Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-20
F0RBESS REc0LLECTT0Ys.
ff,ondoo paliv xexsI


north Of the Grampians, where | now
write, the echoes OF the worlds toll
ana broil travel, not. indeed. family.
but slowly. There was day not long
past whom, had any one told Inc |
should be pottering in Highland glen
when British soldiers were at hand
grips with the foe, and when the col
leagues Of my own craft were meet
ing death and earning laurels, |
should have laughed him to scorn.
kismet; and | must bear the ruined
health which has forced me to quit
the work my soul loved with what for
titude may be possible. For two months
in the beginning of the Zulu campaign
Herbert Stewart and shared the same
tent. Those days are not yet four years
past, and then the man who is already
the veteran Of six campaigns. a X. G.
b., and full major-ge general, was
somewhat forlorn captain Of cavalry
who might expect, with luck, such good
fortune as his regimental majority in
two or three years. Ii has been piece
Of unexpected good fortune for him that
he had received the staff appointment Of
brigade-ma or to General Frederick Mar
shall'S cavalry brigade, and this simply
because Of his good record at the Staff
College and as regimental officer. for
he had no interest. have seen it stated
that WOlseley had been acquainted with
Stewards merits long before the Zulu
campaign, and had been steadily keep
ing his eye upon him. This is an error.
Stewart was clean outside Of what has
been called the "gang." | question,
indeed, if he had ever exchanged
words with Lord Wolseley. OF
Stewards efficiency as Marshall's
brigade-major every officer Of that
force must have vivid recollec-
ton, but the Zulu campaign. for rea-
sons which need not be now dwelt
upon, was not the regular cavalry
day. ! remember well how Stewart
chaied in his fetters. When, in May.
the brigade rode UP to where the dead
lay on the slope at the foot of the
lsandiwana mountain, curbed by or
.ders that forbade them to 90 further. !
remember Stewards repreSSed passion
OF fury. He i'll command, with his head
loose, the sorry experience would not
have occurred of the ignominious re-
tremcnt Of brigade of British sabres.
followed by taunts apd dropping
shots from a handful OF Zulu tribes
men. Poor Cary and Stewart had been
at the staff College together, and when
the former was preparing for his court
martial Stewart confronted the feeling
Of the camp and gave him valuable as
Sistance in drawing up his defence.
When the advance on Ulundi was made
the regular cavalry were relocated. save
one squadron. to frontier work, and 80
Stewart, with many another eager sol
der, was hindered from the fight for
which he had longcd. lie was the first
man met at Landsmam's Drift when
| rode in with the news Of the victory.
and after the first flush of happiness at
the good tidings he turned away and
was silent for a brief space. wrestling
nomentarily with his sense Of diSap-
pointinent.
rode on TO Durham and round by
sea to Port Durniord to acquaint Sir
Garnet Wolseley with the military stu
alton inside Xululand. In the course
of long conversation, which travelled
over an iniinity of ground, | yentured
TO suggest TO the new general in COM
mand that, If the opportunity should
come in his way. it might repay him to
take note what manner Of man was the
officer serving as MarShall'S brigade
major. From former experience | knew
how earnest was Wolselcy in recruiting
to himself, without regard 10 interest or
position men Of real worth in their pro-
lesson.
have no " army-liSt " here to refer
to. but it is my impression that the gene
raj brcyet for the Zulu campaign did not
include Stewards name, and that he was
not promoted till later. lie this MS it
may. no good billet fell 10 hi, lot when
the force was broken up, and. eager
always for work, no matter how arduOuS
or how obscure. he was content to accept
from the late General Clifford the charge
of section OF the line of the communica-
ton from Zululand 10 the TranSvaal.
1t was while tagging at this laborious
service. stimulating lazy transport
riders, flogging sluggish oxen. and
throwing himself into his hum-drum
duty with as much energy a. if the
work had been campaign IN which
every day might furnish a battle, that
the turning point Of his career arrived.
On his way to Pretoria WolScloy rode
the line Of communication. study
ing its working rs he rode with
an eye that darts into the hearts
Of men and things. Stewart accom-
panied him over his section, and the re-
suit Of that days ride was that for
Stewart there was TO be no more tag-
sing among lines Of communication. In
the quiet. modest. ready cavalryman
the chief recognized soldier after his
own heart. Stewart rode on into Pre-
toria with WOlSeley. He had taken
that commanders shilling; he had been
recruited into the gang.
The complement of WolSelcy'S gen
crosby in handing over to Baker Rus
sell the conduct of the attack on Scku-
kuni'S mountain was the assignment to
HIN ofStewart a. his statfotiicer. A more
das hing fighting man than the thruStlng
Colonel of the Thirteenth HusSarS the
British army does not contain; but he
is the first to confess the value to hun
of nethOdical assistance IN the details
of organization. over and over again.
in his hearty. bluSterOuS manner he has
waved eloquent in my hearing as to the
service which Herbert Stewart rendered
in the elaborate setting i'll order OF the
particularly neat combination which
made that operation success so clean
and brilliant. Stewart has no right to be
alive after his conduct at Majuba Hill.
There is time for everything under the
sun, and it is the time for running away
when every chance has gone to do any
good by standing fast. Stewart may