A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE Toulouse on lo April, where it was highly distinguished and incurred heavy losses. After the conclusion of peace the second battalion was disbanded on 24 October, 18 14. From 18 17 to 1825 the regiment was stationed at Malta and the Ionian Islands, and from 1830 to 1842 in the West Indies and North America. In 1846 it was formed into two battalions, and in the next year the first and reserve battalions were sent to the Ionian Islands, whence it was removed to the West Indies in 1851. Returning to the British Isles in 1857, ^* remained there until 1863, when it was transferred to India for the next twelve years. From 1875 to December, 1899, it was stationed in England and Ireland. In the meantime, in consequence of the reorganization of the army, it was brigaded in 1873 with the 29th or Wor- cestershire Regiment and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Militia, and afterwards became the second battalion of the reconstructed Worcestershire Regiment. This 2nd battalion went out to South Africa at the beginning of 1900, landing at Cape Town on 8 January, and was dispatched to Colesberg, where Major-General A. P. Clements was stationed to restrain the Boers from advancing into Cape Colony, before Lord Roberts's great turning move- ment was completed. The battalion was hotly engaged on 12 February. They had even before the war been famed for their marksmanship, and by the accuracy of their fire they succeeded in beating back a determined attack on the Worcester Hills near Rensburg, with the loss of their gallant commander. Major Stubbs, and of seventy-three killed and wounded. On 27 February Roberts forced Cronje to surrender at Paardeburg, and Clements joined in the advance. The battalion crossed the Orange River near Norval's Pont, on 1 5 March, and until August was engaged in operations in the east of the Orange Free State, including the combined movement in the Witte- bergen under Generals Hunter and Rundle, which culminated in the capture of Prinsloo and 4,000 Boers near Fouriesburg. From August, 1900, till May, 1 90 1, they were engaged in the Western Transvaal, and from May, 1 90 1, until the conclusion of peace they were placed in garrison at Heilbron, holding the blockhouses between Heilbron and Wolvehoek and Heilbron and Frankfort. At the time of landing at Cape Town a company was drafted from the battalion into the newly formed Mounted Infantry under Lieutenant-General French. It took part in the relief of Kimberley on i 5 February, 1 900, in the actions at Paardeburg on 18 February, and at Driefontein on 10 March. It was present at the occupation of Bloemfontein on 1 3 March and of Pretoria on 5 June, and also took part in several engagements in the latter part of the war. In October, 1907, the 2nd battalion of the Worcestershire regiment was stationed in Bengal. The Herefordshire Militia forms at present (1907) the 4th battalion of the Shropshire Light Infantry, and was last embodied from 12 December, 1899, until I November, 1900, at the time of the South African War. During the great struggle with Napoleon at the beginning of the last century Herefordshire contributed its share to the volunteer forces of the country. In 1804 the various county corps had a total in effective rank and file of 3,532 men.^"' Again, during the crisis of the late South African War, ^"^ List of Vol. and Yeomanry Corps (1804), 31. 404
