Early in January, 1798, the fleet arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, where the commanding officer of the regiment, Colonel Baird, was detained upon the Staff, having been appointed Brigadier-General. After remaining a few days in Table Bay, the fleet sailed, and reached St. Helena in February, where it was detained three months, waiting for a convoy.
The fleet sailed on the 1st of May from St Helena, without a convoy, and in July, in consequence of contrary winds, was compelled to put into Cork Harbour. It sailed from thence for the Thames, and on the 13th of August the regiment disembarked at Woolwich, where it remained for a few days, and then re-embarked in smacks for Leith. After landing, the regiment proceeded to Stirling. As a mark of indulgence, a general leave for two months was granted to the officers and men of the Seventy-first, to enable them to visit their friends and families after the long absence from their native country. At the expiration of this period, the whole assembled at Stirling, with the addition of a few recruits[4]. Immediately afterwards, the whole of the officers and non-commissioned officers, with the exception of the Staff, and a few at head-quarters, were sent out to recruit for the regiment.
Very few of the men remained who had originally formed the regiment; of the officers, the following were still in the regiment:—
Colonel Baird,
” Dalrymple,
Major Lindsay Robertson,
Brevet-Major Borthwick,
” Gorrie,
Captain D. Ross,
” Hugh Cuthbert,
” Roderick McKenzie,
” Hugh McKenzie.
1799.
During the year 1799, the head-quarters remained at Stirling, and the recruiting went on but slowly.
1800.
In May, 1800, the strength of the regiment amounted to about 200 rank and file, when a route arrived changing the quarters to Paisley, but soon after the march an order arrived for its proceeding to Ireland. In June the regiment reached Portpatrick, and crossed immediately to Donaghadee, from whence it marched, under the command of Colonel Dalrymple, to Newry, and in a few days afterwards was removed to Dundalk.
In July the regiment received 600 volunteers from the Scotch Fencible Corps serving in Ireland, and remained at Dundalk until the close of the year, when a route for Dublin was received. At this period, Colonel Dalrymple was appointed Brigadier-General, and the command of the regiment devolved on Brevet Lieut.-Colonel John French.
On the 6th of December Major Denis Pack was promoted from the Fourth Royal Irish Dragoon Guards to be Lieut.-Colonel in the Seventy-first Regiment, in succession to Lieut.-Colonel the Honourable John Lindsay, who retired from the service.