Part 10 (1/2)

INTERVIEW WITH THE EMPRESS EUGENIE

I remember being the sergeant in charge of the guard at Holyrood Palace at the time when the Empress Eugenie was on a visit to Scotland. The French Fleet accompanied her to Scotland, and lay in the Firth of Forth.

The crews of the s.h.i.+ps comprised some fine sailors, who, I think, were the smartest lot I ever saw. The Empress and her Court stayed a full week in Edinburgh. I remember one eventful day when a party of two ladies and four gentlemen, after inspecting Queen Mary's Room, and the old picture gallery in Holyrood Palace, pa.s.sed into the guard-room where I was in command. The ladies advanced towards me, bidding me ”Good afternoon.” The gentlemen remained behind. In the best way I could under the circ.u.mstances I asked the two ladies to be good enough to take a seat, apologising for the rude seat which was all I could offer them. They courteously accepted the seat, and, at the older lady's request, I sat down beside them. The talking was confined to one of the ladies, who seemed, I thought at the time, of a very inquisitive nature. In the first place she expressed her wish to know something about the British soldier-how he was fed, whether he was well-clothed, what kind of rations he was provided with, &c. I gave her my opinion on these points as far as I could go. She then asked how long I had been a soldier, and I said only a short time. ”Then you cannot tell how you feel when your comrades are being slain on the battle-field?” ”No, ma'am, I cannot; but there is a man lying down on the guard-bed who can. He went through the Crimean War.” I then advanced to the old soldier's bed, and said, ”Francis, there's a lady here wants to know how you feel when you are on the battle-field.” ”Tell her,” said Francis, without looking up, ”we see nowt but h.e.l.l-fire and smoke!” ”Well, what does he say?” asked the inquiring lady, who had, fortunately, remained in the background. It would not, of course, have done for me to give the answer as it stood, so I replied, ”He says, madam, that he can see nothing but fire and smoke.” ”Well,”

said the lady preparing to depart, ”you seem to be well clothed and to have plenty to eat.” As I was showing her out of the room, she said, ”If I were to give you a Scottish pound note, would you share it amongst you and your fellows?” ”Yes, ma'am” said I, ”when we have dismissed guard.”

Whereupon she placed the note in my hand, and I thanked her cordially. I had not the slightest idea who the donor of the note was, or who were the people who had been our guard-room guests, until the next day. We were then relieved from guard by the 78th Highlanders, who were only about 300 strong, and had just returned from the Indian Mutiny. It was while upon the esplanade, where there were a thousand of the Waterloo and Peninsular pensioners a.s.sembled for drilling, that I noticed my lady guest and a gentleman reviewing the veterans. They were walking up and down the ranks, and every now and again the lady stopped before an old soldier, spoke to him, and, before pa.s.sing on, put into his hand a Scottish pound note. It was said that during the week she presented no less than a thousand of these notes to the soldiers. One old hero, I saw, got five pound notes. I asked the captain of the guard who the lady was. He seemed much surprised when I a.s.sured him that I did not know who she was; but greater was my surprise on being told that the lady was the Empress of the French.

ADIEU! EDINBURGH-A DISAPPOINTMENT

Orders were issued for our regiment to remove to the ancient town of Ayr-news which delighted me greatly. Next day the regiment, numbering about a thousand men, mustered for the last time in Edinburgh. The inhabitants of Auld Reekie turned out in their thousands to see us march to the railway station and to bid us adieu. The regimental band-which, by-the-bye, included many able musicians from the West Riding of Yorks.h.i.+re; Wilsden, Haworth and Cowling being among the towns furnis.h.i.+ng the band men-played lively airs during our march to the station, such as ”Good-bye, sweetheart!” and ”The girl I left behind me.” At the station I met a sore disappointment. Since the issuing of the orders of removal to Ayr, I had been buoyantly thinking of what happy times I should have in Ayr, and my feelings can be imagined when I found I was among the detachment which was to be sent on to the barracks at Hamilton-a small town on the Clyde about ten miles from Glasgow. However, I determined to make the best of the matter, and hope for better times. The two companies forming the detachment, numbering about a couple of hundred men, reached Hamilton all right. Within a short distance of Hamilton, is Bothwell and its famous Castle; and during my stay in the locality I paid frequent visits to Bothwell Castle and Bothwell Bridge, at which latter place Sir William Wallace defeated the English in battle. I also visited the magnificent residence of the Duke of Hamilton.

