Stirling Castle

Cameron had always intended that the 79th should be the Clan Cameron regiment, and the main source of recruits was therefore Lochaber, Appin, Mull and North Argyll. His brother, Captain Ewen Cameron raised a complete company from Lochaber which assembled at Fort William in November 1793. But competition for recruits was fierce at the time as there were many Fencible regiments being raised, and the Duke of Gordon, a feudal superior of much of Lochaber, was also hoping to be allowed to raise a regiment (later the 92nd, raised in Feb 1794). Cameron had to send his recruiting parties to draw men from all over the Highlands, and from the main cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Perth, also the industrial towns where many Highlanders had sought work.

In selecting a base for his Headquarters, and accommodation for nearly 700 men, he was left with little choice. The coastal towns were full of Fencible regiments protecting the country from invasion by the French, and the only large barracks, at Fort George, were occupied by the 78th Highlanders who were being raised by Colonel MacKenzie of Seaforth. The only available town, with a small military barracks and enough inns to accommodate the recruits, was Stirling; and so it became the first HQ of the 79th.

Flanders 1794

The regiment was brought up to a strength of 1000 men in 1794 and received their first Colours. They were sent to Belfast until June but then sailed to England where they were ordered to prepare for service abroad. They were to sail to Flanders to join the allied army in what turned out to be a disastrous expedition to expel the French from the occupied Low Countries. The regiment landed at Gorcum near Flushing on 26 Aug 1794 and marched to Arnhem. They were then sent to Nijmegen but were soon retreating eastwards to the sea via Westphalia. In the spring of 1795 they were at Bremen having lost 200 men from cold and hunger.

Martinique 1795 - 97

Martinique

The next posting was even more disastrous than the botched Flanders campaign. The 79th returned to England and were quartered at Newport where Lt-Colonel Cameron was informed that the regiment was to be broken up and drafted into other regiments. The infuriated colonel sought out the Duke of York, who happened to be in the Isle of Wight, to remonstrate with him, but the Duke was unsympathetic and said that the King, his father, would certainly send the 79th to the West Indies, a posting known to the army as a graveyard. Cameron intemperately retorted “You may tell the King, your father, from me, that he may send us to hell if he likes, and I’ll go at the head of them, but he daurna draft us!” Accordingly the regiment sailed from Cowes in July 1795 and arrived on Martinique on 20 September. They were given onerous duties on board infectious prison ships, a task that lasted until June 1797. The regiment was by this time greatly reduced in numbers, and faced the ultimate humiliation of being drafted after all. It is recorded that the commander of Martinique, Sir Ralph Abercromby had no liking for Colonel Cameron and ordered him home with just a skeleton of the regiment consisting of officers, sergeants and drummers, while the survivors of the 79th, which amounted to 229 men, were drafted, mostly into the 42nd Highlanders.

Egmont-op-Zee, 2 Oct 1799

The remnants of the regiment returned to England in August 1797 and marched to Inverness to recruit Highlanders. By June 1798 they had a strength of 780. After a short spell in Guernsey, they were sent to the Helder in North Holland for a further attempt to drive the French out of the Low Countries. The 79th were brigaded with the 2nd Bn Royal Scots, 25th, 49th, and 92nd Regiments under the command of Sir John Moore. The 4th Division, commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby, advanced in column along the beach and encountered the enemy positioned at the village of Egmont-op-Zee. Moore’s brigade formed line to the left of the brigade, and despite the difficulties of running on soft sand hills, carried out a brilliant bayonet charge. The enemy troops were pursued for a considerable distance until darkness put an end to the fighting. The other brigades under Dundas, Pulteney and the Russians under Count D’Essen, attacked the centre of the enemy line with similar success.

Landing at the Helder

The French and Dutch were able to reform their defence between Beverwyck and Wyck-op-Zee as the allies were too exhausted to pursue further. The casualties were Captain Campbell of the Grenadier company and Lt Stair Rose killed, along with 13 men. The list of wounded included Lt-Col Alan Cameron who was shot through the arm and had a severe wound to the wrist which caused him permanent loss of the use of his hand. Two lieutenants, 4 sergeants and 54 men were also wounded. The regiment did not take part in the next battle at Alkmaar on 6 Oct. An armistice was concluded on 7 Oct and the allies left Holland. The 79th sailed to Yarmouth and were stationed at Chelmsford barracks. It was not until 2 Oct 1818, the 19th anniversary of the battle that they were awarded the battle honour EGMONT-OP-ZEE.

Ferrol, 26 Aug 1800

An Expedition to destroy the arsenals and ships of the Spanish was sent to Ferrol and Cadiz in August 1800. The 79th had been stationed on the Isle of Wight but joined the army at Southampton and sailed on 16 Aug 1800. They arrived at Ferrol on 25 Aug and disembarked a few miles north of the objective. The Rifle Corps made an initial attack on outlying Spanish troops, followed the next day by an attack by the 52nd Regiment. This was supported by Maj-Gen Morshead’s brigade consisting of the 2nd , 27th and 79th Regiments. The result of this battle was the defeat of the Spanish outposts and the occupation of the heights overlooking the town of Ferrol.

It was at this point that the commander of the expedition, Lt-General Sir James Pulteney made the unpopular decision to abandon the enterprise, and retreat back to the ships. This decision was met with disbelief and many senior officers made their objections very clear. The regiment had suffered relatively light casualties; one officer, two sergeants and two rank-and-file wounded. The staff of the Regimental Colour was struck by a musket ball whilst being carried by Ensign Cooksey. The regiment could have suffered much worse when a storm struck and the Transport ‘Minerva’, carrying 3 Companies of the 79th, narrowly escaped destruction.

Cadiz, 4 Oct 1800

Pulteney was replaced by Sir Ralph Abercromby and the force sailed south to Cadiz which was reached on 4 Oct. The Spanish refused to surrender and a plan of attack was put in motion. The 79th were loaded onto boats suitable for landing but then the order was given to abort the attack. The reason given was that bad weather was approaching and there was said to be plague in the town. The men re-embarked on the Transport and the fleet sailed to Gibraltar bay, arriving on 23 October.

Aboukir Bay, 8 Mar 1801

Aboukir

The fleet was then diverted for an attack on the French in Egypt. In November 1800 they sailed to Malta where the regiment spent 20 days encamped, and were reinforced with a draft from the Highland Fencibles of 279 men. In January 1801 they rendezvoused at Marmorice Bay in Turkey where training took place for the landing in Egypt. This was made in March 1801; the landing being delayed a week by bad weather. On 8 March the army invaded the coast at Aboukir Bay and fought off stiff opposition from the French defence. The next few days were spent unloading stores and artillery.

Lake Maadie, 13 Mar 1801

The French retreated toward Alexandria and the army moved forward on 12 March in a long line stretching from the sea to Lake Mareotis. The French picquets were driven in, but the enemy had established themselves on sand-hills extending from Lake Maadie to the sea, blocking the approach to Alexandria. The attack was led by the 90th and 92nd Highlanders, the 90th repulsing a cavalry charge. The 79th, brigaded with the 2nd and 50th Regiments, was ordered to attack the French right flank. They drove the enemy from the hills with a bayonet charge and the pursuit lasted for several miles. The losses to the regiment were; 5 men killed and 63 wounded, including the commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick McDowall. who later died of his wounds at Rosetta.

Alexandria, 21 Mar 1801

Abercromby withdrew his army two miles and entrenched them on some high ground between Cleopatra’s Palace and a canal on their left. A week was spent building batteries and redoubts, but on the night of the 20th March there was a false alarm that caused the army to stand to arms. Colonel Alan Cameron, who was part of the expedition but not actually commanding the regiment, took charge after Lt-Col McDowall had died. Cameron ordered the regiment to remain under arms for the rest of the night and so they were well prepared when the French launched an attack on an advanced battery on the left. However this was a feint to divert attention from the real attack that came towards the British right. Daylight revealed enemy artillery and cavalry in position on the plain outside the city of Alexandria.

