at present, as the spirit of entering the Militia Service abates in these parts."

1772 to 1777.

The regiment was disembodied, and I can find no papers or records referring to the Militia during this period.

1778.

In the spring of this year, owing to the American War, the regiment was again embodied, for the second time, and on the 5th May marched for Southampton via Woburn, Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Reading, Basingstoke, and Winchester, arriving at Southampton on the 17th June, where it was quartered till July 1779.

A very curious old letter, no doubt in the handwriting of one of the Officers of that time, is still in existence in the orderly-room of the battalion at Bedford, as follows:

66

"Southampton, July 27th, 1778.

Wednesday last a man of the Bedfordshire Militia, which are quartered in this town, appeared on parade in a dirty manner, and his hair undrest.

"Colonel Stuart ordered him to the guard-house, and next day a yellow jacket and cap were put on him, with the word "dirty" before and behind; and a great clog was also put on his leg, and he was made to stand in the public street till noon, when, the regiment being drawn out, it was reported he was to march through the town in that dress."

This kind of discipline, being quite new, greatly exasperated the mob, who could not be restrained from abusing the colonel and other officers in very unbecoming language. The fellow was then ordered away, and at the roll-call in the evening a vast mob was collected, and began their abuse with greater violence, so that the peace officers were obliged to be called, and some of the ringleaders were taken into custody, one of whom was committed to Bridewell.

It was observed that the women took a very active part in this mob.

1779.

At the end of July 1779, the regiment marched from Southampton to Winchester, where it was quartered until the following November.

The old record states that "at Winchester were upwards of 7,000 prisoners of war, French, Spanish, and Dutch. While doing duty at this place, Robert Fleming, a private of the Bedford Militia, shot a French prisoner dead for attempting to go beyond his limited bounds."

In November the regiment marched from Winchester to Taunton, by Stockbridge, Salisbury, Hendon, Bruton, and Somerton, arriving in December, where they remained until May 1780.

The number borne by the regiment at this time was 21.

1780.

For foreign service

At this time the strength of infantry regiments was :

804 rank and file.

In May (the date is missing) 1780 the Bedfordshire Militia marched out of their quarters at Taunton, by Wellington, Collumpton, Exeter, and Moreton Hampstead, to Tavistock, where they remained until the 15th June, when they went into camp at Buckland Down, and remained there until the 31st October 1780; the regiments stationed in this encampment being the Somerset, Bedford, Cornwall, and Devon regiments of Militia; Major-Gen. Grey commanding.

About the 20th October (the record says), at 9 o'clock at night, a strong hurricane blew from the west, attended with thunder, lightning, and heavy rain, which continued with great violence for several hours, and did much damage in the above-mentioned camp by rending in pieces the officers' marquees, and tearing great numbers of the men's tents.

The officers went to lodgings, and many men to stables, huts, &c.; and a great number slept in Lord Ossory's marquee, being the only one left standing in the regi

ment.

On the 31st October the camp at Buckland Down was broken up, and the regiments composing it went into

winter quarters, the Bedfordshire being ordered to return to their native county. They appear to have left the camp on the 31st October, and to have marched by Tavistock, Oakhampton, Crediton, Exeter, Honiton, Crewkerne, Sherborne, Shaftesbury, Salisbury, Luggershall, Hungerford, Wantage, Oxford, Bicester, Buckingham, and Newport Pagnell to Bedford, where they were stationed until June 1781.

1781.

In June of this year the regiment was again upon the move, and proceeded by Hitchin, Hatfield, Barnet, Greenwich, &c, Chatham, &c., to Cox Heath Camp, where it was stationed until the beginning of November. The regiments at this camp being the Park of Royal Artillery, Rutland Militia, 59th Foot, Brecknock, Bedford, Cheshire, Royal Anglesea, South Hants, and Monmouth Militias; Lieutenant-General Gage and Major-General Morris commanding. On the breaking up of this camp in November the regiment moved to Northampton, marching by Chatham, Greenwich, Barnet, St. Alban's, Dunstable, Newport Pagnell, to Northampton, with detachments at Wellingborough and Kettering, where it remained until the month of April following.

1782.

In April 1782 it returned to Bedford, marching by Woburn, remaining in its county town until June, when it marched by Hitchin, Stevenage, Waltham Cross, Epping,

and Chelmsford, to a camp at Danbury in Essex, the regiments stationed there being the East Kent, Bedford, and West Suffolk Militia, under the command of MajorGeneral St. John.

1782, 1783.

It remained at this camp until the 4th November, when it returned to Bedford by the same route, and was quartered there until the 14th March of the following year, when it was disembodied, having been on actual service for nearly five years.

1783 to 1793.

From 1783 to 1793 the Militia regiments throughout the kingdom appear to have been disembodied, and I can find no Militia records during that period.

1793.

On the 4th February 1793 the Bedfordshire Militia was again embodied for the third time for service, under the command of Colonel The Earl of Upper Ossory, and early in March received orders to proceed to a large camp that was about to be formed at Harwich. The regiment marched by Hitchin, Hertford, Waltham Cross, to Brentwood, where it was halted and stationed, with companies detached at Epping, Ongar, and Ingatestone, &c., remaining in these quarters until June, when it marched to Sudbury, by Chelmsford and Kelvedon, where it was again halted. At the end of July it left Sudbury and marched, by Manningtree, to the camp at Harwich, where it remained until the