SIXTH BATTALION.

By a General Order, dated 22nd July, 1799, four companies of Artillery were raised, and added to two already existing, which were designated the East India Detachment, to form half a battalion; and on the 8th October in the same year a further augmentation was made, consisting of two companies, and a Colonel-Commandant. The addition of a Colonel en seconde and two Lieutenant-Colonels completed the organization of what was now known as the Sixth Battalion of the Royal Artillery. The Staff of the Battalion on its formation stood as follows:—

Colonel-CommandantMajor-General P. Martin.
Colonel en secondeGeorge Feade.
1st Lieut.-ColonelEdward Fage.
2nd Lieut.-ColonelsJohn Barnes,
Bayley Willington.
Captain-LieutenantsRalph W. Adye, Adjutant.
Andrew Schalch, Quartermaster.

The companies, their stations, and commanding officers were as follows:—

Companies.Captains.Stations.
No. 1.Brevet-Major E. LemoineCape of Good Hope.
2.Captain W. SkyringCape of Good Hope.
3.R. EvansWoolwich.
4.D. MeredithWoolwich.
5.W. MillarWoolwich.
6.B. BloomfieldPlymouth.
7.G. SalmonWoolwich.
8.A. Schalch (promoted by augmentation)Woolwich.

An augmentation of one Major and two companies to the battalion,—Nos. 9 and 10,—took place in December, 1800.

The companies called above "The East India Detachment," which formed the nucleus of the Sixth Battalion, embarked at Woolwich for India on the 19th April, 1791. They left that country for the Cape of Good Hope in 1798, arriving in October of that year, and remained until incorporated in the newly-formed battalion, in 1799. They are now C Battery 11th Brigade, and No. 6 Battery 5th Brigade. Prior to 1799, although part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, they belonged to no battalion.

The following was the strength of the battalion in various years:—

Year.Strength of all Ranks.
1800990
18011071
1802914
18031215
18041259
18051415
18061398
18071480
18081476
18091484
18101484
18111524
18121562
18131565
18141230
18151130
1816870
1817786
1818700
1819604
1820567
1821601

From this date until 1847 the average strength of the battalion was 650.

Year.Strength of all Ranks.
1847956
1848847
1849890
1850883
1851940
18521028
18531081
18541218
18551375
18561317
18571502

The following was the dress of the battalion at its formation, in 1799, as also of the whole Regiment, except the Horse Artillery: the officers wore blue cloth double-breasted coats, with scarlet lappels; the field officers had two epaulettes, the company officers only one, which they wore on the right shoulder; white kerseymere breeches; long black leather boots, fastened to the back part of the knee of the breeches by a black strap and buckle; and a cocked-hat, with gold-loop and button, and white feather. The non-commissioned officers and men wore blue cloth coats, single breasted, laced in front and on the cuffs and flaps; the staff-sergeants and sergeants with gold lace, and the rank and file with yellow worsted lace. The staff-sergeants wore two gold bullion epaulettes; the sergeants two gold-laced straps; the corporals two fringe epaulettes; the bombardiers one fringe epaulette on the right shoulder; the gunners two worsted straps.

The changes in dress during the succeeding years will be noted in the succeeding chapters of this work.

Annexed is the list, as in former cases, of the various companies, their successive Captains, and the military operations in which they were engaged. In the Sixth Battalion, as in the Horse Artillery, considerable confusion was created by the reduction, in 1819, of Nos. 5 and 8 companies, and the consequent altering of the numbers of Nos. 6, 7, 9, and 10 to Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8 respectively. The reduction of the two junior companies, instead of Nos. 5 and 8, would have rendered the student's task a far easier one.

No. 1 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION
(One of the old East India Detachment Companies),
Now "C" BATTERY, 11th BRIGADE.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1806Siege of Buenos Ayres.
1807Expedition to La Plata.
1855Expedition to the Crimea and Fall of Sebastopol.[[60]]
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain Edmund Lemoine.
1804Captain Nathaniel Foy.
1806Captain C. C. Bingham.
1807Captain P. Durnford.
1826Captain W. Bentham.
1832Captain I. Whitty.
1843Captain G. H. Hyde.
1844Captain J. H. St John.
1846Captain R. R. Fisher.
1849Captain W. J. Smythe.
1855Captain E. Moubray.
1856Captain J. Singleton.

No. 2 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION
(One of the old East India Detachment Companies),
Now "6" BATTERY, 5th BRIGADE.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1814Expedition under the command of Sir John Sherbrook: present at the capture in the Penobscot.
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain W. Skyring.
1806Captain George Crawford.
1824Captain E. C. Wilford.
1827Captain R. Douglas.
1829Captain E. Sabine.
1841Captain A. Macbean.
1842Captain W. J. Stokes.
1845Captain James Turner.
1851Captain H. W. Montressor.
1856Captain H. L. F. Greville.

