SERVICES OF THE REGIMENT IN CEYLON FROM 1814–29
[Sidenote: 1814.]
On the 4th July, 1814, the 2nd Battalion embarked on board transports
for Ireland, and on the 24th following disembarked at Monkstown, County
Cork, and marched into the Fort of Kinsale.
On the 10th of September the battalion marched to Clonmel, and on the
30th of October to Kilkenny, when most of the companies were detached
to do duty in the adjacent villages.
On the 9th of November the depôt joined from Maldon in Essex,
consisting of 1 major, 7 lieutenants, 5 ensigns, 10 sergeants, 4
drummers, and 192 rank and file, under Major Sullivan, who assumed the
command of the battalion.
[Sidenote: 1815.]
On the 26th January, 1815, the regiment marched for Dublin, from which
place all the officers belonging to the 1st Battalion then doing duty
with the 2nd were ordered to join it at the Cape of Good Hope.
[Sidenote: 1816.]
In the month of March, 1816, the battalion marched for Armagh, and was
detached in that and the neighbouring counties.
At this place Lieutenant-Colonel Cother, C.B., from the half-pay of the
71st, assumed the command.
[Sidenote: 1817.]
The 2nd Battalion was inspected by Major-General Barnet on the 24th
April, 1817, and disbanded the same day, having previously selected all
the serviceable non-commissioned officers and men (consisting of 8
sergeants, 4 drummers, and 381 rank and file), to be held in readiness
to join the 1st Battalion, supposed to be in the island of Ceylon, for
which station it had been a considerable time under orders.
The major-general expressed his perfect approbation of the battalion
during its stay in Armagh, in a district order, wishing the officers
every success in future.
There were 15 sergeants, 7 drummers, and 164 rank and file (chiefly
wounded men) discharged in consequence of the reduction of the 2nd
Battalion.
The route for the march of the detachment was received on the 22nd
May, 1817, for Fermoy in two divisions, where it arrived on the
11th and 12th of June. The detachment and depôt received a further
route for Cork on the 26th June, from whence the former proceeded in
steamboats to Cove, and embarked on board the transports _Adamant_
and _Eliza_, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Cother,
C.B.
The detachment sailed from the Cove on the 7th July, 1817, and arrived
in Simon’s Bay, Cape of Good Hope, on the 22nd September following,
and joined the head-quarters of the regiment, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Brunt in Simon’s Town.
During the services of the 1st Battalion at the Cape of Good Hope,
five companies of the regiment, under the command of Brevet Major
Summerfield, were ordered to proceed to the frontier of Africa, in
consequence of a revolt of a great number of Boers and Hottentots,
joined with the Caffres. This detachment landed at Algoa Bay, and
on its disembarkation proceeded to Graaff Reinet, on the banks of
Sunday’s River, being a march of 350 miles, through a barren country.
This revolt having been amicably settled, the detachment returned to
Algoa Bay in October, 1816, where it remained until September of the
following year.
The head-quarters, etc., embarked, and the regiment sailed from Simon’s
Bay on the 1st October, and arrived at Colombo, island of Ceylon, on
the 16th November and 3rd December, 1817.
[Sidenote: 1817.]
The insurrection in the “Kandyan”[6] provinces of Ceylon having
commenced a few weeks previous to the arrival of the regiment in
that colony, nearly the whole of the battalion, then consisting of 4
field officers, 10 captains, 32 subalterns, 48 sergeants, 22 drummers,
and 969 rank and file, was marched into the interior, and was actively
employed in the suppression of the rebellion. During this service the
regiment suffered much from climate and privation of every description;
the loss in killed and wounded only amounted to 12, but the regiment
sustained a loss of 3 officers,[7] 3 sergeants, 3 drummers, and 112
rank and file by disease, and previous to the effects of this campaign
being eradicated a further loss of 1 officer,[8] 4 sergeants, and 86
rank and file, making a total of 209 deaths within two years after the
landing of the regiment in Ceylon.
[Sidenote: 1819.]
On the 9th July, 1819, the regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel
Cother, was inspected by General Sir Robert Brownrigg, Bart.,
G.C.B., Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the forces in
Ceylon, by whom the regiment was very highly complimented.
