“The Honorable the Governor cannot permit His Majesty’s Thirty-fourth Regiment to quit the garrison without expressing his entire approbation of the discipline and exemplary conduct manifested, on all occasions, by the officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers of that corps, ever since its arrival at Fort St. George, now a period of nearly two years, and his Excellency requests Lieutenant-Colonel Dickens, and the officers under his command, to accept his best thanks for the very satisfactory manner in which they have performed their respective duties.”
1822
1823
During the year 1822 the regiment was stationed at Wallajabad; and in January, 1823, it returned to Madras, preparatory to its embarkation for England. The prompt and active exertions of the corps on the breaking out of a fire in the Company’s stores, on the 7th of January, preserved property to a considerable amount.
Five hundred and thirty-seven non-commissioned officers and soldiers having volunteered to remain in India, and transfer their services to other corps, the remainder of the regiment, amounting to one hundred and sixteen officers and soldiers, embarked on board the Company’s ship “Coldstream,” on the 9th of March, and sailed for England under Lieutenant-Colonel Dickens. The regiment called at St. Helena, where it remained about a week, and arrived in the river Thames, in the early part of July, after an absence from England of upwards of twenty-three years, landed at Gravesend, from whence it marched to Chatham, where the establishment was fixed at six hundred and fifty officers and soldiers.
The depôt joined from Portsmouth on the 19th of July; recruiting parties were sent to various towns in the United Kingdom: and in December the regiment marched to Windsor.
1824
After remaining two months at Windsor the regiment proceeded to Portsmouth, where it embarked for Ireland in May, 1824, and landing at Dublin, marched to Enniskillen, sending detachments to Maguires-bridge, Cavan, Killishandra, Kings-court, and Bally James Duff.
1825
In the summer of 1825 the regiment proceeded to Boyle, and furnished nine detachments to stations in that part of the country; in August the head-quarters were removed to Longford, and in October to Athlone. At this period the establishment was augmented to eight hundred and thirty-six officers and soldiers, and the regiment was divided into six service and four depôt companies: but the service companies did not proceed abroad at this period.
1826