From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
Three battalions were raised from among the Royal arriving at St Helens, Isle of Wight on 31 December.[1]
Marines during the Napoleonic Wars; seeing combat in The right wing (aboard Fox and Venerable) received or-
Portugal, Northern Spain, the Netherlands and North ders to proceed to Plymouth on 6 January 1813, where
America. the battalion was to perform garrison duty at Plymouth
and to prepare for imminent deployment to North Amer-
The First Battalion ica.
The 1st Battalion embarked (on the ships Diadem[2]
The 1st battalion formed at Plymouth on 29 November (1st to 5th companies) and Diomede[3] (6th to 8th compa-
1810 under the command of Major Richard Williams. It nies and artillery) on 30 March, set sail on 7 April, and
consisted of six companies, plus an attached company of arrived in Bermuda on 29 May 1813. There it and the in-
Royal Marine Artillery. It embarked, arriving in Lisbon on fantry already present were formed into two brigades.
8 December 1810. On 25 June, the 1st Battalion participated in the at-
The battalion grew to eight companies, plus the at- tack on Hampton, Virginia. On 13 July, the Marine Bat-
tached artillery company. It left Portugal in February talions were involved in the occupation of Ocracoake and
1812, and disembarked at Portsmouth. There it remained Portsmouth, and engaged in the occupation of Kent Is-
until 6 June 1812, when it embarked aboard HMS Diadem. land on 7 August. Later in the year, the 1st Battalion went
The battalion arrived off the coast near Santona on 15 to Ile aux Noix, south of Montreal in Canada, while the
June, and was involved in the attack on the fort at Castro- 2nd Battalion went to Prescott, on the Saint Lawrence
Urdiales. The fort’s garrison of two companies of infantry River.
capitulated on 8 July, the French having evacuated the A detachment of the 1st Battalion, under Lieutenants
town the day before. On 10 July, the battalion re-em- Caldwell and Barton, was present at the Battle of Lacolle
barked, intending to go to Portugalete, but returned to Mills (1814). On 16 August 1814, orders were received
Castro shortly afterwards. The French, unawares that the for the battalion to be ’disposed for Naval service’; the
marines had returned, launched an unsuccessful greater part of the battalion to go to Lake Ontario, the
counter-attack against the fort’s Bilbao gate. Major Wil- smaller element to go to Lake Champlain.
liams was appointed commander of the fort on 30 July.
The Royal Navy attacked Santander from 30 July on-
wards, with the French evacuating the town on 3 August.
The Second Battalion
The first six companies of the 1st battalion embarked for
Santander to support the attack and arrived on 4 August. July 1812 to May 1814
This force re-embarked on 10 July for an intended attack The Second Battalion was formed at Chatham, and de-
on Gitaya, its destination changing to Portugalete, where ployed to Portsmouth in July 1812. It consisted of six
it arrived on 12 August. After the marines had destroyed companies under the command of Major James Malcolm.
a fort that the French had abandoned, the marines re- On 15 August, the battalion embarked aboard HMS Fox
embarked and returned to Santander. (3rd to 6th companies) and HMS Latona (1st and 2nd)
The force disembarked at Zumaia on 18 August, along companies),[4][5] to deploy in Northern Spain under the
with the 2nd battalion. The artillery companies of both command of the squadron of Home Riggs Popham. The
battalions deployed opposite the rock of Getaria. Both battalion disembarked at Zumaia on 18 August, and
battalions held the area until ordered to re-embark on 20 joined up with Spanish forces under the command of
September. Francisco de Longa. The battalion re-embarked on 20
During October, the 1st battalion was deployed before September, and were landed at Santander on 28 Septem-
Santona, at Castello. The news that a French division was ber.
approaching to reinforce the 1,500 men garrison at San- Further reinforcements for the battalion disem-
tona led to the recall of the battalion on 1 November. barked soon after Diadem arrived on 29 November at San-
However, the recall was countermanded and the battal- tander,[Note 1] resulting in two companies being added
ion resumed its positions; it returned to Santander on 14 and another company of artillery being formed.[7] Some
December. of the reinforcements had returned from garrison duty
On 21 December the 1st battalion, which numbered on the island of Anholt, Denmark.
536 rank and file, and its artillery company sailed from On 21 December the 2nd battalion sailed from San-
Santander in HMS Fox, HMS Latona, and HMS Venerable, tander, along with the left wing of the 1st battalion,
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
aboard Latona, arriving in Cawsand Bay on 4 January.[8] more. Also present during the campaign was a composite
Diadem carried the 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th & 10th companies,[9] battalion of Marines, formed from ships’ Marine detach-
HMS Iris carried the 2nd Battalion’s artillery company ments, frequently led by Captain John Robyns. A compos-
(Captain Parke) and supplemental company (Captain ite battalion also took part in the Battle of New Orleans,
Wilkinson),[Note 2] with the remainder of the battalion (5 under the command of Brevet Major Thomas Adair.