No. 3 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION,
Now "4" BATTERY, 2nd BRIGADE.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1811Peninsula.
1812Siege and capture of Ciudad Rodrigo.
1812Siege and capture of Badajoz.
1858Expedition to China and capture of Canton.
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain Robert Evans.
1806Captain George Massey.
1808Captain H. F. Holcombe.
1817Captain Charles Egan.
1818Captain F. Gordon.
1819Captain D. Story.
1831Captain R. C. Molesworth.
1842Captain Sir H. Chamberlain, Bart.
1843Captain R. G. B. Wilson.
1848Captain P. R. Cocks.
1855Captain G. Rotton.

No. 4 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION,
Now "B" BATTERY, 8th BRIGADE.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1854Expedition to the Crimea and Fall of Sebastopol.
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain David Meredith.
1806Captain H. Hickman.
1807Captain C. Baynes.
1817Captain W. D. Nicolls.
1819Captain J. S. Sinclair.
1826Captain D. Bissett.
1836Captain Z. C. Bayly.
1841Captain C. R. Dickens.
1842Captain H. Williams.
1848Captain G. D. Warburton.
1853Captain H. Lempriere.
1854Captain A. R. Wragge.
1855Captain C. G. Arbuthnot.
1857Captain C. W. Elgee.

No. 5 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION,
Reduced in 1819.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1806Expedition to River La Plata.
1807Siege and capture of Monte Video.[[61]]
1807Present at Buenos Ayres but not engaged.
1814Capture of Genoa.
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain William Millar.
1805Captain Charles Godfrey.
1806Captain A. Dickson.
1809Captain Richard Dyas.
1818Captain J. P. Cockburn.

No. 6 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION
(Became No. 5 on that Company being reduced in 1819),
Now "C" BATTERY, 8th BRIGADE.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1806Expedition to Calabria, present at the Battle of Maida.
1806Siege and Capture of Scylla Castle.
1807Expedition to Syracuse.
1809Capture of Ischia and Prociola.
1854Expedition to the Crimea.
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain Benjamin Bloomfield.
1801Captain John Harris.
1807Captain Thomas Gamble.
1819Captain H. F. Holcombe.
1819Captain T. Gamble.
1826Captain H. C. Russell.
1837Captain J. H. Freer.
1846Captain J. W. Ormsby.
1851Captain P. H. Mundy.
1854Captain J. J. Brandling.
1854Captain A. Thompson.

No. 7 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION
(Afterwards No. 6 Company),
Now "F" BATTERY, 8th BRIGADE.

List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain George Salmon.
1807Captain Charles Egan.
1817Captain H. Holcombe.
1826Captain C. C. Dansey.
1829Captain A. Cameron.
1838Captain J. U. Colquhoun.
1846Captain F. Eardley-Wilmot.
1847Captain R. B. Burnaby.
1849Captain G. E. Turner.
1849Captain G. R. Barker.
1854Captain N. E. Harison.
1854Captain J. L. Elgee.

No. 8 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION,
Reduced in 1819.

List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1799Captain Andrew Schalch.
1802Captain G. Bowater.
1804Captain C. C. Bingham.
1805Captain Francis Power.

No. 9 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION
(Afterwards No. 7),
Now "C" BATTERY, 9th BRIGADE.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1855-6Crimea.
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1801Captain George A. Wood.
1802Captain P. W. Colebrooke.
1807Captain H. P. Grant.
1812Captain W. T. Skinner.
1822Captain Charles Gilmour.
1832Captain H. L. Sweeting.
1843Captain T. P. Flude.
1844Captain H. Stow.
1850Captain C. J. B. Riddell.
1855Captain J. G. Boothby.

No. 10 COMPANY, 6th BATTALION
(Afterwards No. 8 Company),
Now "5" BATTERY, 3rd BRIGADE.

Battles, Sieges, and other Military operations in which this Company has been engaged.
1811Capture of Java.
1815Capture of Kandy.
1855Expedition to Crimea and Fall of Sebastopol.
List of Captains who have successively commanded the Company, as far back as can be traced, down to introduction of Brigade System, in 1859.
1801Captain R. E. H. Rogers.
1805Captain C. E. Napier.
1813Captain W. H. C. Benezet.
1816Captain Jno. W. Kettlewell.
1819Captain L. Carmichael.
1824Captain D. Grant.
1836Captain B. H. Vaughan Arbuckle.
1846Captain H. J. Morris.
1848Captain G. M. Glasgow.
1849Captain W. J. Crawford.
1855Captain F. W. Hastings.
1858Captain C. L. D'Aguilar.