Historical record of the Ninety-second Regiment, originally termed "The Gordon Highlanders" and numbered the Hundredth Regiment : $b Containing an account of the formation of the Regiment in 1794, and of its subsequent services to 1850Cannon, Richard
History
Historical record of the Ninety-second Regiment, originally termed "The Gordon Highlanders" and numbered the Hundredth Regiment : $b Containing an account of the formation of the Regiment in 1794, and of its subsequent services to 1850
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army. Gordon Highlanders
The NINETY-SECOND were stationed in the Maya Pass, to the right of
the road leading from Urdax, and the seventy-first regiment still
further to the left. The enemy collected a force of about fifteen
thousand men behind some rocky ground in front of the British right,
and with this overwhelming force drove in the light companies of the
second brigade, gaining the high rock on the right of the allied
position before the arrival of the second brigade from Maya, which
was, therefore, compelled to retrace its steps towards the village,
instead of falling back to its left on the first brigade.
Lieut.-Colonel Cameron, detached the fiftieth to the right the
moment the action commenced. That regiment was severely engaged,
and was forced to retire along the ridge; the right wing of the
NINETY-SECOND, under Major John McPherson, was sent to its support,
and for some time had to stand the whole brunt of the enemy’s
column. The right wing of the seventy-first regiment was also brought
up, but such was the advantage of the position the enemy had gained
by separating the two brigades, and in a manner descending upon the
Pass of Maya, while a fresh division was pushing up to it from the
direction of Urdax, that the small body of troops received orders to
retire to a high rock on the left of the position.
This movement was covered by the left wings of the seventy-first
and NINETY-SECOND regiments, which, relieving each other with the
utmost order and regularity, and disputing every inch of ground, left
nothing for the enemy to boast of. The brigade continued to hold the
rock until the arrival of Major-General Edward Barnes’s brigade, when
a general charge was made, and every inch of ground recovered as far
as the Maya Pass.
On this occasion the NINETY-SECOND was ordered by Lieut.-General
the Honorable Sir William Stewart not to charge, the battalion
having been hotly engaged for ten successive hours, and in want
of ammunition. The NINETY-SECOND, however, for the first time
disregarded an order, and not only charged, but led the charge.
During the whole of the action on the 25th of July, the conduct of
the NINETY-SECOND was most noble and devoted; and in commemoration
of which His Majesty was pleased to permit Lieut.-Colonel Cameron to
bear on his shield the word “MAYA.” Lieut.-Colonel John Cameron and
Major James Mitchell were both wounded at the head of the battalion,
and the command devolved on Major John McPherson, who was also
wounded, but did not leave the field. The other officers wounded
were Captains George W. Holmes, Ronald McDonald, and Samuel Bevan,
Lieutenants William Fyfe, Donald McPherson, John A. Durie, James John
Chisholm, Robert Winchester, Donald McDonald, James Ker Ross, George
Gordon, John Grant, and Alexander McDonald, (died) and Ensigns Thomas
Mitchell and George Mitchell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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