Chapter VIII: The Eighth Battalion

The Treaty of Amiens was not destined to be carried out in its entirety by the nations concerned. Napoleon’s hostility to the English could not be concealed; and the evacuation of Malta, Alexandria, and the Cape of Good Hope, which had been commenced by the latter, in accordance with the terms of the Treaty, was never fully completed. On the 13th March, 1803, Lord Whitworth, the English Ambassador, was publicly insulted by Napoleon at the Tuileries; and on the 6th May he quitted Paris. The recommencement of hostilities with France was aggravated by another insurrection in Ireland, which was happily quelled with little difficulty. But the general state of affairs was so serious that an augmentation of the military forces in England became urgently necessary, as well as renewed activity on the part of the fleet. The Government received warm and cordial support from the people, both as a body and individually. Lord Chatham, then Master-General of the Ordnance, received [Sidenote: Mr. J. Bagot, London, to Lord Chatham, dated 11 July, 1803.] on the 18th July a letter from a Mr. John Bagot, to the following effect:--“Being anxious in the present awful crisis to come forward in any line that my services can be of use to my King and country, I beg leave to offer, for the consideration of your Lordship, to raise a Battalion of Artillery, of 300 men, for the war or such further period as may be necessary, and on such terms as your Lordship or His Majesty’s Government may direct....”

The state of recruiting in England was, however, so favourable, that the Master-General was not compelled to have recourse to private enterprise to obtain the necessary augmentations to the Regiment. The number of non-commissioned officers and men in the Horse Brigade and Marching [Sidenote: Mem. to Master-Gen^l. from Colonel Macleod, 13 Aug. 1803.] Battalions of the Royal Artillery on the 1st January, 1803, was 6777; on the 1st June, notwithstanding the loss of 306 men by death or discharge, the total had increased to 7119; and in two months more, it stood at 7439, besides 131 recruits in the country districts, not yet posted. The Corps of Gunner-drivers had increased in the same period by 1109 men. It was therefore resolved to increase the Regiment by another battalion, the 8th, and the first intimation of this resolution is found in a private letter from [Sidenote: Colonel Macleod to Lieut.-Colonel Willington, dated 7 Sept. 1803.] the Deputy Adjutant-General. “It is at last, I believe, determined,” he wrote, “to increase the Artillery, even under all the disadvantages of a deficiency in officers. The cadets are doubled; and the winter may do a good deal for us: in the mean time we take twenty of the most forward. Our companies will only have two 1st Lieutenants: there will be hardly a 2nd Lieutenant upon the establishment.”

On the 13th September seven companies were formed, and on the 6th December, three additional companies were added to the battalion. The establishment of each company was as follows:--

[Sidenote: Lieutenant Kane to R. H. Crew, Esq.]

1 Captain.
1 Captain-Lieutenant.
2 First Lieutenants.
1 Second Lieutenant.
4 Sergeants.
4 Corporals.
8 Bombardiers (and 3 non-effective, _i.e._ _paper_ men).
97 Gunners.
3 Drummers.

Many of the men for the 8th Battalion were obtained by calling for volunteers from the Army of Reserve; and although every obstacle was thrown in the way of this method of obtaining recruits, by the officers commanding the Reserve Battalions, which were this year called out for service, very many excellent men were thus obtained.

It is unfortunate that the Battalion record-book of the 8th Battalion has been lost since 1859, the year when Battalion Head-quarters were abolished, because, although these books were, as a rule, very meagre in the information they afforded, they nevertheless supplied facts which it would have been difficult to obtain elsewhere without great [Sidenote: Lieut. J. Ritchie, Staff-Officer, Coast Brigade, R.A.] labour. That labour, in the case of the 8th Battalion, has been readily undertaken by an officer at Head-quarters, and to his industry the reader is indebted for the following tables.

Unfortunately, the history of the companies of the 8th and 9th Battalions, after 1850, must be postponed until the separate work on the Crimean services of the Artillery shall be written. But these tables give the earlier history, and the various stations--down to about 1850--on which the companies served, as well as the succession of Captains: and the war services of most of the companies will be found in the subsequent accounts of the various campaigns.

