Royal United Services Institution. Journal
ISSN: 0035-9289 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rusi19
Commissions from the British Ranks, 1706–1855
Charles Dalton Esq.
To cite this article: Charles Dalton Esq. (1900) Commissions from the British Ranks, 1706–1855, Royal United Services Institution. Journal, 44:264, 167-176, DOI: 10.1080/03071840009419990
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03071840009419990
Published online: 11 Sep 2009.
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Download by: [UQ Library] Date: 19 June 2016, At: 16:23 COhIi\IISSIONS FROM THE BRITISH RANKS, 170G-18.55.
A GENUINE ranker has been defined as " the man of respectable parentage, good.education and character, who becomes a soldier with the object of making the Army a profession, and joins without money or scrip, without influential or sympathetic friends."' Prom time imniemo- rial British soldiers of the above type have been promoted from the ranks to combatant commissions, and their nanies have, in many cases, added lustre to the.Service which they ivcre so well fitted to ador,n. A unique and little Irnoivn MS. at the \Var Office throws a flood of light on the services of non-commissioned oficcrs and nien in 1Iarl- borough's Xrniy who received commissions in 170G. The MS. in qucstion is a sinall vellum-backed folio, entitled .''Recommendations for Com- missions in the New Levies, 170G." It contains contemporary copies of hundreds of applications for commissions, and petitions for promotion, by officers who had served, by persons who wished to serve, and by non- commissioned onicers and soldiers asking for advancement. The r.tisi~n Jitre of this military register is quite clear. The heavy British losses in Flanders, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, during the first four years of the War of the Spanish Succession, necessitate'd'a large increase to the Army in the springof l7OG. It ivas highly important that the new regiments should be largely oficcred by gentlemen nlio had previously served in the Army. To attain this end, officers and deserving non-commissioned officcrs and soldicrs \vex! invited by the Comninnder-in-Chief to send in
Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 their applications for conimissions in the new levies; each application to be accompanied, in the case of thosc who had served, by a recomniencla- tion frotn at lcast one oficcr of high rank who was personally acquainted with the applicant ; while in the case of persons itho'hatl not previously served in the Army, a recommendation was' required from n Member of Parliament, -or any nobleman or gentleman of assured position. To facilitatematters, the numerous applications for commissions, and petitions for advancement, which inundated Narlborough's oflice in Whitehall, early in 1706, were copied into the aforesaid military entry book, and systemat- ically arranged as follows :-The left-hand margin contained the, name and
Army nrzd .\'my Gn;cffe, 29th April, 1899. 168 COlIlIlSSIOBS FROJl TIlE JllZITlSII IZASES, rank of applicant ; the right-hand margin was reserved for the. name and status of thosc who certified in favour of the petitioner ; whilc thc centre of the pagc contained a pii>is of thc petition itself. 11s a record of military scrvicc, this old MS. volumc is highly inter- esting ; but it is something more : it is a valuable relic of JIarlborough, for the great captain has himself initialled the names of the officers and persons whom hc thought fit to recommend to Queen Annc for com- missions in 1706, prior to his dcparturc for Flanders.’ Space only permits one-third of thc list of_non-commissioncd officers and privates, whom Marlborough commissioned in 1706, bciiig enumerated hcrc with thcir respective claims for advanccmcnt. Il’nfftrZzisface
I‘ Carricd arms in the first regiment of Foot Guards the spacc of two years, at which tinic there being a battalion ordcrcd for Spain he volun- tarily offcrcd his scrvicc, and continued at Gibraltar till he was wounded. Prays a licutenancy in the ncw lcvics. Rccommendcd by Col. C. Ethercgc.” Robert Gordon
‘I Has bcen in the Service ttt*enty-thrccyears, and elcvcn of them a sergeant in Lt.-General Erle’s regiment. IIe was taken prisoner at Sticnkirk undcr Brigadier Cadogan, and is now a private gentleman in the (I-Iorsc) Grenadier Guards. Prays a lieutenancy in thc new lcvics. Recommcnded by Lt.-Gcncral Erle.” Il’illinnr Ah‘eir “ Has servcd her Majesty in thc 0Rice.of Ordnancc all this mar. In thc year 1703 hc nont bombardier to thc Straits under Sir Cloudesley Shovel, and has served in the Train of Artillery in Holland thc two last ycars, and was present at thc battles of Schcllcnbcrg and Blenheim, and marched under his Gracc’s command to Trier. Prays a lieutenancy in the new Icvics. Recommended by the Speaker.”
