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The colonial adjutants for the governor general have rank like captains in the militia and that ought certainly to remain as the pay rank as in the foreign colonies such is the case.-
In connection herewith, I dare to apply to your Royal Majesty for captain status for my current adjutant of troops, first lieutenant v. Seidelin, who is the eldest of his class here, and is, besides, deserving of Your Majesty’s grace, as it does not seem right that the colonial adjutants should have the rank of captains in the armed forces and the military adjutant a lesser one, for which reason, I further most humbly ask if, in the future, the governor general’s adjutant of troops could not, as long as he remains in that position and his actual rank not withstanding, be brevetted a provisional rank as captain, which is also customary in the foreign colonies where, for example, a brigade major, which adjutants almost always are by the French or the English, often only has rank of first lieutenant when he ceases to be aide-de-camp.
As regards St. Thomas, I have corresponded with the commandant, /: whose opinion is attached :/ and I dare, partly according to the same, most humbly to make the following proposals regarding the citizens militia, there:
1. That the citizens militia in the town use the name of St. Thomas Citizen Corps and be constituted of 2 companies of which the 1st be commanded by the Militia Commander and the 2nd by a captain.-
2. That this captain’s position remain unfilled until the case against John Eagan, who otherwise according to his length of service should be proposed as captain, but who now is under arrest as the chief instigator in a duel by which lieutenant Seymore lost his life, is completed.-
3. That the Eastward and Westward detachments be united and given the name of St. Thomas citizens Cavalry. John Malleville, the commander, here to fore, of the Westward detachment is then most humbly proposed as head of the cavalry with the rank which he has already most graciously been granted by Your Royal Majesty and Abraham van Vlierten, here to fore, the commander of the Eastward detachment as second cavalry captain.
4. That the firefighting unit should use the name of St. Thomas Firecorps and the that the uniform of same, of which a drawing follows, be most gracefully approved, with the difference, however, that only officers and non-commissioned officers have decorated borders on clothing and the firefighters only plain borders and jackets buttoned with only one row of buttons.
Fire Major James Wright, who with enthusiasm has headed the corps, is most humbly proposed for rank of captain in the armed forces and ensign. |