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
Early in the following year, the FIFTEENTH regiment, mustering
eight hundred and fifty officers and soldiers, commanded by
Lieut.-Colonel Honorable James Murray, embarked for North America,
to take part in the attack of the French possessions in that part
of the world. It proceeded to Halifax, in Nova Scotia, where the
expedition was prepared against _Louisburg_, the capital of the
island of Cape Breton,[11] in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, under the
orders of its colonel, Lieut.-General Sir Jeffery Amherst, K.B.,
the naval force being under Admiral Boscawen. The expedition
sailed from Halifax on the 28th of May, and approached Louisburg,
on the 2nd of June; but the weather was so unfavourable that a
landing could not be effected before the 8th of June. On that
occasion, the grenadier company of the FIFTEENTH formed part of
the centre division under the gallant Brigadier-General James
Wolfe, designed to force a landing; and the regiment formed
part of the left division, under Brigadier-General Lawrence,
designed to make a show of landing at Fresh-water Cove, to divert
the enemy's attention from the main attack. The division under
Brigadier-General Wolfe approached the shore under a heavy fire,
and the surf being high, several boats were overset. One boat,
containing part of the grenadier company of the FIFTEENTH, was
overset, when Lieutenant Kennedy, two serjeants, and thirteen rank
and file, were drowned. The regiment had also Lieutenant Nicholson
and eight men killed by the enemy's fire. The survivors, however,
jumped into the water with great gallantry, formed on the beach,
and being animated by their chivalrous leader, the heroic Wolfe,
they rushed upon their opponents with fixed bayonets, and carried
the enemy's works in a manner which excited great admiration. The
other divisions followed, and before night the army was on shore.
The siege of Louisburg was afterwards commenced; and the FIFTEENTH
regiment took part in this service. In carrying on the approaches,
and in making the attacks, the troops underwent great fatigues
with a cheerful alacrity, which redounded to their honor. The
enemy's sallies were repulsed: the fire of the British artillery
destroyed their shipping, silenced their batteries, and damaged
their works to so great an extent, that, on the 26th of July,
the garrison surrendered prisoners of war; the whole island was
also delivered up; and two other small islands in the Gulf of St.
Lawrence surrendered. Eleven stand of colours were captured on this
occasion, and sent to England.
Besides the officers and soldiers killed in effecting a landing,
the regiment had also Lieutenant Campbell killed; Lieutenant
Hamilton, Lieutenant and Adjutant Mukens, and Ensign Moneypenny,
wounded during the siege of Louisburg. The regiment had also a
considerable number of private soldiers killed and wounded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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