I’ Chrisfojher A
Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 faridge, A dragoon in Major-General Ross’s regiment. Took Count Horn at forcing the French lincs, and delivered him to his Grace. Being informed by thc said Count that his Grace was pleased to say that he ~vouldprovide for him, he therefore humbly prays a lieutenancy in thc ncn levies. Recommended by Count Horn.” ‘(Richnrd Bosfoc.4
‘I Has served in Brigadier Ho~ve’sregiment upwards of twenty years, and sisteen thereof as sergeant. Prays to be a licutcnant in thc new levies. Recommended by Lt.-Coloncl Armstrong.”
~ On the last page of the AIS. book, described above, is the following notice : I( AIy Lord Duke of Jiarlborough desires commissions may be presented to Her Majesty according to the foregoing lists, and that when they are signed they may not be delivered out but upon the respective officers appearing in town with their colonel’s certificate to rcceivc them.-A. Cnrdonnel. Whitehall, 27th March, 17OG.” COlIlIISSIONS FROM THE BRITISH RAXES. 1GO Snniird K~nipsfer “Scrvcd as trooper in Brigadier Wiers’s rcgimcnt all thc wars of l’rcland, ancl aftcnvards as a corporal in the same troop in Flanders till the conclusion of thc Peace, at which timc he was reduced at his dcsirc; ,hut some timc after hc- listed himself in Lt.-General \Vyiidham’s regiment, under Captain Strickland, who promised to advance him, but he is sincc dcad.. Prays a lieutcnancy in thc new levies. Reconimendcd by Col. Carpcntcr, Mr. Ncville, Col. Staniris, and Brigadier Palines.”
6L CorjorclC Solldfor-d,i Of General Luinley’s regiment, nho was taken up as dcad with iiitic n.ounds at the battle of Rlcnhcim. Prays a licutciiancy in the new Icvies. Recommended by Col. Crowther.”
‘lJoh~~PmIp1grms
‘I Was a trooper in Erigadicr Cadogan’s regiment and lost his arm at thc battle of Blenheim. Was made quartcr-mastcr to Col. Wynnc’s regiment, which being sent for Ireland nhcre no quarter-master is allo\ved on the cstablishment hath sincc carried arms in that regiment. TOtc a licutenant. Rccommendcd by Brigadier Cadogan.”
l1 Charles Frrcdee
l1Served thirteen years as privatc gentleman and onc year as corporal in Lt.-General Lumlcy’s regiment and discharged his duty as bccamc a soldicr. Recnmmcnded by Lt.-Gcneral Lumlcy and Brigadier Z-Io~ve.”
“Joseph Han@fon
‘I Hath scrvcd in Brigadier Cadogan’s rcginicnt the last war and this, ancl at passing the French Iincs received a ivountl in onc of his hands, which is likely to deprive him of thc use of it and incapacitated him for thc horse scrvice. Prays to bc a lieutenant. Recoinmcntlcd by Rrigadicr Cadognn.” Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 61 NicAolos Gorsiirh, “ Of Xajor-General Wood’s regiment. Behaved very well at tlie battle of Hochstadt ; and at forcing thc French lines took a colour, for which his Grace promised to provide for him. Prays to be a lieutenant. Recomincndcd by Major-General Wood.”
l‘ AYlliana &in fing Ilnth scrvcd cightccn years in thc Army (twclvc in Lt.-General Luinley’s regiment, and sis in tlie first troop of Horse Guards) and rcceived seventeen wounds. Allcges hc was rccommeiided last year for a licutenant’s commission by Sir Walter St. John and the Countess of Lindscy.”
