No change took place in 1833 in the station of the Service companies of the 1st Battalion, which continued to occupy the North barracks at Halifax.
Early in the year 1833 Captain Horatio Stewart’s Depôt company was ordered to proceed from Dover by forced marches to Hastings. The whole of that part of the coast was in a state of great excitement in consequence of the proceedings of smugglers, who had not long before had an affray with the coastguard, in which one of the latter was killed and others wounded. On the arrival of the company at Hastings the men, after being allowed to rest and refresh themselves for about an hour, were ordered to fall in, and were divided into parties, under officers and non-commissioned officers, which were directed to patrol the beach for many miles in various directions during the night. This unpleasant duty continued for six weeks; patrolling by night and target practice by day. This was watched by numbers of the people; and no doubt the practice made at the target was observed with good effect by the smugglers and their friends; for no smuggler was ever met with by the patrols, nor was any attempt made, while the Riflemen continued at Hastings, to land contraband goods. The company then rejoined the Depôt.[187]
The Depôt companies, calling in the detachment at Shorncliffe, marched from Dover to Chatham on April 1, whence they furnished in June a strong detachment under a Field officer to Gravesend, in aid of the Civil power. And ‘their excellent conduct,’ and ‘the unceasing attention of the officers,’ received the thanks of the Mayor in behalf of the inhabitants.
These companies embarked at Chatham on November 11 on board H.M. steam-vessel ‘Salamander,’ and arriving at Jersey on the 14th, disembarked at St. Aubin’s, from whence they proceeded to occupy quarters in Fort Regent, at St. Helier’s.
The Service companies of the 2nd Battalion were moved from Corfu to Vido on August 1, sending out detachments to Lazaretto Island and Fano; but on December 1 returned to Corfu. The Depôt companies continued at Dover.
In consequence of the breaking out of cholera in the 1st Battalion, the Service companies were moved from Halifax on August 24, 1834, and encamped at Sackville, whence they returned to their former quarters in the North barracks, Halifax, September 30. In this outbreak of cholera the Battalion lost 31 men, 6 women and 5 children.
The Depôt remained during the whole of this year at Fort Regent, Jersey.
The Head-quarters of the Service companies of the 2nd Battalion embarked at Corfu for Cephalonia on October 8, and landed there on the 9th. Two companies had preceded them on June 20, and two others on September 26. From hence detachments were furnished to Calamos, to Ithaca, to Paxo, to Lixuri, to Fort San Georgio and Sta. Euphemia. About March the Depôt companies removed from Dover to Guernsey.
During the year 1835 no change of quarters took place in either Battalion or in their Depôts.