British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815

British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815: 1st Regiment of Foot

Secondary Titles:

1782: The Royal Regiment; 11 February 1812: The Royal Scots

Regimental History

1661:	25 January - formed from Scottish troops in French service
1686:	1 March - 2nd Battalion raised
1804:	1 August - 3rd Battalion raised at Hamilton
1804:	15 December - 4th Battalion raised at Hamilton.

Colonels

1782:	9 May	Lord Adam Gordon
1801:	21 August	Edward, Duke of Kent, K.G.

Stations and Combats – 1st Battalion

1793:	Jamaica
1794:	February - San Domingo; L’Acal fortress
1795:	San Domingo
1796:	San Domingo
1797:	To England
1798:	Stirling Castle; July - to Ireland; Blairs Huts
1799:	Blairs Huts; received drafts from the Irish militia
1800:	Blairs Huts; May - to Scotland; Glasgow; Leith; July - to England; Canterbury; August – Windsor; October – Horsham; Chelmsford; December - Horsham
1801:	January – Horsham; February - to West Indies; May - St. Martin; St. Thomas; Vera Cruz; St. Croix
1802:	St. Thomas; St. Martin; August – Dominica; October - Antigua
1803:	Antigua; June – Leeward Islands; September - to Guyana; Essequibo; Demerara; Berbice
1804:	Guyana
1805:	Various West Indies garrisons
1806:	Various West Indies garrisons
1807:	Various West Indies garrisons
1808:	Various West Indies garrisons
1809:	Various West Indies garrisons
1810:	Guadeloupe
1811:	Various West Indies garrisons
1812:	Demerara; August - to Quebec
1813:	Montreal; Quebec; May - Sacketts Harbour; December - NIAGARA; Black Rock; Buffalo
1814:	Canada/US frontier; Longwood; Fort Erie; Niagara Falls
1815:	January - Queenston; Quebec; Lundy’s Lane; July - to England.

Stations and Combats – 2nd Battalion

1793:	Toulon (Fort Mulgrave)
1794:	Corsica; San Fiorenzo
1795:	Corsica
1796:	Elba
1797:	Gibraltar; to Lisbon
1798:	Lisbon
1799:	Lisbon; June – to England; Canterbury; July - Windsor; August – Holland; Zuyper-Sluis; Bergen; Helder; Crabbendam; Egmont-Op-Zee; Castricum; Alkmaar; October – to England; Silver Hill
1800:	Silver Hill; June – Canterbury; July – Windsor; September - to Ferrol; Gibraltar
1801:	March – arrive Egypt; Aboukir; Mandora; Rosetta; Cairo; Alexandria; December – arrived Gibraltar
1802:	Gibraltar
1803:	Gibraltar; April – arrived England; May – to West Indies; ST. LUCIA; Morne Fortunée
1804:	Tobago; Dominica
1805:	West Indies
1806:	January – arrived England
1807:	April – to India; September – Prince of Wales Island
1808:	India
1809:	Hyderabad
1810:	Various India garrisons
1811:	Various India garrisons
1812:	Various India garrisons
1813:	Various India garrisons
1814:	Various India garrisons
1815:	Maharatta Confederacy

Stations and Combats – 3rd Battalion

1804:	1 August - Formed at Hamilton
1805:	Scotland
1806:	England; Horsham
1807:	England; Jersey
1808:	Jersey; 12 September - to Peninsula; 26 October - disembarked at Corunna
1809:	CORUNNA; February – arrived England; to Ireland; 16 July - to Walcheren; Siege of Flushing
1810:	March - to Peninsular; July - joined Army; BUSACO
1811:	FUENTES D’ONORO
1812:	Badajoz (served as Wellington’s bodyguard); SALAMANCA
1813:	Burgos; VITTORIA; SAN SEBASTIAN; Bidassoa (first British regiment to enter France); Pyrenees; Nivelle
1814:	NIVE; Bayonne; September - to England
1815:	May - to Ostend; QUATRE BRAS; WATERLOO; Paris
1816:	Army of Occupation
1817:	24 March - to England; April - disbanded at Canterbury.

Stations and Combats – 4th Battalion

1804:	15 December - formed at Hamilton
1805:	Scotland
1806:	Stirling
1807:	Scotland
1808:	Scotland
1809:	Scotland
1810:	Scotland
1811:	Scotland
1812:	Scotland
1813:	1 August - to Stralsund; Lubeck
1814:	8 March - Bergen-Op-Zoom (most of battalion taken prisoner); 8 April - paroled in England; May - to Canada
1815:	Lower Canada
1816:	January - returned to England; 24 March - disbanded at Dover.

