Nothing of moment appears farther on the face of the military operations of the present year, in which the Marines had a share.
In the gradual increase to the Establishment of the Army during the present war, the Marines became incorporated with the Line, and their numerical precedence commenced with the 44th Regiment, entitled, The First Marines.
The following is the detail of the Field Officers and Agents of each Corps, all of which were quartered in Great Britain, and in the vicinity of the principal sea-ports, at the close of the present year.
44th Regiment, or First Marines.
George Churchill, Colonel.
N. Mitchell, Lieutenant Colonel.
James Macdonald, Major.
J. Winter, Dartmouth-street, Westminster, Agent.
45th Regiment, or Second Marines.
Robert Frazer, Colonel.
J. Leighton, Lieutenant Colonel.
T. Mathews, Major.
T. Paterson, Conduit-street, Agent.
46th Regiment, or Third Marines.
C. H. Holmes, Colonel.
P. Damar, Lieutenant Colonel.
W. Brown, Major.
T. Fisher, Privy-gardens, Whitehall, Agent.
47th Regiment, or Fourth Marines.
C. George Byng, Colonel.
B. Hutchison, Lieutenant Colonel.
J. Read, Major.
T. Paterson, Conduit-street, Agent.
48th Regiment, or Fifth Marines.
C. James Cochran, Colonel.
C. Whiteford, Lieutenant Colonel.
J. Stuart, Major.
Maynard Guering, St. James's-park, Agent.
49th Regiment, or Sixth Marines.
————, vacant, Colonel.
C. Gordon, Lieutenant Colonel.
C. Leighton, Major.
William Adair, Pall-mall, Agent.
50th Regiment, or Seventh Marines.
H. Cornwall, Colonel.
J. Paterson, Lieutenant Colonel.
R. Bendish, Major.
T. Fisher, Privy-gardens, Whitehall, Agent.
51st Regiment, or Eighth Marines.
J. Duncombe, Colonel.
J. Cunningham, Lieutenant Colonel.
J. Brewse, Major.
Maynard Guering, St. James's-park, Agent.
52d Regiment, or Ninth Marines.
C. Pawlett, Colonel.
G. Walsh, Lieutenant Colonel.
————, Major, vacant.
Mr. Guering, Agent.
53d Regiment, or Tenth Marines.
Sir Andrew Agnew, Colonel.
C. Pawlett, Lieutenant Colonel.
C. Durand, Major.
Mr. Guering, Agent.
These Regiments, when complete, were supposed to consist of one thousand Rank and File each, and every battalion of ten Companies.
At this period the whole forces upon the British Establishment amounted to eighty-five thousand six hundred and eleven men.
As institutions of honor, and distinctions of merit, are necessary incentives for animating the zeal both of Corps and individuals, as like every other inheritance, peculiar privileges ought to be transmitted, unimpaired, to the lineal successors of Public Bodies, if not forfeited by misconduct, or abused by wantonness, I am thus led to remark an occurrence that took place in London, and which is authenticated by Major Donkin, in his "Military Collections," who was a cotemporary and intimate with the Officer to whom the circumstance happened. It is thus expressed:
"The 3d Regiment of Foot, raised in 1665, known by the ancient title of The Old Buffs, have the privilege of marching through London with drums beating, colours flying! which the city disputes not only with all other Corps, but even with the King's Guards going on duty to the Tower! It happened in the year 1746, that as a detachment of Marines were beating along Cheapside, one of the Magistrates came up to the Officer, requiring him to cease the drum, as no Soldiers were allowed to interrupt the civil repose. The Captain commanding (an intimate friend of mine) immediately said, Sir, we are Marines.—Oh, Sir! replied the Alderman, I beg pardon; I did not know it! Pray continue your route as you please."
It has been already noticed in the early part of this retrospect, that the Corps of Marines was originally engrafted upon that Regiment to which the Major alludes—that the Old Buffs of the present day gained one numerical step in the Line, from the extinction of its predecessor, previous to which circumstance it had no claim to the privilege in question, and could establish no subsequent one from merely a sameness in name.