Appendix: A Note on the British and French Armies for the March from Pehtang to Beijing

Appendix: A Note on the British and French Armies for the March from Pehtang to Beijing (Excluding garrisons left behind, for example in Canton, Hong Kong or Zoushan)

The allied armies deployed to China were a surprisingly polyglot grouping in which the Indians were brigaded with English units.

British army: the commander in chief was Lt General Sir James Hope Grant.

The army had a cavalry brigade commanded by acting Brigadier General Thomas Pattle and comprising a detachment of the 1st Kings Dragoon Guards (KDG), the 1st Sikh Cavalry (Probyn’s Horse), Fane’s Horse and Stirling’s battery of artillery. All three cavalry regiments brought their horses with them from India, and in good condition. That was fortunate, given the diffi culties in obtaining good horses in China. The 339 heavy troop horses of the KDG were to be particularly valuable in action. The 1st Division, under Major General Sir John Michel, was organised into two brigades.

The 1st Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Charles Staveley, included the 2/1st Foot (the Royal Scots), the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Foot (later the East Surrey Regiment), the largest regiment of the entire British force with 30 offi cers and 970 other ranks, and the 15th Ludhiana Sikhs.

The 2nd Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Sutton, included the 1/2nd Foot (Queens Royal Regiment), the 2/60th (Kings Royal Rifl es), and the 15th Punjab Native Infantry, plus a company of royal engineers and Desborough’s battery of artillery.

The 2nd Division, under Major General Sir Robert Napier, was similarly organised.

The 3rd Brigade, under Brigadier General Jephson, was composed of the 1/3rd Foot (the Buffs), the 44th Foot (East Essex Regiment) and the 8th Punjab Native Infantry.

The 4th Brigade, under Brigadier General Reeves, had the 67th (South Hampshire) Foot, the 99th (Wiltshire) Foot and the 19th Punjab Native Infantry.

The French force was under the command of General of Division (i.e. Major General) Charles Cousin-Montauban. His chief of general staff was Lt Col Schmitz.

The 1st Infantry Brigade was under the command of Brigadier General Jamin, who also functioned as General Montauban’s deputy. The brigade included the second battalion of chasseurs à pied (light infantry), comprising eight companies and under the command of Commandant de la Poterie; the 101st Infantry Regiment under Colonel Pouget, comprising two infantry battalions of six companies each; and two companies of engineers.

The 2nd Brigade was under the command of Brigadier General Édouard Collineau, who had joined the army at an early age, fought in Africa and commanded with distinction a regiment of Zouaves in the Crimea. It included the 102nd Infantry Regiment under Colonel O’Malley, also comprising two battalions of six companies apiece, a regiment of two battalions of marine infantry under Colonel de Vassoigne, and three fi eld batteries and one battery of mountain guns under Colonel de Bentzmann and Lt Colonel Foulon de Grandchamps. There were also some support troops.

In addition, the French were accompanied by a small scientific mission,much as Napoleon had brought a number of explorers and scientists along for his Egyptian campaign in 1789. This mission was headed by PierreHenri Stanislas Comte d’Escayrac de Lauture, one of France’s best known explorers.