No. 1 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “H” BATTERY, 1st BRIGADE, R.A.[10]

-----------------------------+---------------------------------
Succession of Captains. | Stations.
-----------------------------+---------------------------------
1803 F. Walker. |Formed 1803, 13th Sep., Woolwich.
1803 J. Hawker. | --
1803 W. Scott. |1803 Dec., Gibraltar.
1803 R. Hope. |1808 Aug., Portugal. (Exp^{n.})
1804 R. W. Adye. |1815 Feb., Woolwich.
1804 23rd Oct., A. Bredin. |1819 Feb., Dover.
1816 22nd May, J. Taylor. |1822 Feb., Mauritius.
1819 1st Feb., A. Munro. |1830 15th Dec., Woolwich.
1823 3rd July, T. Greatley. |1834 1st Feb., Jersey.
1828 23rd Nov., J. Sinclair. |1840 29th Aug., Woolwich.
1841 25th Oct., W. Greenwood.|1841 27th Nov., China.
1848 30th May, P. Ellis. |1848 4th March, Woolwich.
|1848 22nd Nov., Ireland.

No. 2 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “H” BATTERY, 11th BRIGADE, R.A.

--------------------------------+---------------------------------
Succession of Captains. | Stations.
--------------------------------+---------------------------------
1803 H. Owen. |Formed 1803, 13th Sep., Woolwich.
1803 A. Macdonald. |1803 Dec., Malta. --
1803 1st Dec., C. Baynes. |1805 Oct., Sicily. (Exp^{n.})
1806 6th Nov., H. Hickman. |1807 May, Alexandria.
1823 24th July, H. Baynes. |1807 Nov., Sicily.
1826 12th Dec., A. Macdonald. |1815 May, Naples.
1833 23rd May, J. A. Chalmers. |1815 July, Genoa.
1841 23rd Nov., J. H. Griffin. |1816 Feb., Malta.
1847 19th Sept., D. W. Paynter. |1819 July, Woolwich.
|1823 Oct., Guernsey.
|1827 July, Woolwich.
|1827 Oct., Jamaica.
|1833 May, Woolwich.
|1838 Jan., Ireland.
|1842 Oct., Woolwich.
|1842 Nov., West Indies.
|1848 April, Woolwich.
|1849 Feb., Scotland.

No. 3 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,[11]

Afterwards “1” Battery, 11th Brigade; “3” Battery, 14th Brigade; “C” Battery, 14th Brigade, and “8” Battery, 13th Brigade. (_Vide_ vol. i. p. 441.)

_Reduced 1st February, 1871._

1803 G. Desbrisay. |Formed 1803, 13th Sep., Woolwich.
1804 1st June, J. Dyer. | --
1806 9th March, W. M. Leake. |1804 Aug., Sevenoaks.
1808 12th Feb., W. Morrison. |1804 Oct., Woolwich.
1811 31st May, G. Skyring. |1804 Nov., Gibraltar.
1820 6th Nov., J. P. Adye. |1808 9th June, Exp^n under
1831 27th Oct., P. V. England.| General Spencer.
1833 3rd Nov., J. Longley. |1808 27th July, Gibraltar.
1838 28th June, J. Pascoe. |1821 10th Sept., Woolwich.
1842 13th April, C. Gostling. |1826 7th July, Dublin.
1847 5th March, T. A. Shone. |1827 28th Sept., Ballincollig.
1850 28th Sept., G. Gambier. |1828 16th April, Ionian Islands.
|1836 2nd Sept., Woolwich.
|1841 29th March, Ireland.
|1844 9th May, Woolwich.
|1844 19th October, Malta.

No. 4 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “7” BATTERY, 12th BRIGADE, R.A.

