Historical record of the 71st Regiment Highland Light Infantry: $b from its formation in 1777, under the title of the 73rd, or McLeod's Highlanders, up to the year 1876Hildyard, Henry John Thoroton
History
Historical record of the 71st Regiment Highland Light Infantry: $b from its formation in 1777, under the title of the 73rd, or McLeod's Highlanders, up to the year 1876
Hildyard, Henry John Thoroton
Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 71st (Highland Light Infantry)
On the 18th of October General the Earl Cornwallis with the whole
army, made a movement towards Nundydroog, and in the evening of that
day the troops were told off for an assault upon the two breaches,
which had been pronounced practicable. The attacks commenced at
eleven o’clock at night, the grenadiers assaulting the right
breach and the light companies the left. The forlorn hope of the
right attack consisted of twenty grenadiers, volunteers from the
Thirty-sixth and Seventy-first, led by Lieutenant Hugh Mackenzie
of the Seventy-first, afterwards for a long time paymaster of the
regiment. The same number of light infantry, headed by Lieutenant
Lewis Moore, of the Seventy-first, formed the left attack. The
grenadier company of the regiment, in support, was commanded by
Lieutenant James Duncan, the light company by Lieutenant Kenneth
Mackenzie, the whole under Captain Robertson’s orders. Captain
Robert Burne supported, with the Thirty-sixth grenadiers, the right
attack, and Captain William Hartley, with the light company of that
regiment, the left attack; Major-General Meadows, as usual, animating
the whole with his presence. Both breaches were carried without much
resistance from the enemy, and the gateway of the inner wall being
soon secured, the fort fell into the possession of the British. Many
of the enemy were killed, and several, in attempting to escape, were
dashed to pieces over the precipices. It was an additional source of
gratification that this important service had been achieved without
the loss of a British soldier. The following general order was issued
on this occasion:—
“_Head-Quarters Camp, October 20th, 1791._
“Lord Cornwallis having been witness of the extraordinary
obstacles, both of nature and art, which were opposed to the
detachment of the army that attacked Nundydroog, he cannot too
highly applaud the firmness and exertions which were manifested by
all ranks in carrying on the operations of the siege, or the valour
and discipline which were displayed by the flank companies of His
Majesty’s Thirty-sixth and Seventy-first Regiments (other regiments
of native infantry were here enumerated) that were employed in the
assault last night, and which, by overcoming all difficulties,
effected the reduction of that important fort, and he particularly
desires that his warmest thanks may be presented to Captain
Robertson of the Seventy-first Regiment, who commanded the flank
companies that led the assaults.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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