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- Herausgeber: McNidder and Grace
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Sprache: Englisch
This highly readable illustrated biography on the Percy Tenantry Volunteers has been written with exclusive access to the current Duke of Northumberland's treasure trove of archive records. This book is for anyone interested in military history, especially Revolutionary and the Napoleonic war period, and for those looking at the local history of Northumberland, and especially Alnwick Castle. The history of Britain's conflict with France between 1793 and 1815 is well documented. Nevertheless, one aspect that has scant coverage, is that of the role of Volunteers. In 1798, afraid of impending invasion by France's all-conquering armies the British desperately needed to defend their shores. To The Call of Bugles reveals, for the first time, how among those who stood forward in Home Guard style military bodies, there was no finer example than that of the valiant Percy Tenantry Volunteers, created by the 2nd Duke of Northumberland, General Hugh Percy. This amateur body of men, 1,500 strong, consisting of cavalry, artillery and riflemen, was put together, trained, armed, dressed and operated by General Hugh Percy. This book provides stories from the original volunteers, an in-depth understanding of how such a corps was organised and reveals how they were fashioned into an elite and innovative fighting force.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Contents
Foreword
The evolution of British regiments is well documented, but far less well understood are the volunteer corps, formed of ordinary men prepared to down the tools of their trade and fight to protect their country and families from the real threat of invasion by foreign revolutionary forces.
Fortunately, the archives at Alnwick Castle holds detailed information about such a force raised by Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, a general in the British army with considerable military experience in both Europe and America.
Bill Openshaw has drawn on this wealth of material; his excellent, well researched book on the Percy Tenantry Volunteers fills a gap in our knowledge of military history and provides a fascinating account of a dangerous period when Europe’s troubles threatened to spill onto our shores.
Ralph Percy, Duke of Northumberland, July 2023viii
Introduction
The beginning of the French Revolution found support among many in Britain. Growing numbers of radicals and dissenters were questioning the old order and seeking political and social reform. Conversely, there were those across all sections of society who stood firm. Preferring to maintain the status quo, many publicly demonstrated their loyalty by forming themselves into Loyal Associations. Then the execution of Louis XVI in 1793, shortly followed by a French declaration of war on Britain, served to dampen the cause of the radicals and strengthen that of the loyalists.
Only ten years earlier the British had amassed large debts attempting to hold on to her colonies during the American Revolution, and another war would not be welcome. The French themselves had joined in that war, allying themselves with the Americans and sending military forces to assist them. As a result of the French entering the affray, Irish insurgency and invasion fears of the early 1780s, Britain’s response was to allow the raising of volunteers, to counter threats of civil unrest or invasion. The British Army at this new point was all too small to protect an empire from an enemy with vast numbers. In an attempt to resolve this problem, quotas for the county militias were increased as they were again embodied, and a new Volunteer Act was passed in 1794. As a result, many of the Loyal Associations were accepted by the government to form themselves into armed associations.
In Europe, this was a period known as the War of the First Coalition, a series of attacks in response to the Revolution and the new French republic. By 1798, however, Britain found herself alone after the European powers had settled for peace, enabling the French to concentrate an invasion force along the coast of the English Channel. With the imminent threat of invasion, more volunteer forces were now raised through a further Volunteer Act, as Britain prepared for the worst. Throughout the kingdom, many thousands of men stood forward in laying down their tools of trade and took up muskets, swords or pikes. Determined to defend their homes and families from murderous revolutionaries, they freely underwent training in the use of weapons and military exercises. Nevertheless, apart from an incursion into Wales and a small-scale invasion of Ireland, the enemy did not appear. 2A peace treaty was signed between the old adversaries in 1802 and the volunteers were accordingly stood down. That peace was to be short-lived and the following year Britain was to declare war on the French and their new leader, Napoleon Bonaparte. Once more the nation turned to its volunteers to stand, only this time, they would form up in greater numbers than ever before.
The Percy Tenantry Volunteers (PTV) were only one of hundreds of volunteer corps and armed associations that sprung up in every part of the United Kingdom. The coasts of Britain in particular, became awash with uniformed men of the regular army, militia, volunteers and other military bodies – and the northern county of Northumberland, with its low laying beaches, was no different. Within that county alone, there were over a dozen volunteer corps raised, from Tyneside to the Scottish Border. The history of these men has to an extent, been forgotten and they have often been described as the Napoleonic Dad’s Army. Much like the Home Guard of the Second World War, they have been looked upon as comic old men and inexperienced youths. In truth, the Home Guard do not deserve this image and it does not necessarily reflect the effectiveness of how this force may have conducted themselves, had they been called upon to do so. The British volunteers of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were similarly represented, even in their own lifetime, by the likes of the cartoonist Thomas Rowlandson. Unlike the Home Guard, who were often above the age of conscription, these volunteers were men of all ages, armed and trained in a range of ways, from men with no military expertise to ex-soldiers and hence the effectiveness of many does have to be questioned. Conversely, there were a number of volunteer corps who were highly trained in the use of both their arms and in the latest military tactics of the time. The Percy Tenantry Volunteers would certainly fall into the latter category.
The story of the Percy Tenantry Volunteers cannot be understood without an insight into the experiences and military understanding of the man who established them. Hugh Percy, 2nd Duke of Northumberland, was not only one of the wealthiest men in the country but a full General in the British army. He was much experienced in the art of war, serving in both Europe and America, but undoubtedly, it was one particular encounter that would forge in his mind how his volunteer force would operate. As Brigadier General, Hugh Percy led the relief column at the Battle of Lexington in 1775 and saved the army from a humiliating defeat. The day’s fighting would prove to be a harsh lesson to the British army and one that Percy would fully embrace. Unfortunately for Percy, his military career did not blossom 3as perhaps it should have done, due to his political stance, military jealousy and, arguably, his own pride. Nevertheless, he was a forward-thinking officer and remained highly thought of by some who trusted his counsel. Men such as the Mohawk leader Joseph Brant, or General J G Simcoe of American Revolution fame and even the Prince of Wales himself, were but a few who turned to him for advice. Beloved by those who served under him, he would shape his volunteers into a unique and innovative corps.
