The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-11
TIE BATTLE OF DORKIHG
A Chapter Of English History Written In
the Year Of Our Lord 1926.

with an article entitled "The Battle Of DOrking;
"reminiscences Of Volunteer 1t Is the one maya
zine article which has been singled out from all the
monthlieS for special praise. 1t ID more talked
OF IN London than even the Joint High Com
mission The style OF the article rivals that OF
Defoe The writer OF the paper whoever he may
De- living about 1926, gives his account OF his
adventures as volunteer during the nva-
sion Of England, fifty years before, ana so
powerful Is the narrative, intensely real the i'm
preston it produces that we can well understand
the feeling OF annoyance with which 1t must be read
by our British cousins. No better example or the
pfdStmo'dncs IL cOncevabi,. AS the battle Of
Dorkng Is already quite as famous as the battle Of
Waterloo present our readers with some extracts
from the history
You ask me 10 tell you, my grandchildren, some
thing arOut M own snare In the great events that
happened iity years ago. IT'S sad work turning
back TO tat bitter page IN our history, but you may
perhaps take prOlC In yOaf new homes from the les
son IL teaches. For us II England ~ ca,ne too late.
And yet we had plenty OF warninss II we had
come on us unawares. It burst on us suddenly.
us true, bat It's coming was oreshadowed plainly
enough TO open our eses We had not been wilfully
Dlad. we English have only ourselves 10 blame Tor
the humlaLon whicn has beca Dtyughton the land.
Venerable OLD ase Dlshonoiabie Old age, say,
when II follows a manhood dlshouorei as ours has
been. ldecale, even now. though nifty years have
passed, can hardly iook young man in the lace
when think am one OF those III whose youth hap
pened this degradation Of OLD Elgland--onc oil those
VINO beIra ed the trust handed down 10 us unstalned
81 our ioTcatAer5.
80 the writer commences. After describing the
state OF the couatry, the lnacuon OF inc Ministry
the feeling OF false security when prevailed, he
goes on as iolows:-
need hardly tell you how The crash came about.
First, Tie rlslng IN India drew away q part Oh
small army; t.el cal ne the Difficulty VITA America
wa.ca nad been threatening Tor years, ana we seat
OIL ten thousand men to delcnd Canada-a handful
wncn did noJ 40 FAR to strengthen me real deiences
al NAT,
ton TO the Americans 50 try and take them prison.
eri, especially as The contingent included three bat
taiIQns vi tae Guards. mus HE regular army ut
home was even sc:.,er than asual, and nearly haI
u IT Ma In 1lslaSl to cssck the ,aIke sv.s OF
ysnsn s Mvt 'n e SSs Know n E Mss'
really have mancrea as things tuned out-!tssss
ileet scattered abroad; some slips &c guam ~
West indies. diners to check prigateenng in the
colonies on tle northern PaciAc snore vi America.
where, vain Incredible folly, we costinued TO retain
POSSESSIONS which We could not possibly defend.
America was not tue ereaG Power forty years ago
tina, IL Is now; pat Tor us to Try and mold territory
ING round the Horn WAS aosurd as II she hai al
tempted to take The Isle oil Man before the ndepend
bul we were al. blind then. 1 naa just come up to
town by tram as usual. AMI was walking To my Office
eet IN ss You 70 nav the N
London. BUSINESS still went AT The BANKS Tor
bllls matured, although the independence of the
country was being fought out Under our own G eS,
SO 10 say, and the SPECTATORS were actlve enough.
