OUR WAR CORRESPONDENT

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1014, 28 March 1883, Page 2

OUR WAR CORRESPONDENT

AT WANGANUI.

As a short description of the Wanganui “’'Easter Encampment " may bo acceptable to your readers who did not visit the camp, I will endeavour .to give you a slight idea of the “ performance ” as it appeared to the eye of one of the ■ performers, but, in order to make the “ description ” somewhat readable and as nearly intelligible as “your unfortunate correspondent ” is able, I will begin at the barrack yard and go with the Patea Rifles through the whole performance to the “ dismiss ”, at Captain Taplin’s corner on their return.. At 12-30 p.ih. oh Thursday the Rifles’ Bugler sounded the “ dress,’" to warn the men that it was time to don their war paint and make their way towards the Barracks to “fall in " for their departure, albeit, in accordance with the custom of the Patea Rifles, although warned nightly for the three nights previous to the day of departure to fall in at one sharp, it was. half-past before the: men assembled, and considerably later before they Ayero ready to begin the_ march. However) eventually they received the comrhand “ Fours, fight; Quick March,” and fairly started on the journey, headed by the remains of the Volunteer Band,

which' played them down to the end of Egment-street, where they “ embarked” in three coaches for Waverley, and thence by train to Wanganui. Here the company was destined to receive

A tcrrilrlc olxill, for, although Captain Taplin had telegraphed to say the company would reach Wanganui by the evening train, there was not a Hying soul to meet him on leaving the train ! ! This, as may be supposed, considerably damped the spirits of the men, as such negligence is anything but pleasant.a»4 not easy...to forget. .^.[Xshall, hero, with your permission, alter the grammar slightly ami use the short word “ us,” or “ We,” instead of company as being 'much more easily written; and effecting a considerable saving of ink, &c.] From the station we marched to the drill . shed, where" the Wanganui men had assembled, and were waiting - orders to march into camp. Major Slapp informed us that there was some “ tea and bread and butter,” hr the adjoining* room that we were.welcome to if we wished to refresh the “ inner man,” but most of us seemed inclined to get at something a little more substantial, and wandered off in groups to the “ pubs ” that host suited our several fancies and “stowed ” a substantial meal, “your correspondent ” bringing up amongst several others at Charlie Chavanne’s, where a right good tea was very soon prepared for ns to which Wo did most ample justice. During this time the Wanganui men marched out to camp headed by their garrison band once more Ignoring the fact (now most unmistakeably known..to them) that some of their visitors had arrived, and leaving us to find our way to camp as best we could,..which, of course, we did in due lime. There, however, another damper was put on us in the shape of having to “ stand at ease ” for fifteen or twenty minutes, until some one could bo found to tell us where to camp, and what tents to occupy,, and, straw could be obtained for us to lie on, and this during occasional rain just to keep us in fear of b#ing wet through,'which would have been vory° pleasant, as each; man had his blankets with, him and they, of course, would get wet also. It is an Englishman’s privilege to grumble, more especially an English soldier, but although a grumbler, ho is prepared to undergo very great hardships and discomfort if it is necessary , but when it is simply put on him through the carelessness or idleness of officials, it is not so easy to bear. The “ Easter encampment ” has been a settled fact for a long time, and it would have been just as easy to have pitched and apportioned the tents at ten in the morning as to have waited till ten at night to do it, or else to have served out the tents in the bags to each company and let them pitch them for themselves. But this is digressing. In due time we settled ourselves in our quarters, and, coiled down for sle.ep, which was not ;easy to obtain in the peculiar circumstances under which we found ourselves. On Friday morning camp-life began, and Bugles were sounding with a wonderful continuance, the whole volunteers in camp having to parade to go down to the wharf to meet,the Nelson men. And right well those men deserved to be met, and to receive the welcome bestowed on them, for they were a wonderful acquisition to the camp. After their arrival in camp, we were ordered to vacate our tents and move into others pitched a few yards away, ten of our number taking up their quarters in a loose-box (on ordinary occasions considered good enough for a horse to spend a few hours in) some hundred yards away from the rest of their men. The camp was now formed, as no other volunteers were expected, and the regular camp routine began in earnest. I must now ask permission to once .more alter the grammar and use the personal pronoun “ I,” not from, any wish to exalt myself, but to prevent any misunderstanding in the statements that may appear hereafter, as what may,be my opinion on the various subjects might not of course be the opinion of others, and I should be sorry to hurt anyone’s feelings by attach ing to them a statement not in accordance with their wishes or ideas. The first thing that struck me was the total absence of everything in the shape of discipline. I had always understood that the “ Encampment ” was cerried out strictly in accordance with military discipline, but anyone expecting, anything of that sort has been most wofully disappointed. No attempt at'discipline was made from beginning to end, the camp being every night until quite the “ small hours ”

