[35 ] Lieutenant I. W. Plunkett had served with honor to himself during greater part of the Peninsular war, but being reduced with the supernumerary Lieutenants of the 50th, he memorialized to be placed again on full pay. In consequence of his good conduct on former occasions, as well as in the capture of Magennis, he was, through the interest of Sir Robert Peel, appointed to the 25th, or Royal Borderers; with which regiment, he served some years in the West Indies, and died of fever in Demerara, in 1831, after becoming senior of his rank, deservedly regretted, not only by the 25th, but by all his old companions of the 50th.
[36 ] From the year 1819 to 1826, the 50th and 92nd lost 1409 men, which is at the rate of 88 per year each regiment, in the eight years. The 33rd and 91st, from 1822 to 1829, (eight years,) lost 1036 men, or about 65 a year, each. The 77th, from 1824 to 1829, (six years,) lost 433, or 72 men a year. The 22nd and 84th, lost from 1826 to 1829, (three years,) 501, or 84 men a year, each regiment. In Jamaica the most unhealthy months in the year are August and November, and the most healthy are May and June; in the former months the mortality is four times as great as in the latter months. Dividing the year into two equal parts, the "healthy season" may be considered as extending from February to July, the "unhealthy season" from August to January. The deaths in these two seasons are as ten to twenty-seven. The seasoning, or period of severe mortality, generally occurs in the latter half of the year in which a regiment arrives.
Transcriber's Note:
Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.
Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed.
The cover of this ebook was created by the transcriber and is hereby placed in the public domain.