’ Christian name not forthcoming in the MS. Doiibtless the Nathaniel Sand- ford-appointed lieutenant in Colonel Thomas. Stnnwix’s Regiment of Foot, 10th April, IiOG. 170 COJI3lISSIOSS FROM THE nRITlSI1 R.\SKS.
cc F’enton Hasofey “Sened scvcn years in the first Foot Guards, and behavcd’on all occasions very well, and particularly at both the battles in Germany ; had his thigh broke by a cannon shot at Hochstadt, diich being thought incurable by the chirurgcons at Nordling he was sent to the hospital at Chelsca, diere he was perfcctly cured. To be an cnsign. Rccomrnended by Major-General Withcrs, Col. Primrosc, Col. Ferrers, Col. Durcll.” Among signal acts of gallantry during Marlborough’s campaigns spccial mention must bc niadc of a daring fcat pcrfornicd by Sergcant Williain Littler in 1708 :-l ‘‘ When the bcsieging army appeared before Lille the French out- guards retired, and Sergcant Littler of the lGth Foot swam across the rivcr with a hatchet, and cut the fastenings which held up a (Iran-bridge, to enable a party to pass thc strcnm, for nhicli act of gallantry lie was rcrarded with a commission in thc 3rd Foot, or the Buffs.” In January, 1711, thcrc being an incrcased demand for oGcers of espeYience to serve abroad, a Royal Warrant was signed by Queen Anne, directing “ thirty sergeants of Our Army, whose experience in military affairs has inclined Us to employ them in Our Service on the foot of cnsigns’ pay, to take rank as lieutenants from 1st January, 1711.”3 Threc of the fortunate sergeants belonged to the 1st Foot Guards, but one of the three (Thos. Cook) bcing detaincd in England to give evidencc bcforc the House of Coinnions, in an affair of the notorious Coloncl Francis Cliartcris, liad to surrender his co~nmission.~Glancing over the names of these thirty rankers, we stumble on a surname which has lately atldcd fresh lustre to thc British Army and the British peerage-the name of liit~hener.~ In the seventccntli and eightecnth ccnturics it was customary for each troop of a cavalry regiment to have its own quartcr-master, ivho reccivcd a cominissioii signcd by the colonel of his rcgimcnt. Gcnerally, but by no mcans always, these cavalry quarter-masters were promoted from the ranks, and wre selected by the coloncls of their respective regiments. Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 Attained the rank of captain in the 1st Foot Guards, with theadditional rank of 1ieut.-colonel, SGth April, 17.10, and died 93th 3Iarc11, 1712. From a deposition made by Sergeant William Littler at Sewbury, 12th January, 150G, now among tlie Duke of Portland’s IISS. at U‘clbeck Abbey, it appears that Littler was in Captain 1’icaridgc’s company in tlic IGtli Foot in 1500. Cannon’s ;‘ Records of tlic lGth Foot,” p. 12 Sir F. 11’. Hamilton says Littler was a grenadier hi thc 1st Foot Guards wlien he performed above daring feat, and that tic received an crisigriry in the Guards (I‘ History of the Grenadier Guards,”\‘oI. II., p. 31). Thcsc statements are certainly erroneous. In tlie MS. I\rmy List for 1715 Littler appears as ensign in the 3rd Buffs, and his first commission in the Guards dates from 26th December, liSG, when hc was appointed lieutcnnnt. a ‘*Treasury Papers,” 171 1. ’ “ History of the Grenadier Guards,” \‘ole II., p. -13. ’Sergcant Richard I ‘I I served in thc Foot ten years, aiid in the above Iiegiment of IIorse upwards of forty-six years.”’,. Infantry quarter-masters al\i:ays rccciced commissions froin the Sovereign, except when Commanders-in-Chief have been emponered to grant commissions and fill up vacancies, during times ‘of war. Of the many hundreds of infantry quarter-masters who have been appointed froin the ranks in the past, one instance must now suffice. In August, 1837, the oflicers of the 77th Foot presented their la‘te quarter-master, John P~wcll,with a testimonial in plate of their.respebt and regnrd. Poivell enlisted in the regiment in 1767, and was made quarter-master in 1810. He served at the siege of Seringapatam, .and was badly wounded in the wrist. It is recorded that when Sir Archibald Campbell, who vcry soon after the i7th was formed became its adjutant, inqluired immcdiatcly after he succeeded to tlie regiment as colonel, in 1635, if thc only name he could recognise in the list of the oficers “ was honest .John Powell.” In recognition of Po~vell’shonourable