G
THE DAILY EVENING TSX-SGRAPII PHILADELPHIA, MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1871.
The German Conquest of England
in 1875.
arrival of the German armadi-de-8tkuction
of the british fleet
run decisive battle of dorking-
CArTURB OF LONDON -DOWNFALL OF
THE ENGLISH EMPIRE.
The Momentous Erent Described by an
Eye-wUneM In l'J J5.
From Llackwooi fur Slay.
You asK mo to tell yon, my grandchildren,
something about my own share in the great
events that happened fifty years ago. 'Tis
ead work turning back to that bitter page in
our history, but you may perhaps take profit
in your new homes from the lesson it teaohe.
For us in England it came too late. And yet
we had plenty of warnings, if we had only
made use of them. The danger did not come
on us unawares. It burst on ua suddenly,
'tis true, but its coming was foreshadowed
plainly enough to open our eyes, if we had
not been wilfully blind. We English have
only ourselves to blame for the humiliation
whieh has been brought on the land. Vener
able old age! Dishonorable old age, I say,
when it follows a manhood dishonored as ours
has been. I declare, even now, though fifty
years have passed, I can hardly look a young
man in the face when I think J am one of
those in whose youth happened this degrada
tion of old England one of those who be
trayed the trust handed down to us unstained
by our forefathers.
What a proud and happy country was this
fifty years ago ! Free-trade had been work
ing for more than a quarter of a century, and
there seemed to be no end to the riohes it
was bringing us. London was growing bigger
and bigger; you could not build houses fast
enough for the rich people who wanted to live
in them, the merchants who made the money
and came from all parts of the world to settle
' there, and the lawyers and doctors and en
gineers and others, and tradespeople who got
their share out of the profits. The streets
reached down to Croydon and Wimbledon,
whicn my father could remember quite coun
try places; and people used to say that King
ston and Beigate would soon be joined to
London. We thought we could go on build
ing and multiplying for ever.
Fools that we were! We thought that all
this wealth and prosperity were sent as by
Frovidonce, and could not stop coming. In
our blindness we did not see that we were
merely a big workshop, making up the things
which came from all parts of the world; and
that if other nations stopped sending us raw
goods to work up, we could not produce them
ourselves. True, we had in those days an ad
vantage in our cheap coal and iron; and had
we taken care not to waste the fuel, it might
have lasted us longer. But even then there
were signs that coal and iron would soon be
come cheaper in other parts; while as to food
and other things, England was not better off
than it is now. We were so rich simply be
cause other nations from all parts of the
world were in the habit of sending their goods
to us to be sold or manufactured; and we
thought that this would last forever. And so,
perhaps, it might have lasted, if we had only
taken proper means to keep it; but, in our
folly, we were too careless even to insure our
prosperity, and after the course of trade was
turned away it would not come baok again.
And yet, if ever a nation had a plain warn
ing, we had. If we were the greatest trading
country our neighbors were the leading mili
tary power in Europe. They were driving a
good trade, too, for this was before their
foolish Communism (about which you will
hear when you are older) had ruined the rich
without benefiting the poor, and they were in
many respects the first nation in Europe; but
it was on their army that they prided them
selves most. And with reason. They had
beaten the Bussians and the Austrians, and
the Prussians too, in bygone years, and they
thought they were invincible. Well do I re
member the great review held at Paris by the
Emperor Napoleon during the great Exhibi
tion, and how proud he looked showing off
bis splendid Guards to the assembled kings
and princes. Yet, three years afterwards, the
force so long deemed the first in Europe
was ignominiously beaten, and the whole
army taken prisoners. Such a defeat had
never happened before in the world's history;
and with this proof before us of the folly of
disbelieving in the possibility of disaster
xneroly because it bad never happened before,
t might have been supposed that we should
bave the sense to take the lesson to heart.
And the country was certainly roused for a
time, and a cry was raised that the army
ought to be reorganized, and .our defenses
strengthened against the enormous power
for sudden attacks which it was seen other
nations were able to put forth. But our Gov
ernment had come into office on a cry of re
trenchment, and could not bring themselves
to eat their own pledges. There was a radical
section of their party, too, whose votes had
to be secured by conciliation, and which
blindly demanded a reduction of arma
ments as the price of allegiance. This party
always decried military establishments as part
of a fixed policy for reducing the influence of
the crown and the aristocracy. They could
not understand that the times had altogether
changed, that the crown had really no power,
and that the Government merely existed at
the pleasure of the House of Commons, and
that even Parliament rule was begiuning to
five way to mob law. -At any rate, the
linistry were only too glad of this excuse to
give up all the strong points of a soheme
which they were not really in earnest about,
The fleet and the channel, they said, were
sufficient protection. So the army was kept
down, and the militia and volunteers were
left untrained as before, because to call them
out for drill would "interfere with the in
dustry of the country." We could have
given up some of the industry of those days,
forsooth, and yet be busier than we are now.
