Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19
THE STORY OF A SOLDIERS LIFE. By Field
Marshal viscount wolseley, o. NJ. K p. q.
c. B., G. G. NJ. c., ID. G. L.. LID. In two
volumes. New York: Charles Serfbner's Sons
WASHINGTON: William Ballantyne & Sons.

Marshal yiscount wolseley, o. NJ. x. p. a.
volumes New YORK: Charles serfbner's Sons
Washington: William Ballantyne & Sons.
The numerous initials which follow Lord
Wolseleys name Oh the title page Of
this work suggest his status in Brit
ish society perhaps better than would
many words Of description. Although he
| is at present out of the active service,
having passed the command of the army
over to Lord Roberts four years ago, he
is today regarded by a large part of
the British people as finally authori-
tative exponent of the fighting forces of
the crown His services have been long
and arduous. They cover seven distinct
campaigns, in four of which he was in
supreme command. His present military
memoirs embrace, however, only five of
these campaigns, the work closing with
the Ashantee war of 1873 leaving untold
the stories of the expedition to Egypt in
1882 and of the Gordon relief expedition
in 1SS4-5. 1t also is silent as to Lord
| Wolseley's experiences at the head of the
army.
The American readev of this work will
of course, be confronted with much that
is familiar only in a vague way, and will
find references to many individuals In
| whom he can have no interest whatever.
But he will find every episode entertain
| ing. The broadcast criticism of the work
| Is That IL is TOO long, tnat 1t contains too
| many repetitiOns, that it lacks compact
ness. Lord Wolseley could have consoli-
dated his account of some of his expert
| ences and so saved the space which might
have been entertainingly and probably
filled with the stories of the Egyptian
campaigns which roun.ed up his work in
| the field.
The young Wolseley was bound early
for the army. his father having been an
officer. He entered as ensign at the age
OF nineteen. in 1852. and was sent to In
dia. From the outset he displayed quail
ties which marked him for high honors.
| 1t is possible to read the soldiers modest
references to himself in terms which set
linn off from his messmates. He was the
| exceptional student among a lot of care
less. unprofessional young fellows to
| whom promotion would come in the
course of events. who fought bravely
when the time for fighting arrived but
| who made no effort to widen their ex-
perienees or to improve their quality
After short garrison stay in India the
young ensign was sent with an expedition
| to punish an obstreperous Burmese chief
and after having displayed marked gallant
ry undera fire. and indicating to his
| perlor oftfcer' a chance to do decisive
damage to the ntrenched foe. he was bad
ly wounded In the thigh and was incapac-
itated for further service for a time, be-
Ing invaded home. AS consequence
of that wound fhe was never afterward able
| to sit a perfectly secure saddle, lacking
pressure power in one leg. Upon his re-
coyery he twas ordered to the Crmea
where war then raging between the
allied French and English forces and the
Russians. Lord Wolseley expresses him
self very plainly and bitterly on the SUBJ
ject of the Grianean war. which he de-
nounces asa. great blunder on the part of
the then British ministry. His remarks
on this subjecf-repeated in substance at
various points in this phase of the story
are interesting. He says:
| But We aaBes told that it was done
Through ignorance. Ignorance forsooth;
a VI
lister be cdrvictetl? If he be ignorant, what
right has heAto fill place and draw it's
emolumsntss when he1laeks the knowledge
required for the proper and useful dis
charge of its duties? Yet this is still what
| We see; man who Is not soldier, and
who is entirely ignorant of war; is Sc
the secretary IF state for war I might with
quite as great propriety be selected to be
the chief surgeon in hospital. I have
had some experience of wounds and opera
| tons. but those too often selected to be our
ministers of war know about as much
| about war soldiers as I do Of abstruse
theology 1t is an Infamous, foolish
| system, and sooner or later 1t must land
us in serious, if not in some disastrous,
national calamity
Lieut.. Wolseley served for most of the
time as engineer in the right attack of the
| advanced English position before SebaSto-
| pol. and was wounded severely in the face
by shell one night he was trying to
| force his sap to more advanced position.
| ne recovered QUICKLY, out not IN season
| to take part in the final advance. He
| afterward served as quartermaster while
| in part incapacitated for line duty and
| thus started on staff career. which he
| followed for a considerable portion of his
| active field service before reaching his
| generalship This wound virtually de-
/ prived him of the sight Of one eye. Upon
| returning home he was prepared to rest
| for some time from war, but the condition
of affairs In China was bad in 1857 that
the government decided to send troops
| there, and Wolseley's battalion order
| ed around the Cape His TRANSPORT was
| wrecked in the Indian ocean, and upon
the rescue of the troops they were divert
| ed from their course to China and sent up
| country to the relief of Lucknow which
was under siege by the mutinous Sepoys
For two years Welseiey served in the Oudh
| campaign, in the sieges and reliefs Of
Lucknow and the general work of SUBJ
| during the rebellion of the Mohammedans.
| Throughout the work runs the spirit of
| the love of battle. In every instance where
| powder Is smelled from afar the soldier
| author expresses great joy. He himself
| notes this recurrence, and finally says,
| apropos of one of these pleasurahle antici-
| pations of dangerous work:
THAT war is a horrible thing Is q very
| nice heading for the page of a schoolgirls
copy book, but confess eandidly that In
my heart I always thoroughly enjoyed 1t.
| Surely 1t has very glorious side to 1t. You
find man at his best and at his worst there.
| What can be grander than to men bold
ly face death for the honor. the glory and
| the prosperity of the country they love, and
| whose interests they put above self and all
| earthly considerations! 1t is sef-sacrf-
flee of most pronounced type. the acme of
noble excitement. the apogee of patriotic
! enthusia sm'
In this connection 1t is interesting to note
| Lord Wolseley's remarks concerning his at
titude toward his professional career. He
| says: Ii 80
| 'I suppose I must have had something In
me that caused me to be often singled out
| for positions far beyond my years but I
1 felt at the time that my good fortune was
the result of my close attention to all duties
no matter howssmall, that bore upon mill
tary work; to my Unsuitable greed for infor-
/ nation upon war, its science and practice;
| to my study of military history; to my In
tense love, of fighting. and of all out-of-door
amusements and manly exercises. So much
! was this the case that felt bound to con-
| troll my aspirations and conceal my longing
for Distinction, and the real enjoyment
| which even the hardships Of soldiers life
/ afforded me. was surrounded by men,
/ plucky gentlemen many of them-I daresay
! far pluckier than was-who when put to
| 1t would fight any one, and would fight to
the last. But they would do so as a matter
Of course because they were gentlemen;
did 1t because In addition to this feeling /
L tho 81 <I.o