Chapter XXIX: Part 29

The Naval Brigade held Alexandria till the end of July, by which time
so many troops had arrived, that the services of the seamen on shore
were no longer required, with the exception of those serving in
Captain Fisher’s moveable armoured battery. The marines remained on
shore, and took the chief part in a smart engagement near Ramleh, on
August 5th.

Footnote 216:

Port Said was seized by Captain Fairfax, R.N., and Ismailia occupied
by Captain Fitzroy, R.N. On August 20th. the seamen and marines of the
“Seagull” and “Mosquito,” with two hundred of the 72nd. Highlanders,
attacked and carried an entrenched position at Chalouf.

Footnote 217:

The troops from India consisted of 1st. Battalion 72nd. Highlanders;
7th. Native Infantry; 29th. Punjaubees; 29th. Beloochees; a battery of
seven-pounder screw guns; and the 2nd., 6th., and 13th. Bengal
Cavalry.

Footnote 218:

The Highland Brigade, on entering Cairo, was first quartered in the
Citadel, but removed and occupied a camp without the walls during the
months of October and November. One night in October a curious
incident happened. A large number of Bedouins were prowling around the
city and encampment, into which they now and then fired. The dress of
the Highlanders completely puzzled the Arabs, and imagining them to be
the wives of the Infidel soldiers in Cairo, they made a dash at the
tents, hoping to capture some of the damsels to enliven their homes in
the desert. They were undeceived by being saluted with a volley that
stretched forty of them on the ground, and the survivors sought safety
in flight.

Footnote 219:

Among the officers killed was the gallant Lieutenant Wyatt-Rawson,
R.N., who had guided the Highland Brigade by the stars, throughout the
night, and was among the first to enter the Egyptian works. He was
Naval _aide-de-camp_ to Sir G. Wolseley, to whom his last words were
“Didn’t I lead them straight, General!” Major Strong and Captain
Wardell, of the Royal Marines, were both shot dead while leading and
cheering on their men up the glacis, within twenty yards of the enemy.

Footnote 220:

When the order to charge was given, the 42nd. charged instantly, and
the 65th. after a short interval, and more quickly than the flank half
battalion. This inequality of movement left the right corner and part
of the right flank of the square open. Worse still, the charge was
made, to quote the common expression in the camp “at nothing.” The
line stopped short, and in a few moments came the Arab rush, and the
Highlanders and 65th. were so closely jammed together that they had
hardly elbow room to use their weapons. Only three or four of the
enemy got inside the square, and they were killed as soon as they
entered.

Footnote 221:

“The formation of the Arabs, which was like a half moon, overlapped
the front and right face of the 1st. Brigade. Buller had his men well
in hand, just as if they were at a review. He commenced firing volleys
at them. The Arabs, who were in irregular formation, and from three to
ten deep, came along at a run, and it was just like a big black wave
running up a beach. It began to break on the crest, the white foam
being represented by the men that fell simultaneously with every
volley, and the wave began to grow less and less the more it neared
the square. Within two hundred and fifty yards it nearly ceased, and
not one man could get near enough to use his spear.”—_Wylde’s—In the
Soudan._

Footnote 222:

With Lord Wolseley were Major-General Sir Redvers Buller, V.C., Chief
of the Staff; Colonel W. F. Butler, C.B., Assistant Adjutant-General;
Colonel Sir C. W. Wilson, R.E., Chief of Intelligence Department; and
Colonel Sir H. Stewart, K.C.B. Colonel H. Brackenbury, R.A.; Colonel
R. Harrison, R.E.; Colonel Webber, R.E.; and others, for special
service.

Footnote 223:

The advance of the troops up the Nile was difficult and onerous in the
extreme. Some of the cataracts extended for two and three miles, and
all the stores had to be taken out of the boats and carried miles
round, over broken and rocky ground, and then shipped again beyond the
obstruction. It often took seventy men to haul one boat through the
rapids, and some days the whole progress made was under a mile. Many
of the boats were capsized and wrecked, and fifty men of the
expedition, including ten Canadians, were drowned before reaching
Dongola.

