The 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot was a Line Infantry Regiment of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, raised in 1799. Under the

Childers Reforms The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganised the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms. The reorganisation wa ...

, it amalgamated with the 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

History

Formation

The regiment was raised from the Sutherland Fencibles by Major-General

William Wemyss General William Wemyss of Wemyss (9 April 1760 – 4 February 1822) was a Scottish soldier in the British Army and Member of Parliament. Early life He was the son of the Hon. James Wemyss, third son of the 5th Earl of Wemyss, and his wife ...

on behalf of the

Countess of Sutherland Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia and is the premier earldom in the Peerage of Scotland. The earl or countess of Sutherland is also the chief of Clan Sutherland. The origin ...

as the 93rd (Highland) Regiment of Foot on 16 April 1799. The first muster of the regiment took place at Skail in Strathnaver in August 1800. One of the soldiers who attended the muster was Sergeant Samuel Macdonald, a soldier who stood six feet ten inches tall and had a chest measuring 48 inches. The Countess of Sutherland, on seeing Sergeant Macdonald, donated a special allowance of 2 shillings 6 pence a day, and stated that anyone as large as Macdonald "must require more sustenance than his military pay can afford."McElwee, p. 6. According to historian James Hunter, at a time when the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister ...

who was the British military's most eminent commander could describe his soldiers as "the very scum of the earth" who were eked out of precarious livelihoods on the outermost margins of urban society, the Highlanders of the 93rd Regiment of Foot, were, by contrast, described as "the children of respectable farmers"; "connected by strong ties of neighborhood and even of relationship"; "a sort of family corps".Hunter, p. 146 Hunter also noted that in an era when military order was customarily maintained by regular floggings, one Sutherland Highlander company went nineteen years without having a single man punished. Thus it transpired that the 93rd were a "highly valued, picture of military discipline and moral rectitude".

Napoleonic Wars

Battle of New Orleans, Jean Hyacinthe de Laclotte

The regiment was dispatched from Fort George to Guernsey in September 1800. It returned to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in September 1802Burgoyne, p. 6 from where it was deployed to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

in February 1803 to assist in quelling an insurrection. It was ordered to embark for

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...

in July 1805 but, after fortnight aboard ship, the orders were canceled and the regiment sailed for the Cape of Good Hope. It arrived at

Table Bay Table Bay (Afrikaans: ''Tafelbaai'') is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652 by Van Riebeeck) and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named b ...

in January 1806 and joined the Highland Brigade which landed at Lospard Bay with orders to capture

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with ...

from the Dutch forces there.Burgoyne, p. 8 The regiment took part in the Battle of Blaauwberg which led to the surrender of the Dutch forces a few days later.Burgoyne, p. 9 It remained in the colony until April 1814 when it embarked for home.Burgoyne, p. 21 A second battalion was raised in Inverness in May 1813. The 2nd Battalion was deployed to

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

in April 1814 but embarked for home in October 1815Burgoyne, p. 52 and was disbanded the following year. Meanwhile, the 1st battalion embarked for

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

in September 1814 for service in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

.Burgoyne, p. 24 It anchored at the entrance of

Lake Borgne Lake Borgne (french: Lac Borgne, es, Lago Borgne) is a lagoon of the Gulf of Mexico in southeastern Louisiana. Although early maps show it as a lake surrounded by land, coastal erosion has made it an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Its name comes fro ...

off the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

in December 1814Burgoyne, p. 26 and then advanced up the left bank of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

towards New Orleans. It came under fire from an American armed schooner on the river and destroyed it.Burgoyne, p. 27 The regiment next saw action at the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815.Burgoyne, p. 29 British troops overran and captured the American position on the right bank of river while, on the left bank where the main assault occurred, a detachment of light infantry companies including that of the 93rd Regiment of Foot, captured the advance redoubt on the American right beside the river. However, the British assault on the left bank faltered and General John Keane led the main body of the 93rd Regiment of Foot diagonally across the field to support the faltering British right flank attack near the swamp. Following the death of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Dale, the regiment's commanding officer, no orders were issued either to advance or to withdraw so the regiment stood fast and was mown down.Burgoyne, p. 30 General

John Lambert John Lambert may refer to: * John Lambert (martyr) (died 1538), English Protestant martyred during the reign of Henry VIII *John Lambert (general) (1619–1684), Parliamentary general in the English Civil War * John Lambert of Creg Clare (''fl.'' c ...

having taken command upon the death of General

Edward Pakenham Major General Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, (19 March 1778 – 8 January 1815), was a British Army officer and politician. He was the son of the Baron Longford and the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he served in the Pe ...

finally sent orders to withdraw and after a futile attempt to advance the regiment withdrew from the field. The "immense bravery" shown by the 93rd in this advance was noted by the American Paul Wellman, General

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

's biographer: The 1st Battalion embarked for home and disembarked at

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

in May 1815.