At the home of the current Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick Castle, there lies a treasure of documentation that has now been fully scrutinised for the first time in over 200 years. It was not a typical volunteer organisation of the period, but the amassed information along with other sources allows for an in-depth understanding, within a local and national context, of how this amateur body of men – cavalry, artillery and riflemen – was put together, trained, armed, dressed and operated, and also reveals the stories of the men themselves.4
Chapter One
Thorighwegeri – The Warrior Duke
It would be difficult to fully understand how the Percy Tenantry Volunteers came into being without knowing something about the man who created them. Hugh Percy’s own life, experience and military theories, all conjoin to explain the manner in which they would be employed.
Thorighwegeri, better known to us as Hugh Percy, entered the world with neither of these names. Born on 14 August 1742, he was named Hugh Smithson, the firstborn son of Sir Hugh Smithson and Elizabeth Seymour, daughter of the Duke of Somerset. On the death of her father, Elizabeth became the heir to the Percy estates, via her maternal great-grandfather, and inherited much of the Seymour and Percy wealth. Her father’s titles, Baron Warkworth and Earl of Northumberland, now passed to her husband, Sir Hugh Smithson, and their eight-year-old son, Hugh Smithson, now became Lord Warkworth. Her husband took his wife’s ancestral name of Percy, through an act of Parliament, and so restored the ancient line. For his service to the King and Government, which included two years as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Sir Hugh Percy was created Duke of Northumberland in 1766. This in turn brought the additional title of Earl Percy to the younger Hugh, a name that would make its mark in the history of the United States. His Mohawk name of Thorighwegeri is one that he would be given while in America. Upon the death of his father in 1786, he became the 2nd Duke of Northumberland.
An unlikely soldier
The young Hugh Percy was educated at Eton from 1753 to 1758, but did not complete his academic education until a few years later. With the Seven Years’ War now in full swing, the 17-year-old opted to join the army and on 1 May 1759, he was commissioned as an ensign in the 24th Regiment of Foot. However, he had hardly taken up this post before he discovered that a new regiment was being formed. The Royal Volunteers, or 85th Regiment of Foot, were to become the first light infantry regiment in the British army. Whether it was the uniqueness of their designation as light troops or the 6chance of purchasing a higher rank, Percy acquired a captaincy in the new regiment. Whatever his motivation, Percy would later champion light infantry tactics and adopt them for his own volunteer corps.
The decision to enter the army was not one encouraged by his father because it was not a conventional one. Among the nobility, it was generally accepted that since the eldest son would inherit both titles and landed estates, the younger sons would enter the military or the church. In young Percy’s case, there was another, very valid reason why it seemed a poor choice of career. Throughout his life he was plagued by poor health. For instance, aged only 19, he found it necessary to visit Bristol and partake of the hot spring waters. It was said that he was suffering from an ‘incessant teasing cough, sweating’s, flying stitching’s and loss of appetite, languor and wasting’ – symptoms that may indicate consumption. He was described as being thin, bony and unable to read in candlelight and suffered the lifelong ailment of rheumatic gout. He was a victim of frequent episodes, which would often render him incapable of doing anything and would ultimately be the cause of his death in 1817. Such descriptions hardly create an image of a mighty warrior, but young Percy would show that he had a very shrewd and progressive military mind.
All of the captains of this new corps, including Lord Warkworth and the future General Cornwallis, both of whom would later serve in America, were given the task of recruitment. The regiment was to be formed from only suitable volunteers for this elite regiment and there was none to be taken by impressment, or any other known dubious methods of the time. The Colonel of the regiment, John Crauford, specified that they were to enlist:
… none but such as are perfectly capable of doing all the duties of a soldier; for this reason, he wishes no man may be entertained under 5 feet 4 inches high without shoes. But if the Recruiting Officers shall find he is likely to grow or is otherwise remarkably well made he may accept him at 5 feet 3 inches.
Furthermore, the colonel advised that to attract the right kind of men, the bounty should be increased ‘a guinea or two more,’ adding: ‘The eyes of all England are fixed upon us, & if we are not successful in getting men, we shall make a bad figure.’ One company being recruited in Gloucester were seeking marksmen from the Forest of Dean in particular but were offering only two guineas as a bounty. Nonetheless, any man demonstrating that he had ‘dexterity in shooting at a mark’, would be rewarded with an extra guinea 7and a ‘warm flannel waistcoat’. On his part, Captain Percy was happy to entice men with a bounty of five guineas, as opposed to the standard three. It would appear, however, that even this was not attractive enough. A Sergeant Sheldon, recruiting in Leeds for Lord Warkworth, reported that some of the men were well contented with the money until the following morning when they ‘repented’ and wanted to return their bounty. Fortunately for them, they had not taken the oath of allegiance, and so were not bound by their decisions of the night before and were free to walk away. Nor was it just the young men that were attracted by the prize. According to one newspaper account, a young girl in Scotland disguised herself in men’s clothing and took the bounty money to join the Royal Volunteers. During the night she made off but was caught a few days later and had to give the money back. Despite these setbacks, the recruiting sergeant was able to report to Percy:
I have enlisted 13 good recruits … people in this country loves money, the five Guineas which my Lord allows turned everyone’s attention upon me, along with your uncommon uniform which affected the eyes of everyone there & still continue a wonder as I only wear it on market days.
