The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-10 00:00:00

TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF THE GUARDS

INTO LONDON,

The Guards returned to their old quarters yesterday
morning, and the inhabitants of the metropolis turned
out to give them a right hearty welcome. They were.
brought from Aldershott in special trains, and formed in
marching order at the Nine Elms station shortly before
eleven o'clock. Long, however, before that hour the route
from Vauxhall to Hyde Park was lined with couutless
multitudes, while Parliament-street and Pall-mall, per-
haps the most attractive portion of the march, were
decked out with colours and evergreens. At all the
public offices, at the Horse Guards, the Admiralty, and
the clubs, the windows were occupied by elegantly-
dressed ladies; and certainly it was quite animating, as
it was pleasing, to witness the favour with which they
welcomed these gallant fellows back to their metropolitan
homes. Although the veterans looked somewhat weather-
beaten, and their regimentals very much faded, nothing
could surpass the excitement of the spectacle. As we
have already stated, the troops were formed in marching
order, and began to move from Nine Elms shortly before
eleven o'clock, and from end to end they met with a.
perfect ovation. The brigade, which mustered 3,000
strong, was under the immediate command of Lieutenant-
General Crauford and Colonel Stuart. They marched
four deep across Vauxhall-bridge, along Millbank, and so'
on to Parliament street In Old and New Palace yard,
the crowds were immense, and the cheering most entbu-.
siastic. Passing up Parliament-street, the interest of the
scene was increased by the occupants of many of the
houses showering down bouquets of flowers upon the men,
who returned the compliment by raising their bearskins
high up in the air. On all these occasions of out-door
spectacles the streets exhibit a very:glowing appearance,
but at no part of the great metropolis can the people be
seen to more advantage than in Trafalgar-square, in the
opinion of many the finest sight in Europe. The base of
the Nelson monument literally swarmed with human
beings, and it would be difficult to say which was the mos t
striking, the column thus seen from a distance, rising as
it were out of living men, and supported on their backs,
Atlas like, or the approach of the Guards, with their
glittering arms, as; they:slowl3 moved up Parliament_
street. The cheer that greeted them as they wheeled
round Ceckspur.street was quite deafening, while the
smiles upon the bronzed features of the veterans plainly
told how pleased they were with the reception they had
got. The " thine red line," which had rendered itself se
glorious in the battles of the Crimea, passed in at the,
south and out of the north gate of Buckingham Palace,
where the head of the brigade arrived soon after twelve
o'clock. Her Majesty, who had been in the balcony of
the palace some 20 minutes or so before, received her
troops in a most gracious manner. She bowed and waved
her handkerehief continually, the men giving a round of
lusty cheers as they passed beneath their Sovereign. Her
Majesty was attended by the Duchess of Cambridge, the
Princess Mary of Cambridge, the Princess Royal, Prince
Alfred, Prince Oscar of Sweden, the Count de Flandresr
and two of the younger princes. The torn and tattered
colours of the regiments, grouped together under the
balcony, attracted the Queen's particular notice. Passing
from under the eye of their Sovereign, the three battalions
proceeded along Constitution Hill to Hyde Park Corner.
where they found an immense body of people assembled to
give them welcome. As they entered Hyde Park they
found a most exciting scene around them, and it was here
that one of the brave fellows belonging to the Grenadiers,
said " I begin now to know where I am." As far as the
eye could reach, human heads bounded the prospect in
every direction; the balcony of Apsley House, as well as
its terrace, was crowded with fashionably attired females,
and its parapets filled with servants and working men,
while the roof of the lodge adjoining was densely
packed with spectators. The Grenadiers were the
first to enter the park, preceeded by their sappers,
and with their band playing a familiar air. The ap-
pearance of the head of their column was the signal
for an outburst of cheering, which travelled rapidly along
the line, and only died away to be renewed as the Scots
Fusiliers followed, with their band playing the national air
of " Tullochgorum." They in turn were succeeded by the
last of the vetern battalions, viz., the Coldstreams, whose
band ceased playing " God Save the Queen,", as they
reached the park, and struck up, in its place, the well-
remembered tune of "Home, Sweet Home." Simple as
was this incident, it brought tears to many a female eye,
and procured them a louder, but not more hearty outburst
of cheering than had greeted their companions in arms,
There was also another circumstance connected with this
battalion which excited a good deal of interest, which was
that two of their drummers led each a dog, a white one
and a brindle, which had accompanied them in the Crimea
and figured in many a brush within the lines before
Sebastopol. Making their way into the park, the crowd
around increasing at every moment, the three battalions
shortly entered the space reserved for the inspection—a
huge square reaching almost across the park north of the
Serpentine, where they found the other four battalions of
the brigade drawn up and awaiting their arrival, making
altogether a total strength of about 6,000 men out of the
7,000 of which the Household Brigade is composed.
They also found upon the ground his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, the Duke of Cambridge, the Prince of
Prussia, Lord Gough, Lord Rokeby, Sir Richard Airey
(Quartermaster-General), Colonel Gordon (Assistant
Quartermaster-General), Major Macdonald, and a host
of staff and other officers. The four battalions had taken
up their position in a line right in front, and facing Park-
lane, and upon the Crimean battalions successively
gaining the open space, they were formed into quarter
distance columns, and marched direct upon points placed
opposite to the intervals left in the line of columns already
formed. Here they wheeled to the left and halted until
the three battalions were formed on the alignment of the
3rd battalion of Grenadiers, when the Crimean Brigade
passed by Major-General Craufurd, under the orders of
Major-General Lord Rokeby, to its place in the formed
line of columns, and countermarched by subdivisions
round the centre. The whole of the brigade of Guards
then stood in a line of quarter distance columns, right in
front, at twenty-five paces interval, and as the Crimean
battalions commenced to march upon the intervals left
for them, the regiments already formed presented
arms, bands playing the respective regimental
marches, and when they had completed the counter-
march of subdivision round the centre, tie)), also
presented arms, by order of their respective commanding
officers. The whole line then shouldered arms, and stood
at ease, and his Royal Highness Field-Marshal Prince
Albert then proceeded, accompanied by a brilliant staff,
to the entrance of the park. for the purpose of meeting
and conducting her Majesty to the scene of operation.
While his Royal Highness was away, and while the troops
continued to stand at ease, the spectators had good oppor-
tunity for noting the appearance of the men upon the
ground ; and it was easy at a glance to distinguish those
who had just come from the Crimea from those who had
not visited the scenes of war. The three battalions (to
do homage to whom half a million of people at the very'
lowest computation, had left their ordinary avocations)
presented unmistakeable signs of active service in the
bronzed visage, the hairy lip, and a peculiar look about
the eye, as if they had been hard at work for a twelvmonth
to keep out the wind; and altogether their appearance
was strongly opposed to the look and bearing of those
portions of the Household Brigade who had given only
household service.

