BOOK OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 2456, 8 May 1915, Page 9

BOOK OF THE DAY.

'LETTERS FROM THE FRONT FIFTY YEARS AGO. It is not ail unpleasant change to turn from the numerous books ou the Great War to some narrative of how British soldiers fought in India in the stirring days of the Mutiny. Such a record is to be found in "Letters from Persia and India, 1857-1859," by the late General Sir George Digby Barker, .edited by Lady Barker (Bell, 10s.). They are the letters written _ "from the front" by a young British officer, a lieutenant in the famous 78th Regiment of Foot, nowadays the second battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders. The letters were written to his mother, and show their author to have been a modest, sensible, God-fearing young fellow, as -well as a gallant soldier, who, fortunately, for his home correspondents, possessed the ability to describe the brave deeds of his comrades-in-arms .very intelligently, and,. indeed, with a icertain simple eloquence.. He was only twenty-three .when .he., wrote these letters, but he lived to the fine old age iof eighty, serving his Queen and coun.■fcry in many important positions in various parts of the Empire. After taking part in an exjiedition Tip the Shatt-el-Arab (where British and Indian troops have recently seen some fairly ■hot work) in the war with Persia, brought about by the Shah's annexation of Herat, the young lieutenant was transferred with his regiment to India, •where they were to serve under the ifamous General Outram. The 78th were feent round to Calcutta in time to take a leading part in the first relief and subsequent defence of,Lucknow. It is a. stirring st-ory which the young officer writes home or his experiences. Specially interesting is the story of the victorious march to Cawnpore. and of the first important fight in which the Highlanders took part, near Futtehpore, mth the. rebel armies.

Lieutenant Barker writes: —On Bearing the enemy's position -we turned off the-road to the right, -with the intention of taking'their position in 'flank; ' their guns soon opened fire, and in a short time the action became general. (When the line of infantry had been p:etty well pounded by the enemy's cannon, the 78th were ordered to ad•vanoe and charge the batteries at the point of the bayonet. On we went with deafening cheers, and in a few minutes the guns were ours; on we went past the batteries and fired into the retreating foe, until we were halted for a few seconds to form again compactly for- another charge. General Havelock at 1 this time came up and called out, -"Well done, 78th! You shall be my iown regiment in future; another charge ilike that and we shall win the day." iUpon this we "went through pools and •mud, cheering and screeching, and the ■next battery was oars, but this was almost too much for human exertion. The sun was now at its hottest, and crushing on like madmen, with the of arms and ammunition, every'.one was completely done up. At last live were halted. . . . After half an refreshing rest (if rest can be called refreshing • when the ground on •■all sides is Being ploughed up with tshot) we again advanced to the right i flank, which was threatened by the ifenemy, and after driving them out of •another village, we ail lay down on the ground; round shot and grape came thick aiound .us from one side, and rifle isbots from another. - After allowing ithem to exhaust their ammunition while iwe rested, we again advanced and drove ithem off the field. By tlis time we rhad; followed them to Cawnpore, which ! fell to our hands, and darkness covered jthe field of action. After the dead had been, buried by jmoonlight, the troops were addressed iby 'Havelock, who specially praised the 'gallantry of the Highlanders, "Gentlemen," he said, "I am now upwards of years oM. Ihave been forty ■years in the service. .1 have been engaged in action about seven and twenty (times, but during'the whole of my jcareer I have, never seen any regiment (behave Jaetter, nay more, I. have never (seen one behave so well, as the 78tl Highlanders this day. I am proud of jyou." The honours won by the 78th on this fjjlorious day they fought their way into Ithe Residency was dearly gained, for ithey lost nine officers and 130 men kiil®d and wounded out of a total muster iJof little more than 400. The British ;had to contend against greater odds in ; those days of the mutiny than even fitheir countrymen are contending to-day on the-Yser, but then, ;cs now, they exhibited the most superb- ' gallantry, both en masse and individuality. The book lends itself to quotation in its every chapter, affording as it 'jdoes a series of vividly picturesque descriptions of scenes in battle and in camp. which differ so materially from , iatter-day war conditions. The illus~fcrations include several portraits, including a group of the 78th's officers. 'A map of Lucboow and its environs is ivery useful in assisting to a better comprehension of the narrative.