“Sir,
“I have the honour to state, that some of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Eighty-Eighth Regiment have served in twelve different general actions, and have been two, three, and four times wounded, have been a long time in the regiment, and always conducted themselves well in the field and in quarters. I am anxious to bestow upon them some mark of distinction for their good conduct, as an encouragement to them and others in future.
“I shall be much obliged to you if you will obtain His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief’s permission for me to give such men medals as a testimony of their merit.
“I have, &c.,
“J. A. Wallace,
“Colonel Commanding.
“To the Adjutant-General.”
The answer of the Commander-in-Chief, communicated in a letter from Sir Henry Torrens, dated 28th of the same month, sanctioned Colonel Wallace’s plan, leaving it to his “discretion to grant such testimonials in the case alluded to, as he might deem essential to the good of the regiment.” The proper authority thus obtained, Colonel Wallace’s intentions were carried into effect without delay. Silver medals of three distinct classes were struck at the expense of the officers of the regiment. The first class was bestowed on men who had been present in twelve general actions, and consisted of a Maltese cross on which the names of the twelve actions were stamped. The second class was given to those who had served in from six to eleven general actions, and the third to such as had served in any number less than six. The name of the man to whom it was given was engraved on each medal. The total number distributed was,—
| Serjeants, | Corporals, | Drummers, | Privates. | |
| First Class, | 13 | 6 | 6 | 45 |
| Second Class, | 7 | 9 | 3 | 126 |
| Third Class, | 19 | 10 | 3 | 185 |
| — | — | — | —— | |
| 39 | 25 | 12 | 356 |
1819
On the 11th of March, 1819, Lieutenant-General Sir Gordon Drummond, G.C.B., was appointed Colonel of the Regiment, in succession to Lieut.-Gen. Viscount Beresford, who was removed to the Sixty-Ninth Regiment.
In the summer of 1819, the Eighty-Eighth moved from Edinburgh to Hull, sending detachments to Manchester and Stockport. In August of the same year, Colonel Wallace, after more than fourteen years’ service with the regiment, was promoted to the rank of Major-General, and was succeeded in the command by Lieutenant-Colonel James Ferguson.