Footnote 224:

The troops which proceeded up the Nile were detachments of the 1st.
and 2nd. Life Guards; the Horse Guards; 2nd., 4th., and 5th. Dragoon
Guards; 1st. and 2nd. Dragoons; 5th. and 16th. Lancers; and 3rd.,
4th., 7th., 10th., 11th., 15th., 18th., 19th., 20th., and 21st.
Hussars. Most of them served as mounted infantry, or in the camel
corps. Detachments of Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scots Guards; 13th.,
21st., and 94th. Foot, 60th. Rifles and Rifle Brigade, and the 18th.,
35th., 38th., 42nd., 46th., 50th., 56th., 75th., 79th. Foot; Royal
Marines; and Naval Brigade. The 18th. Foot were the winners of Lord
Wolseley’s prize of £100 in the race up the Nile to Debbah.

Footnote 225:

“Immediately I perceived the enemy coming down, I ran the gun to a
position in the centre of the left flank, and commenced firing. After
about thirty rounds the gun jammed. The enemy then were about two
hundred yards from the muzzle of it. The captain of it, Will Rhoods,
and myself, unscrewed the plate to clean the barrel, when the enemy
were upon us. Rhoods was killed by a spear; Miller, drummer, I also
saw killed at the same moment. I was knocked down in rear of gun, but
uninjured, except a spear scratch on left hand. As I struggled up I
was carried against the face of the square, which was literally
pressed back by sheer weight of numbers. The crush was so great, that
at the moment few on either side were killed, but fortunately this
flank of the square was forced up a very steep little mound, which
enabled the rear rank to open a tremendous fire over the heads of the
front rank men. This relieved the pressure, and enabled the front rank
to bayonet or shoot those of the enemy nearest them. The enemy then
turned to the right and streamed away along the rear face of the
square, where, I afterwards heard they effected an entrance. None of
them got into the square at the place I indicated, where the crush
was, which was held by the Mounted Infantry.”—_Despatch of Lord
Charles Beresford, R.N._

Footnote 226:

All the Arabs killed belonged to the Hadendowa tribe, and among them
were several women, clad as men. Their fanaticism was amazing. As an
eye-witness wrote—“When our men went out to bring in the wounded
rebels lying in the bush, these latter crept bleeding on all fours,
with the spears in their mouths to stab them, and even hobbled on
broken legs to attack them.”

Footnote 227:

One of the standards had this inscription—“From the Mahdi, the true
Prophet of God. Whoever fights under this banner shall be victorious.”

Footnote 228:

The Soudan Medal, with the clasp “Gemaizah, 1888,” was given to the
officers, seamen, and marines of H.M.S. “Racer” and “Starling” who
belonged to those vessels on December 20th., 1888, the date of the
action.

Footnote 229:

Medals granted for service in the field, as well as medals and
gratuities, and medals and annuities, for good conduct, are forfeited
by soldiers on conviction of desertion or felony, or being sentenced
to penal servitude, or on discharge with ignominy. They are also
liable to forfeiture by sentence of court-martial, on conviction of
disgraceful conduct; or, in case of sergeants, on reduction to the
ranks. Medals thus forfeited are transmitted to the Horse Guards, in
order to their being returned to the Mint. Under certain regulations
lost medals are replaced; if the loss be proved to have occurred from
carelessness or neglect, the loser may be recommended to the
Commander-in-Chief for a new medal, at his own expense, after two
years’ absence from the regimental defaulters’ book. In order to
justify the replacement of a medal at the public expense, the loss
must be shewn to have occurred while on duty, or by some accident
entirely beyond the control of the loser; in all other cases, such as
the loss of a medal cut from a tunic, or stolen from the person, the
soldier has to pay for it himself. In cases wherein the clasps are not
lost, they are forwarded to the Adjutant-General to be attached to the
new medal. When medals are designedly made away with, or pawned, the
soldier is to be tried by court-martial, and, if convicted, put under
stoppages, the amount being credited to the public. After five years’
absence from the regimental defaulters’ book, the offender may be
recommended for a new medal, on again paying the value thereof.

