8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot
Encyclopedia
The 8th Regiment of Foot, also referred to diminutively as the 8th Foot and the King's, was an infantry
regiment
of the British Army
, formed in 1685 and retitled the King's (Liverpool Regiment) on 1 July 1881.
As infantry of the line
, the 8th (King's) peacetime responsibilities included service overseas in garrisons ranging from British North America
, the Ionian Islands
, India, and the British West Indies
. The duration of these deployments varied considerably, sometimes exceeding a decade; its first tour of North America began in 1768 and ended in 1785.
The regiment served in numerous conflicts during its existence, notably in the wars with France that dominated the 18th and 19th centuries, the American Revolution
, the War of 1812
, and the Indian rebellion of 1857
(historically referred to as the "Indian Mutiny" by Britain). As a consequence of Childers reforms
, the 8th became the King's (Liverpool Regiment). A pre-existing affiliation with the city had derived from its depot being situated in Liverpool from 1873 because of the earlier Cardwell reforms
.
The lineage of the 8th Regiment has been perpetuated since 2006 by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border), which has incorporated aspects of the 8th's regimental identity.
by the illegitimate son
of King Charles II
against King James II.
After James was deposed during the "Glorious Revolution
" that installed William and Mary
as co-monarchs, the regiment's commanding officer, the Duke of Berwick
, decided to join his royal father in exile. His replacement as commanding officer was Colonel John Beaumont
, who had earlier been dismissed with six officers for refusing to accept a draft of Catholics.
It took part in the Siege of Carrickfergus
in Ireland
in 1689 and in the Battle of the Boyne
the following year. Further actions, while under the command of John Churchill
(later 1st Duke of Marlborough) took place that year involving the regiment during the sieges of Limerick
, Cork
and Kinsale
.
For almost a decade, the regiment undertook garrison duties in England
, Ireland
, and the Dutch United Provinces
, where it paraded for King William on Breda
Heath in September 1701. On the accession of Princess Anne
to the throne in 1702, the regiment became the Queen's Regiment of Foot, although it continued to be referred to as Webb's
Regiment per an unofficial army convention that had a unit known by the name of its colonel. The War of the Spanish Succession
, predicated on a dispute between a "Grand Alliance" and France over who would succeed Charles II of Spain
, reached the Low Countries
in April 1702. While Dutch marshal Prince Walrad took the initiative and besieged Kaiserswerth, the French Marshal duc de Boufflers
forced Walrad's colleague, the Earl of Athlone
, to withdraw deep into Holland. Supporting Athlone's army, the Queen's Regiment fought near Nijmegen in a rearguard action during the Dutch Army's retreat between the Maas and Rhine rivers. John Churchill, Earl (later Duke) of Marlborough, ranked as Captain-General with limited authority over Dutch forces, arrived in the Low Countries soon afterwards to assume control of a multi-national army organised by the Grand Alliance. He invaded the French-controlled Spanish Netherlands and presided over a series of sieges at Venlo
, Roermond
, Stevensweert
, and Liège
, in which the regiment's grenadier company breached the citadel
. After a lull during the winter, Marlborough struggled to retain the cohesion of his army against the inclination of Dutch generals to divide his resources, while the army itself experienced a reverse at Liège in 1703.
Later in the year, the regiment assisted in the capture of Huy
and Limbourg
, but the campaigns in 1702 and 1703 nevertheless "were largely indecisive". To aid the beleaguered Austrian Habsburgs and preserve the alliance, Marlborough sought to engage the French in a definitive set-piece battle in 1704 by advancing into Bavaria
, an ally of France, and combining his force with that of Prince Eugene
. As an army of 40,000 men assembled, Marlborough's elaborate programme of deception concealed his intentions from the French. The army invaded Bavaria on 2 July and promptly captured the Schellenberg
after a devastating assault that included a contingent from the Queen's. On 13 August, the Allies encountered a Franco-Bavarian army under the overall command of the duc de Tallard
, beginning the Battle of Blenheim
. The Queen's Regiment, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Sutton, supported General Lord Cutts' left wing, opposite to French-held Blenheim
. According to a contemporary account by Francis Hare
, Chaplain-General of Marlborough's army, the Queen's secured a French-constructed "barrier" to prevent it being used as a route of escape, taking hundreds prisoner in its vicinity. Blenheim had become congested with French soldiers and its streets filled with dead and wounded. About 13,000 French soldiers eventually surrendered, including Tallard, while the collective carnage caused more than 30,000 soldiers to become casualties.
The effective collapse of Bavaria as a French ally and the capture of its most significant fortresses followed Blenheim by year's end. After a period of recuperation and reinforcement in Nijmegen and Breda, the Queen's returned to active service during the Allies' attempted invasion of France, via the Moselle
, in May 1705. In June, French Marshal Villeroi
captured Huy and besieged Liège, forcing Marlborough to abort a campaign that lacked appreciable Allied support. The regiment became detached from Marlborough's army to assist in the retaking of Huy before rejoining for the subsequent attack on the Lines of Brabant
Although the lines were overcome, French resistance, combined with opposition among some Dutch generals and adverse weather conditions, prevented much exploitation. The Queen's helped to seize Neerwinden
, Neerhespen, and the bridge at Elixheim
.
In May 1706, Villeroi, pressured by King Louis XIV
to atone for France's earlier defeats, initiated an offensive in the Low Countries by crossing the Dyle river. Marlborough engaged Villeroi's army near Ramillies
on 23 May. Along with 11 battalions and 39 squadrons of cavalry under Lord Orkney, the Queen's fought initially in what transpired to be a feint attack on the left flank of the French lines. The feint convinced Villeroi to divert troops from the centre, while Marlborough had to use representatives to repeatedly instruct Orkney not to continue the attack. Most of Orkney's battalions, including the Queen's, redeployed to support Marlborough on the left. By 19:00, the Franco-Bavarian army had completely disintegrated. For the remainder of 1706, the Allies systemetically captured towns and fortresses, including Antwerp, Bruges
, Brussels
, and Ghent
. The regiment fought its last siege of 1706 at Menin, one of the most formidably defended fortresses in Europe.
The threat of a French-supported Jacobite
uprising in Scotland arose in 1708 and the Queen's was among those regiments recalled to Britain. Once the Royal Navy intercepted an invasion fleet off the English coast, the regiment returned to the Low Countries, disembarking at Ostend
. The French later returned to the offensive, attacking Flanders
and capturing territory that had been lost in 1706. Marlborough had positioned his forces near Brussels
, anticipating that an offensive might be directed against the city, and had to march his army 50 miles (80.5 km) over a period of two days. On 11 July, Marlborough led an Allied army against Bourgogne, grandson of King Louis, and Marshal Vendôme
's 100,000-man army at the Battle of Oudenarde
. The Queen's joined an advanced contingent under Lord Cadogan
which crossed the Scheldt
, via pontoon bridge
s assembled near Oudenarde, as a prelude to the arrival of the main army. While elements of the main army began to arrive at the bridges, Cadogan advanced on the village of Eyne
and swiftly overwhelmed an isolated group of four Swiss mercenary
battalions; three surrendered and the fourth attempted to withdraw but was intercepted by Jørgen Rantzau
's cavalry. To signify the surrender, the commanding officer of the Queen's received some of their colours
. The regiment soon became engaged in battle near the village of Herlegem, fighting through the hedges until darkness. Cadogan's precarious situation only began to alleviate by the deployment of the Duke of Argyll
's reinforcements.
The Queen's became occupied by a succession of sieges: at Ghent, Bruges, and Lillie
. In 1709, the regiment assisted in the protracted Siege of Tournai, which capitulated in September. On the 11th, the regiment fought in the bloodiest battle of the war: Malplaquet
. After being committed from reserve in the battle's closing stages, the regiment advanced under heavy fire and fought through dense wood, having Lieutenant-Colonel Louis de Ramsay killed. The memoirs of Private Matthew Bishop, of the Queen's Regiment, contained an account that recalled: "the French were well prepared to give us a warm salute. It soon broke us in a terrible manner, though our vacancies were quickly filled up...when we got clear of the dead and wounded, we ran upon them and returning their fire, even broke them out of the breast-work."
In 1710, the regiment was represented at the sieges of Douai
, Béthune
, Aire
and St. Venant.