and meritorious service, both in the ranks and as a non-combatant, Lord Hill brought [his oficer to the notice of \Villiam IV., who appointed Powell a Nilitary Knight of WVindsor.2 The system of promoting deserving non-commissioned ollicers to Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 adjutancies of cavalry and infantry regiments was greatly in vogue from li00 to 1855. The plan \vorl;cd well, especially in the cavalry. In the last-named service the adjutant generally-received the-rank of cornet on promotion from sergeant-major, nMe the infantry adjutant received an ensign’s commission. On the field of battle the regimental adjutant was continually csposed to danger. At Minden, Lieutenant and Adjutant John Wddows, of the 5lst Foot (an es-sergeant-major of the 37th Foot), was killed, and was succeeded as adjutant by Sergeant-Major John Jervis of the same regiment. At IVaterloo four cavalry adjutants were killed and one wounded, while the infantry had one adjutant killed and nine wounded. So far as can be ascertained these same oflicers ivere all rankers. And in the Crimea several cavalry adjutants werc es-sergeant- majors, among them being Lieutenant and Adjutant Wm. Niller, of the Naval mid Jfililnry .lIagaoirtc, Vol. III., pp. 34 and 33. 2 Unikd ScrviccJourrial, Aupst, 1837. 172 COJIJIISSIOSS FKOIi THE Il#TTISIi KAS‘KS Scots Greys, and Lieutenant and Adjutant Archibald Weir, of the Innis-. killing Dcagoons. These two ofliccrs took part in the Heavy Brigade charge at Balaclava, and high above the din of battle Niller’s resonant voice was heard shouting : ‘I Rally-the Greys ! ” Regimental Sergeant- Major Daniel Xoodic, of the Greys, succeeded Miller as adjutant, and had the rank of cornet given him in 1854. ’I’he purchase system was in full siring all thc last and most of the present century This fact accounts for comparatively few rankers in the oldcn days having attained the rank of field ofljccrs. Promotion, escept in rare instances, meant the outlay of a considerable sum of money, and this barred many able oflicers form rising in the Service. Also the power to sell a commission which had cost him nothing, was often too mucli for the subaltern recently promoted from the ranks. He ivould take the tempting bait offered hin:\by some moncjcd youth who wished to ciitcr the Army, and leave the Service for ever. In many cases the ranker had no chnncs of advancement becausc he was a middle-aged man, and possibly a battered veteran, when appointed a cornet or ensign, as the case might be. If hc stayed on in the subordinatc position to which he had been raised from the ranks, thc time caml: when he was superannuated and had to retire pensionless. Here are two cases in point taken haphazard froin one of the military entry books :- I‘ Ensign Bruce resigns his commission bring old ON~injrtzz!J I‘ Lieut. Sprott superamided!’ It was probibly a ranker who wrote the following reminder to one of the English JIinistrj, from IIinorca, in October, 1T58 :- “JIy Lord, ’ ‘I I was a lieutenant when General Stanhope took Ninorca ; for which he was niade a Lord. I was a lieutenant irhen General Blakency lost Xnorca; for which he was niadc a Lord. I am a lieutenant still. Yours, etc.”’ As 3Iiuorca was taken by Stanhope in KOS, the cutting irony of the Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 above epistle is self-apparent. From a London newspaper (Evening Pod), in ,1745, Ire rcad that six sergeants of the Foot Guards were offered lieutenants’ commissions if they would go out to India,. which offer they accepted. But while the Foot Guards supplied rankers to other regiments, ant1 independent companies, the oflicers of this cotps 8’dlife viewed with great disfavour, the advancement of one of their own non-commissioned oficers to an ensigncy in the Guards. Major-General John Salter, many years hut.-colonel: of the 1st Foot Guards, had been a private in this corps, and at his death, in 1785, the following notice appeared in a contemporary paper :- “Xugust 4ih, 1788, died at Turnham Green, in his 78th year, John Salter, Esq., a major-general of his AIajcsty’s Form and 1ieut.-colonel of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. He WBE originally a private in the Guards, and was taken from the ranks This letter is printed in the “Records of the Slst Light Infantry.” COXX~SSiOSSPkOJI THE 13kITISH KAXKS. 