The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-02 00:00:00

TIIE POSITION OF OFFICERS IN ACTION.

TO THH EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,-But few officers of the British army who have
served under fire with their regiments but will concur in
the remarks made in the House of Commons some nights
since by the Right Hen, the Secretary at War, that the
numerous casualties among our officers are attributable
to other causes than their uniforms. The proportion of
killed and wounded officers in the Sikh wars was as
large, if not larger, than in the Crimea, and yet in
India their dress assimilated much nearer to that of
the privates than will be the case even after the changes
now in contemplation have been carried into effect,
the only striking difference between them being the
colour of their jackets—scarlet and red—and in the offi-
cers not having crossbelts. But there, as in the Crimea,
the seme fatal mistake on the part of the officers them-
selves occurred, one which the Russian officers seem to
have carefully avoided ; they left their proper places in
the rear of their companies, where alone they can see to
the steadiness of their men, to closing up blanks made
by casualties, and that none but wounded men fall to
the rear. They consulted their own tastes, leading their
men ; thus placing- themselves in the way of their fire,
while exposed needlessly to the enemy's.
So urgently did an officer who commanded a Queen's
regiment in the first Sikh campaign feel the necessity
of obviating this that, prior to taking them into action
in the second, lie addressed them on the subject,
enjoining oa officers the great necessity of keeping
their places, and en the men that of their not cheer-
ing when advancing on the enemy, unless he gave
them the time, as doing so had previously proved
a cause of confusion and, consequently, severe
loss. He observed that he believed he commanded
men who did not require leading ; but, should a neces-
sity for it arise, ho would do so himself—a promise he
most nobly kept, for, on the regiment being brought to
a stand when charging, he gallantly rushed to the
front, cutting down one and pistolling a second Sikh
gunner while in the act of loading with grape. At the
same moment five of his officers :mere personally engaged;
but as they had not beers exposed until coming to close
quarters, the casualties among them were only 4 out of
21, and the advance, although through a thick jungle,
under a heavy fire of both grape and musketry, was con-
ducted with the most complete success, and with perfect
steadiness, the loss-247 out of 792—not being nearly
so severe as might have been expected, nor was it as
great as that of other regiments exposed to the same
fire.

On the same ocoasieo this colonel adopted the expe-
dient of casing his colours in handsome crimson damask
cases, the spearhead and gold tassels on the head of the
staffs showing. This he did in consequence of several
officers leaving been struck on a former occasion while
carrying them unfurled. Thus cased, the colours were
of very material service, being sufficiently conspicuous
over the jangle to serve not only as a dressing, but a
rallying point, and confusion, which would have been
fatal, was avoided.

Had uniform anything to do with the casualties among
our officers, surely the doing away with the present
useful and convenient shoulderbelt and sash will not
tend to lessen them. They are much prized, having been
peculiar badges of the British officer among European
armies, and worn since the formation of England's pre-
sent standing army,
The private wears a shoulder belt ; why should not
the officer ? More especially as the heavy sword used by
our officers is carried with much greater ease and less
fatigue suspended from a shoulder than when from a
waistbclt, with slings, which are most annoyingly in
the way of an officer on foot.
The proposed sash, a
silk copy of the Prussian silver
one, will, from its utter inutility, be but a sorry substi-
tute for the present onR, which serves as a support, also
to retain the sword, in place when the wearer is in
exercise, to tie up and stop the bleeding of wounds, and
in many other ways.
Everything new may not be an improvement ; the in-
fantry sword and Minis rifle certainly are such, being
the first spokes in the wheel of reform and useful im-
provement II o w making in all the branches of our ser-
vice. God grant it may be speedily perfected.
I must apologise for intruding on you, and for the
length of my letter, but feeling that its publicity may lie
a means of saving the lives of some, while adding to the
comfort of others, I venture to hope you may think it
worthy a place in your most valuable paper.
Your very obedient servant,
A REGIMMATA WIIO kld,S SERVED,
Dec, 30,