I need hardly tell you how the crash came
about. First, the rising in India drew away
a part of our email army; then came the diffi
culty with America, which had bees threaten
ing for years, and we sent off ten thousand
men to defend Canada a handful which did
not go far to strengthen the real defenses of
that country, but formed an irresistible
temptation to the Americans to try and take
them prisoners, especially as the contingent
included three battalions of the Guard.
Thus the regular army at home was even
smaller than usual, and nearly half of it was
in Ireland to check the talked-of Fenian in
vasion fitting out in the West. Worse still-
though I do not know it would really have
mattered as things turned out the fleet was
scattered abroad; some ships to guard ta
West Indies, others to check privatnoriug la
the (Jmna seas, aaa a lars party to try an i
protect our colonies on the Northern Poino
shore of America, where, with incredible fully.
we continued to retain possessions which we
could not possibly defend. America was not
the great powtr forty years ago that it is now:
but for us to'try and bold territory on her shores
. which could only be reached by sailing round
the Tlorn, was as absurd as if she had at
tempted to take the Isle of Man before the
independence of Ireland. We see this plainly
enough now, but we were all blind then.
It was while we were in this state, with our
ships all over the world, and our little bit of
an army out up into detachments, that the
Secret Treaty was published, and Holland and
Denmark were annexed. People say now that
we might have escaped the troubles which
came on us if we had at any rate kept quiet
until our other difficulties were settled; but
the English were always an impulsive lot; the
whole country was boiling over with indigna
tion, and the Government, egged on by the
press, and going with the stream, declared
war. We had always got out of scrapes before,
and we believed our old luck And pluck would
somehow pull us through. ,
Then, of course, there was bustle and hurry
all over the land. Not that the calling up of
the army reserves caused mush stir, for I
think there were only about 5000 altogether,
and a good many of these were not to be
found when the time came; but recruiting was
going on all over the country, with a tiemea
dons high bounty, 50,000 more men having
been voted for the army. Then there was a
ballot bill passed for adding 55, 000 men to
the militia; why a round number was not
fixed on I don't know, but the Prime Minis
ter said that this waa the exaot quota wanted
to put the defenses of the country on a sound
footing. .Then the shipbuilding that begau!
Iron-clads, despatch boats, .gunboats, moni
torsevery building yard in the country got
its job, and they were offering ten shillings a
day wages for anybody who could drive a
rivet. This didn't improve the recruiting,
you may suppose. I remember, too, there
was a squabble in the House of Commons
about whether artisans should be drawn for
the ballot, as they were so muoh wanted, and
I think they got an exemption. This sent
numbers to the yards; and if we had had a
couple of years to prepare instead of a couple
of weeks, I daresay we should have done very
well.
It was on a Monday that the declaration of
war was announced, and in a f e w hours we
got our first inkling of the sort of preparation
the enemy had made for the event which they
had really brought about, although the actual
declaration was made by us. A pious appeal
te the God of Battles, whom it was said we
had aroused, was telegraphed back; and from
that moment all communication with the
north of Europe was cut off'. Our embassies
and legations were paoksd off at an hour s
notice, and it was as if we had suddenly oome
bacK to tne Middle Ages. The dumb aston
ishment visible all over London the next
morning, when the papers came out void of
news, merely hinting at what had happened,
was one of the most startling things in this
war of surprises. But everything had been
arranged beforehand; nor ought we to have
been surprised, for we had seen the same
Eower, only a few months bfore, move down
alf a million of men on a few days' notioe,
to conquer the greatest military nation in
Europe, witn no more fuss than our War
Office used to make over the transport of a
brigade from Aldershot to Brighton and
this, too, without the allies it had now.
