Timeline period - 1750

1758 - The Creation of the 61st Regiment of Foot

In 1756 the British army began another period of expansion as wartime exigencies led to the authorization of many regiments to recruit more men and add second battalions to their establishments. One of them was the 3rd Regiment of Foot (The Buffs) whose new second battalion was stationed in England between 1757 and 1758. In 1758 a change of mind led to these new battalions becoming regiments in their own right:-

"These are to authorise you by Beat of Drum or otherwise to raise so many men in any County or part of our Kingdom of Great Britain as are or shall be wanting to recruit and fill up the respective companies of our 61st Regiment of Foot under your command to the numbers allowed on the Establishment. And all Magistrates and Justices of the Peace, Constables and other of our Civil Officers whom it may concern are hereby required to be assisting unto you in providing Quarters impressing Carriages and otherwise as there shall be occasion. And for so doing this our order shall remain in force for twelve months from the date hereof and no longer.

"Given at our Court at Kensington this 13th day of May 1758, in the thirty-first year of our Reign.
By His Majesty's Command.
Barrington.

"To our Trusty and well beloved Granville Elliot, Esqre. Major General of Our Forces and Colonel of our 61st Regiment of Foot, or to the officer appointed to raise men for our Regiment."

The order for the creation of the 61st was finalised on 15th June 1758:-

"His Majesty is pleased to Regiment the 15 Battalions of Foot which were raised in the year 1756 and to direct they take rank from the time of their Raising in the same manner as if they had been immediately formed into Regiments."

The second battalion of the Buffs thus became the 61st Regiment of Foot, taking its seniority in the line from its original creation in 1756. The 61st Foot kept its original buff facing colours to its red coats, which were to remain so until 1881.

Picture: The 61st at Guadeloupe, 1759.

1759 - The Heights of Abraham

In 1757 the 28th Foot sailed for the Americas with the Expeditionary Force under General Wolfe whose task was to wrest Canada from the French. The first action in which the Regiment was engaged was the Siege and Capture of Louisbourg, a strongly fortified post on the Eastern Seaboard of Nova Scotia. A year later they sailed with Wolfe up the hazardous St Lawrence River. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to gain a foothold on the mainland of Canada, a proposed plan of a silent landing below the cliffs of Quebec was conceived. On 13th September 1759 the 28th was the first regiment of the line to scale the Heights of Abraham following immediately behind 24 volunteers of the Light Infantry. When the army was drawn up to await General Montcalm’s attack it was at the head of the 28th that General Wolfe posted himself. The enemy advanced, firing as they came. When they were within 40 paces of the motionless redcoats Wolfe gave the order to fire. This first staggering volley and the quick succession of volleys that followed broke the French line, and at Wolfe's command the whole of his force advanced to achieve the victory that eventually won Canada for the British. Wolfe was wounded three times and survived just long enough to hear that victory was assured.

Ensign James Henderson of the Louisbourg Grenadiers, later the 28th Foot, described in a letter his part in the battle and the death of Wolfe:

"... I myself received two wounds; my concern for him was so great I did not at the time, think of them when the General received the shot. I caught hold of him and carried him off the field. He walked about a hundred yards ands then begged that I would let him sit down. Then I opened his breast and found his shirt full of blood, at which he smiled and when he saw the distress I was in, 'My dear' said he, 'don't grieve for me, I shall be happy in a few minutes, take care of yourself. I see you are wounded, but tell me, Oh tell me, how goes the battle?'

"Just then there came some officers who told him that the French had given ground and our troops were pursuing to the walls of the town. He was lying in my arms, just expiring, that great man whose sole ambition was his country's glory. Upon this news, he smiled in my face. 'Now' said he, I die contented.'

