The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-02-28 00:00:00

THE REINFORCEMENTS FOR THE
SOUDAN.
DESERTERS FROM THE ROYAL IRISH
LANCERS.

The despatch of the reinforcements to the Soudan
proceeded with considerable activity at the end of last
week. On Friday morning the battalion of Guards
which had been inspected by the Queen at Windsor
arrived at Waterloo at twenty minutes after nine, and
were loudly cheered by great crowds. Previous to
their departure from Windsor, the Prince of Wales
inspected the battalion. His Royal Highness walked
between the ranks, and occasionally spoke to some of
the men, tha mounted portion of the detachment
coming in for a special share of attention. The in-
spection ended, the men were drawn up in
three-quarters square. The Prince of Wales
addressed them as follows: "I should have been
very sorry if, on the eve of your departure
for foreign service. I had not had an opportunity
of inspecting you and wishing you 'God-speed,' and
of saying how pleased I am to see you here to-day.
Well can I remember this very day thirty-one years
ago, when this very battalion left for the Crimea. I
remember how well the Guards fought on that occa-
sion, and I know you will uphold the honour of your
country. I will not detain you longer, but wish you
once more God-speed, good health, and a safe return."
Each of the officers was then introduced to the Prince,
who shook hands heartily with them. The battalion
left the barracks, the band playing in turns "Fare-
well March" and "The Young Recruit" through the
streets, which were crowded, to the station. There
the massed bands played "Auld Lang Syne " and
" The British Guards." Two trains were filled with
troops, the first leaving for Gravesend direct at a
quarter-past eight, and the second at half-past eight.
As the first train steamed out of the station the bands
played "God Save the Queen," and on the ,
departure of the second " Rule Britannia," the
men cheering from the train. An autograph
letter was sent by the Queen to the officers
and men of the battalion, containing most sincere
wishes for their safety, and assuring them of her
prayers for them. The train arrived at Gravesend at
a quarter-past ten o'clock, and the men were imme-
diately detrained and formed up outside the station,
where the band of the Ist Kent Artillery
Volunteers was in waiting to play the men to the jetty.
Great ceowds of people had collected all along the
road leading to the jetty, and bunting was freely dis-
played. At half-past ten, amidst the cheers of the
people, the bank struck up the "British Grenadiers,"
and the men marched out of the station grounds, and
down through the streets to the landing-stage, where
there was a steamer in waiting to convey them to the
Australia, which was lying in the middle of the river.
On Saturday morning, before nine o'clock, the 2nd
Battalion of the Soots, the last battalion of the
splendid brigade of Household troops which is to
take part in the impending Khartoum campaign, left
London with all the eclat of the presence of Royalty,
a message from the Queen, and the most unqualified
enthusiasm of the large gathering of people who saw
them depart. They have been stationed at Wellington
Barracks from which they took their departure,
marching like the Coldstreams who preceded them
earlier in the week, to Westminster-bridge, where
they embarked in three river boats for conveyance to
Gravesend, where the Pembroke Castle was lying
waiting to receive them. The men have been
in a natural condition of expectant excitement
for the last few days, and have been allowed every
facility for intercourse with their friends, but their
behaviour has been most creditable—all being in bar-
racks on Friday night at tattoo and the night being
passed as tranquilly as if nothing extraordinary were
on foot. The asserngly bang sounded at about 7.15,the
ranks were fairly soon formed, but were invaded by
surrounding friends for awhile. By 7.45 every man
had answered to his name, every company was in its
place, and the battalion might have moved off. But
then there came the " whirr " of wheels over the
frosty roads of Birdcage-walk, and three Royal car-
riages drove into the parade ground, containing the
Prince and Prineass of Wales, Prince Albert Victor of
Wales, the three Princesses, Victoria, Louise, and
Maude of Wales, and the Princess Beatrice.
The Prince of Wales, addressing the regiment and
speaking in a voice that must have been heard by the
whole battalion, said: "Colonel Trefusis, officers, and
men of the 2nd Battalion of the Scots,—l have oome
here with my wife and children and my sister to wish
ou good-bye and God-speed. The reputation and the
condition of the Scots Guards are so well known to
eNerybody that I need not say anything here of high
ql,...l,lities, which are a matter of history. You have
always done right good service, and I am quite sure
that whenever the opportunity offers you will do so
again. I most heartily wish you good health, that
you may be able to endure the fatigue and trials
which you may have to go through. I will not keep
you longer, but once more I most heartily wish you
good health, God-speed, and a safe return." (Loud
cheers.) The whole of the officers of the battalion
were then introduced personally to the Prince and
Princess, who had a few kindly parting words for
each as they shook hands.
• The battalion was then faced to the front, the
gallant Colonel mounted, took his place at their head,
and was about to move off when a telegram was placed
in his hands. Opening it hastily, he wheeled his
charger, so as to fake the battalion, and called out,
"A message from the Queen." The men at once
stood immovable and silent while Colonel Trefusis
read aloud—" The Queen sends her best wishes to
the officers and men of her Scots Guards, and wishes
them heartily God-speed."
This was received by hea4y,cheers from the bat-
talion, which were vigorously supplemented by the
spectators.
The work of embarkation at Westminster proceeded
very rapidly, as all theteavy baggage had been already
Put on boara. --Three vessels were in attendance for