Of course the papers were not long in get
ting news even the mighty organization set
at work could not shut out a special corres
pondent; and in a few days, although the tele
graphs and railways wire intercepted right
across Europe, the main facts oozed out. An
embargo had been laid on all the shipping in
every port from the Baltio toOatend; the fleets
of the two great powers had moved out, and
it was supposed were assembled in the great
northern harbor, and troops were hurrying
on board au tne steamers detained in tnose
places, most of whioh were British vessels. It
was clear that invasion was intended. Even
then we might have been saved if the fleet
bad been ready. The forts whioh guarded
the flotilla were perhaps too strong
for shipping to attempt; but an iron
clad or two, bandied as British sailors
know bow to use them, might have
destroyed or damaged a part of the trans
ports, and delayed the expedition, giving us
what we wanted time. Bat then the best
part of the fleet had been deooyed down to
the Dardanelles, and what remained of the
Channel squadron was looking after Fenian
filibusters off the west of Ireland; so it was
ten days before the fleet was got together,
and by that time it waa plain the enemy's
preparations were too far advanoed to be
stopped by a covpae mam. Information,
which came chiefly through Italy, came
slowly, and was more or less vague and un
certain; but this much was known, that at
least a couple of hundred thousand men were
embarked or ready to be pnt en board ships,
and that the flotilla was guarded by more
iron-clads than we could then muster. I sup
pose it was the uncertainty as to the point
tne 6nemy would aim at for landing, and the
fear lest he should give us the go-by, that
kept the fleet for several days in the Downs,
but it was not until the Tuesday fortnight
after the declaration of war that it weighed
anohor and steamed away for the North Sea.
Of course you bave read about the Queen's
visit to the fleet the day before, and how she
sailed around the ships in her yacht, and
went on board the flagship to take leave of
the admiral; how, overcome with emotion,
she told him that the safety of the country
was committed to his keeping. You remem
ber, too, the gallant old officer's reply, and
how all the ship's yards were manned, and
how lustily the tars cheered as her Majesty
was rowed off. The account was of course
telegraphed to Lendon, and the high spirits
of the fleet infected the whole town. I was
outside the Charing Cross station when the
Queen's special train from Dover arrived, and
from the cheering and shouting whioh greeted
her as she drove away you might have
supposed we had already won a great victory.
The journals whioh had gone in strongly for'
the army reduction carried out during the
session, and had been nervous and despond
ing in tone during the past fortnight, sug
gesting all sorts of compromises as a way of
getting out of the war, came out in a very
j ubilant form next morning. 4 'Panio-strioken
inquirers," they said, "ask now, where are
the means of meeting the invasion? We
reply that the invasion will never take place.
A British fleet, manned by British sailors
whose courage and enthusiasm are reflected
in the people of this country, is already on
the way to meet the presumptuous foe. The
issue of a contest between British ships and
those of any other country, under anything
like equal odds, cau never be doubtful. Eng
land awaits with calm confidence the issue of
the impending action."
tiuch were the words of the leading article,
and so we all felt. It was on Tuesday, the
10th of August, that the fleet sailed from the
Downs. It took with it a submarine cable to
lay down as it advanced, so that continuous
communication was kept up, and the pipers
were publishing speoial editions every few
iiiiuutes with the latest news. This was the
first time such a thing had been done, and
the feat was accepted as a good omen.
Whether it is true that the Admiralty made
use of the cable to keep on sending contra
dictory orders, which took the command out
of the admiral's bands, I can't say; but all
that the admiral sent in return was a few mes
sages of the briefest kind, which neither the
Admiralty nor any one else could have made
any use of. Such a ship had gone off reconnoi
tring; such another had rejoined fleet was in
latitude so and so. This went on till the
Thursday morning. I had just come up to
town by train as usual, and was walking to
my office, when the newsboys began to cry,
"New edition enemy's fleet in Bight!" You
may imagine the scene in London! Business
still went on at the banks, for bills matured
although the independence of the oountry was
being fought out under our own eyes, so to
say; and the speculators were aotive enough.
But even with the people who were making
and losing their fortunes, the interest in the
fleet overcame everything else; men who went
to pay in or draw out their money stopped
to show the last bulletin to the cashier. As
for the street, you could hardly get
along for the crowd stopping to buy
and read the papers; while at every house
or office the members sat restlessly in
the common room, as if to keep together for
company, sending out Bonne one of their
number every few minutes to get the latest
edition. At least this is what happened at
our office; but to sit still was as impossible as
to do anything, and most of us went out and
wandered about among the crowd, under a
sort of feeling that thp news was got quioker
at in this way. Bad as were the times com
ing, I think the sickening suspense of that
day, and the shock which followed, were almost
the worst that we underwent. It was about
10 o'clock that the first telegram came; an
hour later the wire announced that the
admiral bad signalled to form
line of battle, and shortly afterwards
that the order was given to bear down on
the enemy and engage. At twelve came the
announcement, "Fleet opened fire about three
miles to leeward of ns" that is, the ship with
the cable. So far all had been expectancy,
then came the first token of calamity.
"An iron-clad has been blown up" "the
enemy's torpedoes are doing great .damage"
"the flagship is laid aboard the enemy" "the
flagship appears to be sinking" "the Vice
Admiral has signalled" there the cable be
came Bilent, and, as you know, we heard no
more till two days afterwards. The solitary
iron-clad which escaped the disaster steamed
into Portsmouth.
