



Produced by Brian Coe, John Campbell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)









  TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

  Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

  A superscript is denoted by ^x or ^{xx}, for example Esq^{re}.

  Some minor changes are noted at the end of the book.




[Illustration:

  BY COMMAND OF His late Majesty WILLIAM THE IV^{TH}.
  _and under the Patronage of_
  Her Majesty the Queen.

  HISTORICAL RECORDS,
  _OF THE_
  British Army

  _Comprising the_
  _History of every Regiment_
  _IN HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE_.

  _By Richard Cannon Esq^{re}._

  _Adjutant General's Office, Horse Guards._

  London.

  _Printed by Authority._]




  HISTORICAL RECORD

  OF

  THE FIFTY-THIRD,

  OR

  THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT.

  CONTAINING

  AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
  IN 1755

  AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
  TO 1848.


  COMPILED BY

  RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,

  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.


  ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.


  LONDON:
  PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
  30, CHARING-CROSS.

  MDCCCXLIX.




  LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET,
  FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE.




  THE FIFTY-THIRD,

  OR

  THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT OF FOOT,

  BEARS ON THE REGIMENTAL COLOUR

  THE WORD "NIEUPORT;"

  IN COMMEMORATION OF ITS DISTINGUISHED GALLANTRY IN THE DEFENCE OF THAT
  FORTRESS IN OCTOBER, 1793;

  THE WORD "TOURNAY;"

  IN TESTIMONY OF ITS HEROIC CONDUCT IN ACTION AGAINST A SUPERIOR
  FORCE OF THE ENEMY IN MAY, 1794;

  THE WORDS "ST. LUCIA;"

  AS A MARK OF DISTINCTION FOR ITS BRAVERY DISPLAYED AT THE CAPTURE OF
  ST. LUCIA, IN MAY, 1796;

  THE WORDS

  "TALAVERA," "SALAMANCA," "VITTORIA," "PYRENEES,"
  "NIVELLE," "TOULOUSE," AND "PENINSULA,"

  TO COMMEMORATE THE MERITORIOUS SERVICES OF THE _Second_ BATTALION
  DURING THE PENINSULAR WAR, FROM 1809 TO 1814;

  AND THE WORDS

  "ALIWAL," AND "SOBRAON;"

  AS A LASTING TESTIMONY OF THE GALLANT CONDUCT OF THE REGIMENT
  ON THE BANKS OF THE SUTLEJ, ON THE 28TH JANUARY, AND
  10TH FEBRUARY, 1846.




THE FIFTY-THIRD,

OR

THE SHROPSHIRE REGIMENT.


CONTENTS

OF THE

HISTORICAL RECORD.


  YEAR                                                           PAGE

     INTRODUCTION                                                   i

  1755  Formation of the Regiment                                   1

  ----  Colonel W. Whitmore appointed to the colonelcy              -

  ----  Numbered the FIFTY-FIFTH, and afterwards the
          FIFTY-THIRD regiment                                      -

  ----  Station, uniform, and facing                                -

  ----  Officers appointed to commissions                           2

  1756  Embarked for Gibraltar                                      -

  1759  Appointment of Colonel John Toovey to the colonelcy,
          in succession to Colonel Whitmore, removed to the
          ninth regiment                                            -

  1768  Returned from Gibraltar, and embarked for Ireland           3

  1770  Appointment of Colonel R. D. H. Elphinstone to the
          colonelcy, in succession to Colonel Toovey, deceased      -

  1776  Embarked for North America                                  -

  1777  Engaged with the American forces                            -

  1782  The American war terminated                                 4

  ----  The regiment directed to assume the county title of
          Shropshire regiment in addition to its Numerical title    -

  1789  Returned to England from North America                      -

  1790  Embarked on board of the fleet to serve as Marines          -

  1791  Proceeded to Scotland                                       5

  1793  Embarked for service in Flanders                            -

  ----  Engaged at Famars                                           -

  ----  -------- the siege and capture of Valenciennes              -

  ----  -------- the siege of Dunkirk                               6

  ----  -------- Nieuport                                           -

  ----  Received the Royal Authority to bear the word
          "_Nieuport_" on the colours                               -

