page_title: History of the Scots Guards (1805–1913)
section_title: Distant troubles
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Scots Guards (1805–1913) / Distant troubles
caption_attribution_description: English: Soldiers from the Scots Guards open fire on the cornered anarchists in the Siege of Sidney Street in London, 3 January 1911. Deutsch: Liegend schießen Soldaten der Scots Guards während der „Belagerung der Sidney Street“ am 3. Januar 1911 auf das abgeriegelte Wohnhaus im Londoner East End.
context_page_description: The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army.
context_section_description: In 1862, the 2nd Battalion landed in the then-colony of New Brunswick to reinforce the garrison there during increased tensions with the United States during the American Civil War. The battalion departed in 1864, while the American Civil War still raged, and returned home to the UK. In 1877 Queen Victoria, changed the regiment's name to the now more familiar Scots Guards. In 1881, the 1st Battalion deployed to Dublin, Ireland and the following year the battalion, as part of the Guard Brigade, took part in an expedition to Egypt, which came about in response to a revolt led by Urabi Pasha, an Egyptian military officer. A 25,000 strong British force, under the command of Sir Garnet Wolseley, landed in Egypt in August, and on 13 September, the decisive engagement of the campaign occurred, the Battle of Tel el-Kebir, which ended in victory for the British, and culminated with the taking of Cairo and the capture of Urabi Pasha. The Scots Guards gained the battle honours "Tel-el-Kebir" and "Egypt 1882" for taking part in the Egyptian Expedition, and it was the last time the regiment carried the Colours into war.
  In 1885, the 2nd Battalion took part in the Suakin Expedition to the Sudan, including the Battle of Hasheen, and gained the battle honour Suakin 1885 for their part in the campaign. The battalion returned home to the UK in late 1885 and took part in Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Military Review in 1887. In 1887, a proposal to convert the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders into the 3rd Battalion of the Scots Guards was dropped after concerted lobbying by the Camerons. In 1895, the 2nd Battalion of the regiment deployed to Dublin and returned to its barracks in London in 1897, with the 1st Battalion deploying to Dublin that same year.
  In 1899, war broke out between the British Empire and the Dutch Boer Republics, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The 1st Battalion soon departed Ireland for South Africa to join up with the 1st Guards Brigade, and reached that country in November. The battalion quickly saw its first engagements in November, at Belmont, which ended in a British victory, and at the Battle of Modder River, another British victory, though it had come at a heavy cost in British life after the British forces had come under a terrible withering fire from the Boer defenders, but the Boers eventually withdrew; the Scots Guards gained a battle honour for their part in the battle. In December, the battalion took part in its first major engagement of the war at the Battle of Magersfontein. The Boers, well defended in their positions, poured a terrible fire into the attacking British, causing very heavy casualties, with the battle ending in a defeat for the British who had battled bravely against the Boers, and ending the attempts to relieve the town of Kimberley which was besieged by Boer forces; the siege would not to be lifted until February 1900. Also in 1899, the 3rd Battalion of the regiment was raised in London, though would not see overseas service in South Africa.
  In 1900, the 2nd Battalion departed the UK for South Africa, landing there in April, whereupon it joined the 16th Infantry Brigade. The Scots Guards then saw action at another major battle, at the Battle of Paardeberg, which lasted for a number of days in February, though the Boers there were eventually defeated when the Boer leader Piet Cronje surrendered. The following month, the regiment took part in the Battle of Driefontein and in May, the 2nd Battalion took part in a small engagement at Biddulphsberg and on 31 May, the regiment was present at the capture of Johannesburg. During its time in Africa, the regiment performed a variety of duties, including manning blockhouses, rather than just its involvement in the many battles of the war. In June 1902, the British and their Commonwealth Allies triumphed over the Boers, after suffering dreadful casualties, appalling conditions and the terrible fighting they took part in against their tough adversary, the Boers. Following the end of the war the battalion returned home, leaving Ca
caption: Soldiers from the Scots Guards open fire during Siege of Sidney Street 1911
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