A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 



France. The battalion was at once sent to Flanders, and took part in the 

 Battle of Waterloo,"* forming part of Sir Charles Colville's Fourth Division. 

 It was composed of young soldiers who had never been under fire, and in a 

 Divisional Order issued after the battle Colville said ' the very young 3rd 

 battalion 14th in this its first trial displayed a steadiness and gallantry becom- 

 ing of veteran troops.' "^ When this 3rd Battalion was raised in 18 13 its 

 place of assembly was Weedon."' The Bedfordshire Militia was stationed at 

 Wcedon barracks in 1809,"^ and ' the arms were sent into stores at Weedon ' 

 when the regiment was disembodied in 18 15."* Now 240 men volunteered 

 from the Bedfordshire Militia to the Line between March 18 13 and April 

 1 8 14."' The 1 6th or Bedfordshire Regiment had returned from the West 

 Indies in 1812 more than decimated ; they had lost 27 officers and 500 men 

 by disease in three years' service."" It seems clear then that many, if not all, 

 of the Bedfordshire militia volunteers to the Line helped to make up the 3rd 

 battalion of the 14th which fought at Waterloo."^ The regiment did not 

 suffisr heavily there, losing but seven rank and file killed, and an ensign, four 

 sergeants, and sixteen rank and file wounded. After taking Cambray they 

 marched to Paris, and the battalion was disbanded in 18 16, the officers and 

 men being transferred to the other two battalions of the regiment. Thus 

 Bedfordshire men certainly shared in one at least, if not all three, of the European 

 glories that are recorded on the colours of the 14th — Tournay, Corunna, 

 Waterloo ; and some old stagers from the county may have helped in the 

 capture of Bhurtpore in 1826."' With the earlier glories of the i6th the 

 county had no connexion. Of the battle honours borne upon its colours four 

 belong to Marlborough's days, a century before it became the Bedfordshire, 

 and ' Surinam ' was won in 1804."' In its last two honours Bedfordshire had 

 its part, Chitral 1895, and South Africa 1 899-1 902."* The regiment lost in 

 the South African campaign five officers, ninety-eight non-commissioned 

 officers and men killed or died ; and four officers, sixty-five non-commissioned 

 officers and men wounded ; while thirteen medals for distinguished conduct 

 in the field were won by non-commissioned officers and men. 



In 1756 the absence of the greater part of the regular troops on foreign 

 service led Pitt to introduce a Bill for the reorganization of the Militia as a force 

 for home defence. He received the strenuous support of John Duke of Bedford, 

 though in opposition to those with whom he usually acted, and the Bill was 

 passed in 1757.'" The people of Bedfordshire, under a mistaken idea that 

 the Act meant compulsory foreign service, broke out in riots, and the duke's 

 house at Woburn had to be guarded by soldiers. It was found impossible 

 to execute the law, and for the time the magistrates contented themselves 



'" O'Donnell, op. cit. 1 05-1 17. '» Ibid. n8. "« Ibid. 102. 



"' Sir John Burgoyne, Reg. Rec. Beds. Militia, 1759-1884, p. no. 



"' Ibid. 66. ™ Ibid. 1 10. >» Cannon, op. cit. 28. 



"' Sir John Burgoyne, op. cit. 66, says, ' I have seen it recorded that men of the 2nd [sic : should 

 be 3rd] Battalion of the 14th (Bedfordshire) [sic : should be Bucks.] Regiment were found lying dead in the 

 uniform [? uniforms ; there was no connexion between the Beds, and Berks. Militia] of the Bedfordshire 

 and Berkshire Militia. This is recorded by officers who served in the 1 4th Regiment and there is no reason 

 to doubt it.' He adds, ' But I can find no orders for the Militia to volunteer, nor any accounts that they 

 did so.' See, however, his own table of the numbers of men who volunteered into the Line from the Beds. 

 Militia between 1795 and 1814 (p. no). He also wrongly dates the change of county title 1818 (p. 66)! 

 "^ Burgoyne, op. cit. 83-5. 



Tie Beds. Reg. (printed for H.M. Stationery Office), 3-7. 



Ibid. 7-12. "5 Wiffen, op. cit. ii, 423. 



68 



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