Rebellion against the Hanoverian King George I
began in 1715 by Jacobite
supporters of James Stuart
, "Old Pretender" to the throne of Great Britain. As unrest escalated in Britain, the Queen's Regiment arrived in Scotland and became absorbed by a Government army under the Duke of Argyll
. Although numerically superior, the Jacobite army did not begin an advance south until November because of the caution of their leader, the Earl of Mar. The Duke of Argyll moved north from Stirling
and positioned his forces in the vicinity of Dunblane
on 12 November. On the morning of the 13th, in conditions that had frozen the ground during the night, the Battle of Sheriffmuir
began.
The Queen's Regiment formed part of General Thomas Whetham's left wing. Confused troop movements led to both it and the Jacobite left being weaker than the corresponding right wing. While Whetham's men attempted to readjust their dispositions, a mass of Highlanders began a rapid charge. Entwined in hand-to-hand combat within minutes, the sides fought until Whetham's men broke and retreated in disarray. The Queen's had 111 killed, including Lieutenant-Colonel Hanmer, 14 wounded, and 12 captured. The remnants withdrew from the battlefield until almost upon Stirling. Without cavalry support, the Jacobite left also broke, and the Earl of Mar abandoned the area at nightfall.
At the behest of George I, to honour the regiment's service at Sheriffmuir, the Queen's became the King's Regiment of Foot, with the White Horse of Hanover (symbol of the Royal Household
) as its badge. The device continued to be used until the regiment amalgamated in 1958.
The King's remained in Scotland until 1717, by which time the Jacobite uprising had been suppressed. Between 1717 and 1739, the King's alternated between garrisons in England and Ireland.
In 1743 the regiment fought at the Battle of Dettingen
. Despite the French enjoying superiority in numbers, Britain and its Allies defeated an army under the duc de Noailles
.
The following year the regiment took part in the Battle of Fontenoy. Due to its seniority, the King's Regiment became positioned in the frontline of the Duke of Cumberland
's centre. The centre advanced with its right flank exposed because of the refusal by some allied regiments to fight, while the left flank made limited progress. In the midst of a French counter-attack, the centre was forced to withdraw. The regiment suffered more than 150 casualties in the Allied defeat.
In 1745, Prince Charles Edward (popularly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie) landed in Scotland, seeking to restore the Stuarts to the British throne. The regiment did not become committed to battle until the Battle of Falkirk
in 1746. The regiment was part of the left wing of the front line of the army, under the command of Lieutenant-General Henry Hawley
. After a failed attack by dragoon
s of Hawley's army, the Highlanders loyal to Prince Charles charged the Government forces, compelling the left wing of the army to withdraw while the right wing held. The rebels and Government armies both withdrew from the battlefield by night-time. The regiment later fought in the Battle of Culloden
. Once the impetuous Highlanders charged and overcame the initial volley of fire, vicious hand-to-hand fighting ensued with Hawley's men. The King's provided cross-fire support, firing across the front-line and into the Highlanders. The regiment sustained a single, severely wounded casualty.
Between 1746 and 1747, the King's fought in the battles of Roucoux and Lauffeld
. In the latter, the King's and three other regiments became embroiled in a protracted struggle through the avenues of Val
. Control of the village fluctuated throughout the battle until the Allies retreated before overwhelming numbers.
The British Army implemented a numbering system in 1751 to reflect the seniority of a regiment by its date of creation, with the King's becoming the 8th (King's) Regiment of Foot in the order of precedence
. The beginning of the Seven Years' War
, which would encompass Europe and its colonial possessions, necessitated the 8th's expansion to two battalions, amounting to a total of 20 companies. Both battalions formed part of an expedition in 1757 that captured Île d'Aix, an island off the western coast of France, as a precursor to a planned seizure of the mainland garrison town of Rochefort
.
The 2nd Battalion became the 63rd Regiment of Foot
in 1758 and would not be replaced until 1804.
When the regiment augmented the Hanoverian Army in 1760, the 8th King's had its grenadier
company committed to the battles of Warburg
and Kloster Kampen
. As a complete regiment, the 8th served at Kirch-Denkern, Paderborn
, Wilhelmsthal
, and the capture of Cassel
.
in 1768 and had its ten companies dispersed to garrison isolated posts on the Great Lakes
: Fort Niagara
(four), Fort Detroit
(three), Fort Michilimackinac
(two), and Fort Oswego
(one). As the regiment's deployment appeared to near completion, protests in the eastern colonies began to intensify, evolving from vocal concerns about self-determination and taxation without representation, to rebellion against Britain in 1775.
During its posting, the 8th Foot possessed a number of officers adept in cultivating a relationship with tribes on the Great Lakes, notable amongst them being Captain Arent DePeyster
and Lieutenant John Caldwell. Later to become 5th Baronet of County Fermanagh
's Caldwell Castle, Caldwell immersed himself in his efforts to foster understanding between the British and Ojibwa, reputedly marrying a member of the tribe and becoming a chief under the adopted name of "The Runner". In the west, Captain DePeyster's negotiations proved instrumental in maintaining peace between the British and tribes such as the Mohawk
and Ojibwa
nations. Born into a prominent New York
family of Dutch
origin, DePeyster held authority over Fort Michilimackinac. In 1778, using £19,000 of goods as leverage, he arranged for more than 550 warriors from several tribes to serve in Montreal
and Ottawa
.
The invasion of Canada
by American generals Richard Montgomery
and Benedict Arnold
began in mid-1775. By the end of November, the Americans had captured Fort St. Jean
, Montreal
, and Fort Chambly
, and besieged the city of Quebec
. An attempt to storm it in December resulted in Montgomery's death. Reinforcements from Europe raised the siege in May 1776 and expelled the almost starved and exhausted Americans from the area. After the lifting of the siege, a small party from the 8th Foot led the regiment to its first significant battle in the war.
From Fort Oswegatchie
, Captain George Forster, of the regiment's light company, led a composite force, including 40 regulars and about 200 warriors, across the St. Lawrence River to attack Fort Cedars
, held by 400 Americans under Timothy Bedel
. Forster maintained illicit contact with occupied Montreal
, and received intelligence of American troop movements using Indian operatives and Major de Lorimier
. On arriving at the fort on 18 May, the British briefly exchanged fire before Forster parley
ed with Bedel's successor, Major Isaac Butterfield, to request his surrender and warn him of the consequences should Indian warriors be committed to battle. Butterfield, whose men had apparently been disconcerted by an earlier display of Indian war chanting, expressed a willingness to do so on the proviso of being allowed to retire with his weapons - a condition that Forster refused.
Butterfield conceded the fort on the 19th, on the day an American relief force of about 150 resumed its advance on the Cedars, having previously reembarked aboard bateaux because of exaggerated scout reports. Once he learned of the column's presence, Forster had a detachment ambush the Americans from positions astride the only available path through the forest. The relief's commander, Major Sherburne, surrendered, but the engagement infuriated the Indian contingent as the Allies' only fatality was a Seneca
war chief. Forster managed to dissuade them from executing the prisoners by paying substantial ransoms for some of the captives as compensation for the loss.
Emboldened by the two victories, the British landed at Pointe-Claire
, on the Island of Montreal
, only to withdraw after Forster established the strength of General Benedict Arnold
's force at Lachine
. In pursuit of a dwindling column, Arnold followed the British using bateaux, but was deterred from landing by Forster's placement of men along the embankment at Quinze-Chênes, supported by two captured cannon pieces. On the 27th, Forster sent Sherburne under a flag of truce to inform Arnold that terms to a prisoner exchange favourable to the British had been agreed upon. Arnold accepted the conditions, with the exception of Americans being forbidden from serving elsewhere. Both Arnold and Forster had postured during the battle, each threatening the other with the prospect of atrocities: the killing of prisoners by Forster's Indian allies and the destruction of Indian villages by Arnold's men. The exchange would be denounced by the American Second Continental Congress
and the arrangement reneged upon under the pretext that abuses had been committed by Forster's men.
In late July 1777, the regiment contributed Captain Richard Leroult and 100 men to the Siege of Fort Stanwix
. Commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barry St. Leger
, 34th Foot
, the force consisted of approximately 1600 men, comprising British (100 8th, 100 34th) Canadian (65-100), German (350), Loyalist (400) and Native American (700) troops. At the Battle of Oriskany
in August, Chief Joseph Brant
's men and the King's Royal Regiment of New York
intercepted American reinforcements for Stanwix, inflicting more than 400 casualties, including General Nicholas Herkimer
. The fort itself was heavily defended and newly repaired and prepared for a siege, while the besiegers numbers were insufficient and their artillery of an inadequate calibre. During the time the ambush was taking place, a sortie by from the forts defenders swept out unopposed capturing much of the Loyalist and Indian camp and supplies. A few weeks later the siege collapsed with the disappearance of the dis-spirited native allies.
