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)
The fleet sailed on the 1st of May from St Helena, without a convoy,
and in July, in consequence of contrary winds, was compelled to
put into Cork Harbour. It sailed from thence for the Thames, and
on the 13th of August the regiment disembarked at Woolwich, where
it remained for a few days, and then re-embarked in smacks for
Leith. After landing, the regiment proceeded to Stirling. As a
mark of indulgence, a general leave for two months was granted to
the officers and men of the Seventy-first, to enable them to visit
their friends and families after the long absence from their native
country. At the expiration of this period, the whole assembled
at Stirling, with the addition of a few recruits[4]. Immediately
afterwards, the whole of the officers and non-commissioned officers,
with the exception of the Staff, and a few at head-quarters, were
sent out to recruit for the regiment.
Very few of the men remained who had originally formed the regiment;
of the officers, the following were still in the regiment:—
Colonel Baird,
” Dalrymple,
Major Lindsay Robertson,
Brevet-Major Borthwick,
” Gorrie,
Captain D. Ross,
” Hugh Cuthbert,
” Roderick McKenzie,
” Hugh McKenzie.
[Sidenote: 1799.]
During the year 1799, the head-quarters remained at Stirling, and the
recruiting went on but slowly.
[Sidenote: 1800.]
In May, 1800, the strength of the regiment amounted to about 200 rank
and file, when a route arrived changing the quarters to Paisley, but
soon after the march an order arrived for its proceeding to Ireland.
In June the regiment reached Portpatrick, and crossed immediately
to Donaghadee, from whence it marched, under the command of Colonel
Dalrymple, to Newry, and in a few days afterwards was removed to
Dundalk.
In July the regiment received 600 volunteers from the Scotch Fencible
Corps serving in Ireland, and remained at Dundalk until the close
of the year, when a route for Dublin was received. At this period,
Colonel Dalrymple was appointed Brigadier-General, and the command of
the regiment devolved on Brevet Lieut.-Colonel John French.
On the 6th of December Major Denis Pack was promoted from the Fourth
Royal Irish Dragoon Guards to be Lieut.-Colonel in the Seventy-first
Regiment, in succession to Lieut.-Colonel the Honourable John
Lindsay, who retired from the service.
[Sidenote: 1801.]
The regiment, early in the year 1801, marched from Dundalk to Dublin,
and occupied the barracks in the Palatine Square. On the 24th of
April, Lieut.-Colonel Pack joined, and assumed the command of the
regiment.
[Sidenote: 1802.]
In March, 1802, in which month the Peace of Amiens was concluded, the
regiment proceeded from Dublin, and was quartered in the county of
Wicklow. The corps was so divided, that at Arklow, the head-quarters,
there were only two companies. In this situation it continued for the
remainder of the year.
[Sidenote: 1803.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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