Sergeant Edward Macdonald.
Corporal Robert Blair, and
Corporal Peter Fraser.
and soon afterwards—
Corporal Robert Brand,
who completed the non-commissioned officers to the full number
authorised by the warrant.
Footnote 5:
The more particular duties of the Sergeant-major, as described in the
Chief Engineer’s Order of 31st May, 1772, were “to carry all the
general orders to the Chief Engineer, and the officers of the company,
through the means of the other sergeants; also to make known the
general orders to the rest of the non-commissioned officers and
private men.” These he was required to attend to, “in lieu of an
adjutant.” By the royal warrant, he should have been appointed to that
rank, and not designated “sergeant-major.” No reason can be traced for
altering the title. The _first_ adjutant was an officer of
engineers—Lieutenant Evelegh. He was appointed 15th June, 1773.
Bridges enlisted into the 30th regiment in 1751, from which he was
transferred to the corps as Sergeant-major, and being reduced during
the siege (28th September, 1781), was discharged from the company 10th
October, 1781.
At the time the soldier-artificers were raised, the extensive works
ordered to be executed by his Majesty in October, 1770, were in
progress, and furnished an excellent opportunity for testing their
capabilities and merits. The advantage of the change, and the consequent
benefits accruing to the fortress, were soon apparent. Scarcely had the
company been in existence a year, before Major-General Boyd, the
Lieutenant-Governor, impressed with the conviction of its usefulness,
represented, in several communications to Lord Rochford, the Secretary
of State, the expediency of augmenting it; and he was the more urgent
for its sanction as the new works in hand—which were absolutely
essential for the defence of the place—required to be hastened with all
possible despatch. The recommendation, coming from so high an authority,
met with ready attention, and a Warrant dated 25th March, 1774, was
accordingly issued for adding twenty-five men to the company. Its
establishment was then fixed as follows:—
Sergeant-major 1
Sergeants 4
Corporals 4
Drummer 1
Private artificers @b83
——
Total 93