American Revolution 1780
Major John Andre, 26th Foot
Westminster Abbey
Captain Francis Marsden, 5th Foot
All Saints Church, Wakefield
Lexington and Concord, both in Massachusetts, have a friendly argument about which of them was the site of the start of the American War of Independence in April 1785. My vote goes for Lexington, as shots were fired by both the British regular troops and the local militia and it happened first, but it is probably unimportant. For this page the important matter is that Francis Marsden, a twenty-one year old Captain in the 5th Regiment, was present at both, in charge of a company of grenadiers. To be honest, it is unlikely that he actively participated in either of the two skirmishes involved, but he was thereabouts. At Concord we know that the Grenadiers of the 5th Regiment were involved in searching for arms and ammunition in the town when the shooting started at North Bridge. Marsden and his men then rejoined the main British force as, increasingly outnumbered, it then began a fighting retreat/ flight back to Lexington and Boston. War or Rebellion may not have been officially declared, but to the soldiers and civilians involved it may as well have been.
Marsden made it back to Boston, which quickly became besieged by the American militia forces (I say American, but of course both sides were British, principally English. Essentially, this was a civil war). In June, an attempt to break the siege, the British planned to take control of two heights on the peninsula that lies on the other side of the Charles River from Boston, and thus gain control over Boston Harbour. Forewarned, the colonial forces prepared defences on the two hills, now called Bunker's Hill and Breed's Hill, and the British forces attacked. Thus the fight known as the Battle of Bunker's Hill began.
Without delving into the militaristic details it can be said that the battle ended in a British victory, as the colonial forces ran out of ammunition and so were forced to retreat, but the success was distinctly pyrrhic. For the British forces the losses in terms of dead and wounded were serious - bear in mind that, given the siege, they had no way of replacing losses in any significant way. In particular the losses among the officers was striking. In effect, the idea of the British army in Boston being an effective attacking force was gone. The siege continued for another nine months, but in March 1776 the British force, and many of their supporters, withdrew to Nova Scotia. They never came back.
Francis Marsden was one of the Bunker Hill casualties. He was not among the numbers killed, but he was wounded so severely that he had to be repatriated back home to West Yorkshire, to the family home at Burntwood Hall in Brierley, to the north-east of Barnsley. His family were local gentry, father being a Wakefield solicitor, and he was to stay in the family home until, all the sources say, he eventually succumbed to his wounds in 1780.As a Westie myself, it is strange to realise that a Barnsley lad was present at the start of the United States.
One example of how chance can play such a part in war. When Marsden was wounded, his second -in-command took charge of the 5th's Grenadiers. He led the final assault, planted the British flag at the summit of Breece's Hill, and became celebrated as a British hero of the battle. His name was Francis Rawdon, and after a distinguished military career he became Governor-general of India from 1813 to 1823. I wonder if he ever thought about Francis Marsden.
Marsden made it back to Boston, which quickly became besieged by the American militia forces (I say American, but of course both sides were British, principally English. Essentially, this was a civil war). In June, an attempt to break the siege, the British planned to take control of two heights on the peninsula that lies on the other side of the Charles River from Boston, and thus gain control over Boston Harbour. Forewarned, the colonial forces prepared defences on the two hills, now called Bunker's Hill and Breed's Hill, and the British forces attacked. Thus the fight known as the Battle of Bunker's Hill began.
Without delving into the militaristic details it can be said that the battle ended in a British victory, as the colonial forces ran out of ammunition and so were forced to retreat, but the success was distinctly pyrrhic. For the British forces the losses in terms of dead and wounded were serious - bear in mind that, given the siege, they had no way of replacing losses in any significant way. In particular the losses among the officers was striking. In effect, the idea of the British army in Boston being an effective attacking force was gone. The siege continued for another nine months, but in March 1776 the British force, and many of their supporters, withdrew to Nova Scotia. They never came back.
Francis Marsden was one of the Bunker Hill casualties. He was not among the numbers killed, but he was wounded so severely that he had to be repatriated back home to West Yorkshire, to the family home at Burntwood Hall in Brierley, to the north-east of Barnsley. His family were local gentry, father being a Wakefield solicitor, and he was to stay in the family home until, all the sources say, he eventually succumbed to his wounds in 1780.As a Westie myself, it is strange to realise that a Barnsley lad was present at the start of the United States.
One example of how chance can play such a part in war. When Marsden was wounded, his second -in-command took charge of the 5th's Grenadiers. He led the final assault, planted the British flag at the summit of Breece's Hill, and became celebrated as a British hero of the battle. His name was Francis Rawdon, and after a distinguished military career he became Governor-general of India from 1813 to 1823. I wonder if he ever thought about Francis Marsden.
Sources
www.silverwhistle.co.uk - article by Ben Fletcher 'Captain Francis Marsden'
glosters.tripod.com
Wikipedia - page on ' Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of hastings'
© Jonathan Dewhirst 2016
www.silverwhistle.co.uk - article by Ben Fletcher 'Captain Francis Marsden'
glosters.tripod.com
Wikipedia - page on ' Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of hastings'
© Jonathan Dewhirst 2016
