FOOTNOTES:
[327] The ‘Red River Expedition,’ London, 1871.
[328] The funeral of Captain Huyshe is the subject of a water-colour picture by M. Norie (from a drawing I believe by Colonel Colley). I am assured by those who were present that it is a faithful representation of the scene and of the surroundings.
[329] This was in every case the position of all these companies of Riflemen acting more or less independently in this fight: a section at least being held in reserve while the greater part extended in skirmishing order.
[330] Henty’s ‘March to Coomassie,’ 384.
[331] Captain Slade had been sent back sick from Foomanah.
[332] It is impossible to record this affair at Quarman without noticing that Captain Dugdale remains without any official recognition of his services on this occasion; while the officer whom he so materially assisted, or rather extricated from his dangerous position at Quarman, received the brevet of Major, Captain Dugdale obtained no promotion. The former had then not thirteen years service; Dugdale had served nearly twenty years, and I have on more than one occasion noted in this record his services during the Indian mutiny. As promotion was dealt out with no unsparing hand for the Ashantee campaign, this neglect seems the more remarkable. I may add that I make these remarks on the facts which I have recorded without any communication with Captain Dugdale, with whom, indeed, I am scarcely acquainted.
[333] ‘The Ashantee War,’ by Captain Brackenbury, ii. 199.
[334] Henty’s ‘March to Coomassie,’ 401.
[335] ‘The Ashantee War,’ ii. 236.
[336] ‘Colburn’s United Service Magazine,’ September, 1874, p. 74.
[337] ‘The Ashantee War,’ ii. 246.
[338] ‘March to Coomassie,’ 417.
[339] This difficulty is graphically described by Mr. Henty, p. 419.
[340] I derive the particulars of the Ashantee Expedition from the letters and journal of my son, Captain Cope; from three papers (‘The Rifle Brigade in the Ashantee Expedition’) in ‘Colburn’s United Service Journal,’ July-September, 1874; and from a detailed MS. Memoir on the Battle of Amoaful, kindly communicated to me by Major Robinson, Rifle Brigade, who has also favoured me with the plan.
[341] Of these ten men were at once sent to Netley Hospital.
[342] Exclusive of Depôt.
[APPENDIX I.]
COLONELS-IN-CHIEF.
Colonel COOTE MANNINGHAM, August 25, 1800.
General SIR DAVID DUNDAS, August 31, 1809.
Field Marshal ARTHUR, DUKE OF WELLINGTON, K.G., G.C.B., February 19, 1820.
Field Marshal H.R.H. ALBERT, PRINCE CONSORT, K.G., G.C.B., September 23, 1852.
Field Marshal JOHN, LORD SEATON, G.C.B., December 15, 1861.
General SIR GEORGE BROWN, G.C.B., April 18, 1863.
Field Marshal SIR EDWARD BLAKENEY, G.C.B., August 28, 1865.
Field Marshal H.R.H. ALBERT EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, K.G., G.C.B., August 3, 1868.
COLONELS COMMANDANT.
FORBES CHAMPAGNÉ, August 31, 1809. To 70th Foot, May 21, 1816.
SIR BRENT SPENCER, G.C.B., August 31, 1809. To 40th Foot, July 2, 1818.
Hon. SIR WILLIAM STEWART, G.C.B., August 31, 1809. Died January 7, 1827.
SIR G. T. WALKER, G.C.B. (vice Champagné), May 21, 1816. To 34th Foot, May 13, 1820.
SIR JOHN OSWALD, K.C.B. (vice Spencer), July 2, 1818.
SIR EDWARD BARNES, K.C.B. (vice Walker), May 13, 1820. To 78th Foot, August 25, 1822.
SIR ANDREW F. BARNARD, G.C.B. (vice Barnes), August 25, 1822. Died, January 17, 1855.
SIR T. S. BECKWITH, K.C.B. (vice Stewart), January 7, 1827. Died, January 19, 1831.
SIR GEORGE R. BINGHAM, K.C.B. (vice Beckwith), June 18, 1831. Died, June 3, 1833.
SIR J. S. BARNES, K.C.B. (vice Bingham), January 7, 1833. To 20th Foot, April 25, 1842.
SIR D. L. GILMOUR, K.C.B. (vice J. S. Barnes), April 25, 1842. Died, March 22, 1847.
SIR HARRY G. W. SMITH, G.C.B. (vice Gilmour), April 16, 1847. Died, October 12, 1860.
SIR GEORGE BROWN, G.C.B. (vice Barnard), January 18, 1855. To 32nd Foot, April 1, 1863.
SIR GEORGE BULLER, G.C.B. (vice Smith), October 13, 1860.
SIR CHARLES YORKE, G.C.B. (vice Brown), April 1, 1863.
⁂ The names in italics are those of officers who had not served in the Regiment.
[APPENDIX II.]
ON THE ARMAMENT OF THE REGIMENT.
On the presentation of the report of Colonels Manningham and Stewart (see [p. 1]), a committee of field officers was directed to assemble at Woolwich on February 1, 1800, in order to select a rifle to be used by the Rifle Corps. The principal gun-makers in England were invited to attend; and rifles from America, France, Germany, Spain, and Holland were produced and tried. This committee reported in favour of a rifle submitted by Ezekiel Baker, a gun-maker in London, which was adopted for the Rifle Corps, and was known as the ‘Baker rifle.’ This arm was 2 feet 6 inches long in the barrel; seven-grooved, and rifled one quarter turn; the balls were 20 to the pound, and the weight of the arm was 9½ pounds. It had, of course, a flint lock. It was sighted to 100 yards, and by a folding sight to 200 yards. This rifle was loaded with some difficulty, and at first small wooden mallets were supplied to the Riflemen to assist in ramming down the ball. These were found inconvenient and an incumbrance to the soldier, and were soon discontinued. The Rifle Corps originally carried a horn for powder, as well as the pouch. The Baker rifle had a brass box in the stock to contain the greased rag in which the ball was wrapped.[343] A picker to clear the touch-hole and a brush were also carried by the Riflemen, suspended by brass chains to the waist-belt.
