!
Sir,
34
GIBRALTAR.
No. 13.
Lord Fitzroy Somerset to J. Stephen, Esq.
Horse Guards, February 26, 1839. WITH reference to the letter from the Secretary of State to the General Com- manding-in-Chief, of the 21st December last, proposing that the service companies of one battalion shall be withdrawn from Gibraltar, and the increase, at the same time, of the strength of the four remaining battalions; and also to your letter to me of the 8th ultimo, stating that it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government that for the present it should not be withdrawn from Gibraltar, and that when withdrawn it should proceed to another station in the usual course of relief;
I have Lord Hill's commands to observe, that the usual period for effecting the relief in the West Indies, for which purpose this regiment would be withdrawn from Gibraltar, does not take place until after the month of October.
In order that the Secretary of State may have before him the best information relative to the garrison of Gibraltar, I have Lord Hill's commands to show, in detail, the numbers of the troops now there, with the duties which they ordinarily have to perform, together with the sentiments of the Governor thereon, as fully expressed in his letter of the 2nd January, of which the inclosure is a copy.
The garrison is at present composed of-
Royal Artillery
+
Rank and File.
Royal Engineers
326
80
. 2395
The service companies of five battalions, each of
479 rank and file
If from the infantry of the line be deducted the usual number of men who do not mount guard, as accurately detailed in my letter of this date, in a similar statement of the troops at Malta, at the rate of about 107 from each regiment, there will remain 1,860 men for the effective performance of all the military duties of the garrison; exclusively of the Royal Artillery and Engineers, whose duties are confined to their own branch of the service.
There are thirty-four distinct guards mounted in Gibraltar by the infantry of the line, and which require daily the numbers stated in the margin,* besides seven inlying picquets, each of which is commanded by a commissioned officer.
To this constant and ordinary duty must be added the usual drill and exercise of the troops, and the more than usual extent of fatigue and military working parties, which it has always been found necessary to have within the walls and upon the works of that extensive fortress.
James Stephen, Esq.
My Lord
I have, &c.
(Signed)
FITZROY SOMERSET.
Inclosure in No. 13.
Sir Alexander Woodford to Lord Fitzroy Somerset.
Gibraltar, January 2, 1839.
I HAVE had the honour of receiving your Lordship's letter of the 22nd ultimo, and, in obedience to the instructions of the General Commanding-in-Chief, I lose no time in forwarding, for his Lordship's information and consideration, a detailed statement of all the duties which are usually furnished by this garrison, together with a return of the troops, I have also marked, upon a plan of Gibraltar, the exact posts of the guards and sentinels, which will afford his Lordship the readiest means of judging of their disposition.
I have frequently had it in contemplation to effect some reduction in the duties, but I have always found it impracticable without endangering the safety of the public stores and magazines; and without interfering with a properly connected chain of sentries, so necessary in this fortress in every point of view,
I also beg leave to draw his Lordship's attention to the numerous foreign population of this place, and to the numbers of strangers, and especially of Spaniards, contrabandistas of daring character, and others who, by the local regulations, are allowed to trade here, as well as to the circumstance of there not being any port or citadel on the rock which might be maintained by a small force in case of insurrection.
I beg leave, therefore, to state my candid opinion, that it would not be consistent with prudence to reduce the duties as they now stand, even although some slight reduction might be possible if urgency required it, it would be too trifling to admit of the withdrawal of a regiment from the garrison without great inconvenience.
For the last four years the troops have been remarkably healthy; if, however, by the reduction of force, increased duties were to be thrown upon the garrison, there would,
+
2 Captains.
6 Subalterns.
28 Serjeants.
7 Drummers.
325 Rank and file.
35
doubtless, be great increase of sickness, and regiments would thus be weakened and less effective, being chiefly composed of very young soldiers.
Within the last year there have been attempts to set fire to houses in Gibraltar, and your Lordship will readily imagine how very essential it is that the safety of the town, and of the numerous great powder magazines, should be carefully provided for.
In a political point of view also it may be urged, that the garrison of Gibraltar should be kept in an imposing attitude; and, lastly, I have to observe, that in Sir Charles Smith's report upon the state of the fortress, now ready to be transmitted home, great repairs and alterations and additions are recommended, and should any of these plans be adopted, a great many labourers and artificers would be required for public works.
I hope I have answered your Lordship's inquiries as fully as the General Commanding- in-Chief may desire. I have only to add, that as all our existing military arrangements work exceedingly well, both as respects the order of the troops and the good of the service, that I shall be very happy to learn that Lord Hill is satisfied with this exposition.
I have, &c.
(Signed) Lieutenant-General Lord Fitzroy Somerset, K. C. B.
My Lord,
MALTA.
No. 14.
ALEXR, WOODFORD. Lieut.-Gen. Governor.
Sir H. Bouverie to Lord Glenelg~(Received January 24, 1839.)
Malla, January 9, 1839.
I HAVE the honour to transmit the copy of a letter which I have this day addressed to the Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, in reply to one received by me by the last packet, on the subject of the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment.
The Lord Glenelg.
My Lord,
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure in No. 14.
Sir H. F. Bouverie to Lord Fitzroy Somerset.
H. BOUVERIE.
Malta, January 9, 1839. I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of the 22nd December, 1838, with its several inclosures on the subject of the employment of the Royal Malta Fencibles on the roster of the garrison, and the withdrawing them from the police duties and coast-guard, such duties to devolve upon a more efficient police force, to be formed agreeable to the recommendation of Her Majesty's Commissioners of Inquiry.
I shall confine myself in this despatch to the point upon which my opinion is more particularly required, namely, "whether in the event of a more efficient police and sanitary guard being established, the present Malta Fencibles could be placed as an efficient batta- lion upon the roster of the garrison, and take its proportionate share in the due performance of all the military duties of the fortress, in like manner and with the same degree of mili- tary efficiency, as any of the service companies of the regular regiments under my command."
In the consideration of this question it is hinted to me that "if it should be my opinion that the Malta Fencibles can be made applicable to all the military duties of the garrison, in fair roster with Her Majesty's regiments, the result would probably be the withdrawal of the service companies of one of the regiments of the line, and that it will therefore be for me to decide whether, in such an event, I could safely spare that diminution from my present regular force.
In reply, I can have no hesitation in saying, that I consider that the regiment of Malta Fencíbles would be found in all respects, equal in efficiency to the British regiments for the purposes of garrison duty, and in some respects superior, it is probable, judging from the returns, that there would be fewer sick, and judging also from returns, that there would be fewer men in confinement as prisoners. I have every reason to believe that the duty would be done in a manner equally vigilant and soldier-like, and that the officers and non-commissioned officers would be found equally to be depended upon.
·
In giving this opinion, I must beg it to be clearly understood that I do not mean to detract from the merits of the British regiments now composing, or who may have com- posed, the garrison during the time which I have had the honour to command it, but that I intend plainly to express my opinion that, for garrison duty, I conceive that the Malta Fencibles will be found equally efficient and trustworthy with the best, and more sober, and therefore more trustworthy than those which cannot be ranked with the best, and I am bound to give this opinion, notwithstanding that my doing so may be the cause of the with- drawal of one of the British regiments, a circumstance which I should very much regret, in- asmuch as I consider the duties of the troops to be more severe than they ought to be, even though they have been reduced below what is desirable, and, indeed, necessary for the due preservation of the works.
I have, &c. Lieutenant-General Lord Fitzroy Somerset, K.C.B.
(Signed)
H. F. BOUVERIE.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
C.O. 885
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