"From that instant the smile never left his face till he died. I thought in him I had lost all my interest, but it pleased God to raise up my friends in all the surviving Gen. Officers and in particular in Gen. Moncton, who, upon his first taking his command, inquired for the Volunteer who distinguished himself so much on 13th September as he thought it a duty incumbent on him in honour of Gen. Wolfe's memory to provide for the gentleman and in a few days he sent my commission by Col. Walsh who is my Colonel in the 28th Regt, commanded by Gen. Bragg, which is one of the finest regiments in the service; and what gives me the greatest pleasure is that I am particularly liked both by my Col. and Major."

Picture: The Death of Wolfe

1759 - The Capture of Guadeloupe

The first battle honour to be won by the 61st Foot was "Guadeloupe". The Regiment left Portsmouth in November 1758 and was with the fleet when it began the bombardment of the fortified town of Basse Terre on the island. The town was swiftly captured, but the troops soon succumbed to disease in their fever-ridden encampments. They were reduced to half their strength, and among the fatalities was the expedition's commander, Major General Hopson. The capture of the islands began to look increasingly impossible. The new commander, Colonel Barrington, took charge of the situation and systematically began to eliminate all the scattered centres of French resistance on both main islands.

The 61st, under Lt.Colonel Barlow, took part in the final operations in April 1759. Brigadier Clavering's report in _The Gazette_ describes the final engagement:

"We pursued them as far as the heights of St Marie's, where we again formed our men for a fresh attack on the lines and batteries there.

"Whilst the barricadoes were levelling for the artillery, we attempted a second time to pass the woods and precipices that covered the flanks of the enemy's lines; but, before we could get up our cannon, they perceived this movement, and began to quit their lines to oppose it, which made us resolve, without any further delay, to attack them immediately in front; and it was accordingly executed with the greatest vivacity, nothwithstanding the constant firing both of their cannon and musquetry. They abandoned here all their artillery, and went off in so much confusion, that they never afterwards appeared before us.

"We took up our quarters at St Marie's that night, and the next day entered the Capesterre, which is the richest and most beautiful part of this or any other country in the West Indies. Eight hundred and seventy negroes, belonging to one man only, surrendered this day."

Guadeloupe was returned to France in 1763, a bargaining chip played in the Treaty of Paris. The British were to seize and occupy Guadeloupe three more times over the next sixty years of various Anglo-French wars, one of many filched sugar islands that were either kept or exchanged at the peace table. Today, Guadeloupe is a Departement of France, and thus part of the European Union.


Picture: Admiral Moore's ships bombarding Basse Terre.

1764 - The Incident of Walker's Ear

One year after the end of the Seven Years War the 28th Foot were on garrison duty in Montreal. Day-to-day life was made very difficult for the soldiery there by one Thomas Walker, an important merchant and magistrate of the city, particularly with regard to his failure to provide them with adequate quarters during the severe winter weather. The 28th decided to take revenge and on the night of 6th December a group of disguised men burst into Walker's house as he was sitting down to supper, beat him up and sliced off half his right ear.

The culprits were never brought to justice, although there was plenty of circumstantial evidence implicating Captain Payne, Lieutenant Tottenham, Sergeant Rogers, Sergeant Mee, Private Coleman, Private McLaughlan and four others.

"It was a lesson to outsiders not to tamper with the 28th, and although the removal of magistrates' ears is to be deprecated, Mr Walker seems to have pushed the forbearance of that spirited corps rather far. The affair became a _cause celebre_, and resulted in resignations by high officials and kept the law courts busy and the Montreal tea tables chattering for four years. One thing emerged from the incident of Walker's Ear - a new name for the 28th - 'the Slashers'."

David Scott Daniell, "Cap of Honour", 2005.


Picture: Cartoon of the Walker's Ear Incident. Original in the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum.

1768 - Inspections and Light Companies

1768 produced a comprehensive set of instructions in the form of a new Royal Warrant for the army with regard to their dress, accoutrements and equipment. Each regiment was expected to comply with these regulations, and much attention was paid to the often minor but proud distinctions of uniform detail applicable to the diverse regiments, paying particular regard to the changes that had been made since the last Royal Warrant of 1742. Inspections became more frequent as standards had to be met. The 28th Regiment of Foot was the subject of an Inspection Return on 28th May 1768:

"8 Fifers. Officers - coat with silver embroidered button-holes, cross pockets, lapelled to the waist with bright yellow; yellow cape; a small round cuff - silver buttons numbered; silver shoulder-knot. White waistcoat and breeches. A Company, called the Light Infantry Company, appeared clothed in short coats and caps, but have notwithstanding proper clothing like the other companies, when required to be worn."

