Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-01-30
VERY INTERESTING HISTORY OF L1ErRr1yE.
From Blackwood's Magazine.
The last cords Of Charles Edpards, Esq.
CoNcLUDED.1

From Blackwood's Magazine.
The last cords Of Charles Ed,earols, ESQ.
coNcLUDED.1
nave denied, do still deny, the overpower-
ing influence commonly attributed to rank AMI
,ortune and let me not be accused of offering
ounons. without at least having had some op-
portunities for Judgment. If there he "A situa.
ZION in which, beyond all others a man is shut
ont from all probability of Announcements il is the
sit,lation of private soldier But the free, u,i-
dau,ited spirit, winch sinks not IN extremity can
draw, even from peculiar difficulty, peculiar adj
vantage where lead only is hopes! for, grains
of gold excite surprise "a slender light shews
far. when all is dark around it.
Twelve months passed heavily witl me in the
3tst Dragons. My apparently int,iitivc dexte-
rity in military exercises, saved NE from annoy
ance or personal indignity and might, III Ger
tain way, have procured me promotion. But
Salberd as it happened, was not my object.
looked for deliyerance from my existing bond
age, to the falling in with some wealthy and de
sirablc woman. And, in the strict performance
of soldiers duty-active, vIgilaut, obcdient
and abstaininC--i waited with patience for the
arrival of opportunity.
Iwaited till my patience was exhausted half
a dozen times over; but the interim, certainly
was not passed in Eilencss. He whose prospect
lies straight forward is seldom content to look
about him; but there was matter FOR ANALYSIS
and curious investigation on every side OF me.
As an officer, had seen little of the true cha
ractcr or condition of the soldierv and a regi-
mcnt of cavalry is really machine of strange
constitutional say, 60 OF cavalry" par prefer
e,ace because there is generally about dragoon
rcelrnent fmore lofty, though perhaps not more
Just style and feeling, than belongs from whate-
yer ~'ause) to our regiments Of inflntrv-
The 31st regiment was remarkable for the
splendour of its uniform and appointments an
attribute rather any thing than advantageous to
the soldier; but which ways, ne, crtheless,
operates powerfully in the recruiting Ola corps.
We had men amongst us from almost every
class Of society. There were lincn-wcayers
from ErcIand--colliers from WarwicksI,ire and
Shropshire -ploughmen, gaIne-kecpcfs, and
poachers, from every quarter and county
There were men too of higher rank, as regard
ed their previous condition; and that in NUM-
Der very little imagined by the world. There
were men of full age, who had run through for.
tunes-lads who had quarreled with, or been
deserted by, their famdsas-ruined gamblers
cideyant officers, and stroll
inc PLAYERS. In a company 80 heterogeneous,
il would have been difficult to keep the peace,
but for that law which visited the black eye as
breach OF military discipline. As men, these
who had been g gentlemen" we're inconlpara5ly
or at least talked, about their origin, and 50 OK
posed themselves to the ridicu'e which waits
upon fallen dignity. They were dissipatcd in
their habits, rbald in their discourse, and dosti-
tutc even OF any remnant Of honest or decent
principle.
The poachers among us we're another party,
almost of themselves; for the game Keepers
the same animals do!nestiSated-nevcr cordially
agreed with them. Idle in their habits ; sloycn-
" in thcir appearance; these fellows were calcu-
lated, ncYerthless, to make admirable soldiers
in the field Their courage was peculiarly Of
the true English character; slow something to
h. excited !; but, wien excited, impossible 10 be
overcome.
Bat whatever might be the qualities of these
poeD indy; lually. taken as a body, thew were
arnenabie, reasonable beings. Yo have made
tetn. indiyiduallv, discoDtcnted, would have
been difficult: to have tempered with them, en-
1aqsa, quite impossible. The sound Of the word
discipline" ha1 a sort Of magical effect upon
their rriuds. Their obedience from its Uniform
enforcement) became perfectly mechanical ;
aud severity excited little complaint, for it was
understood to be the custom Of thc service.
We had three different commanding officers
durinc the time ofm stay at LymingtOu but
there vas only one who ever disturbed the
ten7rer Of the garrison; and even he failed to
excite any feeling beyond great personal hatred
to himself
The first cornnandant a man who had
himself been private soldier; and who had ri
sen, by degrees, to the rank of Lieutenant colo
mel. Corporal punishment was his reliance
He punished seldom, but severely. And this
man, though str<d disciplinarian, was univ or.
sally popular.
Our second leader was weli-meanirg man
but A theorist AID he seemed 10 haze been scnt
# uf ,r-t,r
son. lie was strongly opposed to the practice
Of corporal punishment, az tending to degrade.
and break the spirit Of The soldier: AID, being
puzzIel as wiser heal might nc, in the substi-
tuition ofofhcr penalties, he actlaily put his men
throug' a course Of experiments upon the sub
iect. F,r examylc,--hayinC heard that Alfred
the great made an arrangement by which every
man became, to certain degree, answerable