Historical Record of the Seventy-first Regiment, Highland Light Infantry: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1777, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1852Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Seventy-first Regiment, Highland Light Infantry: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1777, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1852
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 71st (Highland Light Infantry)
following, in which his brigade had nearly two-thirds of the
officers and upwards of half the privates killed and wounded. Louis
XVIII. was shortly afterwards restored to the throne of France,
Napoleon retired to the island of Elba, and the Peninsular war
terminated.
In 1813 Major-General Pack had been appointed a Knight Commander
of the Portuguese Order of the Tower and Sword, and on the 2d of
January 1815 was nominated a Knight Commander of the Order of
the Bath. He received a cross and seven clasps for the following
actions, at all of which he commanded troops, and was personally
engaged: Roleia, Vimiera, Corunna, Busaco, siege of Ciudad Rodrigo,
Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse.
Sir Denis Pack had received eight wounds, six of them rather severe
ones; had been frequently struck by shot, and had several horses
killed and wounded under him.
In March 1815 Europe was astounded by the return of Napoleon
to Paris. The allied powers, however, refused to recognize his
sovereignty, and determined on his dethronement. A large army
proceeded to Flanders under Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington,
and Major-General Sir Denis Pack was placed in command of a
brigade. The campaign was as brief as it was glorious. On the 16th
of June, Napoleon, after having made one of his rapid movements,
attacked the Anglo-Belgian troops at Quatre Bras, in which the
fifth division under Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Picton, of which
Major-General Sir Denis Pack’s brigade formed part, was engaged.
Then followed the movement on the 17th to Waterloo, where, on the
18th of June, was fought that memorable battle in which the sun
of Napoleon set for ever, and the result of which gave to Europe
a lengthened period of tranquillity. These arduous conflicts
afforded Major-General Sir Denis Pack several opportunities for
distinguishing himself, and adding to his former honors.
Sir Denis Pack had the honor to receive the thanks of both Houses
of Parliament on six different occasions; namely, for his conduct
in the battles of Roleia and Vimiera; for the siege of Ciudad
Rodrigo; and for the battles of Salamanca, Vittoria, Orthes, and
Waterloo.
On the 8th of January 1816 Major-General Sir Denis Pack was
appointed colonel of the York chasseurs, which corps was
subsequently disbanded. On the 12th of August 1819 he was appointed
lieut.-governor of Plymouth, and to the command of the troops in
the western district, and on the 9th of September 1822 he was
appointed colonel of the eighty-fourth regiment. The decease of
Major-General Sir Denis Pack occurred on the 24th of July 1823,
at which period he held the command of the troops in the western
district of Great Britain, and the lieut.-governorship of Plymouth.
The following letter to Brigadier-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty
contains a full and satisfactory explanation of the motives by
which Lieut.-Colonel Pack was actuated in effecting his escape, as
alluded to in the foregoing memoir.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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