CO885-(1-2) — Page 15

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O.

885

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

1 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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have made in the earlier part of this letter, I think, sufficiently proves that there is not any want of additional force at home, and it appears to me that the increase in the establishment of the two regiments of Guards which have been required to furnish battalions for foreign service, atfords no ground whatever for a similar augmentation in the other regiment, which has had no such demand upon it. I, therefore, recommend to your Lordship not to sanction the proposed increase of this regiment.

The next subject to which I have to advert, is the suggestion for garrisoning St. Helena by Veteran Companies. It is my opinion that the peculiar circumstances of this Island would render it expedient to provide for its defence by means of a ̈ Veteran force, but I would suggest to your Lordship that as its best protection from any attack will always be by means of the extensive batteries which will prevent the landing of a hostile force, the Veterans by whom it is to be garrisoned, Should be formed from the Pension List of the Artillery. Two Companies of Veterau Artillery of 100 or 120 men each, would, in my opinion, be an ample peace garrison for this colony. At all events, I should strongly dissuade your Lordship from attempting to compose a Veteran Force for this Island, even in part of Inva- lids from India, since by doing so I fear that it would be converted into an asylum for the worst characters from regiments serving there, whom Commanding Officers would endeavour in this manner to get rid of.

If such

Lastly, I have to state to your Lordship that although I think, for the reasons I have already given, that no augmentation of the Army is necessary for the purpose of keeping in an effective condition the garrisons which have been determined upon for Her Majesty's different Possessions abroad, I conceive that there might be an advantage with a view to the prevention of desertion from the troops in Canada, in forming a Veteran force upon a small scale, for the purpose of garrisoning those particular posts in this colony from which desertion nost frequently takes place. should be your Lordship's opinion, the measure would require to be determined upon without delay in order that provision may be made in the estimates for the neces- sary expense. I should hope that upon the scale upon which I should recommend the trial of the experiment, the expense would not exceed by more than a very small sum the saving which would be effected by the proposed consolidation of the depôts.

Lord Glenely.

My Lord,

I have, &c.

(Signed)

No: 6.

Lord Glenely to the General Commanding-in-Chief.

HOWICK.

Downing Street, 2nd February. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of thie 7th ultimo, and to acquaint you in reply, that Her Majesty's confidential servants having given their attentive consideration to your Lordship's proposal to augment the establishment of all the regiments of infantry, or at least the depots of those regiments whose service com- panies have recently been increased to 559, and 600 rank and file, are not prepared to recognise the immediate necessity of any further augmentation of the army, beyond the in- crease already authorized to be made to the force maintained during the year 1837-8. I have to add with reference to the concluding paragraph of your Lordship's letter, that Her Majesty's confidential servants are not prepared to concur in your Lordship's sugges- tion for raising the strength of the regiment of Scots Fusileer Guards.

I have, &c.

To the General Commanding-in-Chief,

Lord Hill, K.G.C.B.

No. 7.

MEMORANDUM.

(Signed)

GLENELG.

THE plans which have been usually resorted to for the augmentation of the army during the course of the last century, in fact, since there has been a standing army, may be stated as follows:--

Additional companies raised by Lieutenants for rank.

Additional regiments raised by individuals.

Numbers of men raised by officers for rank, and incorporated into existing corps.

To these plans must be added others which have been adopted since the war

1503. viz:-

Aray of reserve:

Additional battalions.

Volunteers from the militia.

The objections to each, and to all of these plans are, that however they may respec- tively have been found to answer their purpose at the time, yet the benefit was but temporary, and the inconvenience resulting from their adoption, extensive, and per- maneat, vis:—

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Great expense from the levy money, and from the reduction of the numerous officers to the half-pay.

Great inconvenience to the military service from the constant fluctuations of establish- ments, and the difficulty of management resulting from the temporary arrangements to which every one of the above-mentioned schemes were unavoidably liable, whether they be considered in a military or financial point of view.

