Historical Record of the Fifty-sixth, or the West Essex Regiment of Foot: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1755, and of its subsequent services to 1844.Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Fifty-sixth, or the West Essex Regiment of Foot: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1755, and of its subsequent services to 1844.
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 56th (West Essex) -- History
Four companies were detached, in the same month, under the command
of Captain Barrington, to join the Guicwar’s subsidiary force,
under the orders of Colonel Holmes, of the East India Company’s
service. On the third day the four companies marched from Khim to
Oclasceer, a distance of eighteen miles, the last six of which
were across an arid plain, destitute of shelter, and exposed
to an unusual degree of heat, when many men fell from complete
exhaustion; three died where they fell; and seven others expired
during the day, after they had been removed to quarters by the
natives. These four companies were followed, in September, by two
others, under Lieut.-Colonel Kingscote who assumed the command
of the six companies with the force under Colonel Holmes, which
was employed in operations for the re-establishment of the
rightful heir to the throne, which had been usurped by the uncle.
On the 15th of November this force took possession of the fort
of _Palampore_, which the Scindians had evacuated early in the
morning. The troops remained in the neighbourhood of this place
until the end of the year, when the companies of the FIFTY-SIXTH
marched back to the camp at Domus, where the Guzerat fever deprived
the corps of many valuable soldiers.
Notwithstanding its numerous losses, the recruiting of the regiment
was conducted with great success, under the influence and zealous
efforts of its colonel, and its ranks received a constant supply
of young men, many of them from the county of Surrey. At this
period the war in Europe had attained a crisis: the British forces
had triumphed in Portugal and Spain, and had forced the barrier
of the Pyrenees and penetrated France; the Emperor Napoleon had
lost a numerous army in the north; the forces of Russia, Austria,
Prussia, and the German States, were in arms against him; and a
powerful effort promised complete success to the cause of the
allies. Measures were adopted to augment the British army at this
interesting period; and the facility with which the FIFTY-SIXTH had
been recruited, holding out the prospect that its establishment
might be increased, a warrant was issued by the Prince Regent in
the early part of November, for adding a _third battalion_ to the
corps. This battalion was embodied at Horsham, its establishment
was six hundred and fifty non-commissioned officers and soldiers,
and its ranks were so speedily completed with disciplined men, by
volunteers from the militia, &c., that in one month from the date
of the order for its formation, it was ready for foreign service.
At this period a body of British troops proceeded to Holland, under
Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham (late Lord Lynedoch), to
co-operate with the forces of the allied sovereigns, and the third
battalion of the FIFTY-SIXTH embarked for this service at Ramsgate,
on the 9th of December, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel John
Frederick Brown; it was posted to the third brigade, commanded
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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