The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-08 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF 211 E SUN.

Stn,—A correspondent of the United Service
Gazette says that the distinction of a laurel wreath
now to be worn round the forage caps of the ser-
geants of the 34th Regiment was originally con-
ferred upon that regiment in recognition of its gal-
lant conduct at the battle of Fontenoy, the emblem
having only been discontinued to be worn since
1857. This suggests a question concerning what
would be, one would think, of some interest to our
regiments. I have not an army list by me, but I be-
lieve I am correct in saying that, with the excep-
tion of Plassy, a name which is written on the
colours of the infantry regiment, whose motto is
" Primus in Indus," nu victory anterior to those
won by England over the French Republic is em-
blazoned on the colours of any British regiment.
Now, why should this be ? In France nearly all
the ancient institutions of the country perished iu
the Revolution, and amongst them the army of the
old monarchy. The revolutionary forces that,
under General Bonaparte, broke into Italy were
composed of newly-raised battalions, leavened with
the dispersed cadres of the old royal army, and
the French regiments of to-day are not the regi-
ments that fought at Fontenoy any more than the
modern departments of France are its ancient ter-
ritorial divisions. I even question whether many
of the present French regiments are the regiments
that served the great Napoleon. For instance, take
the regiment of lancers, attired in Polish colours,
that furnished the escort of the Czar on his entry
ento Paris last year. I think—for I cannot speak
for certain—that this is not one of the great Napo-
leon's famous regiments of so-called Polish lancers
any more than the dukedom of Montmorency
lately created by Napoleon 111. is the histo-
of that name, for, if I mistake
rical ',dukedom
not, the greater part of the regiments forming the
present French Imperial Guard were constituted
soon after the establishment of the second empire.
The English regiments of to-day, however, are the
regiments of yore. Some have changed their num-
bers and appellations, and the gentlemen of the
Household Horse in 1788 handed over their colours
to the Household Horse as at present constituted, but
nearly all the regiments that serve Victoria served
also her ancestors. A British regiment preserves
a sort of military apostolic succession, the officers
and men who at present compose it having rubbed
shoulders with predecessors, who thereby transmitted
to them rubs which had been transmitted to them-
selves through generations of officers and men from
the members of the corps when just raised. Now
among our regiments are corps two centuries old
and thereabouts—the Foot Guards and the earlier
foot and horse regiments of the line. Some of
these, as their regimental records and tattered and
ancient banners now hanging in cathedrals testify,
won Marlborough's victories, and must have been
present at Blenheim, Ramillies, and Malplaquet.
Then why is it that the names of these
great victories do not shine on their colours,
as does the name of the contemporary victory of
Turin on those of the Ist Prussian Grenadiers, a
regiment of which the Crown l'rince of Prussia is
colonel, and to which (so we were informed by the
Times correspondent) he sent a greeting on the
occasion of his reviewing the garisou of Turin dur •
ing his late visit to Italy? If Salamanca, Vittoria,
Waterloo, why not Blenheim, Ratnilli:s, and Mal-
plaquet ? Is it because their banners—for in-
stance those of the Ist Foot, fa'niliarly known
iu the service by the nickname of Pontius
Pilate's Guards, by reason of its antiquity
—are so covered ...with glory that they can-
not find room for any more ? But surely, if this
be the case, the regiments inconvenienced with an
excess of glory could be given an additional colour,
or in time we may see the Peninsula victories
crowded off the silken field by ethers gained in
some future war.

What I have called attention to, as well as a pro-
poaition brought forward some time ago, of orna-
menting the regimental colour staff with a lion and
crown, after the style of French eagles, which has, I
believe, been in some cases acted upon, does not
exactly involve so important a military reform as is at
present associated with the name of Mr. Trevelyan.
Indeed, in this age of breechloaders, and other
analogous inventions of a generation utilitarian in
war as in peace, the practice of a regiment carrying

into battle a silk rag, fixed to a pole, as an object
for the view of the enemy's marksmen, may, per-
haps, come to be dispensed with. I read in 1866,
in the correspondence from the seat of war, in Ger-
many, that the Austrian regiments when they
enter upon a campaign, deposit their colours
in barracks, or some other safe place (!) in
charge, I presume, of the girls they leave behind
them. I will not vouch for the truth of the state-
ment, but certain it is that the custom of regiments
bearing colours imposes upon the fortunate or un-
fortunate ensigns and cornets, whose privilege or
misfortune it is to carry them in the field, a dan-
gerous distinction, as the accounts, made much of
by poets, of standard-bearers being found dead on
the battle-ground, covered with innumerable
wounds, and with their colours wrapt round their
breasts, demonstrate. In our service, however,
regimental colours have notyet been relegated to the
limbo which is the eventual destination of
steel cuirasses, bearskin head coverings, and other
monstrosities that form part of the pride, pomp,
and circumstance of glorious war; as yet they are
not, like the French cavalry bands, deemed as of the
impedimenta of war, so I have offered my remarks
concerning them. If the suggestion they afford
were acted upon it would give us a better system
of military administration or education, but it
would regild our ancient military glories in the
eyes of the army that won them for us.
We are not so attentive to these smaller military
matters as are the French. For instance, if India
belonged to France, and the Indian army to the
Emperor Napoleon, the latter would take every
opportunity to strengthen those feelings of loyalty
which would be sure to be entertained by his Indian
regiments for him. Why should not the Queen of
England do the same ? The gallantry that some
of her Indian regiments has displayed in former
combats is well known, and now that the Queen
of England is Empress of India, and • the
Company's army the Queen's, it would be well if
her Majesty were to confer on some of her
most distinguished native regiments, in recognition
of their gallantry, such royal appellations as are
emblazoned upon the colours of many a British re-
giment. The " Queen's Own Scinde Horse" sounds
as well as the " Queen's Own," and the " Prince
of Wales's Punjaubees," as the ',Princess of Wales's
Dragoon Guards." Such acts would cost cheap
enough.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,

C. W. W.