173 by the Duke of Cumberland. His Highness caused him to be made a sergeant, and soon after was SO pleased with his voice and nianner of giving the word of ‘command, that he gave him a commission in the same regiment. This promotion gave great offence to the other oficcrs, who refused AIr. Salter their countenance ;. thus circumstanced he waited upon the Royal Duke and stated the a\vk\vardness of his situation. ‘ \irell, well,’ said the Duke, ‘meet me to-morrow on the parade.’ The Duke came down earlier than usual, and going iip to the colour-stand, his Highness saluted Lord Ligonier and the oficers of the regiment, who werc all in conversation together ; but directing his eyes around, as if by accident, he noticed poor Salter alone. ‘ What,’ said His Highness, ‘ has that, ofilcer done that he is drummed out of your couiicils?’ and going up to him, took him by the arm, and walked iip and clown the parade with him in the presence of the different battalions and other onicers. Lord Ligonier, at this time accosting the Duke, entreated his Highness’s company to dinner. ‘ \Wi all niy heart,’ said the Duke, ‘ and remember, Salter conies with me.’ His Lordship bowing, said, ‘I hope so.’ After this ordeal, Salter was well received by all the brethren of the blade, and by his merits raised himself to tlie rank he held at his death.” During the Seven Years’ War, when it was thought necessary to lighten the darkness of certain RIilitia regiments, in Great Gritain, by giving commissions in said. battilions to. a few espcrienced sergeants from the IZcgulars, the oficcrs of the ,Duke of Richmond’s regiment resented the advent of Lieutenant Xtkins, a ranker, whom they called a “ ser~cant-liei~tena~~t~’But this esc1i;sivcness was the esception and not the rule. The outbreak of mar with France, in 1703, necessitated a con- siderable increase to. the British Army: During tlie succeeding twenty years, it was less uncommon than lieretofore to bestow commissions on Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 deserving and experienced non-commissioned officers. The junior oflicers of the nine regiments raised for service in the West Indies, in 1706, were largely composed of rankers. Many of these poor fello\vs enjoyed their superior rank but a short period, as those who were not killed in action nitli the French, often fell victims to the epidemics which periodically swept over the West Indies. An amusing and authentic story, illustrative of the callous greed of West Indian undertakers in olden days, is told of ‘Captain Hunter Blair (brother to Sir James Hunter Blair, Bart.), ~vhoaccompaniedhisregimentto tlie \Vest Indies the end of last century, and happened to reach his plague- stricken destination at a time whcn Europeans were dying like rotten sheep. The morning after disembarkation Captain Blair, who was a very tall and corpulent man, went down to the. quay to superintend the unlading of regimental baggage and stores. Whilst thus cmployctl he became an-arc Letter’ from Sir George Savile to Sir James Lowther, 1st February, liG0. bISS. of the Earl of Lonsdale. 1i.i CO~htISSIOSSl4.‘dO3I THE 1:RITISII RANKS. that a civilian, a native, was eying him very .earncstly,.and following him about. Annoyed at this stranger’s inquisitiveness, Captain Blair went up to him and asked him if ‘he wanted anjthing ?’ “ 1 was just wondering, sir,” replied the native, “if I had a coflin large enough for you!”l Captain Blair took the hint, and speedily returned to England on urgent private affairs. It niny be said of rnnkcrs in thc pxt, as well as in the present, that they almost invariably yon their commissions by their own intrinsic merit, and not through favouritism. Two cases, however, xnay be cited wlierc two sergeants o~vetltheir promotion to good looks and good manners. In Recollections of Military Service, 1813-1815,” by Sergeant Morris, 2nd Bn. 73rd Regiment, the gallant author writes :- “ Our light.company was, for its number, the filicst set of men I ever saw, being a mixture of English, Irish, iiid Scotch, coninlanded by !I captain’-ivlio had risen from the .ranks. Report said that he was indebted for his promotion to his beautiful black eyes and whiskers, which had attracted the notice of his colonel’s lady, who had suficient influence to obtain for him a commission as ensign. He