James Inglis Hamilton - Seven Years' War

Seven Years' War

Hamilton enlisted in the British Army on 28 February 1755 and was stationed at Portsmouth. He first saw action in June 1756 at the Siege of Fort St Philip, part of the Seven Years' War. Assigned to the 34th Regiment of Foot, he was one of the 2,800 British soldiers fighting under the command of William Blakeney against 15,000 Frenchmen under the Duke de Richelieu and Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. The French sailed to Fort St. Philip and forced the British to surrender. During the siege, Admiral John Byng sailed there with a relief group, hoping to save the island for the British, but was unsuccessful. The French killed or wounded 400 British in the French victory.

Hamilton fought in the Raid on St Malo in June 1758. The British landed near St Malo, at first planning to attack the town. However, they decided to destroy shipping first and attack the town later. Finding that to occupy the town would require a full siege, for which they had insufficient troops, they occupied St Servan, where they burned over one hundred vessels including thirty privateers. British ships retreated after seeing a large French force, but sailed around the coast for a few weeks seeking another place to attack. Even though the Raid on St Malo was small and little damage was done, it is considered a British victory.

In 1761, Hamilton took part in the Capture of Belle Île as one of the 5,000 British troops led by Studholme Hodgson. The first attempt by the British was unsuccessful and lost approximately 500 troops. With reinforcements, a second attempt succeeded on 7 June 1761.

On 17 October 1761, while holding the rank of major, Hamilton became major commandant (colonel) of the 113th Regiment of Foot. It was formed from independent companies and served as a depot for sending drafts to Highland regiments serving overseas. The regiment disbanded in 1763, and Hamilton retired on half pay. He became a lieutenant-colonel on 25 May 1772.