, founder of the regiment, circle of
Sir Henry Raeburn Formation The regiment was raised from the
Sutherland Fencibles by Major-General
William Wemyss on behalf of the
Countess of Sutherland 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." According to historian James Hunter, at a time when the
Duke of Wellington 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 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. It returned to
Scotland in September 1802 from where it was deployed to
Dublin in February 1803 to assist in quelling an insurrection. The regiment took part in the
Battle of Blaauwberg, during which 35 soldiers from the regiment drowned during the amphibious landing. The battle led to the surrender of the Dutch forces a few days later. Major John Graham was transferred from the 93rd regiment to lead the newly formed
Cape Regiment, made up from the disbanded Cape Dutch
Corps Pandoeren. A second battalion was raised in
Inverness in May 1813. and was disbanded the following year. It anchored at the entrance of
Lake Borgne off the
Gulf of Mexico in December 1814 and then advanced up the left bank of the
Mississippi River towards New Orleans. It came under fire from an American armed schooner on the river and destroyed it. The regiment next saw action at the
Battle of New Orleans in January 1815. 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. General
John Lambert having taken command upon the death of General
Edward Pakenham 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's biographer: The 1st Battalion embarked for home and disembarked at
Cork in
Ireland in May 1815. It was based in
Barbados until February 1826 when it moved to
Antigua and
Saint Kitts. New colours were presented to the regiment by the
Duke of Wellington in October 1834. The regiment then moved to
Dublin in October 1835. It embarked to
Canada in January 1838 to service in the
Patriot War: it landed in
Halifax, Nova Scotia in March 1838 and saw action at the
Battle of the Windmill in November 1838. It remained in Canada until embarking for home in August 1848.
The Crimean War , of officers and men of the 93rd Highland Regiment, shortly before their engagement in the Crimean War, 1854. '' by
Robert Gibb, depicting the 93rd Highlanders during the
Battle of Balaclava in October 1854. The regiment arrived at
Stirling Castle in October 1848 and provided a Guard of Honour for
Queen Victoria on her visit to
Glasgow in August 1849. It embarked for the
Crimea for service in the
Crimean War in February 1854. As part of Brigadier-General
Colin Campbell's
Highland Brigade, it took part in the
Battle of Alma in September 1854. 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. 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 journalist
W.H.Russell commenting on the action reported: This led to the regiment's nickname: "
The Thin Red Line". before embarking for home in June 1856.
The Indian rebellion after the slaughter of 2,000 rebels by the 93rd Highlanders and
4th Punjab Regiment in November 1857 , Edinburgh The regiment sailed for
India in June 1857 to help suppress the
Indian Rebellion. It arrived at
Calcutta in September 1857 and was welcomed by General
Sir Colin Campbell. Under heavy enemy fire, the regiment, together with the
4th Punjab Infantry Regiment took part in the storming and capture of
Sikandar Bagh, a walled garden fortification, on 16 November 1857. Six
Victoria Crosses 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. On the night of 19 November 1857 the regiment provided covering fire as the evacuation of the Residency took place. The regiment then saw action again at the
Second Battle of Cawnpore in December 1857. The regiment also took part in the storming and capture of Kaiser Bagh in March 1858: a
Victoria Cross was awarded to Lieutenant
William McBean for his role in killing eleven rebels with his sword during the engagement. and a skirmish at Russulpore in October 1858. It was renamed the
93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment of Foot in 1861 The regiment disembarked at
Burntisland in March 1870 and received new colours from the
Duchess of Sutherland in August 1871. It moved to
Curragh Camp in
Ireland in May 1877 and to
Gibraltar in January 1879.
Amalgamation As part of the
Cardwell Reforms 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. On 1 July 1881 the
Childers Reforms 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 ==