Napoleonic War Marines

Three Battalions Of The Royal Marines

The previous page was: "Lions Led By Donkeys"

Three Battalions were raised from among the Royal Marines during the Napoleonic Wars; seeing combat in Portugal, Northern Spain, the Netherlands and North America.

Read about each Battalion in turn; some raids or battles you will find are intermingled with other Battalions, who were also involved the same action.

The First Battalion

The 1st battalion was formed at Plymouth, on 29th November 1810, under the command of Major Richard Williams. It consisted of six companies, plus an attached company of Royal Marine Artillery. It embarked at Plymouth, arriving in Lisbon on the 8th December 1810.

The Battalion grew to eight companies, plus the attached artillery company expanded in seize. It left Portugal in February 1812, and disembarked at Portsmouth, England. There it remained until the start of the Napolionic Wars. Then on the 6th June 1812, it embarked aboard the "H.M.S. Diadem".

The Battalion arrived off the Spanish coast near Santona, on 15th June, and was involved in the attack on Fort San Martin, at Castro-Urdiales. The fort's garrison of two companies of infantry surrendered on the 8th July. The French having evacuated the town the day before, on seeing the English Fleet.

On the 10th July, the battalion re-embarked, intending to go to Portugalete, a town lying to the west of Bilbao in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country of northern Spain, but instead, they returned to the Fort at Castro-Urdiales shortly afterwards.

The French, unaware that the Marines had returned, launched a counter-attack against the fort's Bilbao gate, which failed. Major Williams R.M. was appointed commander of the fort on the 30th July.

Lions Led By Donkeys

Attack On Santander

The Royal Navy bombarded Santander from the sea from the 30th July onwards, and the French evacuated the town on 3rd August. The first six companies of the 1st Battalion Royal Marines who had embarked for Santander to support the attack; arrived in the town on the 4th August.

This force re-embarked for an intended attack on Getaria, it is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque region of nortern Spain, its destination was changed to Portugalete, where it arrived in the bay on 12th August.

The Marines destroyed the fort that the French had earlier abandoned, then the Marines re-embarked and returned to Santander.

Castro-Urdiales is a seaport of northern Spain, in the Cantabria region, situated on the tip of the bay of Biscay. Castro-Urdiales benefited much from trade with northern Europe and Castile. It was destroyed by the French in 1813, but was speedily rebuilt and fortified by the Spanish.

The 1st Battalion disembarked at Zumaia on the 18th August 1812, along with the 2nd R.M. Battalion, and the artillery companies of both battalions, who deployed opposite the rock of Getaria. The Force held the area until ordered to re-embark on the 20th September.

During late October, the 1st Battalion was deployed out-side of Santona, at Castello. When news reached them that a French Division was approaching to reinforce the 1,500 men garrison at Santona. It was then decided to recall the Battalion on the 1st November.

However, the recall was countermanded from above, and the Battalion resumed its positions; and fough on until, returning to Santander on 14th December.

On 21st December the 1st Battalion, which numbered 536 rank and file, and its artillery company sailed from Santander in "H.M.S. Fox" "H.M.S. Latona" and "H.M.S. Venerable" arriving at St Helens, Isle of Wight on the 31st December.

Marines And Pirates

The Troops aboard "Fox" and "Venerable" received orders to proceed to Plymouth, Devon. Arriving on the 6th January 1813, where the Battalion was to perform garrison duty at Plymouth and to prepare for the imminent deployment to North America.

The 1st Battalion embarked on the ships; with "Diadem" taking the 1st to 5th companies on board; and the "Diomede" taking the 6th to 8th companies and the artillery. They Boarded on the 30th March, and they set sail on the 7th April, arriving in Bermuda on the 29th May 1813.

There the Battalion and the infantry already present on the island, were formed into two Brigades. Then on the 25th June, the 1st Battalion participated in the attack on Hampton, Virginia.

Today, Hampton, claims to be the oldest continuously occupied English settlement in the United States. Hampton was named for Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, an important leader of the Virginia Company of London, for whom the Hampton River, the Hampton Roads, Southampton County and Northampton County were also named.

On 13th July, the Marine Battalions were involved in the occupation of Ocracoke and Portsmouth, Virginia, and were engaged in the occupation of Kent Island on 7th August.