The Light Infantry Company mentioned above was a hangover from the Seven Years War, as such Light Companies were not officially to be included on the establishment of line infantry regiments until 1770. The 28th were unusual in retaining a Light Company as most other regiments which had seen active service dissolved theirs at the end of the Seven Years War in 1763.

An Inspection of the 61st Regiment of Foot at Minorca in 1781 produced this report:

"Officers - plain scarlet, lapelled to waist pale buff, cross pockets, round cuffs of buff, white buttons numbered, laced epaulettes with silver fringes, buff linings, buff waistcoat and breeches, silver laced hat. Light Infantry accoutrements received 1771. Drummers and fifers prettily clothed."


Picture: A Light Infantryman!

1776 - The Battle of White Plains

The Battle of White Plains was an inconclusive action fought on 28th October 1776 outside New York with about 4,000 men engaged on each side - the British under the command of Major General Sir William Howe, the Americans led by General George Washington. The battle came about as a result of Howe's efforts to threaten Washington's lines of communication, while keeping New York safe in British hands. The 28th Foot were present in Second Brigade with the 5th, 35th and 49th Regiments.

Sir John Fortescue describes what happened in his History of the British Army:

"... his [Washington's] front being everywhere covered by a deep river called the Bronx, of which every ford was defended by powerful works. At the same time he prepared another camp at White Plains, fronting to the south, so as to check the march of the British northward.

"Meanwhile, Howe advanced slowly with his thirteen thousand men in two columns, and on the 25th encamped on the Bronx, about four miles from White Plains. Washington therefore on the 26th shifted into his new camp on that spot, leaving, however, a division of four thousand men under Colonel Spencer in a bend of the Bronx to his right front, and separated by that river from his main body. On the 28th Howe continued his advance; and Colonel Rahl of the Hessians, perceiving that this isolated corps had omitted to occupy a hill which commanded its flank, at once sent a battalion across the river to seize it. Howe then directed the Second Brigade with two Hessian battalions against the front of Spencer's division, while Rahl moved upon its flank; but the frontal attack being prematurely delivered, the losses of the British were unduly heavy, and though the Americans were driven gallantly from this strong post, no solid advantage was gained."

Washington remained in position for a few more days, but despite his strengthening his defensive earthworks, retreated on 1st October when the British brought up reinforcements.

The attack by the 28th Foot in company with the 35th provided an alternative or additional explanation of the regimental nickname of 'the Slashers'. As they advanced towards the American position, their way was hampered by the long grass through which they marched. Using their swords and bayonets like machetes, the 28th slashed their up the slope before charging and driving the Americans from their position at bayonet point.


Picture: Re-enactment of the Battle of White Plains.

1778 - The Capture of St Lucia.

On 13th March 1778 France recognised the independence of the United States of America, and thus Great Britain and France were at war again. The 28th Foot, together with the 4th, 5th, 15th, 27th, 35th, 40th, 46th, 49th and 50th Regiments, plus fifty Light Dragoons, embarked at Staten Island in New York, bound for the West Indies.

In a skilfully executed combined operation, the Royal Navy and the Army captured the island of St Lucia in December 1778. Admiral Barrington's squadron of twelve warships covered the landing of 6.000 men from as many as fifty seven transport ships under Major-General Grant who overwhelmed the island's tiny garrison with ease. However it wasn't long before a French fleet hove in sight, twice as large as Barrington's, and escorting its own landing force, double in numbers that of Major-General Grant's force.

