Carole Divall

2nd Battalion: Gibraltar

A custodian of the Rock

Several officers have leave of absence: Lieutenant Colonel Minet, Major Grey, Captain Bamford, Lieutenant Masters, Ensign Crawford and Quartermaster Kingsley.   Major Hamilton is temporarily in command.

Three NCOs, Sergeants Charles Stradling and Thomas Freeman and Corporal John Johnstone, have been transferred to the first battalion.  John Melmor has been promoted corporal.

Life continues to be quiet in Gibraltar.  Boredom is a danger, however, and there are strict standing orders for regimental canteens.  These may be summarised as follows:

• A respectable sergeant is responsible for the good order of the canteen
• Opening hours are limited to an hour after guard mounting and until the drumbeat for tattoo
• No spirits are to be sold
• No cards, dice or gambling of any kind
• All drink must be consumed on the premises
• All drink must be paid for at the time
• Only NCOs and soldiers of the regiment (and their families) may use the regimental canteen
• At the first sign of drunkenness or rioting, the offender is to be sent back to barracks
• The sergeant-in-charge has power to call out the barrack guard
• The captain of the day and orderly officer should make regular visits to the canteen to check that the regulations are being observed
• The prices for drinks are fixed and must not be deviated from
• Wine must not be adulterated in any way

By these means it was hoped to prevent disorder in the garrison.

1st Battalion: Trichinopoly

Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, photograph by Anaxila

The officers on detachment are the same as last month.

Captain Chambers remains on leave at Madras and is thought unlikely to rejoin the battalion.

Lieutenant Nicholson is still under an arrest.  having given his word of honour he is free to reside in his own house and has limited freedom.  He has so far received no news of when his court martial will be heard.  His period under arrest has already extended beyond the time specified in the Articles of War.

Depot: Based in Wakefield

The Galway coastline, photograph by Irishboffin

Quartermaster Kingsley left the depot for Gibraltar on the 7th October, taking with him 37 men, including 6 recruits, and the heavy baggage.  Their route will take them to Portsmouth where a transport ship will convey them to Gibraltar.

One man has enlisted at Wakefield in the last week.

The recruiting companies are still operating from the same stations, including Galway (see photograph above) although no returns have been received.

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2nd Battalion: Gibraltar

Fort at Gibraltar, photograph by C W Goodroe

By this time the battalion is sharing the opinion of Gibraltar that Sir John Moore confided to his diary in 1806:

“During the eight days we were detained at Gibraltar we only stayed three days on shore.  The inns are bad, and the places hot and dirty.  I was sorry to see the very bad state of the garrison.  It looked more like a place where the inhabitants did occasional military duty than a military station.  It is singular that since the Duke of Kent’s time there has been no medium between great severity and complete relaxation.  Gibraltar, when I was quartered in it formerly, was a cheerful place; everything about it was military; in every quarter were met either bands of Spanish or military parties smart and well dressed; everything about it was alive, and the parade in the morning was a fine military display.  Now there is no general parade; the detachments are marched from the regimental parades to their posts.  The soldiers off duty are all dirty, and the regiments in the worst state of discipline.  The duty is of course done in a slovenly way, and everything seems neglected and going to decay.”

Sir John’s jaundiced view certainly still has some validity, although inspection returns suggest that discipline has improved now that the war has come as close as Cadiz.  Nevertheless, it is unlikely that the men in the ranks would welcome a return to the martinet attitude and excessive physical punishment associated with the Duke of Kent.

The sickness rate remains constant, but does not seem to be severe in its effects.  There has been only one death in the past two weeks.

There are only eighteen company officers present, eleven of them ensigns who are still learning their business.  Two newccomers at this rank, George Brisac and Andrew Baillie, joined on the 18th September.

There have been neither promotions nor demotions among the NCOs, who are well settled in their roles within the battalion.

1st Battalion: Trichinopoly

Coastline of Tamil Nadu, photograph by Ravages

Captain Chambers remains on leave in Madras.  With his commanding officer’s recommendation in his poclet he is expected to sail to Europe in the near future and find another regiment.   Meanwhile, Lieutenant Nicholson was put under an arrest by Colonel Vaumorel on the 19th September after he refused a second attempt to persuade him to sign a resignation.  When Adjutant Stephenson arrived with the resignation, Nicholson insisted he must first be given the promised recommendation, or he would not sign.  Vaumorel is equally determined that the signing of the resignation must precede the handing over the recommendation, and now accuses Nicholson of reneging on his promise to resign.  This is the gist of the charge against him.

Colonel Wilkinson has also placed Nicholson under arrest, on a different charge.  He has resurrected the accusation that Nicholson claimed that blood would be shed if Major Maxwell did not put right the story that Captain Chambers had apologised to captain Jackson, when it was actually the other way about.  This dates back to January, and the remark is now interpreted as agitating for a duel.  Nicholson himself is eager to stand a court martial and thus clear his reputation.

Depot: Wakefield and recruiting at various other locations.

Captain Spawforth continues to oversee recruiting from Wakefield where he has two sergeants, a drummer and thirty-six fit rank and file (another four sick, one on furlough), and fourteen fit boys (four sick).  The boys have been kept at Wakefield, rather than subjecting them to the rigours of either India or the Peninsula.  One recruit has recently enlisted.

The recruiting parties are commanded as follows: Captain Fullerton at Glasgow, Lieutenant Sparks at Sleaford, Lieutenant Mayne, with Ensign Parry, at Cambridge, Lieutenant Clark at Dublin, and Ensign Elliot at Galway.

Corporal Michael Lenarghan, of the second battalion, was discharged in Ireland on the 29th September.