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Auction: 26003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 112

A good campaign pair awarded to Sergeant W. Simms, 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers), who was present at the Battle of New Orleans

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Toulouse (William Simms, Serjt. 7th. Foot); Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., 1st issue, large letter reverse (Sergt. William Simms. 7th. Foot. 1836), engraved naming, minor repairs to clasp previously sprung on first, suspension replaced on second, very fine (2)

Ex-William G. Chereos Collection of Medals relating to the American War of 1812, September 2004.

Of the 7 single-clasp awards for Toulouse to the 7th Foot, none went to Officers and this is the senior of the two N.C.O.'s.

William Simms was born at Alton, Hampshire, and attested for the 7th Foot at Rye, Sussex, on 2 May 1811, aged 24 years. He was discharged on 18 May 1836, in consequence of chronic rheumatism, having served 24 years, as a Corporal from December 1825 and as a Sergeant from April 1826. He ‘served in Portugal and Spain three years & a half, was present in America at the battle of New Orleans, in France with the Army of occupation three years & a half, in the Mediterranean four years & a half, remainder at home.’

War of 1812

With the conclusion of the Peninsular War with the final victory at Toulouse, on 14 June 1814 the regiment sailed for home. However, a mere four months later the 7th received orders to embark for North America for service against the forces of the United States in the 'War of 1812'.

Earmarked for the army being formed for operations along the southern coast, the Fusiliers joined Major-General Sir Edward Packenham's force of some 8,000 men (many, like the 7th and Packenham, Peninsular veterans) in preparation for landing at New Orleans. Having defeated American forces at Bladensburg and Baltimore, in addition to consigning Washington to the flames, the British were confident in their ability to do the same further south: however, the subsequent battle between Packenham and Andrew Jackson (8 January 1815) was an absolute disaster for the British - their frontal assaults were repulsed, Packenham himself was killed, and British losses amounted to some 2,000 men against a mere 71 Americans. Fortunately for Simms, the 7th were part of the reserve force under Sir John Lambert and did not participate in the main attack, instead covering those shattered regiments of the British force as they withdrew; despite not taking part in the attack, Simms must have witnessed some terrible sights that day.

After New Orleans, the British went on to have slightly more success in capturing Fort Bowyer, Alabama in February 1815, which commanded access to Mobile Bay - however, peace had already been declared and shortly afterward the British withdrew.

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Estimate
£1,000 to £1,400

Starting price
£800