The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-12 00:00:00

SOLDIER.

Sergeant Wilson, late of the Grenadier Guards, who
had for many years been a resident in Canterbury, and
his past career.
often amused
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He had been all through the Peninsular War with the
Duke of Wellington, and was in the final struggle at
Waterloo, where he was miraculously preserved from
death by his breastplate. It was on the afternoon of the
18th that his regiment formed a square to receive
Buonaparte's grand charge of cavalry. As they ad-
vanced they fired a volley, which killed his right hand
man: named Swaffer (to whom he was giving a piece
of tobacco), and he, Wilson, received a ball on his
breastplate, and so great was the shock that he was
stunned, and fell down senseless. When he came to,
he found his regiment had retired, so he crept under
one of the enemy's horses, which sheltered him from
the fire of the French. Presently his regiment re-
turned to its former position, when he crawled into the
square. The officer in command then told him to go
to the rear, and make the best of his way to Brussels:
he then started off through the forest, but so stiff from
the blow of the ball, which doubled the breastplate
completely up, the ball remaining in it, that he could
scarcely walk. About the middle of the night he came
up with a Prussian picquet, refreshing themselves with
some_roasted ducks, when a scene so luicrous oecurred,
that the worthy sergeanftekl*eiffiter of this notice he
should have laughed heartily, but for being in such pain
from the blow. He could not understand them; nor
they him; and seeing him walk, supposing he was all
right, asked him how the battle fared, by motions, &c.;
but the sergeant had so much ammunition in his pouch
that he wanted taken out, and also the knapsack off
his back, before he deigned to supply any news. They
not understanding his motions towards his pouch,
thought he was hungry, and offered him a fine duck
just roasted, but he shook his head, and they chattered
away, no doubt thinking he was mad; at last, by a des-
perate effort, he made signs and groaned; and lifted
the top of the pouch up, which they then quickly
emptied, and filled their own pouches, having shot all
theirs away. Wilson then managed to eat as fast as
they fed him. He then went on to Brussels, where he
arrived the following afternoon about three o'clock,
when two kind ladies took him into their house, nursed,
and gave him restoratives, &c., till he recovered. He
then joined his regiment at Paris, and after a few more
years' service he was discharged with a pension, and
having married poor Swaffer's widow (who was in an
orchard at the time of the battle, close by), he came to
live at Canterbury, where his delight was to relate the
above incident, and show his visitors the breastplate and
ball, which lie afterwards suspended over his mantel
piece. It may be as well, perhaps, to relate that poor
Swaffer's son, who was then an infant, is now post-
master in a thriving town in South Australia.”—Dover
Telegraph.

