The Service companies being reunited at King William’s town furnished a detachment on October 18, to Fort Murray; and another, of a company, on November 3, to Forts Grey and Glamorgan.
The Depôt companies continued at Bristol during the whole of this year; the only change being that a subaltern’s detachment proceeded to Trowbridge on May 10 and rejoined the Depôt at Bristol on July 6.
No change took place in the quarters of the 2nd Battalion during the year 1848, which remained with one wing, Head-quarters, at Toronto, and the other at Kingston: the Reserve Battalion companies being still at Quebec.
The 1st Battalion continued in 1849 at King William’s-town, without other change than the occasional relief of its detachments.
The Depôt companies were during the whole year stationary at Bristol. And on September 27 they furnished a guard of honour, consisting of a captain, 3 subalterns, 5 sergeants, 2 buglers, and 100 rank and file, to attend Her Majesty Queen Victoria, at the Gloucester Railway Station, on her return from Scotland.
No event worth recording occurred in the 2nd Battalion, which continued at Toronto and Kingston with its Reserve at Quebec, until November 20; when a detachment consisting of 1 subaltern, 3 sergeants, 2 buglers, and 80 rank and file proceeded from Toronto for Mina bay, under the command of Captain Cooper, with the object of quelling disturbances at the Bruce mines.
The eventful history of this detachment cannot better be given than in the words of a letter addressed by Captain Cooper (now Sir Astley Paston Cooper, Bart.) to the Assistant-Adjutant-General at Kingston:—
‘Sault Ste. Marie, Hudson’s bay Company’s Fort,
‘December 16, 1849.
‘Sir,—I have the honour to report for the information of the Major-General commanding, that bad weather and the lateness of the season, combined with various accidents and delays, having frustrated our efforts to make Mina bay, we have been obliged to return to the Sault Ste. Marie, where we have now been obliged to go into quarters for the winter. Our failure is however the less to be regretted as the ring-leaders in the affair have been captured, and all the Indians, to the best of my knowledge and belief, have left Mina bay, and returned to their homes for the winter.