------------------------------------+----------------------------------
Succession of Captains. | Stations.
------------------------------------+----------------------------------
1803 13th Sept., T. Boger. |Formed 1803, 13th Sep., Woolwich.
1803 13th Sept., C. Baynes. | ----
1803 1st Dec., A. Macdonald. |1804 May, Colchester.
1804 1st June, W. R. Carey. |1804 Dec., Woolwich.
1812 23rd April, W. Scott. |1805 March, Exp^n under Sir J. Craig.
1814 25th Dec., H. Pierce. |1805 Oct., Malta.
1819 1st Feb., J. P. Cockburn. |1822 April, Woolwich.
1819 23rd Feb., C. H. Fitzmayer. |1826 Dec., Portugal.
1819 22nd April, R. Douglas. |1828 April, Woolwich.
1826 21st Dec., W. Wylde. |1831 Nov., Ireland.
1839 24th Nov., E. J. Bridges. |1838 Feb., Woolwich.
1842 13th April, C. H. Mee. |1838 July, Halifax, N.S.
1850 16th July, C. C. Young. |1845 Nov., Woolwich.
|1847 Dec., Dover.
|1850 Jan., Woolwich.

No. 5 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “G” BATTERY, 1st BRIGADE, R.A.

1803 13th Sept., B. Fenwick. |Formed 1803, 13th Sep., Woolwich.
1803 1st Nov., P. Drummond. | ----
1804 1st Dec., R. Pym. |1804 Nov., Plymouth.
1815 28th Oct., G. C. Coffin. |1805 March, Sicily. (Exp^{n.})
1817 1st April, J. Maclachlan. |1807 May, Alexandria.
1825 29th July, F. Arabin. |1807 Nov., Sicily.
1832 18th July, T. Cubitt. |1810 Jan, Exped^n under Sir J. Stuart.
1836 25th May, W. E. Locke. |1810 Sept., Sicily.
1846 12th Dec., J. Hill. |1814 Feb., Genoa.
|1814 May, Exp^n to America.
|1815 June, Woolwich.
|1819 Feb., Dublin.
|1821 June, Limerick.
|1821 Dec., Dublin.
|1822 June, Ionian Islands.
|1828 Aug., Woolwich.
|1833 May, Ireland.

“_G_” _Battery, 1st Brigade continued_--

------------------------------------+----------------------------------
Succession of Captains. | Stations.
------------------------------------+----------------------------------
|1839 April, Halifax, N.S.
|1845 Nov., Woolwich.
|1847 Nov., Weedon.
|1848 April, Birmingham.
|1850 Jan., Woolwich.
|1850 Oct., Gibraltar.

No. 6 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “D” BATTERY, 9th BRIGADE, R.A.

1803 13th Sept., J. S. Williamson. |Formed 1803, 13th Sep., Woolwich.
1803 1st Oct., R. Buckner. | ----
1808 15th May, J. S. Williamson. |1803 Nov., Canterbury.
1814 25th Dec., J. P. Adye. |1804 Feb., Chatham.
1819 1st March, J. A. Clement. |1806 July, Sicily. (Exp^{n.})
1827 31st Dec., E. Barlow. |1809 May, Sir J. Stuart’s Exp^{n.}
1828 30th June, E. Cruttenden. |1809 July (about), Sicily.
1841 25th Jan., H. Williams. |1809 Sept., Zante.
1842 19th Nov., C. R. Dickens. |1811 Dec., Sicily.
1845 14th June, J. E. Dupuis. |1812 July, Spain.
1846 16th Nov., H. Pester. |1814 May, Genoa.
1847 30th Jan., F. S. Hamilton. |1816 Feb., Malta.
|1816 July, Ionian Islands.
|1822 Dec., Woolwich.
|1827 March, Portsmouth.
|1830 March, Mauritius.
|1842 March, Woolwich.
|1843 Aug., Channel Islands.
|1846 March, Woolwich.
|1847 Jan., Malta.

No. 7 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “H” BATTERY, 8th BRIGADE, R.A.

1803 13th Sept., R. Douglas. |Formed 1803, 13th Sep., Woolwich.
1804 1st Oct., E. Curry. | ----
1806 1st June, R. Dickinson. |1805 Nov., Exeter.
1806 15th Sept., T. S. Hughes. |1807 May, Plymouth.

