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)
One hundred and thirty-six pieces of cannon and fifty mortars
opened their fire on the castle of _Namur_ on the 11th of August,
and being continued without intermission, breaches were made in the
Terra Nova and Cohorne, and on the night of the 20th of August, a
detachment of the ROYAL FUSILIERS was engaged under Lord Cutts in
the attack of the counterscarp and breach of Terra Nova, and had
several men killed and Captain Groves, Lieutenant Rainsford, and
a number of men wounded. The fire of the artillery was continued,
and preparations were made for another assault; but the further
effusion of blood was prevented by the surrender of the place.
After the repair of the works, the King, being satisfied with the
capture of so important a place, dismissed the army to its winter
quarters, and the FUSILIERS returned to their usual station at
Ghent.
[Sidenote: 1696]
During the following winter a conspiracy was formed in England for
the assassination of King William: at the same time an insurrection
was organised, and a French army was assembled near the coast
to aid in the replacing of King James on the throne. A body of
troops was immediately ordered to return from Flanders; and the
ROYAL FUSILIERS embarked at Sas van Ghent, sailed from thence to
Flushing, where the transports were placed under the convoy of
Dutch men-of-war, and, afterwards resuming the voyage, arrived at
Gravesend in March, 1696. The plot had, however, been discovered,
the conspirators arrested, and the British fleet was manned and
sent to sea; the French monarch's designs were thus frustrated, and
the FUSILIERS returned to Flanders without landing in England.
During the campaign of 1696 the regiment served with the Brabant
army commanded by King William; but no fighting took place. In
the beginning of September it joined the army of Flanders under
the Prince of Vaudemont, and, encamping near the village of St.
Michael, was employed in constructing works for the protection of
Bruges. In October it marched to Ghent.
In November, 1696, Brigadier-General Sir Charles O'Hara was
appointed colonel of the ROYAL REGIMENT OF FUSILIERS, in succession
to Brigadier-General Fitzpatrick, drowned.
[Sidenote: 1697]
Leaving Ghent on the 13th of March, 1697, the regiment proceeded
into village quarters between Brussels and Malines. Two companies
were detached to form part of the garrison of Oudenarde, and the
remainder subsequently encamped behind the forest of Soignies,
where the men suffered much from wet weather and from the want of
their clothing, which was due, but had not arrived from England.
The ROYAL FUSILIERS took part in the operations of this campaign.
In September a treaty of peace was signed at Ryswick, and during
the winter the regiment returned to England; at the same time its
numbers were reduced to a peace establishment.
[Sidenote: 1698]
In August, 1698, the regiment proceeded to Jersey and Guernsey, to
relieve a corps of marines which was ordered to be disbanded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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