The regiment took part in further actions at Vincennes
and the Battle of Newtown
(Elmira, New York
) in 1779, as well as the Mohawk Valley
in 1780 and Kentucky
in 1782. Captain Henry Bird of the 8th Regiment led a British and Native American siege of Fort Laurens
in 1779. In 1780, he led an invasion of Kentucky
, capturing two "stations" (fortified settlements) and returning to Detroit with 300 prisoners.
and the King's reinforced Jersey
due to heightened tension caused by it.
In 1793, revolutionary France declared war on Great Britain. The King's became assigned to an expeditionary force sent to the Netherlands
under the command of Prince Frederick, Duke of York. In 1794, the regiment attempted to lift the French Siege of Nijmegen. The allies planned a nocturnal attack, with the march conducted without audible commotion. The force leapt into the French earthworks, with hand-to-hand fighting ensuing. Despite the success, the town of Nijmegen was soon evacuated and the British withdrew from the Netherlands in 1795.
In 1799, the King's became resident on Minorca
, which had been captured from Spain the previous year. In 1801, the regiment landed at Abukir Bay, Egypt
, with an expedition sent under the command of General Ralph Abercromby
to counter a French invasion. The King's participated in the capture of Rosetta
, 65 miles west of Alexandria
, and a fort located in Romani. The British completed the occupation of Egypt by September.
, thence to Britain in 1803. Brief service on the continent followed before it was transported to Copenhagen
in 1807, besieged by forces under Sir Arthur Wellesley
.
The 1st Battalion moved to Canada in 1808 as the Napoleonic Wars
extended to the Americas
. Within a year, in January 1809, the battalion had embarked at Barbados with an expeditionary force of 10,000 assembled to invade Martinique
. Although a number of engagements with the French garrison preceded the island's seizure
, disease represented the principal threat to Britain's five-year occupation. By October 1809, some 1,700 of more than 2,000 casualties had succumbed to disease. The 8th Foot returned to Nova Scotia in April, having had its commanding officer, Major Bryce Maxwell, and four others killed in a skirmish with French soldiers on the Surirey Heights during the advance on Fort Desaix
in February. When sustained tension between the United States and Britain culminated in the War of 1812
, the 1st and 2nd battalions were based in Quebec
and Nova Scotia respectively.
Sporadic raids into Canada on the eastern frontier provided impetus for a former regimental officer, Lieutenant-Colonel "Red" George MacDonnell
, to encroach into New York State and attack Ogdensburg
in February 1813. To reach their destination, the 8th Foot and Canadian militia had to traverse across the frozen St. Lawrence River and through dense snow. After gaining control of the fort following close-quarters battle, the British destroyed the main barracks and three anchored vessels, and departed with provisions and prisoners. Ogdensburg would not be reestablished as a frontier garrison, ensuring relative peace in the region.
Despite extreme winter conditions impeding an arduous 350-mile march from New Brunswick to Quebec City (soon followed by the 104th Foot), the 2nd Battalion reached its objective without loss of life.
In April 1813, two companies of the 8th, elements of the Canadian militia, and Native American allies attempted to repulse an American attack on York
(present-day Toronto). As the Americans landed on the shoreline, the grenadier company engaged them in a bayonet charge with 46 killed, including its commanding officer, Captain Neal McNeale. The Americans nevertheless overwhelmed the area but subsequently incurred 250 casualties, notably General Zebulon Pike
, when retreating British regulars detonated Fort York's Grand Magazine.
While garrisoning Fort George, at Newark (present day Niagara-on-the-Lake), in May 1813 with companies of the Glengarries and Runchey's Company of Coloured Men
, the 8th Foot attempted to disrupt an amphibious landing by the Americans. Although numerically inferior, the British delayed the invasion and retreated without disorder.
Less than two weeks later, the 8th and 49th assaulted an American encampment at Stoney Creek
. Numbering about 700, the British engaged more than 3,000 Americans in a nocturnal battle. Although the Americans had two brigadiers captured and suffered losses, the British commander, Colonel John Harvey
, considered the possibility of his opponents realising their numerical advantage too compelling to ignore and withdrew. Soon afterwards, the Americans broke camp and retired to Forty Mile Creek and Fort George
.
In July 1814 the regiment fought in the Battle of Chippewa in which the British commander General Phineas Riall
retreated after he misidentified American regulars for militia. Later in the month, the regiment fought in the Battle of Lundy's Lane
. The British, Canadian and Native soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant-General Gordon Drummond
, engaged the American forcee. In the bloodiest battle recorded on Canadian territory, casualties for both sides exceeded 800.
The following month, the King's took part in the action at Snake Hill
during the siege of Fort Erie
.
After the capture of Fort Niagara the 1st Battalion were sent back to their old post once again to recover from the previous campaign. With almost 800 casualties the 1st Bn stayed here until requesting to be relieved in the spring.
The 2nd Battalion, stationed in Quebec, supplied reinforcements to the 1st, garrisoned numerous forts and towns, and was involved in the battles of Sackets Harbour and Plattsburg.
The King's Regiment received the battle honour 'Niagara' for the contributions of both Battalions.
, the King's undertook a variety of duties in Bermuda
, Canada
, Cephalonia, Corfu
, Gibraltar
, Ireland
, Jamaica
, Malta
and Zante. In 1846, the regiment began a 14-year posting to India, stationed initially in the Bombay Presidency
. At the beginning of the rebellion in May 1857, the 8th Foot occupied a cantonment
in Jullundur, together with three Indian regiments and two troops of horse artillery.
The complex array of motives and causes that culminated in the mutiny of much of the Bengal Army would be catalysed in 1857 by rumours that beef and pork fat was being used to grease paper rifle cartridges. Confined first to a number of Bengal regiments, the mutiny eventually manifested in some areas as a more diverse, albeit disparate, rebellion against British rule. Soon after reports were received of the first mutiny at Meerut on 10 May, the 8th's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hartley, had two companies secure the fort of Phillaur
, near Jullundur, due to the significance of its magazine stores and reports that the 3rd Bengal Native Infantry intended to seize it.
After a period of seven weeks in Jullundur, the regiment became attached to an army preparing to besiege Delhi
. Because of a shortage of troops, due primarily to cholera
and other diseases, several weeks elapsed before the British had attained a strength sufficient to commence operations. The regiment's first engagement occurred in July, when it captured an outpost situated in gardens outside Delhi. Due to a lack of ammunition, the King's eventually withdrew from a counter-attack.
One-week later, two companies supported a position that had been under attack for seven hours. The King's participated in the capture of Ludlow Castle, in the vicinity of Kashmir
Gate in the northern walls of Delhi. Grouped into the 2nd Column with the 2nd Bengal Fusiliers and 4th Sikhs, the 8th King's attaked Delhi early on 14 September with the intent of capturing the Water Bastion and Kashmiri Gate
. Once the city had been secured by the British, the 8th's Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Greathed vacated his position and became commander of a column dispatched to Cawnpore. The regiment, commanded by Major Hinde, had been seriously depleted and the combined total of it and the 75th Foot
numbered just 450. The regiment also took part in the second Relief of Lucknow in November, seeing much action until withdrawing, after the evacuation of civilians, on the 22nd. In an environment of systematic reprisal by the British, Captain Octavius Anson, of the 9th Lancers, recalled observing acts of punitive violence against Indian civilians, including the alleged kiling of incapacitated villagers by soldiers of the 8th Foot.
The 1st Battalion was brought back to Britain in 1860. It spent the year 1865 in Dublin, Ireland, where the battalion supported garrison operations against Irish Republican activity in the city. Then, after two years in Malta
, the 1st King's returned to the sub-continent in 1868. where it remained for a decade. The regiment's 2nd Battalion, which had been reconstituted in 1857, was itself posted to Malta (in 1863) and India (in 1877), and met up with the 1st King's on the island and at Mundra
, in the Bombay Presidency.
Within a year of the battalion's arrival, in November 1878, Britain invaded Afghanistan
when an ultimatum to its ruler by the Viceroy of India, Lord Lytton
, went unanswered. Lytton's demands had followed the reluctant hosting of a Russian mission to Kabul
by Sher Ali
and the prevention of a similar British mission from entering Afghanistan at Ali Masjid
. Though still acclimatising and consequently susceptible to fever, the 2nd King's was allocated to the Kurram Field Force, under Major-General Frederick Roberts
. The 2nd King's fought at the Battle of Peiwar Kotal
. In September, the King's assisted in the defence of an encampment in the proximity of Ali Keyl against a large number of Afghans.