“_H_” _Battery, 8th Brigade continued_--

----------------------------------+---------------------------------------
Succession of Captains. | Stations.
----------------------------------+---------------------------------------
1808 29th June, R. Lawson. |1807 Dec., Exp^n under General Spencer.
1819 1st May, F. Knox. |1808 May, Gibraltar.
1832 23rd Dec., J. H. Ward. |1808 Aug., Exp^n under General Spencer.
1844 1st April, F. Miller. |1808 Aug., Portugal and Spain.
1844 24th Aug., A. R. Harrison. |1814 Aug., Dublin.
1846 16th Nov., J. W. Fitzmayer. |1816 Aug., Pendennis and Exeter.
1847 14th May, G. Maclean. |1818 Sept., Ballincollig.
|1821 July, Gibraltar.
|1822 July, Ionian Islands.
|1828 Jan., Woolwich.
|1830 March, Leith.
|1833 June, Woolwich.
|1835 Nov., Bermuda.
|1842 May, Woolwich.
|1843 Oct., Ireland.
|1846 Aug., Woolwich.
|1847 July, Ceylon.

No. 8 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “1” BATTERY, 7th BRIGADE, R.A.

1803 6th Dec., H. Fraser. |Formed 1803, 6th Dec., Woolwich.
1815 16th May, H. B. Lane. | ----
1819 1st March, E. C. Whinyates. |1806 May, Warley.
1823 3rd July, J. S. Bastard. |1806 July, Malta.
1836 26th April, L. S. B. Robertson.|1809 June, Sicily.
1838 16th Nov., G. Spiller. |1809 June, Exp^n under Sir J. Stuart.
1843 18th May, W. Berners. |1811 Nov., Zante.
1845 21st May, G. Bingham. |1814 July, Corfu.
|1822 Dec., Woolwich.
|1827 June, Guernsey.
|1829 May, Woolwich.
|1830 Feb., Cape of Good Hope.
|1842 March, Woolwich.
|1843 Oct., Leith.
|1846 May, Woolwich.
|1847 July, Ceylon.

No. 9 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

Now “7” BATTERY, 17th BRIGADE, R.A.

[Sidenote: 11th Battalion Records.]

------------------------------------+----------------------------------------
Succession of Captains. | Stations.
------------------------------------+----------------------------------------
1803 6th Dec., J. Vivion. |Formed 1803, 6th Dec., Woolwich.
1803 6th Dec., R. W. Adye. | ----
1804 1st Jan., R. Hope. |1806 Nov., Sevenoaks.
1804 20th July, R. T. Raynsford. |1807 April, Exeter.
1811 18th Nov., R. W. Gardiner. |1807 Dec., Plymouth.
1813 23rd Jan., S. Du Bourdieu. |1808 May, Exp^n under Sir A. Wellesley.
1813 23rd July, L. Carmichael. |1808 Oct., Spain.
1816 7th June, C. F. Sandham. |1809 Jan., Chatham.
* * * * * |1810 Sept., Exeter.
1848 7th Aug., G. C. R. Levinge. |1810 Oct, Plymouth.
1854 A. C. L. Fitzroy. |1811 April, Portugal, Spain, and France.
1854 H. F. Strange. |1814 May, Exp^n to North
1856 F. R. Glanville. |1814 Oct., Jamaica.
|1814 Nov., New Orleans.
N.B.--This Company was in the Crimea|1815 June, Belgium and France.
from 1854-56, and was present at the|1816 Feb., Woolwich.
Battle of Inkerman. |_Reduced at Woolwich, 31st Jan., 1819._
(_11th Battalion Records._) |_Reformed at Woolwich, 7th Aug., 1848._
|
|Transferred to 11th Battalion as
|No. 8 Company, on 1st November,
|1848. Became 7 Battery, 5th Brigade,
|on 1st July, 1859, and 7 Battery, 17th
|Brigade, on 1st Oct., 1867.