In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh's colony, in their ship the "Tiger" collided with a sand bar in Ocracoke Inlet and were forced to land on the island for repairs.

However, remote Ocracoke Island was not permanently settled until 1750, it being a pirate haven at times before then. It was a favorite anchorage of Edward Teach, better known as the pirate Blackbeard. He was killed in November 1718.

Raiding And Fighting

Later in the year, the 1st Battalion went to Ile aux Noix, south of Montreal in Canada. Île aux Noix is an island on the Richelieu River in Quebec, close to Lake Champlain. The island is the site of Fort Lennox. It is part of Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix.

In the War of 1812, there was a race for naval superiority in the area which re-established the military importance of the island, which became the main base and support point for the British navy on this border.

The flagship of the British squadron on Lake Champlain, "H.M.S. Confiance" a 36 gun 5th rate frigate, became the largest vessel ever constructed at Ile aux Noix.

The 1st Battalion went to Prescott, on the Saint Lawrence River. Prescott is the home of Fort Wellington. During this war the, 1st Battalion troops who were stationed at Fort Wellington, crossed the frozen river and burned Ogdensburg in retaliation for an American raid further up the river.

The American citizens of Ogdensburg, who were profiting by supplying the British army with food and other necessities, drove out their own American military detachment after the raid so that they could continue doing business with the British army in Prescott.

A detachment of the 1st Battalion, under Lieutenants Caldwell and Barton, was present at the Second Battle of Lacolle Mills, which was fought on the 30th March 1814, during the same war. The small garrison of a British outpost position, aided by reinforcements of 1st Battalion Royal Marines, fought off a large American attacking Force.

On the 16th August 1814, orders were received for the battalion to be 'disposed for Naval service'; the greater part of the Battalion had to go to Lake Ontario, the smaller element going on to Lake Champlain.

The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. It was an Army land action and Naval sea action.

A British Army action under Lieutenant-General Sir George Prévost assisted by a naval squadron under Captain George Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, which was defended by a strong force of American troops under Brigadier-General Alexander Macomb, and ships commanded by Master-Commandant Thomas MacDonough.

Downie's squadron opened the attack shortly after dawn on the 11th September 1814, but was defeated after a hard fight in which Downie was killed. The Royal Marines in this action were the sea-service Marines of the ship's companies.

During the War of 1812, Kingston, (formerly 'Kings Town') Canada, was the base for the Lake Ontario division of the Great Lakes British naval fleet which was engaged in a vigorous arms race with the American fleet based at Sackett's Harbor, New York. Both were fighting for control of Lake Ontario.

The Second Battalion July 1812 To May 1814

The Second Battalion was formed at Chatham, and deployed to Canada, in July 1812. It consisted of six companies under the command of Major James Malcolm. On 15th August, the Battalion embarked aboard "H.M.S. Fox" and "H.M.S. Latona" with the the 3rd to 6th companies going on board.

The 1st and 2nd companies, had been deployed to Northern Spain under the command of the squadron of Home Riggs Popham. The Battalion disembarked at Zumaia, on the 18th August, and joined up with Spanish forces under the command of Francisco de Longa.

The Island Of Anholt, Denmark

Some of the reinforcements had returned from garrison duty on the island of Anholt, Denmark. The previous year the Danes had attempted to re-take the island. However, the Battle of Anholt, on the 27th March 1811, resulted in many Danish casualties and proved a decisive British victory.

Previously, on the 18th May 1809, the 74-gun Third Rate "H.M.S. Standard" under Captain Askew Hollis, led a squadron that also included the frigate "Owen Glendower" and together they captured the island.

A landing party of Royal Marines under the command of Captain William Selby of "Owen Glendower" with the assistance of Captain Edward Nicolls of the "Standard's" Royal Marines, were landed.

The Danish garrison of 170 men put up a sharp but ineffectual resistance that killed one British Marine and wounded two; when the garrison chose to surrender. The British then took immediate possession of the island.

Captain Nicolls, of the Royal Marines, who became the British Commander on the island, had heard of the plans to recapture Anholt. He deployed a gunboat, the "Grinder" to scout along the coast of Jutland whenever the weather was fair.

The watch-boat "Grinder" was also successful in capturing some small merchant vessels, until on the 13th April 1810, four Danish gunboats captured her.

