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
Afterwards taking the field with the army in the Jerseys, the
regiment was engaged in the operations designed to bring the enemy
to a general engagement, but the Americans kept close in their
fortified lines in the mountains; and an expedition against the
populous and wealthy city of Philadelphia was resolved upon. The
FIFTEENTH, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel John Bird, were employed in
this enterprise, and were formed in brigade with the seventeenth,
forty-second, and forty-fourth regiments, under Major-General
(afterwards Earl) Grey.
Embarking from Sandy Hook, the army sailed to the Chesapeake, and
proceeding up Elk River, landed on the northern shore on the 25th
of August. The American army took up a position at _Brandywine_ to
oppose the advance, and on the 11th of September the royal forces
moved forward to engage their opponents. The FIFTEENTH formed part
of the column under Major-General the Earl Cornwallis, which made
a circuit of some miles to turn the right and gain the rear of the
American army. The action proved decisive; the enemy was driven
from his position, and forced to make a precipitate retreat. The
battalion companies of the regiment did not sustain any loss on
this occasion; but the flank companies, being formed in grenadier
and light infantry battalions, had Lieutenant Faulkener killed;
Captain Cathcart, Captain Douglas, and Lieutenant Leigh wounded;
also several men killed and wounded.
After this victory, the army continued its advance; Philadelphia
was taken possession of, and the British troops took up a position
at Germantown, the FIFTEENTH being posted on the left of the
village.
Making a forced march during the night of the 3rd of October, the
American army appeared suddenly in front of _Germantown_ before
daylight on the following morning, and attacked the British
outposts, thinking to surprise the troops in an unprepared state.
The first assault was opposed by the second battalion of light
infantry, and the fortieth regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel Musgrave,
posted at the head of the village; these corps were forced to fall
back, and Lieut.-Colonel Musgrave threw himself, with six companies
of the fortieth, into a large store-house, where he was attacked
by an American brigade, aided by four pieces of cannon. During the
contest, while the soldiers of the fortieth were defending their
post manfully, Major-General Grey brought forward the FIFTEENTH,
and two other corps; and making a determined attack on the American
regiments, drove them back with great slaughter. The enemy was
also repulsed at every part of the field, and forced to make a
precipitate retreat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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