Battalion Rank Structure
History of the Battalion
Formation and Renumbering.
After the Jacobite rising of 1715 the British government did not have the resources or manpower to keep a standing army in the Scottish Highlands. As a result, they were forced to keep order by recruiting men from local Highland clans that had been loyal to the Crown. This proved to be unsuccessful in deterring crime, especially cattle rustling. Therefore, Independent Highland Companies (of what would be known as the "Black Watch") were raised as a militia in 1725 by General George Wade to keep "watch" for crime. The six Independent Highland Companies were recruited from local clans, with one company coming from Clan Munro, one from Clan Fraser, one from Clan Grant and three from Clan Campbell. These companies were commonly known as Am Freiceadan Dubh, or the Black Watch, this name may well have been due to the way they dressed. Four more companies were added in 1739 to make a total of ten Independent Highland Companies. Many of the troops that made up these companies were clan gentry, and it was not unusual to see them ride to their parade musters with servants in tow.
The ten Independent Highland Companies of "Black Watch" were officially formed into the "43rd Highland Regiment of Foot", a regiment of the line in 1739. It was first mustered in 1740, at Aberfeldy, Scotland. The Colonel was John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford and the Lieutenant-Colonel was Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet. Among the Captains were his next brother, George Munro, 1st of Culcairn (also a Captain of an Independent Company raised in 1745) and their cousin John Munro, 4th of Newmore, who was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1745 (in place of Sir Robert who went on to command the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot). The other Captains of the 43rd were George Grant, Colin Campbell of Monzie, James Colquhoun of Luss, John Campbell of Carrick, Collin Campbell of Balliemore and Dougal Campbell of Craignish. Upon the formation of the regiment, it soon found itself at the Battle of Fontenoy were they lost huge numbers of men but showed great prowess in battle. During these events, though, the Jacobite Rising occurred and the 43rd Regiment of Foot was shipped to Ireland were they were renumbered the 42nd Regiment of Foot.
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Regimental cap badge and tartan
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42nd Black Watch storm the French position at the Battle of Corunna | The Napoleonic Wars. In the spring of 1803, war was again declared with France, and the 42nd was sent to the south of England to be in readiness to oppose Bonaparte's threatened invasion. At this period a 2nd Battalion was added to the establishment, and joined the 1st Battalion at Wcely Camp, Essex, in November 1804. The two battalions remained together until September 1805, when the 1st embarked for Gibraltar.
The 1st Battalion left Gibraltar for Portugal in August 1808, and joined Sir Arthur Wellesley's force shortly after the battle of Vimiera. The deliverance of Portugal being for the time accom- plished, the battalion was attached to Sir John Moore's army, which attempted to drive the French from Spain. Inadequately supported, and unable to cope with the vastly superior forces sent against him, Sir John was compelled to fall back to the sea-coast, and on the 24th Dec. 1808 he commenced his disastrous, but masterly retreat from Sahagun. Hotly pursued by the French, the
exhausted British troops made their way for 250 miles along roads covered with snow, over mountains, and through narrow defiles harassed daily by the enemy, and almost destitute of the necessaries of life; until, on the nth Jan. 1809, they reached Corufia, where Sir John hoped to find shipping ready to transport his shattered forces to England. But the transports, wind-bound at Vigo, did not arrive until the I4th, and on the i6th the French attacked the British position in front of Corufia.
The Royal Highlanders, with the 4th and 5oth Foot, under Maj.-Gen. Lord William Bentinck, were posted near the village of Elvina, and these regiments bore the brunt of the attack. Victory once more crowned the British arms, but was dearly bought in the death of the gallant Moore. At Corufia, the ist Battalion 42nd fully maintained the reputation of the regiment. Its losses amounted to 40 killed, and 172 wounded including 6 officers. After the action, the battalion embarked with tlic rest of the army, and landed at Plymouth in February. The 42nd received authority to inscribe Cornnna on their colours.
