68th Regiment of Foot (1745)
| 68th Regiment of Foot | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1745–1746 |
| Country | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements | Jacobite rising of 1745 |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel of the Regiment | John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford |
The 68th Regiment of Foot, or Bedford's Regiment, was a regiment in the British Army from 1745 to 1746.
History
In response to the Jacobite rising of 1745, the regiment was raised in Bedfordshire by John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford. It was the first of the new provincial regiments to be declared half-complete, on October 10. It received the rank 68th.[1][2][3]
On November 30, the Duke of Cumberland reviewed the regiment and was disappointed, writing to the Duke of Newcastle: "‘I am sorry to speak my fears that they will rather be a hindrance than a service to me, for this regiment was represented to be the most forward regiment of them, yet neither officers nor men know what they are about, so how they will do before an enemy God alone knows."[4]
The Duke of Bedford, as colonel of the regiment, personally led his men but an attack of gout prevented him from marching north with them.[5]
In December, the regiment was part of Cumberland's Army that successfully besieged Carlisle.[2] It was then used to garrison Newcastle upon Tyne.[6]
From June, the 68th Foot continued its mission by guarding Jacobite prisoners.[1][3] It was disbanded at Bedford in the second half of August.[6]
Uniform
Most of the regiment raised by noblemen in 1745 had blue coats and red facings.[3]
References
- ^ a b Atkinson, C. T. (1944). "Jenkins' Ear, the Austrian Succession War and the 'Forty-Five: Gleanings from Source in the Public Record Office". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 22 (91): 280–299. ISSN 0037-9700.
- ^ a b Reid, Stuart (1996). 1745: A Military History Of The Last Jacobite Uprising. New York: Sarpedon Publishers. pp. 46 & 79. ISBN 978-1-885119-28-5.
- ^ a b c Reid, Stuart (2012). Cumberland's Culloden Army, 1745-46. Men-at-arms. Illustrated by Gerry Embleton. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 19, 38 & 45. ISBN 978-1-84908-847-3.
- ^ Speck, W. A. (1981). Butcher : Duke of Cumberland & suppression of '45. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-631-13287-5.
- ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 49. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ^ a b Cormack, Andrew (2004). "The Noblemen's Regiments Raised for Service in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745-1746". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 82 (332): 279–290. ISSN 0037-9700.