Bat even with the people who were making and
losing their fortunes the interest III the fleet over
came everything else; men who went 10 pay III
araw out their money stopped TO show the last
bulletin TO the cashier As for the street. you could
hardly get along Tor the crowd stopping to buy and
read the papers, while ut every house or Office the
memoirs sat restlessly in The common room, as II
10 keep together Tor company sending out some one
OIL Their number every icw minutes 10 get the latest
edition.. AT least this Is wnat naooened at our
ONCE; bu; To SIT stlii was us impossible To
do any tine, and most OF Us went cut ana wandered
about among the crowd, under sort OF feeling that
fnntl tlt Dada
were the times coming | think the sickenin9 sus-
pense OF thlt day and the shock wnlch followed was
almost The worst that we underwent. Ii was about
ten O'Clock when the 1rst telegram came; an hour
later the wire announced that The admira! had sig
nalleu TO form Ie ot cattle, and shortly afterwards
that the order was gwen to bear down on enemy
and engage. At Twelve came the announcement
usthat is. the ship with cable. 80 far all Ead
been expectancy then came the first token OF cala
n.y. "a IRON ciau mas oeen oiown upm,tle eneny's
laii aooald the enemy'-'tie flagship appears to be
sl.tksng'-"the Wee Admiral mas slgnalied'',here
the caple became SILENT ana, asyou know, we heard
no more TIL two days afterwards. The solitary
clad winch escaped the disaster steamed INTO Ports
mouth.
linen the whole story came outflow our sailors,
gallant as ever mad tried 10 close with the eneuiy;
now the latter evaded the connict at close Quarters
and steering cr. IeI benind tnen the fatal engines
WHICH sent our SHIPS alter the other, to me bot
tom: how all this happened almost IN few minutes.
Toe government, IL appears, had received warnings
Oh TINS invention; but 10 the nation tul5 stunning
dow was utterly uneXpecteo.
fight at Dorsing have an air OF reality about them
that makes us feel as II we were reading actual
history. The following is admirable. The case had
become hopeless. Wounded, weak. hungry the
volunteer began to think OF HIMSELF
1t was about nile 10 our house. and was
thinking how could possibly drag myself so lar,
When l suddenly reconected that ! was passng
Iravcrs' h0use-one OF the Ilrst or OF villas
then leading rom the station to Kingston. Had he
been brongnt nome, wondered, as ms faithful old
servant promised, and his wife still here re-
member TO TINS day the sensation OF shame ielt
nim-my greatest lriend-a tnoagh H"ee since xe'I
carried him OF the ted the day before.
But war and suffering make men self III. ! would
20 IN now at any rate and rest whie, and see IL 1
could he OF use The little garden before the house
was as trim as eyer--l used 20 pass every day on
and blaze OF flowers, but tne hal! door stood aar.
stepped IN and saw ltue Arthur standing IN the
day. ana as lac stood there in his pretty blue rock
and waite trousers ana socks showing his Chubby
dark eyes the picture Of childish beauty. Ia the
quiet ha!l, Just as 1t used TO look-tnc vases or
nowers the hat and coats hanging up
vision OF peace In the midst OF war made me wonder
for moment FAINT and giddy as was, II the pande-
monum outside had any real existence and was
not mereiya hide0us dream. But the roar OF the
gums making the house snake the rushing OF inc
shot gave q ready answer. The little fellow APP
pcarea almost unconscious OF the around him,
and was walking up the stairs hoang by the rail-
ing one step at tlne as had seen him do a hun
dred tunes before, but turned round as | came In.
My appearance frightened him, aHd staggering as 1
did INTO me haii, my lace and clothes covered with
blood and dirt ! must have looked an awful oh.
Ject to the enid, Tor lie gave cry ana turned run
toward the basement stairs tut stopped near
ing my voice calling hun back To ms golpapa, and
AFTER Whle came timidy up 10 me. Papa had been
to the battle ne said and was very III; mamma
with papa; Wood was out; Lucy IN the cellar,
anu had taken HIM there, but he wanted TO 20 To
mamma. Telling him 10 stayan the han for minute
till called hun, climbed up stars and opened the
bedroom door. My poor1riend lay there, his body |
resting on the bed, his mead supported his wiles
shoulder az she sat 10y the bedside. lie breafned !
heavily, but tue paor OF his lace, the closed eyes,
the PROSTATE arms, the clammy foam she was |
wlplng IRON hs mouth, all spoke OF approaching |
death. The good Old servant han done ms /
duty, &C least; he had brought his master /
home TO die in Ills wlfe's arms. 1he Door woman !
was too intent on her charge TO notice the opening
Of the door and as the child would better away |
closed II gently ana went down 10 The han to take
little Arthur 10 the shelter below, where tue maid
was hdtng. 700 late He lay at the loot OF the |