UC-NRLF $B 3Dfl QSD 80 lESl WILTSHIPiE RIFLE YOLUNTEEKS. BERT DWARRIS /-GIllNKN' MAJOB, iNDXiS^N AEMY (Reiirect), Late Adjutant let Battalion IViUsliire Volunteers. LONDON: H. ALLEN AND CO, 13, WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL, S.W. 1888. Piuijid Si'o. Ft ice 10s. M. BY CAPTAIN H. R. a^LL, Late 5th Fusiliers; Instructor of Tactics at Messrs. James and Lynch's Militanj EstahlisJiment in LexTiam Gardens. COjMTAINlNQ TWE]s(TY-^EVEjM fULJ^-PAQE JK^D OTHEI^ ENQRAVINQ^. LoiiDON : W. H. ALLEN & CO., 13, WATEELOO PLACE, S.W. WILL SHORTLY BE PUBLISHED. RAPID FIELD SKETCHING AND RECONNAISSANCE. By CAPTAIN WILLOUGHBY VERNER, KIFLE BRIGADE. Sixth Edition, Revised. Price //-, Post -free 1/2. RED BOOK FOR SERGEANTS. BY WILLIAM BRIGHT, Color-Sergeant 37th Midd. E.V. 1st batt. wilts volunteers. Gift of C. A. Kofoid THE HISTORY OP THE 1st batt. wilts volunteers, 1861 TO 1885, EGBERT DWAERIS GIBNEY, MAJOE, INDIAN ARMT (Ectired'), Late Adjutant isf Battalion Wiltshire Toltmteers. LONDON: W. H. ALLEN & CO., 13 WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL, S.W. 1888. Lr LONDON : PRINTED BY WILLIAM CtOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. WITH THE CONSENT OF HIS LOKDSHIP, ANB WITH THE HEARTY CONCURRENCE OF THE MAJORITY OF OFFICERS AND MEN, PAST AND PRESENT, COMPOSING THE 1st WILTS RIFLE VOLUNTEERS, I HAVE MUCH PLEASUKE IN '§z'bicniinQ this SEcrk xo THE EARL PEMBROKE AND MONTGOMERY, COMMANDING THE BATTALION. ROBERT DWARRIS GIBNEY, MAJOR, IKDIAN ARMY ^Retired); Late Adjutant 1st Battalion Wiltshire Volunteers. VV5G-5 P E E F A C E. It may be asked, Wliat can be tlie history of a battalion of infantry not thirty years old, which has never seen a shot fired in earnest or done garrison duty ? None, would be the reply, were the said battalion raised, officered, instructed, and regulated for, as are all its predecessors ; but when this battalion is one of many created suddenly, without any well-arranged system for its continuance, and left at a time of great emergency to make its own arrange- ments, and sink or swim as it might, it must have a his- tory, and the history of it is the history of every corps or company of which it is composed. Bifle corps were raised anywhere, everywhere, anyhow, and nohow. War was imminent ; the country was unpre- pared, terribly vulnerable, and the army and navy far too weak to afford protection. Influential gentlemen proposed rifle clubs, others were for arming keepers, and not a few anxiously inquired into the system pursued by the Victoria and Devonshire Eifles. To arm the people was a leap in the dark, and yet it had to be faced ; and by May, 1859, the Government saw the "propriety of permitting the formation of rifle volunteer corps," and issued a circular accordingly. Beyond this sanction no assistance was offered, and according to the patronage of people of in- fluence, or the length of their subscription list, so did these rifle volunteer corps get into existence and continue to live. Arms, accoutrements, ammunition, uniform, drill sheds, practice grounds, armouries, magazines, &c., &c., everything had to be found by the corps, and to country corps, those afterwards forming part of an administrative battalion, the expense was ruinous ; far more expensive than to companies raised in large town or cities. There they could hire sheds, &c., and men attending drills could do so without losing a day's work and perhaps having to hire a trap. At the end of some months arms were fur- nished by the Government, and as no harm had yet been done by this show of confidence, at the end of the year the little independent corps were further favoured by viii Preface. being made part of volunteer battalions, an attendance at the headquarters of these battalions for so many drills in the year being directed, and a travelling allowance, most mean and unjustly arranged, being offered to cover ex- penses. The battalion had for its officers a lieut.-colonel, a major, an adjutant, a surgeon, and perhaps half-a-dozen retired sergeants as drill instructors, the adjutant and drill instructors alone receiving pay. It was a time of great difficulty and doubt, but of course chiefly so at the commencement of the movement. Indeed, had it not been for the patience and perseverance of men and officers of the force, and the grand generosity and confidence in them shown by noblemen, gentlemen, tradesmen, and especially by ladies, the whole would have fallen through. The Government Order, as given below, will show the amount of assistance received therefrom. "Wae Office, Pall Mall, " Ma?/, 1859. "Her Majesty's Government having had under con- sideration the propriety of permitting the formation of volunteer rifle corps, under the provisions of the Act of 44 Geo. III. Cap. 54, as well as of artillery corps and com- panies in maritime towns in which there may be forts and batteries, I have the honour to inform that I shall be prepared to receive through you, and consider any proposal with that object which may emanate from the county under your charge. " The principal and most important provisions of the Act are — " That the corps be formed under officers bearing the commission of the lieutenant of the county. " That its members must take the oath of allegiance before a deputy lieutenant, or justice of the peace, or a commissioned officer of the corps. " That it be liable to be called out in case of actual invasion, or appearance of an enemy in force on the coast, or in case of rebellion arising out of either of those emergencies. " That while thus under arms, its members are subject to military law, and entitled to be billeted, and to receive pay in like manner as the regular army. Preface. ix " That all commissioned officers disabled in actual service are entitled to half-pay, and non-commissioned officers and privates to the benefits of Chelsea Hospital, and widows of commissioned officers killed in service to such pensions for life as are given to widows of officers of Her Majesty's Kegnlar Forces. " That members cannot quit the corps when on actual service, but may do so at any other time by giving four- teen days' notice. *' That members who have attended eight days in each four months, or a total of twenty-four days' drill and exercise in the year, are entitled to be returned as effectives. " That members so returned are exempt from Militia ballot, or from being called upon to serve in any other levy. " That all property of the corps is legally invested in the commanding officer, and subscriptions and fines under the rules and regulations are recoverable by him before a magistrate. " The conditions on which Her Majesty's Government will recommend to Her Majesty the acceptance of any proposal are :-— " That the formation of the corps be recommended by the lord lieutenant of the county. " That the corps be subject to the provisions of the Act already quoted. " That its members undertake to provide their own arms and equipments, and to defray all expenses at- tending the corps, except in the event of its being as- sembled for actual service. " That the rules and regulations which may be thought necessary, be submitted to me in accordance with the 56th section of the Act. " The uniform and equipments of the corps may be settled by the members, subject to your approval ; but the arms, though provided at the expense of the members, must be furnished under the superintendence, and ac- cording to the regulations of this department, in order to secure a perfect uniformity of gauge. "The establishment of officers and non-commissioned officers will be fixed by me, and recorded in the books of 6 Preface. this office ; and in order that I may be enabled to de- termine the proportion, you will be pleased to specify the precise number of private men which you will recommend, and into how many companies you propose to divide them. " I have only to add that I shall look to you, as Her Majesty's Lieutenant, for the nomination of proper persons to be appointed officers, subject to the Queen's approval. " I have the honour to be, &c., " Your most obedient Servant, "J. Peel. " To Her Majesty's Lieutenant '■'■for the County of — — ." Much less could not have been oflfered, or regulations made by which an useful force to be relied on in the event of invasion might turn out to be worthless. Members were to find their own arms, only the gauge to be equal, smooth bores or rifles ; equipments, uniform, and quantity of drill to be at discretion of members, and all rules and regulations to be left to the decision of each lord lieutenant of a county, thereby certainly ensuring a variety of systems. Out of such confusion it is wonderful that the present disciplined and reliable force has come ; and it speaks well for a nation, with such encouragement as is showed by this letter to the lord lieutenants of counties, that the volunteers held their own so long, and did not throw up in disgust. The battalion of volunteers to which I was attached as adjutant on its first formation in 1861, and whose history I have been invited to write by the officer now in com- mand, Lieut.