Clearly it was not just dangling the carrot of money that appealed to the young men, but the elite style of light infantry uniform. While the sergeant was tempting the men of Yorkshire, Lord Warkworth was himself recruiting in Northumberland. Many years later Percy would recall that the very first man he recruited was Patrick Venus, a miller from the outskirts of Alnwick. The Regimental recruiting book verifies his memory and Venus would later serve in the Percy Tenantry Infantry and Riflemen.
In many previous biographies of the 2nd Duke of Northumberland, it has been noted that he served with distinction at the battles of Bergen and Minden. While it may seem fitting that this young officer earned his spurs in these distinctive actions, this alas cannot be so. The Battle of Bergen was fought in April 1759 before Percy entered the army and there is no evidence to suggest he was present. Minden occurred on 1 August, only two days after Percy had recruited Patrick Venus in Alnwick. Surprisingly, this was the first time that Lord Warkworth and his younger brother Algernon had set foot in Northumberland. Over the following months the Royal Volunteers were in training, with two of their companies situated in Durham and engaged in field exercises for eight hours a day. One officer described the city as being ‘very costly, though otherwise pleasant,’ and remarked that the ‘politeness and affability of its inhabitants’ could not be surpassed. It can therefore be 8assumed that much of Percy’s time, over the autumn and winter months, was likewise taken up with the instruction of his company who were said to be quartered in Newcastle. As 2nd Duke, he would later recollect that he and his men were the first soldiers to occupy the new barracks at Tynemouth. He had cause to remember, as many of the officers and men had caught ‘violent fevers’, on account of the dampness. By the spring of 1760 he had left the north-east and had returned, at least part time, to his education at St Johns Cambridge. Here, an early report of his academic abilities provides some insight into the kind of student he was:
… he wants very little assistance from his teachers & yet he appears desirous of receiving it … nothing can be more exemplary than his whole conduct & his amiable disposition.
Only six months later, Percy’s thirst to continue his military education got the better of him.
Europe beckons
In June 1760, the press reported that Lord Warkworth was not to go with his regiment to Guadeloupe, but had been given leave to go to Germany as a volunteer in the army of Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. If this was true, could it be that Percy’s father, the Earl of Northumberland, had caught wind of the regiment’s posting and arranged for his son to travel to the continent? During this period, tropical diseases in the West Indies inflicted a high mortality rate among the soldiers and hence a posting here could be akin to a death sentence. Allowing Percy to go to Germany was, therefore, perhaps the lesser of two evils, although, as it turned out, the Royal Volunteers were not sent to the West Indies. Nonetheless, the following year they would see action and serve with distinction in the Spanish Peninsula, but without Captain Percy.
With his baggage train of ten horses, Percy landed on the continent on 22 June and immediately wrote to his father:
Dear Papa, we set sail from Harwich on Tuesday last & had a very pleasant passage here where we landed this morning. Thursday was the only bad day we have had, it blew very hard that day & the ship was quite full of water 3 or 4 times. I was the only person who was not sick on board.
9It would appear that perhaps a military life might just be the making of this frail young man. Lord Warkworth finally caught up with the part of Prince Ferdinand’s army camped at Sachsenhausen on 18 July. Here, the British contingent was under the command of Lieutenant General John Manners, better known as the Marquis of Granby. Granby was a senior officer who emerged from the war with a great reputation for his leadership and courage. Moreover, he would be most remembered for the compassionate welfare of his troops. It is as a mark of respect that so many British inns and pubs were named after the Marquis of Granby, a name that can frequently be seen to this day. The young Lord Warkworth could have found no better military figure to emulate as he forged his military education. What may have made the relationship between master and pupil easier was the fact that Granby was actually Percy’s half uncle, so the two were already acquainted. Though Percy’s own reputation among his men for generous and humane treatment may well have been born out his own natural instincts, it is difficult to believe that Granby did not influence the young soldier in some measure.
Now that Percy was with the army, a suitable position had to be found for him. This was remedied by Lieutenant General John Waldegrave who took him on as a ‘supernumerary Aide de camp’ and reassured Warkworth’s father, the Earl of Northumberland, that he would ‘make it my study to make campaigning as agreeable to him as the profession will admit.’ Surviving notebooks made by Lord Warkworth from 24 July 1760, suggest that he was indeed acting in this capacity. In general, they record the daily orders and movements of the army etc., issued by Prince Ferdinand and Lord Granby as well as General Waldegrave. The 17-year-old Percy did not have to wait long to witness his first major encounter: on 31 July, a decisive battle occurred at Warburg. The allied army under Prince Ferdinand, inflicted a heavy and decisive defeat on the French. The Marquis of Granby played a major part in the victory, leading a cavalry charge against the enemy, which became known as one of British Cavalry’s finest moments. In some histories, it has been suggested that Percy himself took part in the charge – and while an exciting supposition, it is improbable. He wrote to his father a few days after the action making no mention of his involvement, his letter rather suggesting he was closer to the actions of the infantry, rather than the famous cavalry engagement:
The attack was made on the French in their own camp. In whatever the cavalry was deficient at the battle of Minden they thoroughly made up for this day … The troops that chiefly engaged were the British Grenadiers who 10fought more like lions than men … The rest of the British Infantry being encamped at some distance & having a hill to climb, up to their chins in standing corn, only came up time enough to see the dastardly French flying from our victorious cavalry.
The words written appear to be more of an observer rather than a participant in the battle. In addition to the written orders to be found in young Percy’s notebook, there are a number of sketched maps. Though primitive, they show he was already recognising their importance for military purposes. His developing cartography skills would prove invaluable in a future conflict.
