those of other countries has been evinced in the midst of the most imminent perils. History contains so many proofs of extraordinary acts of bravery, that no doubts can be raised upon the facts which are recorded. It must therefore be admitted, that the distinguishing feature of the British soldier is Intrepidity