But while we must consider many of the old hands deficient in some qualities requisite to the formation of good officers, let us not forget the habits of the times in which they lived, nor that these men proved themselves good and brave soldiers in the many hard services in which they were employed; “per mare, per terras” might have been their motto. In the wars of Bengal and the Carnatic they filled their part with credit, and many are the names from among them which have been handed down to our respect and esteem both as good soldiers and men of high talent and conduct. Pearse, Montague, Hutchinson, Duff, of the old hands, and others, such as Horsford, Clement Brown, Pennington, who living long into this century may fairly claim no small share in giving a tone to the present corps, are all names which we should not willingly allow to be forgotten; and although we may laugh at the anecdotes of the Hindes, Paschauds, and Greenes, and be tempted to rate the moderns highly when we look to the bright halo with which the Mahrattas, Nepal, Ava, and Affghanistan campaigns have encircled the heads of those whom we delight to honour, let us not forget those who shared in the wars with Hyder and Tippoo, and in the earlier campaigns in which the foundation of our Indian empire was laid. “Vixerunt fortes ante Agamemnona, multi.”
The ranks were filled with men of an indifferent class; the great demand caused by European wars rendered it difficult to recruit for the Company’s service, and, as a natural consequence, the worst men were enlisted. The Regimental Orders, as might be expected, record many courts-martial and the infliction of punishments to preserve order; still, however, when any portion was sent on service, they never forgot what was expected from them, and always supported the national character by their conduct in the field.[[54]]
A very mistaken notion as to the composition of the regiment has long prevailed, and is still repeated by those ignorant of the facts of the case; it is often affirmed that a large majority of the regiment is Irish, but from a reference to the long rolls at the period of which we are writing, we find the respective numbers as stated below,[[55]] and at a period six years anterior to it (1795), the proportion of Irish was still less, the English being 437 and the Irish 284. At the present time (1845) the English and Irish are nearly equal. We purpose noticing the constitution of the regiment in this point from time to time at different epochs, and also adding the casualties wherever we are able to ascertain them, and this we trust will form a valuable addition to our knowledge of the statistics of Indian mortality.
Having detailed the formation of 1802, we must revert to the preceding year to bring up the record of the services of portions of the regiment.
In November, 1801, two complete companies were ordered for foreign service, to embark on the Dover Castle and Asia Indiamen.
| Lascar Companies. | 4, 1 | 5, 3 |
| Company. | 9 | 5 |
| Battalion. | 18 | 12 |
| Captains. | A. Fraser | C. Wittit |
| Captain Lieutenants. | A. Hinde | P. Paschaud |
| Lieutenants. | Fuller | A. Dunn |
| Lieutenant-Fireworkers. | C. H. Palmer | S. S. Hay |
The former company proceeded to Macao, and returned the following November, but does not appear to have been engaged in any active service during the expedition. The latter had a much longer absence; for, reaching Goa in January, 1802, it was sent on to Bombay, and thence to Guzerat in May, Surat in June, and back to Bombay in October; in December it was stationed at Tannah, having been detained by the Bombay Government.[[56]] In August, 1803, it participated in the successful attack on Baroach, and then continued with the Bombay army, under Major-General Jones, and joined the army before Bhurtpore in 1805, towards the conclusion of the siege; returned to Bombay in 1806, and reached Fort William in the Sir William Pulteney in July, 1806, after an absence of nearly five years, reduced to 33 men.
Captain C. Wittit, Captain-Lieutenant Paschaud, and Lieutenant-Fireworker S. Hay returned to the presidency in March, 1803. Lieutenant Drummond joined the company in December, 1802, and left in September following. Captain Watkins and Lieutenant T. D. Smith joined it at a later period. Lieutenant Dunn appears to have remained with it throughout.
Other portions of the regiment were called into the field, at the end of 1802, against a powerful zemindar, Bulwunt Sing, who was in possession of three forts, Sarsnee, Bidgegurh, and Cutchowrah, in the neighbourhood of Hattrass; these forts were situated in the districts ceded in 1801 by the Vizier of Oude and Nawab of Furruckabad, to maintain the stipulated British force. Mustering 20,000 followers, he trusted he could successfully resist the demand for his jumma, he therefore tendered a lower sum; this, of course, was refused, and as he appeared determined not to yield the point, a force was collected against him, which gradually increased to 4 battalions of infantry, 4 troops of cavalry, and detachments from 3 companies of artillery, with four 18–pounders, two 4⅖-inch howitzers, and ten 6–pounders.
| Major Gordon, Commandant. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company. | Battalion. | Lascar Companies. | Captains. | Captain-Lieutenants. | Lieutenants. |
| 1 | 2 | 4, 23, 28 | E. Constable | ||
| 3 | 2 | 7, 21, 22 | W. Shipton | R. Best | |
| 4 | 2 | 14, 16 | J. Robinson T. Green | A. Mathews T. D. Boyle | |