The 1st Battalion was next employed in the expedition to Walcheren, and on its return home in September 1809, it had only 204 men fit for duty out of the 758 who had sailed from England barely six weeks before. In the meanwhile the 2nd Battalion, which had for some time been quartered in Ireland, had embarked for Portugal, under Lieut-Col. Lord Blantyrc, and landed at Lisbon in July 1809. This battalion made the campaigns of 1810-11, including the battles of Busaco and Fuentes d'Onor, and the siege of Ciuclad Rodrigo. After the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo, the battalion marched into Spanish Estremadura, and formed part of the covering army during the siege of Badajoz.
On the 20th April 1812, the ist Battalion arrived from England, and, on joining Lord Wellington's army, received into its ranks those men of the 2nd Battalion who were fit for service ; the officers, staff, etc., of the 2nd Battalion being sent home to recruit. The 2nd Battalion was disbanded at Aberdeen on the 24th October 1814.
The 1st Battalion, now 1 100 bayonets strong, joined Sir Thomas Graham's division, and advanced with the army upon Salamanca; where, on the 22nd July 1812, the French were again defeated in a pitched battle. At the siege and assault of Burgos (Sept. 1812) the battalion greatly distin- guished itself, losing 228 officers and men, killed and wounded. It shared in the fatigues and privations of the retreat from Burgos to the frontiers of Portugal, and subsequently took part in the brilliant campaign of 1813-14, adding to the honorary inscriptions on the regimental colours the words Pyrenees, Nivelle, Ntve, Ortkes, and Toulouse. At Toulouse (loth April -1814) the 42nd suffered a loss of 4 officers and 80 men killed, and 23 officers and 326 men wounded. A few days after this victory, the news of the capture of Paris by the Allies and the abdication of Bonaparte was received at Toulouse, and the Peninsular War terminated. The word Peninsula was subsequently added to the "honours" won by the Royal Highlanders, as an additional memorial of their gallant services in Portugal, Spain, and the south of France.
On its return home, in July 1814, the regiment was stationed in Ireland, where it remained until the spring of 1815, when it was again ordered on active service the peace of Europe having been suddenly disturbed by Bonaparte's escape from Elba, and his reassumption of the Imperial Crown.
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An account of the 42nd Blackwatch at Waterloo. In the early hours of the 16th of June the 42nd left almost immediately with many of the officers still in their white dress knee-breeches after Duchess of Richmond's Waterloo Ball in Brussels to confront Napoleon, marching to the tune of "Highland Laddie". After a grueling journey in full marching order the 42nd arrived near to the French/ Belgium border at Quartre Bras by the Charleroi Road at about 3pm on the 16th of June and entered a 5 hour battle which may have been a factor in Wellington's Army finally beating Napoleon.
The 42nd were posted on a reverse slope in a line above the road. As the French passed the 42nd, the older soldiers of the regiment weren't satisfied and immediately opened fire and tried to restrain the French from advancing, they succeeded in causing a cessation of fire, but the Lancers were sitting to the rear of the cavalry and wheeled sharply round and advanced directly upon the rear of the 42nd who formed square, but just as the 2 flank companies were running to form rear rank the lancers penetrated the square. Instead of the square being destroyed by the French the lancers were either bayoneted or taken prisoner. All further attempts by the French were repelled.
The Commanding officer of the 42nd ( Lieut. Colonel Sir Robert Macara ) was killed and within the brief space of a few minutes the command of the regiment devolved upon 3 officers in succession, Lieut. Colonel Dick, who was severely wounded, Brevet Major Davidson, who was mortally wounded and Brevet Major Campbell who commanded the regiment during the remainder of the campaign. The 42nd pinned down Marshal Ney and prevented him from going to Napoleon's aid at Ligny which sealed Napoleon's fate and stopped Marshal Ney's men from wiping out Marshal Blucher's Prussian army at Old Fortwartz, before the Prussian and British armies could merge together.
The losses of the regiment at Waterloo were 3 officers and 47 rank and file were killed, 20 officers and 267 wounded with none missing, a total of 337.
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42nd Black Watch defend against lancers at Quatre Bras |
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