The fighting on the right continued without either side gaining ground. Then a close column of infantry advanced on the British centre but were fought off by the Guards. The fighting was brought to a close soon after and the French withdrew. The casualties of the 79th were one sergeant killed and 21 men wounded. One of the wounded was Lieutenant Patrick Ross who had to have his arm amputated, but he was made of tough stuff because within 3 weeks he was back on duty and served in an outlying picquet.

Rhamanich, 9 may 1801

The 79th were moved to Maj-Gen Craddock’s brigade, which, along with a division of Turks was sent on an arduous march of many days along the Nile, until they reached the village of Rhamanich where a French force was encountered. The light companies were engaged in this battle so that the 79th’s casualties were not heavy, only one officer and one private were wounded. The regiment then proceeded to Cairo where the French finally capitulated. The 79th were given the honour of taking possession of the advanced gate, termed the Gate of the Pyramids, in the Fortress of Ghiza. However, the French garrison in the city of Alexandria were still holding out, but after a short siege they surrendered. The regiment left Egypt in October and were stationed for a few months on the island of Minorca, from Dec 1801 to June 1802.

2nd Battalion Raised 1804

A letter of Service was received by Colonel Alan Cameron, written by Charles Bragge, Secretary at War, on 19 April 1804, approving the addition of a 2nd Battalion to the 79th Regiment. The battalion was never sent on active service but was a source of supply to fill vacancies caused by casualties or discharged men in the 1st Battalion. The letter stipulated 10 companies made up of 950 privates, 50 corporals, 50 sergeants and one sergeant-major. The officers consisted of one lieutenant-colonel, 2 majors, 10 captains, 12 lieutenants and 8 ensigns. There was to be an adjutant, and specialists which included 20 drummers and 2 pipers. Also a paymaster, a paymaster-sergeant, a quartermaster, a quartermaster-sergeant, an armourer-sergeant, a surgeon and 2 assistant surgeons.

Officers were tasked with recruiting a quota of men, which if approved ensured their promotion. Men were to be enlisted ‘without limitation as to time and place of service’. No man above the age of 35 as to be enlisted. They had to be taller than 5’ 4”. The greatest care had to be taken ‘that no man enlisted who is not stout and well made, and that the lads are perfectly well limbed and open chested.’ They were not permitted to take apprentices. Colonel Cameron was allowed only 6 months to raise the battalion but managed it within a few months.

Proposal to Abolish the Kilt 1804

While engaged in the task of raising the 2nd Battalion, Cameron received a letter from Horse Guards in October 1804 asking his opinion ‘ as to the expediency of abolishing the kilt’ The proposal was to replace them with trews. This prompted a very passionate response in which the colonel explained that the kilt was very popular with the Highlanders and inspired terror and confusion in the enemy. It would also be the death warrant to recruitment. As to the trews, he accused the authorities of ‘stripping us of our native garb and stuffing us in a harlequin tartan pantaloon’. The kilt was easily dried after getting wet ‘whilst the buffoon tartan pantaloon, with its fringed frippery…sticking wet and dirty to the skin, is not so easily pulled off and less so to get on again in case of alarm or any other hurry.’ The proposal was dropped.

Landguard Fort

Catastrophe off Landguard, 8 April 1807

The 1st Battalion served in Ireland from 1803 to 1805 and then sailed to Ramsgate, staying at Ospringe Barracks. They attended the funeral of Lord Nelson in January 1806 and afterwards were stationed at Colchester. In May they moved to Weeley Barracks, midway between Colchester and Frinton-on-Sea, and then in February 1807 moved again to Harwich barracks. In April 1807 there was a catastrophe when 60 members of the regiment lost their lives in a storm (the history calls it a sudden squall). Captain John Dawson, 3 sergeants and 56 men drowned when they made the short crossing between Landguard Fort and Harwich at the mouth of the Stour and Orwell estuary on 8 April.

Copenhagen, Sep 1807

The 79th embarked at Harwich on 26 July for an expedition against Denmark, commanded by The Earl of Cathcart. The objective was to destroy the Scandanavian fleet which was pledged to Napoleon. They landed at Zealand on 16 August and marched with other troops to Frederickswerk in the vicinity of Copenhagen. The British bombarded the city between 2 and 7 September. When the defenders capitulated, Colonel Alan Cameron was ordered to take possession of the citadel with a force composed of various flank companies. In October the regiment returned to Weeley barracks having sustained only four wounded casualties.

Corunna 16 Jan 1809

Due to a treaty between Britain and Sweden, a force of 10,000 men was sent to assist the King of Sweden, under the command of Sir John Moore. They embarked at Harwich in May 1808 but after dropping anchor at Göteborg, the men were required to stay on board while Sir John visited the King in Stockholm. His trip proved fruitless and he returned the fleet to Spithead where they were redirected to Portugal. The regiment finally disembarked at Maceira Bay on 26 Aug 1808. Colonel Alan Cameron was promoted and appointed Commandant of Lisbon, so command of the 79th passed to his son, Lt-Col Philips Cameron. The army marched into Spain and linked up with a division under Sir David Baird. But the Spanish army had dispersed and the two divisions were not enough to fight the three French Corps d’Armée, one of which was commanded by Napoleon himself. They had no choice but to retreat towards Corunna in the northwest corner of the Peninsula. The rigours of the long cold journey through the mountains of Galicia are well known but the regimental history gives little information other than ‘the Cameron Highlanders were not exceeded in discipline and efficiency by any other corps’. However the suffering of the long hard march cost the regiment almost 100 men. The casualties were 40 officers and men killed or captured. Five officers, 4 sergeants and 45 men had to be abandoned due to injury or illness.

The regiment was not involved in the battle at Corunna to hold off the French army on 16 Jan 1809, although the light company, along with other light troops, were engaged in skirmishing near the village of Elvina. The regiment had no casualties from the action and the regiment embarked successfully for England. But the state of the regiment can only be imagined because, on arrival at Weeley barracks, there were 700 down with fever, brought on by the harsh conditions in Galicia. It took a few weeks for the men to regain good health. The losses from disease can only be estimated by the fact that the battalion had to be brought up to strength with a draft of 258 men from the 2nd Battalion.

Flushing, August 1809

Flushing 1809

An expedition was sent to the Netherlands in the summer of 1809 to destroy French arsenals and shipping on the Scheldt. This was known as the Walcheren Campaign. The 79th embarked at Harwich on 15 July. They were brigaded with the 11th and 50th Regiments and landed at Veer on 2 Aug. They marched to Flushing where they bivouacked and watched the bombardment which lasted from the 13th to the 15th Aug. The unhealthy climate caused the death of Paymaster Baldock and one other man. After the surrender of Flushing the army was sent up the Scheldt to attack Antwerp, but the expedition was aborted due to widespread fever, and the regiment was returned to England. Two officers and 42 men succumbed to sickness and had to be left in Britain when the regiment sailed back to Portugal.

Talavera 27- 28 July 1809

The battle of Talavera was the first major victory of the Peninsula War, where British and Spanish troops repulsed repeated French attacks and forced them to withdraw. Men of the 79th fought at this battle but not as a complete battalion which was at that moment sailing to the Netherlands. A detachment of the 79th was formed from sick men who had remained in Lisbon in August 1808 after the first voyage to Portugal. To these were added the men who had fallen ill on the retreat to Corunna and been left behind. They, together with men from other regiments, were placed under the command of Lt-Colonel Bunbury. They fought bravely in the battle of Talavera on 27 and 28 July 1809 and lost 14 men of the 79th killed and 28 wounded. Lt John Campbell Cameron was taken prisoner by the French but escaped during the night. No battle honour was granted to the Cameron Highlanders for this engagement.