companies) embarked upon the transports Whitton and Following the failure of the British attack against Fort
Mariner, leaving the town to Spanish forces commanded McHenry on 13 September, the 2nd and 3rd Marine bat-
by General Mendizabal. The surviving muster lists show talions proceeded to Tangier Island, where a barracks for
the Marines disembarked at Plymouth on 7 January 1813. 600 men was created on the understanding they would be
Given the heterogeneous nature of the battalion, and spending the winter on the island.
its deployment in Spain immediately after inception, Ma- Orders were received on 11 December to embark, the
jor Malcolm felt that the 2nd Battalion was lacking in Marines later disembarking on Cumberland Island on 10
discipline.[7] He requested that the 2nd Battalion be de- January 1815, along with the 1st Battalion and two com-
ployed to the barracks at Berry Head Fort in Torbay, so panies of the 2nd West India Regiment. Thereafter, this
that drilling of the unit would result in better discipline force attacked Fort Peter on the 13th January, subse-
and cohesion. The 2nd Battalion was dispatched to Berry quently marching on the town of St. Marys, and occupy-
Head on 14 January aboard HMS Diadem[9] and HMS La- ing it for about a week, before retiring to Cumberland Is-
tona, having boarded on 12 January. Within a month of land.
the battalion’s arrival in Berry Head Fort, the intensive
drill bore fruit.[11]
The 2nd Battalion embarked on the ships HMS Romu-
The Third Battalion
lus (1st, 7th and 8th companies and 35 artillerymen),[12]
HMS Nemesis,[13] and HMS Fox[14] on 30 March, set sail December 1813 to August 1814
on 7 April with the ships carrying the 1st Battalion and After Napoleon’s defeat at Leipzig in October 1813, the
HMS Superb (which was carrying troops of the 8th Royal French troops retreated to France. A provisional govern-
Veteran Battalion) and arrived in Bermuda on 29 May, ment was formed, the Driemanschap, which invited the
where the Marines and the Royal Veterans, with the two exiled Prince William VI of Orange to The Hague.
Independent Companies of Foreigners already present A token British force accompanied the Prince of
upon the island, were formed into two brigades. Orange to the Netherlands in November 1813. Most of the
The 2nd Battalion was employed alongside the 1st British army was fighting the Peninsular war, so the 2nd
Battalion until late in 1813, when the 2nd Battalion was Battalion 2nd Foot Guards[16] and several companies of
deployed to Prescott, on the Saint Lawrence River. On Marines[17] were hastily embarked at Deal. These compa-
6 May 1814, it participated in the Battle of Fort Oswego nies were to form the nucleus of the 3rd Battalion. A fur-
(1814). Its final engagement was the Battle of Big Sandy ther two companies of Marines arrived on 19 December,
Creek, where an element of the battalion was within the accompanied by Major George Lewis, who assumed com-
180 raiders. Thereafter, the battalion’s companies were mand of the Marines.
broken up and its men were dispersed among the This force was involved in fighting around
Squadron and Flotilla on Lake Ontario, as per orders from Krabbendijke, until Russian troops relieved them on 18
Commodore James Lucas Yeo. January. When the marines arrived in Portsmouth on 21
January, they were formed into the Third Battalion. The
From May 1814 battalion had an establishment of ten companies of 100
Following the order, the 2nd Battalion ceased to exist men, and one company of Royal Marine Artillery. The
as a fighting force. All that remained were the staff el- battalion was commanded by Major George Lewis, who
ements. When the 3rd Battalion arrived in Chesapeake, since 19 December 1813 had been the officer command-
they were renumbered as the 2nd Battalion and came un- ing the Marine companies deployed in the Netherlands.
der the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Malcolm The battalion embarked on 29 March, set sail on 7
(Royal Marines officer). Upon the orders of Vice Admi- April, and disembarked at Bermuda on 9 April. After a so-
ral Sir Alexander Cochrane, three of the ten companies journ, the battalion sailed for the Chesapeake on 30 June,
were detached from this unit, to become the regenerated and joined Admiral Cockburn’s squadron on 16 July.