Then the whole story came out how our
sailors, gallant as ever, had tried to close with
the enemy; how the latter evaded the conflict
at close quarters, and, sheering off, left be
hind them the fatal engines whioh sent oar
ships, one after the other, to the bottom; how
all this happened almost in a few minutes.
The Government, it appears, had received
warnings of this invention; but to the nation
this stunning blow was utterly unexpected.
Tired though I was, I could not Bleep, so I
went down to the river and had a swim; and
on returning found the household was assem
bled for early breakfast. A sorrowful house
hold it was, although the burden press
ing .on each . was partly an unseen
one. My fattier, doubting whether his
firm .could last through the ' day; my
mother, her distress about my brother, now
with his regiment on the coast, already ex
ceeding that which she felt for the publio
misfortune, had come down, although hardly
fit to leave her room. My sister Clara was
worst of all, for she could not but try to dis
guise her special interest in tne fleet; and
though we had all guessed that her heart was
given to the young lieutenant in the flagship
the first to go down a love nnolaimed
could not be told, nor could we express the
sympathy we felt for the poor girl. That
breakfast, the last meal we ever had together,
was soon ended, and my father and I went np
to town by an early train, and got there just
as the fatal announcement of the loss of the
fleet was telegraphed from Portsmouth.
The panio and excitement of that day
how the funds went down to 35; the run upon
the bank and its stoppage; the fall of half the
houses in the city; how the Government
issued a notification suspending specie pay
ment and the tendering of bills this last
precaution too late for most firms, Carter &
Co. among the number, which stopped pay
ment as soon as my father got to the office;
the call to arms and the unanimous response
of the country all this is history which I
need not repeat. You wish to hear about my
own share in the business of the time. Our
brigadier belonged to a line regiment
in Ireland, and did not join till the
very morning the order came. Mean
while, during the preliminary fortnight, the
militia colonel commanded. But though we
volunteers were busy with our drill and pre
parations, those of ns who, like myself,
belonged to Government offices, had
more than enough office work to do, as you
may suppose. The volunteer clerks were
allowed to leave the offioe at 4 o'olock, but the
rest were kept hard at the desk far into the
night. Orders to the lord lieutenants, to the
magistrates, notifications, all the arrange
ments for cleaning out the workhouses for
hospitals these and a hundred other things
had to be managed in our offioe, and there
was as much bustle indoors as out. Fortu
nate we were to be so busy the people to be
pitied were those who had nothing to do.
And on Sunday (that was the 15th of August)
work went on as usual. We had an early
parade and drill, and I went up to town by the 9
o'clock train in my uniform, taking my rifle with
me in case of accidents, and luckily, too, as it
turned out, a mackintosh overeoat. When
I got to Waterloo there were all sorts of
rumors afloat. A fleet had been seen off the
Downs, and some of the despatch boats whioh
were hovering about the coasts brought news
that there was a large flotilla off Harwich, but
nothing could be seen from the Bhore, as the
weather was hazy. The enemy's light ships
had taken and sunk all the fishing boats they
could catch, to prevent the news of their
whereabouts reaching us, but a few escaped
during the night, and reported that the la
constant frigate, ooming home from North
America, without any knowledge of what had
taken place, had sailed right into the enemy's
fleet and been captured. In town the troopi
were all getting ready for a move; the guards
in the Wellington barraoks were under arms,
and their baggage wagons packed and drawn
up in the Bird-cage Walk. The usual guard
at the Horse Guards had been withdrawn, and
orderlies and staff offioers were going to and
fro. AU this I saw on the way to my offioe,
where I worked away till 12 o'clock, and then
feeling hungry after my early breakfast, I
went across Parliament street to my club to
get some luncheon. There were about half a
dozen men in the coffee room, none of whom
I knew; but in a minute or two Dauvers of
the Treasury entered in a tremendous harry.
From him I got the first bit of authentic
news I had bad that day. The enemy bad
landed in force near Harwich, and the metro
politan regiments were ordered down there to
reinforce the troops already collected in that
neighborhood; bis regiment wrs to parade at
1 o'clock, and he had come to get something
to eat before starting. We bolted a hurried
lunch, and were just leaving the club when a
messenger from the Treasury came running
into the hall.
"Oh, Mr. Danvers," said h, "I've couie to
look for you, sir; the Seoretary Bays that all
the gentlemen are wanted at the offioe, and
that yon must please not one of you go with
the regiments.
"The devil !" cried Danvers.
"Do yon know if that order extends to all
the publio offices?" I asked.