Cadiz 16 Mar 1810

The regiment was ordered to Portugal to join Wellesley’s army. They embarked at Portsmouth in Jan 1810 and reached Lisbon on 31 Jan. However, they were redirected to Cadiz to reinforce the defenders blockaded by the French under Marshal Victor. They landed on 12 Feb and quartered at La Isla de Leon, an advanced position. The commander of the division planned to attack the French on the Trocadero isthmus. He sent a company of the 79th to create a diversion across a small river, but the main attack was abandoned and the company recalled. However, Lieutenants Patrick McCrummen and Donald Cameron had been wounded along with 25 other ranks, before they were pulled out. The regiment stayed in Cadiz until 16 Aug and were then sent back to Lisbon.

Busaco 27 Sep 1810

The 79th were brigaded with the 7th and 61st Regiments, under the command of their former CO, Major-General Alan Cameron. Wellington positioned his army in a favourable place for battle to resist the advance of Massena. The brigade was on the extreme right of the line along the Sierra de Busaco. Advanced posts were sent forward down a steep and rugged slope but on the morning of the 27 Sep they came under attack when the French concentrated their effort against the right wing. Enemy skirmishers drove in the isolated troops. The picquet of the 79th was surrounded and Captain Neil Douglas volunteered to take his company forward to help them. They opened fire on the French and this enabled the picquet to retire in good order. However, Captain Alexander Cameron, the commander of the advanced post was seen fending off several French soldiers, refusing to surrender. He was killed and later found with seven bayonet wounds.

Massena redirected his army to attack the centre and left of Wellington’s army so that the pressure was off for the 79th and they were able to attend to their wounded. Captain Cameron’s picquet also lost 7 men killed. Captain Douglas was wounded in the shoulder and had the musket ball removed on the battlefield. Also wounded were 41 men. Six men had been captured or were missing.

Foz d’Aronce 15 Mar 1811

After Busaco, Wellington withdrew his army to the lines of Torres Vedras. Massena followed but his lines of communication had been stretched too far and in November he retreated to Santarem. The British followed and at Santarem it looked as if another battle would take place, but the French resumed the retreat with skirmishes occurring at various places where they caught up with the French rearguard. There was a serious battle at Foz d’Aronce in which the Light Division was engaged from 4pm until nightfall. The Light Company of the 79th fought in this action and distinguished themselves when their officer Lt Kenneth Cameron captured the commanding officer of the French 39th Infantry. Two men were killed and seven wounded.

Fuentes d’Onor 3 - 5 May 1811

The French entered Spain in April 1811 and battle lines were drawn up near Fuentes d’Onor. Wellington’s army extended beyond the brook of Onoro, on the hill of Fort Conception. The right of the line was at Nave d’Aver and the centre at Villa Formosa. In the afternoon of 3 May, Massena directed his attack on the British right where the village of Feuntes d’Onor was situated. It was here that the 79th were posted, together with the 71st Highlanders and the 24th Regiment. Lt-Col Philips Cameron commanded this brigade, with some light companies in support. The French managed to capture parts of the village but desperate hand-to-hand fighting took place, and by nightfall the enemy had been driven back. The brigade remained in control of the village but the light companies were moved elsewhere.

Fuentes d’Onor

There was a lull in the fighting on the 4th May but the next day the French attack was renewed, with the most intense fighting taking place at Fuentes d’Onor. The whole VI French Corps d’Armée was sent in but only captured the lower part of the village. Two companies of the 79th were surrounded and captured. The remainder of the brigade was caught up in a violent melee where soldiers had to resort to clubbing the enemy with their rifle butts as there was no room to use the bayonet. The brigade was reinforced by the 88th and the 74th Highlanders. Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard were at the forefront of the French assault, and one of their soldiers was seen to step up into a doorway and aim his musket at Colonel Philips Cameron. The shot hit him and he fell from his horse mortally wounded. The cry went up that their CO had been shot, and the enraged Highlanders doubled their efforts. The Highlanders expressed their rage in Gaelic so that the other regiments understood that the colonel was the son of the well-respected Alan Cameron. The whole force defending Fuentes d’Onor were now more determined than ever and the French were driven back with heavy casualties.

The incident inspired Sir Walter Scott to write about Cameron’s death in his poem ‘Vision of Don Roderick’. Scott also wrote:

“The gallant Colonel Cameron was wounded mortally during the desperate contest in the streets of the village called Fuentes d’Onor. He fell at the head of his native Highlanders, the 71st and 79th, who raised a dreadful shriek of grief and rage. They charged with irresistible fury the finest body of French Grenadiers ever seen, being a part of Buonaparte’s selected guard. The officer who led the French, a man remarkable for stature and symmetry, was killed on the spot. The Frenchman who stepped out of his rank to take aim at Colonel Cameron was also bayoneted, pierced with a thousand wounds, and almost torn to pieces by the furious Highlanders, who, under the command of Colonel Cadogan, bore the enemy out of the contested ground at the point of the bayonet.’

The casualties of the 79th in this battle were; Killed: Lt-Col Philips Cameron, Captain Willam Imlach, one sergeant and 30 men. Wounded: 10 officers, 6 sergeants and 138 men. Missing: 2 sergeants and 92 men. Most of the missing were later discovered to have been killed. Captain Sinclair Davidson and 13 men died of their wounds on the following day. The regiment was awarded the battle honour FUENTES D’ONOR seven years later on 16 April 1818.

Salamanca 22 July 1812

The regiment suffered from fever and dysentery when they went into cantonments at Bemquerenca in August 1811, so that 300 men were hospitalised. They moved to Valledes in October where they were reinforced by a draft of 231 men and five sergeants from the 2nd Battalion, together with Lt-Col Robert Fulton who took over command of the 1st Battalion. However, by the end of 1811 they were still suffering from widespread sickness and spent the early part of 1812 in Vizen, a healthier location. They were involved in a forced march of 12 leagues (36 miles) to Llerena in March 1812 and in May they were further reinforced by 113 men and five sergeants under Captain Peter Innes. When the army met the French at Salamanca on 22 July the 79th were in the reserve with Major-General Campbell’s Division on the extreme left of the line. They remained inactive until the end of the day when they were brought into action to follow up Wellington’s important victory, with the loss of only two men wounded. However, the 79th were granted the battle honour SALAMANCA.

Siege of Burgos Sep 1812

The Allied Army entered Madrid on 12 August and the 79th was quartered in El Escorial. At the beginning of September Wellington marched the army 250 kilometres to Burgos in the North of Spain, where the castle was defended by a strong French garrison. They arrived on the 18th and set about preparing to lay siege. On 19 September an assault was organised, comprising the light companies of the 24th, 42nd, 58th, 60th and the 79th, commanded by Major Hon. E C Cocks. The objective was the San Miguel horn-work, a small defensive redoubt just beyond the slope leading up to the wall of the castle. The men of the 42nd and 79th led the assault but some men of the 79th were pinned down by fire from the defenders. The 79th’s light company officer, Lt Hugh Grant used a wounded soldier’s musket to fire back and encouraged his men to maintain the firefight long enough to be relieved by the other light troops. Grant was badly wounded and died a few days later.

Siege of Burgos

The 42nd and the 79th were unable to make any progress or to retreat. All they could do was wait for the rest of the light companies to storm the horn-work, which they did at 11pm. The 42nd were ordered to make a direct frontal attack while a detachment of 42nd and Portuguese troops was to attempt using ladders to storm the bastions. The light troops were to wait for the 42nd’s attack as their signal to go in, but when they did they were subjected to heavy fire which killed and wounded many men. But with a determined effort they managed to lift men up over the palisade. The first man to enter the horn-work was Sergeant John McKenzie of the 79th who was wounded as soon as he got in. He was lifted up by Sergeant Masterton McIntosh also of the 79th who soon followed, with Major Cocks and others. The rest of the Highlanders used ladders and within minutes the horn-work was captured. McKenzie, who had borrowed Major Cocks’s sword, together with 12 men was detailed to guard the gate leading to the castle to cut off the defenders’ escape. It was here that fierce fighting took place in which McKenzie was severely wounded and Bugler Charles Bogle of the 79th was bayoneted and killed.

