The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-21 00:00:00

PRICE 5d

ELEVENTH LIGHT DRAGOONS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING CHRONICLE.
Sir—After the able manner in which you have taken
up the case of an humble individual like myself, it is
but right that I should offer my best acknowledgments,
which Ido with the greatest sincerity. The letter of
Miles," in the Chronicle of yesterday, hardly merits
notice, en account of its scurrility and low abuse. It
mcy proci e 1 tom the pen of an " Officer of Rank,"
but most assuredly that officer knows not how to write
like a gentleman. As to my detesting the military,
I would say in answer, that at this time I have many
estimable friends in that profession, and believe that in
all my intercourse with them, with the exception of a
few officers of the 11th Light Dragoons, there is no
one who knows me would speak unfavourably of me.
With regard to the Earl .of Cardigan—his Lordship
writes hastily, and in anger. I sent no garbled state-
ment to the Morning Chronicle; he never replied to
my 1. ter of th sth of July ; he came to Canterbury
on the 7th, early in the morning, and returned to
town on the 9th, in the afternoon, and it was not until
the evening of the latter day, when I found he had left
the barracks without replying, that I addressed my
first letter to Lord Hill. It is true that I received a
letter from him on the 13th, but that was not in reply
to mine of the sth, but in consequence of a communi-
cation which he had received from the Horse Guards,
His Lordship assured me that he never received my
letter, and I am bound to believe him ; but the contents
of it must have transpired, or else why should Capt.
Reynolds write on the 11th to the Major on the sub-
ject of that letter, when the Lieutenant-Colonel was
only aware of its having been written on the
13th ? Besides, I can prove the delivery of the letter
by a special messenger to the servants of the barracks"
In reply to the letter of the 13th from Lord Cardigan, I
said I should be at home at eleven o'clock the next
day, or if it was too much trouble to him to call then, I
would meet him at the Fountain Inn, or any other
place in Canterbury he might appoint on that day or
the day following. He did not reply to this note, but
about four o'clock in the afternoon on the next day he
came to my house. I told him I had received one in-
dignity at the barrack-gate, and should not subject my-
self to the chance of another, or I would have waited on
him at the barracks. He staid with me about an hour,
but I saw by his manner that he was not disposed to
investigate the affair impartially, although his behaviour
towards me was very polite.
It is quite true that he sent immediately after this
visit an officer to me with a message, that if I wished it
he was ready to go out with me, but I told that officer,
who behaved in the most handsome manner, that I had
no private quarrel with the Colonel or the regiment
generally. If Lord Cardigan did not think me a gen-
tleman, as well as a magistrate, I wonder at this condos.
tension. I am, Sir, your very obedient servant,
Canterbury, Aug. 16, 1839. JOHN BRENT.

" Barton, July 5, 1839.
"My Lord—l am sorry to trouble your Lordship,
but I think it due in courtesy to apply to your Lord-
ship in the first instance, on the part of some persons
holding command in your regiment. This afternoon,
six individuals on horseback passed through the river,
and amused themselves in riding through my son's grass,
laid in for hay. On their return I spoke to them civilly,
and told them I thought they were not aware they had
been committing trespass in my land. This was only
met with a rude reply, and they attempted to ride off.
I then called on the first I had accosted, and requested
his name. He said, " Snooks," and desired the
others not to say who they were. I then said my name
was Brent ; 1 was a magistrate and a gentleman ; and
if they were gentlemen they could not refuse to give
their names. One young man, on a grey horse, at-
tempted to ride over me, but I foiled him by taking his
horse by the curb, and detained him, in spite of his
spurring his horse, as long as I thought proper. I told
them they were blackguards ; that I knew they were
Officers of the 1 1 th, and that I would apply to your
Lordship. This was followed by a loud laugh, and a
threat on the part of one to strike me with his whip,
which he brandished. I followed them to the barracks,
but as I went to pass the gate, one of the unknown per-
sons called to the sentinel, " Don't let that man enter !"
Shortly after I went to the artillery barrack gate, but
was refused admittance, although I said I was going to
the Commanding Officer. I next went round by the
back gate—found it fastened—was, however, let in by a
person who knew me. I sent my card into Major Rot-
ton, but he declined seeing me. Should your Lordship
decline investigating the affair, I must, however unwil-
lingly, apply to the Horse Guards.
" I have the honour to be, my Lord,
" Your obedient servant,
" JOHN BRENT.
The Earl of Cardigan," &e. &e.

" Canterbury, July 9, 1839.
"My Lord—l beg to enclose to your Lordship the
copy of a letter I addressed to the Earl of Cardigan, as
commanding officer of the 11th Dragoons now at Can-
terbury. To this letter I have received no answer
whatever, which surprises me very much, and leaves
me in doubt what course 1 ought to pursue, not wishing
to occasion any further inconvenience than I can possi-
bly help, To Lord Cardigan my •son has shown the
greatest civility, allowing his Lordship to ride across his
land at all hours, an indulgence which has been attended
with great personal inconvenience, on account of the
gates being obliged to be left open day and night ; whilst
the officers of the regiment have been permitted to fish
in the river when they thought proper, the only restric-
ion being, that no one but his Lordship should ride across
the land. That my behaviour towards the military as my
neighbours, has always been gentlemanly and accommo-
dating, I can appeal to Sir J. M. Wallace and the officers
the sth ; to Lieutenant-Colonel Clarke of the 7th Dra-
goon Guards and his officers, with must of whom I was
ultimate during the time they were at Canterbury ; to
the officers of the Royal Dragoons ; and, indeed, to all
the officers of the different regiments which have been
stationed at Canterbury at any time in the course of
these eight or nine years past. I never had a circum-
stance of the least disagreeable nature with any of the
military gentlemen whilst I have been their neighbour,
or at any time. T know it is not necessary for me to
have said thus much to induce your Lordship to inves-
tigate this unpleasant occurrence. This affair cannot
stop where it is, as great excitement already prevails,
and is on the increase. In the night of the sth, most
wanton damage was done to the bridges and fences on
my premises and the adjoining lands, and in consequence
we have been obliged to keep watch and set on the beat
extra police force.

" Your Lordship may think, perhaps, that I was not
justified in applying the term blackguard ; but if you
mill take into consider'ation, that after a trespass had
been committed, and that contrary to an express condi-
tion with Lord Cardigan, upon being civilly remon-
strated with, I only met with contemptuous behaviour,
was nearly rode over, that I had told them my name,
&c., and was refused theirs, or had a false name given
me, surely no other epithet could fairly denote the feel-
ing which would arise in the mind of a gentleman, and
which no one who bad a spark of courage would not
unhesitatingly apply.

These parties were all in plain clothes, and com-
pletely strangers to me. I believe the person who said
his name was Snooks' is Cornet Cunningham, but I
am not certain, as the sentinel will not say who they
were who passed, and gave the order to prevent my
going into the barracks to acquaint the commanding-
officer of my treatment. It occurs to me that this or•
der is illegal.