Grant divided his force into three, manning the major strong points of the island. The first French attack fell upon La Vigie, where Lieutenant-Colonel Medows was posted with his three battalions, who were an interesting mix; the 5th Foot, the Grenadier battalion, and the Light battalion, the latter two composed of the elite flank companies of all the British infantry regiments (including the 28th) landed on St Lucia. The entire French force attacked but were finally driven back as the British reached the end of their ammunition supply. Successive French attack over the next several days on the two other British positions also met with failure. Within two weeks, the French had evacuated the island and St Lucia was in British hands.

St Lucia changed hands no less than fourteen times between the French and the British between the 17th and 19th centuries, finally being ceded to the British in 1815, before the small island state attained independence in 1979.

Picture: Contemporary map showing the dispositions of the British and French forces.

1782 - The Loss of Minorca

In 1763 the island of Minorca had been ceded, for the second time, to Great Britain at the end of the Seven Years War. In 1771 the 61st Foot were posted there as part of the small British garrison. The American Revolution quickly led to Britain being again at war with her old colonial rivals, France and Spain, and in August 1781 a Franco-Spanish expeditionary force of around 16,000 men descended upon Minorca to wrest it from the British. The British garrison, around 1,500 strong, was quickly bottled up in Fort San Felipe, and the long siege began. The garrison held out until early the following year, when starving and much reduced in numbers, General Murray was obliged to surrender, with full honours of war.

Murray wrote in his despatch to London:

"The Siege endured until 5th Feb. 1782, when the garrison, worn out by the severity of their duties and dreadfully diminished by the fearful ravages of scurvy, were obliged to capitulate. They could no longer furnish men for the several posts. The necessary Guards required 415 men, and on the night before the capitulation only 660 able to carry arms could be mustered. Of these no less than 560 were infected and would in all probability soon have to be taken to hospital.

"The extent of the suffering endured by the troops during the siege has rarely been equalled; their constancy and fortitude never excelled. Men died on guard and their dangerous illness was only discovered in death by the reliefs who consciously left a fresh victim as they removed the stiffening corpse of the last. Yet none would go into hospital: none talked of surrender.

"Men in indomitable spirit enabled them to conceal their disease, but neither bravery nor determination could resist their fate. The dreadful hour was delayed to the last, but it came - only however when their obstinacy had well nigh annihilated them.

"Perhaps a more noble or tragical scene was never exhibited than that of the march of the garrison of St. Phillip's through the Spanish and French armies. It consisted of no more than 600 old decrepit soldiers, 200 seamen, 120 Hannoverians, 20 Corsicans, 25 Greeks, Turks, Moors, Jews etc. The two armies were drawn up in line, the battalions fronting each other, forming a way for us to march through. They consisted of 14,000 men, and reached from the glacis to Georgetown, where our battalions laid down their arms declaring they had surrendered to God alone, having the consolation to know the victors could not plume themselves on taking a hospital.

"Such was the distressing figure of our marching that many of the Spanish and French troops are said to have shed tears as they passed them. The Duc de Crillion and the Baron Falkenhayn declare it is true. I cannot aver this, but I think it very natural."

The garrison's period of captivity did not last long, and they were well treated by their Spanish adversaries. In May 1782 the survivors of the 61st Foot disembarked at Plymouth, to a hero's return.

Picture: Plan of St Felipe

1782 - North and South Gloucestershire

1782 saw the introduction of County titles to most of the Regiments of Foot in the British Army. Regiments had always recruited from far and wide in the kingdom and beyond, and, indeed, would continue to do so. Both the 28th and the 61st recruited heavily in Ireland for many years, as did many other regiments. However, the association of the various regiments with the counties of the British Isles increasingly came to mean that the army as whole began to develop the regional characteristics that were to stand it in good stead for the next two hundred or so years.

In any case, the numbering system was not abandoned. The 28th became the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 61st became the 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot. There were some difficulties and arguments as to which regiments should be allocated to which counties, for change is often painful.

