I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of this
day's date, with the statement I thought proper to order to be made
out in my note of last night to you, for the information of the
officer commanding the army in chief. I shall now merely confine
myself to remarking to the officers whose names appear to the
letter now received, that had they not made observations on the
late general orders of the Honourable the Governor in Council and
Commander-in-Chief, and remarks on the steady conduct of the officers
of the subsidiary force at Hyderabad, as also on officers "in the
army" who are not the _friends of the army_, I should not have quitted
the table at mess-room _merely_ because "the friends of the army" was
proposed as a toast, which I requested might be changed to the _Madras
army_; and when not acceded to, I felt myself called upon to quit
the mess-room. Very fortunately there were many strangers present at
dinner, as well as myself, whose recollection of what passed on that
day may be able to elucidate this subject, should the Honourable the
Governor in Council and Commander-in-Chief deem it requisite to call
upon them for this purpose.
(Signed) JAMES INNES,
Lieut.-Col. M. E. Regiment, in
charge N. D. of the Army.
EXTRACT _from Division Orders, by Lieutenant-Colonel_ INNES,
_dated 1st June, 1809_.
"A detail, consisting of a subaltern, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, and
30 privates, belonging to the Madras European regiment, to be held in
readiness to embark at a short notice on board the Fox frigate, to
serve as marines. The officer commanding the Madras European regiment
will give the requisite orders for the equipment of the above detail,
which Lieutenant Maitland is appointed to command.
"Lieutenant D. Forbes of the Madras European regiment is relieved from
the command of Condapillee, and directed to proceed forthwith to the
Presidency, for the purpose of embarking for Prince of Wales's Island,
to take charge of the detail of the corps doing duty there.
"Ensign Dickson, 1st battalion 19th regiment native infantry, is
reappointed to command at Condapillee, and directed to proceed to that
station with the least delay, to relieve Lieutenant D. Forbes of the
Madras European regiment. The detail above named is to be struck off
garrison duty.
(Signed) "JAMES INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
EXTRACT _from Regimental Orders_.
"Madras European Regiment, 2d June, 1809.
"A roll of the detail ordered on board the Fox frigate, to serve as
marines, to be sent to the paymaster, to enable him to furnish them
with a pay certificate. The roll alluded to, when ready, is to be
inserted in the regimental orderly book. Every thing requisite from the
regimental stores to equip the detail, is to be indented for directly,
that the whole may be prepared to embark at an hour's notice. Pay is
ordered to be issued to the detail alluded to above.
"The commanding officer has approved of the arrangement made for the
detail directed to embark; but as Lieutenant Maitland has expressed a
wish to the adjutant to make some exchanges of the non-commissioned
officers, accedes to the wishes of Lieutenant Maitland, provided the
officers commanding the companies to whom they belong consent to the
exchange; otherwise those already ordered will go."
EXTRACT _from General Orders, 2d June_.
"Pay in advance for June, and arrears for May, to be issued to the
troops under orders of embarkation in the course of this day, to enable
them to prepare for their passage to the Presidency in the Fox frigate."
EXTRACT _from Regimental Orders, Madras European Regiment, dated 3d
June, 1809_.
"The adjutant will furnish Lieutenant Maitland with a roll of his
detachment; and officers commanding companies are directed to send
to that officer the pay advanced (as in yesterday's orders) for the
detachment ordered as marines."
EXTRACT _from Division Orders, by Lieutenant-Colonel_ INNES.
"Lieutenant Dixon of the 1st battalion 19th regiment native infantry,
having joined his corps this morning with the detachment from
Condapillee, is directed to resume the command of that station to
morrow, to relieve Lieutenant D. Forbes, in conformity with the
Division Orders of the 1st instant, and will be provided with a
passport by the acting fort-adjutant.
(Signed) "JAMES INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
"Masulipatam,
"5th June, 1809."
EXTRACT _from Regimental Orders, Madras European Regiment,
June 6th, 1809_.
"The commanding officer having taken upon himself to grant family
certificates to the detail ordered on board his Majesty's ship Fox,
Lieutenant Maitland is requested to refer to the last order issued upon
this subject, which it will be requisite to attend minutely, to prevent
retrenchments hereafter."
EXTRACT _from Division Orders, by Lieutenant-Colonel_ INNES,
_7th June, 1809_.
"The detail ordered from the Madras European regiment is now reduced to
1 subaltern, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 1 drum, and 26 privates,--in all
30,--to be held in readiness to embark at a moment's notice on board
the Samarang sloop of war, hourly expected.
(Signed) "J. INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
EXTRACT _from Garrison Orders, 13th June, 1809_.
"Lieutenant D. Forbes of the Madras European regiment being summoned as
an evidence, by an Ensign Baker, to attend the Court of Inquiry ordered
to assemble for the purpose of investigating the conduct of Ensign
Baker, Lieutenant D. Forbes is consequently directed to remain here
till further orders."
EXTRACT _from Garrison Orders, 20th June, 1809_.
"The detail from the Madras European regiment, ordered to be held in
readiness to serve as marines on board the Samarang sloop of war, are
directed to join their respective companies, and to do garrison duty
till further orders; but to be considered as under Division Orders to
embark on a short notice."
EXTRACT _from Division Orders by Lieutenant-Colonel_ JAMES INNES,
_dated 23d June, 1809_.
"Two detachments from the Madras European regiment to be held in
readiness to embark, at a short notice, on board of such of his
Majesty's ships as may be prepared to receive them, to serve as
marines, and to consist of the following strength; viz.
"One detachment, to be composed of 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 3
corporals, and 35 privates; making a total of 41.
"The other, of 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 2 corporals, and 27
privates--31 total. Such men as wish to have family certificates are to
be provided with them by the officers under whose command they may be
placed immediately.
"No time being fixed for the embarkation of the above details, they are
to be considered on the strength of the garrison, (as also Lieutenant
Maitland's party,) till further orders.
(Signed) "JAMES INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
EXTRACT _from Regimental Orders, June 24th, 1809_.
"Lieutenants Lawless and Carbery to indent for ammunition and every
thing requisite to complete their respective detachments directly.
"Should Lieutenant-Colonel Innes receive any additional information
from the ships, he will write to Lieutenant Nixon instantly."
SUBSTANCE _of a Verbal Declaration made by Major_ STOREY.
Major Storey declared to Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm, that he was fully
satisfied, that if Lieutenant-Colonel Innes had persisted in the plan
he adopted for the coercion of the garrison, there must have been
immediate bloodshed; and he (Major Storey) was assured, from what he
knew of the general temper of the officers of the Company's army at
the moment, that such an occurrence, whatever was its issue, would
have produced an insurrection against the authority of Government in
many other quarters. This belief, Major Storey declares, was the chief
motive that made him take the step he did.