The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-08-16
Sir william Napier,


At the age of fourteen William left school
TO enter his fathers profession. Il was for
tunate for him that he had not to pass an
examination, for he would have had less
chance OF doing so than the youngest child
In modern infant school. Hardly line in
his letters was free from mistakes In SPELL
Ing, and punctuation was a refinement of
which he had not so much rs an idea. But he
had not suffered from overpressure his
mind, following Natures prescription, had
devoured and assimilated the food that
suited IL and no had fought and PLAYED
and run till his body had bscoms vigorous
and active as that Of young lion. Indeed,
1t may be said OF him, as OF other distin.
guished men whose early want Of education
their biographers have deplored, that he
had learned what fitted him best for the
work which he had TO do. After passing
through two regiments he was presented by
his uncle, the Duke Of Richmond, with a
ceornetcy In the Blues, and went TO Canter.
bury to join that regiment. But something
better was in store for him. Gen, John
Moore, who was then at Shorncliffe. training
the brigade which he was to make famous,
offered him lieutenaney in the Fifty.second
Regiment. Napier accepted the offer, and
Moore was so delighted with the readiness
with which he gave up the high pay of the
Household Brigade and the pleasures OF
London in order to study his profession that
from thenceforth he took special interest
in watching and assisting his progress.
In 1904 Napier was made captain in the
Forty-third, another of the regiments of
Moore's Brigade. This regiment was at that
time one of the worst in the army ; and
Nspier's company was the worst in the regi.
ment. But the boy was resolved TO become
real soldier. Before he had been three
months at Shornclife he was admitted to b.
one ofthe best captains in the corps, aud
his company was reduced to perfect order. |
The influence which he gained over his men
was In great part due to the fact that while
vigorously enforcing their obedience, he
heartily Joined in all their sports. With
some Of his brother officers, however, his
relations were Jess smooth. "The greatest
pleasure" he wrote, Z" have had since
came was, when Gen. Moore was made
knight, to make them drink his health.
My fingers itched to throw the bottles at
their head when they seemed to make diff.
oulties about II. Had they refused would |
have by myself drank bumper, broken the |
glass on the table, and left the mess imms.
diately." In spite, however, of disagree.
msnts like these the years that preceded his |
first appearance of active service were
singularly happy. lie yearned, indeed, to |
be with his mother but he wrote to her
and his letters, ill-spsllcd and |
as they were, are delightful to |
read, now tender, now sparkling with fun,
and abounding with warm expressions OF |
love for his relations and Of admiration for |
his chief. Fond as he was of athletic games,
he spent much time in qHieter pursuits. |
studying military history and amusing |
himself by learning to draw. At this period |
of his life he was at times almost drunk with |
animal spirits. Many years afterward he |
described how one afternoon, while staying |
At Putney with William Pitt, he and Lady |
Hester Stanhope and her two brothers had |
fallen in body on their laughing host, and |
had ended by holding him down on the floor |
and backing his face with burned cork.