Historical record of the Seventh Regiment, or the Royal Fusiliers: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846.Cannon, Richard
History
Historical record of the Seventh Regiment, or the Royal Fusiliers: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846.
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
From Cork the ROYAL FUSILIERS advanced towards _Kinsale_; the
garrison vacated the town and retired to two strong forts. One of
these forts was speedily reduced; the other held out until the
middle of October, when the garrison surrendered on the condition
of being permitted to proceed to Limerick.
The ROYAL FUSILIERS were afterwards placed in garrison at Kinsale,
where they remained three months.
[Sidenote: 1691]
The loss of the battle of Fleurus on the 21st of June, 1690, by the
Dutch troops under Prince Waldeck, gave the French the ascendancy
over the confederates in Flanders; and the ROYAL FUSILIERS were
selected to augment the forces in that country, where His Majesty
resolved to command in person. The regiment embarked from Cork
in January 1691, and sailing for Flanders experienced very
severe weather at sea, and two vessels, having on board part of
the FUSILIERS, were wrecked on the English coast, and many men
perished. The remainder of the regiment landed at Ostend and went
into quarters in West Flanders, where it was joined by a fine
body of recruits and by a number of men who had been left sick at
Kinsale.
When the army took the field, the ROYAL FUSILIERS were formed in
brigade with the regiments of Bath (tenth), Hodges (sixteenth), and
Fitzpatrick (afterwards disbanded), commanded by Brigadier-General
Churchill, and served the campaign of this year with the main army
commanded by King William; but no general engagement occurred.
The regiment passed the winter in cantonments among the Belgic
peasantry.
[Sidenote: 1692]
The Earl of Marlborough, having fallen under the displeasure of
King William, was removed from his commands, and was succeeded in
the colonelcy of the ROYAL FUSILIERS by Lord GEORGE HAMILTON by
commission dated the 23rd of January, 1692.
On the army taking the field, the regiment was again placed in the
brigade commanded by Brigadier-General Churchill, and it served
at the battle of _Steenkirk_ on the 24th of July, 1692. On this
occasion the leading column attacked the French forces commanded by
Marshal Luxemburg with signal gallantry and success; but owing to
the thick woods, with narrow and difficult defiles, which the army
had to pass, together with the tardiness of Count Solms in obeying
His Majesty's commands, some delay occurred. The ROYAL FUSILIERS
and a few other corps hastened through the defiles, and formed
line at the skirts of the wood, where they were exposed to a heavy
cannonade, and lost several men. In consequence of the delay which
had occurred, the King ordered a retreat, and the French did not
venture to attack the army in its retrograde movement.
Sir Robert Douglas having been killed in the act of rescuing the
colours of the first battalion of the Royals from the enemy,
was succeeded in the colonelcy of that regiment by Lord George
Hamilton; and the command of the ROYAL FUSILIERS was conferred on
Colonel EDWARD FITZPATRICK, from a newly-raised regiment, which had
been disbanded.
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