Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-02-27
MARTIN LEE.

Once, that man who had marched
through "many province wide," was
held in high esteem for the dangers he
had passed, and the sights he had be-
held, now, he who makes the world his
battlefield. departs unnoticed by the
multitude. The mystery and romance
that enwrapped the form of him who
brought belated tidings of the siege, are
not worn by the modern soldier, the ac-
count of whose engagements has already
grown old when he returns. Yet from
him who has crossed land and passed
over sea, and spent years of honorable
army service, receiving good conduct
badges and medals for duties well per.
formed, mankind must never keep back
just recognition nor Withhold proper
eulogy.
The life of this man of whom we
write was strangely, sadly adventurous.
His father, an Englishman, went when
young man, from Liverpool TO Ireland,
and there married. At Aghamore,
County Mayo, their son Martin was
born, and at that place, when only one
year old, he was left an orphan. His
recollection was only of grief stricken
childhood, and he lived without memory
of father or mother. Having been
adopted by his uncle, he spent his child
hood and youth at Liverpool, where he
was living when the English people, af-
ter forty years of substantial tranquility,
We're excited over the earliest events of
the Crimean War. Many of England's
statesmen opposed the proposition that
England should ally herself with France
in aiding the Turks who had declared
war against Russia; no doubt the COM
mon people had no idea why this should
be, not understanding the reasons why
it was ultimately thought best for Eng
land to assist in maintaining the Otto
man Empire as barrier against dan
gers lying beyond. But all this was of
little moment to the young and adven-
turous. Embracing troops marched
down the streets of Liverpool, colors
were flying, drums beating, and enthusi-
astic crowds were cheering the depart
ing soldiery. Then came the reports of
the first battles, and Tennyson wrote
"Frenchman hand in thine!
Our flags have waved together
Let us drink to the health of thine
and mine
At the battle of Alma River"
This was soon followed by the awful
tidings from Balaclava, where
"someone had blundered,"
and again from Tennyson's pen,
"The Charge of the Light Brigade
Moved by the events of these days the
young man enlisted, and after few
months service went with his regiment
to the Crimea. Thus began a quarter
century of faithful service in the army,
years filled with the excitements and de-
privations and adventures natural to
such life, and of which, on occasion,
he would relate incidents of great in
terest, and yet always With somewhat
melancholy reflections, as though the
undercurrent of it all was too sorrowful
for complete comprehension.
AS appears by his account book the
regiment to which he belonged was sta
toned for some seven years in British
North America, variously at Halifax,
St. John, Kingston and Quebec. 1t was
at the latter place that he met Mary
Chadwick, who became his wife on the
18th day of June, 1864, and for twelve
years accompanied him on all his expe-
ditions, and till his final discharge from
the service. Along with the hardships
of army life there must have been much
that was pleasant, the endless variety of
the changing scene, and the different
nationality, the having part in making
new history and the learning of the old
connected with each march and halt.
For while they were stationed at AL
dershot, a permanent military post es-
tablished by the conversion of the dreary
Aldershot Heath in England, from
thence they were transferred to Penn
broke Docks on the wildly picturesque
coast of Wales, and again to the historic
old city of Cork in Ireland. And for
about year they lived on the singular
little Isle of Portland, with its two great
forts, and its convict prison with fifteen
hundred prisoners. On New Years day
1869 they had embarked for long cam
paign in India. A part Of their pas
sage must have been filled with incident
and contained much of pleasure as they
crossed the Mediterranean, then traversed
the upper part of Egypt, by the Pyra-
mids, and along the course later taken
by the Suez Canal, thence over the Red
Sea to Alden, and the Arabian Sea to
Bombay; but from the latter place
across India to Lucknow the journey was