‘To the Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and Privates of Her Majesty’s Rifle Brigade, now stationed at Weedon barracks.
‘We, the undersigned the Mayor and magistrates of the borough of Birmingham, having heard with regret of your intended early removal from this neighbourhood, cannot permit your departure to take place without tendering to you this cordial and respectful assurance of our esteem and gratitude. For a considerable period during which we were indebted to you for aid and protection, we had frequent occasions to admire the order, courage and humanity which marked your performance of some of the most painful duties which it falls to the lot of a British soldier to fulfil. Nor can we forget that alike by officers and men these duties, often dangerous and always irksome, were discharged with uniform cheerfulness and alacrity.
‘As a very inadequate, though warm and grateful return, allow us to repeat the expression of our heartfelt thanks and to offer our best and earnest wishes for your future happiness and welfare.
‘Signed by the Mayor and ten magistrates.
‘Birmingham, April 30, 1840.’
In November 1839, the flint-lock Baker rifle was replaced by the percussion Brunswick rifle, a supply of which was forwarded from the Tower to Weedon, together with swords, &c.
The 2nd Battalion marched in two divisions from Woolwich on October 9 and 10, for Windsor and arrived there on the 12th and were quartered in the Infantry barracks.
On November 1 the Battalion was reviewed in the Home Park by Queen Victoria.
In consequence of the disturbed state of South Wales, and the attack on Newport in November, two companies of the Battalion, under the command of Major Irton,[190] were ordered to march from Windsor on December 18 to Monmouth, where they arrived on the 28th of that month.
The 1st Battalion remained at Weedon till November 1840, when an order having been received to prepare for foreign service, the Battalion was divided into six Service companies and four Depôt companies.
And on November 9 and 10 the Service companies proceeded by rail-road to London; and embarked at Deptford on board the ‘Abercrombie Robinson’ transport for Malta, where they arrived in January following.
The Depôt companies continued to be quartered in Weedon barracks during the remainder of the year.
The trial by Special Commission of the ringleaders of the attack on Newport having concluded, the two companies of the 2nd Battalion which had been detached to Monmouth, marched on March 2 and rejoined Head-quarters at Windsor on the 10th of that month.
On May 22 a company of the Battalion marched to Esher to furnish guards and duties at Claremont, during the Queen’s residence there; and returned to Windsor on the 25th, and on June 1 a similar detachment proceeded to Esher, for the same duty, rejoining Head-quarters on the 5th.
South Wales continuing in a disturbed state, two companies marched from Windsor to Brecon, one to Pontypool, one to Swansea, and one to Merthyr Tydvil on August 22, and arrived at their destinations on September 1 and 2. And on August 24 the Head-quarters marched to Newport, Monmouthshire, and arrived on September 1; furnishing additional detachments to Newtown and Montgomery.
On October 26 the detachment at Brecon was broken up, one company marching to Abergavenny, and the other to Usk.
The Service companies of the 1st Battalion disembarked at Malta on January 13, 1841, and were quartered at Fort Manuel, with detachments at St. Salvador and another to the Zabbar gate.
On January 28 the Head-quarters moved to Fort Ricasoli, detaching another company to St. Salvador. But the Battalion only remained in these quarters till February 13, when they removed to Isola barracks, with one company at St. Francis de Paolo, and one at St. Salvador.
On May 7 the Battalion left the Cottinera district, and moved to lower St. Elmo barracks, with a company detached at St. James’ Cavalier.
The Depôt companies removed from Weedon to Chester Castle on May 5, and were there quartered until 20th of the same month, when they proceeded to Liverpool; and embarking for Dublin, arrived there on the 21st. They disembarked on the following day and occupied Beggar’s-bush barracks until the 25th when they moved into Richmond barracks.
On July 10 a detachment of five officers and about a hundred men were sent to Wicklow, in aid of the Civil power, during an election. They returned to Richmond barracks on the 23rd.
No alteration of quarters (except the change and relief of detachments) took place in the 2nd Battalion until August; on the 28th, 30th and 31st of which month the Battalion left its cantonments in Monmouthshire and in Wales, and was reunited at Bristol preparatory to embarking for foreign service.
