[13] Sir Ralph Abercromby entertained a high opinion of the FOURTEENTH; in the West Indies he always landed with the flank companies, and the regiment furnished a corporal's guard at his quarters. When he was appointed to the command of the troops in the Mediterranean, with whom he proceeded to Egypt, he wrote to Captain Graves, stating, "I regret extremely that I cannot take you with me, as I intended, having found all my staff appointed when I got to London." He afterwards added, with great pleasantry, "I also greatly regret that the FOURTEENTH are not on the expedition, as I do not think any service can go on well without them." [14] "It is peculiarly incumbent upon the Lieutenant-General to notice the vigorous attack made by the second battalion of the FOURTEENTH Regiment, under Lieut.-Colonel Nicolls, which drove the enemy out of the village on the left, of which he had possessed himself."--_General Orders._ [15] "The gallant FOURTEENTH proceeded to scour the ramparts, and the capture of the Sultan rendered the victory complete."--_London Gazette._ [16] Colonel John M'Combe died at Calcutta on the 12th October, 1828. [17] A brigantine, having on board the head-quarters of the regiment, with six officers, one hundred and eight soldiers, and thirty women, under Lieut.-Colonel Everard, C.B., K.H., was wrecked on the rocks off Guadaloupe, before daylight on Christmas day; but the inhabitants came to their aid in boats, and no lives were lost. SUCCESSION OF COLONELS OF THE FOURTEENTH, OR BUCKINGHAM REGIMENT OF FOOT. SIR EDWARD HALES, BARONET. _Appointed 22nd June, 1685._ This officer was the son of Sir Edward Hales, of Woodchurch, in the county of Kent, who was a distinguished loyalist in the reigns of Charles I. and Charles II., and being forced to flee from England for his loyal attempts during the rebellion, he died in France a few years after the restoration in 1660. EDWARD HALES succeeded, on the decease of his father, to the family estate at Woodchurch, and to the dignity of a Baronet; and when the Court began to evince a disposition to favour Papacy, he changed his religion from Protestant to Roman Catholic. He was in great favour with King James II., and having raised a company of foot for the service of that monarch, in June, 1685, he was appointed colonel of a regiment, which is now the FOURTEENTH FOOT. He was also constituted a member of the privy council, one of the lords of the Admiralty, deputy governor of the cinque ports, and lieutenant-governor of the Tower of London. Being unable, from his religion, to take the required oaths on appointment to the colonelcy of his regiment, he was prosecuted and convicted at Rochester assizes; but he moved the case to the Court of King's Bench, pleaded the King's dispensation and had judgment in his behalf:--eleven out of the twelve judges being of opinion that the King might dispense in that case.