-Colonel the Earl Pembroke and Mont- gomery, and the officers serving aiid served, laboured under many disadvantages. The corps composing it were much scattered, and communication with outposts or headquarters difficult. A wild county, with villages and towns few and far between, making attendances at squad drills, and much more battalion assemblies, not only very laborious to the majority of corps, but a great source of expense to officers and men. Probably some eight or ten thousand of all ranks Preface. xi have passed through the hands of the author during the twenty years he served as adjutant, and chief drill and musketry instructor ; and he here willingly bears testi- mony to the ever-ready obedience given by all to his directions, and the exhibition of a general desire to lessen troubles and difficulties. These were a little heavy in the beginning, and it was some time before all could be got to see that the wish of individuals must yield to the general welfare, and that such things as breaking up of companies or corps must be done if instruction in bat- talion drill was to be effectually imparted. , KOBERT DWARIIIS GiBNEY, Major (^Retired) Indian Army, Late Ist Wilts Volunteer Battalion. HISTOEY OF THE 1st battalion wilts volunteers. THE BATTALION. According to the information received from officers con- nected witli the corps or companies of which the battalion is or was composed, and also according to records kept of matters bearing on the earlier formation of these separate corps, is the account given. These corps may be said to have possessed an independent history for somewhat over one year ; after that the battalion was called into exist- ence, and with that individuality was lost. They were still termed corps as composing a part of an administrative battalion, and were numbered in the battalion as in the Army List, according to the date of their services being accepted by the War Office ; but they could no longer attend reviews, or even mere local gatherings for mutual instruction in drill, unless with the authority of the officer commanding the whole, and were to submit to be in- structed by the adjutant. Of course on the first amalga- mation of corps into a battalion, and in the lessening of authority over them, hitherto entirely in the hands of captains, many difficulties presented themselves ; and it required tact and temper in all concerned to carry out necessary discipline. A battalion drill, for instance, was often the cause of no little heartburning. One corps, after much expense and trouble, would bring to the place of muster probably two-thirds of its strength ; but this veiy strength required its being partially broken up for the purpose of equalizing companies, and perhaps many of the Tlie 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. best drilled men being amalgamated with, very ignorant volunteers detached from another corps. This did not help to render the captain of the corps, or the men trans- ferred, in a state of satisfaction with the day's work. Some corps too were more clannish than others, clinging very vigorously together ; and being of superior clay disliked such moulding. The men required were, of course, given over to the adjutant and sergeant-major, but they were a selected lot, chosen for their incompetence and quality, and came as ordered, but in the sulks. Before the corps were formed into a battalion and designated the 1st Administrative Battalion Wilts Eifle Volunteers, all of them, more or less frequently, had attended at various large reviews of the Volunteer Force. The Eoyal Eeview held in Hyde Park in 1860 was alone attended by the 2nd or Trowbridge Corps of this bat- talion, and for smartness of the men in marching, and altogether for its really soldier-like appearance, received the commendations of both military and civilians. On passing Her Majesty a prolonged shout of " "Well done, Wiltshire ; well done, Trowbridge ! " from the crowd, proved that this determination to be present and show their loyalty was not lost on the multitude. Indeed they were worthy, for it had necessitated their leaving Trow- bridge soon after midnight by horse breaks, so as to arrive in time to catch the train leaving Chippenham station at daybreak with passengers for London. Arriving in London they were at once marched to their position in the Park, and after passing, returned to Paddington to be off again by the rail, but this time homewards, not arriving there until about midnight. Again, at a review held in Clarendon Park, near Salisbury, with Major- General Lord William Paulet, C.B., in command, the various corps put in good musters; but the making up of the battalions consisted of rather a scratch lot collected from the various corps present; these being North and South Wilts, Hants, Dorset, Somerset, Oxford, Cambridge, and Middlesex. The whole were formed into two bat- talions and worked as a single brigade; ibut as these battalions were commanded by such men as Hume and Mansel, and the staff were not selected for their shouting or galloping powers, but knew their duties, the whole The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. was a complete success ; and doubtless mucli more of the duties of a regiment, either acting alone or as portion of a brigade, was learnt by the volunteers on this occasion than is usually done. The 1st Wilts, Salisbury, attended as two companies of thirty file each. The 2nd Corps, Trowbridge, the 6th Maiden Bradley, the 8th Mere, the 9th Bradford-on-Avon, the 10th Warminster, and 14th Wilton were the corps attending from South Wilts, and this they all did in full numbers. Small reviews of this sort, where not only those commanding the whole were regulars, but where regulars took command for the time being of both brigades and battalions, were far more useful, more especially at this early stage of the Volunteer Force, in teaching officers and men what was expected from them, than when the command devolved on the officers of the force — new men, mere learners, if civilians, and if from the line, as a rule but retired captains, or even subalterns, whose knowledge of manoeuvring ex tended not beyond company drill, and yet these were made brigadiers and lieutenant- colonels to command regiments. There was yet another review of volunteers at which every corps of this battalion was represented, and which came off before the whole were formed into a battalion. The review took place on Durdham Down, near Bristol, and at the time was considered as one of some mark in the volunteer movement. The reviewing officer was Major-General Hutchinson, and in his somewhat laconic address to the troops at the conclusion of the manoeuvres, he expressed himself willing to make a favourable report, as the day had been successful. He also observed that he gave them all credit for having taken much pains to become efficient, more especially as he was aware that many had had little battalion drill, and some none at all. The day was showery, the ground cramped, and spec- tators here, there and everywhere, and little, if anything, was learned or gained by the volunteers in attendance. But it could not have been otherwise with so few on the staff who knew anything about manoeuvring, and some thousands of volunteers commanded by learners only. Here, as elsewhere, beyond the volunteer inspectors, two B 2 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. in number, tlie staff was composed of young gentlemen from the yeomanry, militia, or line, whose chief recom- mendation for the appointments of A.D.C., galloper, &c., consisted in their being able to ride fairly well and roar out orders in a loud tone of voice. The object of such orders was no affair of theirs, nor were they supposed to know the correct wording. It was a way we had in the army in those days, and did no great harm as long as playing at soldiers at Brighton, Salisbury, York, &c., was supposed to be lessons in real warfare ; but the volunteers were in earnest, and putting away childish things gradually became nearer what soldiers could be ; and by pressure on the authorities, and using common sense, helped very much to raise not only themselves to a higher standard of efficiency, but to make the regular army what it is now — a thoroughly useful force, second to ' none in