ivas now captain, and. though.his whiskers were tinged with .g;ey, his eyes possessed all their former fire and brilliancy.” a The second case was that of Sergeant John Johnston, of the Corps of 3Iilitq Artificers, who was employed on engineering work at Brighton in 1795 :- “During the formation of one of the bridges JIrs. Fitzherbert was riding by alonc. Sergeant John Johnston, who was in charge of the party, recognising the fnvourite, very politely touched his cap in compliment to her, and she immediately pulled up.. After asking a variety of questions concerning the work, she praised the men for their exertions, and desired that each should receive an extra clay’s pay. For this purpose she gave. the sergeant sufficient money, and taking a note of his name commended him for his Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 civility.and promiscd to remember .him. Very shortly afterwards lie rcccived tlic’offcr of an ensigncy in B regiment in the West Indies, and sailing thitlier.in November, received his commission in the 29th Foot, 1st Jlay, 1796. It was supposed that Jlrs. Fitz- herbert, true to her promise, had exerted her influence and obtained this appointment for him.” It was a common saying during the Peninsular Warthat “the British soldicr fought in thc cold sliadc ‘of the &to&icy,” and had small chancc of rising in his profession. Those who made this swccping assertion forgot to point out that an ciiorinous percentage of the recruits who joined Wcllington’s ammy in Spain, and Portugal, iverc: uneducated men who could neither read ,nor write, and were unfitted to be made non-commis- sioned oficers. Even so recentlyas 1842 statistics show that “thirty to fifty Kay’s “ Edinburgh Portraits,” Vol. I., p. 92. Third edition (lSUi), p. 20. 3 Conilolly’s “ History of the Royal Sappers and AIiiicrs,” VOL I., p. SO. COM1IISSIOSS FROX THE DRITISII KASKS. 155 per cent. of the men who enlisted were unable to read with profit or satis- faction, or at any rate, without much dificulty.” It was a wcll-known fact thit Wellington, unlike JIarlborough, wasalways averse to promotion from thc ranks, and discountcnnnccd it. When we reniembcr tlie frightful excesses committed by Wellington’s soldicrs after the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos, during thc retreats from Xadrid and Durgos, and at the taking of Sail Sebastian, we can make allowances for the Iron Duke’s Lssertion that oficers promoted from the ranks were unable to resist drink, and were therefore not to be trusted.” * Kapoleon said alluding to th2 class of the population from which the British Army was chiefly recruited, “ that only middling non-commissioned oficers could be drawn from the British ranks.” These facts may explain why comparatively so few commissions were given from the ranks during the early campaigns of this century. For special bravery !at Waterloo in capturing the eagle of the 45th French Regiment, Sergeant Charles Ewart, of the Scots Greys, was rewarded with an ensigncy in the 5th Royal Veteran Battalion. Corporal Francis Stiles, of the 1st Dragoons, who gallantly helped to capture the eagle of the 105th French Regiment, at IVaterloo, was appointed ensign in the Gth West India Regiment. And for daring intrepidity at the battle of Sobraon, in 184G, where he planted, under ;I heair). fire, the regimental colour of the 31st Foot upon one of the towers of thc enemy’s intrench- m:iits, Sergeant Bernard McCabe of this corps was promoted ensign in the 18th Royal Irish Regiment of Foot on the 8th ;\lay, 1846. For his g.!llantry at the battle of the Alma, Sergeant Luke O’Connor received a commission in his own regiment, and the Victoria Cross which he had so iiobly won while preserving the Queen’s Colour of the Royal Welsli Fusiliers. This officer is now a major-general on the retired list. The number of officers who have worked their way up from the ranks to the command of British regiments is very few. Colonel Sir John Elley, K.C.B., who commanded the Royal Horse Guards at Waterloo, where he was wounded, began life as n trooper in the Blues, and after Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 holding the quarter-mastership, received his commission as cornet in 1701. He died in January, 1630, a 1ieut.