Meanwhile, the frontal attack had failed, with great loss of life, and the storming party came under fire from muskets and guns but were later relieved by troops who spent the night building a defence to allow access to and from the horn-work. The two sergeants were recommended for commissions. There were subsequent efforts to storm the castle in which one assault by Guards and German troops was led by Major Andrew Lawrie of the 79th. His valiant efforts resulted in his death, and Major Cocks also was killed in another assault. Lawrie’s death and the death of Lt Hugh Grant were added to the regimental casualty figures which were: one sergeant and 27 men killed, three officers, five sergeants, one drummer and 79 men wounded. Wellington’s army lost 550 killed, 1,550 wounded, and 3 guns. By 21 October it was clear that the siege was too difficult and too costly so Wellington was forced to abandon the siege and vacate Madrid, leading the army on a disastrous and costly retreat towards Portugal, pursued by French cavalry.

Battle of the Pyrenees 28 July 1813

The 79th wintered at Vodra in Portugal, and on 20 Feb 1813 had a change of commanding officer when Lt-Colonel Neil Douglas joined the 1st Battalion, and by April had been reinforced by 80 men, sergeants and 2 officers. Active operations were resumed in May. The 79th were in the 6th Division, commanded by Major-General Pakenham, which did not take part in the battle of Vittoria on 21 June. They were instead employed covering the convoys of ammunition and stores, and later attempted to prevent Marshal Chauzel’s French Corps from joining the defeated French. But Chauzel outwitted Packenham and the 6th Division was recalled to join Wellington in North East Spain.

Soult’s French Armée d’Espagne confronted the allied army at Sorauren on 28 July. Packenham’s Division was positioned across the valley of the Lanz in the Pyrenees with its right resting on the village of Oricain and its left on the heights on the opposite side. An advanced brigade picquet under Major Andrew Brown was attacked and fought a fierce action. The battalion faced superior enemy numbers but fought at close quarters with the bayonet and, together with other divisions deployed on the mountains, successfully repulsed Soult’s army. This was an important victory for the British-Portuguese army and earned the 79th the battle honour PYRENEES, awarded 5 years later on 16 April 1818. Their casualties were 16 men and one sergeant killed, one officer, two sergeants, one drummer and 37 rank-and-file wounded. Lt-Col Douglas had his horse shot from under him, but was not seriously hurt.

Nivelle 10 Nov 1813

The 6th Division followed the retreating French and camped near the Mayo Pass. At this time the sieges of San Sebastien and Pamplona were concluded, so by November Wellington’s army was able to move into France, crossing the frontier on 10 November. The enemy were strongly entrenched on the River Nivelle and the 79th formed line to move up the hill to meet the enemy, in such an impressive manner that Sir Roland Hill remarked on their steady advance under fire. The French were forced to retreat causing the battalion few casualties: one man killed, an officer and five men wounded. The 79th Cameron Highlanders earned the battle honour NIVELLE, awarded on 16 April 1818.

Nive 10 - 15 Dec 1813

On 16 Nov the regiment set up camp at Ustaritz where it was reinforced by an officer, four sergeants and 46 men. On 9 Dec they advanced towards Bayonne where Soult’s army was entrenched on both sides of the flooded River Nive. On 10 Dec 1813 Wellington attacked the enemy defences on the flank, an operation that took 5 days. In this battle the 79th lost 5 men killed, and one officer, two sergeants and 24 men wounded. The French retreated to Gave d’Oleron and the 79th spent the rest of the winter at St Pierre d’Yurbe. They were in dire need of new clothing and this was issued at St Jean de Luz on 20 Feb 1814. The regiment was awarded the battle honour NIVE on 16 April 1818.

Toulouse 10 April 1814

The regiment took no part in the battle of Orthes on 25 Feb 1814, but on Sunday, 10 April they distinguished themselves to a high degree at the battle of Toulouse. This battle might never have happened if Soult and Wellington had been made aware that Napoleon had abdicated on 30 March. As it was, the French Troops were entrenched in fortified positions on the 600ft high plateau outside the city, between the Languedoc canal and the River Ers. The 79th marched out at daybreak on 10 April and approached the redoubts of de l’Est and de l’Ouest which had been unsuccessfully assaulted by Spanish troops.

79th at Toulouse

The Highland Brigade, led by Sir Denis Pack, consisted of the 42nd, the 79th and the 91st Regiments as well as a Portuguese regiment. As they moved into position they came under fire from French guns which killed and wounded several men. An attack was made by the flank companies which drove the enemy from the redoubts. Meanwhile the rest of the brigade prepared for an attack on the more difficult objectives of the central redoubts, La Colombette and Le Tour des Augustins. The 42nd were directed to assault La Colombette and the 79th, 91st and Portuguese were sent against Augustins. Both redoubts were captured but not without the Highlanders suffering heavy casualties. Several officers took 100 men of the 79th to attack more of the enemy on the ridge of the plateau, but while this was happening there was trouble at La Colombette where the French, having been reinforced, counter-attacked, driving the 42nd from the redoubt. The route of their retreat came past Augustins and the 79th joined them so that both redoubts were then abandoned.

Lt-Colonel Douglas then reformed the 79th and they made a heroic charge which resulted in the recapture of both Colombette and Augustins redoubts. The 42nd had been all but wiped out and could not offer much assistance in this part of the action. There were two more enemy positions to be attacked but as the brigade was preparing to do this the French were seen to be retreating and it was clear that the allied army had won the battle. The casualty figures reflected the heavy fighting, four officers and 40 men killed, 13 officers, 12 sergeants, 2 drummers and 159 men wounded. The regiment went into action with 36 officers, 31 sergeants, 13 drummers and 414 rank-and-file. It came out with 18 officers, 19 sergeants, 11 drummers and 215 rank-and-file. The battle honour TOULOUSE was awarded on 9 July 1816.

Quatre Bras 16 June 1815

The 79th was brigaded with the 28th and 32nd Regiments under Major-General Sir James Kempt, in the 5th Division (Picton’s). They landed at Ostend and were conveyed along the canal to Ghent from where they marched to join the Duke of Wellington’s army in Brussels. News of Napoleon's rapid progress was given to the Duke and the order to get ready to march was given at 10 pm on the night of 15 June. They were held in readiness and rations were issued, but they did not set off until 4am. At 8am they halted at the Forest of Soignés and began to cook breakfast but this was interrupted by the order to continue on to Quatre Bras. The French were half a mile off but advancing, driving a battalion of Belgians before them and exchanging fire. Riflemen were sent to support the Belgians and the Division was placed to line the Namur road, with the 79th on the extreme left of the British Army.

79th at Quatre Bras

At around 3pm enemy sharpshooters were close enough to cause many casualties, so light companies were sent forward to repel them. The artillery was being rendered useless because the gunners had been picked off by enemy marksmen. Wellington ordered Piction to send a regiment forward to drive them off, and the Cameron Highlanders were chosen for the task. The Highlanders fired a volley and continued to advance with the bayonet. They succeeded in driving the French skirmishers back 100 yards to a hedge. The pursuit carried on until their ammunition was expended and they were joined by support troops. They were ordered to retire under fire and form a line in front of the Division where they had to lie down for an hour to reduce casualties. In the early evening French cavalry threatened Picton’s Division and the regiments formed squares which were repeatedly attacked. Mounted field officers were especially vulnerable and the COs of the 42nd and 92nd Regiments, Sir Robert Macara and Cameron of Fassiefern were killed.