  1794  Major-General Gerald Lake, afterwards Viscount Lake,
          appointed to the colonelcy, in succession to
          General Elphinstone, deceased                             -

  ----  Engaged in operations at Vaux, Prémont, Marets, &c.         7

  ----  ---- at the siege and capture of Landrécies                 -

  ----  -------- repulse of the enemy at Cateau                     -

  ----  -------------------------------- Tournay                    -

  ----  -------- capture of Lannoy, Roubaix, and Mouveaux           -

  ----  ---- in the masterly retreat to Leers                       8

  ----  ---- storming the village of Pontéchin                      9

  ----  Received the Royal Authority to bear the word
          "_Tournay_" on its colours                               10

  1795  Returned to England                                        --

  ----  Encamped at Southampton                                    --

  ----  Embarked with an expedition for the West Indies            --

  1796  Attack and Capture of St. Lucia                            --

  1796  Received the Royal Authority to bear the words
          "_St. Lucia_" on its colours                             11

  ----  Embarked for St. Vincent                                   --

  ----  Engaged in quelling an insurrection, and expelling
          the Caribs from the Island of St. Vincent                --

  ----  Received the thanks of the General Officer commanding,
          and of the Council and Assembly of the Island            12

  ----  Appointment of Major-General W. E. Doyle to the
          colonelcy, in succession to General Lake, removed
          to the 73rd regiment                                     --

  1797  Engaged in the capture of Trinidad                         --

  ----  Employed in an unsuccessful attempt at Porto Rico          --

  ----  Returned to St. Vincent                                    13

  1798  Lieut.-General Crosbie appointed to the colonelcy,
          in succession to Major-General Doyle, deceased           --

  1800  Removed from St. Vincent to St. Lucia                      --

  1802  Returned to England on the surrender of St. Lucia to
          France according to the treaty of peace concluded
          at Amiens                                                --

  1803  Marched under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Lightburne,
          for Shrewsbury                                           --

  1805  The First Battalion embarked for India                     --

  ----  Arrived at Fort St. George, Madras, and proceeded to
          Dinapore                                                 --

  1806  Removed from Dinapore to Berhampore                        14

  1807  Proceeded from Berhampore to Cawnpore                      --

  ----  Major-General Honorable John Abercromby appointed to
          the colonelcy in succession to General Crosbie,
          deceased                                                 --

  1809  Three companies detached to Bundelcund, and engaged
          at the siege and capture of the fort of Adjighion        --

  1809  The Battalion took the field with the troops under
          Colonel Martindell                                       15

  1810  Returned to Cawnpore, and received the thanks of the
          officer commanding for their conduct                     --

  1812  Five companies engaged in the storming of the fortress
          of _Callinger_                                           --

  ----  Surrender of the garrison of _Callinger_ on the
          remaining five companies joining from Cawnpore           17

  ----  The Battalion returned to Cawnpore, and afterwards
          proceeded to Meerut                                      18

  1814  Marched from Meerut, and joined the army formed for
          the invasion of the kingdom of Nepaul, or the
          Gorca State                                              --

  ----  Engaged in the storming and capture of the fort of
          _Kalunga_                                                19

  ----  Proceeded to the capture of _Nahn_ and other fortified
          places on the Jampta heights                             21

  ----  The Nepaulese reduced to submission                        --

  ----  Embarked for Berhampore, proceeded to Calcutta, and
          afterwards embarked for Madras                           --

  1816  The Battalion proceeded from Madras to the Naggery
          Pass, to repress the plundering tribes of Pindarees      --

  ----  Marched for Trichinopoly                                   22

  1817  Appointment of Lieut.-General Lord Hill, G.C.B., to
          the colonelcy, in succession to Lieut.-General
          Sir John Abercromby, deceased                            --

  ----  The flank companies employed with a field force under
          Brigadier-General Pritzler                               23

  1819  Assault of the fort of _Copaul Droog_                      --

  1820  Marched from Trichinopoly for Bellary                      --

  1820  Proceeded to Bangalore                                     23

  ----  The flank companies rejoined the regiment after much
          arduous service                                          24

  