In 1881 they were renamed The King's (Liverpool Regiment) and, in 1921, The King's Regiment (Liverpool)
.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, formed in 1685 and retitled the King's (Liverpool Regiment) on 1 July 1881.
As infantry of the line
Line infantry
Line infantry is a type of infantry which composed the basis of European land armies from the middle of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century....
, the 8th (King's) peacetime responsibilities included service overseas in garrisons ranging from British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
, the Ionian Islands
United States of the Ionian Islands
The United States of the Ionian Islands was a state and amical protectorate of the United Kingdom between 1815 and 1864. It was the successor state of the Septinsular Republic...
, India, and the British West Indies
British West Indies
The British West Indies was a term used to describe the islands in and around the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire The term was sometimes used to include British Honduras and British Guiana, even though these territories are not geographically part of the Caribbean...
. The duration of these deployments varied considerably, sometimes exceeding a decade; its first tour of North America began in 1768 and ended in 1785.
The regiment served in numerous conflicts during its existence, notably in the wars with France that dominated the 18th and 19th centuries, the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, and the Indian rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
(historically referred to as the "Indian Mutiny" by Britain). As a consequence of Childers reforms
Childers Reforms
The Childers Reforms restructured the infantry regiments of the British army. The reforms were undertaken by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell reforms....
, the 8th became the King's (Liverpool Regiment). A pre-existing affiliation with the city had derived from its depot being situated in Liverpool from 1873 because of the earlier Cardwell reforms
Cardwell Reforms
The Cardwell Reforms refer to a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874.-Background:...
.
The lineage of the 8th Regiment has been perpetuated since 2006 by the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border), which has incorporated aspects of the 8th's regimental identity.
History
The regiment formed as the Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Foot during a rebellion in 1685Monmouth Rebellion
The Monmouth Rebellion,The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion of 1685, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland at the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some...
by the illegitimate son
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
of King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
against King James II.
After James was deposed during the "Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
" that installed William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
as co-monarchs, the regiment's commanding officer, the Duke of Berwick
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Fitz-James, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica was an Anglo-French military leader, illegitimate son of King James II of England by Arabella Churchill, sister of the 1st Duke of Marlborough...
, decided to join his royal father in exile. His replacement as commanding officer was Colonel John Beaumont
John Beaumont (MP)
John Beaumont was an English soldier at the time of the Glorious Revolution and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1685 and 1695....
, who had earlier been dismissed with six officers for refusing to accept a draft of Catholics.
It took part in the Siege of Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1689 and in the Battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
the following year. Further actions, while under the command of John Churchill
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
(later 1st Duke of Marlborough) took place that year involving the regiment during the sieges of Limerick
Siege of Limerick (1690)
Limerick, a city in western Ireland, was besieged twice in the Williamite War in Ireland, 1689-1691. On the first of these occasions, in August to September 1690, its Jacobite defenders retreated to the city after their defeat at the Battle of the Boyne...
, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
.
War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714)
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and the Dutch United Provinces
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, where it paraded for King William on Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
Heath in September 1701. On the accession of Princess Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
to the throne in 1702, the regiment became the Queen's Regiment of Foot, although it continued to be referred to as Webb's
John Richmond Webb
General John Richmond Webb was an English military leader and Member of Parliament.Webb was the son of Colonel Edmund Richmond Webb, a Wiltshire gentleman with a position in the household of Prince George of Denmark and second cousin to another Wiltshire man, Henry St John, who was to become the...
Regiment per an unofficial army convention that had a unit known by the name of its colonel. The War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
, predicated on a dispute between a "Grand Alliance" and France over who would succeed Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
, reached the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
in April 1702. While Dutch marshal Prince Walrad took the initiative and besieged Kaiserswerth, the French Marshal duc de Boufflers
Louis François, duc de Boufflers
Louis François, Duc de Boufflers, Comte de Cagny was a Marshal of France....
forced Walrad's colleague, the Earl of Athlone
Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone
Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone, or in his own country of the Netherlands born Baron Godard van Reede was a Dutch general in the service of England....
, to withdraw deep into Holland. Supporting Athlone's army, the Queen's Regiment fought near Nijmegen in a rearguard action during the Dutch Army's retreat between the Maas and Rhine rivers. John Churchill, Earl (later Duke) of Marlborough, ranked as Captain-General with limited authority over Dutch forces, arrived in the Low Countries soon afterwards to assume control of a multi-national army organised by the Grand Alliance. He invaded the French-controlled Spanish Netherlands and presided over a series of sieges at Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
, Roermond
Roermond
Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
, Stevensweert
Stevensweert
-Geography:Stevensweert is a village in the Dutch province Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Maasgouw. It lies on the right board of the river Meuse, which forms the limit with Belgium Kessenich. There was also a ferry to this village.-History:...
, and Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
, in which the regiment's grenadier company breached the citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
. After a lull during the winter, Marlborough struggled to retain the cohesion of his army against the inclination of Dutch generals to divide his resources, while the army itself experienced a reverse at Liège in 1703.
Later in the year, the regiment assisted in the capture of Huy
Huy
Huy is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the sillon industriel, the former industrial backbone of Wallonia, home to about two-thirds of the Walloon population...
and Limbourg
Limbourg
Limbourg is a medieval town located in the province of Liège, Wallonia, Belgium.On 1 January 2008 Limbourg had a total population of 5,680. The total area is 24.63 km² which gives a population density of 231 inhabitants per km²...
, but the campaigns in 1702 and 1703 nevertheless "were largely indecisive". To aid the beleaguered Austrian Habsburgs and preserve the alliance, Marlborough sought to engage the French in a definitive set-piece battle in 1704 by advancing into Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, an ally of France, and combining his force with that of Prince Eugene
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
. As an army of 40,000 men assembled, Marlborough's elaborate programme of deception concealed his intentions from the French. The army invaded Bavaria on 2 July and promptly captured the Schellenberg
Battle of Schellenberg
The Battle of Schellenberg, also known as the Battle of Donauwörth, was fought on 2 July 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement was part of the Duke of Marlborough's campaign to save the Habsburg capital of Vienna from a threatened advance by King Louis XIV's Franco-Bavarian...
after a devastating assault that included a contingent from the Queen's. On 13 August, the Allies encountered a Franco-Bavarian army under the overall command of the duc de Tallard
Camille d'Hostun, duc de Tallard
Camille d'Hostun de la Baume, duc de Tallard was a French noble, diplomat and military commander, who became Marshal of France.-Military career:...
, beginning the Battle of Blenheim
Battle of Blenheim
The Battle of Blenheim , fought on 13 August 1704, was a major battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV of France sought to knock Emperor Leopold out of the war by seizing Vienna, the Habsburg capital, and gain a favourable peace settlement...
. The Queen's Regiment, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Sutton, supported General Lord Cutts' left wing, opposite to French-held Blenheim
Blindheim
Blindheim is a municipality in the Bavarian district of Dillingen in Southern Germany, consisting of several villages. Its population is roughly 1,700...
. According to a contemporary account by Francis Hare
Francis Hare (bishop)
Francis Hare was an English churchman and classical scholar, bishop of St Asaph from 1727 and bishop of Chichester from 1731.-Life:...
, Chaplain-General of Marlborough's army, the Queen's secured a French-constructed "barrier" to prevent it being used as a route of escape, taking hundreds prisoner in its vicinity. Blenheim had become congested with French soldiers and its streets filled with dead and wounded. About 13,000 French soldiers eventually surrendered, including Tallard, while the collective carnage caused more than 30,000 soldiers to become casualties.
The effective collapse of Bavaria as a French ally and the capture of its most significant fortresses followed Blenheim by year's end. After a period of recuperation and reinforcement in Nijmegen and Breda, the Queen's returned to active service during the Allies' attempted invasion of France, via the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, in May 1705. In June, French Marshal Villeroi
François de Neufville, duc de Villeroi
François de Neufville, 2ème duc de Villeroy was a French soldier.-Biography:Villeroy was born in Lyon into noble family which had risen into prominence in the reign of Charles IX....
captured Huy and besieged Liège, forcing Marlborough to abort a campaign that lacked appreciable Allied support. The regiment became detached from Marlborough's army to assist in the retaking of Huy before rejoining for the subsequent attack on the Lines of Brabant
Battle of Elixheim
The Battle of Elixheim, 18 July 1705, also known as the Passage of the Lines of Brabant was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. The Duke of Marlborough successfully broke through the French Lines of Brabant, an arc of defensive fieldworks stretching in a seventy-mile arc from Antwerp to...