The Canadian rebellion

The regiment embarked for the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...

in November 1823.Burgoyne, p. 54 It was based in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

until February 1826 when it moved to

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

and Saint Kitts. It embarked for home again in April 1834.Burgoyne, p. 56 New colours were presented to the regiment by the

in October 1834.Burgoyne, p. 58 The regiment then moved to

in October 1835.Burgoyne, p. 69 It embarked to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

in January 1838 to service in the Patriot War:Burgoyne, p. 72 it landed in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. Th ...

in March 1838Burgoyne, p. 73 and saw action at the Battle of the Windmill in November 1838.Burgoyne, p. 78 It remained in Canada until embarking for home in August 1848.Burgoyne, p. 83

The Crimean War

The regiment arrived at

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...

in October 1848 and provided a Guard of Honour for

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

on her visit to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

in August 1849.Burgoyne, p. 88 It embarked for the

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...

for service in the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

in February 1854.Burgoyne, p. 94 As part of Brigadier-General Colin Campbell's Highland Brigade, it took part in the Battle of Alma in September 1854.Burgoyne, p. 102 On 25 October 1854, it was stationed outside the British-controlled port of Balaklava as part of its very thin defences. The Russian Army sent a large force to attack Balaklava, precipitating the Battle of Balaclava.Burgoyne, p. 111 The Russian threat was countered in part by the charge of General James Scarlett's Heavy Cavalry Brigade but the rest of the Russian force headed straight for the 93rd Regiment of Foot. Campbell told the men of the 93rd Regiment of Foot as he rode down the line: "There is no retreat from here, men...you must die where you stand." One of the troops, John Scott, responded: "Aye, Sir Colin. An needs be, we'll do that." As the younger soldiers moved forward for a bayonet charge, Campbell called out: "93rd, 93rd, damn all that eagerness!"

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

journalist W.H.Russell commenting on the action reported: This led to the regiment's nickname: " The Thin Red Line". The historical author, Thomas Carter, wrote: The regiment also took part in the Siege of Sevastopol in June 1855Burgoyne, p. 131 before embarking for home in June 1856.Burgoyne, p. 150

The Indian rebellion

Image-Secundra Bagh after Indian Mutiny higher res

The regiment sailed for

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

in June 1857 to help suppress the

Indian Rebellion The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

.Burgoyne, p. 162 It arrived at

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

in September 1857 and was welcomed by General Sir Colin Campbell.Burgoyne, p. 163 Under heavy enemy fire, the regiment, together with the 4th Punjab Infantry Regiment took part in the storming and capture of

Sikandar Bagh Sikandar Bagh ( hi, सिकन्दर बाग़, ur, سِکندر باغ), formerly known by the British as Sikunder/Sikandra/Secundra Bagh, is a villa and garden enclosed by a fortified wall, with loopholes, gateway and corner bastions, ...

, a walled garden fortification, on 16 November 1857. Six

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...

es were awarded to members of the regiment for their service in this action. At daybreak on 17 November 1857 the Regimental colour was hoisted on top of a tower as a signal to the beleaguered garrison of the Residency at

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and divis ...

.Burgoyne, p. 192 On the night of 19 November 1857 the regiment provided covering fire as the evacuation of the Residency took place.Burgoyne, p. 194 The regiment then saw action again at the Second Battle of Cawnpore in December 1857.Burgoyne, p. 230 The regiment also took part in the storming and capture of Kaiser Bagh in March 1858:Burgoyne, p. 256 a

was awarded to Lieutenant

William McBean Major-General William McBean (1 January 1819 – 22 June 1878) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth fo ...

for his role in killing eleven rebels with his sword during the engagement. It went on to take part in the capture of the city of

Bareilly Bareilly () is a city in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is among the largest metropolises in Western Uttar Pradesh and is the centre of the Bareilly division as well as the historical region of Rohilkhand. The ...