Unfortunately, after September, there are no further surviving notebooks covering his time as ADC and so Lord Warkworth’s movements are somewhat sketchy. We do know that in October, Lord Granby received from London a letter exempting Percy from a recall to his regiment in England. Later that month he was to witness another battle but on the losing side. At Kloster Kamp on 16 October, the allied army engaged the French, the main attack being led by General Waldegrave. This being the case, it is likely that Percy was close to the action. Though a failure for the allied army, Waldegrave himself was praised along with the exemplary discipline of his grenadiers. Despite it being a victory for the French, it had come at a high cost. Percy reported the event to his father a few days later:
By the accounts we have, the French lost above 3 times as many as we did. I think we gave those regiments that joined fresh that day from France a very pretty reception.
From his comments, it could be taken that Percy was involved or very close to the encounter. It would be the last major action of the campaign before the opposing armies settled into their winter camps and in December, Lord Warkworth returned home to London.
The following March, according to one newspaper, Lord Warkworth was once more bound for the army in Germany. Whether there was truth in the report or not, by August, at home and again suffering from poor health, Percy and his tutor set off on the Grand Tour. Arriving at Naples via Gibraltar, he began a journal of his travels. It is quite apparent that though his father may have been pleased that he was away from the army, Percy himself still had military matters on his mind. This is exemplified with entries such as: ‘Their land forces consist of fifty battalions and thirty-two squadrons of well-disciplined soldiers containing in all fifty thousand men.’
11Over the next two years, wherever he travelled – including Constantinople, Malta and Italy – he made constant notes of soldiers, guns and fortifications. Quite clearly, he was seeing the world through military eyes. At one point he confessed to his father:
I am quite ashamed to show my face when I consider I am a young man whose profession is arms and that I am now travelling about for my pleasure.
As a historical sidenote, it may be of interest to learn that in 1763, while visiting Turin, Percy met and became acquainted with a certain Giacomo Casanova. While he makes no mention of this in his notebook, Casanova himself recounts their meeting. In return for an introduction to London society at Northumberland House, a deal was agreed whereby the young Percy could have a full liaison with Casanova’s mistress.
Settling down
Earl Percy and his tutor Lypiatt on the Grand Tour
In July 1763, Lord Warkworth arrived home after completing his Grand Tour. His absence however, had not completely meant the neglect of his 12military career and while abroad, he had taken the opportunity to purchase the Lieutenant Colonelcy of the 111th Regiment. Despite sounding impressive, it consisted of only three companies, one of these having an effective roll of just three men. Furthermore, three months prior to Percy’s return home, the regiment was disbanded. Nevertheless, while still on tour, he received the more noteworthy commission of Lieutenant Colonel in the 1st Foot, Grenadier Guards.
His homecoming would prove to be a busy year, with an engagement of marriage to Lady Anne Stuart, a daughter of the Earl of Bute. The marriage the following year would prove to be an unhappy one and due to her ‘criminal conversation’ with another man, it resulted in a very public divorce in 1779.
Additionally, Lord Warkworth’s return saw him elected MP for the City of Westminster. In celebration of this victory, the noble Lord had 12 butts of beer placed in Covent Garden to be distributed among his voters. However, a number of soldiers fresh back from the war defending British liberty, swore to take the liberty of helping themselves to the beer. A full-scale riot broke out, and after they had drunk all the beer they ‘quietly marched back to their quarters.’ Despite this minor setback, Percy took his responsibilities seriously; as the Prime Minister, George Grenville, commented on ‘Lord Warkworth’s constant and kind attendance.’ Percy patriotically informed his father that he would give the King a voice in Parliament and that ‘as a soldier, will be ever ready to risk his life.’ A statement that perhaps illuminates a yearning to follow his military passion, rather than that of a politician. Unfortunately for Percy, his political leanings would increasingly steer him further away from William Pitt’s government and perhaps hinder his later military aspirations.
Eighteen months after his election to Parliament, Percy was honoured with an appointment as an ADC to the King with the rank of Colonel. In 1766 when his father was created 1st Duke of Northumberland, it provided him with the new title of ‘Earl Percy’. Further military commissions were to follow two years later when he was made the Colonel of the Western Battalion of the Middlesex Militia, and in November, given command of the 5th Regiment of Foot.
The appointment of this new commander would become popular among the rank-and-file soldiers, so much so that the regiment would later take the name Northumberland Fusiliers in his honour. However, he had obtained the commission through his uncle and now Military Commander in Chief, the Marquis of Granby, and this was not received well with much 13of the military establishment. In an age when officers’ commissions were generally purchased, it was the norm that those who had served the longest would be preferred for these senior ranks. At the age of only 26 and with no real combat experience, Percy inevitably met some resentment. Many years later he would himself admit, ‘my appointment to the 5th of foot, as so young a Colonel excited great disapprobation in the Army.’ Though his very competent actions in America may have served to soften this bitterness, a number in military circles would forever carry a grudge.
The 5th of Foot had been quartered in Limerick, Ireland, for several years – since 1763 – and Colonel Hugh Percy set off to join his new regiment in January 1769, but the journey was not without incident. His four days passage from Holyhead was not a pleasant one and could have cost him his life. Having lost its masts in a storm, his ship struggled offshore at the mercy of the waves and very much in danger of being shipwrecked. Fortunately, all of the passengers and crew, bar one, eventually reached safety. On his arrival with the regiment, the newly appointed Colonel hosted a dinner for 14the officers to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. Here Percy was to learn of the excellent discipline record of the corps.
