The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-02-13

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battalions, each
- unit and an
swering to regiment in the United
States army-that is to say, an organ
ization like the Coldstream guards or
the Royal highlanders Black Watch)
includes two battalions of regulars,
two of reserves and two to five of mill
tia and volunteers. The militia and
volunteers are given local synonyms in
addition to their regimental designa-
tons, as. for instance, the Bedford
shire regiment, called also Bedford
shires, has now in the field two battal-
ions of regulars and two of militia,
called the Bedford militia and the
Hartford militia.
The Royal Irish regiment has the
First and Second battalions on duty,
and the Third Fourth and Fifth bat
talions, also known respectively as the
Wexford, North Tipperary and the Kill
kenny militia, in motion for the front
One of the first commands to come
into prominence in South Africa was
the Eighteenth hussars, which had the
unenviable luck to suffer the loss of
one whole squadron, cut off and cap
tured at the battle of Glencoe. This
experience was especially humiliating
at the time of it, because then the
British went in expecting Ito meet
boys" but found themselves wan
pushed by men," The Eighteenth
hussars has a record dating from the
Peninsula. Its flag bears the inscrip-
tons, Peninsula" and "Waterloo," the
latter because, with the Tenth hussars,
1t completed the final rout of the
French The headdress of the Eight
zenith when upon parade is the Busby
bag and plume of the pattern worn in
Wellington's time.
The second heavy capture of British
by the Beers, which took place at
Nicholson's Mex, near Ladysmith in
cluded part of the Royal Irish fusileers,
also called the Eighty foot.
When captured, the fusileers were
engaged in daring hanking move
ment, and, with the Gloucesters and
battery, stood fight until hopeless
ly surrounded.
Nicholson's Mex was the third field
of humiliation for the Royal Irish
fusileers. Five hundred of the regi-
ment were captured by the French
in the Netherlands in 1899, when the
regiment was new. In Brazil, in 1907,
small detachment was captured by
ruse de guerre.
Organized in 1893, the fusileers, also
aa11n6 Eo11pl- Rol lCInor 4l,a
Ways. first saw service in Flanders
They next appeared in the West In
dies, where fever carried off enough to
make full regiment. In 1915 the COM
mand went to India and remained in
active service there over 60 years, with
brief visit to England in 1925. For
their faithfulness in India the crown
granted the title of "Royal' as a pre-
fix to the original name. Irish fusi-
leers."
For an adventurous career the Glou-
cesters, which shared in the humilia-
ton at Nichoison's Mex, stand second to
none in the British army. They fought
in Canada side by side with American
colonials, they battled against Wash
ington's ragged bands in the States,
and bore their flag on the burning des-
erts of Egypt and in the mountains of
Spain and Portugal. The noble Wolfe
fell at the head of this regiment on
the plains of Abraham, and it's officers
to this day wear thread of black in
their uniform lace as a memento of
that day. And they were with Sir
John Moore when he fell at Coruna,
an event celebrated in one Of the finest
poems in the English tongue, begin
ming. mot a drum was heard, not a
funeral note"
When Washington was at White
Plains. the Gloucesters charged with
short swords and carried an important
outpost. earning by the act the name
Of ''Siashers." which has chung to them
ever since.
Among the great battles of the Glou-
cesters during the 800 years of the
regiments existence it counts Fonte-
noy Families, Almanac, siege of Ba-
dajos, one of the bloodiest in history;
Albuera. Waterloo, Alma, Inkerman
Seyastopol. At Almanac the Glouces-
tershire regiment was completely de-
stroyed by death and capture.
Only 100 men out of nominal roll
Of 800 of the Royal highlanders, OF
the Black Watch, answered to their
names after the battle of Magersfon-
tein. The Black Watch belongs to the
highland brigade. with General Methu-
ems army, and its commander, General
Wauchope, was killed at Magersfon-
tein while leading the charge which
cost SO much Scottish blood. Taking a
favorable position at night the high
landers dashed forward at daybreak,
but soon ran into an ambush where
the slaughter was SO great that they
had to retreat. Then their leader fell.
At the time of meeting the first fire
of the Beers the highlanders were
within 200 yards of the foe, but didn't
kpoy {l 90 went down 81 TIA
first voAey. AT 10 O'Clock The BlAes