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 expedition sailed from the Downs on the 28th of July, and having
arrived off the Roompet Channel, preparations were made for landing;
small craft to cover the landing were also sent in shore, and the
light brigade, composed of the Sixty-eighth, Seventy-first, and
Eighty-fifth Light Infantry, were landed under their fire. In an
instant they were in contact with the enemy’s sharpshooters, who
fell back, skirmishing. Being pushed hard, four guns, with their
equipment and several prisoners, were taken by two companies of the
Seventy-first, under Captains George Sutherland and Henry Hall, and
one company of the Eighty-fifth.
A battery and flag-staff on the coast were taken possession of by the
tenth company of the Seventy-first, and in lieu of a flag a soldier’s
red jacket was hoisted on it.
This advance having succeeded at all points, and the enemy having
fallen back on Flushing and Middleburg, the army was disembarked.
The advance then dividing, proceeded by different routes. The
Seventy-first moved by the sea dyke on a fort called Ter Veer, the
situation and strength of which was not sufficiently known, an
enemy’s deserter having given but imperfect intelligence respecting
it.
After nightfall the column continued to advance in perfect silence,
with orders to attack the post with the bayonet, when, on a sudden
the advance-guard fell in with an enemy’s party, who came out for
the purpose of firing some houses which overlooked the works. The
column following the advance-guard had entered an avenue or road
leading to the fort, when the advance commenced the action with the
enemy, who, retiring within the place, opened a tremendous fire from
his works with artillery and musketry. Some guns pointing down the
road by which the battalion advanced did great execution, and the
Seventy-first had Surgeon Charles Henry Quin killed, and about 18
men killed and wounded. The column, after some firing retired, and
the place was the next day regularly invested by sea and land. It
took three days to reduce, when it capitulated, with its stores and a
garrison of 800 men.
Flushing having been invested on the 1st of August, the
Seventy-first, after the surrender of Ter Veer, were ordered into
the line of circumvallation, and placed on the extreme left, resting
on the Scheldt. The preparations for the attack on the town having
been completed, on the 13th a dreadful fire was opened from the
batteries and bomb-vessels, and congreve-rockets having been thrown
into the town, it was on fire in many places. The ships having joined
in the attack, the enemy’s fire slackened, and at length ceased. A
summons being sent in, a delay was demanded, but, being rejected, the
firing recommenced.
On the 14th of August one of the outworks was carried at the point
of the bayonet by a party of detachments and two companies of the
Seventy-first under Lieut.-Colonel Pack.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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