Saint Mary's beacon., 1879-08-21


The Victoria Cross was fonndedin IN The
year 1855. the period Of the crimean
usr. and vas Instituted as . special
Mililary and naval Distinction f0E dis
nsuistsd condDct Ii the Eeld. TteOn-
sisla q : plain. unpretsnti0us piece Of
bronxs medal in the shape Of a Maltese
efoss. and Is manufactured from guns
which have been taken from the ene-
mv. On the fTonl 81 il II The Asxure Of
Len above . scroll. which bears The
Ne and nppFepri2ie motto. For
Ians and nn aha reverse are in-
aNA H. nHsH1 u he rS&iNient and
lie Sal1 ofshe deed ofbraveFy Ior whseh
i had been conferred. On the top Of
The cross il crown and the initial let-
ler y, through which passes Ahe ribbon
By which Il IS suspended. The cross Is
conferred on all ranks alike in the Ar
nv and Navy, and when worn. - dis
linguished by aFed ribbon for ihe Army
apd blue one for Tie Navy. Il also
carries with il pension. varying from
&10 FOR private 10 R100 for an officer.
Apart from this. there is no distinction
whatever, and its beStowal on q drum
mer or private as well as on an oEicer
Is duly announced in the Gazette, ae-
companied BY full recital ofthe brave
deed which has won il, aud giving Its
possessor the right, ifhe chooses to ex-
ercsse il, Of placing the letters v. G. at
ter hiss name. In the case Of officers.
this Iast-named privilege Is taken full
advantage of; but the privates or drum
mers have never, IS tar as we are aware,
ottached these honorable initials 10 their
names. Perhaps this is because their
superior officers have never encouraged
them 10 do so. and the modest fellows
for the truly brave are ever modest
have never had the moral courage to
assert their right in this respect. The
Victoria Cross is very spaFingly bes-
towed, and its value is enhanced by the
fact that il can only be obtained by q
genuine act Of bravery performed in
The presence of others and certified to
by the hero's commanding officer. The
Recommendation is then forwarded
through the General commanding to the
Secretary OF War, who in bis turn sub
miks It to the Queen. Though confer
red on officers as well as rank and file,
IL Is essentially soldiers Distinction;
the majority oi the members oftsis most
honorable OF all military orders consists
cf noa-commissloned officers, drummers
and prigales. II reflects great honor on
the drummers OF the British Army that
81 mary of t1eir comrades have gained
the Victoria Cross; The records Of the
Crimeap, Indian mutiny, and other later
wars containing splendid deeds Of bra
very and devotion performed by the
holders OF this once despised rank. This
is the more 10 be admired, as the bug
Ter or drummer has very few chances
Of distinguishing himself; but when an
opportunity does occur he is never re-
miss. II vas drummer who helped
to fasten the powder-bags on the gates
Of Delhi, the destruction of which re-
suited in the capture Of the mutinous
city Of the Great Moguls in 1857. The
act was performed amid perfect show
er Of shot and shell, and was rewarded
some months afterward-with the
Victoria Cross. II was also drummer
who, while acting as field-bugleF TO Lord
Napier Of Magdala in the Akyssinian
war, left the Generals side and dashed
FIRST into the stronghold Of the tyrant.
-Cham6ers's Journal.