The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-03-05
THE BRITISH ARMY,
Its Strength and Standardization o
o Men.

Its Strength and STANDARDIZATION OF
1s2, o Men.
The following interesting details
showing in what portions of the globe
British troops are now stationed, with
their approximate force in garrison and
on active service, have just been pre-
pared from official sources. The last
returns showed, it is understood, an
effective strength of about 1872 900 of all
arms-viz: thirty-one regiments of cav
airy, twenty-four batteries of royal
horse artillery, s~evensy-six batteries of
field artillery, ninety-siX batteries of
garrison artillery, seventy-two regiments
of infantry Cor 148 battalions), two di-
visions, one troop, and forty companies
of engineers, besides commissariat and
transports, medical staff corps, etc.
Dealing first with the home commands,
it appears that the northern command,
the largest in the Kingdom, which in
-cludes nearly 5000 volunteers, besides
yeomanry and militia, has two regi-
ments of regular cavalry, W. divisions
of the coast brigade, and six batteries
of field artillery. besides depots, and
five b~attalions of infantry, The eastern
command major General White, G. b.
with headquarters at Colchester, has
n cavalry regiment and two de-
| pots of that arm, three batteries
and a depot of artillery, a section
of the commissariat and transport
| corps, and three infantry battalions.
| The western command (Major-General
Sayer, c. b. has in proportion to
others a large force of artillery-two
batteries of horse, three of field, and
| seven of garrison-besides a division of
the coast brigade and depots, a COM
pany of the commissariat and transport
| corps, and four battalions of infantry.
The southern command has altogether
| one division and twelve batteries of
| artillery, two companies and a section
| of engineers, a section of commissariat
and transport corps, and six battalions
of infantry. The force of the Chatham
| district consists of eleven companies of
engineers, a division and five batteries
of artillery, one company of the COM
missariat and transport corps, and two
eastern command there are two regi-
ments of cavalry and nine depots
| Canterbury one division and seven
batteries of artillery, a company each of
engineers and of the commissariat and
transport corps, and four battalions OF
the line. The home-district command
has three regiments of household cavalry
and one of cavalry of the line, a battery
of royal horse, and a division of coast
brigade artillery, M company each OF
engineers and of the commissariat and
transport corps, and six battalions OF
the guards. At Woolwich the force is
made up of a large body of artillery,
two batteries of horse, besides depots
and the riding establishments, and
seven batteries of field and garrison.
The Aldershot command, which COM
pletes those of England and Wales, has
three regiments of cavalry, eight bat.
teries of artillery, a division, troop, and
depot of royal engineers, three com
panies and two depots of the commits.
sariat and transport corps, and seven
line battalions.
Taken altogether, there are thus in
the nine military districts of England
and Wales twelve regiments of cavalry,
sixty-five batteries and seven divisions OF
artillery, a division, troop, and fourteen
companies of engineers, about a dozen
companies of the commissariat anG
transport corps, and ~thirty-eight bat
talions of infantry, or about sixty thou.
sand of all ranks.
The average strength of the army in
Scotland was last year only a little ovel
three thousand, and there is reason tc
believe that Major General Macdonald.
North British command does not nov
even come up to that number, the force
being represented by n cavalry regi
iment, one battery, and a division of ar
tillery, and two infantry battalions.
In the three military districts of Ire
land. commanded respectively by Majol
General Knight, Major General Lore
Clarina. and Major General Young, tn,
force shows a decrease in strength com
pared with last year, when the average
was about t~wenty-four thousand. The
force now distributed over the islant
comprises six regiments of cavalry
thirteen batteries and two divisions O.
artillery, two companies of engineers
four of commissariat and transpor
corps, and twenty-siX infantry bat
talions, or four battalions less than las
year.
The channel islands possess tire
batteries of artillery and two battalion
of infantry, about two thousand officer
and men. India absOrbs a very 1arg,
portion of the British army, nearl,
sixty-nine thousand of all arms-viz.
Bengal, seven regiments of cavalry
forty-two batteries of artillery, a com
pany of engineers, and thirty-on'
battalions of infantry Madras, TIVE
cavalry corps, sixteen batteries of artil
lery, a company of engineers and min
battalions of infantry; Bombay, ON
cavalry corps, nineteen batteries o
artillery. a company of engineers, ant
nine battalions of infantry; total caval
batteries; engineers, three companies
infantry, f%orty-nine battalions.
In the West Indies England has
couple of batteries of garrison artillery
and, besides a line battalion, som
colonial corps. Canada has three bat
teries, a company and section of engi
neers, and a line battalion; an
Bermuda two batteries. five enginee
companies. and a battalion of infantry
Malta has seven batteries of British
artillery, two companies of engineers
four line battalions and the fencible al
tillery; and Gibraltar. seven batteries
four engineer companies and four lin
battallonS;. while cyprus IS garrlsone
by the headquarters of the First Yves
Kent and a company of engineers.
Irrespective of the force of irregular
organized in England for specia
service in B~echuanaland there are a
the cape and Natal two cavalry corp
(the Sixth dragons and the Thirteent
hussars), four batteries of artillery, tw
companies and a section of engineers
nearly five battalions of infantry an
some detachments of the commissaria
and transport corps. At st. Helen;
there are a battery of artillery and som
engineers infantry.
The West African settlements and tn
Gold Coast colony are g%arrisoned b
colonial corps, but in the Mauritiu
there are a battery of artillery, som
engineers and three companies of lin
regiment. Ceylon takes two batterie