From the 16th July to 13th September, twelve men constructed a field-work for the protection of the camp at Waterloo Bay under Lieutenant Owen, R.E.
From 20th July to 12th September, thirty-eight non-commissioned officers and men served in the field with the first division during Sir Peregrine Maitland’s attack on the Amatola mountains; and under the direction of Captain Howorth, R.E., restored Fort Cox. On the 29th July the camp on the Amatola flats was attacked by the enemy, and sergeant Joseph Barns of the corps was killed.
Seven men under Lieutenant Bourchier were present, from the 25th to 30th August, with Colonel Somerset’s patrol between the Fish river and the Keiskama.
On 24th October, the Swellandam native infantry at Fort Beaufort, directed to escort waggons to Waterloo Bay, marched from the parade, contrary to the remonstrances of their officers towards Graham’s Town. There were about 350 of the levy present, and the simultaneous and unhesitating movement of the mutineers, gave reason to fear that the conspiracy was well organized. Captain Ward, of the 91st regiment, the commandant, at once ordered the two artillerymen and five sappers under corporal Edward Barnecoat to follow in pursuit with the three-pounder howitzer. This was all the commandant’s force. The gun was up in a few minutes, and bounding down the street, reached the bridge, where halting, the captain ordered the howitzer to be put in action. With only eight men Captain Ward thought it imprudent to proceed further. Trying the effect of firing three rounds of blank ammunition, the mutineers pushed up the acclivity with increased speed at every discharge, and reforming on its brow, seemed disposed to hazard a fight. At this moment a detachment of the 90th regiment—which happened to be at the fort on escort duty—pressed up to the bridge. Immediately the gun was limbered up and when the little column was about to scale the height, Colonel Richardson, who had now arrived, countermanded the order to advance. With only a handful of men, there was but a remote chance of success against 350 exasperated rebels all armed and posted on commanding ground; and so swayed by merciful considerations the colonel employed two missionaries to parley with the misguided men, who, soon, in great part, returned to their allegiance.[[485]]
These comprise the active services of the companies during the year, in which, though the parties do not appear to have gained any mention in dispatches or reports for their conduct and efficiency, they always behaved like good soldiers, and spared no exertion to accomplish the objects for which they were employed. They were likewise much harassed on varied escort duty, such as conveying from fort to fort waggons with ammunition, provisions, and wounded men, and took part in all those multifarious services, carried on at twenty different frontier posts and forts, which the character of that desultory and peculiar warfare continually exacted.
In April, the small blocked epaulettes were superseded by others with loose twisted cords of three inches long suspended from a raised corded crescent. Those for the sergeants and staff-sergeants were of the artillery pattern—long loose gold fringe and gilt crescent to correspond with the privates' epaulettes. The shoulder-strap for the sergeants and other ranks was of blue cloth faced with gold lace. The staff-sergeants' epaulettes continued boxed as before, with a full laced gold strap edged with raised embroidered wire, and a gilt crescent, but the bullion was longer than formerly. The collar of the coatee for all ranks, which had a triangular-shaped piece of scarlet cloth at the back, was this year entirely of blue cloth, but laced as before, with rectangular loops. The alteration was made to give, in appearance, breadth and squareness to the men’s shoulders.
Corporal John Rae, second-corporal John Mealey and eighteen men, were employed from the 8th June to the 17th August, in executing some underground works for the drainage of Windsor. These consisted of a tunnel or cutting from the entrance of the long walk to the north side of the quadrangle of the castle, and also the excavation of a driftway under the north front, moving east and west. The tunnel was approached from several circular shafts 4 feet 6 inches in diameter, of an average depth of about 25 feet; and the gallery—the height of which was six feet, and width 4 feet 6 inches—was driven between 750 and 800 feet through chalk, flint, made earth, old moats, and crumbling vaults and foundations; and, notwithstanding the difficulties of the work, was prosecuted with such exactness, that the line of driving between the shafts, was rarely more than an inch or two out of its true level. Indeed, it was remarked that the tunnel, commenced at opposite sides of the castle, was so correct in its progress, that on reaching the centre, there did not exist two inches of difference where the tunnels merged into one.[[486]] In hazardous earth, mining frames and sheeting were resorted to, but even these expedients, at times, did not prevent the earth from falling and impeding the workmen. Thirty civil labourers worked the windlasses and drove the barrows for the party. All hands worked from five in the morning until half-past six in the evening, and made by their exertions, seven days and a half a-week, at 1s. 6d. each a-day. Captain Vetch, late of the corps, was the engineer for the work, and Lieutenant the Honourable H. F. Keane, commanded the detachment. The Board of Woods and Forests paid the expenses of the undertaking, and praised the skill and energy with which the excavations had been conducted and completed. The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury also acknowledged the great advantage which resulted from the employment of the sappers on the occasion.
Sergeant Philip Clark and eleven rank and file embarked at Deptford, in the ‘Blenheim,’ on the 3rd of June, 1846, for the territories of the Hudson’s Bay Company. A detachment of artillery, and three companies of the 6th foot, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Crofton, were also with the expedition. The employment of this small force on the Red River was occasioned by the menacing hauteur of the Americans respecting the Oregon territory, which at this period was a momentous question between the two countries; but fortunately, the dispute terminated in a treaty which settled amicably the national differences.
The party was composed of excellent mechanics and well-conducted men, two of whom were also good surveyors and draughtsmen. Three chronometers and barometers, with measuring chains and surveying instruments, were placed in charge of sergeant Clark. Captain H. C. B. Moody, R.E., took command of the party on its landing at York Factory on the 14th of August, and subsequently, for about a year, the command was held by Captain Beatty, R.E.
It was not intended to attach the sappers to the divisions of the troops in pushing up the country, but to employ them on services for which they were more peculiarly adapted, such as measuring the heights of the several falls in the course of the rivers that occasion the necessity for the portages, and improving the latter whenever any short proceeding would give them facilities for doing it: also cutting, on prominent objects, bench marks to show the height of the water for the information of travellers, and embodying in memoranda a description of the nature of the ground traversed and the features of the country, with suggestions for improving the passage. Owing, however, to the scarcity of officers, the colonel in command could not permit the employment of the detachment in this manner. Accordingly, eight men accompanied the first division of the force, two the second, and two, with Captain Moody, the third. The first party took the barometers; and the chronometers were taken by the two surveyors in the 3rd brigade. In concert with the troops, they tracked, hauled, rowed, and poled the boats the whole way to Fort Garry; and, notwithstanding the intensity of the cold, such was the nature of the duty, it required them in its execution, to go barefooted with their trousers tied above the knee. At night, for a few hours only, they slept under canvas frequently in wet clothes, upon the damp snow-covered ground. The distance traversed was about 400 miles, through swamps and rapids, over rocky islets, and up and down steep and slippery banks and declivities; and the operation, one of immense difficulty and peril, was not achieved without much labour and discomfort.