"I don't know," said the man, "but I be
lieve it do. I know there's messengers gone
round to all the clubs and lunoheon bars to
look for the gentlemen; the Secretary says it's
quite impossible any one can be spared just
now, there's so muoh work to do; there's
orders just come to send off our reoords to
Birmingham to-night."
I did not wait to condole with Danvers,
but just glancing up Whitehall to see if any
of our messengers were in pursuit, I ran off
as hard as I . could for Westminster Bridge,
and so to the Waterloo station.
The place bad quite changed its aspect
since the morning. The regular service of
trains had ceased, and the station and ap
proaches were full of troops, among them
the Guards and artillery. Everything was
very orderly; the men had piled arms and
were standing about in groups. I wanted
very much to run home and get my great
coat and knapsack, which I had bought a
few days ago, but I feared to be left behind;
a good-natured recruit volunteered to fetoh
them for me, but he had not returned before
we started, and I began the campaign with a
kit consisting of a mackintosh and a small
pouch of tobacco.
I was just stepping into a publio house
with Travers, when who should drive up but
his pretty wife ! Most of our friends had
paid their adieus at the Surbiton Btation, but
she had driven np by the road in his
brougham, bringing their little boy to have a
last loOK at papa. She had also brought bis
knapsack and greatcoat, and, what was still
more acceptable, a basket containing fowls,
tongue, bread and butter, and biscuits, and a
couple of bottles of claret, which priceless
luxuries they insisted on my sharing.
In vain Travers begged his wife to go
home. She deolared that, having come so
far, she would stay and sea the last of us.
The brougham had been sent away to a by
street, as it blooked up the road; so he sat on
a doorstep, Bho by him on the knapsack.
Little Arthur, who had been delighted at the
bustle and the uniforms, and in high spirits,
became at last very cross, and eventually
cried himself to sleep in his father's arms,
his golden hair and one little dimpled arm
hanging over his shoulder. Thus went on
the weary hours, till suddenly the assembly
Bounded, and we all started up. We were to
return to Waterloo. The landing on the east
was only a feint so ran the rumor the real
attack was on the south. Anything seemed
better than indecision and delay, and, tired
though we were, the march back was gladly
bailed. Mrs. Travers, who made us take the
remains of the lunoheon with us, we left to
look for her carriage; little Arthur, -who . wh
awake again, but very good and quiet, in her
arms.
At the first sign of dawn the bugles of the
regiments sounded the reveille, and we were
ordered to fall in, and the roll was called,
About twenty men were absent, who had
fallen out sick the day before; they had been
sent up to London by tram during the night,
I believe. After standing in column for
about half an hour, the brigade-major came
down with orders to pile arms and stand easy;
and perhaps half an hour afterwards we were
told to get breakfast as quickly as possible,
and to cook a day's food at the same time.
This operation was managed pretty muoh in
the same way as the evening before, except
that we' bad our cooking pots and kettles
ready. Meantime there was leisure to look
around, and from where we stood there was
a commanding view of one of the most beau
tiful scenes in England. Our regiment was
drawn up on the extremity of the ridge whioh
runs from Guildford to Dorking. This ia in
deed merely a part of the great chalk range
wnich extends from beyond Aldersnot east to
the Medway; but there is a gap in the ridge
just here where the little stream that runs
past Dorking turns suddenly to the north to
find its way to .tne 1 names. Anybody, in
deed, might have been struok with the natu
ral advantages of our position; but what, as J
remember, most impressed me was the peace
ful beauty of the scene the little town with
tne outline of the nouses obscured by a blue
mist, the massive crispness of the foliage.
the outlines of the great trees, lighted np by
the sun, and relieved by deep blue shade. So
thick was the timber here, rising up the
southern slopes of the valley, that it looked
almost as if it might have been a primeval
forest. The quiet of the scene was the more
impressive because contrasted in the mind
with the scenes we expected to follow; and I
can remember, as if it were yesterday, the
sensation of bitter regret that it should now
be too late to avert this coming deseoration of
our country, which might so easily nave been
prevented. A little firmness, a little provi
sion on the part of our rulers, even a little
common sense, and this great calamity would
bave been rendered utterly impossible. Too
late, alas! We were like the foolish virgins in
the parable.
We bad nothing to do except to change
our position, which we did every few minutes,
now moving np the bill farther to our right,
now taking ground lower down to our left, as
one order after another was brought down the
line; but the staff officers were galloping
about perpetually witn orders, wliile the
rumble of the artillery as they moved about
from one part of the field to another went on
almost incessantly. At last tne whole line
stood to arms, the bands struck np, and the
general commanding our army corps came
riding down with his staff. We had seen him
several times before, as we had been moving
frequently about the position during the
morning; but he now made a sort of formal
inspection. He was a tall, thin man, with
long light hair, very well mounted, and as he
sat his horse witn an erect seat, and came
Eraneing down the line, at a little distance
e looked as if be might be flve-and-twenty;
but I believe he had served more
than fifty years, and had been made
peer for services performed when quite
an old man. I remember that he had more
decorations than there was room for on the
breabt of bis coat, and wore them suspended
like a necklace round his neck. Like all the
other generals, he was dressed in blue, with a
cocked bat and feathers a bad plan, l
thought, for it made them very conspicuous.