Although the lines were overcome, French resistance, combined with opposition among some Dutch generals and adverse weather conditions, prevented much exploitation. The Queen's helped to seize Neerwinden
Neerwinden
Neerwinden is a village in Belgium in the province of Flemish Brabant, a few miles southeast of Tienen, and is now part of the municipality of Landen....
, Neerhespen, and the bridge at Elixheim
Eliksem
Eliksem is a village located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant.It is part of the municipality of Landen.The village is known for the Battle of Elixheim, where the word Elixheim is an 18th century English/French transformation of Eliksem....
.
In May 1706, Villeroi, pressured by King Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
to atone for France's earlier defeats, initiated an offensive in the Low Countries by crossing the Dyle river. Marlborough engaged Villeroi's army near Ramillies
Battle of Ramillies
The Battle of Ramillies , fought on 23 May 1706, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705...
on 23 May. Along with 11 battalions and 39 squadrons of cavalry under Lord Orkney, the Queen's fought initially in what transpired to be a feint attack on the left flank of the French lines. The feint convinced Villeroi to divert troops from the centre, while Marlborough had to use representatives to repeatedly instruct Orkney not to continue the attack. Most of Orkney's battalions, including the Queen's, redeployed to support Marlborough on the left. By 19:00, the Franco-Bavarian army had completely disintegrated. For the remainder of 1706, the Allies systemetically captured towns and fortresses, including Antwerp, Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. The regiment fought its last siege of 1706 at Menin, one of the most formidably defended fortresses in Europe.
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
uprising in Scotland arose in 1708 and the Queen's was among those regiments recalled to Britain. Once the Royal Navy intercepted an invasion fleet off the English coast, the regiment returned to the Low Countries, disembarking at Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
. The French later returned to the offensive, attacking Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and capturing territory that had been lost in 1706. Marlborough had positioned his forces near Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, anticipating that an offensive might be directed against the city, and had to march his army 50 miles (80.5 km) over a period of two days. On 11 July, Marlborough led an Allied army against Bourgogne, grandson of King Louis, and Marshal Vendôme
Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme
Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme was a French military commander during the War of the Grand Alliance and War of the Spanish Succession, Marshal of France.-Biography:...
's 100,000-man army at the Battle of Oudenarde
Battle of Oudenarde
The Battle of Oudenaarde was a key battle in the War of the Spanish Succession fought on 11 July 1708 between the forces of Great Britain, the Dutch Republic and the Holy Roman Empire on the one side and the French on the other...
. The Queen's joined an advanced contingent under Lord Cadogan
William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan
William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan KT PC was a noted military officer in the army of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough during the War of the Spanish Succession...
which crossed the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
, via pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
s assembled near Oudenarde, as a prelude to the arrival of the main army. While elements of the main army began to arrive at the bridges, Cadogan advanced on the village of Eyne
Eyne
Eyne is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:**...
and swiftly overwhelmed an isolated group of four Swiss mercenary
Swiss mercenaries
Swiss mercenaries were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Later Middle Ages into the Age of the European Enlightenment...
battalions; three surrendered and the fourth attempted to withdraw but was intercepted by Jørgen Rantzau
Jørgen Rantzau
Jørgen Rantzau, was a Danish military officer, who fought several campaigns under John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough....
's cavalry. To signify the surrender, the commanding officer of the Queen's received some of their colours
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
. The regiment soon became engaged in battle near the village of Herlegem, fighting through the hedges until darkness. Cadogan's precarious situation only began to alleviate by the deployment of the Duke of Argyll
John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
Field Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich KG , known as Iain Ruaidh nan Cath or Red John of the Battles, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman.-Early Life:...
's reinforcements.
The Queen's became occupied by a succession of sieges: at Ghent, Bruges, and Lillie
Lillie
Lillie is a British television serial made by London Weekend Television for ITV and broadcast in 1978.This period serial starred Francesca Annis in the title role of Lillie Langtry...
. In 1709, the regiment assisted in the protracted Siege of Tournai, which capitulated in September. On the 11th, the regiment fought in the bloodiest battle of the war: Malplaquet
Battle of Malplaquet
The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
. After being committed from reserve in the battle's closing stages, the regiment advanced under heavy fire and fought through dense wood, having Lieutenant-Colonel Louis de Ramsay killed. The memoirs of Private Matthew Bishop, of the Queen's Regiment, contained an account that recalled: "the French were well prepared to give us a warm salute. It soon broke us in a terrible manner, though our vacancies were quickly filled up...when we got clear of the dead and wounded, we ran upon them and returning their fire, even broke them out of the breast-work."
In 1710, the regiment was represented at the sieges of Douai
Douai
-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
, Béthune
Béthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
, Aire
Aire-sur-la-Lys
Aire-sur-la-Lys is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The commune is located 10 miles southeast of Saint-Omer, at the junction of the N43 with several departmental roads, by the banks of the Lys and the Laquette rivers.-History:Aire-sur-la-Lys is mentioned for...
and St. Venant.
Jacobites and renewed European conflict (1715–1768)
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
began in 1715 by Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
supporters of James Stuart
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
, "Old Pretender" to the throne of Great Britain. As unrest escalated in Britain, the Queen's Regiment arrived in Scotland and became absorbed by a Government army under the Duke of Argyll
John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll
Field Marshal John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, 1st Duke of Greenwich KG , known as Iain Ruaidh nan Cath or Red John of the Battles, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman.-Early Life:...
. Although numerically superior, the Jacobite army did not begin an advance south until November because of the caution of their leader, the Earl of Mar. The Duke of Argyll moved north from Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
and positioned his forces in the vicinity of Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
on 12 November. On the morning of the 13th, in conditions that had frozen the ground during the night, the Battle of Sheriffmuir
Battle of Sheriffmuir
The Battle of Sheriffmuir was an engagement in 1715 at the height of the Jacobite rebellion in England and Scotland.-History:John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, standard-bearer for the Jacobite cause in Scotland, mustered Highland chiefs, and on 6 September declared James Francis Edward Stuart as King...
began.
The Queen's Regiment formed part of General Thomas Whetham's left wing. Confused troop movements led to both it and the Jacobite left being weaker than the corresponding right wing. While Whetham's men attempted to readjust their dispositions, a mass of Highlanders began a rapid charge. Entwined in hand-to-hand combat within minutes, the sides fought until Whetham's men broke and retreated in disarray. The Queen's had 111 killed, including Lieutenant-Colonel Hanmer, 14 wounded, and 12 captured. The remnants withdrew from the battlefield until almost upon Stirling. Without cavalry support, the Jacobite left also broke, and the Earl of Mar abandoned the area at nightfall.
At the behest of George I, to honour the regiment's service at Sheriffmuir, the Queen's became the King's Regiment of Foot, with the White Horse of Hanover (symbol of the Royal Household
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
) as its badge. The device continued to be used until the regiment amalgamated in 1958.
The King's remained in Scotland until 1717, by which time the Jacobite uprising had been suppressed. Between 1717 and 1739, the King's alternated between garrisons in England and Ireland.
In 1743 the regiment fought at the Battle of Dettingen
Battle of Dettingen
The Battle of Dettingen took place on 27 June 1743 at Dettingen in Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was the last time that a British monarch personally led his troops into battle...
. Despite the French enjoying superiority in numbers, Britain and its Allies defeated an army under the duc de Noailles
Adrien-Maurice, 3rd duc de Noailles
Adrien Maurice de Noailles, 3rd Duke of Noailles was a French aristocrat and soldier.-Biography:Son of Anne Jules de Noailles, he inherited the title duc de Noailles on his father's death in 1708....
.
The following year the regiment took part in the Battle of Fontenoy. Due to its seniority, the King's Regiment became positioned in the frontline of the Duke of Cumberland
Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
Prince William , was a younger son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach, and Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is generally best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and as such is also known as "Butcher" Cumberland...
's centre. The centre advanced with its right flank exposed because of the refusal by some allied regiments to fight, while the left flank made limited progress. In the midst of a French counter-attack, the centre was forced to withdraw. The regiment suffered more than 150 casualties in the Allied defeat.
In 1745, Prince Charles Edward (popularly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie) landed in Scotland, seeking to restore the Stuarts to the British throne. The regiment did not become committed to battle until the Battle of Falkirk
Battle of Falkirk (1746)
During the Second Jacobite Rising, the Battle of Falkirk Muir was the last noteworthy Jacobite success.-Background:...
in 1746. The regiment was part of the left wing of the front line of the army, under the command of Lieutenant-General Henry Hawley
Henry Hawley
Lieutenant General Henry Hawley was a British Army officer who entered the army in 1694.-Early life:He saw service in the War of Spanish Succession as a captain of Erie's Foot. After Almanza he returned to England, and a few years later had become lieutenant-colonel of the 19th...
