Page:Historical Record of the Fifty-Sixth, Or the West Essex Regiment of Foot.djvu/50

40 of them from the county of Surrey. At this period the war in Europe had attained a crisis: the British forces had triumphed in Portugal and Spain, and had forced the barrier of the Pyrenees and penetrated France; the Emperor Napoleon had lost a numerous army in the north; the forces of Russia, Austria, Prussia, and the German States, were in arms against him; and a powerful effort promised complete success to the cause of the allies. Measures were adopted to augment the British army at this interesting period; and the facility with which the had been recruited, holding out the prospect that its establishment might be increased, a warrant was issued by the Prince Regent in the early part of November, for adding a third battalion to the corps. This battalion was embodied at Horsham, its establishment was six hundred and fifty non-commissioned officers and soldiers, and its ranks were so speedily completed with disciplined men, by volunteers from the militia, &c., that in one month from the date of the order for its formation, it was ready for foreign service. At this period a body of British troops proceeded to Holland, under Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham (late Lord Lynedoch), to co-operate with the forces of the allied sovereigns, and the third battalion of the embarked for this service at Ramsgate, on the 9th of December, under the orders of Lieut.-Colonel John Frederick Brown; it was posted to the third brigade, commanded by Major-General Sir Herbert Taylor; the British troops were concentrated in and near Williamstadt.

About the same period the first battalion took the field in India, and formed part of the force assembled at Goute, from whence it proceeded against Canool, where it arrived on the 25th of December, and batteries were erected during the night, but a flag of truce being sent out on the following morning, hostilities ceased. The battalion was also at the reduction of the fort of