A Complete 64 Babel.” and no regard whatever paid to any noncommissioned officer, and very little to the commissioned officers if we except the two Majors. While on this subject. I' will dispose of the “ Patcas ” as-we were called in camp.' I must say they were somewhat unfortunate in having officers quite new to their work, for however willing an officer may be he cannot bring the most out of his men without some experience in battalion drill and camp discipline, and I must add that on several occasions a well executed movement was marred by the inexperience of the commissioned officers and want of smartness in giving the cautionary words of command in time to secure instant obedience to the command itself. This, however, may come • with practice, but I’m afraid that no amount of practice will ever make non-commissioned officers of some of the men who now carry stripes. After dinner there were two hours drill to help to fill up the afternoon, the rest of the day being at the men’s own disposal, which interval was enlivened by the various bands playing on the lawn in front of the Grand Stand or on the racecourse itself. To a novice it is rather difficult, to understand, how the, Garrison Band came into its present position, and it is quite impossible to find,out by enquiry, as the reasons given by individuals are so totally at variance with each other that the enquirer at the end of his attempt can only-do what he could have done at first, viz, guess. I do not for a moment imagine that I am a judge of the capabilities or merits of a band, but I am like very, many others a fairish judge of what I'like and certainly to me there appeared to be no comparison whatever between the two bands, the Garrison Band being ' one continual burst of brass and fireworks, ] and' constantly made one inclined to Handouffl’ the Big DriiHnnei’j and put a boiled potatoe into the bell of the leader’s cornet. I do not wish to detract from this man’s dues, for ho has excellent execution, and unequalled “staying” powers, and if he would only try to recollect he is only playing one cornet in a band, not the only “ trumpet ” in a cavalry charge, he would be invaluable. On the other hand, what was pointed out to me as “ King’s band,” gave a good selection of music, and managed to get through a pice long programme, without once (if- J remember rightly) disagreeably “ Brassing " a single ipstru-