. After a failed attack by dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s of Hawley's army, the Highlanders loyal to Prince Charles charged the Government forces, compelling the left wing of the army to withdraw while the right wing held. The rebels and Government armies both withdrew from the battlefield by night-time. The regiment later fought in the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
. Once the impetuous Highlanders charged and overcame the initial volley of fire, vicious hand-to-hand fighting ensued with Hawley's men. The King's provided cross-fire support, firing across the front-line and into the Highlanders. The regiment sustained a single, severely wounded casualty.
Between 1746 and 1747, the King's fought in the battles of Roucoux and Lauffeld
Battle of Lauffeld
The Battle of Lauffeld, also known as the Battle of Lafelt or Battle of Maastricht, also Battle of Val, took place on 2 July 1747, during the French invasion of the Netherlands. It was part of the War of the Austrian Succession...
. In the latter, the King's and three other regiments became embroiled in a protracted struggle through the avenues of Val
Val
Val is a variant of the feminine given name Valerie.Val may refer to:-Given name:* Val Ackerman , American attorney, former basketball player, and first president of the Women's National Basketball Association* Val A...
. Control of the village fluctuated throughout the battle until the Allies retreated before overwhelming numbers.
The British Army implemented a numbering system in 1751 to reflect the seniority of a regiment by its date of creation, with the King's becoming the 8th (King's) Regiment of Foot in the order of precedence
British Army Order of Precedence
The regular army of the British Army is listed according to an order of precedence for the purposes of parading. This is the order in which the various corps of the army parade, from right to left, with the unit at the extreme right being highest. Under ordinary circumstances, the Household Cavalry...
. The beginning of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, which would encompass Europe and its colonial possessions, necessitated the 8th's expansion to two battalions, amounting to a total of 20 companies. Both battalions formed part of an expedition in 1757 that captured Île d'Aix, an island off the western coast of France, as a precursor to a planned seizure of the mainland garrison town of Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
.
The 2nd Battalion became the 63rd Regiment of Foot
63rd Regiment of Foot
The 63rd Regiment of Foot known as "The Bloodsuckers", was a British Army regiment in the 18th and 19th centuries.As part of the Childers Reforms, the 63rd and the 96th Regiments of Foot amalgamated in 1881 to form The Manchester Regiment the heritage continuing through to The King's Regiment in...
in 1758 and would not be replaced until 1804.
When the regiment augmented the Hanoverian Army in 1760, the 8th King's had its grenadier
Grenadier (soldier)
A grenadier was originally a specialized soldier, first established as a distinct role in the mid-to-late 17th century, for the throwing of grenades and sometimes assault operations. At this time grenadiers were chosen from the strongest and largest soldiers...
company committed to the battles of Warburg
Battle of Warburg
The Battle of Warburg was a battle fought on 31 July 1760 during the Seven Years' War. The Battle was a victory for the Hanoverians and the British against the French. British general John Manners, Marquess of Granby achieved some fame for charging at the head of the British cavalry and losing his...
and Kloster Kampen
Battle of Kloster Kampen
The Battle of Kloster Kampen was a tactical French victory over a British and allied army in the Seven Years' War. The Allied forces were driven from the field.-Prelude:...
. As a complete regiment, the 8th served at Kirch-Denkern, Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, Wilhelmsthal
Battle of Wilhelmstahl
The Battle of Wilhelmsthal was fought on 24 June 1762 during the Seven Years' War between on one side the allied forces of British, Prussian, Hanover, Brunswick and Hessian troops under the command of the Duke of Brunswick against the French...
, and the capture of Cassel
Siege of Cassel (1762)
The Siege of Cassel took place between October and November 1762, when an allied force of Hanoverian, Hessian and British troops under the command of the Duke of Brunswick besieged and captured the French-held town of Cassel...
.
American Revolutionary War (1768–1785)
The 8th Foot arrived in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1768 and had its ten companies dispersed to garrison isolated posts on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
: Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
(four), Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
(three), Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post in the Great Lakes of North America. Built around 1715, it was located along the southern shore of the strategic Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, at the northern tip of the lower...
(two), and Fort Oswego
Fort Oswego
Fort Oswego was an important frontier post for British traders in the 18th century. A trading post was established in 1722 with a log palisade, and New York governor William Burnet ordered a fort built at the site in 1727. The log palisade fort established a British presence on the Great Lakes....
(one). As the regiment's deployment appeared to near completion, protests in the eastern colonies began to intensify, evolving from vocal concerns about self-determination and taxation without representation, to rebellion against Britain in 1775.
During its posting, the 8th Foot possessed a number of officers adept in cultivating a relationship with tribes on the Great Lakes, notable amongst them being Captain Arent DePeyster
Arent DePeyster
Arent Schuyler DePeyster was a British military officer best known for his term as commandant of the British controlled Fort Michilimackinac and Fort Detroit during the American Revolution...
and Lieutenant John Caldwell. Later to become 5th Baronet of County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
's Caldwell Castle, Caldwell immersed himself in his efforts to foster understanding between the British and Ojibwa, reputedly marrying a member of the tribe and becoming a chief under the adopted name of "The Runner". In the west, Captain DePeyster's negotiations proved instrumental in maintaining peace between the British and tribes such as the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
and Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
nations. Born into a prominent New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
family of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
origin, DePeyster held authority over Fort Michilimackinac. In 1778, using £19,000 of goods as leverage, he arranged for more than 550 warriors from several tribes to serve in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
The invasion of Canada
Invasion of Canada (1775)
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
by American generals Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery was an Irish-born soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a brigadier-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the failed 1775 invasion of Canada.Montgomery was born and raised in Ireland...
and Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
began in mid-1775. By the end of November, the Americans had captured Fort St. Jean
Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)
Fort Saint-Jean is a fort in the Canadian La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec located on the Richelieu River. The fort was first built in 1666 by soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment and was part of a series of forts built along the Richelieu River...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and Fort Chambly
Fort Chambly
Fort Chambly is a historic fort in the Canadian La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec. The fort is designated as a National Historic Site. Fort Richelieu was part of a series of five forts built along the Richelieu River. Fort Richelieu is at the mouth of the Richelieu River....
, and besieged the city of Quebec
Battle of Quebec (1775)
The Battle of Quebec was fought on December 31, 1775 between American Continental Army forces and the British defenders of the city of Quebec, early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major defeat of the war for the Americans, and it came at a high price...
. An attempt to storm it in December resulted in Montgomery's death. Reinforcements from Europe raised the siege in May 1776 and expelled the almost starved and exhausted Americans from the area. After the lifting of the siege, a small party from the 8th Foot led the regiment to its first significant battle in the war.
From Fort Oswegatchie
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
, Captain George Forster, of the regiment's light company, led a composite force, including 40 regulars and about 200 warriors, across the St. Lawrence River to attack Fort Cedars
Battle of the Cedars
The Battle of The Cedars was a series of military confrontations early in the American Revolutionary War during the Continental Army's invasion of Quebec that had begun in September 1775. The skirmishes, which involved limited combat, occurred in May 1776 at and around The Cedars, west of...
, held by 400 Americans under Timothy Bedel
Timothy Bedel
Timothy Bedel was a soldier and local leader prominent in the early history of New Hampshire and Vermont.Bedel was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts...
. Forster maintained illicit contact with occupied Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and received intelligence of American troop movements using Indian operatives and Major de Lorimier
Claude-Nicolas-Guillaume de Lorimier
Claude-Nicolas-Guillaume de Lorimier was a businessman, official and political figure in Lower Canada. He was also known as Guillaume, Chevalier de Lorimier, Major de Lorimier, and by the Iroquois name Teiohatekon....
. On arriving at the fort on 18 May, the British briefly exchanged fire before Forster parley
Parley
Parley is a discussion or conference, especially one between enemies over terms of a truce or other matters. The root of the word parley is parler, which is the French verb "to speak"; specifically the conjugation parlez "you speak", whether as imperative or indicative.Beginning in the High Middle...
ed with Bedel's successor, Major Isaac Butterfield, to request his surrender and warn him of the consequences should Indian warriors be committed to battle. Butterfield, whose men had apparently been disconcerted by an earlier display of Indian war chanting, expressed a willingness to do so on the proviso of being allowed to retire with his weapons - a condition that Forster refused.
