The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-13

Nome OF the sobrfqueSs and Dfsfine-
lions that are Cherished by
the British Soldier.


Said London paper recently In an out
of-the-way paragraph " Yesterday being
the anniversary OF the Battle OF Aiexahhi'a
the usual custom OF decking the colors WIN
laurel was observed In those regiments
which took part in the famous engagement
under Sir Ralph Abercrombie." The pat
talons Of the Grenadier Guards which
fought under Sir John Moore at Co
runna observe the same custom on the
anniversary of the action, and reg'i-
larly rs the month OF June comes round
every regiment that was represented nj
Waterloo binds its colors with victorious
| ureaths, even as the men OF one OF the
regiments wear the rose in their caps an
nuaIIy on the LIST OF August In memory OF
the stand made by their corps in rose
garden at Mindeu. Unless the custom has
been affected by the recent sweeping
changes in the British army-a proyiso
which applies TO other parts OF this artl-
cle-Wolfe's brigade still wear the MOURN
ling line down the centre OF their lace
for their gallant leader, who died
victorious on the plains OF Abraham.
One of the oldest distinctions in The
British service Is the small union-p0pu-
larly. but enormously, styled the Union
.Jack-or the "Queen's color" Of the Cold
stream Guards, which recalls the fact that
Monk. Duke OF Albemarle. its first colonel
and the restorer OF Charles H., was an ad-
miral OF the fleet. The Paschal Lamb,
which is the badge OF the Second Foot, Is
! said TO have been adopted because the corps
was raised for the defence OF Tangier, the
dowry brought 10 the Merry Monarch by
Catherine OF Braganza, the lamb being the
emblem OF Portugal. At the time OF
the suppression Of Monmouth's rebel
lion the men were known satlrcaily a.
A" Kirke's Lambs" The Third Foot are,
or were, the Bluffs" being the lineal rep
reseutatives Of the 5000 men raised by the
city OF London In 1872, equipped in BUT
coats and sent 10 serve I'm the Netherlands.
Not long ago the War Office refused to al
low the officers and men TO retain the time
honored facings at their own expense.
The cold Bluffs" in memory OF their
origin, retain the special privilege OF
marching through the city with drums
beating and colors flving. The Thirty
! first regiment claims the title "lOung
Bluffs" conferred at Dettingen by gene
raj who mistook the corps Tor the Third
and called out, "Well done, old Bulls "
commentator which, when instructed OF
his error he changed 10, "Then, well
done. young Bluffs " The Fifth Foot
style themselves the cold and Bold" and
were long wearers of white plumes in
commemOraton OF the fact that on the
island OF st. Lucia the men killed so many
French grenadiers that they could equip
themselves with the feathers OF the slain.
| When In 1929 leave TO wear the white plume
was given to several other corps, the
| Fifth obtained the right to have the
feather parti-colored. red at top, whence
| the tradition that on battlefield the rank
and file dipped their feathers in the blood
OF THEN slain enemies. The Ninth got the
title Of "lloly Boys" in the Peninsula
from sale OF Bibles, and the Tenth Is the
famous regiment which don't daNnce.'
| The repetition OF this supercliOds reply to
the prefer Of a Dublin hostess TO furnish
the officers with partners led to her indig-
nant relort. as she pointed 10 the door:
''Perhaps the Tenth can march," and
through her influence at headquarters to
the exile OF the regiment
"To Castelar, and Ballenr1be.
The dulest dcns upon the globe
| The bandsmen OF the Twelfth wear
small crown on their caps, as n memorial OF
the last day on which an English sovereign
led his troops in person against the enemy.
George III. led the Twelfth and Twenty
second at Dettingen, and the officers and
men OF both regiments still wear roses on
the sovereign'S birthday in memory OF his
leadership. The Twelfth deserves men
lion for the lesson which it gave james II.
on the eve OF the revolution. Because OF the
number OF Catholics in its ranks it was
thought safe TO appeal TO the regiment, and
| the King paraded il on ilOunslow Heath
and invited the officers and men 10
| bind themselves TO assist him in carrying
out his plans, giving those who were not
| satisfied the option of quitting the service.
| All but two officers and few privates
straightway laid down their arms, TO
| James's profound disgust. "Take up your
| arms" said the King, sullenly; "anOther
| time | shall not do YOU the honor OF con-
sulting YOU" The Sixteenth were long
| known Is "The Peacemakers," that being
| the only regiment in the seryice-eX-
| cept two recently-lOrmed Indian corps
with maiden coIors. 1t did not see a
shot fred in anger from the siege OF
Surinam down to the last Boer war, and
| even in the action at Aiagela Mountain if cs-
capped with trifling loss. The Nineteenth
claims the title OF the Green Towards"
given them in 1858, to distinguish them
from the Third, also commanded by a
Howard, hut having buff facings instead
of the green OF the newer CORPS. The
Twenty-third Royal WELSH fusilicrs de-
light in the style Of the " Royal Nanny
goats" Since 1919 the goat that from
time immemOrial has marched at their
head has been sent TO the regiment from
Windsor by the Queen. The men wear
bow Of black ribbon with ends on the back
OF the collars survival Of the pig-tlil.
The Twenty fourth claimed the title OF
Towards Greens" from their grass
green facings and the colonel who COM
handed them in 1T3S-iS. Howard'S Gar
bage " is another aud less digniied version.
The Twenty-eighth reiolces in several
distinctions. The title OF the "slashers"
| is variousy attributed to the fact
that the men used their swords at White
Plans slashing away like good fellows, and
| TO the tradition that when i'm Canada bru-
tai magistrate refused quarters to the wo-
men Of the regiment during severe win
| ter, some OF the officers disguised them
selves as Indians. broke into his house and
| slashed OF his ears. The ssOId Braggs"
| is another name, derived from their colonel
| in 1881. But the most valued diStinc-
| ton conferred upon the Twenty eighth is
that OF wearing the regimental plate be-
fore aud behind the shako-a me-
mortal of the regiments bravery
at Alexandria, where the rear rank
faced about and repealed the charge of
the French cavalry while the front rank
was engaged with another body OF the
enemy. The Thirtleth bear the alluring
name Of the "Treble KS; the Thirty
first, as has already been said, are the !
"Young Bluffs" The Thirty-third were
originally the " Havercake Lads" from
their recruiting sergeant's fashion OF beat |
ing up recruits with huge oaten cake |
spitied on the end OF his sword. Since the |
death Of the Iron Duke they have enjoyed |
the lyle OF the Duke OF Wellington's reg |