IN CHARGE OF DEFAULTERS

I remember that on the first evening of our arrival in Hamilton I had under me twenty or thirty soldiers, who were on the defaulters' list in consequence of being absent from barracks the night previous to our leaving Edinburgh. They had to all intents and purposes been out in the city bidding their acquaintances good-bye, and had taken too long a time over it. For this misdemeanour they were confined to barracks at Hamilton. I a.s.sembled the men in front of the officer's quarters, and said, ”This is our first evening here and a grand evening it is. I should very much like to visit the town, and I have no doubt that you would.

Now, I have a proposal to make if you will all stand by me.”-”We will,”

they shouted in one voice. ”I propose,” I continued, ”to see the captain, and if you will promise that during your stay in Hamilton you will not commit yourselves, I will try to get you dismissed from defaulters'

drill, so that you can go out and enjoy yourselves.” They readily expressed their willingness to carry out the promise. I then made for the officers' room, and was admitted into the captain's presence. ”Well, what is your wish this evening?” he inquired. ”A great favour, captain,” I replied, ”not only for myself but for those men outside. There are over a score defaulters, and they wish to speak a word with you.” ”Where are they?” said the captain. So I brought him outside before the men. He heard their case stated, and then asked, ”Do you all promise that if I dismiss you from pack drill you will not misbehave yourselves during your short stay in this town?” Of course the promise was promptly given; but promises, like pie crusts, are easily broken. Well, every one of the defaulters was dismissed, and sent to his own quarters. They then went out of the barracks and had a pleasant look round the town.

A DESPERATE AFFRAY WITH THE POLICE

All went wisely and well for three weeks, at the end of which period there was a desperate affray between the soldiers and the police. It came about in this way. One of the soldiers while strolling on the banks of the Clyde one Sat.u.r.day night appeared to have insulted a lady. She gave information to the police, who next (Sunday) morning, accompanied by the informant, came in full force to the barracks. We had just fallen in for church parade. The ranks were opened, and the lady pa.s.sed among us to see if she could identify the guilty man. Eventually, she pitched upon a man whom all of us knew could not have been at the place mentioned at the time given by the lady. However, despite his protestations of innocence, he was handcuffed, and was about to be marched away by a sergeant of the police when one of the prisoner's comrades interfered. He did so to a nicety, for he knocked the policeman down. Then another policeman went to the ground, and another, until the whole parade was one scene of commotion. The police were badly worsted, many of them being more or less seriously injured in the _melee_. Reinforcements were summoned, and many arrests were made by the representatives of the civil power. The barracks' officers had no control over their men, and two companies of Highlanders were sent for to take the place of our regiment at Hamilton and to escort to Edinburgh Castle those of us who had taken part in disturbance. At the Castle the men were confined to barracks for a fortnight to give the police time to work up their ”case” for the court-martial, and in order to see how the wounded policemen, who were being treated in the hospital progressed.

I WAS OUT OF THE FRAY

I happened to be escorting two men from the hospital to the parade when the outbreak occurred. I was conversing with the regimental doctor, and took advantage of that circ.u.mstance to get that gentleman to make me a certificate testifying that I was not ”in at the death.” However, I was sent for examination with the lot, but I pa.s.sed through the ordeal successfully, the doctor's certificate undoubtedly freeing me. I may here mention that I have not been a believer in physiognomy since then; for if a man had a rough-looking or repulsive countenance he was as surely ordered to ”fall out,” and many men were so taken prisoners whom I knew were innocent. In all about fifty were placed under arrest, and taken before the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, who sentenced them to gaol for terms varying from one to eighteen months.

CHAPTER XI

IN THE LAND OF BURNS

The incident mentioned in the last chapter ended in all the men who were not committed to prison being released and sent on to head-quarters at Ayr-

Auld Ayr, wham ne'er a toon surpa.s.ses, For honest men and bonnie la.s.ses.

I was among the ”removals,” and high were my spirits at the prospect of a sojourn in the hallowed land of Burns. To use a well-turned phrase, it had been the height of my ambition to reach the birth-place of a genius second to none in his way-Bobby Burns, the patriotic bard and ploughboy.