Europe or elsewhere for scientific and well- taught officers, steady and smart non-commissioned officers, and men who do and know their work. It is plain to a military man that a body of men so constituted, subsisting almost altogether on the liberality or length of purse of its officers and supporters, somewhat independent of authority, and held to duty by the pro- visions of the War Office letter to the Lord Lieutenants of Counties dated May, 1859, or by rules founded on the same, could have little stability ; and that however much inspector-generals or assistant-inspectors might exert themselves, and endeavour to bring the force into forming an useful adjunct to the regular army, it would result in failure. It was impossible to have a single system pervading the whole, or indeed to make corps equally or even nearly equally fit to take their places in battalion or brigade drill. Enthusiasm was on the wane, and it was plain enough to any but those holding out for some Utopian idea of the advantages to be derived in having only well-to-do men for volunteers, that a diminishing subscription list and inability of officers to continue the constant drag on their purses was not only a serious factor in attendances at squad and company drills, but was undermining discipline, and eventually would bring the majority of corps into little else than shooting clubs ; an organization not at all desirable or in any way meeting The 1st Battalion Wilts Volmiteer, the demand for which the volunteers were raised. The few officers on the volunteer staff worked with a will, never sparing themselves in any way ; and to these, from the inspector-general to each assistant-inspector, the volunteer force is much indebted. They did not expect or demand impossibilities, or even an approach to the mobility and discipline of the regular army. They knew the officers and men ; and, making allowances for the difficulties under which they laboured, offered them sup- port and advice, combined with instruction ; but the system was beyond their capabilities, and failure must have resulted had not the authorities suddenly awoke to facts, and besides organizing corps into battalions, with the proper complement of field officers to command and an adjutant to carry out a fixed system of drill and interior economy, agreed to meet some of the expenses incidental to clothing, attendances at drill, &c., by issuing a capitation grant, payable by results. In Colonels Hume and Bruce the volunteers of Wilt- shire bad officers not only of known merit, but such as spared no pains in trying to make those under them learn their duties. Inspecting was no easy-going affair in these early times. It was no pompous parade in a park or in a comfortable camp, with a good luncheon and the best of the county for guests and spectators. It was far more of a reality than at present, and both officers and men felt that in the inspector they had almost a personal friend. To the inspecting officer visiting corps was often a matter of difficulty, and necessitated exposure in all weathers and at all hours. Meeting the adjutant at some railway station, the two started off across country roads or over wild downs and moors in a dog cart, or not improbably, a hired shandederan fast falling into fire- wood, with horses none of the steadiest, to the rendezvous, which might be a village, a hill-side, or country inn, and there, in all the glories of a cocked hat and feathers, he is both instructor and inspector ; probably not returning to his own residence until very late at night, and this frequently. To work under such officers as these made difficulties light, and not a little aided adjutants to persevere in what at times would appear to be an almost hopeless task. To Colonel Gustavus Hume — now Major- The \st Battalion Wilts Vdunteers. General Sir Gustavus Hume, K.C.B. — and to Colonel Robert Bruce — now Lieut.-General R. Bruce, lately com- manding the Northern Division — I hereby offer sincere thanks for support and timely advice ; and in using these terms "support and advice" as being most kindly offered and willingly accepted, I believe I only echo the senti- ments of most of the adjutants, on whom fell nearly all the brunt and difficulties in working volunteer battalions on their first formation. The junction of a certain number of corps together and calling the whole a battalion, and giving some miserably inadequate sum towards meeting expenses, but with no alteration in regard to rules for the better observance of discipline, did not do much towards improving matters. The officers commanding these battalions were almost powerless, and their adjutants not only disgracefully underpaid, but left without any defined position or authority. In fact the amalgamation of corps into battalions did little, if anything, towards encouraging or improving squad or company drills, and added very much to the already very heavy expenses of officers and men in becoming efficient. The travelling expenses were doubled. The railway fares being the full conveyancing charges for soldiers, and as the usual daily train service on lines could be the only one obtainable for men coming to battalion drills, it often resulted in a day's work being lost. Besides this, to corps scattered all over a wild extent of country where no railroads existed, and waggons or carts had to be hired, attendance at the head quarters of the battalion for united drill was easier ordered than performed, and so gradually attendance at the same fell off, or was made up, or said to be made up, by an extra quantity of squad drills at home. It must have been through complete ignorance of these facts, and of the true condition of volunteer corps, that the War Office, in granting a travelling allowance of four shillings per head, should have exempted all corps at the head quarters, or within five miles of the same, from any participation in the boon. The War Office could not possibly be expected to know anything about the fitness or accessibility of these head quarters as places for general assembly, of the strength of the companies there, or The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. within the five-mile radius, and of the costs incidental to corps few in nnmbers, much scattered, and far distant who would have to put in an appearance thereat. Applied to South Wilts it meant that the travelling allowance drawn for about three hundred and sixty men should cover the expenses of the whole battalion, then probably nearly seven hundred strong. It also meant that all corps within the five miles should give a whole day, walk the distance out and home, and do all that was required at the parade ; besides all this, it supposed that the men composing these corps, whose head quarters were within five miles of the battalion head, quarters, were all close at hand, instead of being nearly if not quite as much scattered as corps further away. Altogether, it was unworkable. The corps on the spot came in full strength, and others according to distances, and funds in hand ; so that keeping men of the same companies together, and thus avoiding heartburnings and a motley appearance, was impossible, and did much to make battalion drills disliked and useless for instruction. The punctual attendance of corps was not to be thought of, so the volunteers came and went as trains fitted in; hanging about the head-quarter town until the assembly sounded, or marched on to the ground some time after the parade bad begun: their train being late or time incon- venient; thus necessitating retelling off and confusion. Then, just as the object of a manoeuvre was being under- stood, and some steadiness showing itself in the ranks, the commanding officer was reminded that "It is train time," and men of the corps about to leave were recalled from the various companies into which they had been numbered off for drill purposes, and the whole parade collapsed. It was in the year 1861 that the 1st Administrative Battalion of Wiltshire Eifle Volunteers was formed, at that time consisting of eight corps, and were thus designated in the Army List : — 1st Corps, Head Quarters, Salisbury. 2nd „ j> Trowbridge. 6th „ j> Maiden Bradley. 8th „ ft Mere. 9th „ j» Bradford-on-Avon. The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. lOth Corps, Head Quarters, Warminster. 13th „ ,, Westbury. 14th „ j> Wilton. Salisbury being the Lead quarters, and at the furthest removed point from any of the corps excepting Wilton : Lieutenant-General P. Buckley, M.P. for Salisbury, an officer of the Guards, and a subaltern at Waterloo, being appointed lieutenant-colonel ; Captain J. H. Jacob, of the 1st Corps, major ; and Captain R. D. Gibney, of the Indian army, as adjutant; Charles Bleeck, Esq., F.R.C.S., as surgeon; and William Fawcett Esq., quartermaster; the Marquis of Bath being honorary colonel. 