The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-11-11
They Bled in India, Spain and
the United States.
THE ROYAL RUFFIANS EVERYWHERE
They Fought at Bunker Hill and
the Boyne Water.

Four Irish regiments, or at least regi-
mcnts nominally Irish, form part OF the
British forces now fighting the Bocrs,
and five other regiments allcgedly rep
rcsentativc OF the green isle are on their
way to help ovcrwhelm the gallant
burghcrs and bring the Transvaal under
the shadow OF the union jack. General
White, the British commander at Lady
smith, is an Irishman. In the fighting
at Dundee the Dublin Fusilccrs and
Royal Irish Fusilccrs led the charge.
And in the meantime large and cnthu-
sastic Boerophilian meetings arc being
held in ireland, plcdging hearty SYM
patly and support to the South African
Republic, and Irish members are elected
from the English house OF commons for
their protesting against the war.
Looking toward the British lines, it
may be safely said that the great major
ity of the Irish soldiers awaiting, in
their khaki uniforms and white helmets,
the next salute from Joubcrt's guns are
there more by accident than design.
But, being there, each OF them is as
mitch military machine, fighting
automaton, to advance, retreat, charge
or fire at pressure OF the spring.
Some OF the Irish regiments figure
among the most historic corps in the
world, notably the Royal Irish Fuslcers,
the famous Eigl1ty-scventh, or "Faugh-
a-Ballaghs" ("Clcar the Way'), so
called from its historic war cry. The
corps was originally raised in Ireland
in 1893 by Colonel afterwards gcncraD
Sir John Doyle, veteran OF the Amer
ican revolutionary war 1t fought in
Flanders, was captured by the French
on the surrender OF Bergen -Zoon,
and aitcrward served in Trinidad and
Porto Rico. A second battalion OF the
regiment, raised in Ireland in 1904, won
fame under Lord Cough in the pcnin-
sula and aitcrward took part in the abor-
tive English attempt on Bucnos Ayres.
After their experience in European
warfare they were transferred to do
jungle fighting in India. and had part
in the Ncpall war Of 1915 and the Bur-
mcsc one OF 1925. In 1927 their rcgi-
mental iacings, originally green, we're
changed to blue In SS, it was sent to
Egypt and fought at Tcl-cl-Kcbir
The Second battalion OF the fusilccrs,
which was formerly the Eighty-ninth
regiment, raised in 1893 by Colonel
Crosbie has nearly always had poor
luck, its record consisting mainly OF
disaster. In the American war of 1879
1874 it fought at the battle OF Lundy's
Lane. 1t served in the Indian mutiny,
later in the Soudan. 1t was this bat
talon that charged up Talana hill on
Oct. 20, sustaining loss OF fourteen
killed and thirty wounded.
The Dublin Fusiccrs, who charged
on the right flank and lost four killed
and iortyonc wounded in the late fight
at Dundee, have, under various names,
a record dating far back in the last
century. Its first battalion, late the
One Hundred and Second, was long
known as the Madras European regi-
ment-tllc oldest regiment OF whites in
India. 1t was brought to England for
the first time in 1868 The Fusilcers'
Second battalion, late the One Hundred
and Third regiment, known as the "old
toughs," was originally formed in 1861
to garrison Bombay, the dowry of
Catherine OF Braganza, quccn-elect of
King Charles II. AS the Bombay Eu-
ropcan regiment it fought under Give.
In this country it also had active part
in Indian warfare and contributed to the
defeat OF the sikhs at the battle of
Goozerat, in 184o.
In the year 1870, its two hundred and
ninth year OF its service, it was brought
to England. The names of its officers
who were shot at Talana hill do not
afford an index to the Irish character
of the corps: Captain Weldon, killed,
Captains Lowndes and Dibley, Lieu-
tenants Perrean and Gengc, wounded,
are certainly not representative of any
well-known Irish, or even Anglo-Irish,
families.
In like manner of the Dublin Fusi-
leers two other old Indian regiments,
the One Hundred and First and the
One Hundred and Fourth infantry, re-
spectively the Royal Bengal Fusileers