90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers)
| 90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers) (Light Infantry) | |
|---|---|
 The 90th Regiment on parade, 1866 | |
| Active | 1794-1881 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Light Infantry |
| Battle honours | Mandora; Egypt; Martinique; Guadaloupe; South Africa 1846-7; Sevastopol; Lucknow; South Africa 1877-9[1] |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Thomas Graham, Lord Lynedoch |
The 90th Perthshire Light Infantry was a Scottish light infantry regiment of the British Army, active from 1794 to 1881. It was originally raised for service in the French Revolutionary Wars by Thomas Graham, and served throughout the 19th century before being amalgamated into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1881. It took the title of Perthshire Volunteers in 1802, and was formally ranked as light infantry in 1815.
After its raising, the 90th served in various expeditions before being sent to Egypt in 1800. During the Napoleonic Wars it was posted to the West Indies, seeing action at the capture of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and garrisoned Quebec during the War of 1812. It later spent periods on garrison duty in the Mediterranean and in Ceylon, and fought in the Seventh Xhosa War of 1846-47.
In the 1850s, the 90th served throughout the Crimean War, and then fought in the Indian Mutiny, where members of the regiment won six Victoria Crosses. Later in the century it served in South Africa, fighting in the Ninth Xhosa War and the Anglo-Zulu War. The regiment was amalgamated with the 26th (Cameronian) Regiment of Foot in 1881, as part of the Childers Reforms, and became the 2nd Battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). The 2nd Battalion was disbanded in 1948, and the Cameronians themselves ceased to exist in 1968, having chosen to be disbanded rather than amalgamated.
References
- ↑ The two sets of South African honours were awarded to the successor regiment, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), in 1882