1st Corps, Salisbury. Beverley Eobinson, Captain Cmt. E. D. Fisher, Lieut Geo. Smith, Lieut. Wyndham Pain, Lieut. James Brown, Ensign. C. Brown, Ensign. John M. Cardell, Assist. Surgeon. Kevd. Eobert G. Swayne, Chap. 2nd Corps, Trowbridge, Thomas Clark, Captain. W. P. Clark, Senior Lieut. Graham Foley, Ensign. E. P. Stancomb, Ensign. W. J. Mann, Ensign. G. C. Tayler, M.B., Assist. Surg. Kevd. J. D. Hastings, Hon. Chap, Gth Corps, Maiden Bradley. Lord E. Percy St. Maur, Captain. Henry B. Festing, Lieut. Thomas K. Harding, Ensign. 8th Corps, Mere. W. Chargin Grove, Captain. E. A. Card, Lieut. John White, Ensign. W. N. Marshall, Assist. Surgeon. Kevd. K. Kowley, Chaplain. Assist. Surgeon. Hon. Chaplain. Gth Corps, Bradford. W. Pickwick, Captain. G. Forster, Lieut. A. Beavan, Ensign. 10th Corps, Warminster, The Marquis of Bath, Captain Commandant. William Davis, Captain. John Ravenliill, Lieut. Johu Scott, Lieut. William Adye, Hon. Surgeon. Kevd. W. H. Jones, Hon. Chap. Herbert Ingram, Ensign. Philip Grubb, Ensign. L. Flower, Assist. Surg. Kevd. Sir J. Erasmus Philipps, Hon. Cliaplain. The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 13th Corps, Westbuky. H. G. G. Ludlow, Captain. \ H. W. Pinniger, Ensign. J. W. Gibbs, Lieut. Charles Penruddocke, Captain. Geo. Lapworth, Lieut. Alex. Powell, Jdeut 14th Corps, Wilton. I. Woodcock, Ensign. A. Graham, Ensign. Eevd. K. Chermside, Hon. Chap. Soon after being made into a battalion, all the corps were present at the reviews held at Bristol and Salisbury, and did not add much to their fame in the performance. The volley firing carried on by some battalions at the conclusion of the review at Bristol was joined in by the 1st and 2nd Administrative Battalion, Wilts, and drew upon them the terrible reproof of the staff. How- ever, as hard words break no bones, no great evil or good resulted, and the mistake was not worth the fuss made about it. Each battalion declared that they were not the one commencing the fire, but simply took it up as supposing it to be part of the orders in three cheers for the Queen, and as loyal subjects blazed away, to the horror of the cocked hats, and their own everlasting shame. The next day the local papers were filled vdth letters from warriors of all countries, anxious to explain that they had nothing to do with it, refused the tempta- tion to join in the " bad example set by their neighbours," and were assured that it began with a volunteer on the extreme right wearing a green uniform and plumed chaco. It was not long after being made into a battalion on the 24th of August, 1862, that Major Jacob of Salisbury was removed by death. A slight accident in stepping ashore from his boat produced a serious illness ending fatally ; to the great grief of many friends, and to the whole of the volunteers, among whom he had become very popular, as knowing his work well, and doing it. The vacancy in the battalion was filled up by the promotion of Captain T. Clark of the 2nd Trowbridge Corps, who at once attached himself to the 55th Foot, so as to acquire a thorough knowledge of his new duties. There were various occasions in which the whole corps assembled beyond these reviews ; such as inspections by district inspectors, or where anything of moment was 10 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. likely to draw a multitude to any place of note. Trains ran more conveniently on such occasions, and it was an opportunity to get off one of the required battalion drills. For example, there is an assembly of the battalion at the Earl of Pembroke's beautiful park at Wilton. It is a great occasion, and Lord Palmerston with no end of the quality are to be present ; so the muster is good, and all are anxious that not only the Prime Minister, but all the multitude shall see, that neither time nor money has been spared in making the flamingo-coloured regiment assem- bling before their eyes, thoroughly efficient, and able defenders of their country. There is the usual difficulty and delay in equalizing companies; as local corps have come in full strength, but the ones further away in lesser proportion. However, at last, the adjutant and sergeant-major between them have squared the circle, and all being ready, the same is reported to the lieutenant-colonel in command by the adjutant. Lord Palmerston, with the Lady Herbert of Lea on his arm, followed by the future heir to Wilton House and the Earldom of Pembroke, move away to the saluting point, and the lieutenant-colonel directs the regiment to " march past in slow time." A shuflfie, a halt, and as the dressing of companies is deranged, the adjutant moves out to explain that " slow time " is not required to be performed by the volunteers, and that they only know "quick and double," passing always at the " quick." The dressing corrected, another essay at starting is made, and the battalion is directed to pass in " the usual tday." This not being part of the drill instruction, was not well understood, and in a very unusual manner the battalion commenced the march past, the profanun The Expenses of the Battalion attending Windsor Review were ....... £194 Review Allowances from Government . . . £59 On the 6th December the battalion paraded at War- minster at 5.30 P.M., so as to line the streets on the occasion of the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Longleat Plouse, and the town was illuminated. The weather was boisterous and wet, entirely spoiling the effect. The Summary of Annual Eeturns showed a total strength of 650, of whom 629 were registered as " efficients." The capitation grant earned amounted to £1140. Water-bottles and new belts were purchased for the whole battalion. Early in the year 1882 a meeting of officers took place at Warminster to audit accounts, and to make such, arrangements as might be considered necessary for the twelve months. On Easter Monday, 10th April, the battalion took part in a review and sham fight which was held in the neighbourhood of Portsdown Hill, near Portsmouth, 58 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. afterwards marcliing past His Eojal Higliness the Duke of Cambridge, who received the salute. The number of men engaged on the day exceeded 27,000. The battalion detrained at Fareham, and proceeded at once to (jccupy the position assigned to them. The weather was fine, but cold. The troops were under the command of Prince Edward of Saxe- Weimar, and were divided into an attacking and defending body, the former consisting of 15,085 men, com- manded by Major-General Higginson, and the latter of 12,486 men, under Major-General Packenham, and to this latter force the 1st Wilts Battalion was attached. The sham fight took place in the country to the north of Portsdovvn Hill, and was not decisive. The battle was brought to an end at 2 p.m., and at 3 p.m. the march past commenced. His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales was present, but the salute was taken by H.E.H. Field- Marshal the Duke of Cambridge. The following General Order was issued by H.E.H. the Commander-in-Chief : — *' It is very gratifying to the Field-Marshal Command- ing-in-Chief, upon each fresh occasion when His Eoyal Highness has an opportunity of reviewing large bodies of volunteers, to witness on the part of all ranks a greater steadiness under arms, and an increased attention to drill. Upwards of 20,000 volunteers took part in the day's operations, and the manner in which these were carried out reflects gi-eat credit upon all concerned. The soldier- like bearing of the men, their prompt obedience to the orders of their officers, and the silence with which the movements were effected was most satisfactory. " The good conduct of the volunteers on the march from Petersfield, and of those who for the last two days have been quartered in and about Portsmouth, does honour to the great National Force to which they belon^:. "It has afforded Field-Marshal His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales great pleasure to t/ke part as a Colonel of Volunteers in the day's proceedings. The Field-Mar.