No. 10 COMPANY, 8th BATTALION,

_Reduced at Woolwich on 28th February, 1819._

1803 6th Dec., R. Pym. |Formed 1803, 6th Dec., Woolwich.
1804 1st Dec., P. Drummond. | ----
1806 1st Jan., W. Millar. |1806 Feb., Sevenoaks.
1806 27th March, P. Meadows. |1806 Nov., Woolwich.
1811 5th Sept., J. P. Eligé. |1807 July, Copenhagen.
1812 20th Jan., T. A. Brandreth. |1807 Nov., Chatham.
|1807 Nov., Woolwich.
|1807 Dec., Exeter.
|1809 March, Plymouth.
|1810 Oct., Portugal and Spain.
|1814 Aug., Shorncliffe.
|1816 July, Portsmouth.
|1816 Dec., Ireland.
|1819 Feb., Woolwich.

[Sidenote: Vol. ii. chap. 2.]

Between the formation of the 8th and 9th Battalions, an augmentation of five troops of Horse Artillery took place, as has been mentioned elsewhere. Very little interest attaches to this period, except that in 1806 the commencement of a garrison of Royal Artillery in Italy and Sicily took place, which remained in these countries for some years. In 1806, six companies of the Royal Artillery were stationed there; in 1807 there were five; in 1808, four; in 1809, five; in 1810, five; and in 1814, the last year of the occupation, there were four. The war in Italy, which was distinguished in 1806 by the English victory of Maida, is thus described by the officer who commanded the Royal Artillery on the [Sidenote: Major Lemoine, R.A., to Brig.-Gen^l. Macleod.] expedition. “On the 28th June (1806) I received orders from the Commander-in-Chief to have in readiness for a particular service a detachment of Artillery with some light guns. In consequence I made a collection, and on the 30th embarked with the greater part of the army, the Commander-in-Chief (Sir John Stuart) taking the field. On the 2nd July we anchored on the coast of Calabria, near St. Eufemia, and landed immediately. After taking a position, and reconnoitring the country, we moved forward at daylight on the 4th to the Plains of Maida, near where the enemy, under the command of General Regnier, had assembled. On our approach, he descended to the plains, and having formed his line, which we had already done, the two armies met near the centre of the plain, and came to immediate action, which lasted nearly an hour and a quarter, when the French were charged by our Light Infantry, and their left completely turned; the right also gave way shortly after. We pursued them the whole extent of the plain, nearly six miles, and gained a complete victory. The prisoners acknowledge to have had in action 8000 men: the British army had 4600. Our loss very trifling--only one officer killed, 41 men, and 253 wounded. The loss of the enemy cannot be correctly ascertained, though we have taken and killed upwards of 2000. Many of their wounded got off to the mountains, and General Regnier among them, severely wounded. General Piegri was killed; General Coupère wounded, and prisoner; the rest of the army has retired in a confused state some distance, and is much harassed by the natives. Sir John Stuart, finding the army retiring so fast, thought it most desirable to return to the coast, and marched to this place (Monteloine) on the 8th, where we found 200 French, and great quantities of stores, which we are now embarking. There are also two or three other posts along the coast which they left in the same manner, and which are now in our possession. I understand that as soon as everything is embarked, the army will return to Messina. I have the honour to enclose you the General Orders of the 4th instant, and have to add that the whole of the Artillery in this little expedition were in the front of the action, and behaved in the most cool and gallant manner. Captain Pym, on the right of the Grenadiers, with two 6-pounders and a howitzer, repulsed two squadrons of cavalry in attempting to break our line. Lieutenant Bailey, with two 4-pounders, in front of the Light Infantry, made good use of his case-shot, till that corps charged, when they ran over his guns; indeed every officer and soldier gave me his utmost assistance, and I should be wanting in gratitude to them did I not acknowledge it; though to you, sir, I should be doubly wanting, did I not take the earliest opportunity of thanking you for having entrusted to my command a detachment of Artillery that have so gallantly distinguished themselves, before an enemy nearly double their numbers.”[12]