CHAPTER IV REHABILITATION 1708. AFTER the disaster at Almanza the 33rd Regiment was practically non-existent. Some of the men contrived to escape into the mountains while on the march to Bayonne, and these, after undergoing great privations, and facing incredible dangers, found their way to Galway's army, which had been re-formed, and through the general's wonderful energy was already 14,600 strong, " well-equipped, supported by a good train, provided with transport, and ready to take the field." But as a regiment the 33rd did not exist until an order was issued on the 8th of March, 1708, for reraising it in England. There is considerable confusion, in what information is to hand, whether, when the prisoners of war were released they found their way back to England, and were incorporated in the new 33rd, or sought out Galway, and were assigned places in other regiments, altogether ceasing to have further connection with the regiment for whose glory they had fought with such distinction. The second explanation is the more probable, for it is expressly stated that in April, 1708, the veterans were transferred to other regiments in Spain. Fortescue explicitly names the 33rd as part of General Stanhope's force of 4,200 men who joined Staremberg in his campaign in 1710, when he took the offensive, and carried the war into Aragon. This must obviously refer to the re-forming of the remnants of Mordaunt's and Wade's shattered regiments which succeeded in reaching Galway's camp. They were so few, however, that the following statements was made at the time: "We cannot yet give any certain account of our forces, but these we have are the finest in the world; such are the regiment of Southwell, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Hunt; that of Blood, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel de Bourget; that of Mordaunt, commanded by Lieut.Colonel Dalzell, which we have completed out of the reduced regiments of Bowles, Montandre, Portmore, Wade, Alnut, Macartney, Mountjoy, Hill, Gorges. Mark Kerr, Stewart, Briton and Magney, which regiments were broke, and for the most part taken prisoners at Almanza." This note must refer to the men who contrived to escape, and to them only, for even as late as July, 1712, the Almanza prisoners were still in the hands of the enemy, as the following order to Brigadier Wade shows: WHITEHALL, 28th July, 1712. SIR, To Brigadier Wade. WYNDHAM. Wade was not certain as to the numbers of men whom he might expect, and accordingly instructed his secretary to write to Head-quarters to ask the question, to which he received the following reply, which is interesting as showing how disastrously depleted the 33rd had been in the fight at Almanza. SIR, WHITEHALL, In answer to your letter to Sir Wm. Wyndham of the 30th past, I send you in his absence an abstract of the number of Prisoners coming from Spain according to the last returns from thence, which are to be carried to Ireland, as also of such others, who, after landing those in Ireland, are to be brought to England, which you will be pleased to lay before my Lord Treasurer. To Mr. Lowndes. Your humble Servant, SAM LYNN. An account of the number of English Prisoners in Spain belonging to and to be turned over to the Regiments lately transferred to the Irish Establishment according to the last returns ending 23rd of June, 1718. Wade's Foot Sergts Corpls Drums Private Men The re-formation of the regiment did not by any means imply permanency. It seemed to be no sooner brought into shape again, after its disastrous break-up, than the authorities contemplated disbanding it. Some time in 1713 or 1714 it was ordered over to Ireland, to complete the Establishment in that country, but there was nothing there to cause alarm, since Ireland was declared to be perfectly tranquil. Consequently the stay of the 33rd was altogether uneventful. An order was issued, however, which was disturbing to the Officers and men, and dated from DUBLIN CASTLE, 25th May, 1714. MY LORD, Having in pursuance of Her Majesty's commands caused the Regiments of Dragoons commanded by Colonel Kerr and Major-General Pepper, and the Regiments of Foot commanded by Colonel Churchill, Lord Mountjoy, MajorGeneral Wade, and Brigadr Corbet to be disbanded I herewith send your Lordship a list of the Officers of the said several Regiments in order to their being placed on the Establishment of Half Pay in this Kingdom from the respective days of disbanding. Your Lordship's To the Lord Treasurer. Most Obedient Servant, This was neither pleasing to the regiments concerned, nor to others who viewed with some dismay the weakening of the military garrison in Ireland, where disastrous disturbances might occur at any moment. Undoubtedly the reduction was made in response to the cry for retrenchment after an exhausting war. Criticisms came freely, and while Colonel Wade was preparing to act according to orders a newspaper was quoted in the Commons, touching on many matters, and among the items was the following paragraph: "An Express is sent to Ireland for the immediate breaking of the following Regiments there, viz. Lord Mountjoy's, Col. Char. Churchill's, Col. Wade's, and Col. Corbett's, being all Foot; Col. Pepper's, and Col. Kerr's Dragoons. The honest people of Ireland will suffer by the ill Practices and Designs of their late Factious House of Commons, which is a pity, for these Drawbacks will be 40 or 50,000 per annum out of the Kingdom's way, besides the loss of the Money which the said six Regiments would spend in that Country; and another of their Regiments are to be sent to Port Mahone. Now let their Whiggish Cloathiers and Cloth-Workers (instead of Wine e'ry Night, as they had at the late Election for Parliament for your City and County, as the Scotch Ambassadors on the Comb) drink Taplash, which they may have cheap since the Additional Duty is off." The paragraph created great anger in the House, and was stigmatised by resolution to be "a false, scandalous, and malicious Libel, highly reflecting on the Justice and Honour of the late House of Commons." That was in November, but although the proprietor of the paper was taken into custody, and the Sergeant-at-Arms brought him to the bar of the Commons, the "scandalous" statement as to the breaking of the regiments was not an untrue one, since the following Order was addressed: SIR, WHITEHALL, I have received His Majesty's Commands to acquaint you that it not being thought any longer necessary to keep the troops under your command together, His Matie orders that you do according to the power you already have for this purpose to dispose the troops in Quarters in such places as you may judge best for His Majesty's Service with all the regard that will admit of for the ease of the Inhabitants in the respective towns where they |