In the spring of the year 1825, the whole of the infantry of the line was remodelled, in the hope of providing against a recurrence of these disadvantages, and of establishing some solid, uniform, and lasting system, which would be equally serviceable and efficient in time of peace as well as in time of war; and which would enable the Government to make an immediate augmentation to the army, if circumstances should require it; or to carry on the reliefs for the foreign stations, and to provide for the sudden calls of home service, without breaking up the regiments, or compelling them to remain abroad on colonial service for a period which in some cases, in India, have considerably exceeded twenty

years.

To effect these desirable objects it was resolved to model the army in the following

manner :----

Each regiment of the line to consist of ten companies, of which six companies should be established at four non-commissioned officers, eighty-six rank and file, and be called the service companies; and four companies each at three non-commissioned officers, fifty- six rank and file, and be called the depot companies, and remain at home, and to keep the service companies always complete to their establishment.

The immediate objects to be attained by this plan were these,

To keep the garrisons abroad in a state of more complete efficiency than before; to render these depots available for the sudden calls for home service; and by means of these small and disposable military bodies, to prevent the breaking up regiments by detachments, and to enable the Commander-in-Chief to carry on the regular reliefs in the distant fo- reign stations.

Such were the objects to be attained in time of peace, while in time of war, the array might easily and rapidly be augmented by the mere introduction of men into the companies at home and abroad; and if necessary each depot might be further augmented so as to be come a battalion.

Twelve years have now elapsed since this measure was introduced, and the good effects have been proved, as follows:-

In the five years immediately preceding the year 1825, there were twenty-eight com- plete regiments sent abroad as foreign reliefs; while in the five years immediately succeed- ing 1825, no less than the service companies of thirty-eight battalions have been sent abroad for the same purpose, including a part of the force of 5,000 men sent to Portugal.

To prove the manner in which this system now works, it may be useful to show, that at this moment there are in Great Britain only ten complete regiments ;* so that without the help of the depots, which are efficiently employed in almost all the home duties, it would be very difficult, if not impossible to perform these detached duties, and at the same time to preserve the complete regiments in Ireland unbroken, and effective for foreign service, in which kingdom the depots, as will be seen by the accompanying return, are dispersed over the whole country.

In further proof that the formation of the regiments into service and depot companies is the best that can be adopted, under all the varied circumstances of their extended ser- vice, it may be stated that the infantry of the line consists of 103 battalions, of which eighty are serving abroad, and twenty-three in Great Britain and Ireland: and it must therefore be from these twenty-three that all the foreign reliefs are to be made.

If it be said that were complete battalions to be sent abroad, the force upon each station being the same as at present, there would consequently be fewer battalions abroad and more at home, by reason of the four depot companies being added to each battalion so employed, the answer is this,-

Deduct the twenty-one regiments now in India and the five in New South Wales, each of which has ten companies, and there will be the service companies of fifty-four battalions, or 324 companies employed abroad, or 25,866 rank and file, according to the present establishment of 479, as above shown; and if the four depot companies of 180 rank and file be added to each there would of course be an arithmetical excess to the present force abroad exactly to that amount of 9,720 rank and file, consequently that so many battalions as that number would form (or about thirteen battalions) might be withdrawn and added to the number of battalions at home for the purpose of future reliefs.

But the practical results of this change could not be made to correspond with any accuracy to the arithmetical computation, and for these reasons: the removal of 180 men

* 97th Foot

42d

arrived from Foreign Service 5th September, 1836.

ditto

7th

88th..

ditto

23rd

ditto

12th October.

79th

Rife Brigade, 1st Battalion

ditto

29th September,

20th Foot

ditto

8th May, 1837.

Rife Brigade, 2nd Battalion

ditto

3rd June.

86th Foot

ditto

2nd May.

ditto

16th June.

98th

ditto

E

29th

March, 1838.