The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-26
A BRILLIANT
WELSH SOLDIER
He Took Part in the Great Battles Of the
Crimea.
GENERAL ROWLANDS IS RETIRED
He Had nm Exceptionally Brilliant
Career and is Hale and Hearty at
67..One Of the Oldest OF British
Officers.


one of the few who have had an oppor-
tunity of reading their own obituaries,
was under the clause, compulsory re-
tired recently. General Rcwlands. who
AT 61 years of age. is hale and hearty
man, and who has had an exceptionally
brilliant career. is the Oldest officer con-
nected with the First battalion. Welsh
regiment, (the old Forty-First footD
now on the active list. Joining the For
ty-First In lSi9, Captain Rowlands. as
he then was. went to the Crimea with
that corps In 1854. With the welsh"
ne took part in the battles of Alma and
Inkerman, and whilst being severely
wounded In the latter. gained Victoria
Cross for "rescuing Colonel Haly. of the
Forty-Seventh regiment from Russian
soldiers, he Colonel Haley) being
wounded and surrounded by them. also
for gallant eXertions in holding the
ground with his advanced picket
against the enemy at the commence.
ment of the action. In his invasion OF
the Crimea." Kinglake thus deals with
the incident. When the day was be-
ginnig to break u sentry In advance t:i
Shell Hill discovered through the miss
what he Judged to be a. Russian column
approaching, and reported this 10 cap
tain Rowlands of the Forty-ftrst, the
officer in command Of the picket. foW
the atmosphere then clearing hlt!e ne
was able to detect the approach of two
Russian battalions. each seemingly
gathered in columns. Upon this he
caused the men of his picket 10 deliver
their fire, and the two battalions thus
suddenly greeted were taken, 1t would
SEEM by surprise, for they turned ana
fled back General Rowlands war
service has been extensive. for he serN-
Ia Npt tt.ann
present at the siege of Sebastopoi. IN
GLIDING the assault on the Redan, when
he was again wounded, and the attack
upon the Quarries. Having at the close
OF the siege been for some time brigade
major in 1856 he was appointed cCm-
mandant of the Forty-First, being in
1876, after nine years service In that
post. transferred to the lieutenant-col-
onelcy Of the old Thirty-Fourth Foot.
General Rowlands commanded that
battalion until 1878, when he was ap-
pointed to the command of the troops III
the Transvaal on the annexation of that
country, and he served during the south
African war Of that year. Whilst hold
ing the command Of brigade In India.
he was, In 1881, promoted to general
officers rank, being subsequently given
the command of the Third Infantry bri-
gade at Aldershot. which post he re-
signed in 1883. obtaining the command of
u division in India. in which country he
served until 1889. Subsequently he was
for a few months lieutenant of the Tow
er of London, and was in January, 1884,
appointed to the command of the Scot
tish district.
For several years General Rowlands
has held the distinguished service re-
ward Of one hundred pounds a year,
which he will vacate upon taking his
retired pension Of one thousand pounds
year General Row.ands is no strang-
er to Wales, having for some years re-
sided at his Plas Tirion near Carnar-
Won. In his old regiment he was held in
the highest esteem. and his countrymen
after the Crimean war presented him
with q handsome sword Of honor. On
the occasion, last summer, OF the depos-
iting of the Crimean colors Of the Forty
First in Llandaff cathedral General
ROwlands was u prominent figure In the
Sophia Gardens Park. Alert and agile.
and still retaining his youthful vigor,
his appearance gave no indication that
under an arbitrary clause his active ca =
reer was drawing to close. Few of the
many who watched the grey-haired
general could but help being struck
with the reverential manner in hich he
handled one Of those very colors under
which in the Crimea he had fought and
bled. Unwilling the memorial tablet
erected to the officers. non-commission-
ed officers. and men who had fallen prey
to the Russians, General ROwlands
pointed out that the names recorded
upon that mural brass We're Of men who
never for a moment turned from any
duty that they had to perform-those
who at any cost stood their ground
against the bullet as against famine
those whose names are the most worthy
of the nations lasting gratitude. With
another link which connects the
past with the present Is sew
cred. Few officers have seen his
utilized like him those many opportuni-
ties for displaying thoughtfulness and
interest In the soldier serving and in
the veteran pensloned.
-:ll:-
LLANDUDNO EISTEDDFOD.
At recent meeting Of the eistedd,
fod committee a recommendation of the
music committee was adopted that In
view of the probable enormous number
of entries and the consequent length
OF the programme. the eisteddfod be ex-
tended over five days, to finish on Satur-
day, July 4, instead of the usual four
and that the additional day be devoted
to the brass band competitions for
which 1t Is expected at least twenty
bands Will enter. Several bands. among
them the Resses o. tn Barn band have
informed the committee that they would
enter II the competition was held on Sat
urday. Among the entries for the male
choir competition already received is
one which Derwent. Cumberland. the
members Of which choir intend to leave
home at midnight on Sunday. June 2S
in order to reach Llandudno i'm good
time. They have already written to Sc
cure apartments at Llandudno for the
whole week.
AN EISTEDDFOD AT A COLLEGE.
An eisteddfod was held at the exami-
nation hall Of the University College of
Wales, at Aberystwith. recently, under
the auspices of the Celtic society. and
is. we believe, the first time an eistedd-
fod has been held in any college. AL
though It was not very large one. and
all the prizes Were restricted to the
students, there was. speaking general
ly. no lack Of entries. The proceedings
proved a great success. The chair was
occupied by Prof. ID. W. Lewis, in the
absence of the principal. while Prof
Edwards proved a capable conductor
TO add to the interest of the proceed
ings, the committee had arranged that
the winner Of the chief poetical prize
should be chaired. and the ceremony
was watched with much curiosity by
those who had never before seen It per-
formed. The various competitions
were adjudicated by members Of the
college staff.
ill
NEWS NOTES.
There Is nothing to equal the enter
prise Of an American paper. For in
stance. tho New York World of nine
days ago had bold three-column
sketch Of the drowning Of the ill-fatetl
young couple who recently ended their
lives at Llandaff. Judging from the
river, the ewaters of which were tumbline
angrily and beating against the bank on
each side. while the discovery was made