Ezekiel Baker, the inventor of this rifle, published in 1803 a book entitled ‘Twenty-two Years’ Practice with Rifle Guns;’ a tenth edition of which, expanded from 8 pages of the original brochure to 238, appeared in 1829. His coloured prints of Riflemen aiming standing, kneeling, lying down on the face, and on the back, are curious, though the costume is rather fanciful. He gives diagrams showing that out of 34 shots at 100 yards with this rifle, 32 penetrated a human figure painted on a 6-ft. target; and of 24 shots at 200 yards, 22 penetrated a similar figure. Baker does not mention whether these were fired from the shoulder, or from a fixed rest.
To this rifle a triangular sword bayonet, 17 inches long in the blade, was affixed by a spring.
When the Rifle Corps was first formed, a few rifles were issued to it of the same bore as the musket then in use, viz. 14 balls to the pound; under the impression that there would be an advantage in the Riflemen being able to use the ammunition of soldiers of the line; but this arm was strongly objected to by Colonel Manningham and his officers, and was almost immediately done away with.
Some improvements were subsequently made in the Baker rifle; a chamber was introduced to hold the powder, and a flat-blade sword was substituted for that originally issued. With these and some other trifling changes, the Baker rifle continued till about the year 1837 or 1838. In the year 1836 a Board was assembled at Woolwich to report on various improved rifles. Of this Board Colonel Eeles, then commanding the 1st Battalion, was a member; and Captain Walpole, with a sergeant and twelve Riflemen of that Battalion, was sent to Woolwich to try the rifles submitted to the Board. These men fired daily for some weeks; and eventually the Brunswick rifle was fixed upon for the armament of the Rifle Brigade, and was issued to it (both Battalions being then at home) soon afterwards. This arm was 2 feet 6 inches long in the barrel, which was two-grooved, with complete turn in the length of the barrel; the ball was spherical and belted, and, to ensure the belt dropping into the grooves, two notches were cut at the muzzle. The ball weighed 557 grains, being about 12 to the pound. The rifle weighed nearly 2 pounds more than the Baker, its weight being 11 lbs. 5½ oz. It had a detonating lock; a straight sword, 22 inches long, was affixed to it by a spring. The Brunswick rifle, like the Baker, had a brass box in the stock. It was sighted, by means of a folding sight, to 300 yards; and it was found, in the trials made at Woolwich, that it made as good practice at 300 yards as the Baker at 200.
This rifle continued in use for nearly twenty years; but it was found difficult to load, the belt of the ball being after much firing difficult to force down the grooves; and in action the necessity of fitting the belt to the grooves hindered rapidity of loading, notwithstanding the notches at the muzzle.
While the 1st Battalion were at the Cape, and at the conclusion of the war with the Kaffirs in 1846–7, Lancaster rifles were received at King William’s-town for four or six men in each company. These were two-grooved, like the Brunswick, and of the same bore and length. They had a patent breech; and were sighted to 900 yards. The ball was conical, with a flat base, and a rib on each side to fit the grooves. It was very heavy, and the flight was found to be uncertain. Nevertheless, these rifles were used with good effect against the Boers at Boem Plaatz, and against the Basutos at Berea. In the Kaffir War of 1851–2, the Riflemen armed with this Lancaster were occasionally formed into a party during night-marches, and on the attacks on the Waterkloof.
On the embarkation of the Regiment for the Crimea the Riflemen were armed with the Minié rifle, not differing from those carried by soldiers of line regiments. And while in the Crimea they received the long Enfield and bayonet, the same as those issued to troops of the line. These long weapons were also issued to the 3rd and 4th Battalions on their being raised. But subsequently, and before the embarkation of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions for India, the short Enfield and the sword was substituted. This was the three-grooved Enfield. But this being found an imperfect weapon, the five-grooved short Enfield, Naval pattern, a much superior arm, was issued to the various Battalions about the years 1861–2.
This continued in use till the issue of five-grooved short Enfields converted to breech-loaders on the Snider principle, which were afterwards replaced by the Snider proper, in 1867. The 4th Battalion, however, had received in 1864 Whitworth rifles in place of the short Enfield, and these were retained until the issue of breech-loaders in 1867.
The Snider was replaced by the Martini-Henry, which was issued to the several Battalions towards the close of the year 1874.
The various changes in the uniform of officers and men are sufficiently indicated by the plates in this volume, taken from the drawings deposited in the Adjutant-General’s office, or from original drawings or portraits in my own possession.
The pouch-belt originally had only a whistle and chain affixed to a lion’s head. I do not know when the Maltese cross was first adopted; probably when the names of victories were first granted to the Regiment. It was at first surmounted with a sitting figure of Fame; and it appears, from Sir W. Stewart’s correspondence, that in 1821 it was in contemplation to replace this (which he calls an Angel) by ‘an Eagle, or Britannia, or Minerva, or Amazon.’[344] An Eagle was, I believe, adopted for a time; but the Cross was soon after surmounted with a Royal Crown. When the present Imperial Crown was substituted I do not know. It has been in use, however, for forty years.