George Kirk’s medal of merit
Earl Percy 5th Foot
In order to promote an esprit de corps, a tradition had been established whereby company captains gave out small brass medals to those men with no court martials over the previous seven years. Any men who were punished, lost the right to wear such a distinction and tended to be shunned by their comrades. Such was the pride that had been instilled among the regiment, it was reported that in the previous seven months, not one man had been subject to military discipline. In order to further encourage such a record, Lord Percy decided that in addition to the brass order of merit, a silver one would be awarded to every man who had served with credit for 14 years. One such man to receive such recognition was George Kirk, who was awarded the silver medal by Percy for 21 years’ service and was later severely wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Invalided out of the army, he served as the gate porter at Alnwick castle for many years. His son Henry would serve as a driver in the Percy Artillery. The record of good discipline within the regiment would continue under Percy’s colonelcy. He displayed great reluctance to inflict any form of corporal punishment on any man, but rather sought to maintain military rule through kindly treatment. Thirty years later, the baton of this form of leadership would be taken up by Sir John Moore, who would train his light infantry regiments with a kindred ethos and would achieve similar results: his men proved effective soldiers in the war against Napoleon.
Despite the regiment being stationed in Ireland and the poor conditions they were living in, the soldiers had become renowned for their immaculate dress and good behaviour. In recognition of this, they were given the nickname The Shiners. It is perhaps therefore not surprising that there was some jealousy when Percy was appointed command of such a distinguished regiment. For the next five years, the regiment would remain in various parts of Ireland, where they would be used as revenue men and to suppress the frequent incidents of armed insurgents. Their Colonel would commute back and forth, dividing his time between the regiment, Parliament and occasional trips to Northumberland. In December 1773, an incident in the port of Boston, Massachusetts, was to set a fuse burning that would soon erupt into a revolution. It would become better known as the Boston Tea Party.
Protests had arisen in America over a number of taxes imposed by the British government on the colonists. The government responded by withdrawing the rights of self-government in Massachusetts. In Parliament itself, there was opposition to both the Stamp Act that had imposed the taxes 15and the response to the protests. Both the Duke of Northumberland and Earl Percy were among those who sympathised with the American colonials. Nevertheless, with the growing discontent in America, the 5th Foot was one of several Regiments ordered to prepare for service to that country. The Duke, being unhappy with the prospect of his son being sent there, was able to secure leave of absence for him. The Duchess herself was also said to be:
… much agitated that the heir of her family should have entered a so infamous a service as that against America. And it is thought, that business will produce as deadly a hatred as between the houses of Northumberland & Bute as ever fulfilled between the Percies & Douglas’s. [The Douglas’s were the traditional arch enemies of the Percies.]
Earl Percy, despite his political convictions, would have none of it. He was convinced that as commander of one of His Majesty’s regiments, his military responsibilities took precedence if he was to hold any respect. As the regiment prepared for America in the spring of 1774, Percy displayed further examples of his generosity and care towards his men. He presented to each NCO and private in his regiment ‘two check shirts, two pairs of trousers, two silk handkerchiefs etc.’ and ‘hired a ship at his own expense, to carry the wives and children of the above to America’. In addition, the press also reported that the Colonel, having discovered that a young cadet in his regiment was the son of a retired officer, purchased a commission for him as an ensign in the 5th Foot. Now fully equipped, Percy and his regiment embarked on 7 May, to begin their journey to the new world.
The Boston dinner party
The crossing of the Atlantic was not a good one for the British troops, who finally arrived in Boston after four weeks, on 5 July, 1774. Upon disembarking, Percy found himself in command of five regiments and three artillery companies, which were now camped on Boston Common. Many years later, one lady of that city would clearly remember the camp and in particular the British Officers. It was said that her favourite was Lord Percy who, despite his very privileged upbringing, slept in a tent among his comrades and shared the extremities of the weather. Often at dawn, she recounted, the sound of Earl Percy’s voice could be heard drilling the men. Whatever the truth of her recollection, there is no doubt that acting Brigadier Percy had a reputation for sharing the discomforts of his men. The Duchess of Northumberland 16herself wrote to her son in 1770: ‘I admire you for marching with your Regiment; I dare say you are the only man of your rank who ever performed such a journey on foot.’
As the year wore on and with the onset of winter, the army was at last found quarters, while Percy made his own arrangements. He informed his father:
What I feel myself the most comfortable in acquiring, is a good house to dine in … By this convenience I am enabled to ask the officers of the line & occasionally the Gentlemen of the country, to dine with me …I have always a table of 12 covers everyday. This, tho’ very expensive, is however very necessary.
A dinner hosted by the soon-to-be confirmed Brigadier General Percy was a welcome distraction for many officers and local gentlefolk. So renowned were these dinners that in 1907 a story entitled ‘Earl Percy’s dinner table’ was published, which recreated one such evening. Hugh Percy became acquainted with a number of people who would each make their own mark on the world. Each would owe at least some of their success to his patronage or influence of Percy, and what they shared in common was that all sat at some time around his table in Boston.
Roger Hale Sheaffe
Among the diners was a young Roger Hale Sheaffe, the young son of the widow in whose house Percy lodged and held his dinners. Earl Percy 17was able to find a position in the navy for the 11-yr-old, but after the boy suffered from ill health, purchased a commission for him as an ensign and paid for him to be educated in England. Sheaffe would continue to have the friendship and patronage of Percy throughout his life and correspond on military affairs. He would later win fame as the Major General who defeated the Americans at Queenston, Canada during the War of 1812.
