NOTES

ON THE

HISTORY OF HER MAJESTY'S ELEVENTH

(NORTH DEVON) REGIMENT OF INFANTRY

FROM ITS FORMATION TO THE PRESENT TIME.

(Continued.)

During the thirty-six eventful years that intervened between the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, and the defeat and surrender of the combined Spanish and Highland force at Strachill, the 11th Regiment enjoyed but few intervals of peace. From 1721, however, until 1742, a period of twenty-one years, its history is uneventful.

After its return from Scotland it constituted part of a considerable force encamped on Salisbury Plain, where in 1722 it had the honour of being reviewed by His Majesty George I., who commended its gallantry and devotion to the House of Hanover. Six years afterwards, in May, 1728, it was reviewed by its new Sovereign, George II., on Hounslow Heath, on which occasion it was brigaded with the 23rd Foot, when His Majesty was so pleased with both regiments, that he accorded them the exceptionable honour of commending in the London Gazette their "very fine appearance."

In August, 1738, Colonel Montague died, and was succeeded in the colonelcy by Colonel Stephen Cornwallis, who was transferred from the 34th Foot.

About this time (1738) our relations with Spain were daily becoming more strained. The treaty of Utrecht was never accepted in England as a satisfactory solution of the questions then pending between

the Great Powers of Europe. Among other objectionable stipulations it limited English commerce with the Spanish American colonies to one ship annually. This was a stipulation under which the British mercantile community chafed impatiently, and one which was but little respected by them. The prospect of the vast profits likely to accrue from an unrestricted commerce with the Spanish colonies proved an irresistible temptation. An illicit trade sprung up in consequence, and rapidly increased. The Spaniards tried by every means at their disposal to prevent it, but every means failed. The result was that the Spanish Government absolutely interdicted the cutting of logwood by British subjects in Campeachy Bay. This action created a ferment in England, which was shortly afterwards intensified by the dispute which arose regarding the southern boundary of Georgia; and further still by the arrogance, and not infrequently by the cruelty practised on British subjects trading to the foreign possessions of Spain. Whilst these vexatious questions were being acrimoniously discussed, it suddenly transpired that so far back as 1733, a secret compact had been entered into between France and Spain for the destruction of British maritime supremacy. On this discovery being made public, the feeling throughout England became so intense, that anxious as Walpole was for the maintenance of peace, he saw that war at no distant period was inevitable. The storm which these events raised in England alarmed the government of Spain. The Spaniards still retained a wholesome recollection of the result of previous wars with their insular enemies, and in order to stave off for a time the latter's wrath, they not only expressed their willingness to restore some vessels they had recently captured, but also their willingness to pay an indemnity. This concession, however, came too late, and much to the delight of the English mercantile community at least, the London Gazette of the 19th October, 1739, contained a formal declaration of war against Spain, in consequence of which the 11th Regiment again received orders of readiness

for active service. Early in 1740 it was placed on the war establishment, and held in readiness for possible eventualities. It was not destined just then, however, to operate against the colonies of Spain. Events in Europe which immediately followed the rupture, necessitated the employment of the 11th Regiment on the European continent.

On the death of the Emperor Charles VI., in October, 1740, the Elector of Bavaria disputed the succession of the Archduchess Maria Theresa to the thrones of Bohemia and Hungary, and was supported in his pretensions by the French monarch. George II. espoused the cause of Maria Theresa, and active preparations for a continental war commenced in England.

The 11th Regiment, during a considerable portion of 1741, was encamped on Lexden Heath in readiness for embarkation, but the departure of the expedition was deferred until the following year, when the formidable character of the coalition against Maria Theresa, the occupation of Prague by the French, and the consequent danger to the King's Hanoverian dominions, accelerated British movements. An expedition, numbering about 16,000 men of all arms, was promptly organized. Colonel Cornwallis of the 11th was appointed to the command of a brigade, with the rank of Brigadier-General. Of this brigade his regiment formed a part. The expedition was commanded by Field-Marshal the Earl of Stair, an officer who had taken an active part in Marlborough's campaigns, and who had always enjoyed the confidence of that great General. Until the present time, however, he had never exercised the independent command of an army in the field. The expedition landed in Flanders in the summer of 1742, but arrangements were not sufficiently advanced to admit of its participating actively in the campaign of that year, in consequence of which it spent the winter of 1742 in Ghent. In the early spring of 1743, however, on being re-inforced by Hanoverian and Austrian contingents, which raised its strength to 43,000, it

took the field. It moved up the valley of the Rhine, for the purpose of forming a junction with an Austrian force under Count Kevenhüller, by the aid of which Lord Stair hoped to drive the French out of Germany. Although at this time France and England were nominally at peace, their armies-by a strange arrangement-acting only as auxiliaries to the sides they respectively espoused. It was, however, very apparent that this was a sort of peace that could not last long.

The British General advanced to Hochst on the Main, and took up a position between Mayence and and Frankfort, at the same time a French force of of 60,000 men, under the Maréchal de Noailles, manœuvred apparently as a corps of observation on the southern bank of that river. After a short halt at Hochst, the British General resumed his march, and on the 16th June reached Aschaffenburg. His commencement of the campaign without waiting for the junction of 12,000 Hessian and Hanoverian troops, who were moving up to his support, was strongly opposed by the Duke of Armberg, but Lord Stair thought that too much time had already been wasted in waiting for the tardy co-operation of listless allies. Whilst De Noailles was careful to avoid a battle, he manoeuvred so as to secure the bridges and fords of the Main, and at the same time to observe the movements of Stair. De Noailles was evidently the more astute General of the two, but as the sequel will show, the luck was against him.

On the 19th June, 1743, His Majesty George II., accompanied by his son the Duke of Cumberland, joined the Army. As the neighbourhood of the British encampment was likely soon to be exhausted of supplies, Lord Stair was anxious to bring the French to action with as little delay as possible. The King, however, determined to postpone the commencement of active operations until after the expected junction of the Hanoverians and Hessians, and the result was that, much to the annoyance of Stair, and to the delight of De Noailles, the Army

remained inactive until nearly all the provisions and forage in camp were consumed. This inactivity played the game of the French Marshal very effectually; nor did he fail to turn it to the best account. He undemonstratively secured the bridges of the Main, and so posted his Army as not only effectually to cut off all supplies from his enemies, but also to preclude the possibility of their either advancing or retreating without fighting at a great disadvantage. When De Noailles' object became apparent, a council of war was assembled, at which it was determined to force a way through the enemy, and retire on Hanau, where it was hoped that the expected Hanoverian and Hessian re-inforcement would join them, and where supplies could be procured. This determination was not arrived at until eight days after the King joined, and not until starvation or ultimate surrender stared the army in the face. The contemplated movement of the King and his army was, however, anticipated by De Noailles. He concealed 12,000 men in the neighbourhood of Aschaffenburg, and with the remainder marched down the southern bank of the Main-a movement which induced the King and Lord Stair to believe that he was in full retreat, and at dawn on the 27th June, 1743, the British and their allies followed in pursuit. The sun, however, had not appeared over the horizon ere it became apparent that not only had a strong entrenchment been thrown up on the northern bank, and the village of Dettingen been occupied in force, but that during the night De Noailles had moved not less than 40,000 men across the river, with which he completely cut off the retreat of the King's army; nor was a movement in the opposite direction apparently possible, as the 12,000 men left in the neighbourhood of Aschaffenburg had already possessed themselves of that town, and blocked the road in that direction.

The village of Dettingen stands on a narrow plain, with the river Main on one side and a range of rugged mountains of low elevation on the other. In 1743