-general, honorary colonel of the 17th Lsncers, and governor of Galway. It is recorded of Sir John Elley in. Scott’s ‘‘ Letters of his Kinsfolk ” that ‘I there were found on the field of Waterloo more than one of Napoleon’s cuirassiers cleft to the chin by the stalwart arm of this gallant officer.” The other cavalry regiments commanded by officers from the ranks have been the 14th Hussars, which had for its chief the gallant Colonel Charles Cureton, who received his commission while a lad in the Peninsula nndwaskilledinthe cavalry charge atRamnuggur. And the8th Hussars was for some years commanded by Colonel Edward Seager, who was promoted from sergeant-major to B cornetcy in same regiment 17th September, 1541, and rode ;It Balaclava as captain of a troop. At the time of Report by Henry JIatshall, Esq., Deputy-Inspector-General of Army Hospitals, printed in the UiiifedSerziccicfngasine, 1842, Pt. I. “Conversations with the Duke of \Vellington,” by Earl Stanhope, p. 13. ’Memoir dictated to Count Xontholon. VOL. XLIY. x 176 CC*.\IJIISSIOSS FKOM THE I1NI I’ISH IZASKS. the Crinicaii IVar the 30th Foot \\as commanded by Colonel Charlcs Sillery, who had bcen proiiiotcd from sergeant-major in the Inniskilling Dragoons in 15.25. This ollicer held the appointment of conimandant of the hospital at Sciitari until the conclusion of the war. Hc subsequently s-rved in the Xc\v Zcaland War of 1860-61. Colonel Isaac Noore, jvlio died in command of the Dcpbt Battalion, in 1868, held the 1ieut.-colonelcy of the 9ith Foot from Sovenibcr, 1855, to November, 1856, and obtaincd every step in the regimcnt from sergeant-major. The 1st West India Regiment \\-as commanded by Licut.-Coloncl John ;\IcXuley, who wxs promoted from qtinrtcr-master-s~r~eantin 1855, and obtained the 1ieut.-colonelcy of tlic 1st \Yest by purchase in 1Si1. The late 4th West was commanded by Coloncl Edivard Conran, who had riscn in the 3rd West; and the 5th by Colonel IViIliani Lyons, formerly scrgeant-major of the 73;d Foot, ivho subsequently was at the liead of the London Recruiting District. Lieut.-Colonel Peter JIacdonald, ~liowas commissioned in 1830 from sergeant-major in tlic IMc Brigade, obtained the coininand of thc 2nd Bn. 13th Liglit Infantry, 19th Dcceiiibcr, 1865, and retired I fcw Fears later, receiving owr k:4,500 over-regulation from Government.’ Major-General John NcKay. who succeeded to the comniand of the 2nd Bn. 12th Foot, in 1S71, had been commissioned quarter-mastcr, with rank of ensign, 25th August, 183.1, at the School OfNusketry, Hythe, from sergeant 19th Foot. JIajor-General William JIcBean, V.C., who commanded the 03rd Highlanders for-some years, was pronioted ensign from colour-sergeant in same rcgimcnt, 11th August, 1854, and obtaincal a11 his steps witliout purchase. AS lieuteniint iind adjutant Of tlie 93~t1, JIcBean ivon the Tictoria Cross ‘‘ for tlistinguished personal brawry in killing eleven of the cncliiy with his own hand, in the main breach of the Ucgum Bagh, at I.ucknoI\., on 11th 3Iarch, 1858.” Lastly, Colonel (afterwards Najor-General) James C;inipbell, who was proniotctl second lieutenant from scrgcant-major RoJal Artillery, 1st July, 1847, was ;q)pointed coloncl of the Coast Brigade,? Royal Artillery, 1st Ai)ril, 18G5. The reader may have noticed that qf all the commissions from Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 16:23 19 June 2016 the ranks enumerated in the foregoing pages only one lion-commissionctl oMcer from the Royal Artillcry is named as having attained to any command of importance, viz., tlic colonelcy of the Coast Brigade of Royal Artillery, in lSG5, which corps no’longcr csists. The Coast Brigade was oficered by deserving non-commissioned oficers of the koyal Artillery, who wcrc escluded from promotion in their own particular corps. A military writer in the Uiiifed Senice iIfogm$e. for 1842 points out “the incongruity of bestowing commissions on lion-commissioned oficers of ca\-alry and infantry, and excluding the artillery froin this boon.” The sanie writcr also remarks that “ the ordnancc non-commissioned officers arc at all cvcnts practically equal to their contemporaries .in the other Services ; and from the theoretical instruction they have received, in their particular corps, far, very far, pre-cniincnt in intcllcctuai dcquirenicnts.” 3 - __ __ 1Army nird A‘azy- Gnzeffe,Gtli November, 1873. 2 Established 4111 Sdveniber, 1859. -3Pt;II.;p. 163.