Historical Record of the Fifteenth, or, the Yorkshire East Riding, Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1848Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Fifteenth, or, the Yorkshire East Riding, Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1848
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. East Yorkshire Regiment
Charles Pharley, _Chaplain_.
Gregory Broom, _Adjutant_.
Robert Baker, _Chirurgeon_.
Thomas Gibbons, _Quarter-Master_.
[Sidenote: 1688]
In June, the regiment again pitched its tents on Hounslow Heath,
where it took part in several military spectacles, exhibited in the
presence of the royal family; and afterwards marched into quarters
in Norfolk. It once more encamped on Hounslow Heath in the summer
of 1688, and subsequently proceeded to Berwick, where it arrived
in September. An officer of the regiment states in his memoirs, 'I
sojourned two peaceable campaigns on Hounslow Heath; where I was an
eye-witness of one mock siege of Buda; after which our regiment was
ordered to Berwick.'[7]
At this period, England was in an agitated state; the proceedings
of the King in favour of papacy and arbitrary government had
occasioned many noblemen and gentlemen to invite the Prince of
Orange to come to England with an army, to enable them to oppose
the Court. The Prince arrived in November; the King fled to France;
and the Prince assumed the reins of government.
Colonel Tufton, not agreeing with the new order of things, was
succeeded in the command of the regiment by Colonel Sir James
Lesley, by commission dated the 31st of December, 1688.
[Sidenote: 1689]
The Prince and Princess of Orange having been elevated to the
throne by the title of King William the Third and Queen Mary, their
accession was opposed in Scotland, where the Duke of Gordon held
the Castle of Edinburgh in the interest of King James, and Viscount
Dundee aroused the Highland clans to arms. In consequence of these
proceedings, the regiment was ordered to Scotland, in the spring
of 1689; and it was stationed at Leith, as a reserve and support
to the troops blockading Edinburgh Castle, until the beginning of
June, when it was ordered up the country to join the forces under
Major-General Mackay, who was retreating before the Highlanders
under Viscount Dundee. The regiment joined Major-General Mackay
about six o'clock on the evening of the 5th of June; other troops
also arrived, and the major-general being thus reinforced, advanced
against the clans, who instantly retired towards the mountain
fastnesses. The FIFTEENTH foot followed the retreating Highlanders
to the borders of the wilds of Lochaber, and afterwards proceeded
to Inverness, where the regiment was stationed some time.
Captain Carleton states in his memoirs: 'We marched to Inverness,
a place of no great strength, where we lay two long winters,
perpetually harassed upon parties, and hunting of somewhat wilder
than their wildest game,--the Highlanders, who were, if not as
nimble-footed, yet fully as hard to be found.' While the regiment
was at Inverness, the battle of Killicrankie was fought, in which
the King's troops were defeated, and Viscount Dundee was killed. He
was succeeded by Major-General Cannon.
[Sidenote: 1690]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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