The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-07
A regiment Raised by Kisses.

Regiment Raised by Kisses.
Hon. Mrs Armytage in Pail Mall Maya
zine.
The somewhat romantic interest in this
beautiful and romantic woman dean.
Duchess of Gordon) has been lately reviv-
ed, when the brave deeds of the Gordon
Highlanders have been so conspicuOusiy
brought before the notice of the public:
for il was entirely owing to the Duchess
of Gordon's loyal activity that the regi-
ment was originally raised i'm Aberdeen
shire The writer las one of her great
grandchildren may perhaps be pardoned
for the feeling of pride in being permitted
10 recall many of the personal incidents
and traditions surrounding those first re-
cruits for this most popular regiment,
which now bears upon its colors the hlsto-
ric names of almost every battlefield where
British troops have fought and conquered.
Married to Alexander. Duke of Gordon,
in 1867, Duchess Jean fairly took London
by storm, and at once became one of the
great leaders in society, Her reputation
for wit and energy was almost proyerbial.
and had been We'll established during the
first twenty years of her married life; so
IL was not surprising that the first ru-
mors of possible French invasion quickly
reached the Duchess, and were apparently
discussed in royal circles. for it is said that
when the Prince Regent spoke of the inn
perative necessity of increasing very large
~ the1number of his majesty's forces the
Duchess joined In the discussion and made
a wager with the Prince Regent that she
would raise a regiment before his royal
highness, though she did not disclose the
special manner in which she proposed to
gain the victory. At this time the Duchess
must have been over 40 years
of and 1ff nc ffsro
sistibly charming as in the earlier days
of her life; while most certainly her euer-
Sy was nabated, as in this very year the
gossiping diaries of Miss Berry relate that
this lady spent sixteen hours out of the
tWenty-four in constant round of amuse-
ment; relating that upon one day just
then, "she had begun by attending Han
dels music at Westminster Abbey, then
to Hastings trial. a dinner and play
Lady Lucau's assembly, Ranelaugh, and
Mrs. Hobarts "farse," and hereslf gave a
ball in the evening before that morning
i'm which she must have got a good way
before setting out for Scotland" Prob
ably that ball was the occasion on which
the bet was made, as by her own letters
the Prince Regent and his brothers, the
Dukes of York and Sussex were frequent
guests at her house But we must picture
the Duchess and her son. Lord Huntley
fine looking young man of "a years old
starting off on their long journey to Scot
land in the spring of the year 1884, end
we know that an official sanction was sent
to the Duke of Gordon TO raise regiment
for the Kings service, and was dated
Feb. 10. 1894. Lord Huntley, by her SIDE
no doubt spoke eloquently OF the glories
of soldiers life and his mother urged
each stalwart Highlander to accept Tie
Kings shilling with her sweet smiles ard
winning ways; and when at last all other
persuasions failed, tradition, well founded
on fact, tells that just a kiss from the
beautiful Duchess completed the conquest;
so no doubt all her charms had outlved
her youthful days, for the authorities of
the war office in London were very quick
ly informed that the regiment was COM
plete and thousand strong