Footnote 230:

A somewhat similar medal was given to the Indian chiefs who had
distinguished themselves by their loyalty, at the close of the war
between America and England, in 1814. On the obverse is a laureated
bust of George III., in the mantle and collar of the garter, with the
legend “Georgius III. Dei Gratia, Britannarum Rex. F. D.”; and on the
reverse, the Royal Arms, with the date 1814 in the exergue. All these
medals are of extreme rarity.

Footnote 231:

Two years afterwards, in November, 1800, the Emperor further rewarded
the eight officers of the 15th., by conferring on each of them the
Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa, permission to accept and wear the
insignia being granted by George III. At the Greg sale, May 16, 1887,
the medal and chain, with the cross of Maria Theresa, given to Cornet
E. G. Butler, were sold for £240.

Footnote 232:

This “Order of Merit” having attracted the attention of the local
military authorities, the commanding officer was called upon by Lord
Hill, to explain under what regulations and arrangements it was
conferred. The explanation produced the following letter:—

Horse Guards, 20th June, 1832.

Sir,—I have had the honour to submit to the General Commanding in
Chief your letter of the 4th. instant, with its enclosure, on the
subject of the “Order of Merit” existing in the 5th. Foot, and am
directed to acquaint you, that the explanation afforded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Sutherland, shews that the order in question is
dispensed under the most laudable regulations, and has been
productive of the best effects, during the long period since its
original establishment in the regiment.

It is considered highly desirable, however, that both officer and
soldier should, under all circumstances, be taught to expect
professional honours from the Sovereign alone; and under this
impression, Lord Hill has been induced to recommend to the King to
give the royal authority for the confirmation and continuance of
this regimental badge of distinction, an arrangement which, while it
bestows upon it legitimate existence, will, at the same time, no
doubt enhance its value in the estimation of those on whom it is
conferred.

You will, therefore, be pleased to communicate this decision to
Lieutenant-Colonel Sutherland, and acquaint him that he is at
liberty to proceed in the distribution of the medals and badges as
heretofore.

I have, etc.,
JOHN MACDONALD,
Adjutant-General.

Lieutenant-General
Sir Wm. Houstoun, G.C.B. and G.C.H.,
Commanding at Gibraltar.

Footnote 233:

This medal was struck in Dublin, and issued to those entitled to wear
it, at their own expense.

Footnote 234:

In the year 1818, the 73rd. were engaged in suppressing a rebellion of
the Candians in Ceylon. A small party of the regiment, in charge of
Lance-Corporal R. McLoughlin, while on a march, was attacked by a
numerous body of the enemy, and two men were killed. As the Candians
generally mutilated the remains of British soldiers, the little party
of the 73rd. divided; part remaining to guard the bodies, and the
other part, at an equal risk, forcing their way to Badulah, a few
miles distant. From this place they returned with a reinforcement,
drove back the enemy, and carried off the bodies of their slain
comrades. To reward this gallant conduct, a medal was struck by the
Ceylon government for presentation to Corporal McLoughlin, and three
privates, but they all died of fever before it was issued.

Footnote 235:

The following account of the presentation of medals to a body of
Volunteers, on their disbanding, appeared in the _Morning Chronicle_
of April, 1802, just after the signing of the Treaty of Amiens:—

“Yesterday the Hon. John Henniker Major met his respectable corps of
Suffolk Volunteers, in that county; and, after thanking them, in an
elegant and appropriate speech, for the zeal and activity that they
had manifested in the defence of their country, delivered to each of
them a silver medal, decorated with military devices, as a mark of the
high sense he entertained of their services; after which, Mr. Major
informed them they were now disbanded, conformably to the regulation
of the Government, with a reward the most gratifying, viz., their
Sovereign’s approbation of their conduct.”

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

Page Changed from Changed to

160 the conflict raged at the the conflict raged at the
breaches, when an explosion beaches, when an explosion
destroyed destroyed

376 divided into two columns, one divided into two columns, one
operating from Burmah agains operating from Burmah against

578 direction. The route was direction. The rout was
complete, great loss being complete, great loss being
inflicted inflicted

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