The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-01

| lFtTENANr COLONEL gURNABy, ESGLANDs
BEEoIC SOLDIER, KILLED Is THE BATTLE OF
AEU KLEA.
When, after the battle OF Abu Kles, the
victorious British sought the missing from
their ranks, the dead body of Lieutenant
| Colonel Burnspy was found, his hand grasp
| ing the throat of the Arab whose spear had
| given him his death wound. The news OF
/ his death was received in England with great
sorrow. Burnaby was a soldier of excep-
| tional physical and mental endowments,
and courageous and noble to the height OF
| heroism. His life forms an interesting
chapter in the volume of romantic biog-
| raphy.
! Frederick Gustsvus Burnsby was born at
Bedford, England, in March. 1912. His
/ father was a clergyman OF the Church of
England. The family to which the boy be-
longed was of royal stock. He was the
| nineteenth in decent from King Edward 1.
| ore Of the grandest figures in England's
history.
| Young Burnaby was educated at Harrow,
where he got into trouble by sending some
\
subject, to the editor OF Punch, who pub
lished them. and the writer hardly escaped
expulsion for his pei torrance. While at
school, ne was remarkable for his linguistic
ability. He studied earnestly the Spanish,
J Italian and Russian langu ages. in addition to
! the ancient and modern tongue included in
, the curriculum Of the institution.
At sixteen years OF age he vas a hand
some, scholarly young fellow, as remarkable
| for feats of athletic strength and skill as for
his attachments. He chose to be soldier,
and in 1859 passed the pres cfibed examina.
| ton, end was gaze tied Cornet in the Royal
| Horse G1ar0s. In 1851 be was made Lieu
tenant, and FIVE years afterward Captain.
His nomination for ajor took pl ace In 1879.
| In lSS0h attained the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. and the next year was made Lieu
! teDant-Colonel commanding his own regi-
ment.
Colonel Burnsby was known throughout
the civilized world as an adventurous tray.
eler. He travelled in IS66 through Spain and
France, and became as well known in the
highest circles of those countries as of his
own. In 1870 he paid brief visit to Russia.
Three years after he was in Naples, where he
was struck down with fever. The Duke of
Connaught, who happened to be in the city
at the time, had the patient removed from
hotel to more comfortable quarters and did
| much 10 forward his recovery. In 1874 Col.
one Burnaby visited Spain and attached
himself 20 the army OF Don Carlos. He as
sisted at Allo. Dicsstillo, Vera and Maneru,
! a well as at the capture of Estell and the
| SIEGE OF TIC Osa
at the close OF 1874 Colonel Burnaby was
in Central Africa. where be went to visit
Chinese Gordon" who had organized and
was in command OF an expedition formed
J under the auspices OF the Egyptian Govern
mtDt Tor the purpose of exploring and, il
possible, civilizing the Unknown Land"
Tho fret eto in, Univ he A
the suppression OF the slave trade, which
was carried on in barbarous and revolving
manner by the Arabs. General Gordon
found in Colonel Burnaby one OF his most
faithful and energetic auxiliaries.
| Burnaby's Ride to khiva" took place in
1876. During his performance OF this
wonderful feat of courage and endurance
! not only was he exposed to the hardships of
an Asiatic Russian mid-winter, but the gov.
ernm ent of the Car bad strictly forbidden
foreigners to be admitted into the Khivan
territory. No difficulties, however could
deter Burnsby from his purpose, which he
accomplished without serious injury to his
health, though he had narrow escape from
losing both his hands and arms through
frost bite. He rode from Scutari to Angors,
siros. Divirki. Arabkir, Erzigau, aud thence
by the Euphrates TO Erzeroum. From Hoy
be rode through the k0t0or Pass to Van, the
Capital Of Armenia. During the greater
| part Of bis tour he had to traverse difficult
country, in which very frequently there
. was no road at all, in thick layers of mud.
In 1S77-7S he repaired to the seat Of the
Ru&o-Turkish war and rendered eminent
service in locking after the sick and
| wounded, but, though acting only in q
purely civil capacity, he was ever found in
| the midst Of danger. An attempt was made
to poison him at 6umurdjina by BULGARIAN
acoyte in the service of the Greek Arch
bishop. Baker Pasha had also q narrow
escape on the same occasion, but owing
to the skill Of DIR. Gill both gentlemen re-
covered.
In 1873 Burnaby became candidate for
seat Ia the House OF Commons, but was de-
feated. He was married the next year to the
, only daughter OF an Irish baronet.
The lemented soldier made three expedi-
lions to the Soudan. As already stated. the
first was in 1914, when he found Gordon, on
the Sobad River. One memorial OF this
meeting still exists IN the form of a photo
graph in which the famous Colonel appears
amid group OF the African heroes OF the
| day, conspicuous among whom are Major
Campbell and Gordons brilliant young Ital
ian Lieutenant, Romolo Gessi. Burnaby's
spring of 1884, as an officer attached to
the flying column with which General
| Graham overthrow Osman Digna near
! Suakin. During that campaign the
Colonel was severely wounded in storming
an Arab intrenchment, which he was the
first man to enter. He recovered from hie
injuries on that occasion only to die BY al
Arab spear . year later. at the late battle
| he was volunteer.
Colonel Burnaby was q magnificent look
ing man. He was six feet four inches tall
and massively built. His physical strength
wss enormously great. He could perform
extraordinary feats in iencing, boxing and
| dumb bell exercise and could carry q pair OF
| ponies under his arms. Alwaes q hard student
be continued his studies OF language, with
| out which his surprising achievements in
Central Asia could not have been performed.
He wrote with remarkable ability for the