The last twelve years of the eighteenth century form a period, remarkable in the annals of Europe, for the efforts made to overthrow the governments of Christendom, and to establish the destructive domination of atheism and democracy, upon the ruins of institutions which had elevated the inhabitants of this quarter of the globe to an height of knowledge, refinement, wealth, and power, unknown in other parts of the earth. France was the great theatre of commotion: there the war of hostile principles produced the most sanguinary results;--the cry of “equality” was raised,--the blood of princes, nobles, and citizens was shed, and democracy appeared to triumph over the rights of society. In other countries, republican principles were spreading to an alarming extent; the sovereigns of Europe were forced to engage in war to oppose the progress of destruction, and to Great Britain pertains the honour of having persevered in this contest, for twenty years, when the overthrow of that tyrannical power which sprung out of the French revolution, was accomplished. On the commencement of hostilities in 1793, the British army was augmented: upwards of fifty regiments of foot were raised, and one of the first corps embodied, on this occasion, was the regiment which now bears the title of the EIGHTY-SIXTH, OR THE ROYAL COUNTY DOWN REGIMENT. This corps was raised by Major-General Cornelius Cuyler, who had served with reputation in North America, and also in the West Indies, where he had performed the duties of commander-in-chief; its general rendezvous was at Shrewsbury, and its designation was “GENERAL CUYLER’S SHROPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS;” but its ranks were completed with men, principally from Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire,--counties which have furnished many excellent soldiers. Major-General Cuyler’s appointment was dated the 30th of October, 1793, and the royal warrants for raising recruits were issued on the following day[1]. [Sidenote: 1794] In February, 1794, the following officers were holding commissions in the regiment:-- _Colonel_, MAJOR-GENERAL C. CUYLER. _Lieut.-Colonel_, GEORGE SLADDEN. _Major_, R. M. DICKENS. _Captains._ T. C. Hardy W. H. Digby Charles Byne Edward Robinson Alexander Campbell Rowland Hill[2] Robert Bell. _Lieutenants._ Thomas Neilson Hugh Houstown W. S. Curry Edward Barnes Thos. Pickering Charles Dod Geo. Middlemore Chas. E. Jolley Daniel Gavey Wm. Semple J. C. Tuffnell. _Ensigns._ Willm. Murray Thos. Thornhill Thomas Symes W. C. Williams James Burke Danl. McNeill Edward Fox Wm. St. Clair. _Captain-Lieutenant._ George Cuyler. _Chaplain_, Chas. Austen; _Adjutant_, Daniel Coleman; _Quarter-Master_, Richard Jackson; _Surgeon_, Hugh Dean. From Shrewsbury, the regiment proceeded to Park-gate, where it embarked, in April, for Ireland, and after landing at Cork, marched to Kilkenny.