the purpose of conveying the regiment down the river
—viz., the Duke of Edinburgh, the Osprey, and the
Vesta. The first one to get off was the Osprey, which
cast loose from the pier at 8.23, followed seven minutes
later by the Duke of Edinburgh, which vessel carried
Colonel Moncrieff and Colonel Trefusis, and the staff
of the battalion, together with five companies of the
men. The Prince of Wales, with Prince Albert-Victor
and other distinguished visitors, came down on to the
pier, and remained interested witnesses of the de-
partures. The band played a variety of appropriate
melodies, in which the soldiers heartily joined.
As his Royal Highness came down the steps and
shook hands with the commanding officer, "God Bless
the Prince of Wales" was played, and three cheers
were given by the troops. Then, as the half-hour
chimed from the clock tower, the vessel swung round
and started. Just at this time the sun, which had
loomed like a dull red disc in the eastern sky, broke
through the fog and gave a promise of the fine morn-
ing, that it afterwards proved. Not only on West-
minster-bridge, but all along the Embankment to
Blackfriars, the pathway was thickly crowded with
cheering spectators, bridges as well being well filled
with sightseers, both in vehicles and on foot. "Below
bridge" the same warm tokens of friendliness and good
wishes were apparant on all hands. From each and
every vessel, of all nationalities and all classes, there
were the same encouraging cheers, interspersed with
the firing of guns of varied calibre and the hoarse
roar of steam whistles and fog horns. Down the
river the progress continued quite a triumphal one.
Abreast of the Cornwall, Arethusa, Chichester, Wor-
cester, Exmouth, and Shaftesbury, engines were
slowed, and compliments were exchanged, the boys in
each case swarming the rigging, and cheering in
real man-of-war fashion. Gravesend was reached
at 10.35, and the vessel at once went alongside the
Pembroke Castle, or Transport No. 11, which was
lying off the Admiralty Pier. Here the Osprey had
just arrived, and was disembarking the first portion
of the battalion. As on the previous day, Brigadier
General Monck, of the Chatham district, whe was in
charge of the inspecting duties, and Commander
Huntingford, R.N., as transport officer, handed over
the ship to Colonel Trefusis. The Pembroke Castle,
with the Scots Guards, started at one o'clocaoaccom-
panied down the river by the steamers Riper Queen
and Thistle, and as the transport slipped her moor-
ings cheers were again and again given, the white-
helmeted Guardsmen lining the sides of the vessel,
and waving their headgear in response to the hand-
kerchiefs waved from the smaller ships.
By way of contrast, the Army and Navy Gazette
had the following article upon the departure of the
Guards last week, and their call to service in the
Crimea: "Thirty-one years ago almost to the very
day the Brigade of Guards marched out of London
and took ship for Malta at Southampton. Their depar-
ture and march through the crowded streets offered
a memorable scene; and those yet living who wit-
nessed the spectacle may well contrast the occasion
and the circumstances under which the Guards
then left England, whether they were to return
with the words Alma," Inkerrnan,' and 'Sebas-
topol' on their colours, and those under which
they are now about to sail for the coast of
the Soudan. In 1854 England was drifting into war
with the greatest military power in the world, but she
had powerful allies by her side. France and Turkey
were with her; Sardinia was soon to join the league;
Prussia was neutral, but Austria was benevolent. The
challenge flung to Russia was taken up half-heartedly,
and the retreat of Paskievitch from Silistria stimu-
lated the war party to demand the invasion of the
Crimea and the demolition of Sebastopol. There
were definite ends in view, clear objects to be gained,
a policy precise and tangible laid down; the cause of
war was plain and intelligible to the sense of the
nation. The Guards were in their place when they
took part in the front under the command of a
Royal duke, and stood face to face with the
army of the Czar of all the Russias. But it can
scarcely be maintained that it was in accordance with
the traditions of the army that the Guards should
have been sent out under a Royal duke to fight the
rebellious troops of a vassal of the Sultan of Turkey,
under the orders of a fellah colonel, in 1883. Still,
there was in that expedition to Egypt a definite policy
and object, and a great result to be effected. But
there seems to be no excuse for the despatch of the
Guards to fight some Arab hordes under a fanatic and
a slave pedlar, except it be the absolute collapse of
our army at home; the collapse being proved by the
inability of the Horse Guards to find efficient battalions
without the Guards to help Lord Wolseley. Hence-
forth and for evermore, we presume, the Guards may
expect to be called upon for every war which makes
the smallest demand on the home establishments."

When the Royal Irish Lancers arrived at Kingstown
on Friday from Dublin, they were allowed to separate
and enjoy themselves about town. When the roll
was called, however, previous to final embarkation, no
less than twenty-five men were missing. The Lydian
Monarch then steamed out into the bay and dropped
anchor in the man-of-war roads, where she awaited the
arrival of the absentees. Pickets, assisted by the police,
patrolled the township and the adjacent roads up to
a late hour in search of the missing men, but no clue
to their whereabouts was received up to ten. The
steamer Integrity had been chartered to take the
missing men on board the transport; but as nothing
was heard of them the transport sailed without them
at ten o'clock for the Soudan.