By this time, British artillery was coming into action and the French were forced to retreat. By 9pm the firing came to an end and the men bivouacked in advance of the Namur road. The 79th had lost 28 men killed as well as Captain John Sinclair and Adjutant John Kynoch. The wounded included Lt-Colonel Neil Douglas, 16 other officers, 10 sergeants and 248 rank-and-file. Douglas and two of the officers were mounted and had their horses killed.

The 79th at Waterloo

A heavy column of French infantry advanced towards Picton’s Division so that the light companies were driven back. When the column was quite close, the brigade opened up a volley, then the 79th and 28th charged at the enemy with Picton at the front. This bayonet charge drove the column back down the hill and Picton shouted to his ADC, “Thornton, rally the Highlanders!” his last words just before being hit by a bullet in the head. At this moment, the Union Brigade of cavalry came up and passed through the gaps in the 5th Division. The Scots Greys passed through the 92nd Gordon Highlanders, shouting “Scotland forever!” both units charged at the retreating Frenchmen, the Gordon’s hanging onto the Greys’ stirrups.

But the Cuirassiers, dragoons, chasseurs and lancers advanced, prompting the regiments of Kempt’s brigade, the 79th, 28th and 32nd, to form squares. Piper Kenneth MacKay stepped outside the square of the 79th and walked around in front of the bayonets, playing ‘Cogadh na Sith’. Not long after this episode the regiment retired to its position on the Namur road near the Royal Artillery but it was exposed to enemy gun-fire and sniper fire. At around 6pm more cavalry and large masses of infantry threatened the British centre. Kempt’s brigade was now exhausted and without ammunition, but they were supported by Pack’s brigade and a supply of balls and powder. They were able to repulse the latest enemy attack, but Napoleon sent in his Old Imperial Guard. However, even these ‘invincibles’ were forced to retreat, and the order for a general advance was given.

The 79th had held its position for most of the day, and now, with loud cheers, they pressed forward, under the command of Lieutenant Alexander Cameron, a Grenadier Company officer who had taken over as the most senior unwounded officer. The casualties of the 79th on 18 June were; 4 officers, 2 sergeants and 27 men. Wounded were; 9 officers, 7 sergeants, 4 drummers and 121 men. The strength of the regiment before 16 June was 41 officers, 40 sergeants, 11 drummers and 684 men. The figures for unwounded personnel on the evening of the 18th June were 9 officers, 21 sergeants, 7 drummers and 260 men. The numbers of wounded from both battles included 3 officers and 48 men who died of their wounds soon afterwards.

Chichester Nov 1818 - Mar 1819
Jersey June 1819 - Mar 1820
Plymouth Mar 1820 - May 1820
Fermoy May 1820 - June 1821
Limerick June 1821 - May 1822
Templemore May 1822 - Apr 1823
Naas Apr 1823 - Oct 1823
Dublin Oct 1823 - May 1825

79th Officer & French Drummer

Whilst in Kingston and Toronto a corporal and 11 men died. In the summer of 1832 there was an outbreak of cholera which caused several more men to die. In November the flank companies were detached to Montreal under Lt-Colonel McDougall who had temporarily replaced Sir Neil Douglas as CO. The companies were employed in riot control in the city. The detachment at Amhurstburgh under Captain Riach was recalled in May 1833, but as they were being conveyed by steamer on Lake Erie the boiler exploded, killing two crewmen and injuring several Highlanders. On 23 Jan 1834, the old Chateau de St Louis at Quebec caught fire and men of the 79th were involved in trying to put the fire out but the water was frozen and the chateau burned to the ground. The Highlanders were stationed in Quebec until Sep 1836 when they returned to Scotland.

There was an incident involving the capsizing of a boat in the harbour that put the lives of two soldiers in peril. They were saved by Corporal John Ross and eight privates of the 79th and four other soldiers. All 13 men received the thanks of the Governor of Gibraltar. While the regiment were on the rock for 6 years 28 men died; their names and the date of their death were inscribed on a marble tablet in the Wesleyan Chapel which was attended by Presbyterian soldiers. On 7 June 1848 the regiment embarked for Canada, arriving at Quebec on 27 July.

Scutari and Varna

On 1st March 1854 The 79th were ordered to prepare for the coming war in the East and accordingly increased their strength with volunteers from other regiments. They received new Colours on 21 April and embarked at Portsmouth on 4 May under the command of Lt-Colonel Edmund Elliot. They arrived at Scutari on 20 May. The modern name for Scutari is Üsküdar on the Asiatic side of the Bosporus, opposite Istanbul. The 79th was brigaded with the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) and the 42nd (Black Watch) under the command of Sir Colin Campbell. This Brigade, together with the Guards formed the 1st Division which moved to Varna. The 79th sailed on the ‘Cambria’ on 13 June and encamped firstly at Lake Devno then moved to Aladyn. But after 3 weeks Aladyn proved to be unhealthy with men suffering from cholera. They then moved to Givrakla, but it was here that their CO and second-in-command both died of fever. At around the same time the 79th was saddened to hear that their previous CO, Colonel the Hon. Lauderdale Maule, also died. He had been appointed Assistant Adjutant General to the 2nd Division.

Invasion of the Crimea

The 79th, now under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Douglas, embarked on 29 August to sail up the coast to Balschik Bay where the combined armies of Britain and France assembled. On 7 Sep the fleet set sail for the Crimea, each steamer towing two sailing transports, and arrived at Kalamita Bay on 13 Sep. They disembarked the next day without opposition from the Russians, but it took 6 days to unload stores and guns so that it was not until 19 Sep that the army set off in the direction of Sevastopol. When they came to a stream, the Bulganek River, they were able to cross and form line along the crest of rising ground half a mile from the river. They were ordered to lie down while the Horse Artillery engaged with Russian guns for half an hour. A French column was sent forward and the Russians withdrew to the Alma.

Battle of the Alma 20 Sep 1854

Battle of the Alma

The army approached the river Alma and saw the enemy on the heights on the other side, blocking the route to Sevastopol. The village of Burliuk on the allied side of the river was set on fire by the Russians but there was a bridge still intact. The Russian defences on the other side consisted of three strongly defended redoubts filled with infantry and artillery. The French were ordered to attack the redoubt on the right of the allied line while the British were to attack the central main redoubt and the one on the left. The Rifle Brigade were sent forward through the burning village to engage with Russian riflemen on the other bank and drive them back.

The Light Division and the 2nd Division formed line and moved forward over the river to climb the hills on the other side. Sir Colin Campbell was careful to protect the Highland brigade from artillery fire, and used a stone wall to cover the advance of his Highlanders. Once over the river they ascended the hill by means of a mountain pass protected by abrupt rising ground. They were able to advance, protected from enemy gunfire. When they were near enough they formed in echelon lines, with the Black Watch on the right, near the Brigade of Guards, the 93rd in the centre and the 79th on the left. The two brigades formed a mile-long military spectacle of scarlet, tartan, feather bonnets and bearskins with Colours flying. The sight of this display, moving steadily on, pausing only to dress the ranks, caused the enemy to lose heart. A volley fired by the British at 200 yards discouraged the massed ranks of the grey-coated Russians and they panicked so that their officers could not prevent a wholesale retreat.

The Light Division stormed and captured the great redoubt and the left-hand redoubt was abandoned and held by two companies of the Cameron Highlanders. The French had succeeded in turning the enemy’s left flank.The allied line then advanced, the Horse Artillery firing on the retreating Russians, and the infantry occupied the next range of hills where they stopped and bivouacked. The casualties of the 79th were 2 men killed and 7 wounded. Over the next two days, the 21st and 22nd Sep 1854 were spent caring for the wounded and burying the dead.

