The Easter Encampment

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 129, 16 April 1885, Page 3

The Easter Encampment

(Communicated.) The changes of a kaleidoscope was not more perfect than the flitting oJ the people — the men in their gay uniforms, and the ladies in right royal attire. Never shall . we forget the Easter of '85 in that happy valley. Easter Day was glorious. The Bishop iv full eannonicals, bare-headed, standing before a pile of drums covered with the red ensign of England ; the blue, with the 4 stars of New Zealand, flying above, conducted divine service, and nine hundred men not only joined in the responses, but sung the hymns set forth on printed slips supplied to the church parade, accompanied by the Wanganui Garrison Band. The effect was heavenly.' The sermon was in his lordship's well-known style, and needs no bush, the troops in hollow square evincing their gratitude by solemn silence. The order " Men for chapel fall out " caused a sudden change in the belief of a large body of men, but , the Wellington Navals were all converted, and the officers, although staunch church men, were obliged to inarch these revivalists to mass at the Boman Catholic Church at Nelson. The biters in this case were bitten, for instead of getting free from church parade in camp, they had to march in the broiling sun into Nelson and actually attend divine service in the form they had chosen. , Of course there were many good and devout Catholics amongst the party, who enjoyed not only the worship suited to their minds but the joke played upon the hypocrites. Again to town, with passes up to various hours, extending to $ a.m. "The Mauehesters," however, were all home in good time for tattoo, and those named for " Guard," twelve in number, left their fair friends — in grief, we presume — to parade at 6 p.m. ; and even our young soldiers, who for the first time mounted a guard, behaved on sentry in a manner that would not have disgraced "The Old Guard of Napoleon." The morning of Monday was anxiously looked for, and at daylight we observed the Artillery with drag ropes, getting the guns up the face of the Geyser Hill, where the defenders of the colony afterwards formed under 'Major Pitt, of Nelson. At 9 a.m. the troops paraded and were supplied with 25 rounds of blank ammunition. Major Stapp took them into his confidence by telling them that they represented the Bussians, and their duty was to attack the English above. The Manchester were among the reserves, and when the mains body were repulsed, advanced in skirmishing order up the hill, at the double, biased away at the enemy and retired jn good order at the sound of the bugle, the only fault being that instead of double quick the men rushed at top speed, and ho also did other troops, but this must be rectified before another field day, or " Kudos " will be lost. Charges of Cavalry and j salvos of Artillery brought the fight to a close, 1 and they surrendered with the understanding that the invaders evacuated the island withing 24. hours, marching out with th^e honors, of/ war. The review at 2.30 was continued until 5 p.m., and we have never witnessed a more complete display of military discipline than ■ was shown by the troops in general, and by the. gallant Manchesters in particular. " The men had tea, the kits were pockod and handed to the escort,' and at 6 p.m. the brigade,; headed by the Artillery, marched under their übiquitous Brigadier for embarkation at the port, and at 10.30 three ringing cheers told that the company were homeward bound; '.The'i&sage ko! Wanganui -was ocaoothas.a boat.on a mill pond, no man ill, and,' the good ' people of that city greeted, their soldiers heartily, and y/ou'haye^tpUlhin. fc. previous issue of the Stab how the Feilding folk received their contingent with torch and trumptifc."' So ended the most charming trip the Manchester Rifles ever had, and tb^heir credit be it recorded that from the Captain tb the bugler all behaved as soldiers. ;.,; : ., '. .