HEROIC DISCIPLINE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 226, 4 July 1873, Page 3

HEROIC DISCIPLINE.

It was at the burning of the Birken- > head at sea, faraway from, any help of hope, that the most glorious proof of manhood and discipline ever furnished, even by the British soldier, was given. In 1852, the Birkenhead, with di'affcs on board from nine different regiments, caught fire upon, the high seas. When the fire could be fought no longer, and the only chance left was to save 121 women and children, the officers commanding drew up their men as if on parade; and then "at attention," still as the death that was coming, true as the steel of their weapons, the splendid fellows stood, shoulder to shoulder, without a movement or amurmur; so standing saw the boats shove , off and went do «;n .with the engulfed vessel. It was a piece of pure and exalted manhood, which is so much above the excitement of battles, that Waterloo, the Alma, and Inkerman, are almost vulgar memories beside that beautiful instance of duty and fearlessness of death. The regiments which contributed men to so valarous and Christian a battalion were the 12th. Lancers? and the 2nd, 16tli 42nd, 45th, 50th, 73rd, 74th, and 61st, Regiments.; and whatever blazonry thecolors of the three regiments bear, the s word "Birkenhead" might be written amongst them with the greatest* and* truest pride. Four hundred and fiftyfour men went down to their sea-grave that day in soldierly order, conquerers of Death himself, not moving a limb, firm' steady, and satisfied, since there was only room for the little ones and the women in the boats, and the word of command had passed," Stand still and die like Englishmen." Ah! when that story was made public it went in to general orders besides our own. The King of Prussia then commanded that it should be read at the head of every company in the Prussian anny; and stout Berliners and Pomeranians, who could have sworn with many a guttural oath that they themselves were as good as the best at fighting, uttered an admiring "AchHimmel" and then gave the drowned " Englanders" a cheer of thunder for the sake of that matchless act of good discipline?