The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-11-19
LORD ROBERTS DIES At FRONT
Englands Famous Warrior VAS Strich.
en with Pneumonia While Visiting
Troop on the Battle Line

~ l+philVni NOV, ~ Iofu fffdrrlCh
+ Sleigh Roberts, Eugland's aged anc
y famous marshal" Roberts of kanda.
har, Pretoria and Waterford but bet.
ter known to every Euglshman az
Z Bob" Saturday evening in
+ France, where he had gone to greet
9 the Indian troops, with whom his mill
tary career was chiefly associated and
Of whom he was nomipally colonel-in.
chief. The news Of his death was con.
taincd in this telegram from Sir John
! French to Earl Kitchener given out at
London late Saturday night Il deeply
regret TO tell you that Lord Roberts
died at s O'Clock this evening" The
old soldier, who was 50 on Sept. 30,
had chill Thursday evening and
quickly succumbed to pneumonia.
Although Lord Roberts has died in
the midst of conflict in which his age
prevented an active part and beside
which his wars seem like puny skir-
finishes, he was still the best known,
and the best-loved, Of the worlds sol
diers. His fighting days ended ID
years ago, when he came yictoriously
home from South Africa, was made an
earl and was received by Queen Vic
toria, who died eight days later, at
the tust audience she gave. But the
present war is yet too young and too
uncertain for its heroes to stand out
with certainty, and the fame which the
wiry little man, best known as "Bobs,"
had gained by his gallant campaigns
IGnd service Of over 40 years in India,
including the Abyssinia campaign Of
1867, remained undiminished This
was partly because Of the affection he
inspired and partly because his con-
slant warnings to England that she
must arm for the hour that is now
come had kept him in the public eye.
Thus the passing Of Lord Roberts
at 81, while it takes from England
great soldier, does not take one still
able to lead her armies. Yet his
death ut precisely this stage Of the
war, when the British army has given
SO brilliant an account Of itself on the
battle line in France, vividly recalls
the little wars Of half century ago
in which that army and its leaders
may be said to have been drilled and
trained and its traditions upheld. One
may not pass in review the Incidents
of Lord Roberts military career with.
out being reminded that If, as Prof.
Cramb declared in his now celebrated
Germany and England" the sun has
scarcely set except somewhere in the
world, upon an Englishman dead for
the empire, these wars IN her far
possessions have made her army what
it is and that the spirit OF her army
is, more than that of any other one
man, the spirit Of Roberts, There was
this further appropriateness in his
nickname "Bobs," that it is said in
Hindu to mean "hero."
Lord Roberts was in active service
for nearly 60 years, He was the son
of Gen. Sir Abraham Roberts and was
born in Cawnpore, India, Sept. 30,
1882. After school course in Eng
land he obtained commission in the
Bengal artillery Dec. IL, 1851 The
next year he joined a field battery at
Peshawar and was aide-de-camp to his
father. At the outbreak Of the
mutiny in 1857 he was staff Officer,
and thereafter for 22 years he had
part in all the military operations Of
the British in India
He won the Victoria Cross in 1858
by capturing native standard single
handed from two Sepoys. He was
mentioned seven times for gallantry
in dispatches during the mutiny, and
in 1860 he had won a captains epaul-
cts and brevet as major.
In 1867 his services in the cam
paign in Abyssinia won for him fire.
guent mention in dispatches and med
ais. In 1871 he fitted out an expedi-
ion into Burmah and cut his way into
he enemys country through 100 miles
If jungle. In 1878 he had command
" the frontier field forces and invaded
ifghanistan through the northern
,asses.
His service in South Africa began in
SS1, after the Majuba Hill disaster.
order was promptly restored in that
district, and 1885 he was back in India,
where distinguished active service for
everal years, with uniform success,
Won him various titles and other mill
airy honors. He became field mar
hal in 1895 and Queen Victoria
nighted him in 1897.
In 1900 he took command Of the
,nglish forces in the Boer war in
'outh Africa, prosecuted the cam
aign with his usual vigor and won
he war for the British. For this ser
ice he was made commandcr-in-chief
nd in 1901 Queen Victoria bestowed
pon him the Order Of the Garter.