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Read Ebook: A Brief History of the King's Royal Rifle Corps by Hutton Edward Sir Editor
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Ebook has 274 lines and 20327 words, and 6 pages
In 1799 a 6th Battalion was added to the Regiment, so that the close of the eighteenth century saw the Regiment composed of six battalions.
Footnote 9:
Lieut.-Colonel Marc Prevost, born 1736, died 1785, youngest brother of General Augustine Prevost--a brilliant and most promising officer, who succumbed to the effect of his wounds.
Footnote 10:
Footnote 11:
Afterwards Lieutenant-General. Born 1760, died 1832. He commanded the 5th Battalion, 1797-1808. He afterwards served as Major-General commanding in Lower Canada, 1810-1815, during the American War, 1812-13.
Footnote 12:
In 1808 Great Britain determined to take the offensive against France, and, by occupying Portugal, endeavour to drive Napoleon and the French from the Peninsula of Spain and Portugal.
In February, 1814, occurred one of the most brilliant manoeuvres of the war--the famous passage of the Adour, which was forced in the teeth of a Division of the French Army, the company of the 60th leading the advance of the Guards' Brigade, to which it was attached. On the 27th of the same month Soult was again totally defeated at ORTHES.
Thus closes a momentous record of gallant achievements of the Regiment. Among the officers of the 5th Battalion who distinguished themselves during the Peninsular War, besides those already mentioned, were Major Woodgate, Lieutenant-Colonel Galiffe, Captain Schoedde, and Captain de Blacqui?re.
To continue the history of the other Battalions of the Regiment at this period, the 2nd Battalion, in January, 1809, after Corunna, had returned to the Channel Islands, and thence to the West Indies. The 1st Battalion, which had previously always been quartered in America, was in 1810, together with the 4th Battalion, brought to England, whence it shortly afterwards proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope, and the 4th Battalion was sent to Dominica.
A 7th and 8th Battalion were added in 1813, the former raised at Gibraltar and the latter at Lisbon. Both battalions were dressed in green, which colour at the end of 1815 was adopted for the whole Regiment.
Footnote 13:
Afterwards General Sir William Gabriel Davy, C.B., K.C.H., Colonel Commandant, 60th Rifles, 1842-1856. He succeeded Baron de Rottenburg in command of the 5th Battalion in 1808.
Footnote 14:
Formed in 1800, and now The Rifle Brigade.
Footnote 15:
The Battalion was especially mentioned in Wellesley's despatch.
Footnote 16:
Formerly a Captain in the 60th.
Footnote 17:
Formerly Major in the 4th Battalion 60th.
Footnote 18:
Afterwards General the Earl of Hopetoun, G.C.B., Colonel-Commandant 6th Battalion 60th.
Footnote 19:
Afterwards Major-General Sir William Williams, K.C.B., K.T.S., died 1832.
Footnote 20:
Afterwards General Viscount Beresford, G.C.B., G.C.H., Colonel-in-Chief of the 60th Rifles, 1852-54.
Footnote 21:
Afterwards Field-Marshal Sir John Foster Fitzgerald, G.C.B. Born 1786, died 1877, aged 91.
Footnote 22:
Afterwards Colonel and C.B., died 1861.
Footnote 23:
Afterwards Colonel and C.B., died 1848.
Footnote 24:
Afterwards Lieut.-General Sir James Holmes Schoedde, K.C.B., who received thirteen clasps with his war medal. Born 1786, died 1861.
Major-Generals Sir Henry Clinton, Sir George Murray, and Sir James Kampt, Colonels Commandant of the Regiment, also served with distinction.
In 1827 took place the death of Field-Marshal H.R.H. the Duke of York, who had been Colonel-in-Chief for thirty years, and had given his name to the Regiment. He was succeeded by his brother, Field-Marshal H.R.H. Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge. In 1830 the title of the Regiment, by order of William IV, was again changed to The King's Royal Rifle Corps.
A long peace followed the great wars of the Napoleonic period, and from Toulouse in 1814 until the Sikh War in 1848 the Regiment was not engaged on active service. But from 1848 onwards the British Army entered upon a famous series of campaigns, in nearly all of which the Regiment has taken a memorable share. Its success may be said to be largely due to the excellence and the example of the 1st Battalion, which--directly inheriting the Peninsular honours and traditions of the 5th Battalion as Riflemen--had maintained, in spite of the long peace, its reputation for smartness, discipline, and warlike efficiency.
Subsequently, by forced marches, the Battalion joined the army under Lord Gough in time to share in the final battle of GOOJERAT, a victory over a combined force of 60,000 Sikhs and Afghans. The result of this triumph of British arms was the annexation of the Punjaub, and the retreat of the Ameer Dost Mahomed Khan with the Afghan army beyond the Khyber Pass.
Upon the 8th of July, 1850, H.R.H. Adolphus Duke of Cambridge died, and was succeeded as Colonel-in-Chief by Field-Marshal H.R.H. Prince Albert, Consort of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria.
In 1851 the 2nd Battalion, which had been on home service since 1847, embarked for South Africa, and was employed in the Kaffir War during that and the two following years. It took part under Lieut.-Colonel Nesbitt in many actions with the enemy, including the passage of the Great Kei, the operations for clearing the Water Kloof, and the attack on the Iron Mountain.
In 1855 and 1857 the 3rd and 4th Battalions were raised at Dublin and at Winchester respectively. Thus in 1857 the Regiment again consisted of four Battalions.
Footnote 25:
His Royal Highness's sword and belts were presented to the officers of the 1st Battalion by H.M. King George IV, and are now in the Officers' Mess.
Footnote 26:
Footnote 27:
Footnote 28:
Afterwards General Viscount Melville, G.C.B., Colonel Commandant 1864-1875.
Footnote 29:
Afterwards Field-Marshal Viscount Gough, K.P., G.C.B., Colonel-in-Chief 1854-1869.
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