3rd Battalion, under the command of Major Lewis. (These On the morning of 19 July, the battalion landed near
three compainies were commanded by Captain Clements, Leonardtown and advanced in concert with ships of the
Lt Connolly and Lt Stevens.[15]) squadron, causing the US forces to withdraw. The battal-
The recreated 2nd Battalion was present in the Che- ion was deployed to the south of the Potomac, moving
sapeake campaign, participating in the Battle of Bladens- down to Nomini. The battalion was subsequently landed
burg, the attack on Washington, and the Battle of Balti- at St Clements Bay on 23 July, Machodoc creek on 26th,
and Chaptico, Maryland on 30 July.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
The first week of August was spent raiding the en- [2] HMS Diadem Ship Muster 1813 Mar - 1814 Feb ADM
trance to the Yaocomico river, which concluded with the 37/3976
capture of four schooners at the town of Kinsale, Vir- [3] HMS Diomede Ship Muster 1813 Jan - Oct ADM 37/
ginia. On 7 August, the battalion stormed a gun battery of 4262
three artillery pieces, situated on the Coan River (a few [4] HMS Fox Ship Muster 1812 May - 1812 Oct ADM 37/
miles below the Yaocomico river). 3563
After Lieutenant Colonel James Malcolm arrived, the [5] HMS Latona Ship Muster 1812 Feb - 1813 Feb ADM
battalion was split into the reconstituted second battal- 37/3602
ion, and the third battalion (composed of Royal and Colo- [6] ADM 37/3345 a
nial Marines), as outlined below. [7] ^ Letters from Commandants at Plymouth
1813-1814 ADM 1/3278 folio 672
From September 1814 to 1815 [8] HMS Diadem Captain’s Log 1810 June 20–7 February
Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane ordered that three of 1815 ADM 51/2284
the ten companies from this unit become the nucleus [9] ^ HMS Diadem Ship Muster 1812 July - 1813 Mar
of a regenerated 3rd Battalion, under the command of ADM 37/3345
Major Lewis. The three companies of the Corps of Colo- [10] ADM 37/3596
nial Marines that had been formed at the start of the [11] Letters from Commandants in Town 1813-1814
year were incorporated into the 3rd Battalion. The Colo- ADM 1/3249 folio 143
nial Marines had made their combat debut on the raid [12] HMS Romulus Ship Muster 1812 July - 1813 Mar
on Pungoteague;[18] they then had carried out incursions ADM 37/3650
at Chesconessex Creek in June and Onancock in August. [13] HMS Nemesis Ship Muster shows entries 688 to 780
Prior to the establishment of the Corps, some of its men were for embarked Marines. There is no mention of
had been employed to good effect as scouts and guides their unit but 1st Lt Ch Pratt and 1st Lt Harrison
with raiding parties.[19] A company fought at the Battle are the two Marine officers present.
of Bladensburg and three companies fought at the Battle [14] HMS Fox Captain’s Log 23 May 1812 - 17 February
of North Point.[20] 1814 ADM 51/4450
During the Chesapeake campaign the 3rd Battalion [15] Muster sheets 3rd Battalion 1814 ADM 96/341
participated in the Battle of Bladensburg, the attack on [16] McKinnon, Daniel, 1833, Origins and Services of the
Washington, and the Battle of Baltimore. The attack on Coldstream Guards, Volume 2 pg 205
Washington cost the Navy one man killed and six wound- [17] Letters from Commandants at Chatham 1813-1814
ed, including one man of the Corps of Colonial Marines ADM 1/3261 folios 1343 & 1345 refer to 162 RMA
killed and three wounded.[21] and 555 Marines, all from the Chatham Division
The 3rd Battalion subsequently deployed to Tangier [18] http://easternshoreheritage.com/processions/
Island and to Cumberland Island along with the 1st and accomack/stg_11/household_1.htm
2nd Battalions. When news reached the troops that peace [19] http://www.1812va.org/files/Encounters.pdf
had been made, the 3rd Battalion embarked on 10 March, [20] http://www.dnr.state.md.us/naturalresource/
disembarking on Ireland Island, Bermuda, on 21 March. fall2008/battle.pdf
The battalion’s three Colonial companies settled on [21] London Gazette: no. 16939. pp. 1942–1943. 27
Trinidad. The three remaining companies of the original September 1814.
3rd Battalion returned to in England in 1815. Bibliography
• Paul Harris Nicolas (2010 [1845]): Historical Record of
the Royal Marine Forces, Volume 2, 1805-1842.
Notes BiblioBazaar, LLC ISBN 1142426831
[1] The HMS Diadem Ship Muster shows entries 3790 to • William James (naval historian) (2002 [1827]). The
4119 were for reinforcements embarked, of whom Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 6, 1811–1827.
94 marines had come via HMS Puissant, the Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-910-7
remainder via HMS Nemesis.[6] • William James (naval historian) (1818). A Full and
[2] The HMS Iris Ship Muster shows entries 999 to 1103 Correct Account of the Military Occurrences of the
were for embarked Marines.[10] Late War Between Great Britain and the United
States of America. Volume II. London: Published for
the Author. ISBN 0665357435.
References These books are accessible online via Google Books
[1] Letters from Marine Field Officers (Lieutenant
Colonels and Majors) 1807-1814 ADM 1/3318 folio
623
See also
• Corps of Colonial Marines
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
• Napoleonic Wars • 2nd Battalion Royal Marines historical re-enactment
• War of 1812 group old website
• 2nd Battalion historical re-enactment group events
External links for 2011
• Listing by surname of Royal Marines (2nd Battn, 3rd
• facebook page for 2nd Battalion Royal Marines Battn, Colonial Marines) paid prize money for
historical re-enactment group participating in the attack on Washington
• Article about Royal Marines on Napoleon-Series
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Categories:
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• Military units and formations of the War of 1812
• British military units and formations of the Napoleonic Wars
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