The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-19

Dragons they fought AZ DunaIane IN
Scotland. az Detsingen. Fontenoy ard other
Continental battles. Despite their anti
Irish origin, they were military favorsfes
in Ireland, and the theme Of queer old
popular song describing their peculiar. war-
ike fluctuations:
Ihey were an DRESSED ~ sse seasisnsns seas.
WIN faev or,8Hf sssi1S swords and their esrshsns
With their siser-mcuzsed pistols she heh<sd tAera
Because sas bored srr Ernisasssn dragoaa
They fought at Waterloo and Balaklaya.
and they viii be slow 10 underestimate tae
vslor of the Beers. which they experienced
IN the war OF ISL
The Royal Irish regiment late Eigh-
teenth. ts also on sea and coming as fast
a. steam can bring IL to fight the Beers.
IL - about The very oldest Irish regiment.
tracing It's origin To independent cornra-
MES OF foot which acted as ga-risons in
the days Of Cromwell. All robust Orange
men. the Royal Eighteenth fought al the
Boyne and suffered severely at the siege
OF Limerick For its gallant assault on the
castle OF Namur. in Flanders. I'm lsS6. King
William conferred On IL the badge os the
harp and crown and the lion OF Nassau.
which IL still bears. the former surrounded
by a shamrock wreath, a recen. addition.
In America the Eighteenth served n the
assault on Bunker's Hill /; has served In
India, Burmah. Australia. Egypt-wher-
ever there was hard fighting and strong
grabbing 70 he done on the part OF Eng
land. OF course II ceased to be distinc-
lively Orange corps century or more ago.
when Ii began to depend on the peasant
lads of Munster 10 all its ranks
The Royal Innisksliings' First battalion.
late Twenty-seyenth Foot, will soon be
heard Of in the war news, for. like other
famed Irish regiments. they are being hur-
ried To the front as first food for powder.
1t dates lis origin from New Years day.
ls0 and is the only corps using the '-o.d
Irish war pipes 1t fought throughout
the wiiliamite wars In Ireland. joined N
the slaughter of Culloien. made roads In
Scottish highlands and exchanged volleys
with the American ContineHtais az Long
Island. White Plains and other places, 1t
helped TO gain English victories In the West
Indies and Spain and fought at Waterloo,
where. posted In square. II had 500 men
and every officer but one knocked over
without moving an inch or firing a shot.
AS for the fighting searlet-feyer class of
Irishmen In general. they do not seem TO
exercise any special preference I'm select
ing a regiment; they simply plunge in and
enlist. Many Of them have a prediction
for the Scottish regiments. probably IN ac-
count of the picturesque alleged "garh of
uiu 6duf, aiio III - NOT an uncommon signt
to see a young Irish soldier on furiough
visiting hts friends In full Highland garh
OF kilt and tartan. Which suggests the
Duke of Argyie's amazement on one occa-
sion when dining with the officers of a
Scottish regiment His admiration excited
by the brawny regimentai piper. who strobe
TO and fro working his ''doodlesaek" for
all 1t was worth and filling the air with
melody, the duke remarked:
"Ye':e a Draw mon. And moo. tell me-
for the honor OF aud Scotland. whaur do
We come fraes'
And the answer came, in musical west OF
Ireland accents:
From Connemara, yer honor"