1806.
On the 4th May, 1805, the regiment embarked at St. Heliers. It joined the expedition at the Cove of Cork, destined against the Cape of Good Hope, under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird, and landed at the Cape on the 6th January, 1806; and was actually employed in the reduction of that settlement, where its head-quarters were stationed, and where it remained quartered until October, 1817, when it was joined by a large detachment of the 2nd Battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Collier, on the reduction of the 2nd Battalion at Armagh in 1817. The whole of the regiment, now reunited, and forming but one battalion henceforward, was collected together at Simon’s Bay, Cape of Good Hope, in September, 1817, and embarked for Ceylon on 1st October, 1817.[3]
PART II
HISTORY OF THE 2ND BATTALION, 1804–14, AND SERVICES OF THE REGIMENT DURING THE PENINSULAR WAR
The 2nd Battalion, 83rd Regiment, was raised in the year 1804; the establishment being fixed at 600 rank and file, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hutchison, who had previously belonged to the 1st Battalion.
The head-quarters of the 2nd Battalion were first established at Horsham Barracks, Sussex, where it remained a few months and was then removed to Chichester, at which place it received a draft of 300 men, chiefly from the 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia.
1805.
During the stay of the battalion at Chichester, Lieutenant-Colonel Hutchison was removed to the Staff, and Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon succeeded to the command of the regiment.
1806.
The battalion removed to Newport, in the Isle of Wight, whence it sent 270 rank and file, with a proportion of officers and non-commissioned officers (being the entire of the effectives fit for active service), to join the 1st Battalion at the Cape of Good Hope.