MADAME ANNA BISHOP.—'Phis lady appeared for
the last time in the character of Isoline, at Drury lane
Theatre on Thursday evening, and her farewell was as
triumphant as her debut. She leaves London immediately,
in order to fulfil her numerous provincial engagements,
during the course of which she will appear in several
of her most popular Italian characters. We are happy
to hear, however, that our provincial friends will not be
permitted to engross entirely the attention of the prima
donna, who returns to London in April for the season.
ESCAPE OF A TITLED OFFENDER.--WO are ap-
prised by the reply given to Mr. Hallett's question at the
commissioners' meeting on Wednesday evening, that this
matter has been brought under the notice of the Police
inquiryit on
l faorogL e
Committee; but, independently of this very meagre in-
formation, we do not learn that any efficient or searchirg
hash e beenpub l set
atic
Police Committee that this is not a matter to be played
with.
h T
take Now,
ee
deep beg
to warn
interestthe in it,
and a mock investigation will only have the effect of
establishing the belief that the town authorities are unfit
to have the management of a police force. For the mo-
ment we refrain from saying more; but it may be neces-
sary to apply the ferret hereafter, if the present apathy
and disregard of the general feeling of indignation is
obstinately persisted in.—Brighton Guardian.
SEIZURE OF ANOTHER ILLICIT DISTILLERY.—
Messrs. Bayford and Lewin; the Excise officers, who
recently made a seizure of the extensive illicit distillery
near the Waterloo-road, on Thursday evening (from in-
formation received) proceeded to a house in Little
Windmill-street, near the New-cut, Lambeth. They
knocked for admission, but received no answer. Having
procured a ladder, they succeeded in effecting an
pen-
trance by the first-floor window, and on proceeding to
the adjoining apartment, they found a most complete
dwiasstilfiletrteyd, cwailtchulaat4eod-gfoarllcaeerreye•inpg on a large trade. It
copper still, which had been
recently worked off, as, at the time of the entrance of
the officers, it was quite warm. The stock of spirits was
not so great as was expected, the principal portion of the
recent working having evidently been removed. A
quantity of fermented wash had been prepared for the
next day's operation, which was destroyed by the officers.
' As no persons were found on the premise; with the
small stock of spirits, it is possible that this visit had
been anticipated. A van having been procured, the
whole of the contraband stock-in-trade was conveyed to
the Excise warehouses in Broad street.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RIVER.-011 Thursday
afternoon an inquest was taken before Mr. Baker, at the
Green Man, High-street, Poplar, on the body of George
William Henry, aged 20 years, late stoker on board the
steam tug Newcastle. On Tuesday last the vessel was
lying in the river, off the City Canal. The deceased
and a female, named Catherine Neale, were going on
shore in a small boat. The lx at was lying alongside
the vessel, and the deceased lifted the female into it.
The weight caused the boat to fill, and
they were both
"
immersed in the river. The female was recovered, but
the deceased was carried along with the tide. On the
following morning his body was seen floating off the
THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE. dye are sorry to
bear that the Duke of
FollyDeatl House by a fisherman.—Verdict, Accidental
House. We believe that his Royal Highness's physician
has stated the necessity for his Royal Highness to give
up shooting this season, in consequence of the extreme
weakness in the hand from gout.—Brighton Gazette.
ACCIDENT —Thursday fore-
noon an FdentitoOfma GseuriNoPu naturepElt. occurred to a lad,
named William Heartly, whose parents reside at No. 32,
Ewer-street, Gravel-lane, Southwark. He was amusing
himself by making some squibs, and whilst mixing the
combustibles in a mortar the whole contents of the vessel
exploded, forcing out the window of the room, and
causing great alarm among the neighbours. The boy
was found extended on the floor in a frightfully dis-
figured state, his features being blackened and charred
by the powder. He was removed to St. Thomas's Hos-
pital, where he remains under the care of the house sur-
geon.

" On Sunday the same coroner held an inquest on the
body of Anthony Malley, at Notish, near Crossmolina.
After the examination of several witnesses, and Dr.
M'Nair, the jury returned a verdict of want of food
being the caese of his death, and said that destitution
prevailed to an alarming extent in the neighbourhood.
"On the same day he held another inquest on the
body of John Monnelly, at Ballymoholy. The evidence
of the witnesses, and also that of Dr. 11I‘Nair, showed
the destitution in which the deceased had been. It also
appeared that there are seventy habitations in the village,
and the population about 350, not one of whom are em-
ployed on the public works.
" William Rutledge, Esq., coroner, held an inquest at
Shangurta, on the sth inst., on the body of idiehael
Lally, who came by his death from starvation. After
examining several witnesses, including Dr. Hamilton, of
Balfinrobe, the jury found that the said Michael Lally
came by his death from starvation."
The Mayo Constitution also contains the following
melancholy statemeet:—
"We regret to say that disease of the most fatal
description is very prevalent. Typhus fever, of a ma-
lignant character, rages; and also a disease—for which
we know no term, but of equally fatal consequences—
has made its appearance. It attacks the lips first, which
fester, and then the stomach, somewhat similar to
English cholera; so much so, that we have heard of a
great number of persons having fallen victims to this
latter disease."

From other districts the accounts are quite deplorable.
COUNTY TIPPERARY.—NENAGH, DEC. 9.—We con-
tinue to receive most heart-rending details of suffering
and woe. The picture is becoming gloomier every day.
The condition of the labouring population is truly
alarming in every part of the country from which we
hear. Where this dreadful state of things may end Gcd
alone knows. It baffles all the calculations and specula-
tions of man. Colonel Douglas attended a meeting of
the Thurles relief committee on Saturday. That gentle-
man, we learn, is in Nenagh this day (Wednesday).—
Tipperary Vindicator.
MEETING OF THE KILKENNY RELIEF