Encl. in No. 24.
32
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO
is also enclosed, informing his Lordship of the arrangements made in India for reinforcing the army in China, and directing him how to regulate his proceedings, in the event of his not receiving instructions from the Commander-in-Chief in China.
With reference to your letter to the President of the Board of Control, of date the 3d of January, I have the honour to state, that all particulars regarding the supply of provisions to be forwarded from England, for the use of the expedition in China, were sent from hence to the Secret Committee by the mail of January. I presume that the copy of the document containing these particulars has been communicated to Her Majesty's Government.
Enclosure in No. 24.
I have, &c. (signed)
Ellenborough.
COPY of a LETTER from Lord Ellenborough to Lieut.-general Sir Hugh Gough, C.C.B.
Sir,
Fort William, Government House, 6 March 1842. I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency that I arrived here on the 28th ultimo, and immediately took upon myself the office of Governor-general of India.
2. I collect from your Excellency's letter of the 24th November 1841, to the Earl of Auckland, my predecessor, that on that day your Excellency calculated that of the European infantry, then under your orders, your Excellency would have disposal for operations to the northward early in the spring: *
Of the 18th Royal Irish
ditto
26th Cameronians
49th
55th ditto
-
800
580
740
1,025
3,145
3. The reinforcements which will arrive at Singapore about the middle of April will consist of, I believe, nearly 800 recruits, for the 18th, 26th, 49th and 55th regiments, and of the 98th regiment, which will be about 700 strong.
4. It may be assumed, therefore, that your Excellency will have at your disposal for the campaign of this year, an effective force of 4,500 European infantry.
5. Her Majesty's ships of war will be able, I conclude, to furnish a battalion of at least 500 seamen, and another battalion of 500 marines.
6. Your Excellency will be thus enabled to raise the European force of infantry at your disposal to 5,500 men.
7. Measures have already been taken for sending from India to Singapore, where they will arrive about the middle or end of April, the 2d, 6th and 41st regiments of Madras Native Infantry, and a strong regiment of volunteers from Bengal. Of these measures, your Excellency is already apprized.
8. Orders have now been given to sending likewise to Singapore, and thence to China, the 14th Madras Native Infantry, at present at Moulmein, and for sending on from the Straits to China, the 39th regiment of Madras Native Infantry.
9. These several measures will place at your Excellency's disposal six complete regiments of native infantry, comprising an effectual force of 5,100 men.
10. I understand that your Excellency will likewise have furnished to you, as a reinforcement from Ceylon, two companies, or 200 men, of the Ceylon (Malay) regiment.
11. Your native infantry will thus amount to 5,300 men, and your total force of infantry to 10,800 men.
12. The force of European artillery at your Excellency's disposal consists—First, of about 30 men of the royal artillery, who will be reinforced by 100 men of the same corps, who will arrive at Singapore in April, with the recruits for the Queen's regiments in China and the 98th regiment.
Secondly, of a detachment of the Madras European artillery, stated in the distribution return of the troops of that Presidency, dated the 1st January 1842, to amount to 176 men; and,
Thirdly, of sappers and miners, belonging to the same Presidency, stated in the same distribution return to amount to 247 men, who will be reinforced by 200 men of the same army.
13. From
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN CHINA.
261
33
13. From Madras your Excellency will likewise receive a troop of horse-artillery, 100 strong, with 30 horses (four for each gun and six spare), a troop of foot-artillery of the same strength, and 500 gun Lascars.
14. The force of European artillery, under your Excellency's orders, will therefore consist of 450 effective men, and the force of native sappers and miners of about 350 men,
15. As your Excellency has already a small force of gun Lascars (57 men in the Madras distribution return above referred to), I trust that you will, when reinforced from Madras to the extent I have mentioned, have 500 gun Lascars effective.
16. Your Excellency has been already informed of the quantity of guns and ammunition to be sent with the royal artillery to Singapore. For the facility of reference, however, I annex (No. --) to this letter a statement of the guns and ammunition to be so sent; and Not received at the likewise of the guns and ammunition to be transmitted from hence, and from Madras.
17. I further annex to this letter (No. 1.) a statement of the naval force destined by Her Majesty for the services in the China and Eastern seas during this year, and of the steamers (No. 2.) belonging to this Government, which will be at the disposal of the Naval Commander-in-Chief.