Careers of Senior Officers (shown as highest rank attained in regiment in the period)

Lt. Col. James Lumsdaine

Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 10 December 1778; brevet Colonel 13 December 1783. Subsequently Major-General 20 December 1793; Lieutenant-General 26 June 1799; died May 1807.

Col. Sir Francis Dundas

Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 10 March 1787 on transfer from 45th Foot; brevet Colonel 17 September 1793; Adjutant-General in North America 28 September 1793; Colonel and ADC to the King 16 October 1793; served in Martinique 1794; Transferred as Colonel-Commandant of the Scotch Brigade 1794. Subsequently Major-General 26 February 1795; Lieutenant-General 29 April 1802; General 1 January 1812.

Lt. Col. Justly-Watson Green

Major in 1st Foot 8 August 1791; Lieutenant-Colonel 9 October 1794; commanded 1/1st Foot 1794; retired about 1797.

Lt. Col. John Drinkwater

Major in 1st Foot 28 November 1794; Secretary of military department of Corsica 1794; Lieutenant-Colonel 1 September 1795; commanded 2/1st Foot 1795 to 1799; transferred to 109th Foot 19 March 1799.

Lt. Col. William Duncan

Major in 1st Foot 8 November 1794; Lieutenant-Colonel 26 September 1795; appointed Paymaster 3 December 1798; Colonel of Stirlingshire Volunteers 23 October 1804.

Lt. Col. Robert Nicholson

Major in 1st Foot October 1794; Lieutenant-Colonel 1 September 1797; commanded 1/1st Foot 1797 to 1808; brevet Colonel 2 November 1805; Brigadier-General in Antigua 1809; died 1814.

Lt. Col. Peter Garden

Major in 109th Foot 1798; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 19 March 1799 (on transfer from 109th Foot); died October 1801 in Egypt.

Major Sir William James Cockburne, Bart.

Major in 1st Foot 1 September 1795; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 29 July 1797; Deputy Quarter-Master General in St. Domingo; died 1800.

Lt. Col. John Clayton Cowell

Major in 1st Foot 12 March 1800; Lieutenant-Colonel 16 July 1800; Inspecting Field Officer of Yeomanry by 1803.

Lt. Col. Duncan Campbell

Major in 1st Foot 1 January 1798; Lieutenant-Colonel 11 December 1800; commanded 2/1st Foot 1800 to 1805; to 9th, then 5th Veteran Battalion by 1805.

Major Sir Edward Baker Littlehales

Born London 1764; Military and Private Secretary to Lord-Lieutenant in Ireland 1798; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 17th Foot 1799; Major in 1st Foot 24 January 1800 (on transfer from 17th Foot); retired 21 July 1802.

Lt. Col. Donald McDonald

Major in 1st Foot 13 July 1799; Lieutenant-Colonel 7 November 1801; commanded 2/1st Foot in West Indies 1803; wounded at St. Lucia; retired April 1808.

Col. Archibald Stewart

Major in 1st Foot 16 July 1800 (on transfer from 94th Foot); Lieutenant-Colonel 25 February 1802; Colonel 4 June 1811; subsequently Major-General 4 June 1814.

Lt. Col. Frederick William Buller

Major in 57th Foot 1795; transferred to 88th Foot 27 June 1796; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 88th Foot 1 January 1801; Lieutenant-Colonel in 88th Foot 28 August 1804; transferred to 1st Foot February 1806 (from the half-pay of the 11th Garrison Battalion); exchanged to 1st Foot Guards December 1808.

Lt. Col. William Danser

Major in 1st Foot 17 November 1801 (on transfer from 40th Foot); Lieutenant-Colonel 1 August 1804; commanded 3/1st 1804 to 1807; exchanged (with Hay) to 72nd Foot 19 March 1807; retired June 1807.

Col. Andrew Hay

Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in Fencible regiment 1 January 1800; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 19 March 1807 (on transfer from 72nd Foot); brevet Colonel 25 April 1808; commanded the 3/1st Foot in the Peninsula from October 1808 to January 1809; subsequently Major-General 4 June 1811. Killed in action at Bayonne 1814.

Col. Henry Conran

Brevet Major in 52nd Foot 1795; Lieutenant-Colonel in 52nd Foot 1799; transferred to 1st Foot 7 May 1807; commanded the 2/1st Foot in India from 1807 onwards; Colonel 25 October 1809; subsequently Major-General 1 January 1812; commanded a brigade in Upper Canada 1814; Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica 1816.

Lt. Col. James Stevenson Barns, K.C.B.

