Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-09-06

y Cho DSlOT0 Q6T Uedll. WnG0 the
German Emperor came to London to
attend the funeral he was pleased to
decorate Lord Roberts with the Order
OF the Black Eagle. The gallant Irish
soldier of INDIAN nativity has also re.
ceived the thanks of the British Par
lament together with grant CT 100,
600 pounds sterling; and is entitled to
the letters K. C. B., G. c. B., G. C. l.
b., G. G. S. l.. and K. P.
Beet Of ALL he is affectionately
known to every soldier in the British
army as "Bobs." He is also the proud
wearer of Victoria Cross, and the
possessor of a second cross for which
his only son stained the South Afri-
can yeldt with his life-blood
The idol Of the British army was
but lieutenant when he won his
cross in the bloody days of the Indian
Mutiny. and at the time was serving
on the staff of Sir Colin Campbell,
the commandments of the British
forces in India. He had already been
mentioned in dispatches, had been
wounded. and also knocked over by
the "windage" of round shot.
A column was moving upon Fate
garh to restore order through a strip
of disordered territory, so that COM
munication might be opened up be
tween the Punjab and Bengal. Riding
with the horse artillery and cavalry,
"Bobs" came upon a large body Of
the enemy occupying the village OF
khundaganj. 1t became necessary to
dislodge and destroy this force If pos
sible, as 1t was understood that in the
ranks of this particular body of Sc
poys were many who had taken a
more or less prominent part in the
Cawnpore slaughter.
Three guns were pushed across a
partly destroyed suspension bridge
over stream. They engaged the enc
my while planks were laid across the
stringers for the passage of the main
body of the column
Fearful lest Sir Colin Campbell
should favor the Highlanders by or
dering them to lead, the SD regiment,
composed mostly of impulsive Irish
men, charged the village without wait
ing for orders. Nothing remained but
to support them.
AS the yelling troops advanced up
on the village calling upon one anoth-
er to Remember Cawnpore!' the Sc
poys wavered. then hastily nmbered
up their guns and retired. This gave
the mounted troops an opportunity to
follow up the retreat and inflict sum-
mary punishment
"Threes ft-trot-march!" came
the order
And with "Bobs" well in the van
guard, the 9th Lancers led the pur.
suit. When within three hundred
yards of the Sepoys the charge" was
sounded, and within another minute
came the shock. Seven guns were ta-
ken within five minutes.
The line Numbered on, overtaking
groups of the enemy. who every few
moments paused to kneel and fire into
the British. Finally the last body was
oyertaken. The Sepoys halted and
fired a volley at close range.
Lieutenant Younghusband, riding
,
marshal could not ride to his assis-
lance at that moment, for close by
him Sepoy was attacking one of his
men with fixed bayonet With
stroke of his saber "Bobs" put the
Sepoy out of commission and was
about to give his attention to the fall
en- officer when he say two Sepoys
Al
dard in their possession.
Putting spurs to his horse, he over.
took the mutinesrs and ran one of
them through. He was wrenching the
flag out of the hand of the man he had
cut down, when the other Sepoy
placed the muzzle of his musket close
to Roberts breast, and pulled the trig-
ger. Fortunately for the gallant lieu
tenant it missed fire, and he lived not
only to receive the Victoria Cross from
the hands of the Queen at Bucking
ham Palace in June of 1859, but also
to receive from the same hands, some
forty years later, a Victoria Cross
awarded to his dead son, killed upon
the battlefield of Colenso in a desper-
ate attempt to save battery from
falling into the hands of the Beers.
In writing of these heroes of the
Cross, it would not be fair to dismiss
the subject without mentioning the ex.
ploits Of Field Marshal Sir George
Stuart White, who in 1870 won a cross,
and the following year was awarded a
clasp in addition, equivalent to SEQ
ond cross.
White, who succeeded Bobs" as
commander-in-chief in India. became