A young Northumbrian seaman by the name of Cuthbert Collingwood also appears at Percy’s table in the short story. At the age of almost 27 and with 14 years of service at sea, he had yet to receive a promotion beyond his junior rank of midshipman and had arrived in Boston the year before while serving under Admiral Graves. Percy was known for entertaining officers of all ranks and so the notion of their meeting cannot be discounted – especially as there exists correspondence between the two men, albeit some years later. The supposition gains credence following Collingwood’s actions at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the summer of 1775. That bloody day he was detailed to support the British troops by leading a party of seamen to supply the ‘army with what was necessary for them.’ He and his men were presumably taking ammunition up to the fighting soldiers on the front line where he admits that he never witnessed a ‘greater struggle.’ For his part in the victory, Collingwood was awarded with his first promotion to the rank of a Lieutenant. Perhaps during the days afterwards this young naval officer was also rewarded with a seat at Percy’s table. This new lieutenant would of course later be immortalised for the part he played at the Battle of Trafalgar, as Admiral Lord Nelson’s second in command.
Another young officer who undoubtedly found a seat at the table was that of John Graves Simcoe. An ensign in the 35th Foot, he arrived in Boston just two days after the Battle of Bunker Hill. Simcoe’s grandfather was the vicar of Woodhorn in Northumberland and his father, born in County Durham, was a well-respected captain in the Royal Navy. In 1754, Captain Simcoe wrote a guide for young military officers entitled Maxims of Conduct which, if not read by Percy as a young man, certainly echoed his code of rules and ethics: though a sailor, the captain took an avid interest in all aspects of the military and often shared his thoughts with Percy’s father.
In Boston, Percy and the young John Simcoe formed a firm friendship, which would continue until Simcoe’s death in 1806. The young officer was soon promoted to Captain of the 40th Regiment and as such, served under Percy at New York and Harlem Heights. Simcoe would later gain legendary status with his elite force of the Queens Rangers. The success of their mode of warfare, as well as their uniform, may well have had some influence on how the Percy Tenantry were later modelled. Simcoe would become the first and arguably the most notable Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. In this position, he had to work with the Six Nations Indians who had relocated there following the American Revolutionary War. It was Percy, then Duke of Northumberland, who sent a letter of introduction to Joseph Brant, the spokesman for the Indians:18
J.G. Simcoe (McCord Stewart Museum)
I must particularly recommend the Colonel to you and the nation. He is a most intimate friend of mine, and is possessed of every good quality which can recommend him to your friendship. He is brave, humane, sensible and honest. You may safely rely upon whatever he says, for he will not deceive you. He loves and honours the Indians; whose noble sentiments so perfectly correspond with his own. He wishes to live upon the best terms with them, and, as Governor, will have it in his power to be of much service to them. In short, he is worthy to be a Mohawk. Love him at first for my sake and you will soon come to love him for his own.
Although Simcoe himself eventually gained the rank of Lieutenant General, he would still rely on his close friend Percy for advice on military matters. For instance, when Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, he took the counsel of the Duke in regards to the defence of that province, telling him: ‘Your Grace’s ideas relative to Lake Huron are perfectly just, & I am happy to say are the foundation of my system.’ With further thought to the defence of Canada, Percy offered to send Simcoe a model of a gunboat with a sliding keel that he had used when in America. He thought that if the engineering 19was transferred to warships, it would afford them greater accessibility of the waterways.
The inventor of the sliding keel, along with other maritime inventions, was John Schank, later to become Admiral. In 1774, having served 18 years as an able seaman and having recently become a midshipman, he had come to the attention of Percy in Boston. With the hospitality of the Earl being enjoyed by members of the local gentry, army and navy, this junior officer undoubtedly had a place at the table. It is said that his Lordship had discovered a taste for naval architecture and discussed shipbuilding with Schank. During one such conversation, Percy suggested that if cutters had flatter bottoms and their keels could descend to a greater depth, then they could sail much faster. After considering the suggestion, Schank concurred and put forward the idea of building such a boat, with a movable keel. The boat was built and proved to ‘answer all expectations.’ It would be another 25 years, however, before the Royal Navy took up the idea. Schank was eventually commissioned to build a ship built upon the same principles, which was used to survey the coast of Australia.
Lord Rawdon
Many more men would enjoy the friendship around Percy’s table, including the aristocrat Lord Francis Rawdon (later Earl Moira), who had abandoned his education to join the 5th Foot as a lieutenant and had followed the regiment to Boston. Rawdon would become another of Percy’s lifelong friends and after distinguishing himself at Bunker Hill, would attain both notable military and political careers. In 1803, he would become the 20commanding officer for the Northern District of Britain and responsible for regular and volunteer forces including the Percy Tenantry. His career would eventually see him become Governor of Bengal.
One young man who would certainly not have attended dinner was Bill Richmond. Various stories explain how the two men met on Staten Island in the summer of 1776, but the truth remains unclear. Richmond was a young slave who obtained his freedom due to the intervention of Percy. It has frequently been suggested that Percy took him in as a servant after hearing of the young man’s fighting prowess, while other theories tell of him joining the British army to procure his freedom. Whatever the truth, Richmond was taken back to England upon Percy’s return. Despite it being fashionable to have Black servants in aristocratic households, it was not the way of Earl Percy, who instead paid for him to receive an education in Yorkshire. Richmond was later taken on as an apprentice cabinetmaker in York before eventually moving to London. Due to persistent racist insults, it seems the young cabinetmaker found himself defending his honour by using his fists and before long, had acquired somewhat of a reputation as a pugilist. A new career in the world of boxing brought him much fame and admiration from even royalty, when he was chosen to be an usher at the coronation of George IV.
Attending the funeral of the Duke in 1817, Bill Richmond was described as being his ‘immediate attendant’ in America. Indicating that he was perhaps Percy’s military orderly
21The smell of powder
They came three thousand miles and died
To keep the past upon its throne
Unheard beyond the ocean tide
Their English mother made her moan.
