Part 5 (1/2)

These black corps were distributed amongst the various islands, and were the Carolina Corps, Malcolm's or the Royal Rangers, the Island Rangers (Martinique), the St. Vincent Rangers, the Black Rangers (Grenada), Angus' Black Corps (Grenada), the Tobago Blacks, and the Dominica Rangers. Some of them, notably the Carolina Corps, Malcolm's Corps, and the St. Vincent Rangers,[20] were paid by the Imperial Government, and were consequently Imperial troops; although none of the corps appeared in any Army List, nor were appointments thereto and promotions therein notified in the _London Gazette_.

The five black regiments, now proposed to be raised, were to be in addition to those small black corps already in Imperial pay, and which were to be blended into three permanent regiments. Consequently, in the Army List dated March 11th, 1796, showing the state of the army in 1795,[21] we find the following eight corps, indexed under the heading of ”Regiments raised to serve in the West Indies:”

Whyte's Regiment of Foot (Carolina and Malcolm's Corps).

Myers' ” ” (St. Vincent Rangers).

Keppell's ” ” (probably the Dominica Rangers).

Nicoll's ” ” } Howe's ” ” } Whitelock's ” ” }(the five new regiments).

Lewes' ” ” } Skerrett's ” ” }

Major-General Whyte's regiment was called into existence by the _Gazette_ of the 2nd of May, 1795; Major-General John Whyte, from the 6th Foot, being appointed colonel. On the 20th of May, Major Leeds Booth, from the 32nd Foot, was appointed lieutenant-colonel; and other officers were rapidly gazetted to it. On the 8th of August, Captain Robert Malcolm, of the 41st Foot, was promoted major in Whyte's regiment. The following is the list of officers appointed to the regiment in 1795:

MAJOR-GENERAL WHYTE'S REGIMENT OF FOOT.

Rank. Name. Rank in the Regt. Army.

Colonel John Whyte April 24, 1795 M.G., Feb. 26, 1795 Lt.-Col. Leeds Booth May 20, 1795 Major Robert Malcolm July 1, 1795 Lieut.-Col., Oct. 5, 1795 Capts. James Abercrombie ” ” Major, March 1, 1794 Edward Cotter ” ”

Francis Costello ” ”

Alan Hampden Pye ” ”

Ralph Wilson ” ”

Thomas Cunninghame ” ”

(C.) William Powell Aug. 24, 1795 Thomas Deane Sept. 1, 1795 ..............

Lieuts. Ross Gillespie July 1, 1795 Dec. 20, 1794 Henry Maxwell ” ” March 8, 1795 David Butler ” ”

Benjamin Chadwick ” ”

James Reid ” ”

James Stewart ” ”

James Sutherland ” ”

James Calder ” ”

Andrew Coghlan Aug. 24, 1795 Sept. 14, 1792 Henry Goodinge Sept. 1, 1795 Thos. Page Sept. 16, 1795 ..............

(11 vacancies) ..............

Ensigns William Graham July 1, 1795 James Ca.s.sidy ” ”

-- McShee ” ”

-- Lightfoot ” ”

-- M'Callum ” ”

-- Froggart ” ”

-- McLean ” ”

R.W. Atkins ” ”

John Egan ” ”

James Reed ” ”

(Cornet) W. Connor ” ”

-- Crump ” ”

John Morrison ” ”

Donald M'Grace ” ”