Major in 1st Foot 18 September 1802; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in Fribourg Regiment November 1806; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 21 April 1808 (on transfer from Chasseurs Brittanique); commanded 3/1st Foot in the Peninsula April 1810 to August 1810; brigade commander in 5th Division August and September 1810; brigade commander in 7th Division December 1812; brigade commander in 2nd Division November 1813; brevet Colonel 4 June 1814; served at Busaco, Fuentes d’Onoro, Badajoz, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Nive, Nivelle.

Major Frederick Hardyman

Major in 1st Foot 16 July 1802 (on transfer from 17th Foot); brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 6 July 1804; Lieutenant-Colonel in 17th Foot 31 October 1805; subsequently brevet Colonel 4 June 1813 and Major-General 12 August 1819.

Lt. Col. Andrew Francis Barnard

Major in 1st Foot Guards 1 January 1805; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 15 December 1808 (on transfer from 1st Foot Guards); commanded 4/1st Foot 1808 to 1810; transferred to 95th Rifles 29 March 1810.

Lt. Col. Norman McLeod, C.B.

Major in 4th Foot 25 February 1802; served in the Corunna campaign; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 95th Rifles 4 May 1809 (on transfer from 4th Foot); Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 29 March 1810 (exchanged with Barnard); commanded the 2/1st Foot in India; Colonel 12 August 1818.

Lt. Col. Neil McKellar, C.B.

Major in 1st Foot 2 August 1804; Lieutenant-Colonel 6 December 1810; served with 2/1st Foot in India; brevet Colonel 12 August 1819.

Lt. Col. Henry Frederick Muller

Major in 1st Foot 17 July 1806; served in the Peninsula April to July 1810; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 4 June 1811; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1st Foot 2 January 1812; in Portuguese service July 1810 to January 1814 - Lieutenant-Colonel of 5th Portuguese Line 27 July 1810; Colonel of same 5 December 1812; retired 25 January 1814.

Major David Rattray

Major in 1st Foot 12 November 1803; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 25 July 1810; Lieutenant-Colonel in 63rd Foot 27 September 1810 (on transfer from 1st Foot).

Major John Gordon

Major in 1st Foot 13 August 1807; served in Peninsula October 1808 to January 1809; and again August 1810 to February 1811; served at Walcheren 1809; commanded 1/1st Foot in Canada; killed in action, Canada 1814.

Lt. Col. Thomas Deane

Major in 1st Foot 25 June 1808; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 4 June 1814; Lieutenant-Colonel 29 June 1815.

Major Swan Hill

Born Scotland c.1773; Major in 1st Foot 21 July 1808; served in Walcheren 1809; served in the Peninsula April 1810 to March 1811; to India with 2/1st Foot in 1811; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 4 June 1814.

Major Thomas Fraser

Major in 1st Foot 8 June 1809; served in the Peninsula January 1811 to March 1812; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 4 June 1814.

Major Colin Campbell, C.B.

Major in 1st Foot 27 September 1809 (on transfer from 46th Foot); served in the Peninsula April 1812 to September 1813; brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 17 August 1812; served at Castalla, Salamanca, Burgos, Villamur, Osma, Vittoria (where he was wounded); commanded the 3/1st Foot in 1813/1814 and at Quatre Bras and Waterloo; died 1833.

Major Robert Nixon

Major in 1st Foot 8 February 1810; served in the Peninsula March 1811 to October 1811; Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel 4 June 1814.

Major Peter Fraser

Major in 1st Foot 2 January 1812; served in the Peninsula December 1812 to July 1813; commanded 3/1st Foot at Vittoria; killed in action at San Sebastian 25 July 1813.

Sources:

War Office. Army Lists 1796 to 1815. London: various years.

Weaver, Lawrence. The Story of the Royal Scots (The Lothian Regiment). London: Country Life, 1915.

Mileham, Patrick. The Scottish Regiments 1633-1996. Staplehurst: Spellmount, 1988.

McKenna, Michael G. The British Army – And Its Regiments and Battalions. West Chester , Ohio: The Nafziger Collection. 2004.

Fletcher, Ian. Wellington’s Regiments. Staplehurst: Spellmount, 1994.

Park, S.J. and Nafziger, G.F. The British Miltary – Its System and Organization 1803-1815. Cambridge, Ontario: Rafm Co. Inc. 1983.

Philippart, John. The Royal Military Calendar, or Army Service and Commission Book. London: A.J. Valpy, 1820.

Hall, John A. A History of the Peninsular War: Volume VIII – The Biographical Dictionary of British Officers Killed and Wounded 1808-1814. London: Greenhill Books, 1998.

London Gazette Website. March 2009.

The Napoleon Series – Peninsula Roll Call. March 2009.

Placed on the Napoleon Series: April 2009; updated October 2009

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