“I have the honour to be, Sir,
“Your very obedient humble Servant,
(Signed) “John Macdonald, Adjt.-Gen.
“To Colonel Sir Leonard Greenwell,
K.C.H., Chatham.”
The depôt marched in two divisions to Dover, on the 6th and 8th of September, and arrived on the 10th and 12th. They occupied the Western Height Barracks, giving a detachment to the Castle until the 3rd of January, 1835, when the entire of the depôt were moved to the Castle. Soon after its arrival in Dover it actively assisted with the Artillery in extinguishing a fire, for which the thanks of the inhabitants were received; and after being quartered in Dover for eleven months, it embarked for Ireland in the Messenger steamer, the 5th August. The feeling of the inhabitants at its departure will be best understood by reading the following description thereof, extracted from the “Dover Telegraph,” which, with a letter from the Magistrates, and a garrison order, on the occasion, sufficiently refute the calumny cast on the corps when at Chatham.
From the Dover Telegraph.
DEPARTURE OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHTH.
The official documents which follow this article, so justly embody the sentiments of the chief civil and military authorities of the town and garrison, on the uniform good conduct of the depôt companies of the Connaught Rangers, since they have been stationed here, as to leave us but the alternative of referring to our humble testimony in their favour on the first arrival of their route for Ireland.
That the inhabitants of all ranks fully concur in these testimonies, is best proved by the voices of the thousands assembled to greet them with a farewell cheer. At five o’clock on Wednesday evening, the depôt marched from their quarters in the Castle through the town to the new cross wall, where they were immediately embarked on board the Messenger steamer, and from that hour till nearly half-past eight, the piers and quays were literally crowded with the largest concourse of persons witnessed there for many years. During the flowing of the tide the brass band gave their final entertainment, by performing several national and appropriate airs in their acknowledged excellent style, and considerable amusement was afforded to those near the vessel by the leave-takings of the soldiers’ female friends, most of whom seemed more desirous of taking leave to accompany them. At nearly half-past eight the Messenger was warped into the middle of the harbour, and presently afterwards the paddle wheels were in motion. At this moment the most perfect silence was observed by the troops, an arrangement that seemed necessary for every order being distinctly heard, relative to navigating in the harbour a vessel of eight hundred tons, propelled by machinery of two hundred horse power. But no sooner had she passed the boom-house jetties, than the cheers of the troops burst forth in a genuine Hibernian hurra, which was immediately answered most cordially by the multitude assembled on the piers, and continued for some minutes. The band played “Rule Britannia” as the ship glided majestically to sea, and in a few minutes the Connaught Rangers were out of sight and progressing towards their native land.
1835
We have entered more into detail than is usual on the embarkation of a single corps, but the peculiarly disadvantageous circumstances under which the Eighty-Eighth arrived at Dover, thus contrasted with the interest excited by their departure, after a stay of nearly twelve months amongst us, we think may warrant our doing so, as a proof that the odium attached to the corps at Chatham was undeserved. We now turn cheerfully to the documents before alluded to, the communication from the town clerk, and the garrison order of Colonel Arnold, viz.:—
“Dover, 3rd August, 1835.