-hal Commanding - in - Chief begs to thank General His Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe- Weimar for the excellence of his arrangements, which conduced so much to the success of the operations ; and Tlie 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 59 His Eoyal Highness congratulates the General Officers, Brigadiers, the Staff, and all the officers of the regular forces who have given their assistance, upon the efficiency with which they performed their respective duties." On the 7th August the battalion assembled at "War- minster for the annual canip, marching-in strength being 353, and present at inspection 510. After the inspection Colonel Bythesea, Inspecting Officer, and commanding 38th Depot, addressed the following words to the battalion : — " It is the fourth time I have had the pleasure of inspecting you, and on looking over the returns I find that whilst many have attended squad drills, a large number have been absent from them. I am pleased with the accoutrements and clothing, as also with your cleanli- ness and smartness, and on the examination of the camp was glad to find the tents all kept neatly and in good order." This year, 1882, an ambulance corps was formed, con- sisting of four men per company. They were instructed by Staff-Surgeon Bennett and the medical officers of the battalion. The Expenses of the Camp were . . £324 Subscriptions received .... £30 Camp and Travelling Allowances . . £227 The enrolled strength of the Battalion was 629 Total Efficients 590 On the 23rd February the annual meeting of the officers was held at Warminster to audit the accounts and to make arrangements for the year 1883. The usual regimental camp was held on Homerton Down, near Sali.sbury, the battalion marching in on Tuesday the 2nd August. On Monday the 6th August, by the kind permission of the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, a concert and regimental fete was held at Wilton Park, in aid of the Band Fund, and a sum of about £80 was realised. On the '8th the battalion was inspected by Colonel Brett, the number at the inspection being 530. The inspection was held under considerable disadvantages, the weather being very inclement. At the conclusion of the inspection Colonel Brett informed the battalion that " he was pleased with the way officers 60 The \8t Battalion Wilts Volunteers. and men had turned out, with the way the tents were pitched, and camp kept, and also was glad to hear that the conduct in camp had been good. The movements on parade might have been executed smarter, but the march past and battalion movements were well done, the ' attack ' being very well carried out. He should have liked to have heard a little more command from company and section commanders given wliile the firing was going on, as, in the attack, ammunition should be expended with very great discretion, it being of more importance that the aim should be accurate and true than that the firing be delivered quickly. The guards and sentries wanted smartness, for though guard duties were irksome in camp, too much attention could not be paid to having them carried out correctly and smartly. The responsibility and care of the camp devolved on those guarding it." The Expenses of the Camp were £386 Subscriptions .... £30 Camp and Travelling Allowances £333 The camp was broken up on the 9 th August. The Summary of Annual Eeturns showed a total enrolled, 615, efficients, 587. The officers met at Warminster early in this year, 1884, to audit the accounts, and to make arrangements for the year. On 16th May the battalion, in conjunction with the yeomanry, took part in a field day on the downs between the race-plain and Salisbury, near the village of Barford, Colonel Everett commanding the attacking force and Major Fowle the defending. Colonel Brett and Lord Arthur Somerset acting as umpires ; the field day ending with a march past on the racecourse. As there was no camp held this year, the battalion assembled for the purpose of inspection at Warminster on Saturday 9th August, at 3.30 p.m., and were marched to the down, theie being present on parade 467, made up into 8 companies of 21 file each, under the command of Colonel Everett, the inspecting officer being Colonel Brett, commanding the depot. The afternoon was intensely hot, and all things were not so satisfactoiy as could have been wished. The whole, after partaking of The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 61 some bread, cheese, and beer, eventually returned to the railway station, and from thence homewards. This year Honorary Major and Captain W. P. Clark, commanding the Trowbridge companies, resigned liis commission, he having with his brother, Major Clark, raised the 2nd Corps, and been the officers fiist appointed, Major T. Clark as captain, and Honorary Major W. P. Clark as lieutenant. To both these officers all connected with the Trowbridge Rifle Corps are much indebted, and to their example and tact is due much of the invariably good behaviour of the men under them. Honorary'' Major W. P. Clark will be missed from the battalion. A genial and obliging officer, knowing his duty well, and setting an example to all in camp or elsewhere, in the way he carried out all orders, received in unhesitating obedience. On the 6th October a meeting of the officers was held at Warminster, and it was there arranged that a regimental camp as usual should be formed in 1885 at Warminster in the beginning of August. The Summary of Annual Eeturns showed 541 efficients, and the capitation grant earned was £1079. Extract from Armij List, January, 1885 : — Honorary Colonel, Bath, The Marquis of. Majors. Pembroke and Montgomery, The Earl of. Fowle W. H. Captains. Adve, William {Hon. Major T). Keisev, E. F. Stancomb, E. F. (Hon. Major T). Wakeman, H. J. Hoddiug, F. Wilson, G. N. Clark, W. P. Lieutenants. Mann, W. H. Hall, J. P. Clark, T. H. Farebrother, H. J. L. Pally, Sir H., Bart. Kelland, J. Pinckney, A. B. Lieutenants — (continued). Smith, S. Curtis, P. F. Adjutant. Hume, J. W. T. (Captain, Derby Regiment). Quartermaster. Harris, G. Surgeons. Bennett, T. J., M.D. (Honorary Surgeon-Major). Tayler, G. C, M.B. Lee, F. F., M.B. Acting Surgeon. Hinton, J. Honorary Chaplain. Ohvier, Kevd. D. Acting Chaplain. Doyle, The Very Eevd. C. D., M.A., Dean of Salisbury. 62 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. On the 1st May a special meeting of the ofiScers of the battalion was convened at Warminster to consider the proposal of the general officer commanding the district, Sir George Willis, K.C.B., with regard to the formation of a Volunteer Transport Corps. After some correspon- dence the movement was abandoned, and this principally from the War Office refusing to assist with the necessary funds. On Saturday the 1st August, the annual camp was held on Warminster Down, the men marching in on the Saturday afternoon, their strength being 419, when they immediately proceeded to pitch tents and establish the camp. The next day could hardly be considered a day of rest for the battalion, inasmuch as the early morning found the men employed on fatigue duties, the forenoon at an instruction drill under Colonel Everett, and the afternoon at church parade, not held as formerly, with a chaplain and a drum concealed by the colours for a reading desk, and a very attenuated congregation of somewhat husky volunteers forming choir and listeners, but a parade, marching to church down at Warminster, at least two miles away. It was far better so ; an idle Sunday in camp was detrimental in every way. It was simply a lounge for visitors, and was subversive of disci- pline, and often propriety. Monday, being Bank Holiday, was treated as such after twelve o'clock, and athletic sports took the place of drill. The spectators must have exceeded 6000 in number, and were well rewarded for coming so far. Eaces (with an allowance for age and service), officers' menagerie race (won by geese, splendidly held together and driven by Lieuts. Whitehead and Curtis), hurdle races, sack jump- ing, and tug-of-war. Four companies competed in the bayonet exercise — Salisbury, Wilton, Warminster, and Bradford, the judge being Major Helme, the prize being a challenge cup, given by Lord Harry Thynne, M.P. It was won, but not without a very close contest, by the Salisbury company; the first and second prizes of 40«. and 20s. (with lOs.extra for the drill instructor of the winning squad) to Wilton and Warminster companies. There were prizes for which the yeomanry were alone eligible, such as tent-pegging, tilting at the ring, &c., at The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 63 which much skill and really good horsemanship was shown. Captain Helme, of the Rood Ash ton Troop, was facile p'inceps both in tent-pegging and tilting, but refused to take a prize. On the 7th the battalion was inspected by Colonel Brett, commanding the 38th Depot Brigade, the parade state showing 568 as present. The day was intensely hot but fine, and the onlookers many. The battalion assembled on the general parade at 2.30 p.m., and after a thorough inspection were addressed by Colonel Brett. He said that the march past was