SIR EVELYN WOOD ON THE BRITISH SOLDIER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 33, 7 February 1880, Page 5

SIR EVELYN WOOD O N THE BRITISH SOLDIER.

There was a great county gathering at Chelmsford on the occasion of prea:nting to Brigadier-GenerahSir Evelyn Wood a 8 word, ia recognition ,pf bis gallant services, more especially during the war in Zululand. Subsequently a banquet took place at the Cora Exchange, at which Sir Evelyn Wood, in responding to the toastofhis health said: 2~" It is the fashion now to discredit some, of our best traditions* but I hope our schoolboys will never- cease to believe hi-ibe-gloriousY homely -words, * England espects that every man will do bia duty.'- (Cheers.) I have kcowu many men of all ranks who have patiently Hyed and ungrudgingly died for no more brilliant reward than the) approval of the • still* small voice.' (Hear, hear.) Some alas ! like Ronald : Campbell, have gone away so quickly in their noble haate that they have not eyen heard the,' Well done !' of theic comrades — "(Hear, hear)— but their Example has not been lost. When. Ih^nojse, and {.he. > excitement 6f , Ttljejjjyai^ ace over, the soldier who has r^ei.mej^e._^._.ea^^lher, or for rdaty fa .sake, cpn^. n ever agPiin ■< fee pal*, '■ :i h^aV:) Ui;J 'wM -fcWivn' L /or " his ( °c6i*%*6frttMkm-^m right ofhfß^gtaph'id genius L faf lX b 1 ett6f fitted Tto describe tife x aijd character Jjjftp JE— J ; , : Ujl'ihiit'^ii u ia^mbrVlbdlineis in camp" than in barracka.' ..I endorse 1 Cjhatl^ctiallyi^ r^fae^Uis brother,'fhoodi in(K"ctwttoioti cfeardahips cdndi ' peril. 1 if There is a reverent tenderness for the^home which may n9ver be seen £ a^aio. ; ((bhe^rs ) L Tbe tfiibilienable' ' *ies j -of : kiiidre* J M/ blood 1 1 out strongly when the r ftmelraess of death 1 ' may^hafe 1 ! "* 6 Way from loving 'hWnHsJ^Tßough it may he many M ;yTß;aW'«gTy'l^hWe* r ftSrer forgotten— and iD^efe'dfthe^scefie is as 1 before mel thisidiyTas tfiia/ih-otning it occarred— the face of Arthur Eyre, my adjutant (and friend, r^vie i'"lsy^ edrely wounded,

