DEATH OF A PENINSULAR VETERAN.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 191, 8 March 1878, Page 6

DEATH OF A PENINSULAR VETERAN.

' 4 -■-,'. ",'."■'• ■.; ;!*> ' ''Vf •*•■■ '•" „ > " Died at New Ste venston, Ist De- "" ; cember, 1877, John Arbuckle? ag#c_ M ' '87 '•:" so read the plate on -the coffin that ; carried the mortal .remains .of t anpo|d, r soldier' to his last resting place "in"' the, .„,. - Shotts'Eirk Yard. The' deceased' "Wke [ " : .. born 'at Ca m busi ahg i n April 5 ,"-! 7§o. - ] His parents were a pious'cbiiple- belong'- * ih'g*; ,tq the Auld. Lights., Then (father D*, vvas a,w.eaver, but his sop. was.captiyatpd.j,.. by the soldier's life. Off tp. the iwars hp,.,. would go? In 1810 lie enlistee, 'iii the. 79th Highlanders. Being under the' 1 '" ordinary stature, jn prd.eiv to.seeugej his •;'«• reception, he^.called, , f himself $ ,yea,r. • , younger than lie 'really was. Soon ,he \ deparred''tb join j; l/is n "reg*iment ''in' 'the '' f / Spanish* ' Peninsula. ' -His !/j fii*s't t ,; 'ek- 0! perience* of •> w,ar* was. ' in vthe ; battles r of? v Salamanca. ,<On „ t,he ;iu battlefieldotthe.X thought of home . cam^-jntp ..his -..mind,-,^ and he wondered what his parents woiild have said had tlity known .hpw'ihe had' bsen eh'gaged ori' that Sabbath tiay. ;u - H e r> {'-' : was next in the 'battles of NiWle^Nive,^ ' Pyrenees, ,and,.Tpulpuse. , -jAlthougJh^isV . *..-. comrades fell ;oii each .side, ...he, escaped , r . .through ' an^'tlie^^p'^th^t fa scratch. ■ Atif he '-time of" J! W4 ! teflbo r<J %¥ ( ' ' was on hisiway , fromjthehospital''to^joiD r - fhis regiment;,., *. JHja preached r-Berlini:} onie,* the night jo.f the°,inemorable ( ! : Bth',^up-?, RJ . vvhere he heard tliat Napoleon and, .'his army ilad''beeri I ''eqmpletdy'''f6ute^." , In '.' 182*r hi vvas 'dischSrged^with% sixpence 0 " " per day fbf'>pen'sion^> ! but (! which, 1 tfrrfe'e^ * ye-ars] ago, vvas;incr.eaßed.to'one;shil_ing.*i a He had the honpnrpt fiye.medals-ibeside?, „r. ■ one* for., good., conduct., The,'" herQ& T( ., hardest engagement .was ?ip:imediatelyV . after his 1 'discharge? ' Diirihg/His ' e'leVeh'^ ','"' years- service he'tiad'hWer ; wntt'eh' :/ 'td^ y •his- parents. ... That? weighed; upon .'his^or mind! now.;,. He-had^faGedy-thje, enemy's airlines with .less^rouble .than ,he,7ie)tj r in „,.. facing home. However,, arriving: in,, Glasgow, he .made foi*. the house' Mn 7." : which his 'parents- resided' wfi'e'ii* He 'left jr °" i Knocking ar the door, " Is-thisT RbbVr t !( ?W Arbiickl.e's,?'' h he-.enguiredy jw,hen , r a. ■ dame Ireplied , , ".' Robert Ar buckled L Rp- 1, ., berV- Arbuc'kle '-is '' F d6iid} n bfif 'W4 U widow ri! " 'lives ! up" ; 'th ; c staii-I v Wh^t^wariPye' T';"---wi'-r Robert Arbuok-lW I'A^B^^my-^' ihtheri" answered ahe, ..soldier.^ *•' Arja rr . T ohn . Arbuckle V with^ that _>hg. cried dp' f tlfe^tair; "''Hie 1 ! 'M^'lrblicfeief ?r ,h ; e,re>! frdhnV" • t^"^\^ase»-\rbhti l f''^re^^ '*> [the widow's voice. v Your am Mi Jbhii— -your lost son,'-' responded tlie good neighbour,. \yith fervour, and.whien , brought 4liF'Wianw' f l;o a tß^ < stajfefiM 1 * '* •who*- lifting "up* -her' ' Panels' 5 exc'laia_e\ip i "i " Losli ikeep i:me,s;is? thatiuybuQ J:o^ni-?/??r i\ " Aye !^ mither, its a' its left o'i|. ; me;"{ 6t i The old soldier would speak wijh glow-* -ing fervoura-bis 1 - -(lattMSiadfteWiS"^-touched'Pnv-'his hdme^cb'miiJ^ -bg^li.*-HJi Ways broke;down? ; LHi'S[heartihnedidh-iiovu rdropt into tear^,, .whenchej jrememjjejr^4/ ht that .meeting with his mother! l On Saturday last in the house3ofJhii;sißHrri_i^;iol law, .Mrs~walk«r-3-the*-old-*Boldier<died-.--*--By , hjs!death i 'an6the'r hW passeaWff^HiO^ rpli-^ll on eartb- oL tbe ,Penin^ular ' veteraris.-- '^^^ai^^^^Ja^* , r.tofit now ;c ; sc>a-ji*wiU-r»]l Jjave-passedLon fee. to" the roll-call of eternity. 7 K>' • ;-- 1 | l^^ l gai6ffl^ai_i-_ > %(W'3&>&q\i.