alternatehistory.com
November 1809 - A surprise for the New South Wales Corps
16th November 1807, Sydney Cove, Colony of New South Wales
Philip Gridley King, Governor, smiled a razor sharp smile at the arrival of the convoy of ships. It had taken some doing, but his reputation in London had been well inflated these last three years since the 1804 rebellion and his willingness to take charge of the various Irish rebels and floor sweepings confined to prison hulks in the Thames and English Naval bases had only further boosted his position but his reputation as a man of foresight.
This had allowed him to weather a storm of criticism from the New South Wales Corps, the former 102nd Regiment of Foot but had also helped him to convince himself that the New South Wales Corps and it’s principle supporters would never change, being to mired in the profits made by keeping the status quo.
The main reason he had suffered the abuse of the officers of the New South Wales Corps was itself quite simple. He favoured giving opportunities as they occurred to emancipists. How else could such an isolated colony survive? Use must be made of those prepared to mend their former indiscretions. Convicts, not free setters formed the main basis of the colony and there must be methods of allowing such men and women to contribute in a positive manner. Ex-convicts should not remain in disgrace forever, therefore, he appointed emancipists to positions of responsibility, regulated the position of assigned servants and laid the foundation of the system where former convicts could again become free men. Yet he had been patient and his patience had paid off.
It was a system that had not been well received by the officers of the New South Wales Corps, who had subjected him to all sorts of abuse both direct and indirect and formed various complaints to London. Yet he had his own allies, as shown by the presence of the ten vessels currently anchored off Government House. He had sought such allies and a reliable man to replace him, preferably an Army man that would engender greater loyalty than himself. Lachlan Macquarie was such a man and in the New Year he would turn over his authority and retire here, his son having come out with the small fleet.
King watched as the first men disembarked and marched to Government House. He strained to hear the troops singing a marching song.
“Then fall in lads behind the drum
With colours blazing like the sun.
Along the road to come what may
Over the hills and far away.
If I should fall to rise no more,
As many comrades did before,
Ask the fifes and drums to play
Over the hills and far away.
Though kings and tyrants come and go
A soldier's life is all I know
I'll live to fight another day
Over the hills and far away.”
The 73rd Regiment of Foot continued to disembark, signaling the effective end to the New South Wales Corps, which would be following the arrived fleet back to England forthwith. Johnson and his ally John MacArthur had been outmaneuvered for now and the practice of accepting payment in rum for work, necessary perhaps up to this time, could be discontinued gradually once a proper Bank had been established, a proposal that had previously met stiff resistance from the New South Wales Corps, so stiff that he had been forced to secure himself bodyguards.
Philip Gridley King, Governor, smiled a razor sharp smile at the arrival of the convoy of ships. It had taken some doing, but his reputation in London had been well inflated these last three years since the 1804 rebellion and his willingness to take charge of the various Irish rebels and floor sweepings confined to prison hulks in the Thames and English Naval bases had only further boosted his position but his reputation as a man of foresight.
This had allowed him to weather a storm of criticism from the New South Wales Corps, the former 102nd Regiment of Foot but had also helped him to convince himself that the New South Wales Corps and it’s principle supporters would never change, being to mired in the profits made by keeping the status quo.
The main reason he had suffered the abuse of the officers of the New South Wales Corps was itself quite simple. He favoured giving opportunities as they occurred to emancipists. How else could such an isolated colony survive? Use must be made of those prepared to mend their former indiscretions. Convicts, not free setters formed the main basis of the colony and there must be methods of allowing such men and women to contribute in a positive manner. Ex-convicts should not remain in disgrace forever, therefore, he appointed emancipists to positions of responsibility, regulated the position of assigned servants and laid the foundation of the system where former convicts could again become free men. Yet he had been patient and his patience had paid off.
It was a system that had not been well received by the officers of the New South Wales Corps, who had subjected him to all sorts of abuse both direct and indirect and formed various complaints to London. Yet he had his own allies, as shown by the presence of the ten vessels currently anchored off Government House. He had sought such allies and a reliable man to replace him, preferably an Army man that would engender greater loyalty than himself. Lachlan Macquarie was such a man and in the New Year he would turn over his authority and retire here, his son having come out with the small fleet.
King watched as the first men disembarked and marched to Government House. He strained to hear the troops singing a marching song.
“Then fall in lads behind the drum
With colours blazing like the sun.
Along the road to come what may
Over the hills and far away.
If I should fall to rise no more,
As many comrades did before,
Ask the fifes and drums to play
Over the hills and far away.
Though kings and tyrants come and go
A soldier's life is all I know
I'll live to fight another day
Over the hills and far away.”
The 73rd Regiment of Foot continued to disembark, signaling the effective end to the New South Wales Corps, which would be following the arrived fleet back to England forthwith. Johnson and his ally John MacArthur had been outmaneuvered for now and the practice of accepting payment in rum for work, necessary perhaps up to this time, could be discontinued gradually once a proper Bank had been established, a proposal that had previously met stiff resistance from the New South Wales Corps, so stiff that he had been forced to secure himself bodyguards.
- johnboy
- Word Count: 570