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 26th of February the battalion was in action at Sauveterre,
and upon the 27th had the honour of participating in the battle of
Orthes.
In commemoration of this victory, the Seventy-first afterwards
received the royal authority to bear the word “Orthes” on the
regimental colour and appointments.
Two divisions of the French army having retired to Aire after the
action of the 27th of February, Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill moved
upon that town to dislodge them. Upon the 2nd of March the French
were found strongly posted upon a ridge of hills, extending across
the great road in front of the town, having their right on the Adour.
The second division attacked them along the road, seconded by a
Portuguese brigade, and drove them from their position. Lieut. James
Anderson and 17 rank and file were killed; Lieut. Henry Frederick
Lockyer, 1 sergeant, and 19 rank and file were wounded.
A detachment from the second battalion, consisting of 1 captain, 4
subalterns, and 134 rank and file, under the command of Major Arthur
Jones, joined at Aire.
On the 25th of March, part of the battalion was engaged in an
affair at Tarbes, in which Lieutenant Robert Law was wounded, and
upon the 10th of April was in position at Toulouse, where some of
the companies were employed skirmishing, and sustained a loss of 1
sergeant and 3 rank and file killed; 6 rank and file were wounded.
During the night of the 11th of April, the French troops evacuated
Toulouse, and a white flag was hoisted. On the following day, the
Marquis of Wellington entered the city, amidst the acclamations of
the inhabitants. In the course of the afternoon of the 13th of April,
intelligence was received of the abdication of Napoleon, and had not
the express been delayed on the journey by the French police, the
sacrifice of many valuable lives would have been prevented.
A disbelief in the truth of this intelligence occasioned much
unnecessary bloodshed at Bayonne, the garrison of which made a
desperate sortie on the 14th of April, and Lieutenant Sir John Hope
(afterwards Earl of Hopetoun) was taken prisoner. Major-General
Andrew Hay was killed, and Major-General Stopford was wounded.
A treaty of peace was established between Great Britain and France;
Louis XVIII was restored to the throne of France, and Napoleon
Bonaparte was permitted to reside at Elba, the sovereignty of that
island having been conceded to him by the Allied Powers.
The war being ended, the first battalion of the Seventy-first
regiment marched from Toulouse to Blanchfort, where it was encamped
for 16 days, and afterwards proceeded to Pouillac, where it embarked
on the 15th of July for England, on board of His Majesty’s ship
“Sultan” of seventy-four guns.
Prior to the breaking up of the Peninsula army, the Duke of
Wellington issued the following General Order:—
“_Bordeaux, 14th June, 1814._
“GENERAL ORDER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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