196 “The Wiltshire Regiment for Wiltshire.” 
one hundred and thirty men) of the Sixty-second, who were for the 
most part recruits.’ The fighting commenced and lasted several hours, 
during which the works were repaired as far as possible, but were 
quite untenable for so small and undisciplined a force against such 
overwhelming numbers. Moreover the ammunition hadrun short, still 
the little garrison from the onsct, disputed the possession of the town 
from house to house, with pertinacity. Whilst this shifting struggle 
was at its height, a young child, heedless of danger, ran in play 
between the French and English forees; a Frenchman grounded his 
piece, advanced between the lines of fire, and carried the human waif 
to a place of safety, then rejoined the ranks and went on fighting. 
The four companies were at last compelled to retreat imto the 
castle, but they did not capitulate, till they had spent all their 
ammunition, at last even firimg their coat buttons. They were 
afterwards permitted to march out with the honours of war ona 
promise to remain in Ireland, as prisoners on parole, till exchanged. 
Thurot re-embarked, was pursued, defeated, and slain, on the 28th 
of February; and this invasion—the last ever effected on this 
country—was at an end. 
Lieut.-Col. Jennings and the Sixty-Second Regiment, received the 
thanks of the Irish House of Commons, for their spirited behaviour, 
and gallant defence of Carrickfergus. There is a tradition that it 
was from firing their buttons on this occasion, that the regimental 
button has a ball on it.’ 
Passing over sixteen years of uneventful service in Ireland, the 
West Indies, and again Ireland, the regiment was ordered to Canada. 
It was 1776, the Provinces of North America had revolted. 
General Burgoyne, the man about town, poet and courtier, had been 
sent to displace Carleton, (Wolfe’s old friend,) in the command of 
part of the forces in that country. The “Sixty-Second ” belonged to 
this division, and they served the campaign, which closed at Saratoga, 
on the 15th of October, 1776, when three thousand four hundred 
1 Smollett, 4 Hist. of Eng., 361. 
2 Appendix. See War Office Papers, and Hozier’s Invasions of England, 
