Edward William Bray

“ The conduct of the 83rd Regiment in the arduous contest of Talavera merits the Brigadier-General’s warmest thanks, and he hopes that Major Napper will justly appreciate the merits of those few that are left.
“The very weak state of the 83rd renders it necessary to send them to Lisbon. The Brigadier-General requests them to accept of his best acknowledgments for their uniform good conduct whilst under his command, and has, at the same time, to assure them that he shall be proud to have the 83rd again in his brigade, when established in health and numbers. ”

“ He immediately took advantage of it, and assailing in front, with the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Divisions, ordered the 3rd Division to attack the French columns, which were moving down on the Ciudad Rodrigo road, and nobly and gallantly did General Pakenham launch the battalions of the “Fighting Division” against the enemy; forming line by regiments, they rushed impetuously forward, and bearing on with resistless force, carried everything before them.
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The 83rd Regiment, with Colville’s brigade, was in the full brunt of this decisive and successful attack. ”

“ In this battle, General Alan Cameron’s brigade, composed of the 61st and 83rd Regiments, was posted in the left centre of the front line, with the brigade of Guards on its right, and the German Legion on its left, and about 100 paces in its front, occupied by its Light Infantry, was the dry, rocky bed of a mountain torrent. On the 27th, the French attempted to turn the allies’ left, and to take a height in front of General Hill’s division. ”

“ SERVICES OF THE REGIMENT IN INDIA, 1849–57 On the 1st December, 1848, the regiment was ordered to be augmented to the establishment as per margin, [15] and received instructions to prepare for service in the East Indies, and on the 9th January, 1849, two companies, with head-quarters, proceeded to Cork, and embarked on the 11th, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Trydell, in the freight ship Bombay, for Bombay, and sailed for its destination on the 17th of the same month. ”

“ On the 26th and 27th of September the battalion was engaged in the actions on the Sierra de Busaco; but the brunt of the battle falling to the good fortune of the right brigade, its casualties were few, amounting only to 1 lieutenant (Lieutenant Colthurst) and 6 rank and file wounded. For the services of the regiment on this occasion Colonel Collins received a medal, and his Majesty was pleased to sanction the word “Busaco” being borne on its colours and appointments. ”

“ On the 9th November the small fortified position at Neemuch, which was garrisoned by a detachment of the 83rd Regiment, under Ensign Chamley, and some native troops, the whole under command of Major Simpson, 2nd Light Cavalry, was attacked by a very large insurgent force, which invested the fortification for fifteen days; their several attempts at assault by escalade were repulsed with heavy loss, and on the 23rd of the month they broke up and retired on the advance of a force from Mhow to the relief of the garrison, which had sustained a loss of about 20 in wounded during the siege. ”

“ Colonel Holmes’s force then marched on Jeypoor, arriving there on the 17th and leaving on the 18th, and after four days’ severe marching through deep sand, came up with the rebel force at “Seekur” at 4 a.m., having during the last thirty hours accomplished a march of fifty-two miles. The moon was just setting when our troops surprised the rebel camp, and owing to the darkness and precipitation with which the rebels fled, together with our deficiency of cavalry, our troops were unable to inflict any serious loss on them. ”

“ Upon the embarkation of the regiment at Colombo, his Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Barnes, K.C.B., was pleased to issue a most complimentary order to the regiment on its departure from Ceylon for England. Lieutenant-Colonel Cother, the commanding officer, was particularly complimented by the lieutenant-general, and Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly was especially mentioned for his talents and exertions during the Kandyan rebellion. ”

“ In January, 1809, the battalion marched from Fermoy to Cork, and embarked at Cove for Corunna; but intelligence having been received of the battle of Corunna and the evacuation of Spain by the British, a ship of war was despatched to recall the transports, when the regiment disembarked and marched back to its old quarters at Fermoy. ”

“ Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Swinburne, after a long and distinguished service of forty-four years in the 83rd Regiment, retired from the service on the full pay of his rank of major. He served throughout the whole of the Peninsular campaign (the greater part of the time as adjutant) , and received a medal and ten clasps for Talavera, Busaco, Fuentes d’Onor, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Nivelle, Orthes, Toulouse. ”

“ The regiment was embodied at Dublin, and quartered in the old Custom House at Essex Bridge for about two months, when it was called upon to take a portion of the garrison duties, in consequence of a great number of troops having been drawn from that garrison for the purpose of embarking for the West Indies. The regiment then moved to the royal barracks. The establishment of the regiment at this period was fixed at 72 sergeants, 26 drummers, 1200 rank and file, and an additional lieutenant added to each company. ”

“ The insurrection in the “Kandyan” [6] provinces of Ceylon having commenced a few weeks previous to the arrival of the regiment in that colony, nearly the whole of the battalion, then consisting of 4 field officers, 10 captains, 32 subalterns, 48 sergeants, 22 drummers, and 969 rank and file, was marched into the interior, and was actively employed in the suppression of the rebellion. During this service the regiment suffered much from climate and privation of every description ”

“ In March following the battalion received orders to march to Cove, for embarkation for Lisbon, and having been previously inspected by Brigadier-General Rowland Hill, proceeded to Cove, and embarking on board the transports, sailed to join the British army in Portugal. ”

“ On 27th April, Lieutenant King-Harman with 1 colour-sergeant, 1 sergeant, and 25 men, proceeded to South Africa as part of an Irish company of mounted infantry for service in Matabeleland.
On 21st September, the battalion, numbering 16 officers, 586 rank and file, moved by rail to Aldershot, and was quartered in Ramillies’ Barracks.
On 3rd November, Lieutenant-Colonel C. Haggard [83] succeeded to the command vice Lieutenant-Colonel R. J. Knox. ”

“ In August the battalion marched to Chipping Norton, in Oxfordshire, and in November following removed to Battle Barracks, Sussex, where its establishment was increased to 800 rank and file. After a short stay at this station, it was ordered to Brabourne Leas and Ashford, in Kent, and in March, 1807, proceeded to Portsmouth and embarked for Guernsey. ”

“ The medals awarded by her Majesty to the officers and men who had been engaged with the enemy during the Indian Mutiny were received from the Adjutant-General, Horse Guards, on 2nd February, 1861, and on 11th February they were presented to those entitled to them on a parade of the garrison of Belgaum by Miss Straith, the step-daughter of the brigadier commanding. ”

“ On the 25th September, 1825, the establishment of the regiment was increased to 10 companies, consisting of the following numbers: 6 service companies—2 field officers, 6 captains, 12 subalterns, 5 staff, 30 sergeants, 10 drummers, and 516 rank and file; 4 depôt companies—1 field officer, 4 captains, 8 subalterns, 1 staff, 12 sergeants, 4 drummers, and 224 rank and file. ”

“ By order of her Majesty, published 18th August, 1858, a medal and clasp was granted to all the troops engaged in field service in the repression of the mutinies in India, and lists of those so entitled in the regiment were forwarded on the 3rd and 4th November, 1858. ”

“ On the 10th of November, 1813, 90,000 men descended to the fight, and, rushing simultaneously from various points on the entrenched and strongly fortified lines of the enemy, commenced the battle of Nivelle ”

“ The regiment on disembarking proceeded to Hilsea Barracks, where it remained about three weeks, from whence it proceeded to Chelmsford; and in March, 1803, received the route for Portsmouth, and on its arrival embarked for Jersey, on board the Acastra frigate and other vessels ”

“ On the 4th July, 1802, the regiment embarked on board His Majesty’s ship Delft, and landed at Portsmouth on the 22nd August following, its strength being 1 lieutenant-colonel, 2 majors, 9 captains, 16 subalterns, 29 sergeants, 11 drummers, and 294 rank and file. ”

“ In May the establishment was reduced to ten companies. Various changes in the stations of the detachments took place during the year, but at the end of the year the whole regiment moved to Richmond Barracks, Dublin. ”