The 2nd Battalion remained at Meerut during the whole of the year.
On January 1 the 3rd Battalion arrived from Peshawur at Nowshera, and occupied quarters until December 13, when they left it for Rawul Pindee, where, arriving on the 19th, they occupied quarters.
The 4th Battalion embarked at Gibraltar on board the ‘Himalaya’ troop-ship on July 7 for Canada; and arrived at Point Levis on the 22nd, where they were encamped, and employed in erecting fortifications until October; on the 19th of which month they proceeded to Montreal, and occupied quarters in the Victoria barracks.
In this year the Regiment lost its Colonel-in-Chief, Sir George Brown, G.C.B., who died at Linkwood, Morayshire, on August 27. His remains were interred in the Cathedral burial-ground at Elgin on the 31st, being borne to the grave by five old Riflemen, who had served under him.
He was succeeded by Field-Marshal Sir Edward Blakeney, G.C.B., who had never served in, nor been connected with the Regiment.
The 1st Battalion remained in the citadel of Quebec during the whole of the year 1866.
On June 9 a railway-van, containing 2,000 pounds of ammunition, on its way from Quebec to Kingston, under charge of a sergeant and a guard of the Battalion, was discovered to be on fire on reaching Danville Station. It had been ignited by a spark from the engine. The van was immediately shoved down the line away from the station, and the alarm given. The people living in the vicinity fled from their houses, in fear of the explosion. Private Timothy O’Hea of this guard ran down to the van, forced open the door, removed the covering from the ammunition, discovered the source of the fire, ran for water, and extinguished it. A braver or more daring act it is impossible to imagine. A subscription was immediately set on foot, and a purse handed to the brave Rifleman; and he subsequently received the Victoria Cross for this courageous act.
On October 14 occurred the great fire at Quebec; and the Riflemen took a very active part in endeavouring to suppress it, to save life, and to rescue property from the flames. One man of the Battalion, named William Berry, distinguished himself by rescuing a child from a house, which the engineers were about to blow up, to prevent the extension of the fire. The train had been laid; and the fuse was already burning, when this brave man rushed in, and brought out the child in safety. For this gallant act Berry was recommended for the Victoria Cross; and though he did not obtain it, he was specially mentioned in General Orders issued at Montreal on May 7, 1867.
The 2nd Battalion continued at Meerut until November 2, when it moved viâ Ghazeeabad, to Agra, where it arrived on the 5th, and was encamped during the durbar held by the Governor-General, Sir John Lawrence; till December 1 to 5, when it proceeded in detachments, by rail, to Fort William, Calcutta.
The 3rd Battalion continued at Rawul Pindee until the 1st, when they were employed in the construction of a road from Murree to Abbottabad. This work continued till November 5, and on the 10th they returned to Rawul Pindee.