Balaclava

The 93rd Highlanders, separated from the 42nd and 79th, famously formed the thin red line to fend off a cavalry charge at the battle of Balaclava on 28 Oct 1854, but the 42nd and 79th took no part in the battle. Sir Colin Campbell had been promoted to command all the troops in Balaclava and the Highland Brigade came under the command of Colonel D A Cameron of the 42nd. The 79th and 42nd were moved to a position on the heights on the north side of the valley of Balaclava so they also missed out on the battle of Inkerman on 5 Nov 1854 when the Russians attacked the right of the British line entrenched before Sevastopol. The Highland Brigade remained on the Balaclava heights until 21 May 1855. They were employed carrying ammunition and supplies to the entrenched army, and in January 1855 they were building huts that had been shipped, prefabricated, from England. By the end of February the regiment was fully housed in wooden huts.

Reconnaissance in Force 21 Feb 1855

The Highland Brigade were sent on an abortive and arduous reconnaissance patrol to ascertain the position and strength of the enemy at Tchorgoum. The 71st Highlanders, the Royal Marines and one wing of the 2nd Bn Rifle Brigade went with them, later to rendezvous with a French brigade. The force was led by Sir Colin Campbell who ordered them to fall in at midnight on the 20/21st Feb 1855. But rain started to fall heavily just before 12, so the start was postponed until 2am. By that time the rain had turned to snow and they set off in a blinding snowstorm. The wind blew into the faces of the men and it was intensely dark so visibility was almost zero. They reached the River Tchernaya, but unsurprisingly there was no sign of the French. At daybreak the enemy picquets became aware of their presence and gave the alarm so the element of surprise was lost. They turned around and returned to camp utterly exhausted and frostbitten.

Kertch and Yenikale, May - Jun 1855

An expedition to capture Kertch and Yenikale on the eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula was led by Lt-General Sir George Brown, setting off on 22 May 1855. The Highland Brigade, plus 800 men of the Royal marines and the 71st Highlanders together with artillery and land transport sailed round to Ambalaki Bay. There was no fighting involved in this expedition. The Russians abandoned Kertch after blowing up their magazines and burning the barracks, and the British soldiers set fire to government buildings. But at Yenikale they anticipated trouble so set to work on trenches and redoubts to defend the place. On 29 May the 79th were detached to occupy the Quarantine barracks halfway between Kertch and Yenikale to maintain communications. But on 12 June they were ordered to burn the place and embark for the return to Balaclava.

Sevastopol

On 16 June the Highland Brigade were moved to join the Brigade of Guards entrenched before Sevastopol. The first predominant action of this siege took place on 18 June when assaults were launched on the Malakoff and the Redan. The brigade was in reserve, but the assaults failed and they were stood down. Another emergency occurred on 24 August when a report was received that there would be an attack on the French and Sardinian positions. The brigade marched to the Kamara area at 1am but the attack failed to happen. The next day they were ordered to move their camp to that area.

The Great Redan

The Great Redan, 8 Sep 1855

In the early morning of 8 Sep the brigade marched to where the Guards were camped, and ordered to remove their knapsacks and feather bonnets in preparation for service in the forward trenches. They moved forward under heavy fire from the defenders of the Great Redan, and were placed in the 5th parallel, the nearest trench to the Redan. The 79th, commanded by Lt-Col R C H Taylor, was on the right of the 72nd Highlanders. They were supported by the 42nd and 93rd in the 4th Parallel behind them. By this time the Redan had been assaulted by the Light and 2nd Division but the attack was repulsed with severe loss. Meanwhile the French attacked the Malakoff successfully. For the rest of the day the 79th remained in the trench under a heavy fire and were told that they would be the next ones to attempt an assault on the Redan the next morning. But by midnight the firing had slackened and explosions were heard inside Sevastopol. At 2am the whole city was on fire and it was clear that the Russians were destroying everything before evacuating. At dawn on the 9th Sep they realised that the enemy had abandoned the Redan and other defensive positions. Two companies of the 79th occupied the Redan and the rest of the Highland Brigade returned to camp which they reached at 3pm having been ‘under arms’ for 33 hours.

The End of the Siege

The lack of opportunity to be directly involved in the assaults and battles during the siege of Sevastopol did not prevent the Cameron Highlanders from sustaining casualties. They lost 17 men killed, and the wounded included a subaltern, the Assistant Surgeon, 3 sergeants, a drummer and 39 rank-and-file. The regiment spent the winter a little more comfortably than the previous winter, as their huts were positioned at Kamara where they did not suffer from mould and damp flooring. There was an expectation of resumed hostilities but on 2 April 1856 a Peace Treaty was signed creating much rejoicing. A salute of 100 guns announced the end of the war and there was ‘a friendly interchange of civilities’ between the Russians and the allied armies. There was even a Review where the allied armies were paraded before His Excellency General Luders, the Russian Commander-in-Chief and his staff. The 79th embarked at Balaclava on 15 June 1856, arriving at Portsmouth on 5 July.

Voyage to India

The 79th took part in a grand review in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857, attended by Queen Victoria. After the ceremony the regiment travelled by train to Liverpool and embarked for Ireland. But their posting there was cut short when they were ordered to prepare for service in India to quell the Mutiny. Volunteers from other regiments were drafted in to bring the strength up to 1,000 rank-and-file. On 31 July the regimental HQ, two companies, and the band were embarked on the ‘Walmer Castle’, the other six companies embarked the next day on two more transports. The regiment was commanded by Colonel John Douglas. The other officers consisted of two majors, 10 captains, 15 lieutenants, and 8 ensigns. There were also the Adjutant, Paymaster, surgeon and three assistant surgeons.

The two transports stopped at Ceylon and the 6 companies were transferred to HMS Simoon which arrived at Calcutta on 17 Nov. Lieutenant-Colonel RCH Taylor travelled to India overland and took command of the 6 companies in Calcutta. They were joined by 7 young East India Company officers who remained with the 79th throughout the campaign. Meanwhile, the other part of the regiment that sailed on the Walmer Castle reached Madras on 1 Nov and then re-embarked for Calcutta which was reached on 27 Nov.

Secundragunge, 5 Jan 1858

They spent two weeks in December at Allahabad where Sir Colin Campbell was in command. He had made an emotional speech to the Highland Brigade at the end of the Crimean War, fully expecting never to command his beloved Highlanders again but here he was commanding a column sent out to Munseala, a force of Rifles, Artillery and the 79th. They set out in the early hours of 5 Jan and at dawn found the mutineers at Secundra Gunge defending a position with 3 guns. The enemy did not stay long after firing a few rounds. They abandoned their guns and fled. They were pursued, but at the village of Papahnow the force was halted. The rebels lost 600, killed, wounded, and large numbers were captured. The 79th suffered no casualties. The column returned to Allahabad having covered a distance of 48 miles in 23 hours.

Siege of Lucknow 2 - 22 March 1858

In February 1858 Colonel Douglas was promoted to take charge of the 5th Brigade, so command of the 79th was taken up by Colonel Taylor. On 2 march the regiment joined the force under Sir Colin Campbell and Sir James Outram at Camp Bunterah where preparations were underway for an attack on the rebels in Lucknow. Campbell planned to attack the eastern defences but at the same time turn the enemy flank on the less strongly defended north side which was protected by the River Gomtee. The 79th spent the 2nd March helping prepare batteries in Dilkusha park for bombarding the first line of the rebel defence. The next three days were spent building pontoon bridges over the Gomtee at the village of Bidiapore. On the night of the 5th March Sir James Outram’s force crossed to the north bank of the river. The 79th were in Douglas’s 5th Brigade, part of Outram’s division. Also in this division was the Queen’s Bays who engaged rebel cavalry supported by the 79th. In this action they came under fire from enemy guns causing light casualties. On 7 March the regiment engaged with rebels, advancing in line for a mile. The next day Outram set up his artillery to fire across the river and on 8 March two companies of the 79th took part in Lt-General Walpole’s attack and capture of the Yellow House.