The general baited before our battalion, and
after looking at ns a while, made a short ad
dress: We had a post of honor next her
Majesty's Guards, and would show ourselves
worthy of it, and of the name of Englishmen.
It did not need, be said, to be a general to
see the strength of our position; it was ini.
pregnable if properly held. Let ns wait till
the enemy was well pounded, and then the
Word would be given to go at him. Above
everything, we must be steady. He then
shook bands with our colonel, we gave him a
cheer, and be rode on to where the Guards
were drawn up.
The time seemed interminable while we
lay thus inactive. We could not, of course,
help peering over the bank to try and see
what was going on; but there was nothing to
be made out, for now a tremendous thunder
storm, whioh had been gathering all day,
burst on ns, and a torrent of almost blinding
rain came down, whioh obscured the view
even more than the smoke, while the crashing
of the thunder and the glare of the lightning
could be beard and seen even above the roar
and flashing of the artillery. Once the mist
lifted, and I saw for a minute an attaok on
Box Hill, on the other Bide of the gap on our
left. It was like the scene at a theatre a
ourtain of smoke all around and a clear gap in
the centre, with a sudden gleam of evening
sunshine lighting it up. The steep smooth
slope of the hill was crowded with the dark
blue figures of the enemy, whom I now saw
for tne first time an irregular outline In
front, but very solid in rear; the whole body
was moving forward by fits and starts, the
men firing and advancing, tne otneers waving
their swords, the columns closing up and gra
dually making way. Our people were almost
eoncealed by the bushes at the top, whence the
smoke and their fire could be seen proceeding:
presently from these bushes on the erest
came out a red line, and dashed down the
brow of the hill, a flame of fire belching out
from the front as it advanced. The enemy
hesitated, gave way, and finally ran baok in a
confused crowd down the hill. Then the mist
covered the scene, but the glimpse of this
splendid charge was inspiriting, and I hoped
we should show the same coolness when it
came to our turn. It waa about this time
that our skirmishers fell bacK, a good many
wounded, some limping along by themselves,
others helped. The main body retired in
very fair order, baiting to turn round and
fire: we could see a mounted offieer
of the Guards riding np and down
encouraging them to be steady. Now
came our turn. For a few minutes we saw
nothing, but a rattle of bullets came through
the rain and mist, mostly, however, passing
over the bank. We began to fire in reply,
stepping up against the bank to fire, and
stooping down to load; but our brigade
major rode up with an order, and the word
was passed through the men to reserve our
fire. In a very few moments it mast have
been that, when ordered to stand, we could
see the helmet spikes and tnen tne figures
of the skirmishers as they came on; a lot of
them there appeared to be, five or six deep, I
should say, but in loose order, eaoh man
stopping to aim and fire, and then coming
forward a little. Just then the brigadier
clattered on horsebacn up the lane. "Now,
then, gentlemen, give it them hot," he cried,
and fire away we did, as fast as ever we were
able. A perfect storm of bullets seemed to
be flying about us, too, and I thought each
moment must be the last; escape seemed im
possible, but I saw no one fall, for I was too
busy, and so were we all, to look to the right
or left, but loaded and fired as fast as
could.
..At avery atep was some friend and aoquaivt
ance killed or wounded, and a few paces down
the lane I found Travers, sitting with his
back against the bank. A ball had gone
through bis lungs, and blood was coming
from bis mouth. I was lifting him, but the
cry of agony he gave stopped me. I then saw
that this was not his only wound his thigh
was smashed by a bullet (which must have hit
him when standing on the bank), and the
blood streaming down mixed in a muddy
puddle, with the rain water under nim. Still
he could not be left here, so, lifting him np
as well as I could, I carried him through the
gate which led out of the lane at the back to
where our camp hospital was in tne rear.