In August 1810, the island of Anholt officially became a "stone frigate" of the Royal Navy and was notionally classified as a 50-gun ship. Although the island garrison consisted of only Royal Marines, it was a ship in the eyes of the Admiralty, and the officer commanding the Marines.

Captain Torrens of the Royal Marines, was ultimately accountable to Captain Maurice of the Royal Navy, the British governor on the island. This arrangement reflected the inequality of status between Royal Navy officers, and their Royal Marine counterparts.

On 24th March 1811, a Danish fleet of 18 gunboats with 1000 Danish Marines on board left Gjerild beach in Jutland, heading for the British base on Anholt, known as Fort York; which had been reinforced with artillery.

The Danes landed some 1000 troops in the darkness and fog and attempted to outflank the British positions. The Danes landed on the northern beach of Anholt early in the morning and marched towards Fort York, a bastion built in extension of the lighthouse and now manned by 380 British Royal Marines.

After a couple of failed attempts, the Danes launched a final attack on Fort York at 10 p.m. in the evening, led by a Major Melsted. With his raised sword, he led a charge by a small party of men towards the Fort, but a British bullet to the head ended his life, and settled the battle.

The battle cost the British only two killed and 30 wounded. The Danes lost their commander, three other officers, and 50 men killed. The British took, besides the wounded, five captains, nine lieutenants, and 504 rank and file Danish Marines as prisoners.

As a result of the Battle for Anholt, the Royal Marines won many supporters among senior naval officers which helped to further their cause for fairness in terms of service and officers promotion.

It was customary for senior officers to be presented with ceremonial swords, to commemorate significant victories. As well as Captain Maurice receiving a sword, Captain Torrens received two swords, one from his brother officers, and another from the Non-Commissionned Officers and Marines.

This latter sword was purchased by the Royal Marines Museum, on the 200th anniversary of the battle of Anholt, and all three are on display at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth.

2nd Battalion Reinforcements

On the 29th November, further reinforcements for the Battalion dis-embarked soon after the "Diadem" arrived at Santander, resulting in two companies being added and another company of artillery being formed.

On the 21st December the 2nd Battalion had re-embarked and sailed from Santander, along with troops of the 1st battalion, aboard the "Latona" arriving in Cawsand Bay, Cornwall, on the 4th January 1813.

"H.M.S.Diadem" carried the 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th & 10th companies, whilst "H.M.S. Iris" carried the 2nd Battalion's artillery company commanded by Captain Parke, and a supplemental company commanded by Captain Wilkinson, and the remainder of the Battalion with 5 companies, embarked on the transports, "Whitton" and "Mariner" leaving the town to Spanish forces commanded by General Mendizabal.

The surviving muster lists show that, the Marines disembarked at Plymouth on the 7th January 1813. Given the diverse nature of the Battalion, and its deployment in Spain immediately after inception, Major Malcolm felt that the 2nd Battalion was lacking in discipline.

He requested that the 2nd Battalion be deployed to the barracks at Berry Head Fort, in Torbay, so that drilling of the unit would result in better discipline and cohesion.

The 2nd Battalion was dispatched to Berry Head, and arrived on the 14th January aboard "H.M.S. Diadem" and "H.M.S. Latona" having boarded on 12th January. Within a month of the battalion's arrival in Berry Head Fort, the intensive drill bore fruit.

The Bermudas Or The Somers Isles

The 2nd Battalion fully trained up embarked on the ships "H.M.S. Romulus" with the 1st, 7th and 8th companies and 35 artillerymen aboard. "H.M.S. Nemesis" and "H.M.S. Fox" on 30th March, they set sail.

On 7th April with the ships carrying the 1st Battalion and "H.M.S. Superb" which was carrying troops of the 8th Royal Veteran Battalion, they arrived in Bermuda on 29th May, which is located in the Atlantic, off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass being Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Here the Marines and the Royal Veterans battalions, along with the two Independent Companies of Foreigners who were already present on the island, were formed into two Brigades.

The 2nd Battalion was employed alongside the 1st Battalion until late in 1813, when the 2nd Battalion was deployed to Prescott, on the Saint Lawrence River. On the 6th May 1814, it participated in the Battle of Fort Oswego.