Highlanders at Lucknow

The next objective of the two companies was the Badshah Bagh which, having been captured, allowed guns to be set up to enfilade the rebel trenches. The other eight companies of the 79th secured buildings in the vicinity of the Badshah Bagh. The Grenadier Company and no.1 Company occupied a large house that gave them control of entrance to the city over the Iron Bridge. On the morning of 10 March the rebels attacked the picquet of the 79th but were repulsed, however they maintained a steady fire on the picquet. The 79th made a determined bayonet charge led by the Grenadier and No.1 Companies which resulted in two men killed and two men badly wounded.

Meanwhile Campbell’s force captured the Martiniere, the Secundra Bagh, Shah Nujeef and Begum Kothie. On 11 march the 79th cleared the rebels from the suburbs near the Goomtee and the buildings near the Iron and Stone bridges. Outram’s artillery bombarded the Kaiser Bagh (King’s Palace). On 12 March the objective was the Iron Bridge with a view to throwing a breastwork across it. The construction of the breastwork was led by Lt Wynne RE who called for volunteers. He was joined by Capt Stevenson, Lt Wimberley, Sgt Mackenzie and 10 men of the 79th. At midnight the party advanced with gabions (baskets filled with earth) and sandbags, placing them halfway across the bridge. Sandbags were passed forward and the breastwork was soon completed, at which point men of the Bengal Fusiliers took up positions on the breastwork and fired on the rebels, covering the withdrawal of the Highlanders.

The 79th were posted to the Yellow House for three days while the siege of the Kaiser Bagh proceeded. On 16 March the 79th and two other regiments under Outram, crossed the Goomtee on a bridge of barrels near Secundra Bagh and joined Campbell at the Kaiser Bagh. They then stormed the Residency where the rebels offered little resistance and evacuated the place. The next day the 79th captured the Great Imambara where nine carts full of gunpowder were seized. They were ordered to destroy them but the explosion occurred prematurely causing 2 officers and 30 men to be killed or wounded. Sergeant James Blythe was killed, and the medic, Private Kerr, was honourably mentioned for his hard work in helping the wounded.

On 19 March the 79th, together with the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers, the 2nd Punjab Infantry and 3 companies of the 29th Regiment attacked Musagh Bagh. The light company of the 79th stormed and captured the house of Nawab Ali Khan. Three men were killed in the fighting that day. But the action resulted in the capture of four enemy guns and the Colours of the 7th Oude Irregular Infantry. The battle of Lucknow was finally over by 22 March. The casualties of the 79th over the three weeks were: 2 sergeants and 5 men killed, two officers, one sergeant and 20 men wounded.

Fort Rooya and Allygunge April 1858

On 7 April a Division under Lt-General Walpole left Lucknow to penetrate into Rohilkhand. The force contained the 79th, 42nd and 93rd Highlanders with the 9th Lancers, 2nd Punjab Cavalry, 4th Punjab Rifles and artillery. On 16 April they besieged Fort Rooya, the 79th being in reserve. The storming party suffered many casualties but the attack failed because no reconnaissance had been carried out and the attack was made against the most strongly held part of the fort. The 79th lost one man killed and one wounded. Another attack was launched on 22 April, against a position held at Allygunge, 40 miles from Fort Rooya. In this, the rebels were unable to withstand the attack and retreated, abandoning four guns. The 79th had no casualties.

Highlanders at Bareilly

Bareilly, 5 May 1858

Sir Colin Campbell arrived at Allygunge and assumed command. He led them towards Bareilly, and on 5 May the rebels were found to be defending a position in front of the town. A frontal attack consisting of a line formed by the Highland Brigade, supported by Native Infantry and flanked by cavalry, caused the enemy to retreat across a stream from their position. The force pursued for three quarters of a mile until they came to the suburbs of Bareilly. The line was halted to allow the artillery to come up. But Campbell became aware that some of the enemy were trying to turn his left flank, so sent a company of Camerons to occupy woods to the left front, with instructions to Captain McBarnet to hold the position at all costs. Once in the woods McBarnet and his men came under attack but were able to drive the rebels back. The 42nd Highlanders were also attacked but bayoneted their way out of trouble. The enemy occupied houses in the suburbs but were driven out by the 79th and 93rd Highlanders. The battle had cost the regiment two men killed and two wounded.

Shahjehanpore, May 1858

Sir Colin Campbell received news that troops left at the fort at Shahjehanpore were under siege, so sent a column consisting of the 60th Rifles, 79th Cameron Highlanders and 22nd Punjab Native Infantry, with two guns, to relieve the garrison. They left Bareilly on 8 May and made a forced march to arrive on 11 May at daybreak. Both the fort and the village were occupied by mutineers while the troops were holding out in the jail. Rebel cavalry came out of the village and rode around the column but the guns were brought into action and the rebels retreated. The midday heat was now unbearable and the men halted for two hours. When they resumed they found the village deserted and were able to rescue the troops in the jail. In this action there had been no casualties but 23 men suffered sunstroke and many died.

The enemy had withdrawn to Mahomdie so the column set up camp outside Shahjehanpore facing towards Mahomdie. They remained inactive until 15 May when rebel cavalry appeared from a wood and charged at the 79th. They formed square and fired on their attackers, causing many rebel casualties. But the cavalry kept coming so that the gunners had to leave their guns and take refuge in the square. The rebels seemed fearless but were unable to penetrate the formation, and eventually retreated. The 79th retained their position all day and returned to their camp. On 24 May they had to march to the fort at Remi, which the rebels abandoned, and then attacked their position at Mahomdie on 25 May.

The action on 25 May at Mahomdie was successful, although the 79th had two men wounded. However, the principal danger was the intense heat which killed 10 men on 25 May, 8 men on the 26th and 4 on the 27th. Many men were invalided following these few days. The regimental surgeon Dr Thomas Goldie Scot worked tirelessly to help the stricken men and through his care and attention many lives were saved. An account of his life and work is in the Library and Archive of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Rampore Kussia, 3 Nov 1858

The regiment was inactive for the rest of the summer, posted at Futtehghur and then Cawnpore. On 18 October they moved by rail to Allahabad and prepared to carry on with the campaign. They were part of a field force commanded by Brigadier-General Weatherall in Oude. On 1 Nov they marched towards Rumpore Kussia, arriving on 3 Nov and found the rebels strongly entrenched. Four companies of the 79th were ordered to storm the defences, supported by the rest of the regiment. This was done quickly so that the enemy were taken by surprise. The attack was successful, but two men were killed and a sergeant and 6 men were wounded. The regiment was commanded by Major Butt, in the absence of Lt-Col Taylor who was commanding a brigade.

Muchligan Nov 1858

The Historical Record does not give dates for the rest of the campaign in 1858. At the crossing of the Gogra river there were many quicksands from which men had to be extricated and where the artillery had great difficulty. They advanced to Muchligan where they encountered the enemy. The mutineers were driven into the jungle which proved a difficult place to continue the fight, but Private Robert Winning distinguished himself when, finding himself cut off and facing 6 rebels, he shot one, bayoneted another so that the other four fled. The regiment marched through Sultanpore and later crossed the Raptee river on Christmas day. There was a battle at Bundwa Kote on 3 Jan in which 27 guns were captured, but the regiment’s involvement is not made clear.

The End of the Campaign

The surviving rebels that had been pursued by the field force took refuge in Nepal, and the regiments were returned to their stations. On 22 Jan 1859 the 79th arrived at Lucknow where they were greeted by Sir Colin Campbell who inspected them and made a speech congratulating them on their bravery and hard work throughout the Indian Mutiny campaign, and telling them that they would be sent to Mean Meer in the Punjab. The regiment had lost 158 men through disease and action, and on 3 Sep 1863 was awarded the battle honour LUCKNOW for the fighting during the difficult days in March 1858. They arrived at Mean Meer on 8 April 1859 and remained there until January 1861.

