Page:Historical Record of the Fifty-Sixth, Or the West Essex Regiment of Foot.djvu/24



Florida: it was, accordingly, delivered up to the Spanish troops on the 7th of July, 1763.

In September, the Regiment embarked for Ireland, and landing in the following month, marched to Limerick, its numbers being completed by volunteers from other corps.

At this period, several changes were made in the clothing and equipment of certain regiments of cavalry and infantry; and a communication, dated Dublin, 9th October, 1764, made known to the Regiment—“His Majesty’s pleasure, that the facings of the clothing of the  Regiment of Foot, under the command of Major-General Keppel, be changed to a purple colour; that the men have white breeches; that the accoutrements be white; and that the grenadier caps be plated instead of embroidered,” &c.

Leaving Limerick on the 2nd of May, the regiment proceeded to Dublin, where it was stationed two years.

On the 15th of May, 1765, Major-General the Honorable William Keppel was removed to the Fourteenth Foot; and in June His Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the on Lieut.-General James Durand, from the lieut.-colonelcy of the First Foot Guards.

Lieut.-General Durand died in 1766, and was succeeded by Colonel Hunt Walsh, from the lieut.-colonelcy of the Twenty-eighth Regiment.

The regiment quitted Dublin in October, 1767, and proceeded to Waterford, where it remained seven months, and in May, 1768, it returned to Dublin.

By the Royal Warrant, dated 19th December, 1768, the facings of the Regiment were continued to be purple.

After performing Dublin duty two years, the regiment received orders to transfer its services to Gibraltar. It accordingly marched to Cork in May, 1770, and embarked from thence for that important fortress.