Historical Record of the Seventy-Second Regiment, or the Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1778, and of its subsequent services to 1848 — John Shaqi
Historical Record of the Seventy-Second Regiment, or the Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1778, and of its subsequent services to 1848Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Seventy-Second Regiment, or the Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders: Containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1778, and of its subsequent services to 1848
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Foot, 72nd -- History; Great Britain. Army. Seaforth Highlanders -- History
During the night of the 15th of March, the troops were ordered
under arms, in consequence of circumstances indicating the approach
of Tippoo’s army; a flight of rockets came into the camp, and the
grenadiers of the SEVENTY-SECOND rushed towards the spot from
whence the rockets came; but the Mysoreans fled without waiting
the attack. At five o’clock on the following evening the regiment
marched into the pettah, and relieved the thirty-sixth on duty in
the trenches. Soon after midnight a crowd of Mysorean musketeers
entered the thick jungle near the pettah, and commenced a sharp
fire; the SEVENTY-SECOND formed behind a mud wall expecting their
post to be stormed every moment by thousands of enemies, whom they
were prepared to receive with fixed bayonets: but the Mysoreans did
not venture on so desperate an enterprise; many of the soldiers’
bayonets were hit by bullets, but not one man injured. On the
evening of the 18th the regiment was relieved and returned to camp.
At four o’clock on the afternoon of the 20th of March six companies
of the regiment marched into the trenches; and on the evening of
the following day the regiment was ordered to prepare to take
part in storming the fortress; the grenadier company was to join
the storming party appointed to advance by the left approach;
the light company that by the right approach, and the battalion
companies were formed on the right of the parallel, to support
the grenadiers: three of the SEVENTY-SECOND grenadiers joined the
forlorn hope under Serjeant Williams of the seventy-sixth regiment.
Lieutenant Campbell of the regiment states in his Journal,--“The
storming party primed and loaded, and sat down on their arms; our
batteries, both gun and mortar, kept firing frequently during
the evening. At a quarter before eleven we got into motion; an
opening was made in the centre of the second parallel; the signal
for storming was given (three guns in quick succession), and out
we rushed. The covered way instantly appeared as a sheet of fire,
seconded from the fort, but with no aim or effect; our batteries
answered with blank cartridge; and we were in the covered way in a
moment, and on the breach as quick as thought. I pushed on, carried
forward by a powerful impulse, and found myself at the top of the
breach with the front files. The grenadiers immediately turned off
to the right with a huzza; their progress was suddenly stopped
by an opening; the fort was hung with blue lights, a heavy fire
was opened upon us, but with little effect: the difficulty was
overcome, and our troops ascended the ladders with every possible
expedition. The grandest, and most striking sight I ever beheld,
was the rushing up of the troops to the top of the breach, and
the ascent of the grenadiers in crowds by the scaling-ladders.
We now heard the grenadiers’ march beating in every quarter; our
soldiers shouted with joy, and we swept round the ramparts with
scarce anything to oppose us: every enemy that appeared had a
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