"War Office, Pall Mall,
"May, 1859."Her Majesty's Government having had under consideration the propriety of permitting the formation of volunteer rifle corps, under the provisions of the Act of 44 Geo. III. Cap. 54, as well as of artillery corps and companies in maritime towns in which there may be forts and batteries, I have the honour to inform —— that I shall be prepared to receive through you, and consider any proposal with that object which may emanate from the county under your charge.
"The principal and most important provisions of the Act are—
"That the corps be formed under officers bearing the commission of the lieutenant of the county.
"That its members must take the oath of allegiance before a deputy lieutenant, or justice of the peace, or a commissioned officer of the corps.
"That it be liable to be called out in case of actual invasion, or appearance of an enemy in force on the coast, or in case of rebellion arising out of either of those emergencies.
"That while thus under arms, its members are subject to military law, and entitled to be billeted, and to receive pay in like manner as the regular army.
"That all commissioned officers disabled in actual service are entitled to half-pay, and non-commissioned officers and privates to the benefits of Chelsea Hospital, and widows of commissioned officers killed in service to such pensions for life as are given to widows of officers of Her Majesty's Regular Forces.
"That members cannot quit the corps when on actual service, but may do so at any other time by giving fourteen days' notice.
"That members who have attended eight days in each four months, or a total of twenty-four days' drill and exercise in the year, are entitled to be returned as effectives.
"That members so returned are exempt from Militia ballot, or from being called upon to serve in any other levy.
"That all property of the corps is legally invested in the commanding officer, and subscriptions and fines under the rules and regulations are recoverable by him before a magistrate.
"The conditions on which Her Majesty's Government will recommend to Her Majesty the acceptance of any proposal are:—
"That the formation of the corps be recommended by the lord lieutenant of the county.
"That the corps be subject to the provisions of the Act already quoted.
"That its members undertake to provide their own arms and equipments, and to defray all expenses attending the corps, except in the event of its being assembled for actual service.
"That the rules and regulations which may be thought necessary, be submitted to me in accordance with the 56th section of the Act.
"The uniform and equipments of the corps may be settled by the members, subject to your approval; but the arms, though provided at the expense of the members, must be furnished under the superintendence, and according to the regulations of this department, in order to secure a perfect uniformity of gauge.
"The establishment of officers and non-commissioned officers will be fixed by me, and recorded in the books of this office; and in order that I may be enabled to determine the proportion, you will be pleased to specify the precise number of private men which you will recommend, and into how many companies you propose to divide them.
"I have only to add that I shall look to you, as Her Majesty's Lieutenant, for the nomination of proper persons to be appointed officers, subject to the Queen's approval.
"I have the honour to be, &c.,
Your most obedient Servant,
J. Peel."To Her Majesty's Lieutenant
for the County of ——."
Much less could not have been offered, or regulations made by which an useful force to be relied on in the event of invasion might turn out to be worthless. Members were to find their own arms, only the gauge to be equal, smooth bores or rifles; equipments, uniform, and quantity of drill to be at discretion of members, and all rules and regulations to be left to the decision of each lord lieutenant of a county, thereby certainly ensuring a variety of systems. Out of such confusion it is wonderful that the present disciplined and reliable force has come; and it speaks well for a nation, with such encouragement as is showed by this letter to the lord lieutenants of counties, that the volunteers held their own so long, and did not throw up in disgust.
The battalion of volunteers to which I was attached as adjutant on its first formation in 1861, and whose history I have been invited to write by the officer now in command, Lieut.-Colonel the Earl Pembroke and Montgomery, and the officers serving and served, laboured under many disadvantages. The corps composing it were much scattered, and communication with outposts or headquarters difficult. A wild county, with villages and towns few and far between, making attendances at squad drills, and much more battalion assemblies, not only very laborious to the majority of corps, but a great source of expense to officers and men.
Probably some eight or ten thousand of all ranks have passed through the hands of the author during the twenty years he served as adjutant, and chief drill and musketry instructor; and he here willingly bears testimony to the ever-ready obedience given by all to his directions, and the exhibition of a general desire to lessen troubles and difficulties. These were a little heavy in the beginning, and it was some time before all could be got to see that the wish of individuals must yield to the general welfare, and that such things as breaking up of companies or corps must be done if instruction in battalion drill was to be effectually imparted.
Robert Dwarris Gibney,
Major (Retired) Indian Army,
Late 1st Wilts Volunteer Battalion.
HISTORY
OF THE
1ST BATTALION WILTS VOLUNTEERS.