especially good, the evolutions executed smartly and in good style, and in marching at the double the men kept together and moved with a precision which would do credit to a line regiment. The camp was clean, well kept and orderly, and the drills, including bayonet exercise, and the new system of attack, creditably performed, more especially considering the short space of time they had been learn- ing it. The inspecting of&cer then required those belonging to the ambulance corps to be put through their move- ments, and was well satisfied with the thorough knowledge displayed. The evening saw a merry lot sitting round the usual great camp fire, song after song passing on from officer or man until the bugle rung out the retire, and visitor and volunteer quitted the scene. But they had to be up early the next day; breakfasts soon after daybreak, their tents to strike, and the whole camp to be packed. This done, .a picnic dinner on the short crisp turf of the wild downs, and the whole marched to Warminster on the return to their respective homes. The Expenses of the Camp were £325 Camp Allowance . . . £327 Subscriptions .... £30 The Capitation Grant earned was £1088 64 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. *^ CO M 1 03 1 1 1 ,/soipBj;,,, 1—1 I— i (M 1 i •s^UT?a3j3g :oio»oio»OGCT-i'tii-i O ■^ CO •saaDKO rHi-KMiHrHi-^COeC •paiiojna F^oi lO O CCi ■* «C> -M (M O l> 050l>;OCOOOU5t>r-l •s^uapKa-uoij ^(MMCOrHCOtMCOCI s •s^uapffla •^ 3 ' CO 3 Salisbury . Salisbury . Trowbridge Trowbridge Bradford . Warminster Westbury Wilton . Staff •vCuudiuoQ e being obtainable, Mr. Grove addressed his neighbour with legard to what was next to be done. The advice and guidance asked for was promptly given, and right sensible advice was it that emanated from the future heir The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 103 to the dukedom of Somerset. Lord Seymour foresaw events, and told the yonnf? squire of Zeals how his wishes could be carried out. He let him see plainly, that it was and probably would be an expensive experiment, and that so far from the Government of the day giving as- sistance, they would offer obstructions. At Mere were a goodly number of recruits to be found, and also from the men employed on the property and among the tenants ; but the majority of these were too poor to be able to afford the expense incidental to the loss of time in attending drills, or finding anything for themselves. Patriotism they had plenty of, but it required to be sup- ported by anybody's purse excepting their own, and patriotism, like other valuable articles, diminishes under difficulties. In a letter, dated 2nd January, 1860, addressed by Mr. Grove to Lord Seymour, we find that the young squire of Zeals is just in the first throes of volunteer corps raising. He has got the men, and asks advice regarding colour and prices of uniform and accoutrements, and in reply, is not only warned against being misled by cheap advertise- ments of these articles, but is let into the secret that before his recruits can be accepted, he must satisfy the Government that he has provided all that is necessary for their future efficiency ; which now no longer entailed finding a rifle or gun of some sort or another for each man, as rifles and bayonets would be found by the War Office ; but included a practice-ground, with targets, &C., of at least two hundred yards in extent, an armoury, safe from attack, and an armourer to look after the arms, a magazine safe and secure, and various other matters, all of which would cause delay and be most vexatious. Lord Seymour says : " You have told me nothing about your rules, excepting about entrance fees. I am im- proving my first set, and I strongly urge this as a rule : * That all gentlemen wishing to join as volunteers send in their names and the amount they intend to subscribe to the funds,' their becoming members being left to the committee's approval." — Adding, after some expla- nations, " Unless the committee keeps the power of admittance or non-admittance into the corps in their own hands, it is, in fact, pledged to dress and equip any 104 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. number of men who may pay two shillings and six- pence, and obtain for it three or four pound's worth of clothing." Again Lord Seymour observes : " The demands on the general fund will be very heavy. In Devonshire, I am told, the ammunition alone costs 10s. per man a year. Believe me, a small number of men, well equipped, is the most promising beginning for a company. You say your uniform will only cost 48s. per man, including belts. Certain outfitters offer these things, but somehow they manage to make the price higher later on. Lord Elcho's 28s. suit may have been made as an advertisement. Neither he nor anyone else will get a serviceable suit for that money. 10s. belts are bad. All I have seen allow the cartridges to rattle about in the front pouch." A few days after this, certain rules were sent to the Lord Lieutenant of the County by Mr. Grove for ap- proval, and were sanctioned, as " nearly approaching those recommended by the Government," and at the same time the sender was informed, that the commission of Captain would be given to him, and eventually an inspector sent down to see that the place selected is *' eligible for exercise, and to ascertain the fitness of the man appointed for the custody of the arms." As the inspector was long in coming, and the Gazette silent as to his promotion, Mr. Grove again addressed his lordship on the cause ; but the reply, dated the 20th April, gave him to understand that there had beea no unnecessary delay in his being gazetted, in the acceptance ofiicially of the corps, or of the despatch of the inspecting of&cer ; but there had been much extra work in the departments, and "the acceptance of the services of No. 8 Corps of Wiltshire Kifle Volunteers was only communicated to the Lord Lieutenant ' on the 16th of this month.' " Captain Chafyn Grove was told to select two gentlemen for the commissions of Lieutenant and Ensign, and after various further delays, the Gazette informed the public that William Chafyn Grove, Esquire, was to be Captain, E. A. Card, gentleman, to be Lieutenant, and John White, gentleman, to be Ensign, in the 8th Corps Wilts Bifle Volunteers— Head quarters, Mere. Among the earliest to join as members of the corps were, Messrs. The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 105 Alford, Barnes, Baker, Burpitt, Cards, Careys, Cowards, Cole, Dowding, Farthing, Foot, Green, Glover, Jupes, Keates, Landers, Larkam, Maidments, Mitchells, Markey, Merriman, Meaden, Perrett, Pillinger, Randall, Eead, Eoberts, Kogers, Seymour, Sharp, Tilt, Toogood, Topp, Waters, White, Wickham. The corps was formed, drilled, and had attended one or two neighbouring assemblies before its officers appeared in the Gazette, and was in good order and strength when called upon as one of the corps or companies to make up the 1st Administrative Bat- talion Wilts Rifle Volunteers. The musters for company- drill, held at least once a week at the head quarters. Mere, were well attended, and the target practice not neglected: but it was with Mere, as with the company at Bradley, a difficult matter for all to attend regularly at drills, as the distances of men's homes from Mere, the head quarters, was often great, and entailed no little expendi- ture of time, trouble, and only too often absolute money out of pocket on the volunteer hiraself. It was these ever-increasing expenses in attending home drills, battalion drills, general assemblies, and camps which ultimatel}^ caused many corps to die out. The initial expenses of an individual or of a committee, in raising such a body of men, finding practice-grounds, targets, ammunition, clothing, accoutrements, &c., were heavy, and were willingly met ; but when it came to men being away from their work for a week at a time in camp, or autumn manoeuvres, or hiring wagons, and paying very large railway fares five or six times in the year, the scattered corps began to get few recruits, and gradually fell off in efficiency and numbers. Owing to the death of its founder and captain, W. Chafyn Grove, Esq., much of the needful support was gone, and not- withstanding every exertion was made by his family to revive the company, yet little was the success. The addition of the Silton estates to the Zeals properties added a few more men, but they served unwillingly. Their hearts were with their first love, the corps which they had helped to raise, the 6th, with its head quarters at Maiden Bradley, and so, after a while, their advent was of little account, and No. 8 Corps resumed its fading aspect. 