Historical Record of the Fourth, or the King's Own, Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1680, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1839Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Fourth, or the King's Own, Regiment of Foot: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1680, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1839
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
Bonaparte, after having been crowned King of Italy, and having
added Genoa to his empire, proceeded to Boulogne and reviewed his
army; and immediately afterwards marched against the forces of
Russia and Austria, to crush at once the coalition forming against
his interests, in which the British cabinet was taking a decided
part. At the same time the French troops were withdrawn from
Hanover, which country they had seized on soon after the resuming
of hostilities in 1803. On the 21st of October the glorious victory
at Trafalgar was won by the fleet, which gave Great Britain the
uncontrolled sovereignty of the sea: and on the 27th of that month
the first battalion of the KING'S OWN embarked at Ramsgate for
Hanover. Having landed at Cuxhaven on the 19th of November, it
marched up the country and was cantoned at Blumenthal, where it
was formed in brigade with the twenty-third and twenty-eighth
regiments under Major-General Honourable E. Paget; the British
troops in Hanover designed to co-operate with the continental
powers being under the orders of Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart.
Meanwhile the Austrians had been overpowered by Bonaparte, who
had taken possession of Vienna; and the united Austrian and
Russian armies were defeated in the beginning of December at
Austerlitz, which established the preponderance of French power. In
a subsequent treaty concluded at Vienna, it was stipulated, that
Hanover should be occupied by the Prussians, and the British troops
under Lord Cathcart retreated to Bremen and embarked for England.
[Sidenote: 1806]
The first battalion of the KING'S OWN landed at Yarmouth in
February, 1806, and marched to Woodbridge barracks; from whence it
proceeded in May to Colchester: the second battalion was quartered
at Chelmsford.
[Sidenote: 1807]
The influence of French councils at the court of Denmark, with the
expectation that its navy would be employed by Bonaparte against
Great Britain, occasioned the British court to resolve to obtain
possession of the Danish fleet either by treaty or force, and to
retain it until the conclusion of the war. An armament was fitted
out for this service, and the first battalion of the KING'S OWN
embarked at Harwich on the 25th of July, to form part of the land
force under the orders of Lieut.-General Lord Cathcart. The Danish
government not acceding to the proposed conditions, the army
landed on the island of Zealand, and took up a position before
_Copenhagen_, the KING'S OWN being formed in brigade with the
twenty-third regiment, under the orders of Major-General Grosvenor.
After a bombardment of three days the city surrendered, and the
fleet was given up. The KING'S OWN, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel
Wynch, occupied the citadel, where Lord Cathcart fixed his
head-quarters. On the evacuation of Copenhagen, the KING'S OWN
re-embarked, and after landing at Deal on the 6th and 7th of
November, marched to Colchester. The second battalion had, in the
mean time, proceeded to Jersey.[32]
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