The Court of Directors had previously (July 5th, 1797) “advised the Government of their intention to send out properly-qualified cadets for the artillery, and prohibited the transfer of any infantry officers” to that branch, and “with a view to promote emulation in the cadets for the artillery or engineer corps who are educated at Woolwich,” the Court “resolved (5th March, 1800) to make it a standing regulation, that those who by their progress in the different studies are first reported qualified to proceed to India, shall have precedence in rank in the general list of cadets appointed for the respective presidencies;” and this order was highly approved by the Governor-General in his minute on establishing the College of Fort William.
In July, 1800, Lord Wellesley writes again to Mr. Dundas,—“Every augmentation of native troops in India should be accompanied by a due augmentation of the European force, artillery as well as infantry.
“The Company’s European artillery are everywhere extremely weak. The fixed establishment of this corps is defective at all the presidencies, and the numbers wanting to complete even that defective establishment are now so considerable that I intend without delay to reduce one of the Company’s European regiments in Bengal for the purpose of augmenting the artillery of this presidency. * * * But the best remedy I may be able to apply will be insufficient, on account of the great deficiency of officers of artillery: some companies have now no more than one commanding officer doing duty with them. This deficiency proceeds, in a great measure, from the original deficiency of the establishment in point of commanding officers, and partly from the neglect of a regular supply of cadets.”
It is probable that men were allowed to volunteer from the European regiments for the artillery at once, for the returns of the regiment shew that 277 men joined “from other corps” in the months of July, August, and September, 1801, but the 2nd European regiment was not reduced until the February following. At the same time, two companies were added to each battalion of artillery, and the strength raised to 1 captain, 1 captain-lieutenant, 2 lieutenants, 2 lieutenant-fireworkers, 5 sergeants, 5 corporals, 2 drummers, 10 gunners, and 80 matrosses; the companies, however, remained incomplete, for upwards of 800 men were deficient.
This increase was reluctantly sanctioned by the Home authority, for we find Mr. Dundas writing to the Court of Directors, 30th June, 1801, on the subject of the liquidation of their debts:—“Mr. Wright observes, that if the addition to the artillery could be postponed, it would save £54,000; but I consider the addition to your artillery establishment to be of such deep importance to the security of your extended Indian empire, that I do not think the saving suggested should be adopted.” The authority was therefore given, and Lord Wellesley, in writing to General Lake, says, “in issuing the order for the reduction of the 2nd European regiment, I request your Excellency to annex to it the order for the augmentation of the artillery, as directed by the Honourable Court. The improvement of our artillery is a point of such importance, that I am resolved not to postpone it under any circumstances whatever.”
The augmentation was accordingly carried into effect; the companies were levelled, so as to divide the old gunners and matrosses equally among the companies, and they were filled up as well as they could be from the volunteers who joined; and the regiment consisted, at the beginning of 1802, of three battalions, of seven companies each, with thirty companies of lascars: neither lascars nor golundaz details being added with the six additional companies; and the golundaz details, all except nine, were reduced in the following November.
| ORGANIZATION OF 1802. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| per Company. | per Battalion. | Total. | On the returns 1st April, 1802. | ||
| EUROPEANS. | Colonels. | - | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Lieut.-Colonels Commandant. | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Majors. | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Captains. | 1 | 7 | 21 | 21 | |
| Capt.-Lieutenants. | 1 | 7 | 21 | 21 | |
| Lieutenants. | 2 | 14 | 42 | 28 | |
| Lieut.-Fireworkers. | 2 | 14 | 42 | - | |
| Serjeants. | 5 | 35 | 105 | 96 | |
| Corporals. | 5 | 35 | 105 | 106 | |
| Gunners. | 10 | 70 | 210 | 187 | |
| Matrosses. | 80 | 560 | 1680 | 891 | |
| Drummers. | 2 | 14 | 42 | 46 | |
| GOLUNDAZ. | Jemadars. | 1 | 5 | 15 | 15 |
| Havildars. | 3 | 15 | 45 | 45 | |
| Naicks. | 3 | 15 | 45 | 45 | |
| Privates. | 40 | 200 | 600 | 575 | |
| LASCARS. | Serangs. | 1 | 10 | 30 | 30 |
| 1st Tindals. | 2 | 20 | 60 | 60 | |
| 2nd Tindals. | 2 | 20 | 60 | 60 | |
| Lascars. | 70 | 700 | 2100 | 2113 | |
The men composing the corps of horse artillery were borne on the rolls of the companies.
The remonstrances of Lord Mornington having thus obtained a numerical increase to the corps, and the Court’s step of obtaining educated cadets from Woolwich having prepared men to fill the vacancies in the commissioned grades (the first of whom had arrived the preceding year), a new era may be considered as opening in the history of the regiment, and it may not be uninteresting to consider the state of the corps at this time.
Of the officers in its early years we have seen sketches in some of Pearse’s letters already quoted, and from the specimens who lived on into this century, and of whom many anecdotes are current among the present seniors of the regiment, they appear to have been deficient not only in the scientific knowledge necessary for their profession, but many were without even the ordinary education of gentlemen of that period; boatswains and gunners in their original calling, they never rose to the manners and acquirements which are expected in commissioned officers; they therefore shewed to great disadvantage when contrasted with the lately-arrived cadets, who to the usual liberal education of gentlemen had superadded a course of study at Woolwich fitting them for the attainment of the higher degrees of their professional knowledge. At the time, too, when they were studying, Indian affairs had awakened great attention; the wars with Hyder and Tippoo had just been brought to a conclusion, and all England rang with applause at the gallant and successful storming of Seringapatam and the expedition to Egypt; their minds were filled with these subjects, and themselves, on their arrival, either partaking in or watching the meteor-like career of Lake, how could they fail receiving a high tone, and infusing it into those who immediately followed, and thus laying the foundation of a permanent improvement in the commissioned grades.