in May 1858Burgoyne, p. 269 and a skirmish at Russulpore in October 1858.Burgoyne, p. 273 It was renamed the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot in 1861 before embarking for home in February 1870.Burgoyne, p. 318 The regiment disembarked at Burntisland in March 1870Burgoyne, p. 326 and received new colours from the Duchess of Sutherland in August 1871.Burgoyne, p. 329 It moved to Curragh Camp in

in May 1877Burgoyne, p. 349 and to

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = "Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gibr ...

in January 1879.Burgoyne, p. 352

Amalgamation

As part of the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 93rd was linked with the 92nd (Gordon Highlanders) Regiment of Foot, and assigned to district no. 56 at Castlehill Barracks in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

. On 1 July 1881 the

came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot to form the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

Regimental religious traditions

The 93rd Regiment of Foot was regarded as the most religious regiment in the

. It formed its own parish, with ministers and elders chosen from the ranks by the ranks. Two sergeants, two corporals, and two privates were elected to serve as elders. The regiment was also said to be the only regiment with its own regular communion plate.Farwell, p. 33

Battle honours

Battle honours won by the regiment were: * Cape of Good Hope 1806 * ''Crimean War'': Alma, Balaklava,

Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...

* ''Indian Mutiny'': Lucknow

Victoria Crosses

*Lance Corporal John Dunlay,

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...

(16 November 1857) *Private Peter Grant, Indian Mutiny (16 November 1857) *Private David MacKay, Indian Mutiny (16 November 1857) *Lieutenant

, Indian Mutiny (11 March 1858) *Colour Sergeant James Munro, Indian Mutiny (16 November 1857) *Sergeant John Paton, Indian Mutiny (16 November 1857) *Captain William George Drummond Stewart, Indian Mutiny (16 November 1857)

Colonels of the Regiment

Colonels of the Regiment were: ;93rd (Highland) Regiment of Foot *1800–1822: Gen.

of Wemyss *1822: Gen. Sir Thomas Hislop, Bt, GCB *1822–1832: Lt-Gen. Sir

Hudson Lowe Sir Hudson Lowe (28 July 176910 January 1844) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and colonial administrator who is best known for his time as Governor of St Helena, where he was the "gaoler" of the Emperor Napoléon. Early life The son of John Lowe, ...

, KCB, GCMG *1832–1833: Lt-Gen. Sir John Cameron, KCB *1833–1840: Lt-Gen. Sir

Jasper Nicolls Lieutenant General Sir Jasper Nicolls KCB (15 July 1778 – 4 May 1849) was Commander-in-Chief, India. Military career Born at East Farleigh in Kent and educated at a private school in Ballygall and at Trinity College, Dublin, Nicolls was co ...

, KCB *1840–1850: Gen. Sir James Dawes Douglas, GCB *1850–1852: Lt-Gen. William Wemyss (son of General William Wemyss, above) *1852–1858: Lt-Gen. Edward Parkinson, CB *1858–1860: F.M. Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde, GCB, KCSI *1860–1862: Lt-Gen. William Sutherland ;93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot - (1861) *1862–1868: Gen. Alexander Fisher Macintosh, KH *1868–1873: Lt-Gen. Charles Craufurd Hay *1873–1875: Lt-Gen. Sir

Henry William Stisted Lieutenant-General Sir Henry William Stisted (5 June 1817 – 10 December 1875), served as the first Lieutenant Governor of Ontario after Confederation, from 1867 to 1868. Biography Born 1817, at St-Omer, France, to Lt.-Colonel Charles S ...

, KCB *1875–1876: Gen.

Freeman Murray General Freeman Murray CB (16 November 1804 – 14 April 1885) was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding Eastern District. Murray was born in France, the son of General John Murray and his second wife, Canadian Maria ...

*1876–1880: Gen. William Munro, CB *1880: Gen.

Mark Kerr Atherley Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Finn ...

*1880–1881: Gen. Hon. Sir Robert Rollo, KCB *''1881: Regiment amalgamated with 91st (Princess Louise's Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot to form Princess Louise's (Sutherland and Argyll Highlanders)''

References

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

Regiments page at Clan Sutherland North America

The Argylls History

93rd Sutherland Highland Regiment of Foot Living History Unit
{{DEFAULTSORT:93 Infantry regiments of the British Army Highland regiments Regiments of the British Army in the Crimean War 1799 establishments in Great Britain British military units and formations of the War of 1812