Lieutenant-Colonel Morris of the 61st failed to get his way in his desire for his Regiment to be linked with Aberdeenshire, for it was there that he had first raised the 89th Foot in 1759, a regiment that had since been disbanded.

In Gloucestershire, recruiting officers for the 28th quickly took advantage of the new recruiting system, although they still had to catch deserters as well!

"Deserted from a Party of His Majesty's 28th, or North Glocester Regiment at Tewkesbury, ROBERT STEVENS of Alderton, aged twenty, five feet eight inches high, fair complexion and light brown hair.

"Also JOHN HARRIS of Ashton, in the same County, 25 years of age, five feet six inches and a half high, dark complexion and dark brown hair. Twenty shillings reward by applying to Captain Wilson of the 28th regiment at Glocester."
(Gloucester Journal, 30th December 1782)


Picture: Map of Gloucestershire

1794 - With The Grand Old Duke of York

On 1st February 1793, Revolutionary France declared war on Great Britain and the Netherlands, launching an invasion of the latter fifteen days later. With astonishing rapidity Britain sent an expeditionary force to the aid of its ally, which set sail from Greenwich later the same month. The following year, the 28th Regiment set sail from England with more substantial reinforcements to join the Duke of York in Flanders, and by August the Royal Duke's army was over 34,000 strong.

The 28th were to remain in Flanders for a year, in a campaign marked by dismal weather, logistical breakdowns, and ill-conceived and executed plans undertaken by the British and their Austrian and Dutch allies. Fortunately, inadequate Allied strategy was saved from disaster by the professionalism of their soldiers and the even greater inefficiency of the French Revolutionary army at this time.

Two officers of the 28th were later to achieve greater fame in the wars against the armies of Napoleon in Spain and at Waterloo. Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Paget would lead the regiment in Egypt and become a general under both Moore's and Wellington's commands, while Captain Hussey Vivian would later be a successful cavalry commander. And the Duke of York himself, although never to be marked out as a brilliant commander in the field, did a great deal to reform the army which was to be Wellington's instrument of victory.

Vivian recorded his experiences in his letters home. One action, fought on 10th January 1795 by Lord Cathcart's Brigade of the 14th, 27th and 28th Regiments nearly ended in disaster.

"Before we got half way to Buern we heard a very smart firing, which was occasioned by the French making an attack on our outposts.

"The 27th and 14th regiments were ordered immediately to their support, and we were directed to follow as quickly as possible in case the enemy's force should be too great for them.

"The two regiments no sooner saw the enemy than they charged bayonets and drove them to the village of Geldermalsen, with trifling loss; and so elated were they at their success that they (as was the case at Toulon) rushed impetuously through the village, and were checked only by a body of 4000 of the enemy.

"It was now they that were obliged to retreat, and I am sorry to say with considerable loss, both of officers and men.

"Lord Cathcart, who commanded, immediately sent off an express to us, saying if we did not run for it the two regiments were lost; and luckily for them we arrived just in the nick of time, so that we formed on one side of the Rhine and Lingen, under an immensely heavy fire from the enemy, whilst the two regiments retired over the ice from the village.

"... During the whole of this time our regiment was sustaining their fire, ourselves not firing a shot; and I am sorry to add, with great loss. From my own company, in less than ten minutes, I lost nine men wounded severely, besides numbers hit with spent balls; amongst the former was a wonderfully fine lad, my servant, who, although shot in two places through the arm, would never quit me. He is, I am happy to say, out of danger; and you may depend I'll spare no pains to get him well as soon as possible.

"During this business, which did not last a quarter of an hour, our regiment lost two sergeants and sixty-five privates wounded; and what is more astonishing, out of twenty-one officers not one was touched; in fact our regiment was always lucky in this respect. I am sorry to add out of our wounded men many are dead, and the surgeon says that two-thirds will either die or be unfit to serve again. Out of my nine I shall lose but two. I forgot to mention that this loss was only from nine companies, the grenadier company not being engaged.