How long it went on I cannot now remem
ber, but we could distinguish dearly the
thick line of skirmishers, about sixty paces
off, and mounted officers among them; and
we seemed to be keeping them well in check.
for they were quite exposed to our fire, while
we were protected nearly ud to our shoulders.
when I know not how I became sensible
that something bad gone wrong. "We are
taken in flank!" called out some one; and
looking along the left, sure enough there
were dark figures jumping over the bank into
the lane and firing np along oar line. The
Volunteers in reserve, who had oome down to
take the place of the Guards, must have given
way at this point; the enemy's skirmishers
had got through our line, and turned our left
flank. How the next move came about I oannot
recolleot, or whether it was witheut orders, but
in a short time we found ourselves oat of the
lane and drawn up in a straggling line about
thirty yards in rear of it. The whole army
was falling back. At last we could disoern
the adjutant riding up to us out of the dark
The army was to retreat, and take np a posi
tion on Epsom Downs, he said; we should
join in the maroh, and try and nnd our brl
gade in the morning; and so we turned into
the throng again, and made our way on as
best we could.
Our general had expected to find a supply
of food and ammunition, but nothing turned
np. Most of ns had hardly a cartridge left,
so he ordered the regiment near to ns, whioh
came from the north and had not been en
gaged, to give ns enough to make twenty
rounds to a man, and be sent off a fatigae-
partv to Kingston to try and get provisions
while a detachment of our fellows was allowed
to go foraging among the villas in our rear,
and in about an hour they brought baok some
bread and meat, whioh gave us a slender meal
all round. They said most of the houses were
empty, and that many bad been stripped of
all eatables, aad a good deal damaged
already.
The artillery fire, which had opened now
on our position, was from a longish range;
and occupation for the riflemen bad hardly
begun when there was a crash in the shed,
and I was knocked down by a diow on tne
bead. I was almost stunned ior a time,
and could not make out what bad happened.
A shot or shell had hit the shed without quite
penetrating the wall, but the blow had upset
the steps resting against it, and the men
standing on them, bringing down a oload of
plaster and briokbats, one of which had struck
me. I felt now past being of nse. I could
not use my rifle, and could barely stand; and
after a time I thought I would make for my
own house, on the chance of finding some one
still there. I got up, therefore, and stag
gered homewards. Musketry fire had now
commenced, and our side were blazing
awav from the windows of the houses,
and from behind walls, and from the
shelter of some trucks still standing ia the
station. A couple of field-pieoes in the yard
were firing, and in the open space in the rear
o - mL x . i
a reserve was drawn np. mere, wu, w tun
staff officer on horsebaok, watching the fight
i through his field-glass. I remember haviug
still enough sense to feel that the position
was a hopeless one. That straggling line of
bouses and gardens would surely be broken
through at some point, and then the line must
give way Uke a rope of sand. It wa about
a mile to our house, and I was thinking how
I could possibly drag myself so far when I
suddenly reoollected that I was passing Travers
house -one of the first of a row of villas
then leading from the station to Kingston.
Had he been brought home, I wondered, as
bis faithful old servant promised, and was
bis wife still here? t remember to tbiB day th
eensation of shame I felt when I recollected
that I had not once given bim my greatest
menu tnougnt since i carnea mm on . iu
field the flay before. But war and suffering.'.
make men selfish. I would go ,in now at
any rate, and rest awhile, and see" if I could
be of use. The little garden before the
bouse was as trim as ever I nsed te
Eass it every day on my way to the train, and
new every shrub In it and a blaze of
flowers, but the ball door stood ajar. I
stepped in and saw bttle Arthur standing in
the hall. He had been dressed as neatly as
ever that day, and as he stood there is hid
pretty blue froek and white trousers and
Bocks, showing his chubby little legs, with his -golden
locks, fair face, and large dark eyes,
the picture of childish beauty, in the quiet
ball, just as it nsed to look the vases of ,
flowers, the bat and coats banging up, tne
familiar pictures on the walls this vision of.
peace in the midst of war made me wonder
for a moment, faint and giddy as I waa, if the
pandemonium outside bad any real existence,
and was not merely a hideous dream. But
the roar of the guns making the house shake,
and the ruBhing of the shot, gave a ready
answer. The little fellow appeared af-'
most unconscious of the scene -around
him, and was walking np the stairs
holding by the railing, one step at a time, as '
I had seen bim do a hundred times before,
but turned round as I came in. My appear- ,
ance frightened him, and staggering as I did ,
into the ball, my face and clothes covered
with blood and dirt, I must have hooked an
awful object to the child, for be gave a cry '
and turned to run toward the basement stairs.
But be stopped on bearing my voice calling
him back to his god-papa, and after a while
came timidly up to me. Papa had been to
the battle, he said, and was very ill; mamma
was wifh papa; Wood waa out; Luoy was in
the cellar, and had taken bim there, but he
wanted to go to mamma. Tellinp him to stay '
in the hall for a minute till I ' called him, I
climbed np stairs and opened the bedroom
door. My poor friend lay there, bis body'
resting on the bed, his head supported on his '
wife's shoulder as she Bat by the bedside.'
