Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/137

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THE KEW SOUTH WALES GOBFS. 109 lumdred and forty-eight. But for some reason not stated^ 1797-1809 the instmctiona^ less than a month afterwards^ were coun- termanded. In December, 1802, the force numbered fire strength hnndred and twenty-four non-commissioned officers and nvr-im. men. In 1805 the strength was increased to six hundred and fifty-six. In 1807 two fresh companies were added to the Corps, bringing up the nominal strength to eleren com- panies of eight hundred and sixty-six non-commissioned officers and privates. On the 26th January, 1808, Major Johnston, who then BUgWa had the command, placed Governor Bligh under arrest, and recall of toe GoFps* assumed the Government. As soon as the fact became known to the authorities in England it was decided to recall the Corps, and instructions were given for the 73rd Begiment, then stationed in Scotland, to take its place. Upon its recall the name of the force was chanffed from the '^ New South io2nd Reffixnfint, Wales Corps" to the " 102nd Eegiment." The change of g^^^ew^^ name was made on the suggestion of the Duke of York, corpe. Commander-in-Chief, in a letter to Lord Castlereagh, dated 20th October, 1808. Castlereagh suggested that it would be better to establish it as a second battalion ^^to some of the regiments already numbered"; but this was not done, and on the 4th March, 1809, the Mustermaster-General of the British army was notified by the War Office that the title of the Corps had been changed to the 102nd Regiment.* In December, 1809, Lieutenant-Colonel Macquarie, who had^cquarfe's been appointed to the Governorship, arrived at Sydney, in Jl^^^ command of a battalion of the 73rd Regiment, seven hundred strong, which relieved the New South Wales Corps. But while instructions were given to Macquarie to take care that every officer belonging to the Corps, including Colonel Pater- son and Lieutenant-Colonel Foveaux (who were not in the colony when the Government was subverted), do proceed to

  • In the London Times of SOtJi January, 1809, appeared the following

announoement : — " The New South Wales Corps is for the future to be called tto lQ2nd Begiment."