This Officer was appointed captain in the sixteenth light dragoons in 1759; he subsequently held the commission of major in the eighty-fourth, and lieutenant-colonel in the one hundred and fifth regiment, which was disbanded at the peace in 1763. In 1777 he was appointed colonel of the eighty-first regiment, and was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1781: in 1783 his regiment was disbanded; in 1787 he was appointed colonel commandant in the sixtieth, and in 1788 he obtained the colonelcy of the ROYAL FUSILIERS, from which he was removed in the following year to the seventy-first regiment. In 1793 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general. He obtained the colonelcy of the twenty-first regiment in 1803, which he retained until his decease in 1816. HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE EDWARD, _Afterwards_ DUKE OF KENT, _Appointed 9th April, 1789._ During the early part of this century the ROYAL FUSILIERS had the honour of being commanded by a Prince who was distinguished alike for his social and military virtues:--namely, PRINCE EDWARD, afterwards FIELD MARSHAL HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF KENT AND STRATHEARN, the father of HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY THE QUEEN VICTORIA. Prince Edward, fourth son of His Majesty King George III., was born on the 2nd of November, 1767. Being destined for the profession of arms, in the eighteenth year of his age he proceeded to Germany for the completion of his studies, and resided successively at Lunenberg and Hanover, and was appointed, on the 30th of May, 1786, colonel of the Hanoverian Guards. During the succeeding year he removed to Geneva, and while pursuing his studies at this place, His Majesty conferred upon him the Colonelcy of the 7th ROYAL FUSILIERS. Early in 1790 he returned to England; and after passing a few days with his family he embarked, in obedience to the King's commands, for Gibraltar, in order to acquire a knowledge of garrison duty under Major-General O'Hara. While at Gibraltar he commanded for several months the 2nd, or Queen's Regiment, until the arrival of the 7th ROYAL FUSILIERS, as a reinforcement to the garrison, in August, 1790. In 1791 he sailed with his regiment from Gibraltar for Quebec; and while serving in Canada he was promoted to the rank of major-general. From North America he proceeded, during the winter of 1793-4, through the United States to Boston, where he embarked for the West Indies, and joined the army under General Sir Charles Grey, at the commencement of the siege of Fort Bourbon, in the island of Martinique, and commanded the detached camp at La Coste, above Point Petre. During the several attacks His Royal Highness's conduct excited the admiration of the army; his life was frequently exposed to the most imminent peril; and his aides-de-camp, Captain, the late General Sir Frederick Wetherall, and Lieutenant Vesey, were wounded near his Royal Highness's person.[27] In compliment to the gallantry evinced by His Royal