1860 On 5 Nov the right wing, 287 all ranks, under Major McBarnet went to Amritsar.

1861 The left wing left Mean Meer on 19 Jan 1861, marched to Ferozepore where they were joined by the right wing from Amritsar.

1862 They marched from Ferozepore on 13 Feb 1862, arriving at Nowshera on 18 March. A detachment of 3 companies went to Fort Attock.

1862 On 23 Nov 1862 they moved from Nowshera to Peshawar and were joined by the men from Fort Attock. Many men suffered from Peshawar fever while stationed there.

1863 Two officers volunteered to join Sir Neville Chamberlain’s expedition against the Sitanas. Both were killed, Lieut Dougal, on picquet on 6 Nov and Lieut Jones on 18 Nov. They were serving with the 71st Highland Light Infantry.

1863 In Jan 1863 four companies under Major Miller went to Shubkudder Pass at the entrance to the Khyber to join Colonel Macdonell’s field force against the Mohmunds. They served until Jan 1864 and received the Indian Medal for the North-West Frontier Campaigns.

1864 In January 1864 the regiment marched from Peshawar to Rawalpindi. On 4 March they were inspected by the Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Hugh Rose. The fever contracted in Peshawar continued to afflict the men.

1864 In April they provided volunteers to work on the road from Murree to Abbottabad. On 28 April Captain Conway Gordon and 300 men went to Camp Durrgaw Gully and stayed there until 18 July, then moved to Khyra Gully, returning to Rawalpindi on 2 Nov.

1865 On 5 April the regiment was increased by three officers and 20 men from their UK depot. On 8 April they provided a working party of 650 men in the Murree Hills.

1865 The regiment were camped at Gora Gully and Grogur Gully. A terrible thunderstorm struck the Gora Gully camp and a falling tree killed Sergeant Angus. The health of the men improved in the Murree Hills.

1865 The rainy season began in June so the men were housed in huts at Khyra Gully until 24 Oct when they returned to Rawalpindi.

1866 In February 1866 the regiment was joined by a draft of two Colour Sergeants, 3 Corporals and 44 men from the depot. Later in Feb a detachment of 104 men under Capt Everett went to Fort Attock, relieved a month later by a similar detachment under Capt Leith. The CO, Colonel Hodgson went on leave in March 1866 leaving the regiment under the command of Colonel Richard Mordesley Best who had exchanged to the 79th from the 10th Foot on 13 Sep1864.

1866 On 28 April a detachment of 170 men under Capt McNair worked in the Murree Hills until October.

1866 The regiment relocated on 28 October; the HQ and left wing marched to Roorkee and the right wing went to Delhi.

Senior NCOs in India 1867

1867 In January 1867 a draft of 52 men and three officers joined them at Roorkee. In the spring they had to be moved to a camp five miles from Roorkee to avoid fever which killed six men. The CO, Colonel Hodgson returned from a 21-month leave on 24 Dec. The two wings of the regiment changed places at the end of December but the HQ remained at Roorkee.

1868 The regiment was joined by a draft of two officers, 3 sergeants and 78 men on 27 April 1868. The two wings of the regiment swapped places again towards the end of the year.

1869 At the end of January 1869 they were augmented with a draft of 130 men, two officers and a sergeant.

1869 The regiment took part in two important ceremonial occasions in 1869. In March they relocated to Ambala to take part in the ceremony where the Viceroy Earl Mayo met Shere Ali Khan, Ameer of Kabul. The 79th provided the Viceroy’s escort and Guard of Honour at the Durbar. They also lined the streets and performed similar tasks a few days later when the Viceroy visited the Ameer. In May they were ordered to attend a Durbar in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh, but the Durbar was cancelled due to famine. The regiment was moved from Roorkee and Delhi to Kamptee in December.

1870 In Jan 1870 the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders passed through Kamptee en route for home. The two regiments exchanged offers to grant each other honorary membership of each other’s officer’s mess.

1870 The 79th remained at Kamptee for two years, during which time a detachment was sent to Fort Nagpore. Many men were sent to sanitariums to convalesce.

1871 A detachment was sent to Puchmurree in 1871. In August they were ordered to prepare for the return to the UK. Many men took the opportunity to remain in India, and 177 transferred to regiments stationed there. On 28 Aug Captain Donald Macdonald fell down dead whilst at gun drill in the Artillery Barracks. He had been with the Cameron Highlanders for 17 years. A monument was put on his grave at Kamptee, paid for by his fellow officers.

1871 The regiment split into two wings to march from Kamptee to Nagpore in September 1871. They were then sent by rail to Deolali, then to Bombay to embark on the Jumna which sailed on 1 October. They sailed through the Suez Canal which had opened in 1869, arriving at Spithead on 6 Nov. They transhipped to Cowes and marched to Parkhurst. The 79th had spent 13 years in India and lost 336 officers and men.

Visited by Emperor Napoleon III

On 17 Sep 1872 the regiment was visited by the French Emperor Napoleon III and his son the Prince Imperial. They inspected the men and watched as they performed drill movements, then had lunch in the officer’s mess. ‘He expressed his admiration of the splendid appearance and physique of the men, and the magnificent manner in which the drill had been performed.'

Queen Presenting The Colours

Presentation of New Colours, 17 April 1873

A new stand of Coloursn was presented to the regiment by Queen Victoria in a ceremony at Parkhurst Barracks on 17 April 1873. Newport was decorated and triumphal arches were erected in the street, but the presentation was in the drill field, witnessed by a large crowd. The 79th was under the command of Lt-Colonel Miller. This was the 5th stand of Colours, emblazoned with 13 battle honours including ALMA, SEVASTOPOL and LUCKNOW. The Queen’s Colour was a Union flag with the regimental number and crown in the centre. The Regimental Colour was green with a small Union flag in the top corner, a wreath in the middle and LXXIX in the centre. The unfortunate part about this stand of Colours was that the green Regimental Colour had to be replaced by a blue one a few months later, when the regiment became The 79th Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. Visited by Emperor Napoleon IIITitled Queen’s Own

A letter from Horse Guards, dated 10 July 1873 was sent to the Officer Commanding the 79th Cameron Highlanders at Parkhurst Barracks, Isle of Wight:

‘Sir,
By direction of the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, I have the honour to acquaint you that Her Majesty has been pleased to command that the 79th regiment be in future styled ‘79th Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders,’ that the facings be accordingly changed from green to blue, and that the regiment be permitted to bear in the centre of the second colour, as a regimental badge, the ‘Thistle ensigned with the Imperial Crown,’ being the badge of Scotland as sanctioned by Queen Anne in 1707, after the confirmation of the act of Union of the Kingdoms.

J. W. Armstrong,
Deputy-Adjutant-General.’

Lieutenant-Colonel G M Miller wrote a letter of gratitude, dated 12 July, to Major-General Ponsonby, Equerry in waiting to HM the Queen at Osborne. On 13 Aug Lt-Col Miller was asked to have the regiment drawn up as a Guard of Honour at East Cowes on 14 August 1873 for Queen Victoria’s departure from the Isle of Wight to travel to Balmoral. The regiment left the island on 18 Sep to relocate to Aldershot.

Ashanti War

The 130 men of the 79th were divided up amongst the Black Watch companies. They arrived at the coast of West Africa towards the end of January 1874 and were present at the battle of Amoaful where the infantry suffered heavy casualties, the attack and burning of the town of Becquah, the battle of Ordahsu which was also costly in casualties, and the capture of Coomassie. The Ashanti king, Coffee Calcalli managed to escape, but the war was over. The Cameron Highlanders contingent suffered 6 men killed and 32 wounded, including Lieutenant Annesley. Medals for the campaign were issued with a clasp for COOMASSIE, and medals for distinguished conduct were given to Private William Bell who lost an arm, Pte George Cameron and Pte Henry Jones.