The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-10-22 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

SINGULAR STORY FROM INDIA.  A romantic sbny just brought to light, regarding the flight of the 14th Dragoons at the battle of Chillianwallah. is . exciting great interest amongst soldiers in India. The accepted legend relates that the order, " Threes about and canter !" which originated a retreat, that, under pressure from a fierce body of Sikh horse, speedily became ad Ignominious flight, came from a lancer in the reginunnt, who, nursing a deep spite against Colonel King, used his re:narkable ventriloquial powers in simulating the voice I,f his cammander. • But the suicide of Colonel King at Lahore removed ' a material witness, and the grave has closed ovi r most of those who weie engaged in the Sikh campaign. Now, however, on the authority of an old soldier of the 14th Dragoons, another and more romantic cause is furnished for the fate of Colonel King. A private named Robert Wilson, sentenced to 14 days' heavy marching drill by his colonel, declared that his punishment was unjust. and that he would stand a regimental court-martial and be judged by officers who were soldiers " rather than anima to a sentence from a coward." For this Wilson received 50 lashes, which he took without a murmur; but when he was unstrapped from the ti tangle he called out " Comrades ! I have been unjustly flogged for calling the colonel a coward, and I call him so again; and I will maintain it, in the face id the British army, that if we (the 14th Dragoons) had been properly led at Chillianwallah, we would never have shewn our backs to the enemy." Wilson was marched back from the punishment parade to the guard-room, and an application was sent to the Commander -in - Chief for a general court-martial to try the culprit for Iris gross insubordination. At that time Sir Charles. Napier had succeeded Sir Hugh Gough; and on the evening if the day following the arrival of the Cirinnander-in-Chiet's camp at Lahore, a drunken private it the 61st Regiment (which under Sir Colin Campbell saved the day at Chillianwallah) staggered lip to the guarderooei if the 14th Dragoons and jei,eingly caoed out "Threes about and canter !" For this lie was speedily made the companion of the prisoner Wilson. Wilson, being a general favourite iii the regiment, was allowed to enter into conversathin with his brother-prisoner ; and more than that, the stianger, fast soberinv, was suffered to inquire niinutely into the circumstances of the disastrous retreat of the regiment. At daybreak the guard officer dismissed the now sober and apologetic 'ranker.' A few hours later the commanding officer of time 14th Dragoons received from Sir Charles Napier a letter refusing to sanction a general courtmartial on trooper Willi. in, and ordering his immediate release and bander from the regimen.' to the 10th Hussars. His Excellency added thas7t s had seen the 11th Dragoons on many a hard-10,V' r .field ; and lie believed, with the men, that had , hey hi en prop, rly led they would not have br ken before the Sikhs at Chillianwallah. On reading this letter Colonel King left the or ierly-roorn, and, retiring to his own quarters, put an end to his life. A I hew days afterwards the Cominandsr-in.Chief reviewed the 14th Dragoons; and the men who were 1 on guard on the night when the drunken private of the Gist Regiment was a prisoner recognised him in the person of Sir Charles Napier.