New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-26
A CHRISTIAN SOLDIER.

The present interesting biographical sketch Of
British military officer, who fell in the Grim.
ean war, affords rare example Of the union of
remarkable personal virtues with the highest
professional excellence. Captain Hedley Wears
was a genuine specimen of the nober forms OF
English character, of undaunted courage and
resolution, always frat on the post of danger,
with keen sense of honor, the warmest domes-
| TIC affections, and profound sense of religion.
His Christian faith, which was of the most rigid
| stamp of the Church Of England was the pre-
dominant element 10 his character; but it was
combined with generous professional ambition,
great practical benev nence, and an almost iemi-
nine tenderness OF Opposition The letters which
| he wrote 20 bis mother and sisters from tue
camp, though savoring too much OF the spirit and
phraseology of peculiar religious school to be
acceptable to the unini,iated are models Of flial
and fraternal devotion, and are often coucbed 10
| language Of exquisite pathos and beauty. The
following letter to bis sister, written from the
camp before Seyas.opo give, On idea OF the
manner in which he met the ordinary privatons
OF q soldiers life:
=
ing at o. lock ,hall be relieved At clock Ia the
evening" think OF the pouring rain, aud stan0.
ing in ihick mud Ill the dme, than " Rue ian ggpe
and balets; bot You We must be conrll IL have
botbl You will sorry to hear that kucss - si
prevulent; and afraid this rain, which began again
vest, rjay, Bfer three days OF hts weather, VIII I'll
the hospilalr. Two officers AID forty POOR iel'o~r
were sent down to D,laklava yesterday for the re-
coyery Of their iealth IL wGs Iiiale TO tee The n.
Few if any, Will ever return. slw them of y.fter-
day moung; rone vert ~ they wished me gvod'by.
They were 10 dligit,o 30 get the traeis and 1est-
menls had brought vi Ii me- ihht they bryan reading
them aloud as soon a. put item iht1 hi bands
ave have teeu living Ike prince, itely. i cent my
servant the other day {" Bl lAyn to ipuaIe for
ANA be returned with onion,, potatoes ham, bread,
and would YOU b. lleve 1t u Of silt tbuttcr! You
nav imagine what "A dinuef hi.i, AID win wiu.t
exeu orened tue tin OF butief but cur iaces
Gl look jolly when our no en proclaimed INIT 1t
| was rancid Ito seyer, | mungPed 10 eat n, never
th,ees have bren pai,ed by tie col,uel more than
once for tie state Dy company il h., | as happy
AZ possLl- except Tor the daily Diminishing ranks ol
| my poor rct timrt
| "Dgc. Isl am, thank God quite we-ncver
| better, and, what Is more. dcsh! iou know my
| weakness Tor 'cataucis.' Well have conuiyed 10
get one every day for nearly three weeks but tutn
lake more p.ia. t. yet water tor mysef thnn most OF
| L fellows. 1 dncd to-day oil sUak'd tircuit fncd
win lard-a CARTEL dbh; boiled niiion rork, very
GOOD: pJ,ators rbijong; with mustard and salt-iny
win- b, weak rum and water. am s,I, drinking
s,it is bad pAn hnd, beside beng ninronr nak.s
a man colder than al hour niiorwHId. Each Off.
Ger and man il allowed gill Of ti dlly bu never
drink tnc iaif Of niue often r"te at al went
Oh picket tbs morning at ocOcA VITA lily men; ~
taired hard Tor about hour, ue rrmat der OF the
nj ,ht being fine kept upa Jolly fire all through,
aud endeayored 10 wiitr letter TO daIlirg mother
while seated opposite iis blaze bat could only get ht
ful CLEANS bright enough to ste TO wire 20 had soOn
10 give ur read the fifst r. istle Of le cr and
then folding NY cloak noui me aed slfet ing NV
self eyss by he wutc lire. was -oand asleep IN ten
minute- n0twithsf fandng The roaf OF cannon aud aie
If musketry ahic Kept up concert dnrng tie night.
"Ihank you, my o~n dailng Mary, for your lat
dear md afcc onae letter. IL affected alm0rt TO
teare with .s dep tone OF fistetly love. Strange
would il be il di not love You iondy in return. You
say my letters alwHye 'cleer and invigorae you
surely | may say the same, II not more, OF youfs."
The last scene of his lfe is described by his
biograpber as follows:
The night Of the 22d Of March dark snd dreary.
Tie viu0 rose lgh aud swept in stormy gusts acfoss
the Crimea There was tor time stiffness over the
threG armies, like tie calm before tempest.
At the ad sanced OFT Of the British forces the eide
nearest tie French, was detachment Of the 9Th
Re.irnrnt, commanded by Capt. Wears. No watch
fire that post of Danger might cast its red light Ps
afore ime upon the Book OF God. let tLat Illce
of peri holy ground. Once more tie light breeze
bore away Tie hallowed sounds Of prayer. Once
the d, ep erne,t ey of Iledey Vicars looked upward
TO that heaven ia which lie place prepared
Perhaps in that dark light he pictured retarn to bic
country to nis home, 10 tho chOstn OF lis heart aud
But there better things than these dear astfcy are
which God hath prepared for tbcm that love i.im
Perhaps his spirit took loter tlighi and imagued
the yet uore Joyful welcomes upon the eternalshOIe
Soon afer 10 O'Clock that night loud firing COM
rneuced and was sn.iuned in lie direction Of Tie Vic
toia redoubt, opposite the naikOf tower. Taking
advantage Of tie caktss Of tie night, Russian force
Of -, $50 men Issued hOla Soya-topOl. Preserving II
sullcn silence, iiey approached from The Mamelon uI
der cover Of ho fire OF their aabuscades ard effected
il.l
any alarm could be given by the niies. After u short
bni desperate trugl h. the French obliged to fall
buck On ileir
The columns Of the enemy then marched along the
parallel AMI up the ra,inc The right of the
British liner, ior tie purpose of taking them in flank
and rear. on Their approach beng observed, they
wero supp, s@d be the French, 90 the rayiuc sep
ara ed he Allied les lie ley Wears the irst
to discover that tley were Iussisns.
With coolness Of judgment which seems 10 have
calld forth admiration IRON all qu,ren, he ordered
his men liz down until The Russians came within
twenty PAGES. Then, with his fret war-fhout, Now,
g7h on your Plus, aud ctargei himself foremost in
the conflict, he led on hi. gail mt men TO victory
charging two thousand with force Of barely Two
brndIed. = hayonet wound in The breast only fired
his cOuIage more; and again bic voice high
" Men OF he y,th, follow ne as he leaped that para
pet h. had 80 well defended, aud charged the enemy
down the If.vine.
one moment o struggling moonboam fell upon his
flashing ~ ord he waved through tie mir, with his
last cheer tor bis mcn" 1A,S way. y'th! The next,
the strong wlict had been upiied hing power
lees by his side, aud be ic amid his eneuics. But
friends followed fast. lis uen fought their way
through the rauks Of the kssans 10 ceiepd tie part
ing lite Of rbe leader they loved. Noble, brave men
~ whom all who loved lledey Vicars owe an unior-
gotten debt OF gratitude and honor.
In their arms they bore him back, amid shouts Of
"a victory so dearly bought.
An officer OF tie Royal Engineers stopped them on
their 'way'to ask whom they carried. Tie maze
-l -.