106 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. Lieutenant Card and Ensign White did their best to keep the company together, and, at no little expense to themselves and others, succeeded in bringing a fair number of men to battalion drills and local reviews. Troyte Bullock, Esq., accepted the vacant commission of Captain, and attached himself to the Guards with a view of acquiring a knowledge of the various drills and practices recently introduced, and commanded the com- pany on the occasion of its last attendance at camp, and such portions of it as proceeded to the autumn man- oeuvres, held on the borders of Wilts and Dorset, taking part in the various defeats and victories, and being left ingloriously with his men to guard a haystack, whilst the divisions pushed on to complete the victory over the northern army at the battle of Wishford. It was useless to contend against fate, and the 8th Corps, with its head quarters at Mere, ceased to exist in 1878, just two years later than that which witnessed the same disaster in the 6th Corps, with its head quarters at Maiden Bradley. ( 107 ) 9th COEPS. BEADFOED-ON-AVON. The rifle movement, now general throughout Great Britain, was showinj^ itself in the quaint old town of Brad ford-on- A von. Some towns and cities in the county, and indeed some villages in the country, had advanced further in corps-making than had the men of Bradford; but perhaps nothing beyond a low number in the county rifle volunteers was lost by it, but very much experience gained, and needless expense avoided. Doubtless, in 1859, there was no time to be lost in putting the country into a state of defence, and making some arrange- ments by which an advance of an enemy into the heart of the land should be stayed, even if a landing on the shores could not be prevented. It was plain, very plain, and all the more from becoming so suddenly, that if the vapouring of the French turned into a reality, and war was declared, the country was quite unprepared for such. Her army at home reduced to a handful, v/ith the greater portion of it in India crushing out mutiny ; the militia, where not embodied, weak, badly officered, and really un- trained; and the navy in a transition state, between wood and iron, sailing and steam. It was no good shutting one's eyes to the fact : the country was terribly open to invasion ; and as the invaders were not likely to send any but their best and most efficient soldiers to attempt the subjugation of that country whose word was law to almost the whole world, it behoved every citizen to aid, either in means or person, in the defence of his home. It was no time to tax the Government or Govern- ments with having thrown dust in the eyes of the people, and Siid all was well when things were very far from being so, and that not only were the army, navy, forti- fications, and all appertaining thereunto, amply sufficient to meet any demands made upon them, but that econo- mies ought to be practised. The people of Great Britain had to do then what they have to do now, to take things as they find them, and, liking it or disliking it, set about putting their house in order. 108 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. It was harder in 1859 to say what was best to be done than it is now. Money and labour can overcome much of the present difficulties, but then the only thing to do was to raise an army, and that army on the very shortest notice to be such as not only could be trusted with the national defence, but be able to co-operate with the regulars in the defence of their native land. Some advocated the training of gamekeepers, and sportsmen generally, with, we suppose, a small sprinkling of jDoachers to keep up esprit de corps, others were for arming every old pensioner, and not a few for purchasing the services of foreigners, as was done in the early wars with Napoleon, and more recently in the Crimea. Danger was at the door : for years prognosticated, and for as many pooh-poohed, or denied altogether ; and now that it was so near, it found none so weak and wavering, none so helpless and unwilling to meet the emergency, as the individuals causing it. They simply stood by, wringing their hands, and left each and all to arrange as they best could, provided it cost the State nothing. Notwithstanding the backwardness of the Government and their inability to see the absolute necessity of im- mediate action by raising some force less long in making efficient, and of a different class in life to regulars or militia, the country commenced with the greatest activity ; and as rifle corps had been decided upon as both useful and dependable, few towns of any size but had such forming. In Wiltshire some progress had been made in the movement at Salisbury, Trowbridge, Malmesbury, Devizes, &c., and now Bradford followed suit by calling a public meeting on 19th December, 1859, "for the purpose of promoting the formation of a local volunteer rifle corps." E. Edmonds, Esq., was unanimously called to the chair, and was supported by most of the influential gentlemen of the neighbourhood and others residing in the town. On the platform were the Right Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., R. P. Long, Esq., M.P., Eev. W. H. Jones, Vicar, Rev. J. Wilkinson, Rev. W. Popham, Rev. E. D. Whigfield, Captain Rook, Captain Pickwick, Dr. W. Adye, A. Adye, Esq., G. Forster, Esq., W. Beavan, Esq., J. Gee, Esq., T. Taylor, Esq., Mr. Neal, and others. After a very The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 109 enthusiastic speecli from the chairman. Captain Rook moved that the rifle movement of the country be sup- ported, and Mr. Forster, of Holt, in seconding the motion, offered his services in any way by which they could be rendered most useful. Mr. Sotheron Estcourt, Mr. A. Adye, Captain Pickwick, and Mr. Richard Long, of Road Ashton, spoke on the occasion, and finally a committee of management to collect subscriptions and to make the necessary arrangements was appointed, and the following subscriptions were announced: The Earl Manvers, £50; the Right Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., £10 and the equipment of five men ; Walter Long, Esq., M.P., Road Ashton, £10 ; the Rev. Edward Brown, of Farley, £5. Subscription books were issued, and gentlemen under- took to canvass the town, special books being kept for ladies willing to assist in raising the rifle corps. These prove, as indeed was exhibited all over the country, that ladies were most earnest in the matter, and their five- pound notes, guineas, and lesser subscriptions helped not a little to start the good cause. In one of the Bradford collectors' books, in which the ladies are asked to subscribe towards the purchase of uniforms, a sum of nearly £20 is put down ; and in another, where it is pointed out that a certain band requires uniforms to enable it to join the rifle corps, no less a sum than £43 12s. is entered. There was another meeting held on the last day of December, 1859, and there, as was generally done else- where, after finding that sufficient names had been enrolled to form a company, they proceeded to elect the officers of the company — not being aware that the election of officers to command men is contrary to certain rules and regula- tions. The committee could recommend for the position of captain a gentleman to the Lord Lieutenant, and this gentleman, if appointed captain, could again recommend certain gentlemen as subalterns. The result of this electing officers was, that Mr. Edmonds, of Berryfield House, was selected as captain, with Captain Pickwick and Mr. Forster, of Holt, as subalterns. Captain Pickwick having been in the regular army and having seen service at the Cape, besides knowing a soldier's work well, at once refused to serve in a subordinate capacity, and that under a civilian ; so Mr. Edmonds resigned, and ultimately 110 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. Captain Pickwick was appointed to tlie command of the company, with Mr. Forster as lieutenant, and Mr. A. Beavan ensign. Among the first appointed non-com- missioned officers were, as sergeants, E. Neale, Cursen, E. Serine, J. Poole, with D. Hole, T. Butterworth, G. Hallet, as corporals. However, changes had to be made ; and whilst Wm. Adye, Esq., M.D., was appointed hon. assist.