"The chief part of the loss was sustained by Captain Twysden, Captain Potter, and my own; the wings being divided and one company on the flanks. Captain Twysden lost one sergeant, one corporal, and twelve rank and file. Potter, one sergeant, one corporal, and ten rank and file; and mine, nine rank and file."

By the 19th of January 1795, the Duke of York's army had been reduced from 34,000 men to less than 7000, and the 28th Foot from 403 rank and file to 157.


Picture: "Fatigues of the Campaign in Flanders" by Thomas Gillray.

1795 - The Formation of the Cheltenham Troop

In 1794, with Britain at war with Revolutionary France, the Prime Minister, William Pitt, put before Parliament a plan to improve the defences of the country in the event of an invasion. One of the measures taken was to raise "a species of Cavalry consisting of Gentlemen and Yeomanry, who could not be called upon to act out of their respective counties, except on the pressure of emergency, or in cases of urgent necessity." In the following year, the first troop of cavalry in Gloucestershire was raised, the "1st or Cheltenham Troop of Gloucestershire Gentlemen and Yeomanry". This was the beginning of what would later become the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars.

"... Mr. Powell Snell of Guiting Grange, Northleach, a gentleman of means and good position in the neighbourhood, wrote to the Lord-Lieutenant offering to raise a troop of cavalry in the town and district of Cheltenham.

"Official application was accordingly made to Government, and the proposal having been accepted by the Secretary of State, Mr. Snell was able to muster, before the close of the year, a well-mounted and efficient troop of some sixty strong.

"... The uniform chosen for the troop was practically the same as that worn by the regular light dragoons of the period, and consisted of a blue jacket with white braid, white leather breeches, half boots, sash and belt, black leather helmet with red and white feather at the side."

W.H. Wyndham Quin, "The Yeomanry Cavalry of Gloucestershire and Monmouth", Cheltenham, 1898.


Picture: Jacket of the Cotswold Troop, 1797. In the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum collection.

1799 - South Africa and the Riflemen of the 61st

In January 1799 the 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment landed at the Cape of Good Hope. The British military presence was required to forestall any French attempt to annex the Dutch colony and to safeguard the passage to India. The 61st were actively engaged in subduing both Boer rebellion and fighting the local Kaffirs. One memorable day's march saw the 61st's Light Company hurry some forty miles in support of a detachment of the 8th Light Dragoons against the Kaffirs; on another occasion soldiers of the 61st were manning the shore batteries which were engaged firing in support of the sloop, HMS RATTLESNAKE, against a 40-gun French frigate, LE PRENEUSE.

The 61st were also called upon to protect friendly Boers from Kaffir raids, and part of the strategy to deal with them was to build chains of blockhouses, a task that would have seemed very familiar to their descendants a hundred years later during the Second Boer War. Indeed, dealing with raiding Kaffirs was the first operation undertaken by the 61st after coming ashore.

"About a week after we landed the government received intelligence that the Kaffirs were killing Dutch Boers. The Corps to which I belonged was ordered to embark on the PHOEBE, frigate, and the wind being fair we soon reached Algoa Bay.

"On landing we marched at once to where the Kaffirs were said to have their headquarters. We were met at this point by the enemy who were armed with assagays, and bows and arrows. Our force was small, in fact more like a skirmishing party, but we at once prepared for battle. The British force fired on the enemy and killed 23 and took 40 prisoners, the remainder ran away. We did not lose a man."
Sergeant Andrew Pearson of the 61st.

Back in England, the Experimental Corps of Riflemen was being formed and Ezekiel Baker was manufacturing his famous rifle, destined to equip the 95th and other corps on the battlefields of Europe and North America.

South Africa was not forgotten either, and in 1801 picked men from the 61st, as well as from the 22nd, 34th, 81st and 91st Foot, and the 8th Light Dragoons, were formed into a rifle company. The men were dressed in rifle green and sent as part of a force under General Vandeleur to subdue rebels at Graaf-Reinet. The rebels surrendered without a shot being fired.

Picture: View of Cape Town by William Porter of the 61st. Original in the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum.