The decrease was:—
| Deaths | 45 | ||
| Discharges | 31 | ||
| Invalided | 38 | ||
| Desertions | 4 | 118 | |
| 269 | |||
| Wanted to complete | 6 | ||
| Establishment | 275 | ||
1801-1802.
Distribution of corps—Dispersion of West India company—Statistics—Detachment to St. Marcou—Capture of Danish settlements—Casualties in West India company—Compared with mortality in Gibraltar companies—Working dress—Services, &c., of detachment at Gibraltar—Conduct of Sergeant W. Shirres—Concession to the companies by the Duke of Kent—Cocked hat superseded by the chaco.
On the 1st January the corps was distributed in companies and detachments as follows. The names of the officers in command and the senior non-commissioned officers at the several stations are also added:—
| Sergeant-majors. | ||||
| Woolwich | Lieut.-Col. B. Fisher | John Eaves. | ||
| Chatham | Lieut.-Col. Thos. Nepean | John Palmer. | ||
| Portsmouth Gosport | } | Col. John Evelegh | { | James Smith. Alexander Spence. |
| Plymouth | Maj.-Gen. Alex. Mercer | William Browne. | ||
| Jersey | Capt. John Humfrey | Anthony Haig. | ||
| Guernsey | Lieut.-Col. J. Mackelcan | Andrew Gray. | ||
| Dover | ||||
| Gibraltar | Lieut.-Col. Wm. Fyers | Joseph Makin. | ||
| Minorca | Capt. Robert D’Arcy | { | Sergeant Jas. Shirres, Foreman of Carpenters. | |
| Nova Scotia | Capt. Wm. Fenwick | { | Sergeant John Catto, Foreman of Masons. | |
| West Indies | Col. Chas. Shipley | Serg.-Maj. Matthew Hoey. | ||
| Egyptian Expedition | Capt. Alex. Bryce | { | Sergeant John McArthur, Master Smith. | |
| Jaffa, with the Ottoman Army | } | Major C. Holloway | { | Sergeant Edward Watson, Master Carpenter. |
The head-quarters of the West India company were at Martinique, from which non-commissioned officers and men were detached to St. Lucia, St. Vincent’s, St. Kitt’s, St. Pierre’s, the Saintes, Surinam, and Barbadoes, for the purpose of acting as overseers on the works or for employment on particular services.
The establishment of the corps was 975; but wanting 232 to complete, its strength only amounted to 743 of all ranks. Of this number 403 were abroad and 340 at home.
Early in the year a small party of one sergeant, and seven artificers from the Portsmouth and Gosport companies were sent to St. Marcou, an island on the coast of France, seven miles east of Cape la Hogue, to repair the fortifications; and having accomplished the service returned to their companies in November.
To the expedition which proceeded against the Danish settlements in March, under the command of Lieut.-General Trigge, were attached one sergeant-major, two corporals, and twenty privates of the military artificers, who were present at the capture of the islands of St. Bartholomew, St. Martin, St. Thomas, St. John, and Santa Croix.