18. Great care has been taken in the selection and fitting up of the transports. Ample space has been given to the men to be embarked; their comfort as well as their health has been provided for; and the endeavour has been made, not however with all the success I should have desired, to obtain a considerable proportion of Europeans among the crews.
19. The memorandums annexed (Nos. 4 and -) will show your Excellency and his Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, what has been hitherto done towards making a provision of coals, of medical stores and hospital necessaries, and of articles of comfort and convenience for the men.
20. The memorandum (No. 5.) will show your Excellency what has been done for provisioning the force. These measures may be considered as securing a supply of provisions for the European and native troops till April 1843.
21. On referring to your Excellency's letter, above adverted to, of the 24th November 1841, I observe that your Excellency then calculated on retaining the 37th Madras Native Infantry, and the two companies of Bengal Volunteers, then under your orders. Your Excellency has since received instructions to send back those troops to their respective presidencies. I therefore omitted them from the enumeration of the force, to be at your disposal for this year. I have likewise omitted the Rifle company of the 36th Madras Native Infantry, which it is likewise requested that your Excellency will send back to Madras,
22. It is of essential importance that native troops employed so far beyond sea should be regularly and frequently relieved.
23. It appears by the same letter that your Excellency, in the event of your removing to the northward early in the season, proposed to leave garrisons at the several points of Hong-Kong, Kulungsu, Chusan and Chinghae. The total force of which would amount to
European Infantry
Artillery
Native Artillery
Sappers and Miners
Native Infantry
1,100
100
40
26
1,078
2,343
24. Should your Excellency, and his Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, deem it expedient to continue to occupy all these four points on the coast of China, still, after deducting this amount of force stated to be required for their occupation from that above enumerated, there will remain for operations of an active character
European Infantry
Seamen
Marines
Native Infantry
European Artillery -
Native Artillery and Sappers
Gun Lascars
3,400
500
500
4,224
350
285
500
9,759
25. It is the instruction of Her Majesty's Government, that this force shall be employed on the river Yang-tse-kiang, and that your Excellency should possess yourself of the island of
596.
E
Kin-shan,
Colonial Office.
:
J
Encl. in No. 24.
32
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO
is also enclosed, informing his Lordship of the arrangements made in India for reinforcing the army in China, and directing him how to regulate his proceedings, in the event of his not receiving instructions from the Commander-in-Chief in China.
With reference to your letter to the President of the Board of Control, of date the 3d of January, I have the honour to state, that all particulars regarding the supply of provisions to be forwarded from England, for the use of the expedition in China, were sent from hence to the Secret Committee by the mail of January. I presume that the copy of the document containing these particulars has been communicated to Her Majesty's Government.
Enclosure in No. 24.
I have, &c. (signed)
Ellenborough.
COPY of a LETTER from Lord Ellenborough to Lieut.-general Sir Hugh Gough, c.C.B.
Sir,
Fort William, Government House, 6 March 1842. I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency that I arrived here on the 28th ultimo, and immediately took upon myself the office of Governor-general of India.
2. I collect from your Excellency's letter of the 24th November 1841, to the Earl of Auckland, my predecessor, that on that day your Excellency calculated that of the European infantry, then under your orders, your Excellency would have disposal for operations to the northward early in the spring: *
Of the 18th Royal Irish
ditto
26th Cameronians 49th 55th ditto
-
800
580
740
1,025
3,145
3. The reinforcements which will arrive at Singapore about the middle of April will consist of, I believe, nearly 800 recruits, for the 18th, 26th, 49th and 55th regiments, and of the 98th regiment, which will be about 700 strong.
4. It may be assumed, therefore, that your Excellency will have at your disposal for the campaign of this year, an effective force of 4,500 European infantry.
5. Her Majesty's ships of war will be able, I conclude, to furnish a battalion of at least 500 seamen, and another battalion of 500 marines.
6. Your Excellency will be thus enabled to raise the European force of infantry at your disposal to 5,500 men.
7. Measures have already been taken for sending from India to Singapore, where they will arrive about the middle or end of April, the 2d, 6th and 41st regiments of Madras Native Infantry, and a strong regiment of volunteers from Bengal. Of these measures, your Excellency is already apprized.
