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... In my Dispatch No. 73 I had the honour to report for your Lordships information the arrival of a Detachment of His Majesty's 73d Regiment consisting of three Companies under the Command of Major Gordon — It is with the sincerest concern and the most mortified feelings I am now obliged to state to your Lordships that the conduct of This Detachment has been in the most culpable degree disorderly and mutinous and in some instance outrageous. Two privates have been convicted by General Courts Martial of assaulting their officers and received sentence of Death to the first induced to grand [sic] a conditional pardon from his youth and former good character, and in the hope as it was the first offence in the Detachment of so atrocious a nature that an act of mercy would have a good Effect on their minds — But the recurrence a short time afterwards of an attack still more daring and marked with a defiance of all authority and discipline obliged me to carry the Law into Effect in the instance of John Stevenson who suffered Death by Military Execution on the 13th of last month — I shall not trouble your Lordships with the vexatious detail of the numerous offences of a heinous nature which have occurred in this Detachment. — One cause seems to have originated in the modes of civil Employment to which it appears the Troops were admitted in New South Wales by which on the one hand the officers are called to avocations foreign to and not very compatible with Military duty nor at all consistent with that unremitting attention which the preservation of discipline requires and on the other hand the soldiers allowed to work at all kinds of occupations not only forget their military habits and duties but are thrown into contact and society with the Convicts whose profligacy they cannot but be expected to imbible [sic]. To this alone the unfortunate youth who lately fell a sacrifice to his daring contempt of military Command imputed in his last moments the origin of his offence and its fatal issue[;] another cause of these irregularities is the avidity with which soldiers on their arrival addict themselves to our Country Spirit (arrack) and the artificer by which (from habits of intimacy with all sorts of Criminals) the present Detachment have hitherto been enabled with the assistance of their numerous women in spite of Every precaution either on the part of Government or Military authorities to furnish themselves with this pernicious beverage — I shall not prolong my letter to your Lordship by enlarging further on this distressing subject but beg leave to inclose [sic] for references if occasion should require it copies of several General Orders issued by me since the occurrence of Stevenson's case. — Your Lordship will perceive with satisfaction that my later order acknowledges a sensible improvement in the conduct of the Detachment since the Execution of this unfortunate man and that on the occasion of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent's Birthday I have felt myself warranted to try the Effect of a remission of all punishment then depending to withdraw some restrictions which I had been obliged to impose on the liberty of the men and to grant them the usual indulgence of liquor to join with their comrades in celebrating the day. ... Another measure which I have thought likely to be conducive to the amelioration of conduct amongst the European lately arrived is that of Extending to their wives and Families the allowance of Provisions granted by a Military Regulation established by His Royal Highness the Commander in Chief in concert with the Lords of the Treasury on the 5[th] November 1811 but which had never been acted upon in this Island where a different kind of allowance has hitherto been granted. But which having apparently been formed for the description of Families usually attached to a Regiment on Indian service was by no means applicable or adequate to the maintenance of European women and Children — The heavy burden of these numerous Families no doubt led to and furnished some kind of Excuse or at least an Extenuation of the practice of smuggling so prevalent amongst the women of the lately arrived Detachment — I beg to refer for further particulars to a Copy inclosed [sic] for your Lordships information of a general order issued by me on the subject under date the 16th of July last and as this grievance is now removed it is to be hoped that the abuses for which it was with some a real cause — to numbers a temptation and to all a pretext will also in this alone have received a material remedy. ... I am further induced to hope for a great improvement from the arrival of an other Part of the Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel O'Connell who arrived at Galle a few days ago in the General Hewett [sic] Transport Captain Earl with three Company of the Regiment consisting of 320 Rank and File. — Considering the danger of the sun in marching new Troops by Land and the still greater danger uncontrollable access to Spirit at Every halt — and the great train of women and children (102 women; 160 children) with which this Division is accompanied I have under the advice of Mr. Gibson Master Attendant at Galle a most Experienced and judicious marine directed the Troops to remain on board and the ship to proceed to Colombo — which being a beating Passage she will be obliged to stand off shore and cannot be Expected here for several days — The Division proceeds under the charge of Major Cameron; Lieutenant Colonel O'Connell having landed with my permission for the purpose of proceeding to Colombo. — Three companies more of the Regiment are in the Windham which ship was to leave Sydney Cove for Vandiemans [sic] Land, on the 6th. of April there to take on Board 2 Companies of this Regiment. The Windham has not yet arrived but may be Expected daily — one company still remained in New South Wales which these ships could not receive. — The strength and distribution of the whole will be Explained by a Copy of Lieut. Colonel O'Connell's Return which I have the honor to inclose for your Lordships information. Robt. Brownrigg
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