Formation and the American Wars 20 Battery
Royal Artillery can trace its origins to the formation of 7 (Johnstone's) Company of the 4th Battalion Royal Artillery in 1771, in
Woolwich, under Captain William Johnstone. Shortly after formation the 4th Battalion was posted to
New York City, relieving elements of the other battalions stationed in North America. From there, the Company was sent to
Pensacola in the British colony of
West Florida. Captain Johnstone was then appointed
Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) for the colony. The colonies of
East and West Florida had been Spanish possessions until the 1760s when they were ceded to Great Britain at the end of the
Seven Years' War. The defences of these
colonies and their cities, including Pensacola, had been seriously neglected under Spanish rule. As a result, the British spend a large amount of time and money attempting to bring them up to standard. Captain Johnstone became heavily involved in the planning and construction of the batteries and fortifications around Pensacola during his time there.
Detachments from the company were also stationed in
Augusta and
Baton Rouge during their time in Florida. Captain Johnstone and some of the Senior Non Commissioned Officers within the company became involved in the training of gunners from the German
Regiment of Waldeck, that were part of the Pensacola garrison. They were trained in field gunnery in the hopes that this would make them more versatile. The company remained in West Florida - the only unit of the Royal Artillery in the southernmost colonies - as the
American Revolutionary War raged in the north. Whilst the war had not yet spread to West Florida, the men of the company had to endure hardships, including tropical heat and a volatile relationship with the
native tribes. With forces newly arrived from New York and reinforced with soldiers from Pensacola's garrison, the army embarked upon the campaign for control of the southern colonies. 7 Company was attached to the force as the only gunners and joined the second column commanded by General
Augustine Prevost. The early parts of the campaign were a success; with the revolutionaries routed, British dominance was secured for several years. The company fought in a number of battles in this campaign and Captain Johnstone commanded throughout. These battles included
Brier Creek,
Stono Ferry, the
Siege of Fort Morris in Sunbury and a number of skirmishes. The company was instrumental in the victories on each occasion. One of the officers from the company was also appointed CRA later in the campaign, during
siege of Charleston, which ended with the largest single surrender of American forces during the war. Captain Johnstone and his company then returned to Florida, where they remained and where concerns of a Spanish attack on the colony increased following the entry of Spain into the war in 1779. To counter this threat, Captain Johnstone received reinforcements in the form of a detachment from another company within the battalion which were placed under his command in Augusta. In May, 1781, a combined Franco–Spanish force of over 10,000 men under
Bernardo Gálvez arrived in the harbour and began the
Siege of Pensacola. The garrison of just over 900 men consisting of
16th Regiment of Foot,
60th Regiment of Foot,
The Regiment of Waldeck, 7 (Johnstone’s) Company, various Loyalist regiments in addition to large numbers from the
Creek and
Chickasaw tribes held out against this force for several weeks as they awaited reinforcements from
Jamaica. There were a number of sorties in which the company participated that attempted to disrupt the enemy
siege works. These sorties included
Indians, who terrified the Spanish forces. Captain Johnstone and his men were
mentioned in dispatches for their bravery in rushing to a
breach in the wall and bringing up a gun, holding off the Franco–Spanish forces and enabling the wounded to be carried off. The fighting continued until the walls were too badly damaged to bring the guns to bear and the garrison ultimately surrendered. The general commanding the garrison singled out Captain Johnstone and his company on several occasions in dispatches for their bravery and energy in engaging the enemy during the siege. It is also important to note that of all the units in the garrison 7 (Johnstone's), Company were the only unit not to suffer
desertions during the siege. After the
articles of surrender were signed the company were transported by Spanish ships to the British garrison at New York where they remained until the end of the war. The company was then sent to
Quebec, where they spent time in a number of garrisons. Captain Johnstone was posted away after being promoted to
colonel and the Company found themselves based in Quebec at the outbreak of the
War of 1812. Not much is known as yet about the company's role during this war.
The Tigris and Euphrates expedition and Crimean War The Company had a variety of
postings after the American Revolutionary War and were based in
Malta when Captain
Francis Rawdon Chesney took command, after his predecessor was posted
Absent without Leave. This new commander launched an expedition to establish a land route to the
Indian Ocean via
Basra. Taking with him a detachment from the company as well as scientists and engineers from across Great Britain, he set out with the two small steamers
Tigris and
Euphrates, which he dismantled and carried across the desert to the rivers that were their namesake. The expedition faced a variety of challenges and hostility from local tribes and Chesney published a number of books on the tribes, customs and the geography of the region. For this and his earlier endeavours Chesney was one of the first recipients of the
Royal Geographical Society Gold Medal. Chesney was also given acting rank of colonel for the duration of the expedition. Although Great Britain decided against following through on his research the French did in the form of the
Suez Canal and its builder
Ferdinand de Lesseps hailed Chesney as the father of the Suez at the public celebrations in Paris. Chesney went on to become a general and wrote numerous books. During this period the battery absorbed two other batteries, including 34 Battery RA. After the expedition, the battery had a number of other postings, before being sent to fight in the
siege of Sevastopol during which the battery commander Captain Fitzroy was twice mentioned in despatches for his bravery. ==20th century==