The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-04-10 00:00:00

A SOLDIER PRIEST.

(From the Church and State Gazette)
We have no doubt that to many of our readers who
have sojourned on the banks of the Cam, and particularly
to those who have cultivated learned leisure beneath the
roof of old Magdalen, the name of Walter John Whiting
will be as familiar as a household word. They would
perhaps be surprised were we to inform them that their
old fellow student who honoured and was honoured by
his college—that the alumnns who, after a course of study
conducted and terminated with repute, was admitted into
the ministry of the Church of England—that, in short,
the Rev. W. J. Whiting, whom they so well remember,
is now the Padre Whiting of Cbillianwallah. But so it
is ; and yet in nothing has Mr. Whiting changed, save
such change as accompanies progress in good. He re-
ceived ordination with the resolution to fulfil his duty to
the utmost. The last advices show that he is not inert
in the accomplishment of his office ; and it is gratifying to
us to perceive in various Indian papers, and to collect
from divers private letters, that, in the recent days of
bloody trial in the Jhelum, the Padre--(as all European
ministers are entitled in the East)—has by the exercise of
his office nobly maintained the fame and the honour of
our beloved Church.
_ _

Mr. Whiting joined Lord Gough's army as a volunteer ;
he considered that he had no right to comparatively in-
glorious ease, as one of the Company's chaplains, when
death was likely soon to be abroad, and thousands might
need ghostly comfort to prepare them for the battle or its
consequences. The step taken by the rev. gentleman
was highly agreeable to Lord Gough and the troops ge-
nerally ; and it was soon seen how great the value that
was to be attached to such co-operation.
When the cry " Forward !" gave impulse to the mighty
power that confronted the Sikh forces on the 13th
January, Mr. Whiting busied himself in preparing a
hospital for the wounded, as well as in making prepara-
tions to perform the sacramental rites for all who might
desire to partake of the privilege of consolation in the
hour of peril. It was when occupied in ministering
double aid to the sick and dying that a report reached the
hospital that her Majesty's 14th Dragoons were hurrying
from the field of blood with their backs to the enemy :
our gallant soldier-priest in an instant leaped on his own
horse, pistol in hand : he met a party of the regiment
named with their chargers' heads turned in the direction
of safety. The reverend gentleman rallied them—up-
braided them for their want of firmness—reminded them
of home and honour, and, finally, led them back to where
blows were ringing. Having achieved thus much, he
hastened again to his own vocation, and took his place
once more by the side of the wounded. A Calcutta
paper (The Englishman) commenting upon the heroism
of the volunteer chaplain, says—" The padre ought to
have the first good vacancy in his own corps, whether
archdeaconry or bishopric. Such exhortations to duty
(adds our Oriental contemporary) at such a time, are in-
valuable : and the presence of our chaplains on the field
of battle is a rare event. We hope the whole army will
drink to the health and speedy promotion of the reverend
gentleman." We hope so too, and that the wish implied
may assume reality. Sure we are that such a toast will
be duly honoured at Cambridge when Magdalen next
sends round a social cup in honour of her celebrities.
The Sunday after the hard fought contest was one to be
remembered by all present. On that day, Mr. Whiting
performed three services of acknowledgment to the Giver
of all good. The first service was celebrated at half-past
seven in the morning in the open air, when the reverend
gentleman had for his congregation her Majesty's 24th
and 61st Regiment, with the adjacent artillery. At eleven
o'clock, a large congregation was assembled in the Dun-
bar tent of the Commander-in-Chief. In the progress of
the service an alarm, a false one, arose that the enemy
was at hand ; and, in consequence, a full third of the
congregation quietly withdrew in order to " do their duty

in that state of life to which it had pleased God to call
them." But in spite of this unavoidable diminuticrn of
the numbers, the reverend chaplain had the gratification
of finding, at the end of the usual service, 6.* -'
hundred communicants approaA^'
hands t' ,mn sacrament of th

to receive at hi
Supper of the Lord
t 7).0/hi 1.1

was, indeea, a bUtt:Luta
bravest spirits in our noble army kneeling humbly 1

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