[Gravestone Epitaph, North bridge, Concord, Massachusetts.]
Earl Percy may have arrived in Boston full of sympathy for the colonials, but it didn’t take long before his feelings were reversed. Only a month after his landing, he wrote home: ‘The people here are a set of sly, artful, hypocritical rascalls, cruel, & cowards. I must own I cannot but despise them completely.’ By September, as the state of affairs continued to worsen, he told his father:
Things here are now drawing to a crisis every day … They have taken up arms in almost every part of this Province … What makes an insurrection here always more formidable than in other places, is that there is a law of this Province, which obliges every inhabitant to be furnished with a firelock, bayonet, & pretty considerable quantity of ammunition. Besides which, every township is obliged by the same law to have a large magazine of all kinds of military stores.
Concerned over the quantities of arms and ammunition held by the Americans, the government banned the export of such items to the colony. In addition, General Gage had begun to send British troops to remove gunpowder from various stores in the area. This action served only to escalate the anger among the populace, with one incident near Boston causing Percy to report home:
A few days ago, they mustered 7000 men at Worcester, to which place they have conveyed about 20 pieces of cannon. In short, this country is now in as open a state of rebellion as Scotland was in the year 45’.
Further episodes occurred over the following months as tension rose, with one newspaper even reporting that Lord Percy had been killed. Writing home in December, he was able to announce that this was not the case and that, in fact, he had never been in better health.
As the months passed, there were no signs of any improvement in the stand-off between the forces of the crown and the rebellious citizens. The following April, intelligence was received by General Gage in Boston, that 22arms, munitions and other supplies were being stockpiled approximately 20 miles (32 kilometres) away, at the town of Concord. On the night of the 18th, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith was given orders to take a detachment of grenadiers and light infantry to that town and destroy the stores. It was not until about midnight that the force of around 700 men was rowed across the Charles River to begin their march. Smith was unaware that this supposedly secret expedition had been known about for many hours. Indeed, Percy himself had overheard the gossip in Boston earlier that afternoon. It wouldn’t be long before Smith concluded that the local inhabitants had been forewarned. After hearing the ringing of bells and the sound of gunfire, and appreciating that speed was now of the essence, he sent Major Pitcairn ahead with six companies of light infantry. It was also around this time that, concerned by the possibility of facing overwhelming hostile forces, he sent a message back to Boston calling for reinforcements. Meanwhile, according to Ensign Jeremy Lister of the 10th Foot, Pitcairn’s detachment arrived at 23Lexington at approximately 4.30 a.m. Awaiting them and lined up on the common was a company of American militiamen. What happened next remains somewhat confused.
It is generally accepted that Major Pitcairn ordered the militiamen to lay down their arms and disperse. With both sides being ordered not to fire, the response of the Americans was to stand their ground, and it is at this point that the controversy arises. According to Ensign Lister, the rebels ‘gave us a fire then run to get behind a wall’, to which the British replied with their own ‘salute’. While other versions of the event state that the British fired first, many modern historians believe that a single shot from an unknown source may well have been the cause of the first exchanges. Regardless of who fired first, a British volley was followed up with a bayonet charge, The encounter resulted in one wounded among the regulars versus seven or eight American dead and a number of wounded.
As Lieutenant Colonel Smith’s main force had by now caught up, the British continued on to Concord and proceeded to carry out searches. At the same time a number of the light infantry companies were sent out of the town in order to hunt for stores and secure two bridges. At the North Bridge, the British found themselves heavily outnumbered and facing a formed-up body of militiamen. After losing at least three men in the skirmishing that ensued, they were forced to fall back to Concord. Here, with rebel numbers now increasing and directing an incessant fire at almost every step, Smith had no choice but to fall back towards Lexington in hope of relief.
Lexington
To drive the deer with hound and horn
Earl Percy took his way;
The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day
The Ballad of Chevy Chase (English Traditional)
Back in Boston, it was not until around 5 a.m. that word was received by General Gage of Smith’s request for reinforcements. It had been presumed that Brigadier General Percy had been informed of the situation, but in truth he had not. The delay in assembling a relief force was further held up by having to wait for a contingent of Royal Marines to arrive, so it was some hours before they were ready to march. Finally, just before 9 a.m., around 1,000 men with two 6-pounder guns set off to support Smith. Lieutenant Frederick Mackenzie who was marching with the 23rd Fusiliers that day, recalled that: ‘In all the places we marched through and in the houses on the road, few or no people were to be seen; and the houses in general were shut up.’
As the relief column got within a few miles of Lexington, the sound of firing could be heard, which increased the nearer they got to the town. Arriving at about 2.30 p.m., Percy found Smith’s men falling back through the town and with very little ammunition left. His first response was to deploy his two guns on rising ground about a half mile outside of the town. The first shot from the cannon ‘had the desired effect and stopped the rebels for a little time.’ This caused a small pause, enabling Smith’s men to take a quick rest, eat a little Beef & Biscuit and take care of the wounded in Munroe’s Tavern, which served as a field hospital. With more of the rebel militia and minute men pouring into the area, time was now of the essence, and within less than an hour the British were on the move again, retreating towards Boston. Smith’s spent force of light and grenadier companies moved out first, while Percy’s men provided flanking parties to keep the enemy at a distance. The formidable Welch Fusiliers were utilised to act as a rear guard. Marching in such a formation created a moving, defensive square. The Royal Marines were placed in the centre as a reserve, which would enable them to be sent to any weak points. This mode of operation proved crucial: in his official account to General Gage, Percy later reported ‘there was not a stone-wall, or house, though before in appearance evacuated, from whence the Rebels did not fire upon us.’ Apart from at Concord North Bridge where 24the Militia outnumbered the British, there was no attempt to form up in a regular manner, as again noted:
During the whole affair the Rebels attacked us in a very scattered, irregular manner, but with perseverance & resolution, nor did they ever dare to form into any regular body. Indeed, they knew too well what was proper, to do so.