ment, and without' any-. -nnmSccss'ary display of fireworks. Saturday, its two parades,-which wore [Hit ...through by 1 p.m.,' without anything calling for comment, and “the camp” had leave till 11 :p.m., without pass. Sunday.' was ushereddn = with..■‘■■Divine.Service parade,” at which. an occurrence. took ‘ place that I once read of, but never hefore'rW’ituessed, viz, a battalion |of men so hopelessly mixed, that the commanding officer was compelled to dismiss the parade, and reform on the markers ! ! This was brought about by the vain endeavour to divide the sheep. from . the;:goats, ;in; order !.o:frrreligions. After church the day was dedicated to rest, so far as military duty was concerned, but was enlivened by. the two Bands "playing alternately ' for a great -part.;-of the afternoon,; which certainly was a very pleasant addition to the camp attractions, Suridayi though it was. Monday was the day of the campaign, and began with a sham fight, which to anyone used to a real fight must have been entertaining, as there was a glorious uncertainty as to who were the friends and who, the foes. Of course a member of one corps cannot tell a very great deal of what is going on in every part of the field, hut if eveiy company was worked to, as great advantage as the Wairoa Cavalry and the Pateas, it must have been A Wonderful Sight for any veteran who could have a “ bird’s eye.” view of the whole fight. Of course I may have seen the Wairoas at a particularly bad time, but in action one such; mistake is all that■ unrequited- to annihilate a corps. There is no opportunity for doirig better next time. The particular movement to which I allude, was when they deployed from our right (where theywere nicely under cover) in threes at a slow trot full across the front of two companies of infantry extended eight paces at a distance of less than 150 yards, simply to dismount and skirmish, towards them. Why, not a single man could have lived to dismount. Fancy’’ twenty-five men; deliberately ordered to pass in front of 100 infantry, kneeling and lydng down, at point blank'‘range, at a trot, therefore unable to fire effectively, simply’ to dismount two out of each three and skirmish towards the enemy’. Surely if to gain time, these men must be-sacrificed (as sometimes happens), -they might at least have been sacrificed like soldiers, and allowed to die with their swords in thenhands, and not shot in cold blood like pigeons from a trap. Besides trotting them out in that way does not gain time as the infantry formation is in no way interfered with, but simply enabled to have some rifle practice to steady the men, whereas if the Cavalry had come down at the charge they , would have forced the infantry to form square,, and further impeded them with A Row of Dead and wounded men and horses on tbe ground over which they were working, and thus have gained the greatest time obtainable at the moment, by the force atjeommand. Who was responsible for this action of the Wairoas of course I know not, but that it was done there is no doubt whatever. The Pateas also did a most wonderful stroke, for under the direction of a staff-sergeant-major (called Amber, or Umbrage, or something of (hat sort) they were actually’ pressed forward in extended order after an invisible but expected foe, till they found themselves outflanked on the right by’ the enemy’s unthreatened cavalry, and outflanked on the left by the enemy’s half-engaged infantry’. Poor Pateas!—rather an unenviable position. If it had been real mischief they’ would not have had another opportunity of displaying their military ardour, I’m afraid ; and if all other corps were fought as well, there must have been a few mistakes such as would have fearfully swollen the list of casualties in a long day’s real work. The afternoon was devoted to a “review,” which 1 doubt not was well worth seeing from a tolerably elevated position, but of 'course from' the ranks was “ not much ” till the fighting began. Then things were “ kept lively ” for a bit by the constant charges of the cavalry, wlio seemed to be be playing a veritable “cut-throat ” game, being" everyhody T ’s ' enemy who showed a ..weak . place anywhere, and charged in"* extended order on everybody promiscuously. In one thing I was disappointed,' and that was the evolutions of the cavalry. They were altogether of the Most Pi’imitiye Kind. That was to be regretted as there were quite sufficient men in the field to have formed two compact working squadrons with which some exceedingly useful and very attractive movements could have been executed besides adding greatly to the general effect of the “ review.” The Wairoas certainly cany off the palm for drill and it is a great pity’ they arc not a little stronger numerically’, as_ they evidently do their best and do it well too. The Alexandras appear to have more of the “ putting side on ” element about them which may possibly be attractive to the fair sex when riding about the parade ground on detached service or orderly duty’, but which never fails to utterly’ destroy the effect of the most carefully ordered movements and the most effective manoeuvres. At half-past three the Pateas and Manawatus and others down that way were disengaged from the parade, and having received a few words of congratulation from the officer commanding, and given and received cheers to and from the various other corps, left the parade ground and were dismissed for ten minutes to get any light baggage that had not been sent down to the station. The Pateas had permission given for their own band to march them down to the station. This permission however ; Came rather late as having been told in the morning that their band would not be. allowed to play them down, the music and some instruments had been sent down to the station with the baggage, and the players had been drilling all day’ in- the field, bandsman Nutsford, the first-cornet player, being unable to play’, from the effects of & sunstroke received in the morning. The march down was by no means a success, and was a poor finish to the campaign. It did not take long to pack every body into the train, and at regulation time it moved out of the station homeward bound. On reaching Waverley, the same three coaches that took the Pateas down were waiting to bring them back, and at about nine p m. pulled up. at Captain Taplin’s store, where the men were fallen in and dismissed in real military fashion, thus ending a very pleasant holiday. Your Special Correspondent .