The comparative efficiency of guns collected into batteries kept in order and directed by officers of the artillery, and of the same scattered as battalions and galloper-guns, had been proved so strongly in favour of the former, that the Government now resolved on following up the practice of European powers. The gallopers from six native regiments were directed to be embodied into two troops of native horse artillery at Meerut and Cawnpoor, and placed under the command of Captains G. Gowan and Biggs in July, and those of the two remaining regiments were some months later withdrawn and formed into a third troop at Nagpoor under Lieutenant George Blake, and subsequently Captain Rodber. The horses and troopers accompanied the guns; and as the best horses had generally been given to the galloper-guns, these troops were exceedingly well provided with draught cattle. For officers the foot-artillery was again indented on, but this time not without an augmentation, for, “adverting to the number of officers withdrawn from the foot to the horse artillery, and to the total inadequacy of the number of officers which would remain with the battalions of foot artillery, and for the numerous and important duties required of them, the Governor-General was pleased to determine that the officers actually attached to the horse artillery should be struck off the strength of the foot artillery, and the vacancies supplied by promotion;” and accordingly one major and six captains were now (25th October) added to the corps. Before adverting to the campaigns which the Marquis of Hastings’s grand combinations against the Pindarees caused, we will notice the additions made to the regiment previous to its reorganization in October, 1818, and detail its strength when that change had taken place, and then succinctly refer to those well-planned operations which with very little bloodshed rooted out the Pindarees, and humbled the Mahratta power. In continuation of the system of collecting guns in batteries, an experimental horse field-battery was formed in November, and placed under Captain Battine with the 6th company 3rd battalion. The battery consisted of eight guns and eight waggons (two 12–pounders, two 5½-inch howitzers, and four 6–pounders), and ninety-six horses were allowed to drag it; these horses were led by “Syce drivers,” a class of syces placed on the same footing as lascars with respect to pay, clothing, and pension. The rocket-troop was modified as to the numbers of its men and cattle, but camels were still continued with it, nor was it till 1822 that they were superseded by horses, and two additional companies of independent golundaz were raised for the Islands and Bengal. Colonel Sherwood was appointed acting commandant during Major-General Hardwicke’s absence on sick leave.