Battle Of Fort Oswego

The British ships returned to Oswego at eleven o'clock the next morning; the landings proceeded. The landing force consisted of the 2nd Battalion of Royal Marines under Lieutenant-Colonel James Malcolm, a company of the Glengarry Light Infantry under Captain Alexander MacMillan, a company of the Regiment de Watteville and a detachment of 200 sailors armed with boarding pikes under Captain William Mulcaster.

Lieutenant-Colonel Victor Fischer, the commanding officer of the Regiment de Watteville, was in charge of the landing. Landing in deep water, their ammunition was soaked and made useless. Nevertheless, they fixed their bayonets and advanced under heavy fire.

The company of the Glengarry Light Infantry were tasked with clearing the woods to the left of the main attack while the Marines and sailors advanced on the village. The main body of the troops made a frontal attack against the fort.

American foot soldiers up on the slopes fell back into the fort as the attackers closed in, and when they reached the top of the slopes, the defenders abandoned the fort and fled.

Its final engagement was the Battle of Big Sandy Creek, where an element of the battalion was involved with the raiding parties. British Marines and Sailors mounted a "cutting-out" attack against the enemy but failed, with 180 marines and sailors being ambushed and captured at the Battle of Big Sandy Creek.

Thereafter, the battalion's companies were broken up and its men were dispersed among the Squadron and Flotilla on Lake Ontario, as per orders from Commodore James Lucas Yeo.

From May 1814, following the order, the 2nd Battalion ceased to exist as a fighting force. All that remained were the staff elements.

When The 3rd Battalion Arrived In Chesapeake

They were then renumbered as the 2nd R.M. Battalion and came under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel James Malcolm, a Royal Marines officer.

Upon the orders of Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, three of the ten companies were detached from this unit, to become the regenerated 3rd Battalion, under the command of Major Lewis. These three compainies were commanded by Captain Clements, Lt Connolly and Lt Stevens.

The recreated 2nd Battalion was present in the Chesapeake campaign, and participated in the Battle of Bladensburg, the attack on Washington, and the Battle of Baltimore.

The Battle of Bladensburg which took place during the War of 1812, was decided with the defeat of the American forces there, allowing the British to capture and burn the public buildings of Washington D.C.

For the first two years of the Napolionic War, the British had been preoccupied with the war against Napoleon Bonaparte on the continent of Europe. Although the Royal Navy had controlled Chesapeake Bay from early 1813, onwards.

Lack of troops restricted them to mounting comparatively small- scale raids, the largest of which was the Battle of Craney Island, which involved 2,000 troops from the British Army and the Royal Marines.

The Battle of Craney Island was a victory for the United States in the War of 1812, their success in the battle saved the city of Norfolk, Virginia, from a British invasion.

Attack On Washington D.C.

Rear Admiral Cockburn and British Army officers under his own command, decided to risk an attack on Washington. He might have taken the capital almost unopposed had he advanced on 23rd August, but instead he rested his men and organised his force.

He had four infantry battalions, a battalion of Royal Marines, a company of a Corps of Colonial Marines locally recruited from black refugees from slavery, a rocket brigade also from the Royal Marines, 50 Royal Sappers and Miners, 100 gunners from the Navy and 275 sailors to carry supplies. Rear Admiral Cockburn accompanied his force.

A hasty and disorganized American retreat led to the battle becoming known as the Bladensburg Races, from the 1816, poem. The American militia actually fled through the streets of Washington. President James Madison and most of the rest of the Federal Government who had been present at the battle, had nearly been captured.

They too fled the capital, and scattered throughout Maryland and Virginia. That same night the British entered Washington unopposed and set fire to many of the Government buildings in what became known as the 'Burning of Washington'. It has been called: "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms."

Also present during the campaign was a composite battalion of Marines, formed from ships' Marine detachments, frequently led by Captain John Robyns. A composite battalion also took part in the Battle of New Orleans, under the command of Brevet Major Thomas Adair.

The Battle Of New Orleans

This battle took place on the 8th January 1815, and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, now greatly increased in numbers, and commanded by Major-General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the Louisiana Purchase.

The Treaty of Ghent had been signed on 24th December 1814, but news of the peace would not reach the combatants until February. The battle of New Orleans, is widely regarded as the greatest American land victory of the war.

The Royal Marine Battalions at the naval base on Cumberland Island, who were intended to be used in the battle; were held back by bad weather and hampered by the lack of ships, which meant the Marines Fighting Force were unable to get to the battle.

