Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-10-23
AN ARMY TALE.
Sir e. Woods Story of the Plymouth
Sentry.

| Sli Evelyn NOOu Is Olle CoHSSiiii6 I"
sentry at Plymouth, who, on being ask
ed to define his duties, answered: L
am to prevent any one landing at the
steps below me in plain clothes except
Lord Morley and Lord Mount Edg-
cumbe" The general then inquired If
the man knew the noble lords in ques-
ton by sight, and was informed that,
| far from this being the case, he did not
know one lord from another. At this
stage of the proceedings Gen. Sir For
estier Walker, who was present, re-
marked that when he was in command
at the southern seaport he had had the
sentry removed, and that there was
some justification for the abolition Of
the post can be gathered from Sir
Forestiers observations: His orders
were much better in my time; they
ran: 1 am not to allow any one to
bathe at these steps improperly dress
ed, except Lord Mount Edgcumbe.'
Some little time ago, when one even
ing visitor was challenged by the
sentry stationed outside a certain Yeo-
manry camp in Berkshire, the stranger
replied that he was in search of d GER
tain officer, and would be obliged If
any information concerning the where
abouts of the same was forthcoming.
After due consideration the sentry re-
piled: Il do not know where he is, but
| il you see the corporal of the guard,
tell him l am hungry, as l have not
been relieved all day." a statement that
the corporal duly verified with the ex-
forgot all about him." Now, the Ply
mouth sentry aforementioned had not
been forgotten, though in all probable
ity the real reason for establishing his
post had been; but, as a matter of fact,
although it is very easy to forget the
origin of some ridiculous instance Of
red -tapeism, to cut the bonds is a very
different matter Some years ago, for
example, an old ironclad, La Calison-
iere, to wit, was used by the French
naval authorities as a target for melin-
| ite projectiles, and after the customary
| bombardment was over, for the pur-
pose of an official post mortem, the
battered remains were towed to Cher
bourg, docked, and a sentry stationed
at the side of the dock to prevent the
inquisitive pursuing their investiga-
tions too closely In due course the
victim of the official experiment was
taken away, but the orders for the
sentry were not countermanded, and
when last heard of the sentry was still
on duty by the dock side, but all the
guards is but memory and defective
one at that
The forgotten sentry of Cherbourg
has or had, a confrere in arms at Chat
ham, whose duties, though more i'm
poltant than those of the Gallo soldier,
tim of numerous entanglements of red
tape. The Chatham man had some
thing tangible to guard at all events,
the same being an institution at which
numerous important documents were
kept, but he was at a certain disad-
vantage with the Cherbourg sentry, in
asmuch as his only weapon Of defense
or attack was a thick stick. In the
days of long ago sentry on duty at
this port effectually disposed Of way
farer who failed to answer his chal-
lenge, after which sad happening his
lethal weapon was taken from him.
and his successors and the club sub
stituted. Prior to this mournful Incl
dent it had been customary to supply
the sentry on duty at this spot with ten
rounds of ammunition in place of the
customary four, and even when, in due
course, the sword was turned into a
ploughshare, or rather the rifle into a
club, the allowance Of ammunition was
still forthcoming. Than red tape, few
things are more unyielding.
When, some years ago, the war Of
fee withdrew from Dumbarton castle
it's entire garrison, comprising one
soldier, and placed that ancient fortress
in the care of the Dumbarton town
council, some there may have been
| WHO WOIlueISu W WIldI pun pO9S liii1
flying column would be put. 1t is just
possible that having marched out of
Dumbarton with colors flying and all
the honors of peace, the garrison may
have been dispatched to guard Kill
worth military camp and range In
county Cork. To put garrison of one
in charge of a camp large enough to
accommodate $4,000 troops and boasting
Il, 900 acres of range lands, divers per-
manent buildings, postal and telegraph
offices and other erections would on
the face of it appear to be taxing the
capacity of the unit somewhat high;
but it was done some years ago, and
although arduous, the duties Of the
Munster Fusilier in charge were light
in comparison with those Of the Swiss
| Guard who defends an entire State-the
Papal state-from invasion. In days
of yOre, between the apostolic palace
and the castle of st. Angelo a covered
passage existed, through which the
pope could pass from the Vatican to
the fortress, but when, in 1870, the Pa
pal states were abolished and the cas-
tie Of ST Angelo fell into the hands of
the representatives of United Italy the