Historical Record of the Fifth Regiment of Foot, or Northumberland Fusiliers: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1674, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1837

In Short

This volume serves as an official chronicle of the Fifth Regiment of Foot, tracing its origins from its formation in 1674 to its status as the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1837. Commissioned to preserve the history of individual military units, the text documents the regiment’s stations, engagements, and honors. By meticulously cataloging the succession of colonels and the specific bravery of its men in campaigns from the Netherlands to the Americas, it serves as both an administrative record and an aspirational guide for soldiers, cementing the regiment’s identity through its long military career.

The Story

The history of the Fifth Regiment begins in 1674, amidst the shifting alliances of the Anglo-Dutch wars. Initially formed as a British auxiliary unit in the service of the Prince of Orange, the regiment quickly cut its teeth during the Siege of Grave. Its early years were characterized by a fluid, international existence, moving between garrison duties in the Netherlands and brief periods of return to England to serve the Crown during internal crises, such as the rebellions of 1685.

As the seventeenth century turned into the eighteenth, the regiment’s scope expanded dramatically. It participated in the major conflicts of the era, notably in Flanders under William III and later in the War of the Spanish Succession. The text highlights a significant period of stability during its fifteen-year garrison duty at Gibraltar, where the regiment transitioned from a combat unit to a force celebrated for its discipline and conduct in peace. This relative quiet was shattered by the Spanish siege of 1727, providing the regiment with another opportunity to distinguish itself in defense of the fortress.

The mid-eighteenth century saw the regiment thrust into the global reach of the British Empire. It served with distinction in Germany during the Seven Years' War, particularly at the battle of Wilhelmsthal, where its grenadier company captured French ordnance—a triumph that would remain a defining symbol of its martial pride for decades. The narrative then follows the regiment to the American colonies. Throughout the American War of Independence, the Fifth was deeply embedded in the action, from the landing on Staten Island to the storming of Fort Washington and the arduous maneuvers through New Jersey.

Following the American conflict, the regiment spent a decade stationed in Ireland, where it earned the local nickname "The Shiners" due to its impeccable grooming and attention to military presentation. The nineteenth century brought further challenges, including the disastrous expedition to Buenos Aires in 1807 and the grueling, high-stakes campaigns of the Peninsular War. The regiment’s role in the battle of Salamanca stands as a high-water mark of its service, where its battalions united to break the French lines. Despite being positioned in France after Waterloo, the regiment narrowly missed the climactic battle itself, a fact noted with a sense of lingering regret. The arc of the history concludes in the 1830s with the regiment stationed in Malta, having been officially designated as the Northumberland Fusiliers and granted the honor of inscribing "Wilhelmsthal" on its colors, finalizing its transformation from an auxiliary force into a distinct, prideful institution of the British Army.

How It Unfolds

The formation of the auxiliary The regiment emerges in 1674 as part of a British division for the Prince of Orange, quickly proving its mettle at the Siege of Grave. Early losses, including the commander Sir William Ballandyne, set a somber tone of sacrifice that defines its subsequent decades.

Garrison and expansion The narrative shifts to the regiment's long tenure at Gibraltar and its participation in European campaigns during the early 1700s. This period highlights the balance between the monotony of garrison life and the sudden, sharp demands of siege warfare against Spanish forces.

The global theater The regiment traverses the Atlantic to participate in the American War of Independence, engaging in numerous maneuvers and skirmishes across New York and New Jersey. The text details the transition from open-field fighting to the difficult terrain of the colonial interior.

The Peninsular triumphs The focus turns to the Napoleonic era, detailing the regiment's actions in the Peninsular War and its eventual unification for the victory at Salamanca. This section emphasizes the tactical coordination of the regiment's battalions under the pressure of intense combat.

The consolidation of identity The final movement covers the post-Waterloo years, the suppression of civil unrest in Ireland, and the ultimate administrative transformation into the Northumberland Fusiliers. The history concludes with the presentation of new colors, linking the regiment’s contemporary status back to its eighteenth-century roots.

The People

The history is defined more by the regiment as a collective entity than by individual character studies, yet several figures leave a mark. Major-General Sir Walter Vane and his successor Sir William Ballandyne represent the regiment's early, fragile beginnings, both dying in the initial struggle for identity in the Netherlands. Captain John Bernardi appears as a figure of historical tragedy; a veteran of the regiment’s inception who, after choosing the side of King James II, spent over thirty years in imprisonment without trial, eventually becoming a chronicler of his own life and the regiment's early days.

Earl Percy serves as the regiment’s most significant patron. During his sixteen-year command, which spanned the American War of Independence, he fostered a deep, emotional connection with the men, earning the regiment its "Northumberland" designation. His departure in 1784 is framed not as a retirement, but as a painful separation from a body of men he considered his comrades. Later, officers like Major Ridge and General Sir Charles Colville emerge as tactical leaders during the Peninsular War, representing the professionalism and battlefield success that earned the unit royal favor. These men, whether long-serving colonels or commanders of specific battalions, serve as the conduits for the regiment’s ethos, striving to balance the strict demands of military discipline with the need to maintain the morale and "good feeling" of their soldiers.

In Its Own Voice

"The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour, by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted."

The author frames the purpose of the record in the Preface, arguing that historical examples are essential to the development of a soldier’s character.

"At half-past six o'clock on the morning of the 5th of July, the regiment advanced: the streets were found deserted by the inhabitants; the houses and shops closed; and a death-like silence, interrupted only by the firm tread of the British soldier, reigned in the midst of this populous city."

This description captures the tension of the regiment’s entry into Buenos Aires before the hidden population opened fire.

What It's Really About

This book is a study in institutional self-definition. It seeks to answer how a collection of soldiers becomes a regiment with a singular, enduring spirit. The central argument is that military identity is not static; it is forged through a combination of administrative recognition—such as the granting of badges, titles, and royal commands—and the accumulation of "noble deeds." By linking the regiment’s past triumphs to the identity of the current soldier, the book argues that history is a living tool. It posits that a regiment’s "character" is sustained by remembering the specific battles, losses, and honors of its predecessors, thereby turning the act of historical record-keeping into a necessary function of military readiness and morale.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the granular evolution of British military life will find much to admire here. The book functions as a time capsule, preserving the language and priorities of the early nineteenth-century British military establishment. Its focus on the mechanics of service—the shifts in uniform colors, the naming of regiments, and the specific geographic locations of garrison duty—provides a dense, authentic map of how an imperial army maintained its presence.

However, modern readers should approach the text with patience. The prose is functional and detached, designed for the official record rather than for narrative flair. It does not shy away from the harsh realities of the period’s conflicts, nor does it attempt to humanize the "turbulent peasantry" or the enemies faced by the regiment; the perspective is strictly, and at times rigidly, from the viewpoint of the British officer corps. Those looking for psychological depth or introspection will not find it; the "story" is told through movements, dates, and casualty reports. Nevertheless, for those who appreciate the weight of history and the ways in which institutions craft their own legends, the book offers a fascinating look at how a unit’s heritage is built, documented, and preserved for posterity. It is a slow, methodical read that demands an interest in the minutiae of history, but it rewards that persistence with a clear, uncompromising view of a regiment’s long, martial lifespan.