‘On our throwing ourselves, on the 12th November last, into the old and ruined town of Jellalabad, without money, without food, and almost without protection, with a nation of highly excited and barbarous enemies in arms against us, our situation seemed as hopeless a one as British troops were ever called upon to confront; notwithstanding which, the enemy was twice attacked within twenty days, and on both occasions defeated with signal success. ‘You, yourself, will doubtless detail the works performed by the regiment; let it then be only my province, who have witnessed their exertions, almost hourly during a period of five months, to record, that _their devoted perseverance and cheerfulness amidst all the gloom that surrounded them, after the destruction of their comrades of the Cabool force, could not have been surpassed by any troops in the world_; and that after months of extreme toil, when an earthquake, such as man is not often in the habit of experiencing, in a moment left scarcely a vestige of their labour standing; _their flying as they did with redoubled zeal to the work, and completing it in ten days_, (so that on the arrival of the enemy before Jellalabad, they declared that the calamity which had befallen the valley arose from nothing but English witchcraft, it being the only place that had escaped uninjured) _was what none but British soldiers could have performed, and what no price could have purchased_, for it was the labour of the heart, work of all others most deserving of distinction and reward.’ The distinguished conduct of the regiment was appreciated, and Her Majesty thus alluded to it in her most gracious speech on proroguing Parliament on the 12th August, 1842:--‘Although I have had deeply to lament the reverses which have befallen a division of the army to the westward of the Indus, yet I have the satisfaction of reflecting that the gallant defence of the city of Jellalabad, crowned by a decisive victory in the field, has eminently proved the courage and discipline of the European and Native troops, and the skill and fortitude of their distinguished commander.’ On the 26th of August, the pleasure of Her Majesty the Queen Victoria, was officially announced in the London Gazette:-- ‘_War Office, 26th August, 1842._ ‘In consideration of the distinguished gallantry displayed by the THIRTEENTH Light Infantry during the campaigns in the Burmese empire and in Affghanistan, Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of that regiment assuming the title of the THIRTEENTH OR PRINCE ALBERT’S REGIMENT OF LIGHT INFANTRY; and of its facings being changed from _yellow_ to _blue_.