Butterfield conceded the fort on the 19th, on the day an American relief force of about 150 resumed its advance on the Cedars, having previously reembarked aboard bateaux because of exaggerated scout reports. Once he learned of the column's presence, Forster had a detachment ambush the Americans from positions astride the only available path through the forest. The relief's commander, Major Sherburne, surrendered, but the engagement infuriated the Indian contingent as the Allies' only fatality was a Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
war chief. Forster managed to dissuade them from executing the prisoners by paying substantial ransoms for some of the captives as compensation for the loss.
Emboldened by the two victories, the British landed at Pointe-Claire
Pointe-Claire, Quebec
Pointe-Claire is a municipality located on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. As of 2006, it had a population of 30,161. On January 1, 2002, it, along with all other separate municipalities on the Island of Montreal were merged into the city of Montreal by the provincial...
, on the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
, only to withdraw after Forster established the strength of General Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
's force at Lachine
Lachine, Quebec
Lachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.-History:...
. In pursuit of a dwindling column, Arnold followed the British using bateaux, but was deterred from landing by Forster's placement of men along the embankment at Quinze-Chênes, supported by two captured cannon pieces. On the 27th, Forster sent Sherburne under a flag of truce to inform Arnold that terms to a prisoner exchange favourable to the British had been agreed upon. Arnold accepted the conditions, with the exception of Americans being forbidden from serving elsewhere. Both Arnold and Forster had postured during the battle, each threatening the other with the prospect of atrocities: the killing of prisoners by Forster's Indian allies and the destruction of Indian villages by Arnold's men. The exchange would be denounced by the American Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
and the arrangement reneged upon under the pretext that abuses had been committed by Forster's men.
In late July 1777, the regiment contributed Captain Richard Leroult and 100 men to the Siege of Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix
Fort Stanwix was a colonial fort whose construction was started on August 26, 1758, by British General John Stanwix, at the location of present-day Rome, New York, but was not completed until about 1762. The fort guarded a portage known as the Oneida Carrying Place during the French and Indian War...
. Commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Barry St. Leger
Barry St. Leger
Barrimore Matthew "Barry" St. Leger was a British colonel who led an invasion force during the American Revolutionary War.Barry St. Leger was baptised on May 1, 1733, in County Kildare, Ireland. He was the son of Sir John St...
, 34th Foot
34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot
The 34th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1702 and amalgamated with the 55th Regiment of Foot, into The Border Regiment in 1881.-Early 18th century :...
, the force consisted of approximately 1600 men, comprising British (100 8th, 100 34th) Canadian (65-100), German (350), Loyalist (400) and Native American (700) troops. At the Battle of Oriskany
Battle of Oriskany
The Battle of Oriskany, fought on August 6, 1777, was one of the bloodiest battles in the North American theater of the American Revolutionary War and a significant engagement of the Saratoga campaign...
in August, Chief Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
's men and the King's Royal Regiment of New York
King's Royal Regiment of New York
The King's Royal Regiment of New York was one of the first Loyalist regiments raised in Canada during the American Revolutionary War....
intercepted American reinforcements for Stanwix, inflicting more than 400 casualties, including General Nicholas Herkimer
Nicholas Herkimer
Nicholas Herkimer was a militia general in the American Revolutionary War, who died of wounds after the Battle of Oriskany.-Career:...
. The fort itself was heavily defended and newly repaired and prepared for a siege, while the besiegers numbers were insufficient and their artillery of an inadequate calibre. During the time the ambush was taking place, a sortie by from the forts defenders swept out unopposed capturing much of the Loyalist and Indian camp and supplies. A few weeks later the siege collapsed with the disappearance of the dis-spirited native allies.
The regiment took part in further actions at Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
and the Battle of Newtown
Battle of Newtown
The Battle of Newtown , also known as the Battle of Chemung, was the only major battle of the Sullivan Expedition, an armed offensive led by General John Sullivan that was ordered by the Continental Congress to end the threat of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American...
(Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
) in 1779, as well as the Mohawk Valley
Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
in 1780 and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in 1782. Captain Henry Bird of the 8th Regiment led a British and Native American siege of Fort Laurens
Fort Laurens
Fort Laurens was an American Revolutionary War fort in what is now the U.S. state of Ohio.-Overview:The fort was built by General Lachlan McIntosh, in 1778, on the west bank of the Tuscarawas River, now in Tuscarawas County near the town of Bolivar. The fort was intended to be a staging point for...
in 1779. In 1780, he led an invasion of Kentucky
Bird's invasion of Kentucky
Bird's invasion of Kentucky during the American Revolutionary War was one phase of an extensive planned series of operations planned by the British in 1780, whereby the entire West, from Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico, was to be swept clear of both Spanish and colonial resistance.While Bird's...
, capturing two "stations" (fortified settlements) and returning to Detroit with 300 prisoners.
French Revolutionary War
By the time of its return to Britain in 1785 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel dePeyster, the 8th (King's) had served the majority of its existence abroad. Panic soon beset the establishment in Britain after the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and the King's reinforced Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
due to heightened tension caused by it.
In 1793, revolutionary France declared war on Great Britain. The King's became assigned to an expeditionary force sent to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
under the command of Prince Frederick, Duke of York. In 1794, the regiment attempted to lift the French Siege of Nijmegen. The allies planned a nocturnal attack, with the march conducted without audible commotion. The force leapt into the French earthworks, with hand-to-hand fighting ensuing. Despite the success, the town of Nijmegen was soon evacuated and the British withdrew from the Netherlands in 1795.
In 1799, the King's became resident on Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, which had been captured from Spain the previous year. In 1801, the regiment landed at Abukir Bay, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, with an expedition sent under the command of General Ralph Abercromby
Ralph Abercromby
Sir Ralph Abercromby was a Scottish soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars, and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland.He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire, and was...
to counter a French invasion. The King's participated in the capture of Rosetta
Rosetta
Rosetta is a port city on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. It is located east of Alexandria, in Beheira governorate. It was founded around AD 800....
, 65 miles west of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, and a fort located in Romani. The British completed the occupation of Egypt by September.
Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812
The regiment garrisoned GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, thence to Britain in 1803. Brief service on the continent followed before it was transported to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1807, besieged by forces under Sir Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
.
The 1st Battalion moved to Canada in 1808 as the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
extended to the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. Within a year, in January 1809, the battalion had embarked at Barbados with an expeditionary force of 10,000 assembled to invade Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. Although a number of engagements with the French garrison preceded the island's seizure
Invasion of Martinique (1809)
The invasion of Martinique of 1809 was a successful British amphibious operation against the French West Indian island of Martinique that took place between 30 January and 24 February 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars...
, disease represented the principal threat to Britain's five-year occupation. By October 1809, some 1,700 of more than 2,000 casualties had succumbed to disease. The 8th Foot returned to Nova Scotia in April, having had its commanding officer, Major Bryce Maxwell, and four others killed in a skirmish with French soldiers on the Surirey Heights during the advance on Fort Desaix
Fort Desaix
Fort Desaix is a Vauban fort and one of four forts that protects Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique. The fort was built from 1768 to 1772 and sits on a hill, Morne Garnier, overlooking what was then Fort Royal...
in February. When sustained tension between the United States and Britain culminated in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the 1st and 2nd battalions were based in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Nova Scotia respectively.
Sporadic raids into Canada on the eastern frontier provided impetus for a former regimental officer, Lieutenant-Colonel "Red" George MacDonnell
George MacDonnell
George Richard John MacDonnell , commonly known as Red George, was an officer in the British Army, who played a conspicuous part in the War of 1812....
, to encroach into New York State and attack Ogdensburg
Battle of Ogdensburg
The Battle of Ogdensburg was a battle of the War of 1812. The British gained a victory over the Americans and captured the village of Ogdensburg, New York...
in February 1813. To reach their destination, the 8th Foot and Canadian militia had to traverse across the frozen St. Lawrence River and through dense snow. After gaining control of the fort following close-quarters battle, the British destroyed the main barracks and three anchored vessels, and departed with provisions and prisoners. Ogdensburg would not be reestablished as a frontier garrison, ensuring relative peace in the region.
Despite extreme winter conditions impeding an arduous 350-mile march from New Brunswick to Quebec City (soon followed by the 104th Foot), the 2nd Battalion reached its objective without loss of life.
Battle of York
The Battle of York was a battle of the War of 1812 fought on 27 April 1813, at York, Upper Canada . An American force supported by a naval flotilla landed on the lake shore to the west, defeated the defending British force and captured the town and dockyard...
