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the greater portion of a regiment of infantry into cavalry occurred. His lordship had been much pleased with the conduct of the present Thirteenth Foot, and he determined to form them into a regiment of dragoons. Dr. Freind thus relates the circumstance in his account of the "Campaign in Valencia ":

"No surprise, I believe, was equal to that of the officers and soldiers of Colonel Pearce's regiment, who had orders to march from Vinaros to a place called Oropeso, four leagues from Castillon de la Plana: at this place, by ten in the morning, they were met by the Earl of Peterborough, on a plain just bordering on the town. His lordship, having made a review, was complimenting the regiment, and wishing he had horses and accoutrements, to try whether a corps of so good a character would maintain the like reputation upon such a change. They, no doubt, concurred very heartily with his lordship in his wishes, little expecting the execution of them in a moment; but his lordship having ordered his secretary to give the commissions already prepared, the officers at last believed the general in earnest; when, turning to the edge of a hill, they saw eight bodies of horses, drawn up separately, and found them already accoutred. Among these there were three good horses for each captain, two for each lieutenant, and one for each cornet. My lord left to the field-officers the choice of their troops, the other captains drew lots, and immediately they all mounted and marched to the quarters appointed for them."

The regiment, in its new capacity, did good service, and evinced signal gallantry at the disastrous battle of Almanza, which is included amongst those fought on Sundays. This corps of dragoons was disbanded after

the Peace of Utrecht, in 1713; but the officers and men who were not formed into dragoons, and had returned home in 1706, met with such success in recruiting, that the regiment in less than two years was fit for service, and is now distinguished as the Thirteenth, or Prince Albert's Light Infantry.

ESTABLISHMENT AND PAY OF INFANTRY IN 1686.

The following statement shows the numbers and rates of pay of a regiment of infantry in the year 1686:

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NAPOLEON AND THE TWENTIETH REGIMENT.

Whilst the Twentieth Regiment was serving at St. Helena, Napoleon delivered" Coxe's Life of Marlborough" to Surgeon Archibald Arnott, of the Twentieth, in order to the work being presented to the officers of the corps. Sir Hudson Lowe objected to the volumes being received by the regiment unless the imperial title was torn out. The officers would not consent to such a mutilation, and on the books being sent to England for the opinion of His Royal Highness the Duke of York, Commanderin-Chief, they were returned in their original condition, with the remark that such a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to a British regiment was most gratifying to him, and that the safe detention of Napoleon Bonaparte was a sufficient testimony that the regiment had done its duty, and the presentation of the books was a satisfactory and flattering acknowledgment that a delicate and difficult duty had been performed in a generous and gentlemanly spirit.

The books, with the imperial title, are now in the library of the Twentieth Regiment in India.

These particulars appeared in the Times of 9th September, 1853, signed "Minden," in reference to the review of Sir Hudson Lowe's life.

Additional information has been obtained from officers who have belonged to the Twentieth, by which it appears that the following circumstance led to the presentation of the work:-Dr. Arnott, the surgeon of the Regiment, a most excellent man, was called in during the last illness of Napoleon. He remained in constant attendance until his death,

and on one occasion, when urging him to take some medicine, he said, "You must, sire." Napoleon immediately replied, “Ah, doctor, that is the way I suppose you deal with the sick men in the hospital. You should be kind to them, for there are not better soldiers in the world than the British infantry; and now that I am on the subject, I will make a present to your regiment, and I don't think I can send a more acceptable one than the life of one of your greatest generals." He then directed a servant to bring from the library the Life of Marlborough which had been given to him by Lord Robert Spencer, and, handing it to Dr. Arnott, he said "he hoped the officers of the Twentieth would receive and place the books in their library as a present from him.”

The objection was, indeed, frivolous, for it consisted only of the words "L'Empereur Napoleon," written on the title-page, but not, it is believed, in Napoleon's handwriting.

Twelve grenadiers of the Twentieth Regiment were selected to bear his remains to the place of interment at St. Helena.

A DIFFICULT SURNAME.

Colonel Hepburn, who commanded the regiment now known as the First Royals, and was for some time in the service of France, had his name changed from Hepburn to Hebron, and Père Daniel, the French historian, gives the following singular reason for it:"On l'appelloit en France 'le Chevalier d'Hebron,' nom d'Hepburn étant difficile à prononcer." Thus the difficulty of pronouncing his name caused it to be changed. Colonel Sir John Hepburn was

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shot in the neck at the siege of Saverne, in Alsace, in June, 1636, of which wound he died. He was on the point of being advanced to the dignity of a marshal of France, when his death occurred.

SINGULAR DESCRIPTION OF A DESERTER FROM THE TWENTY-SECOND REGIMENT OF FOOT.

(From the "London Gazette," of July, 1689.)

"Run away, out of Captain Soames' company, in his Grace the Duke of Norfolk's regiment of infantry, quartered at Newport, in Shropshire, Roger Curtis, a barber-surgeon, a little man, with short black hair, a little curled; round visage, fresh-coloured, in a lightcoloured cloth coat, with gold and silver buttons, and the loops stitched with gold and silver, red plush breeches, and white hat; he lived formerly at Downham Market, in Norfolk. Whoever will give notice to Francis Baker, the agent to the said regiment, in Hatton Garden, so that he may be secured, shall have two guineas reward."

ACTION AT GORDE.

The almost forgotten victory on the plains of Gorde, on the 16th of September, 1813, is here adverted to, on account of the Seventy-third Foot being the only British battalion in the action. The accompanying statement of operations is extracted from the "Annual Register," vol. lxxxvii., page 280:-“ After landing at Stralsund, and assisting in completing the works of that town, Lieutenant-Colonel Harris, with the Seventy-third, was detached into the interior of the country, to feel for the enemy, and also to get into

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