"His Majesty having been pleased to appoint me Colonel of the Second Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards, in succession to His Royal Highness Prince Frederick, I take the earliest opportunity of acquainting you with it: and although this new appointment is a very flattering mark of His Majesty's approbation of my services, yet I cannot help feeling the greatest regret at quitting the FIFTH regiment of Foot, which I have had the pleasure of commanding for sixteen years with great satisfaction to myself, and, I trust, with some advantage to the corps. The very uncommon attention which I have always met with, both from the officers and men of the FIFTH, will ever be remembered by me with the greatest pleasure; and however changed my situation may be with respect to them, my regard, esteem, and affection for them will ever continue the same, and I shall always be happy in having an opportunity of convincing them of it. "I am, with the greatest regard, "Yours most sincerely, (Signed) "PERCY. "Officer commanding FIFTH Foot." Earl Percy was succeeded by Major-General the Honourable Edward Stopford, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Sixty-sixth Foot, whose commission as Colonel of the FIFTH is dated 1st November, 1784. [Sidenote: 1785] The colours of the FIFTH being worn out by time and numerous honourable perforations received in action, a new set was presented to it with the usual solemnities, on St. George's day, 1785, in the parish church of Belfast, where the regiment was then stationed. In the evening the men dined sumptuously in the barrack-yard by companies, at the expense of their lately promoted Colonel, Earl Percy. In the same year, the assistance rendered by the FIFTH on the occasion of a great fire which broke out in Belfast called forth the public thanks of the corporation and inhabitants. [Sidenote: 1787] The FIFTH remained in Ireland, earning, by its discipline and conduct, the repeated commendations of the several general officers by whom it was commanded or reviewed, till May the 24th, 1787, when it embarked at Monkstown, near Cork, for Canada, and after a voyage of two months, touching by the way at Newfoundland, arrived at Quebec on the 26th of July. After a short stay at the capital of Lower Canada, the regiment was encamped on the heights above Silleri, and after being reviewed there on the 29th of August, 1787, by his Royal Highness Prince William Henry (afterwards King William IV.), was embarked at Wolfe's Cove on the 6th of September, in batteaux, for the interior, where it remained for nine years. [Sidenote: 1790] [Sidenote: 1791]