Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-08
ENGLISH SOLDIERS.
THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AS pePic-
TED IN MADISON SQUARE.
Dram. and Bwgpipc-contess OF
Skill and Prowsss
New York WORLDLY

|
at Waterloo, at Balaklava, and at Tel
el-kebir. Lever with his satire. Kip
ling with his cynlcism. Elizabeth Thomp-
son with her brush dipped in patriotism.
and Detaille with his pencil sharpened
| by national prejudice. have not been abls
to either ideaize or vulgarize the fight
ing men Of England. There Is a dra-
matte, even theatrical character to the
| English army. It's uniforms ARE gaudy
In color. fanciful in design, ill-sulted TO
| practical use. made apparently only Tor
| show. Its tactics are antlquated. II Is
enmeshed In traditions. 1t IL small in
| numbers And yet when its day OF
pomp is passed and It's day Of work comes
II is a magnificent body Not big
| human machine. but an aggregation OF
| individuals. each one OF them with The
| characteristics OF his race-earnestness,
| fcaressness. and tenacity.
| The spectacle now on view at the Madi'
son Square Garden illustrates with what
! fidelity the writer's and the painters have
| depicted the English soldier.
| As they march past i'm review. the Life
| Guards, centaur-like; the Black Watch.
with sprngy steps and undulating skirts
| the Connaught Rangers. 1auntily, WIN
metaphorical chips on their shoulders
the Iancers. the Hussars, and the can
| noneers, they seem like illustrations OF
| both the romance and the history OF their
| country.
| They are not men in actual service. IL
| they were now serving under the queen .
colors they would not be here But they
are veterans who have marched to fife ana
| drum, or bagpipe, or who have answered.
| the trumpeter's call for boots ana sad
| dies"
| Imagination has pictured these fellows
| to us Just as We now see them.
| The giants who stand statue-like at TIT
| Horse Guards in Whitehall are now on
| Madison avenue. These Highlanders Oh
| the Forty-second are those OF whose
| deeds in the past We have read. 1hey
| share with their comrades Of the Ninety
| second-the Gordons-the episodical NIL
| tary glory OF Scotland. The lrishmen-
| the Connaught Rangers-are the devils OF
| the Eighty-eighth, the pets OF Plcton :
| brigade in the Peninsular war. The Foot
| Guards are the fellows who daily mount
| guard at St. Jamess Palace. The Huzzars-
| the Eleventh. Prince Alberts own-are tht
| noted "Cherybuns'- only English reg
| iment that wears the red trousers OF the
| French soldier.
Their horses are superb-the true
mounts for soldiers; they are dociie AT
| parade rest, fierce In a charge.
| In the large area Of the garden these
| few hundred men exhibit all that Is
| Characteristic OF their army. Its dsci-
pline. its peculiar and individual traits
and features, its athletic sports us
| contests Of skill and prowess.
IL is all done with true Anglo-Saxon
| earnestness In the bouts, man TO man.
| In the meees. with bsyonet and lance.
| with sword and stick, the spirit OF con
| test Is keen.
Supremacy is sought by every cOmba-
| tant There is 10 perfunctory WORK
done. 1t is competition, not exhibition.
The audience Is quick TO grasp the
genuineness OF these displays. IL be
| comes interested, excited, and enthusi-
| astic. II takes sides. 1t selects champ
ons. The melee is war of cockades-
| red and white. alike unto the emblems OF
| Lancaster and York. The men strive 10
cut these colored tufts worn on the he'll
NETS with cuts and thrusts or long
| sticks. The teams are at first OF equal
numbers, but as the defeated comDatahts
| drop out the action becomes Datue
royal.
Sympathy is born for the weaker SIDE
The developments of the action OFTEN
leave n single combatant opposed "a
three or four antagonists. His cockade
ts now n mere snred Of color. but he de-
tends Il as a true soldier does his en-
sign. The audience applauds. IL shouts
Tic women wave their handkerchlrls.
n nerchance Fortune smiles on the sin
Gle fighter there Is a shout that snakes
The foundations of Stanford Whites mon
umental edlfice and endangers the SAFETY
Of It's Campanile tower
Human nature loves n contest ABOVE
All things. 1t is a relic OF our primeval
nature
The tournament begins with march
in review OF the whole force. II Is
brigade in skeleton--infantry, cavalry.
and artillery. In advance the band steps
ont II Is attired in the embroidered
tunics and beerskins Of the musicians
Of the Grenadier Guards-Dan Godfrey 3
corps II falls out of line and as each
representative detachment FORMS IL
plays the special regimental march.
Reglmental esprit de corps exists III
the English army in its highest FORM.
Recruited as all of the corps were IN
the past. and as most of them are to-day
in the particular province in which each
was originally formed, there IL sec
tional pride generated. which is fostered
| in many ways Distinctive badges, but
tons. and chevrons are used on different
uniforms. The history OF regiment fur-
nishes "A number of incidents from which
are derived special features The Royal
Welsh Fusileers are invariably headed on
parade by n milk-white goat bedecked
with the regimental crest.
In our army a similar state or aHalrs
exists. but in the absence of authorita-
| tive sanction and public interest IL Vese-
tates and we know little Of 1t.
The Seventh Cavalry Clusters Ola
regiment. has in its care an old charger
! the solitary living thing that escaped the
Big Horn massacre. on dress parade
| the gray horse stands on the right or
| the line, led by two sergeants. Each OF
our regiments has its march. too.
| When the Connaught Rangers pass and
| the band strikes UP st. Patrick's Day.
| the audience breaks forth in applause
| The tune is rollicking. and besides, a
New York audience is bound 20 be more
or less Irish in sympathies. These TEL
| lows are genuine Celts. They are the
| Mulvaneys, OF whom we have Tread.
| These men are from Connaught and
Killings hero was In the Black Tyrones.
But then. as the old song goes, all
Irlshmen are brothers"
The Lancers, with their mortar-board
Polish caps trot past their pennons
huttering. and then the Hussars, with
| their busbys and their frogged coats.
And last OF all, the Artillery. with its
| teams of six horses rolls ana ruihpies
| by.
| liant Seventh has ,spoilt us for such
things-and how about our West
Pointers?
The Craftsmanship il remarkable. The
| men ride fearlessly. High-stirruped,
! they cling with their knees to their
steeds.
Then comes the display of skill-the
| wrestling. the fencing and the tent
| pegging. That is really tournament-llke
With lances we'll poised. the riders,
| squirting their horses TO a wild gallop.
bear down on the pegs imbedded in the
ground They impale them on. the. tips
| OF their lances, and with twist OF eX-
ultation, hold them aloft in triumph
1t is not rough riding, such as cow
| boys are proficient in, and such as our
own gallant cavalrymen indulge in, but
| 1t is marvelously skillful. There IS
need Of a dash and determination, g.
quick eye, a straight aim. and "a muscular
arm.
The tent-pegging is the hit OF the show
| II excites the greatest enthusiasm. As
| each rider In turn makes the attempt
the audience watches breathlessly ana
eagerly. IL he misses the thrust there
IL an "Oh r'of regret. III he succeeds a