Despite the ever-growing numbers of militiamen, General William Heath, who by now had taken command of the colonial forces, was very well aware that a regular frontal attack on the British would be a mistake. A farmer by trade, Heath had no real military experience but was well read in military matters. With a ready supply of ammunition to hand, Heath gave instructions for the militia and minutemen to keep their distance and work on the flanks of the retreating British. He also ordered the occupation of houses along the route from where snipers would be better positioned to inflict casualties on the Crown forces. In addition to this wearing down process, Heath had directed that a large number of the militia assemble at Cambridge and disable the bridge over the River Charles. This in effect would cut off the British from Boston. Being then surrounded, they would likely be annihilated, or at the least, forced into an embarrassing surrender.
For Percy’s column, it was going to be a fight for their lives. As they began the slow retreat, in the rear, Ensign Mackenzie of the 23rd Royal Welch Regiment described the scene:
… before the column had advanced a mile on the road, we were fired at from all quarters, but particularly from the houses on the roadside and the adjacent stone walls. Several of the troops were killed and wounded in this way and the soldiers were so enraged at suffering from an unseen Enemy, that they forced open many of the houses from which the fire proceeded and put to death all those found in them.
The further the column reached along the road, the more intense the firing as enemy numbers, guided by the gunfire, continued to increase. A mile further on, the now wounded Ensign Jeremy Lister, who had taken to horseback, was forced to dismount as the balls whistled around his ears. He and other wounded men were forced to shield themselves by walking at one side of the horse to cover themselves.
At about 4.30 p.m., as the British reached the outskirts of Menotomy, an ambush lay in wait. With several more militia companies now entering the 25fray, it became even more of a bloody fight. As rebels fired from houses upon the advanced British units, orders were given to clear the buildings. Percy’s men had started the day with only 36 rounds in their pouches, which was by now, understandably much diminished. The situation was even worse for Smith’s men who had expended most of their ammunition before Percy had relieved them. With few or no cartridges to fire, the redcoats had to attack the buildings at the point of the bayonet, and hence there was much bloody hand-to-hand combat. Such was the mayhem that British soldiers were accused of atrocities by killing ‘civilians’ in such a manner. The plain truth is that they were fighting for their lives, though it cannot be discounted that some acted without mercy towards unarmed inhabitants. Conversely, the British claimed that there had been regulars scalped and other savage actions inflicted by the rebels. Such accusations on both sides only served to fuel the cruelty. An unknown British soldier described what he had witnessed:
… even women had firelocks one was seen to fire a blunderbuss between her father and husband from a window; where they three with an infant soon suffered the fury of the day. In another house which was long defended by 8 resolute fellows the Grenadiers at last got possession when after running their bayonets into 7.
The usually quiet town became a place of chaos and carnage. The British flanking parties managed to surround some of the rebels with only one result. In the bedlam, some soldiers resorted to plundering and wanton destruction which again, only led to further inflaming the colonials. However, through the use of the artillery and the street-fighting tactics with which the regulars were well practised, Percy’s column managed to break through the town. It had been the site of the most intense and desperate fighting so far. Even Percy himself gained some admiration towards the Provisionals for their ‘spirit of enthusiasm’, and spoke of how:
… many of them concealed themselves in houses, & advanced within 10 yds. to fire at me & other officers, tho’ they were morally certain of being put to death themselves in an instant.
Unlike Ensign Lister, Percy had remained mounted for the whole of the withdrawal in order to show that he was still in command and to encourage the discipline of his men. This example of coolness under fire also drew the attention of the enemy, and he was lucky to come away with his life. 26He cheated death or wounding on at least two occasions during the action when his horse was wounded, it also being reported that a musket ball took a button off his waistcoat, leaving only a mark.
As the column continued on its route, the hard-worked Welch Fusiliers were replaced as the rear guard by the party of Royal Marines. Things would not get easier, however, and as the Brigade pushed on towards Cambridge, the fire from the hidden rebels only increased. Several newly arrived militia regiments did form up into line at one point but were soon dispersed as once again Percy deployed his two guns. The bloodletting continued as the rebels attempted to block and barricade the roads, only to be swept aside by the British flankers. In Cambridge itself, a large number of militiamen had disabled the only available bridge into Boston by taking up the planks, and now awaited their prey. It looked like Percy was heading into a trap that would finally defeat him.
Late in the afternoon and as the sun lowered in the sky, Brigadier General Percy gave perhaps the most important order of the day. His brigade was to turn left down Kent Lane and not into Cambridge. This little-known road turned out to be an escape route for the beleaguered British. It would lead them to Charlestown, where they could be ferried across the river to Boston under the protection of warships. There was still fighting to contend with, but as the column drew near to the safety of Charlestown, ‘the rebels fire ceased they not having it in their power to pursue us any further in their skulking way behind hedges and walls.’ As the men drew up on Bunker Hill, little did they know it would become the site of another bloody battlefield. But for now, they were safe.
Percy came out of the whole affair with great credit in the eyes of both his superiors and even the enemy. Lord Dartmouth, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, informed Percy’s father: ‘Ld Percy has acquired great honour, he was in every place of danger, cool, deliberate, & wise in all his orders.’ Notwithstanding a report that Percy ‘was missing and his body supposed burned with the other dead,’ he was alive and well. Having had his mettle tested and been taught a valuable lesson, he reported to General Gage:
