82nd Prince of Wales' Own

The 82nd Regiment of Foot was raised in September 1793 as the British Army expanded to face the armies of hostile, revolutionary France. First formed in Stamford, Lincolnshire, by Major General Charles Leigh, late of the Foot Guards, it also recruited from Lancashire, Yorkshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire. General Leigh was serving in the Prince of Wales’s Household (later George IV) and by Royal consent his new regiment proudly took the title of “The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers”.

1813 – Taking the war into France

In September 1813, Russia, Prussia and Austria re-entered the war against Napoleon and invaded France. In Spain, Wellington’s army took San Sebastian and Pamplona and marched for the French frontier in October. They fought to cross the River Nivelle in November (73 casualties in the 82nd Regiment) and the River Nive in December(82nd not engaged) and crossed the River Adour in February 1814.The French army concentrated at Orthez where they were defeated in a hard fight on 27 February. The 82nd had 31 casualties. It was their last battle of the Spanish war. .
The war ended when the Prussians and Russians entered Paris on 31 March 1814. The British occupied the regional capital of Toulouse in April. Napoleon was banished to Elba, Wellington became the British ambassador in Paris and the 82nd Regiment settled into occupying the south of France.


1814 – War against the United States of America

After four hard years of war in Spain, with no home leave, the 82nd Regiment was transported directly from France to Canada, arriving in Quebec on 25 June.
The United Sates of America ( then 17 states ) had declared war on Britain in 1812, accusing the British of impeding US commerce with Napoleon’s Europe and of arresting US sailors as Royal Navy deserters. With Britain over-stretched by the European war, belligerent Americans also saw the prize of extending their revolution to the vastness of Canada.
There was some fierce fighting before British regular troops, Canadian militia and allied Indian tribes repulsed three invading American armies in 1813. The Americans attacked again in March 1814. The 82nd Regiment, delayed by bad roads, reached the hard-pressed Niagara frontier at the end of August. They fought in a counter attack at Fort Erie in September (25 casualties) but not much more happened on that front. Veteran British regiments arriving from France and a Royal Navy blockade wore down the Americans and in August, the British captured Washington and burnt the White House. In December, the Americans defeated a British attack on the huge trading centre of New Orleans. With nothing decisive attainable by either side, a peace treaty was signed in March 1815 which restored the status quo of 1812.

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