Richard Cannon - Historical Record of the First Regiment of Foot

When the absence of the united rebel and Spanish army from Paris was ascertained, the royal family of France proceeded with a strong guard to the capital, and obtained possession of the city; and Douglas' Regiment, with the remainder of the King's army, marched for Champagne, to attack the enemy in his quarters.

During the winter Douglas' Regiment was engaged in the siege of Bar le Duc ; the lower town was taken by storm, and, about the middle of December, when two practicable breaches were made, the upper town and castle surrendered; when an Irish regiment in the Spanish service was made prisoners. The Irish finding that the Duke of York was with the French army, in command of the Scots gendarmes and a regiment of foot called the Regiment of York, they obtained permission to enter the French service, and were incorporated into the Duke's regiment.

From Bar le Duc, Douglas' Regiment marched a distance of nine miles, to Ligny , a town situate on the river Ornain, and was engaged in the siege of the castle. A mine being ready, on the 21st of December, "Marshal Turenne commanded the regiments of York and Douglas to prepare for the attack at the springing of the mine, and ordered his own regiment to be in readiness to second them. All things being prepared in this manner, fire was given to the mine, and in the midst of the smoke, before it could be discerned what effect the mine had produced, the Count d'Estrées, who commanded the attack, ordered it to be instantly made. Accordingly, they fell on, passing over the ditch, which was very broad, upon the ice. But when they came to the ditch, they perceived that the mine had failed their expectation, and there was no possibility of mounting the breach. Upon this there was a necessity of making a retreat; the ice broke under the men, and most of them fell into the ditch, which gave leisure to the enemy to do execution on them. Thus, for want of a little patience to see what effect the mine had wrought; the regiment of York lost four captains, some lieutenants and ensigns, and about a hundred men, slain outright, and the regiment of Douglas two captains and near fifty private soldiers; besides many officers and soldiers hurt." 42 42 Life of King James II., from the Memoirs written with his own hand. Immediately after this failure another mine was commenced, and the garrison surrendered on the 22nd of December.

A garrison having been placed in Ligny, the army proceeded to Château Portien , a small town of the Ardennes, situate on the right bank of the river Aisne; and while on this march the weather was so severe, that several of the soldiers were frozen to death on the road. The siege of this place was commenced in the beginning of January, 1653, and the town was delivered up in less than ten days.

Having completed this conquest, the troops proceeded through a difficult tract of country, and besieged Vervins . The weather continued inclement, the men were suffering from the want of food, and great difficulties had to be overcome; yet the attacks were made with such spirit and determination, that possession was gained of this town on the 28th of January.

The troops were now exhausted, and Douglas' Regiment was sent into quarters of refreshment. It again took the field in June following; but the enemy had so great a superiority of numbers, that the greater part of the year was passed in defensive operations.

The regiment appears to have passed the year 1654 in garrison. In 1655 it was employed in the Netherlands; its Colonel, Lieutenant-General Lord James Douglas, commanded a flying camp between Douay and Arras; several skirmishes occurred, and on one occasion Lord James Douglas was killed; he was succeeded in the Colonelcy by his brother, Lord George Douglas, afterwards Earl of Dumbarton. This change in its Colonel did not alter the title of the corps, as it continued to be distinguished by the title of Douglas' Regiment.

This year (1655) the King of France concluded a treaty with Cromwell, who was at the head of the British nation with the title of Lord Protector; and it was stipulated that a body of Cromwell's forces should proceed to Flanders to co-operate with the French against the Spaniards.

This treaty occasioned King Charles II. to unite his interests with those of Spain; the Duke of York quitted France, and obtained a command in the Spanish army; and a great part of the Royal British troops, which had escaped from England and entered the French army, transferred their services from the crown of France to that of Spain. The cavalier gentlemen, who thus transferred their services to the crown of Spain, were formed into a troop of Horse Guards, of which Charles Berkeley (afterwards Earl of Falmouth) was appointed Captain and Colonel; and the remainder were formed into six regiments of foot – one English, one Scots, and four Irish. 43 43 The forces were designated by the following titles: — The determination thus manifested, by the British troops in the service of France to preserve their loyalty to King Charles II., appears to have occasioned measures to be adopted by the French commanders to prevent Douglas', and the other old Scots regiments, from following this example; and these corps appear to have been placed in remote garrisons, as they are not mentioned in the histories of the military transactions in the Netherlands in 1657 and 1658, in which years the French army and Cromwell's forces captured St. Venant and Mardyk, defeated the Spanish army, and afterwards took Dunkirk, Ypres, Bruges, Dixmude, Furnes, Gravelines, Oudenarde, and Menin; and Dunkirk was occupied by the English.

In September, 1658, Cromwell died; and in 1659 the Prince of Condé disbanded his forces, and having tendered his submission to the crown of France, he was received into the favour of Louis XIV. At the same time a treaty of peace, called the Peace of the Pyrenees, was concluded between France and Spain, and Dunkirk was ceded to England.

After this treaty was concluded the strength of the French army was decreased, and Douglas' Regiment was reduced to eight companies. These events were followed by the restoration of King Charles II. to the throne of Great Britain; when the British troops which had been in the service of Spain were placed in garrison at Dunkirk; and Douglas' Regiment, in the French service, was in garrison at Avennes.

Soon after the restoration, King Charles II. disbanded the army of the Commonwealth, which he found in England at his return. It was, however, deemed necessary to have a regular force established, for in January, 1661, a number of religious fanatics, called millenarians, or fifth monarchy-men, took arms against the government, and, although this insurrection was suppressed in a few days, yet it was deemed necessary to send for the Duke of York's troop of Guards from Dunkirk, and afterwards for Douglas' veteran Scots regiment from Flanders.

The regiment having arrived in England in the spring of 1661, it obtained rank in the British army from that date. It appears, however, to have had rank in the Swedish army from about the year 1625, and in the French army from 1633. No instance has been met with of its having been distinguished by any other title than the name of its Colonel, except during part of the time it was in the Swedish service, when it was designated, together with three other Scots regiments of which it is now the representative, the Green Brigade.

Soon after its arrival in England the establishment of the regiment was augmented, and its presence at this particular period was of great service to King Charles II. 44 44 "Ce Régiment de Douglas, étant en garnison à Avesnes en 1661, eut ordre de passer en Angleterre, où il rendit des services très considerables au Roy Charles II. "Il n'était que de huit compagnies en partant de France, et se trouva en y revenant, un an aprés, de trente-trois compagnies, qui étoient composées pour le moins de cent hommes chacune. Mylord George Douglas l'a toujours commandé en France." — Père Daniel. But his Majesty having (after disbanding the whole of the army of the Commonwealth) established three troops of Life Guards, a regiment of Horse Guards, and two regiments of Foot Guards, in England; and a troop of Life Guards, and a regiment of Foot Guards in Scotland; it was not deemed necessary to detain Douglas' veteran corps in England, and it was, accordingly, sent back to France in 1662.