On this occasion an address was presented to the Commanding Officer, signed by the Mayor of Newport and five other magistrates, commending the ‘peaceable, orderly and soldierlike manner in which the men had conducted themselves.’ An address was likewise presented, signed by five magistrates of Newtown, thanking the detachment there for its ‘efficient assistance in preserving the peace of the town,’ and for ‘protecting the property of many of its inhabitants.’ And another signed by forty inhabitants (magistrates and tradesmen) testified to the good conduct of the detachment stationed there.
On September 3 the Battalion was divided into six Service and four Depôt companies; and on the 9th and 10th (leaving the Depôt companies at Bristol) the Service companies proceeded by Great Western railway to Paddington, and thence to Deptford, where they embarked on board the ‘Abercrombie Robinson’ for Bermuda. They arrived on November 5 and disembarked at St. George’s.
The 1st Battalion remained in its quarters at Malta during the whole of the year 1842, furnishing detachments to Forts Ricasoli and Tigné.
The Depôt companies marched from Richmond barracks to the Pigeon-house Fort, near Dublin, on January 20; where they remained until October. On the 17th of that month the first division marched for Drogheda through Ashbourne, and on the 19th the Head-quarters through Balbriggan; and on arrival at Drogheda were quartered, three companies in Millmount barracks, and one company in Fair Street barracks.
On May 7 an order was issued from the Horse Guards increasing the 2nd Battalion to twelve companies, six of which were to be called the Reserve Battalion. The Depôt companies were therefore increased to six companies, eighty men having volunteered from the 1st Battalion to complete them. This was effected at Dover.
The six companies at Bermuda embarked on board the ‘Java’ transport on July 30, and landed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on August 12.
On September 6 the Reserve Battalion arrived at Halifax. And in October the Battalion, thus completed, sent out detachments to Prince Edward’s Island, Cape Breton, and Annapolis.
Lieutenant-General Sir Dugald Little Gilmour, K.C.B., who had served in the Regiment nearly twenty years, during many of which he had commanded the 2nd Battalion, was appointed Colonel Commandant of it April 25, 1842.
The right wing of the 1st Battalion, recalling the detachments, embarked at Malta, on board the ‘Boyne,’ transport, on March 2, 1843, and landed at Corfu on the 6th. The left wing did not leave Malta till April 1, when it embarked, also in the ‘Boyne,’ and arrived at Corfu on the 7th. The Battalion furnished detachments to Santa Maura, Vido, Paxo and Fano.
The Depôt companies continued at Drogheda, whence a detachment of 3 officers and about 70 men marched to Carrickmacross on April 5, in aid of the Civil power, and rejoined on the 27th.
A detachment consisting of one company proceeded on May 23 to Dundalk, and occupied quarters, with the cavalry, in the barracks there. On June 7 it marched to Carrickmacross, to aid the Civil power, and returned to Dundalk on the 15th. Two months afterwards, on August 15 it marched to Castle Blaney again to aid the Civil power; but returned the following day. On September 12 it moved to Longford, and on the same day another company marched from Drogheda to Granard; and the Head-quarters of the Depôt followed to Longford on the 16th, arriving there on the 21st, where they occupied the Line and the Artillery barracks. In the meanwhile a detachment had been sent to Trim, to aid the Civil power; and this rejoined at Longford on October 3.
Detachments were soon afterwards sent out to Athlone and to Roscommon; and that at Granard was called in.
The numerous detachments, in aid of the Civil power, and the frequent removals of the Depôt, were caused by the Repeal agitation, which was at its height during this year; and by the ‘Monster Meetings’ held by O’Connell at Trim, Roscommon, and other towns.
No change seems to have taken place in the quarters of the 2nd Battalion during this year, when it continued at Halifax.
The Service companies of the 1st Battalion continued at Corfu during the year 1844, the only changes in them being the relief of detachments, and the furnishing an additional one to the Lazaretto.
The Depôt companies marched from Longford on January 8 to Athlone, where they arrived on the following day, and were soon joined by the detachment from Roscommon.
The 2nd Battalion continued at Halifax, the detachments at the out-stations being relieved, by another regiment, and rejoining Head-quarters in July.
