Charles-Daniel de Meuron
Encyclopedia
Charles-Daniel de Meuron (6 May 1738 - 4 April 1806) was the founder of a Swiss mercenary regiment, Regiment de Meuron
, which worked in the service of the Dutch East India Company in Cape Town and Ceylon. Charles-Daniel was born in Neuchatel and joined the Swiss Guard. He rose to become a colonel and was made a count in 1763. A contract with the Dutch East India Company allowed him to create his own regiment. This regiment moved from France to Cape Town, before moving to Ceylon. The Regiment shifted alliance to the English in 1796 transferring Ceylon into the British Empire and then serving the English East India Company. In 1799, the Regiment de Meuron fought against Tipu Sultan
in the Battle of Seringapatam
. The regimental flag had the symbols of a sword and a mulberry tree. The sword represented military power while the mulberry tree, from which tapa cloth
was made, is thought to have indicated his interest in objects of natural history. His collections of curiosities are now housed at the museum in Neuchatel.
The regiment was plagued with problems, partly from the prickly personality of the founder. Although hired by the Dutch, the Dutch saw the regiment as being favourable to the French. Charles-Daniel tried to impress upon the Dutch that he was against the French. He became very unpopular among his officers, many of whom mutinied, as well as the Governor of the Cape, Van Plettenberg. Even before the Regiment left for the Cape, they had an outbreak of smallpox at the Ile d'Oleron in the west of France. The subsequent shortfall of 380 men was made up by an intake of prisoners from jails in Paris. The original composition was made up of two-thirds Swiss and the remainder of Germans and others. The 800 strong regiment finally left France and a hurricane caused further delay during their journey to the Cape. They were reduced to half rations for eighty days and 300 men got scurvy and 103 died in en route. Twenty more died shortly after reaching cape Town. Some of the troops defected to join Boer farmers. De Meuron held the captain of the Fier, d'Albarade, responsible and claimed that he had stocked the ship with illicit cargo and trading merchandise instead of sufficient provisions for the troops. This claim required the Dutch to hold the ship at the port for investigation. There were altercations between the French sailors and the remaining members of the Meuron Regiment resulting in the shooting of several sailors and causing trouble for the Dutch as there was nobody in control.
The remainder of Regiment was later moved from Cape Town to Ceylon using the other French ship, the Hermione, to serve the Dutch. In the interim, the British agent Hugh Cleghorn
in collaboration with Henry Dundas
approached Charles-Daniel with a proposal and the regiment shifted its loyalty to the English. On the 14th of February, 1796 the Dutch in Ceylon surrendered with minimal resistance. Charles-Daniel received a sum of ₤4000 for the transfer and Cleghorn was paid ₤5000 and made Crown Secretary to Ceylon. In 1798, the Regiment entered full service of the British Army with 2 battalions, of 5 companies of infantry each. The Regiment took part in the battle of Seringapatnam on the side of Wellesley
and helped in the successful seizure of Mysore from Tipu Sultan. Comte Charles-Daniel returned to Switzerland leaving command of the regiment to his brother Pierre-Frederick de Meuron. The Regiment remained in India until 1806, the same year in which Charles de Meuron died.
Regiment de Meuron
The Regiment de Meuron was a regiment of infantry originally raised in Switzerland in 1781. The regiment was named for its commander, Colonel Charles-Daniel de Meuron, who was born in Neuchâtel in 1738....
, which worked in the service of the Dutch East India Company in Cape Town and Ceylon. Charles-Daniel was born in Neuchatel and joined the Swiss Guard. He rose to become a colonel and was made a count in 1763. A contract with the Dutch East India Company allowed him to create his own regiment. This regiment moved from France to Cape Town, before moving to Ceylon. The Regiment shifted alliance to the English in 1796 transferring Ceylon into the British Empire and then serving the English East India Company. In 1799, the Regiment de Meuron fought against Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
in the Battle of Seringapatam
Battle of Seringapatam
The Siege of Seringapatam was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. Tippu Sultan, Mysore's...
. The regimental flag had the symbols of a sword and a mulberry tree. The sword represented military power while the mulberry tree, from which tapa cloth
Tapa cloth
Tapa cloth is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii...
was made, is thought to have indicated his interest in objects of natural history. His collections of curiosities are now housed at the museum in Neuchatel.
The regiment was plagued with problems, partly from the prickly personality of the founder. Although hired by the Dutch, the Dutch saw the regiment as being favourable to the French. Charles-Daniel tried to impress upon the Dutch that he was against the French. He became very unpopular among his officers, many of whom mutinied, as well as the Governor of the Cape, Van Plettenberg. Even before the Regiment left for the Cape, they had an outbreak of smallpox at the Ile d'Oleron in the west of France. The subsequent shortfall of 380 men was made up by an intake of prisoners from jails in Paris. The original composition was made up of two-thirds Swiss and the remainder of Germans and others. The 800 strong regiment finally left France and a hurricane caused further delay during their journey to the Cape. They were reduced to half rations for eighty days and 300 men got scurvy and 103 died in en route. Twenty more died shortly after reaching cape Town. Some of the troops defected to join Boer farmers. De Meuron held the captain of the Fier, d'Albarade, responsible and claimed that he had stocked the ship with illicit cargo and trading merchandise instead of sufficient provisions for the troops. This claim required the Dutch to hold the ship at the port for investigation. There were altercations between the French sailors and the remaining members of the Meuron Regiment resulting in the shooting of several sailors and causing trouble for the Dutch as there was nobody in control.
The remainder of Regiment was later moved from Cape Town to Ceylon using the other French ship, the Hermione, to serve the Dutch. In the interim, the British agent Hugh Cleghorn
Hugh Cleghorn (Ceylon)
Sir Hugh Cleghorn was the first colonial secretary to Ceylon. He was key in the takeover of Ceylon from Dutch control to the British Empire. In 1795 Cleghorn used his friendship with Comte Charles-Daniel de Meuron who was in charge of a Swiss Regiment, Regiment de Meuron, that controlled Ceylon...
in collaboration with Henry Dundas
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
approached Charles-Daniel with a proposal and the regiment shifted its loyalty to the English. On the 14th of February, 1796 the Dutch in Ceylon surrendered with minimal resistance. Charles-Daniel received a sum of ₤4000 for the transfer and Cleghorn was paid ₤5000 and made Crown Secretary to Ceylon. In 1798, the Regiment entered full service of the British Army with 2 battalions, of 5 companies of infantry each. The Regiment took part in the battle of Seringapatnam on the side of Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
and helped in the successful seizure of Mysore from Tipu Sultan. Comte Charles-Daniel returned to Switzerland leaving command of the regiment to his brother Pierre-Frederick de Meuron. The Regiment remained in India until 1806, the same year in which Charles de Meuron died.