He breathed heavily, but the pallor of his ;:
face, the closed eyes, the prostrate arms, the ,
clammy foam she was wipiegfrom bis mouth, ,
all spoke of approaching death. The good .
eld servant had done bis duty, at least he
bad brought his master home to die in hie i
wife's arms. The poor woman was top Intent '
on ber charge to notice the opening' of the,
door, and as the child would be better away, .
I closed it gently and went down to the hall ',
to take little Arthur to the shelter below, t
where the maid was hiding. Too latel ne
lay at the foot of the stairs on his face, his
little arms stretched oat, his hair dabbled La '
blood. I had not noticed the crash among
the other noises, but a splinter of a shell must
have come through the open doorway; it had
carried away the back of his head. The poor
child's death must have been instantaneous.'
I tried to lift np the little corpse with my one
armK bat even this load was too muoh for me,'
and while stooping down I fainted away.
I. When I came, to my senses again it was
' quite dark, and for some time I could not
make out where I was; I lay indeed for some
time like one half asleep, feeling no inclina
tion to move. By degrees I beoame aware
that I was on the carpeted floor of a room.'
All noise of battle had ceased, but there was
a sound as of many people close by. At last
I sat up and gradually got to my feet. . The.
movement gave me intense pain, for my
wounds were now highly inflamed, and my
clothes sticking to them made them dreadfully
sore. At last I got np and groped my way
to the door, and opening it at once saw
where I was, for the pain had brought back
my senses. I had been lying in Travers'
little writing-room at the end of the pas
sage, into which I made my way.' There
was no gas, and the drawing-room door was
closed; but from the open dining-room the
glimmer of a candle feebly lighted up the
hall, in whioh half-a-dozen sleeping figures
could be discerned, while the room itself,
was crowned with men. The table was cov
ered with plates, glasses, and bottles; but;
most of the men were asleep in the chairs
or on the floor, a few were smoking cigars,
and one or two with their helmets on were,
still 1 engaged at supper, occasionally grunt
ing out an observation between the mouth
fuls. i
"Sind wackere Soldaten, diese Englisohen
Freiwilligen," said a broad-shouldered brute,'
, stuffing a great bunch of beef into his mouth
with a silver fork, an implement I should
think be must have been using for the first
time in his life. .
"Ja, ja." replied a comrade, who was
lolling back in his chair with a pair of very
dirty legs on the table, and one of poor Tra
vers' best, cigars in his mouth; "Sie so gut
laufen konnen." , ,
. "Ja wohl," responded the first speaker;
"aber sind nicht eben so schnell wie die,
Franzossisohen Mobloten." -
"Gewias," grunted a hulking lout from the
floor, leaning on his elbow, and sending out
a eloud of smoke from his ugly jaws, "and da
sind hier etwa gute Schatzen."
"Hast recht, lange Peter," answered num
ber one; "wenn die Sohurken so gut eier
ciren wie schutzen konnten, so waren wir
heute nicht bier!" ' .
"Becht! recht!" said the second; "das exjr
ciren macht den guten Soldaten."
What more criticisms on the shortcomings
of our unfortunate volunteers might have
passed I did not stop to bear, being inter
rupted by a sound on the stairs. Mrs.
Travers was standing on the landing place;
I limped up the stairs to meet her. Among
the many pictures of those fatal days en
graven on my memory, I remember none
more clearly than the mournful aspeot of my
poor friend, widowed and motherless within
a few moments, as she stood there in her
white dress, coming forth like a ghost from
the chamber of the dead, the candle she held
lighting up ber face and contrasting its pallor
with the dark hair that fell disordered around;
it, its beauty radiant even through features
worn with fatigue and sorrow. She was oalm
and even tearless, though the trembling lip
teld of the effort to restrain the emotion she
felt. "Dear friend," she said, taking my
band, "I was coming to seek you; forgive
my selfishness in neglecting you so long; but
you will understand" glanoing at the door
above "how occupied I have been."
"Where," I began, "is" "my boy?"
she answered, anticipating my question. "I
have laid him by his father. But now year
wounds must be eared for; how pale and faint
you look! rest here a moment," and, de
scending to the dining-room, she returned
witn some wine, which I gratefully drauk,
and then, making, me ait down on the top
step of the stair, she brought water and
linen, and, cutting off the sleeve of my coat,
bathed and bandaged my wounds, 'i'waa I
who felt selfish for thus adding to her trou
bles; but in truth I was too weak to have
muoh will left, and stood in need of the help
which she forced me to aooept; and tha
dressing of my wounds afforded indescriba
ble relief. While thus tending me, she ex
Continued on the Seventh Paje.