It was half-past twelve before the battalions took up their
position upon the ground, and one o'clock before her
Majesty arrived, accompanied by the youthful members
of the royal family, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince
Oscar of Sweden, the Ring of the Belgians, and the
Count de Flandres, and a numerous suite in several car-
riages and four ; Lord Cardigan; Lord Longford, Lord
Cecil Forrester, and other military men of rank, having
previously arrived. Her Majesty was greeted with loud
cheers upon entering the park, which continued without
intermission until she took up a position within the
square, midway in its eastern route, where a flag had been
previously fixed for a saluting post; when the troops
presented arms,' and the bands commenced playing
" God Save the Queen," amid the cheers of the people.
Major-General Lord Rokeby and Major-General
Craufurd, having handed over to the colonels of their
respective regiments, the battallions composing the
Crimean brigade, joined the staff of the Field
Marshall Commanding-in-Chief. The field officer of
brigade in waiting did the same, and the troops on the
ground remained then under the command of Lieutenant-
General his Royal Highnnss the Duke of Cambridge.
The whole brigade being thus formed, her Majesty pro-
ceeded down the line, and returned to the saluting point,
from the left, without passing along the rear. The troops
then marched past in quick time in open column, the
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tohfethteroborpisgaaddevpalnacyeindg " See the g
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queringoe Hero comes." Afteri
Salute," and the Crimean Brigade filed past her Majesty,
and quitted the park, amidst enthusiastic cheers (the re-formingto the Royal "
eoulasettomkomeeephtspigoheteiholfe." Our
other batallions following them immediately after), and
proceeded to their barracks accompanied on their way by
her illustrious visitors, then
to the palace. And thus ended the latest,
Majesty, ac
and probably the last of the military pageants, on this
side of the water at least, connected with the Russian war
1855, and 1856. The weather,
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