8. Orders have now been given to sending likewise to Singapore, and thence to China, the 14th Madras Native Infantry, at present at Moulmein, and for sending on from the Straits to China, the 39th regiment of Madras Native Infantry.
9. These several measures will place at your Excellency's disposal six complete regiments
of native infantry, comprising an effectual force of 5,100 men.
10. I understand that your Excellency will likewise have furnished to you, as a reinforce- ment from Ceylon, two companies, or 200 men, of the Ceylon (Malay) regiment.
11. Your native infantry will thus amount to 5,300 men, and your total force of infantry to 10,800 men.
12. The force of European artillery at your Excellency's disposal consists-First, of about 30 men of the royal artillery, who will be reinforced by 100 men of the same corps, who will arrive at Singapore in April, with the recruits for the Queen's regiments in China and the 98th regiment.
Secondly, of a detachment of the Madras European artillery, stated in the distribution return of the troops of that Presidency, dated the 1st January 1842, to amount to 176 men ; and,
Thirdly, of sappers and miners, belonging to the same Presidency, stated in the same distribution return to amount to 247 men, who will be reinforced by 200 men of the same army.
13. From
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN CHINA.
261
33
13. From Madras your Excellency will likewise receive a troop of horse-artillery, 100 strong, with 30 horses (four for each gun and six spare), a troop of foot-artillery of the same strength, and 500 gun Lascars.
14. The force of European artillery, under your Excellency's orders, will therefore consist of 450 effective men, and the force of native sappers and miners of about 350 men,
15. As your Excellency has already a small force of gun Lascars (57 men in the Madras distribution return above referred to), I trust that you will, when reinforced from Madras to the extent I have mentioned, have 500 gun Lascars effective.
16. Your Excellency has been already informed of the quantity of guns and ammunition
to be sent with the royal artillery to Singapore. For the facility of reference, however,
I annex (No. --) to this letter a statement of the guns and ammunition to be so sent; and Not received at the likewise of the guns and ammunition to be transmitted from hence, and from Madras.
17. I further annex to this letter (No. 1.) a statement of the naval force destined by Her Majesty for the services in the China and Eastern seas during this year, and of the steamers (No. 2.) belonging to this Government, which will be at the disposal of the Naval Commander-in-Chief.
18. Great care has been taken in the selection and fitting up of the transports. Ample space has been given to the men to be embarked; their comfort as well as their health has been provided for; and the endeavour has been made, not however with all the success I should have desired, to obtain a considerable proportion of Europeans among the crews.
19. The memorandums annexed (Nos. 4 and -) will show your Excellency and his Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, what has been hitherto done towards making a provision of coals, of medical stores and hospital necessaries, and of articles of comfort and convenience for the men.
20. The memorandum (No. 5.) will show your Excellency what has been done for pro- visioning the force. These measures may be considered as securing a supply of provisions for the European and native troops till April 1843.
21. On referring to your Excellency's letter, above adverted to, of the 24th November 1841, I observe that your Excellency then calculated on retaining the 37th Madras Native Infantry, and the two companies of Bengal Volunteers, then under your orders. Your Excellency has since received instructions to send back those troops to their respective presidencies. I therefore omitted them from the enumeration of the force, to be at your disposal for this year. I have likewise omitted the Rifle company of the 36th Madras Native Infantry, which it is likewise requested that your Excellency will send back to Madras,
22. It is of essential importance that native troops employed so far beyond sea should be regularly and frequently relieved.
23. It appears by the same letter that your Excellency, in the event of your removing to the northward early in the season, proposed to leave garrisons at the several points of Hong- Kong, Kulungsu, Chusan and Chinghae. The total force of which would amount to
European Infantry
Artillery
Native Artillery
Sappers and Miners Native Infantry
1,100
100
40
26
1,078
2,343
24. Should your Excellency, and his Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, deem it expedient to continue to occupy all these four points on the coast of China, still, after deducting this amount of forec stated to be required for their occupation from that above enumerated, there will remain for operations of an active character
European Infantry
Seainen
Marines
M
Native Infantry
European Artillery -
Native Artillery and Sappers
Gun Lascars
3,400
500
500
4,224
350
285
500
9,759
25. It is the instruction of Her Majesty's Government, that this force shall be employed on the river Yang-tse-kiang, and that your Excellency should possess yourself of the island of
596.
E
Kin-shan,
Colonial Office.
:
J
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.