The following Brigade Order was issued by Major-General the Hon. A. A. Spencer on the Battalion leaving Aldershot: ‘Major-General Spencer takes leave of Lieutenant-Colonel Somerset, the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade on their departure for Edinburgh, with much regret. ‘It is now upwards of two years since he became acquainted and connected with the Battalion in the 4th Division before Sebastopol, during which time he has had opportunities of judging of their soldierlike qualities and habits of discipline. ‘The greatest proofs of these are the success which always attended their separate important undertakings against the enemy, and also their speedy recovery from the effects of hardships they, as well as every other regiment in that army, experienced in the winters of 1854-5. ‘The Major-General now bids them farewell, and trusts it may be his good fortune to meet them again in his military career.’ On August 5 a serious fire broke out in the old town of Edinburgh, which the Battalion succeeded with great exertions in extinguishing. Their conduct on this occasion elicited the following letter to Lieutenant-Colonel Somerset from the Lord Provost: ‘Edinburgh, August 11, 1857. ‘Sir,--I have the honour to convey a resolution unanimously adopted by the magistrates and town council of this city at their meeting to-day, to express their warm and cordial thanks to the officers and men of your regiment for the valuable and effective aid rendered by you in extinguishing the late fire and preserving order. ‘(Signed) JOHN MELVILL, Lord Provost. ‘Lieutenant-Colonel Somerset, C.B., Rifle Brigade.’ During the time the Battalion was at Edinburgh the men received the short Enfield and resumed the armament of the sword bayonet, as of old. Riots of the mill-hands being apprehended, three companies of the Battalion were hurriedly moved by rail to Glasgow on November 11 in aid of the Civil power; and these were reinforced by an additional company on December 1. A few days afterwards the Head-quarters and remaining companies of the Battalion followed them to Glasgow, arriving there on the 10th and detaching two companies to Ayr. The 2nd Battalion remained at Aldershot until June, on the 26th of which month they proceeded to London. And were present at the first distribution of the Victoria Cross by Her Majesty Queen Victoria. On which occasion the following officers and men of the Regiment received the cross from the hands of Her Majesty: Brevet-Major the Hon. H. Clifford. Brevet-Major C. T. Bourchier. Captain William J. Cunninghame. Lieutenant John Knox. Private Francis Wheatley. Private Joseph Bradshaw. Private Roderic MacGregor. Private John Humpston.