(present-day Toronto). As the Americans landed on the shoreline, the grenadier company engaged them in a bayonet charge with 46 killed, including its commanding officer, Captain Neal McNeale. The Americans nevertheless overwhelmed the area but subsequently incurred 250 casualties, notably General Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr. was an American officer and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a United States Army captain in 1806-1807, he led the Pike Expedition to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase and to find the headwaters of the Red River,...
, when retreating British regulars detonated Fort York's Grand Magazine.
While garrisoning Fort George, at Newark (present day Niagara-on-the-Lake), in May 1813 with companies of the Glengarries and Runchey's Company of Coloured Men
Captain Runchey's Company of Coloured Men
Captain Runchey's Company of Coloured Men was a militia company of free negroes and indentured negro servants, raised in Upper Canada, which fought for the British during the early part of the Anglo-American War of 1812. In 1813, the company was transformed into the Provincial Corps of Artificers...
, the 8th Foot attempted to disrupt an amphibious landing by the Americans. Although numerically inferior, the British delayed the invasion and retreated without disorder.
Less than two weeks later, the 8th and 49th assaulted an American encampment at Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
. Numbering about 700, the British engaged more than 3,000 Americans in a nocturnal battle. Although the Americans had two brigadiers captured and suffered losses, the British commander, Colonel John Harvey
John Harvey (governor)
Lieutenant-General Sir John Harvey, KCB KCH was a British Army officer and a Lieutenant Governor.He was commissioned into the 80th Foot in 1794 and served in several different locations, including France, Egypt, and India...
, considered the possibility of his opponents realising their numerical advantage too compelling to ignore and withdrew. Soon afterwards, the Americans broke camp and retired to Forty Mile Creek and Fort George
Fort George, Ontario
Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812...
.
In July 1814 the regiment fought in the Battle of Chippewa in which the British commander General Phineas Riall
Phineas Riall
Sir Phineas Riall, KCH was a British army officer, who fought in the War of 1812. was born in Clonmel, Ireland into a wealthy Protestant landowning family, the third son of Phineas Riall of Heywood, Co. Tipperary, whose father had founded the Riall Bank of Clonmel, and Catherine Caldwell of Dublin...
retreated after he misidentified American regulars for militia. Later in the month, the regiment fought in the Battle of Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
. The British, Canadian and Native soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant-General Gordon Drummond
Gordon Drummond
Sir Gordon Drummond, GCB was the first Canadian-born officer to command the military and the civil government of Canada...
, engaged the American forcee. In the bloodiest battle recorded on Canadian territory, casualties for both sides exceeded 800.
The following month, the King's took part in the action at Snake Hill
Snake Hill
Snake Hill is an igneous rock intrusion jutting some 150 feet up from the floor of the Meadowlands in Secaucus, New Jersey, USA. It was largely obliterated by quarrying in the 1960s that reduced its height by one-quarter and its base area by four fifths...
during the siege of Fort Erie
Fort Erie
Fort Erie was the first British fort to be constructed as part of a network developed after the Seven Years' War was concluded by the Treaty of Paris at which time all of New France had been ceded to Great Britain...
.
After the capture of Fort Niagara the 1st Battalion were sent back to their old post once again to recover from the previous campaign. With almost 800 casualties the 1st Bn stayed here until requesting to be relieved in the spring.
The 2nd Battalion, stationed in Quebec, supplied reinforcements to the 1st, garrisoned numerous forts and towns, and was involved in the battles of Sackets Harbour and Plattsburg.
The King's Regiment received the battle honour 'Niagara' for the contributions of both Battalions.
Indian rebellion and Second Afghan War
Between the end of the war and the Indian rebellion of 1857Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, the King's undertook a variety of duties in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Cephalonia, Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and Zante. In 1846, the regiment began a 14-year posting to India, stationed initially in the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
. At the beginning of the rebellion in May 1857, the 8th Foot occupied a cantonment
Cantonment
A cantonment is a temporary or semi-permanent military or police quarters. The word cantonment is derived from the French word canton meaning corner or district, as is the name of the Cantons of Switzerland. In South Asia, the term cantonment also describes permanent military stations...
in Jullundur, together with three Indian regiments and two troops of horse artillery.
The complex array of motives and causes that culminated in the mutiny of much of the Bengal Army would be catalysed in 1857 by rumours that beef and pork fat was being used to grease paper rifle cartridges. Confined first to a number of Bengal regiments, the mutiny eventually manifested in some areas as a more diverse, albeit disparate, rebellion against British rule. Soon after reports were received of the first mutiny at Meerut on 10 May, the 8th's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hartley, had two companies secure the fort of Phillaur
Phillaur
Phillaur is a town and a municipal council in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab.- Overview :Phillaur is the railway junction on the border line of Ludhiana and Jalandhar Cantonment. It was a junction for Lohian and Ferozepur. In pre-partition days, it was the main timber market of...
, near Jullundur, due to the significance of its magazine stores and reports that the 3rd Bengal Native Infantry intended to seize it.
After a period of seven weeks in Jullundur, the regiment became attached to an army preparing to besiege Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Because of a shortage of troops, due primarily to cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
and other diseases, several weeks elapsed before the British had attained a strength sufficient to commence operations. The regiment's first engagement occurred in July, when it captured an outpost situated in gardens outside Delhi. Due to a lack of ammunition, the King's eventually withdrew from a counter-attack.
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
Gate in the northern walls of Delhi. Grouped into the 2nd Column with the 2nd Bengal Fusiliers and 4th Sikhs, the 8th King's attaked Delhi early on 14 September with the intent of capturing the Water Bastion and Kashmiri Gate
Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)
The Kashmiri Gate is a gate located in Delhi, it is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Delhi...
. Once the city had been secured by the British, the 8th's Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Greathed vacated his position and became commander of a column dispatched to Cawnpore. The regiment, commanded by Major Hinde, had been seriously depleted and the combined total of it and the 75th Foot
75th Regiment of Foot
Four regiments of the British Army have been numbered the 75th Regiment of Foot:*75th Regiment of Foot , formed 1758 and disbanded 1763*75th Regiment of Foot , renumbered from the 118th in 1763...
numbered just 450. The regiment also took part in the second Relief of Lucknow in November, seeing much action until withdrawing, after the evacuation of civilians, on the 22nd. In an environment of systematic reprisal by the British, Captain Octavius Anson, of the 9th Lancers, recalled observing acts of punitive violence against Indian civilians, including the alleged kiling of incapacitated villagers by soldiers of the 8th Foot.
The 1st Battalion was brought back to Britain in 1860. It spent the year 1865 in Dublin, Ireland, where the battalion supported garrison operations against Irish Republican activity in the city. Then, after two years in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, the 1st King's returned to the sub-continent in 1868. where it remained for a decade. The regiment's 2nd Battalion, which had been reconstituted in 1857, was itself posted to Malta (in 1863) and India (in 1877), and met up with the 1st King's on the island and at Mundra
Mundra
Mundra is a census town in Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Mundra Port is the largest private port in India.-Geography:The town of Mundra is located about 50 km from Anjar which is one of the major towns in the district of Kutch in Gujarat. The other important towns in this...
, in the Bombay Presidency.
Within a year of the battalion's arrival, in November 1878, Britain invaded Afghanistan
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
when an ultimatum to its ruler by the Viceroy of India, Lord Lytton
Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton
Edward Robert Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, PC was an English statesman and poet...
, went unanswered. Lytton's demands had followed the reluctant hosting of a Russian mission to Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
by Sher Ali
Sher Ali Khan
Sher Ali Khan was Amir of Afghanistan from 1863 to 1866 and from 1868 until his death in 1879. He was the third son of Dost Mohammed Khan, founder of the Barakzai Dynasty in Afghanistan....
and the prevention of a similar British mission from entering Afghanistan at Ali Masjid
Ali Masjid
Ali Masjid is the narrowest point of the Khyber Pass. It is located in the Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas , Pakistan. It is located around east of the city of Landi Kotal and has an elevation of...
. Though still acclimatising and consequently susceptible to fever, the 2nd King's was allocated to the Kurram Field Force, under Major-General Frederick Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
. The 2nd King's fought at the Battle of Peiwar Kotal
Battle of Peiwar Kotal
The Battle of Peiwar Kotal was fought on November 28-29 1878 between British forces under Sir Frederick Roberts and Afghan forces under Karim Khan, during the opening stages of the Second Anglo-Afghan War...
. In September, the King's assisted in the defence of an encampment in the proximity of Ali Keyl against a large number of Afghans.
In 1881 they were renamed The King's (Liverpool Regiment) and, in 1921, The King's Regiment (Liverpool)
The King's Regiment (Liverpool)
The King's Regiment was one of the oldest infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th Regiment of Foot in 1751...
.