Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in the Reign of King James VI. of Scotland, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in the Reign of King James VI. of Scotland, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 1st (Royal Scots)
Lieut.-Colonel Wetherall observed in his despatch:--"Every officer
and man behaved nobly. Major Warde carried the right of the position
in good style, and Captain Glasgow's artillery did good execution. He
is a most zealous officer. Captain David's troop of Montreal cavalry
rendered essential service during the charge."
After this success the detachment retired, on the 27th of November,
to St. Hilaire, and advanced on the following day towards _Point
Olivière_, to attack a body of rebels who had taken post at that place,
and constructed an abatis, for the purpose of cutting off the retreat
of the detachment; but when the troops formed for the attack, the
rebels, after exchanging a few shots, fled, leaving two guns mounted
on carts behind them. The detachment returned on the same day with 25
prisoners to Chambly, the men having suffered much from heavy rains,
roads knee-deep in mud, and also from frost and snow.
In the meantime the detachments under Colonel Gore had, from
obstructions of a formidable nature, and from the severe state of the
weather, failed in the attempt on St. Denis, and had retired. The
conduct of Lieutenant Lysons of the ROYAL Regiment, attached to the
Quarter-Master General's department, who was employed on this service,
was spoken of in terms of commendation, and also the exertions of
Surgeon Farnden, in rendering assistance to the wounded. After the
success of the ROYALS at St. Charles, the rebels broke up from their
post at St. Denis.
The rebellion was, however, not arrested in its progress, and the
troops had much harassing duty to perform in severe weather. On the
13th of December Lieut.-General Sir John Colborne proceeded with all
his disposable force (including the companies of the ROYAL Regiment)
towards _St. Eustache_, to put down the revolt in the country of the
Lake of the Two Mountains, where the insurgents had driven the loyal
inhabitants from their homes, and had pillaged an extensive tract of
country. The ROYALS, with the Montreal rifles, and Captain Globinsky's
company of volunteers, formed a brigade under Lieut.-Colonel Wetherall.
The volunteers were detached to the woods bordering on the upper road
to St. Eustache, to drive in and disperse the rebel piquets. The
remainder of the brigade, with the other disposable troops, crossed the
north branch of the Ottawa river on the ice, on the 14th of December,
advanced upon St. Eustache, and entered the village at several points.
The ROYALS and Montreal rifles advanced up the main street, and took
possession of the most defensible houses. An officer was detached to
bring up the artillery; but he was driven back by the fire of the
rebels, who had taken post in the church. The artillery entered the
village by the rear, and opened their fire on the church door, while
some companies of the ROYALS and rifles occupied the houses nearest
to the church. After about an hour's firing, and the church doors
remaining unforced, a party of the ROYALS assaulted the presbytery,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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