Bengal army, July 1785

A table of the strength of the officers in the Bengal army in 1785.

This minutely detailed table of the officers of the Bengal Army in 1785 is testament to the calligrapher's art. The surname and first name (or initials) of every officer is given. A Lieutenant McKinly, presumably the author of this chart, is named in this list. The chart/table is in several sections:

1) Across the top is an alphabetical list of surnames only, distinguishing by different lettering between infantry, engineers and artillery, and excluding Brevet Ensigns and Brevet Lieutenant Fireworkers, entitled 'Gen:l Alphabet:l LIST of the ARMY, with numerical REFERENCES to the STATIONS and CORPS of each respective OFFICER on the BENGAL ESTABLISHMENT as exhibited in the CHART below. Fort William 1:st JULY 1785.'

2) The main table is arranged in columns with the main headings: 'OFFICERS com:dg in CHIEF, STATIONS & CORPS'; 'SUBALTERN OFFICERS'. A further sub-division gives: 'Officers Com:g'; 'Corps'; L:t Colon:s'; 'Majors'; 'Captains'; 'Lieutenants, Lieut:t-Fireworkers & Ensigns'. The names are arranged according to the twenty-four stations.

3) To the right of table two is another table giving the strength of European commissioned officers, warrant officers and privates with the subheadings Engineers, Artillery, Infantry, Surgeons. Also a table of 'Native' warrant officers, rank & file etc, which is further subdivided into Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry and Lascars, followed by columns for Field Artillery and Draft & Carriage Trains.

4) The statistics are completed by a list of the staff and warrant officers who were not returned on corps, or retired for three years as well as lists of the minor cadets and brevet officers,

Down the left side of the tables is a map of the chain of military stations in the frontier and intermediate provinces. This map has been articficially elongated in order to fit alongside the army lists. It is supplemented, bottom left, by a 'MAP / of the / NORTH PART / of / HINDOSTAN', also entitled 'MAP, shewing the true Geography of the above distorted CHART'. A note on the place names reads: 'The orthography of the MILITARY STATIONS &c in the CHART above designed is conformable to the present erroneous custom, no standard having been hitherto fixed for determining their true pronunciation; to remedy which Defect M.R GILCHRIST has favoured me with the orthogr.l corrections in this MAP, agreeably to the plan which will shortly be published by him with the first Number of his Dictionary.

The 'Mr Gilchrist' referred to in the note is John Borthwick Gilchrist (1759-1841), (Prior, DNB), author of several books on the 'Hindoostanee' philology, including the Dictionary: English and Hindoostanee, published in Calcutta by Stuart and Cooper between 1787 and 1790.
Dedication: [bottom right, in oval cartouche:] TO / HIS EXCELLENCY / LIEUT:T GEN:L ROBERT SLOPER, / COMMANDER IN CHIEF IN INDIA &c. &c. &c. / THIS / CHART / Is respectfully Inscribed by / HIS EXCELLENCY'S / Most Obedient / Humble Servant / Henry M:cKenly / Fort William / 31:st December 1785.

Inset: Map of the North Part of Hindostan. Scale: Scale bar: [32 mm =] 300 [unspecified units]. Size: 14.5 x 21.1 cm (neatline).

For further reading, see:
K. Prior, 'Gilchrist, John Borthwick (1759–1841)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, first published 2004; online edn 2007.

Condition: two fold lines; surface dirt along top edge. Verso: surface dirt along bottom, consistent with the item having been rolled and tied.