the last officer 'hit pri : the day Si) Garnet Woiaaiy entered Coomaßßie For the Bis tnoQiha we hadlitfed and worked together this gallant youth bad never failed When we were engaged to thrust between;; m$ and (hie ambushed foe. (Cheers.) Composing hfe Features that 1 might not ae? hi* sufferings, rhe, looked up in ray eyes, and said with a quietude which told me he had accurately gauged the .mortal nature of bis then undressed wound, 4 Full my rings off for my mother.' I do not believe sweethearts and parents ever : get eo many letters as they dp from men employed on active service on remote stations. We all remember Thackeray's immortal touch, when he describes Stubble on the eve of ] departure for Waterloo, writing home to. his mother a loving letter, ' full of . pluck and bad sp ailing.' (Cheers and laughter.) Well, we have improved ; in some respects, for the . rack and file now write as well, or , far better, ' than. Ensign Stubble did then— (Hear .and laughter) r-b of the pluck is, I'think,, verify inuch as ,it was—^pheerß)'— -^nil ' tjja youngsters who, under experienced npnVcbmmisaioned officers^ vied with the, veteran battalion in rolling back the long oo!ds of 12 to* 1 at Kambula-p- --| (Prolonged cheeriri^r-finllly stood aa sjbea^ty as a wall at „fymid), where, in the; words, of SenptfureV 'they; joined battle, and the heathen, be.iqg discomfited," flediatbiha plain, ', (If oiid cheers.) These boy-solcli^rs, I say, are the, prp^ f^esiorial heirs to those raw militia lade, imperturbable square, repulsed till e desperate bnsejri $ ' N^poledn's Ijfp? voted cavalry, and restored the egui« ljb'rjuai of, shaken 'bidder. ' (Cheeris.-j Amongst a ' soldier's" pleasahtesfc *"recollectionsTrand there is much that, is f erHbl^ p'aiiif ul to remember in war-^ a,^ those which dwell on the m^y bright instances' of unseifisH heroism, often unpretentious in form, displayeH I byimen who have simply desired, and wifch what noble simplicity, to do the'ir duty.. (Cheers.) I was " fortunate daring the recent campaign in being ; shppcJrted by such sterling personal I leaders of trodps as Colonel Gilbert, land Mayor Meyers, " V.C. Colonel j Gilbert who was; suifef ing Qcutely'from l ill-h;^alth;!thrb^lip^tj^jCpuldnot tie^ipi \ dupe;4 dhfilj ?ifter,tl»e, /oft-repea,i!e4^ !^a4 ! urgent recommendations -. to - rest, i : and i at ; atime when many men "'.would' %ave j been claimants for home care aujd( hcw^e cpnifprts ' he eontinued at : his : (jpfls,^ shading all the .hardships, aad uuL timately directing- the triumph ■ ot Ma resdlute soldiery , ! of the, lSfc.h . ji'lglit; InX ifontry. Such qualities are incalculable ito. the general who is assisted rtaad | the troops who are inspired by, them. Nor ' were" his ,:subordihates unflrortiiy; thei^. chief on the 29.th of ISfj^l Captain Pearse, though wottndjed^eaHyj in the fight, declined to give over his company, and for some^days continued on duty, until, his wound - festering, enabled the doctors to insist on his leaving the camp. , Private Albert Page was behind the rampart q'f Wjagofis, vheashei saw one of our natives lying in prozim|ity to the advancing. foe, f .and exposed to a heavytfire;. Qdietly,'-a» :s if to engage in ordinary fatigue duty, he laid aside | his rifle; 'atrd ' off' jhk wagon, walk'ecTto the' native's side) and carried him carefully inside the lager., (Cheers; ) Mar wore' the OOfch;' 1 " Light' Infantry less* fortunate in their leader. il have elsewhere testified to the courage jandj worth, of some ; of 7 the nopcpmmiasione^d,; officers and privates,? but no regiment could fail to be influenced- byith»i s|!eajiy r \guji4ja?icf and well-tried courage of my loyal sup-porter,-Major—Mayers, -T-Q., who com? maa^^h^qpsp^ou^^t^-^lji war, as I had been temporarily promoted to the position W aPgeneraL The officers aii^^^d^OtHe'chardcter of their Maiqr. T liie,uteaaate T^riao»fr and Smith went tiut m front of toe position to a,, spot; swept by & fico to help, a wodndett' sblo|e§^na I .a s^s|4d fay tain^^oodgatVone of my s|i^ff^^^ r crying him in, whe^;,p^u^Ms Sfctth fell seyerely i woun4efl,>.BW.hobhT incident, however, failed to shate-the; composure of Woodgate arid ; Lysons. Qeoe§9 Sandham, the most popular cjipp|iii pf.the r corps,.lay dying of eft^eijc ferer, unconscious of the,, strife., raging) {round his tent, ( uptil,arouse4 by the iexu^ting shouts, raised ''by the troops as the Zulus f Jell ' ' hack p!iscpnijite4>[ he speut his ' remaining "strength m

r clipping his hands and ! adding his faiLL ing voice 'to the cheetfs Mth& men. •■ <I 1 have lately referred' to f fche good; service I done V Major Tremletfc and = hitf ' Runs, > and the determined Nicholson at Kara*j hiiltf.- The other artillery officers '' were ; of the same calibre. Captain Yaughan, i who 1 was employed aa director of transi. I port, came to me daring the fight, and i said to me in his usual quiet tone, ' Nicholson is badly hurt, sir.? May I take his place? ' Arid i with vSergeanfc ; Quigley at one end of the redoubt, arid I 1 Vaughan at the^ other, the guns ?con- ,! tinued to rain bullets at our brava ;foe& , | (Cheers.) " Eieutenants 1 r ßigge.^and Slade stood^up'with'their r^iinriersi ifor ■ four- hours, exciting ouc; admiratioo. Their iafcelligeace andlcoolneßsrlbfti us i no advarifcage unaecuxedi Indeed jcmore ! than once. a shell bursting! in a 'fresh spot /directed my-attention tojgathering masses hitherto / unseen ;by •'• me. (Gheers;)" f : :