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John McCulloch (possibly the son of
Sir Godfrey
McCulloch,
last of Myretoun and Ardwell) joined Lord Dumbarton's Regt on 18
May 1685, commissioned as an Ensign. The Regiment that young
McCulloch was joining was the oldest and most senior Regiment of
the Line (and remains so to this day as The Royal Scots in the
modern British Army). Portions of the Regt had just returned
from active service in Tangiers in Northern Africa where they had
been on garrison duty against the Moors since 1680. In October of
the same year, King Charles II conferred the title of "The Royal
Regiment of Foot" on McCulloch's new unit in recognition of its
distinguished service at Tangiers.
John McCulloch initially joined a line company
consisting of pikemen and musketeers under the command of Captain
George Moray. An infantry regiment of this period consisted of
approximately ten companies. Each company consisted of two-
thirds matchlock muskets and one-third pikes. However, when a
company fought as an unit, all the pikes were massed in the
centre, with the muskets (or "shot" as they were collectively
termed) in two bodies on either flank. The battalion fought in
line, the musketeers six ranks deep, and the pikemen five ranks
deep. The musketeers fired in volleys by rank and the pikemen
gave protection against cavalry by forming a defensive hedgehog
of steel.
On 2 February 1685, John McCulloch was promoted Second
Lieutenant in Captain Robert Hodge's Grenadier Company, the
latter gentleman a regimental hero who had distinguished himself
several times in action against the Moors. Hodges would play an
important role in McCulloch's training and military career. Capt
Hodges had raised the original Grenadier Company of the regiment
when they were first authorized in 1678 for infantry regiments.
Grenadiers were hand-picked soldiers, usually chosen for their
size and strength, who were then "trained to ignite fuses and
cast the grenades in forts, trenches or amidst the ranks of their
enemies, where the explosion was calculated to produce much
execution; and the men, deriving their designation from the
combustibles with which they were armed...." The Regimental
History of the Royal Scots goes on to explain that the duties of
McCulloch's newly assigned company "were considered more arduous
than those of the pikemen and musketeers; and the strongest and
most active men were selected for the grenadier companies." It
could also be added the strongest and most active officers as
well, for Capt Hodges was renowned for his bravery and leading
from the front. No doubt it was a characteristic he demanded of
all his officers and sergeants as well. John McCulloch would
serve for the next three years in the Grenadier Company, being
promoted First Lieutenant effective 31 December 1688.
In June of 1685, however, 2nd Lt McCulloch of the Royal
Regt's Grenadiers had his first taste of action at The Battle of
Sedgemoor, the last battle to be ever fought on English soil.
James, Duke of Monmouth, raised a rebellion in the West Country
against the Catholic King, James II, hoping it would spread to
the rest of the country. Five companies of the Royal Regt,
including the Grenadiers and nine field pieces, under the overall
command of Lt Colonel Archibald Douglas, marched to the
assistance of the Earl of Feversham's Royalist forces at
Sedgemoor. The rebels attempted a surprise night attack on the
Royalist camp only to encounter the veterans of the Royal Regt
who formed instantly at the alarm and held the rebels in check,
giving the other battalions of the army time to form up. The
Royals were then attacked by the Rebel cavalry at first light
followed by the rebel infantry but they held firm. 2nd Lt
McCulloch fell wounded in the action and is listed as one of
seven Royal officers to receive a bounty of money (25 pounds
sterling) from the King in recognition of the key role they
played in the battle. Not only had the Regt taken the brunt of
the fighting, it had gone on to capture the Duke of Monmouth's
standard when his forces were finally routed from the field.
In 1687, The Royal Regt was split into two battalions of
eleven and ten companies respectively, each company being reduced
from 100 to 50 men. 2nd Lt McCulloch remained with the First
Battalion which moved to various quarters in and around the City
of London. In early 1688, John McCulloch said goodbye to his old
company commander, Robert Hodges, who was promoted to Lt Colonel
of the newly raised 16th Regt of Foot which was to be under the
command of his old CO, newly-promoted Colonel Archibald Douglas.
In late 1688, however, when the Prince of Orange, the
future King William III, invaded England, the 16th Foot was one
of many English regiments which went over to his side, James II
being a very unpopular Catholic king. The Royal Regt, however,
were true to their salt, despite the fact that most of the
officers and men were Presbyterian Scots. They remained loyal to
King James II until his abdication and flight to France in
December 1688, a fact which the new King, the Regimental History
records was very quick to notice. In fact, William III is
reported to have "repeatedly expressed his admiration of the firm
loyalty and attachment evinced by the officers and soldiers of
The Royal Regt to their former sovereign, when he was forsaken by
almost every other person." The new King dismissed only three
Catholic Jacobite officers of the Regt as a result, one of the
three being the Earl of Dumbarton who went into exile with James
II.
Other officers with strong Jacobite sympathies were also
removed from their commands throughout the army by the King, and
John McCulloch's friend, Lt Col Robert Hodges, was a direct
beneficiary of this new policy. He was promoted Colonel of the
16th Foot to replace Colonel Archibald Douglas, a Jacobite
sympathizer. One of Hodges' first actions as the new Colonel was
to offer John McCulloch a Captaincy in his new regiment. He
wanted McCulloch to command his Grenadier Company and the
latter's commission is dated 21 February 1689.
One of King William's first actions was to send British
regiments over to the Netherlands to help his beleaguered forces
fighting against the French. Captain John McCulloch of Hodge's
Regt of Foot embarked for Holland for service with the Earl
(later Duke) of Marlborough in May 1689. Marlborough's English
command became part of an allied army in Flanders, some 40,000
men strong under the overall command of the Prince of Waldeck.
Opposing them was a French army of equal strength under Marshal
d'Humieres. Captain McCulloch's first and last major action on
the Continent occurred at The Battle of Walcourt, where he and
his men under Colonel Hodges distinguished themselves. The Regt
accompanied by 200 Dutch cavalry encountered a sizable French
cavalry force and fought a spirited and successful rearguard
action against overwhelming odds. Prince Waldeck was so pleased
with the performance of the Regiment he wrote to King William II
praising "Colonel Hotges"[sic] and stating "the English who were
with him performed marvels." The Regimental History of the 16th
Foot (Bedfordshire Regt) claims:
Thus to the 16th fell the honour of being the first troops of the British Regular Army to fire a shot on the Continent of Europe. The Regiment has acquitted itself gallantly under the eyes of Britain's greatest soldier [Marlborough] and Waldeck was enthusiastic about their behaviour, writing to Marlborough that they had behaved most admirably and displayed a most astonishing "joye de combattre."
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