No. XIV.
Extract from a Letter dated 28th May, 1809.
TO LIEUTENANT NIXON,
ADJUTANT MADRAS EUROPEAN REGIMENT.
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of this day's date, with the statement I thought proper to order to be made out in my note of last night to you, for the information of the officer commanding the army in chief. I shall now merely confine myself to remarking to the officers whose names appear to the letter now received, that had they not made observations on the late general orders of the Honourable the Governor in Council and Commander-in-Chief, and remarks on the steady conduct of the officers of the subsidiary force at Hyderabad, as also on officers "in the army" who are not the friends of the army, I should not have quitted the table at mess-room merely because "the friends of the army" was proposed as a toast, which I requested might be changed to the Madras army; and when not acceded to, I felt myself called upon to quit the mess-room. Very fortunately there were many strangers present at dinner, as well as myself, whose recollection of what passed on that day may be able to elucidate this subject, should the Honourable the Governor in Council and Commander-in-Chief deem it requisite to call upon them for this purpose.
(Signed) JAMES INNES,
Lieut.-Col. M. E. Regiment, in
charge N. D. of the Army.
Extract from Division Orders, by Lieutenant-Colonel
Innes, dated 1st June, 1809.
"A detail, consisting of a subaltern, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, and 30 privates, belonging to the Madras European regiment, to be held in readiness to embark at a short notice on board the Fox frigate, to serve as marines. The officer commanding the Madras European regiment will give the requisite orders for the equipment of the above detail, which Lieutenant Maitland is appointed to command.
"Lieutenant D. Forbes of the Madras European regiment is relieved from the command of Condapillee, and directed to proceed forthwith to the Presidency, for the purpose of embarking for Prince of Wales's Island, to take charge of the detail of the corps doing duty there.
"Ensign Dickson, 1st battalion 19th regiment native infantry, is reappointed to command at Condapillee, and directed to proceed to that station with the least delay, to relieve Lieutenant D. Forbes of the Madras European regiment. The detail above named is to be struck off garrison duty.
(Signed) "JAMES INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
Extract from Regimental Orders.
"Madras European Regiment, 2d June, 1809.
"A roll of the detail ordered on board the Fox frigate, to serve as marines, to be sent to the paymaster, to enable him to furnish them with a pay certificate. The roll alluded to, when ready, is to be inserted in the regimental orderly book. Every thing requisite from the regimental stores to equip the detail, is to be indented for directly, that the whole may be prepared to embark at an hour's notice. Pay is ordered to be issued to the detail alluded to above.
"The commanding officer has approved of the arrangement made for the detail directed to embark; but as Lieutenant Maitland has expressed a wish to the adjutant to make some exchanges of the non-commissioned officers, accedes to the wishes of Lieutenant Maitland, provided the officers commanding the companies to whom they belong consent to the exchange; otherwise those already ordered will go."
Extract from General Orders, 2d June.
"Pay in advance for June, and arrears for May, to be issued to the troops under orders of embarkation in the course of this day, to enable them to prepare for their passage to the Presidency in the Fox frigate."
Extract from Regimental Orders, Madras European
Regiment, dated 3d June, 1809.
"The adjutant will furnish Lieutenant Maitland with a roll of his detachment; and officers commanding companies are directed to send to that officer the pay advanced (as in yesterday's orders) for the detachment ordered as marines."
Extract from Division Orders, by Lieutenant-Colonel
Innes.
"Lieutenant Dixon of the 1st battalion 19th regiment native infantry, having joined his corps this morning with the detachment from Condapillee, is directed to resume the command of that station to morrow, to relieve Lieutenant D. Forbes, in conformity with the Division Orders of the 1st instant, and will be provided with a passport by the acting fort-adjutant.
(Signed) "JAMES INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
"Masulipatam,
"5th June, 1809."
Extract from Regimental Orders, Madras European Regiment, June 6th, 1809.
"The commanding officer having taken upon himself to grant family certificates to the detail ordered on board his Majesty's ship Fox, Lieutenant Maitland is requested to refer to the last order issued upon this subject, which it will be requisite to attend minutely, to prevent retrenchments hereafter."
Extract from Division Orders, by Lieutenant-Colonel
Innes, 7th June, 1809.
"The detail ordered from the Madras European regiment is now reduced to 1 subaltern, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 1 drum, and 26 privates,—in all 30,—to be held in readiness to embark at a moment's notice on board the Samarang sloop of war, hourly expected.
(Signed) "J. INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
Extract from Garrison Orders, 13th June, 1809.
"Lieutenant D. Forbes of the Madras European regiment being summoned as an evidence, by an Ensign Baker, to attend the Court of Inquiry ordered to assemble for the purpose of investigating the conduct of Ensign Baker, Lieutenant D. Forbes is consequently directed to remain here till further orders."
Extract from Garrison Orders, 20th June, 1809.
"The detail from the Madras European regiment, ordered to be held in readiness to serve as marines on board the Samarang sloop of war, are directed to join their respective companies, and to do garrison duty till further orders; but to be considered as under Division Orders to embark on a short notice."
Extract from Division Orders by Lieutenant-Colonel
James Innes, dated 23d June, 1809.
"Two detachments from the Madras European regiment to be held in readiness to embark, at a short notice, on board of such of his Majesty's ships as may be prepared to receive them, to serve as marines, and to consist of the following strength; viz.
"One detachment, to be composed of 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, and 35 privates; making a total of 41.
"The other, of 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 2 corporals, and 27 privates—31 total. Such men as wish to have family certificates are to be provided with them by the officers under whose command they may be placed immediately.
"No time being fixed for the embarkation of the above details, they are to be considered on the strength of the garrison, (as also Lieutenant Maitland's party,) till further orders.
(Signed) "JAMES INNES,
"Lieutenant-Colonel, in charge
of the N. D. of the Army."
Extract from Regimental Orders,
June 24th, 1809.
"Lieutenants Lawless and Carbery to indent for ammunition and every thing requisite to complete their respective detachments directly.
"Should Lieutenant-Colonel Innes receive any additional information from the ships, he will write to Lieutenant Nixon instantly."
Substance of a Verbal Declaration made by
Major Storey.
Major Storey declared to Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm, that he was fully satisfied, that if Lieutenant-Colonel Innes had persisted in the plan he adopted for the coercion of the garrison, there must have been immediate bloodshed; and he (Major Storey) was assured, from what he knew of the general temper of the officers of the Company's army at the moment, that such an occurrence, whatever was its issue, would have produced an insurrection against the authority of Government in many other quarters. This belief, Major Storey declares, was the chief motive that made him take the step he did.
FINIS.
J. MOYES, PRINTER,
Greville Street, Hatton Garden, London.
[Transcriber's Notes]
The table of contents was generated and does not appear in the book.
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Inconsistent hyphenation fixed.
P. 138: one of the most serious crisis -> one of the most serious crises.
P. 158: a gentlemen sung a sea-song -> a gentleman sung a sea-song.
P. 176: after a dicussion -> after a discussion.
P. 219: Lieutenants D. Forbes -> Lieutenant D. Forbes.