Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Military General Service 1793-1814, 4 clasps, Roleia, Vimiera, Corunna, Vittoria (I. Hayes, Serjt. Major, 6th. Foot.) small edge bruise, otherwise nearly extremely fine £1,200-£1,600

Provenance: Elson Collection, Glendining’s, February 1963; Glendining’s, 1984; Buckland Dix & Wood, June 1994.

Isaac Hayes was born in Warwick, c.1782, and was a button burnisher by trade. He attested for the 6th Foot at the age of 18 in March 1800; the regiment was then stationed in Canada. After returning from Canada in 1806, the battalion remained in England till 1807 before shipping off to Gibraltar. Then in 1808 to the Iberian Peninsula where shortly after joining the Peninsula Army, fought at Roliça and Vimeiro. The battalion took part in the Corunna campaign, losing 400 men during the march. In 1809 the 6th Foot embarked with the expedition against Holland and was present at the siege and capture of Flushing and the reduction of the island of Walcheren. Hayes is recorded as suffering a severe attack of fever. The battalion returned to the Peninsula in 1812, and was present at Vittoria in 1813 and heavily engaged at the later action at Roncesvalles. At the Heights of Echalar, in August 1813, Wellington watched the regiment’s attack against 6,000 French in rugged positions in the mountains and described it as ‘The most gallant and the finest thing he had ever witnessed’. The regiment suffered 13 killed and 142 wounded, which included four sergeants. Hayes suffered a gunshot wound to his left leg at this action.

In 1814 the battalion is recorded as embarking from Bordeaux for Canada and later present at Niagara and engaged at the siege of Fort Erie. In 1815 it embarked from Canada and arrived at Ostend; Ghent; Paris; Army of Occupation. Hayes’s name appears on the Peninsula prize roll as been awarded £2, 14s, 3 1/2d.

After serving 25 years, Hayes was discharge on April 1825; 10 years as Sergeant Major. His discharge papers describe his conduct as most highly creditable and soldier-like, and note that he served in the Walcheren campaign and, and that he received a gunshot wound in the left leg at the battle of Echelar in the Pyrenees on 2 August 1813. He died on 3 October 1855, age 73.

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