The Star-Spangled Banner

Following the failure of the British attack against Fort McHenry on 13th September, the 2nd and 3rd Marine battalions proceeded to Tangier Island, where a barracks for 600 men was created on the understanding they would be spending the winter on the island.

Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in the Chesapeake Bay.

It was during this bombardment of the fort that Francis Scott Key, was inspired to write "The Star-Spangled Banner", the poem that would eventually be set to the tune of the "To Anacreon in Heaven", to become the national anthem of the United States.

Building Up Reserves

Orders were received on the 11th December, for the Marines to embark, they later disembarking on Cumberland Island on the 10th January 1815, along with the 1st Battalion and two companies of the 2nd West India Regiment.

Thereafter, this force attacked Fort Peter on the 13th January, subsequently marching on the town of St. Marys, and occupying it for about a week, before retiring once more to the naval base on Cumberland Island.

On 10th January 1815, British forces under the command of Admiral Sir George Cockburn landed on Cumberland Island in an effort to tie up American forces and keep them from joining other American forces to help defend New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast.

The British force consisted of the three Royal Marines Battalions of 560 men in the 1st & 2nd, plus the six companies of the 3rd, ships' detachments of Royal Marines from the squadron some 120 men and two companies from the 2nd West India Regiment of 190 men.

Bad weather, lack of materials and lack of ships delayed Cockburn until it was too late to produce any effect on the outcome of the Armies battle for New Orleans. Despite the U.S. victory at New Orleans, the occupation of Cumberland Island continued.

The 3rd Battalion

From December 1813, to August 1814, after Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig in October 1813, the French troops retreated to France. A provisional government was formed, which invited the exiled Prince William VI of Orange to The Hague.

A token British force accompanied the Prince of Orange to the Netherlands in November 1813. Most of the British army was fighting the Peninsular war, so the 2nd Battalion 2nd Foot Guards, and several companies of Marines were hastily embarked.

These companies were to form the nucleus of the 3rd Battalion. A further two companies of Marines arrived on 19th December, accompanied by Major George Lewis, who assumed command of the Marines.

This force was involved in fighting around Krabbendijke a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland, until it was relieved by Russian troops on 18th January 1814, and upon its arrival in Portsmouth, on 21st January, the 3rd Battalion was formed.

It had an establishment of ten companies of 100 men, and one company of Royal Marine Artillery. The Battalion was commanded by Major George Lewis, who had been the officer commanding the Marine companies deployed in the Netherlands since 19th December 1813.

The Battalion embarked on the 29th March 1914, set sail on the 7th April, and disembarked at Bermuda on the 9th April. After a temporary stay, the battalion sailed for the Chesapeake on the 30th June, where they were joined by Admiral Cockburn's squadron on the 16th July.

On the morning of 19th July, the Battalion landed near Leonardtown, and advanced in concert with ships of the squadron, causing the U.S. Forces to disappear. During the War of 1812, the British had blockaded the Chesapeake Bay.

1,000 British Royal Marines invaded the town. This crippled the Tidewater economy and subjected areas to repeated British raids of plundering and destruction.

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The Battalion Deployed South

The Battalion was deployed to the south of the Potomac River, near Washington, moving down to Nomini. Parts of the Battalion was subsequently landed at St Clements Bay on 23rd July; moving on to Machodoc creek on the 26th; and then moving on to Chaptico, Maryland on the 30th July.

The first week of August was spent raiding the entrance to the Yaocomico river, which concluded with the capture of four schooners at the town of Kinsale, Virginia. And on the 7th August, a gun battery of three artillery pieces, situated on the Coan River, a few miles below the Yaocomico river, was stormed.

Thereafter, Lieutenant-Colonel James Malcolm arrived, and the Battalion was split into the reconstituted 2nd Battalion, and the third Battalion composed of both Royal and Colonial Marines.

The 3rd Battalion subsequently deployed to Tangier Island, and to Cumberland Island along with the 1st and 2nd Battalions. When news reached the troops that peace had been made, and the war was over.

The 3rd Battalion embarked on 10th March, disembarking on Ireland Island, Bermuda, on 21 March. The Battalion's three Colonial companies settled on Trinidad. The three remaining companies of the original 3rd Battalion returned to England later in 1815.

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