Historical Record of the Twenty-first Regiment, or the Royal North British Fusiliers: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1678, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1849Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Twenty-first Regiment, or the Royal North British Fusiliers: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1678, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1849
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Royal Scots Fusiliers
Again taking the field in the summer of 1693, the NORTH BRITISH
FUSILIERS were formed in brigade with the regiments of Leven
(twenty-fifth), Monro (twenty-sixth), Mackay, and Lander
(afterwards disbanded), under the command of Brigadier-General
Ramsay, and, after taking part in several manœuvres, were engaged
at the battle of _Landen_ on the 29th of July. At sunrise on the
morning of that day, a French force of very superior numbers,
commanded by the Duke of Luxembourg, appeared before the position
occupied by the confederate army under King William III., when the
NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS, and other regiments of their brigade, were
ordered to occupy some hedges and narrow roads, beyond the village
of Laer, on the right of the line. This village, and the ground
occupied by General Ramsay's brigade, being attacked by a numerous
body of the enemy, the NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS were engaged in a
sharp musketry battle in the fields and open grounds. At length the
Third foot, and other corps in the village of Laer, were forced to
retire; but they rallied, and, being joined by Brigadier-General
Ramsay's brigade, the whole charged, and by a gallant effort
recaptured the village; the NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS distinguished
themselves on the occasion. The French afterwards carried the
village of Neer-Winden, and forced the position; the regiments at
Laer then became separated from the main body of the confederate
army; they gallantly defended their post some time, and eventually
retired, fighting, to the Gheet, forded that river, and joined
several corps which had crossed the bridge of Neer-Hespen. The army
was retreating, and the NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS accompanied King
William to the vicinity of Tirlemont. The regiment had Captains
Campbell and Strayton, Lieutenants Douglas and Dunbar, and Adjutant
Walle wounded; Captain Paterson taken prisoner; also a number of
soldiers killed, wounded, and prisoners.
At the end of the campaign, the regiment was placed in garrison at
Bruges.
[Sidenote: 1694]
During the summer of 1694, the regiment performed many long marches
in Brabant and Flanders; but was not engaged with the enemy, and in
the autumn it marched to Deinse.
This year the King commanded a board of General Officers to
assemble and decide upon the rank of the several corps of the army.
This board gave precedence to the English regiments, and gave the
Scots and Irish regiments rank in the English army from the date
of their first arrival in England, or from the date when they
were first placed on the English establishment. The NORTH BRITISH
FUSILIERS, not having entered England until the Revolution in 1688,
received rank as TWENTY-FIRST regiment. Numerical titles were not
generally used until the reign of King George II.
[Sidenote: 1695]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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