The Service companies of the 1st Battalion remained at Corfu during the year 1845; the only change in its quarters being the occasional relief of the detachments.
The Depôt companies marched from Athlone on April 14 and 15, and arrived in Dublin on the 19th and 21st, and were quartered in Beggar’s-bush barracks, furnishing a detachment for a short time to the Pigeon-house fort. The Depôt Head-quarters removed to this fort on June 2, leaving a small detachment only in the Beggar’s-bush barracks. But to these barracks the Head-quarters returned on October 27.
The 2nd Battalion remained during the whole of this year stationary at Halifax.
About the beginning of August 1846 the Service companies of the 1st Battalion were directed to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to Jamaica; but very shortly afterwards a letter was received from Lord FitzRoy Somerset, Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, stating that the destination of the Battalion was changed; that it was to be held in readiness to embark for the Cape of Good Hope; and that steamers were on their way from England to convey it to Gibraltar.
The Detachments at Lazaretto, Santa Maura and Fano were therefore immediately called in; and the Battalion prepared for active service.
Shortly before embarkation the Service companies were inspected by Lieutenant-General Lord Seaton, then Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian islands, who after witnessing a few battalion movements ordered square to be formed and thus addressed them:
‘Rifle Brigade, or old 95th, I have known the Regiment more than forty years and have taken part with them in battles and sieges in the Peninsular war, and at Waterloo. My old regiment, the 52nd, and the 43rd, formed the famous Light Division under his Grace the Duke of Wellington, who always led them to victory. Your Queen and country now call upon you to uphold her honour in Southern Africa, against hordes of savages; and I feel quite sure that the Battalion will sustain the undying fame that it gained in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, and add more laurels to its wreath. Riflemen, old 95th, I bid you good bye with my heartfelt and best wishes for you all.’
Lord Seaton also issued a farewell order, highly commending the state of their discipline and general good conduct, and expressing his regret at their removal from his command, and his wishes for their future welfare.
The Service companies were ordered, by letter from the Horse Guards, July 23, 1846, to embark 560 strong including musicians, and to take out only 540 rifles and accoutrements; and the supernumerary men and arms were to be sent to England to form part of the Depôt.
Though the Service companies were thus reduced to 560 men, the total strength of the Battalion was actually increased by 200 men, by a Horse Guards order dated March 27, 1846.
On August 21 the Service companies embarked; the Head-quarter division under Major Egerton[191] in H.M. steamship ‘Retribution;’ and the left wing, under Captain Horsford,[192] in the ‘Terrible;’ and steaming away at once (through the Straits of Messina) arrived at Gibraltar at twelve P.M. on the 27th and disembarked on the following day, and occupied barracks.
FOOTNOTES:
[178] ‘Despatches and Correspondence,’ i. 126.
[179] ‘Annual Register,’ lxii. 98.
[180] ‘Record’ 1st Battalion.
[181] ‘Despatches, Correspondence, and Memorandums,’ i. 154. The Regiment had already been authorised to bear the word Waterloo on their appointments, in compliance with a memorandum of the Duke of Wellington, dated Head-quarters, Paris, November 7, 1815.’ ‘Supplementary Despatches,’ Appendix, xiv. 600.
[182] ‘Annual Register,’ lxiv. 67.
[183] ‘Annual Register,’ lxiv. 15.
[184] ‘Annual Register,’ lxiv. 19.
[185] ‘Annual Register,’ lxviii. 105.
[186] The Duke of Clarence had also reviewed the two Depôts on a previous visit to Plymouth on December 21 preceding.
[187] ‘Personal Narrative of Military Travel and Adventure in Turkey and Persia,’ by Robert Macdonald, pp. 22-25. The writer, a sergeant in the 1st Battalion, was selected with his brother Peter Macdonald to proceed to Persia in 1836. See p. 234.
[188] Now Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Wilbraham, K.C.B.
[189] ‘Personal Narrative of Military Travel and Adventure,’ pp. 286-7.
[190] Lieutenant-Colonel Irton died June 9, 1847.
[191] Colonel Buller (now General Sir George Buller, G.C.B.) had left Corfu for England before the order to embark arrived.
[192] Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred H. Horsford, G.C.B.