From January, 1816, to the end of the spring, 1817, the EIGHTY-EIGHTH was in garrison at Valenciennes, when it returned to Great Britain, and was quartered in Edinburgh about two years. Some time after its arrival in Scotland, a letter was received from Lieutenant-General the Honourable Sir Charles Colville, who had frequently had it under his command, as part of the third division, in the Peninsula, and more recently during its stay at Valenciennes, “expressing his hearty wish for the honour and well-being of the regiment in whatever situation it may be placed, and requesting the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, to accept his thanks for the ready attention paid to his orders during the period the regiment was under his command.” * * * * * [Sidenote: 1818] During the period of repose at Edinburgh, it occurred to Colonel Wallace to establish an _Order of Merit_ in the regiment, by conferring some honorary mark of distinction on the non-commissioned officers and privates, proportioned to their regimental character, length of service, and the number of general engagements in which they had been present. This was, however, a design which could not be carried into execution without the consent and approbation of the Commander-in-Chief, which Colonel Wallace applied for in the following letter:— “_Edinburgh Castle, June 4, 1818._ “SIR, “I have the honour to state, that some of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the EIGHTY-EIGHTH Regiment have served in twelve different general actions, and have been two, three, and four times wounded, have been a long time in the regiment, and always conducted themselves well in the field and in quarters. I am anxious to bestow upon them some mark of distinction for their good conduct, as an encouragement to them and others in future. “I shall be much obliged to you if you will obtain His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief’s permission for me to give such men medals as a testimony of their merit. “I have, &c., “J. A. WALLACE, “Colonel Commanding. “_To the Adjutant-General._”