as “the Springers.” The Light Company of the 45th wear the distinctive mark of a red ball instead of green, the usual colour; in 1777, the Americans were so galled by their fire, that they vowed that they would give them no quarter, and the gallant fellows stained their feathers red to save their friends from suffering by any mistake. The 22nd wear a sprig of oak in their shakoes on the Queen’s birthday, in memory of services rendered to George II. at Dettingen. The 28th wear the plate in front and at the back of their shakoes, in memory of their gallant defence in Egypt against a charge of cavalry in front and rear, and are known as “the Slashers,” owing to their terrible use of the short swords, then worn by the infantry, during the American war. The 87th are called the “Faugh-a-ballagh Boys,” from their famous faction-fight cry of “Fag-an-bealac,” “clear the way,” at Barossa.
The 14th Dragoons carry the “Prussian Eagle,” as it was called in 1798, in honour of the Duchess of York, the Princess Royal of Prussia. The titles of “King’s Own, “Queen’s Own,” “Royal,” the “Prince of Wales’s” (82nd and 10th Hussars), “the Princess Charlotte of Wales’” (49th), the “Earl of Ulster’s” (97th), the “Duke of Wellington’s” (33rd), have all been won by
By moving accidents bMost disastrous chances,
By moving accidents by flood and field,
By hair-breadth scapes i’the imminent deadly breach.
One curious circumstance is on record. We all know that regimental colours are consecrated, and generally find their last home in the aisles of a cathedral, or in the Hall of Chelsea: but in 1763, the colours of the 25th Regiment, then commanded by Lord W. Lennox, having been riddled with shot, at Minden, and hanging in mere strips from the staff, were interred in Newcastle-on-Tyne, with military honours. On the other hand, the standards captured at Culloden, were burnt by the common hangman.
A few more notes, and we must draw these sketches to a close; although we are tempted to dilate on pedigrees and achievements, and the succession of colonels of the various regiments. In 1572, troops of horse were called cornets; and companies of foot were styled ensigns. In the reign of Charles II. the junior officer of horse was known as a “cornet,” and in 1679, a corporal of horse, saluted as a “brigadier.” The dragoon derives his name from the Elizabethan fire-arm, called dragon, from the monster which figured on the muzzle; the Carabineers represent the Spanish Light Cavalry first mentioned, in 1579, as Carabins, possibly, from their use of the carbine—a weapon employed on board of the vessels called “carabs.” The Scotch Fusiliers, now the 21st Foot, raised in 1678, were the first to take that name, which is one of French origin, denoting a weapon lighter than a musket: while the bayonet was invented at Bayonne about the same period. The helmet and the cuirass are the last relics of the old armour of our troops, since the gorget, a diminutive breastplate, has been discontinued; the sash, once worn round the waist, was designed to give means of removing the wounded officer to the rear: the aiguilette of the Cavalry represents the cords with which they bound up their forage, and the cord on the belts of the Household Cavalry was once attached to the priming-horn of the bandolier. Scarlet was worn by the soldiers of Henry V.; green and white were the Tudor colours; in 1678, Evelyn describes Grenadiers (a French term) in piebald red and yellow: and it was only in the reign of Queen Anne that scarlet was definitely established. The officer’s cockade of the time of the Georges has been removed to the hats of servants, and naval officers alone retain it. The serjeant no longer carries a halbert. The Prussian sugar-loaf cap, immortalised by Hogarth in the March to Finchley, is a costume of the past. Pigtails and pomatum, the three-cornered cocked-hat, gaiters, and docked horse-tails, have all happily followed the same example; while the Polish caps of our Lancers date back about forty years, and the bearskins of the Guards to the reign of George III. The three-tailed bag of black silk worn by the officers of the 23rd Fusiliers is, probably, a relic of the queue. The uniform of the present day is certainly more convenient and handsome than, if not so picturesque as that of an earlier period, and when stocks are unknown, shakoes made of an improved shape, and knapsacks better adjusted, we may, perhaps, believe it incapable of improvement.
Glorious, indeed, it is to read on the colours of our regiments the scrolls labelled with the names of hard-won fields, in every quarter of the globe; they are subjects for an honourable pride, and incentives to a generous emulation. Let us have examinations, and motives and necessity for study on the part of both candidates and actual officers, though we cannot fail to remember that many a gallant fellow, whom we remember incapable of application to books, down in the lowest form of old Winchester, did good service at Alma and Inkermann, and by an acquaintance with manly sports has raised up a cheerful spirit amongst his men in the piping time of peace. A mere pedant in any class of life is a poor creature. We do not want “the gallant militarist that has the whole theorie of war in the knot of his scarf, and the practice in the chape of his dagger.” The future battles of England will never be won by men who cannot “set a squadron in the field, nor know the division of a battle;” never by the mere successful competitor who achieves his superiority by force of memory, or the cram of a few months.
Wherein the toga’d ConThe bookish theorie
Wherein the toga’d Consuls can propose
As masterly as he; mere prattle, without practice,
Is all his soldiership.
THE GLOW-WORM.
Amongst the several luminous insects of this country, the Glow-worm is undoubtedly the most interesting. Who that has walked along shady lanes, and in woodland scenery, where these insects abound, on a calm, warm summer’s evening, but has been delighted with the effulgence of these creatures, sparkling like little stars of earth, and glowing like night-tapers with beauty? Shakespeare, with his wonderful knowledge of nature,