[Sidenote: 1820.]
On the 23rd September, 1819, the following detachment, under the
command of Captain Campbell, joined the regiment from the depôt, viz.,
89 rank and file, and on the 7th January, 1820, a further detachment of
20 rank and file, under the command of Lieutenant Mee, viâ New South
Wales and Calcutta.
On the 25th December, 1818, the establishment of the regiment was
reduced in conformity with the instructions, dated War Office,
23rd November, 1818, to the following numbers, viz., 1 colonel, 1
lieutenant-colonel, 2 majors, 10 captains, 20 subalterns, 5 staff, 35
sergeants, 22 drummers, and 650 rank and file.
[Sidenote: 1821.]
On the 12th March, 1821, the regiment[9] was inspected by Major-General
Sir Edward Barnes, K.C.B., commanding the forces, who issued a
very complimentary order on the occasion.
The 73rd Regiment having received orders in June, 1820, to return to
England, the men of that corps were allowed to transfer their services
to other regiments in Ceylon, when 140 non-commissioned officers and
rank and file volunteered to the 83rd Regiment.
On the 5th September, 1821, the regiment was again inspected by
Major-General Sir Edward Barnes, K.C.B., and the regiment,
still commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cother, was again highly
complimented.
[Sidenote: 1822.]
On the 25th February, 1822, the regiment was reduced to the following
numbers, viz., 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant-colonel, 2 majors, 8 captains,
16 subalterns, 5 staff, 29 sergeants, 12 drummers, and 576 rank and
file.
[Sidenote: 1823.]
Agreeably to general orders issued by Major-General James Campbell,
C.B., the head-quarters of the regiment, consisting of 1 field
officer, 4 captains, 3 staff, 12 sergeants, 14 drummers, and 303 rank
and file, embarked on the 22nd January, 1823, under the command of
Major Summerfield, for Trincomalee, and arrived at that station on the
8th of the following month.
On the 20th March, 1823, Lieutenant-General John Hodgson succeeded to
the colonelcy of the regiment vice General James Balfour, deceased.
[Sidenote: 1824.]
The head-quarters, etc., of the regiment embarked at Trincomalee, on
board several vessels, between the 26th March and 31st October, 1824,
and were all landed and collected at Colombo on the 6th November
following.
A few months previous to the regiment leaving Trincomalee, the
Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Barnes, received orders for its
return to England, but the Burmese War having broken out, the battalion
was detained, and ordered to proceed to Kandy, to relieve the 45th
Regiment, which corps had been a considerable time under orders for
India.
[Sidenote: 1825.]
On the 25th September, 1825, the establishment of the regiment was
increased to 10 companies, consisting of the following numbers: 6
service companies--2 field officers, 6 captains, 12 subalterns, 5
staff, 30 sergeants, 10 drummers, and 516 rank and file; 4 depôt
companies--1 field officer, 4 captains, 8 subalterns, 1 staff, 12
sergeants, 4 drummers, and 224 rank and file.
The regiment was stationed in Kandy from January, 1825, to October,
1825, when it received the route for Colombo, preparatory to
embarkation for England, on board the transports _Amity_ and
_Arab_; the former vessel, with the head-quarters division, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Cother, C.B., sailed on the 4th December,
and the latter, under Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly, with the
remainder of the regiment, a few days afterwards.
During the services of the regiment in Ceylon (a period of eleven
years) it sustained a loss by deaths of 17 officers and 491
non-commissioned officers and rank and file.
Upon the embarkation of the regiment at Colombo, his Excellency
Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Barnes, K.C.B., was pleased
to issue a most complimentary order to the regiment on its departure
from Ceylon for England. Lieutenant-Colonel Cother, the commanding
officer, was particularly complimented by the lieutenant-general, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly was especially mentioned for his talents and
exertions during the Kandyan rebellion.
[Sidenote: 1829.]
After a passage of about five months, the regiment arrived in England
on the 16th April, and on the 18th May, 1829, landed at Gosport, and
was quartered at Forton Barracks, where it remained till the 27th
August following, from which place it embarked on board the transports
_Hope_, _Amphitrite_, and _William Harris_, for Scotland, and landed at
Leith a few days afterwards and marched to Glasgow.