-STirgeon, and the Kev. J. Jones, M.A., chaplain to the corps, Messrs. Applegate and Geo. Adye were promoted sergeants to fill existing vacancies. The first meeting of the corps for drill purposes was on the 24th January, 1860, at Mr. Spackman's dyehouse, and as every man thought it necessary to come armed with a gun of some sort, and also as with this gun (perhaps an old flint musket of the Georges' time, or a flimsy single-barrel sparrow-killer) he was to go through the manoeuvres and platoon, and appear in the ranks generally, the teaching of musketry must have been utter foolery, and the move- ments of our Bradford volunteers somewhat ludicrous. However, these like other volunteers survived the ridicule, and notwithstanding Punch's " Who shot the dog?" and the wondrous wit displayed by street boys, or by those disliking the movement, but whose position and education should have taught them better, drilled steadily on, and on the 1 7th May made their first appearance before the public in full uniform, doubtless to the gratification and admiration of themselves and relatives. The drills were to be seven in the week as squad drills, viz., on Tuesdays and Fridays twice, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays once, thus meeting the con- venience of most members of the corps. These drills were well attended, and by the time the Government long Enfield muzzle-loading rifles were sent down in the early part of June, the 9th Corps had fully mastered the outlines of company drill, and dined together soon after on the occasion of more correct enrolment being carried out. Becoming more assured, they now paraded with their band and drilled in public, and had the usual church parades and class sermon; then marching over to the neighbouring town of Trowbridge, they were instructed in the outlines of battalion drill by Major Lawson. The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. Ill The men of the 9th Wilts not being aware that eventually rifles would be supplied to them by the Government, and being anxious to compete for prizes with other corps, in many instances from an early date they had provided themselves with weapons, generally Enfields, of the usual bore and shape, and with these constant practice was being made at the ranges ; so that by the summer, when challenges between corps were frequent, and prize meetings being held, not a few of the officers and men had become good shots and held their own wherever they entered. The ground selected as a practice ground was an easy one to shoot over, the steep turfy hill against which the targets were placed forming an excellent background ; but by whom the said range was passed as a rifle range deponent sayeth not. He could not have been to Hythe, or had much notion of the erratic flight of an elongated projectile, or of the difficulty even the best-drilled soldiers in the service find in avoiding accidents, where your line of fire extends across sundry footpaths, a canal, and a railroad. That there were no accidents is attributable more to good luck than good guidance. The shorter ranges across the canal were tolerably secure. A red flag, much shouting, and an occasional despatch of one of the squad to the dangerous point managed to stay man, woman, or child from running into danger, and informed the cursing bargee of his being cared for; but when it came to long distances, where shouts and signals were unheeded, or where the height of the trajectory was. deemed safety sufficient, then came a question as to whom was the sanction of this being used as a range due. The Great Western Eailway Company evidently for very many years troubled themselves not about such trifles as bullets through their carriages, for on the edge of the line was a firing point, where, of course^ the firer was able to check himself instantly should an express or other very- fast train or engine suddenly cloud his vision. Be all this as it may, the corps both drilled well and shot well, and from an early date up to the present time sent forth steady and good shots. Amongst these may be numbered Assist.-Surgeon, afterwards Hon. Major, Wm. Adye, winner of the Officers' Challenge Cup at Devizes, silver 112 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. claret jug, various vases, &c., Sergeant George Adye, Sergeant Neale, Corporal Davis, Privates Scutt, Eeddrop, Merrett, Chas. Adj^e, Wallman, &c. At most of the reviews and at all battalion drills, the Bradford Corps have put in an appearance, and as a rule mustered well in proportion to their strength. Their first appearance at any large gathering was at the review held in Clarendon Park, Lord William Paulet command- ing, in September, 1860. They mustered forty strong. Captain Pickwick, Lieut. Forster, and Ensign Beavan being the officers, and were attached to the battalion commanded by Major G. Hume, Assistant Inspector of Volunteers. In November of the same year they were inspected by Major G. Hume in the Broad Field, and out of the sixty men on the muster-roll, exclusive of band, fifty-four rank and file presented themselves on parade. All the officers were present, and the inspecting officer complimented them upon the way they drilled, and upon the soldier-like look of the company; some twenty men of the Trowbridge Corps, under Captain Clark and Lieut. Clark, kindly keeping the ground during inspection. The year 1861 saw all these scattered corps made into a battalion, with one lieutenant- colonel, one major, one adjutant, as the staff thereof, and from this date the attendances of corps beyond their own head quarters was limited, and certain arrangements made by which drill attendance could be verified, and more correct returns of efficiency and strength sent up to Government, on which a capitation grant might be founded. There were some brilliant ideas exhibited by the War Office authorities as to the expenditure of this grant. The adjutant was to combine paymaster- and interferer-general with his other duties, and only pay the amount earned by a corps to that corps on its showing an exact voucher for every item, and as the grant could be carried to accounts past or present, it was hard work for the secretaries of companies to get one item which would fit in exactly for the whole grant earned, and in the adjutant's hands, or to make half-a-. dozen smaller items to do the same thing, so vouchers were made up to suit the purpose. In other words, a cooking process was required to enable a corps to receive its dues. The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 113 The uniform selected by the Bradford Corps was an excellent one — of course fitting the body too tightly ; but this screwing in a man's waist and throttling him with a stock was considered the proper thing to do, and even yet has a value in some elderly gentleman's view of the smart soldier. In olden times a man was supposed to carry in a knapsack on his poor back all that was neces- sary, and that the protection of any particular part of the body from heat, cold, or wet was making him into a mollycoddle ; so they sent him to Canada and India with a shoddy coat buttoned across the chest, and sloping off into two tails in the cutaway style, and bade him wear for six months in the year woollen trousers, nice and long, so as to cover his hideous ankle boots and to pick up the dirt, and for the other six months, ducks, as these washed. The Eifle Movement ended these and various other absurdities. When officers commanding battalions and companies discovered that things wore out quicker than necessary, that other things were only an unnecessary expense, and that the men themselves observed much latitude in the regulations, then they appointed com- mittees to consider matters, and adapted the clothing and very many other things connected with drills and target- practices to the change brought over the whole military system by the introduction of arms of precision. Freedom of action, greater mobility, more self-reliance, and a thorough knowledge of his weapon and skirmishing, was a volunteer discovery, and after a while the drill, if not the dress ; but the whole organization of the British array has been changed and improved. The mud-colour with red facings of No. 9 corps, with a neat shako, was, and is. if made of a looser fit and knickerbockers instead of trousers, the proper colour and cut for a rifleman's wear. The black of the Rifle Brigade and the term Eifles being utterly absurd, as all are now Eifles, and of all colours the most visible, near or far away, the black bears away the palm. With this battalion, as all had to be of one colour, it was well not to adopt any colour in use by other corps, but the day will come when the black will be discarded, and perhaps then the mud-colour or khakhee of the Guides in India will be selected. The helmet is a bad headpiece, rolls about, cannot be laid on, and is hot I 114 TJie 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. and clumsy. The straight-peaked low kepi gave greater shade to the eyes for aira-taking, and was smarter-looking and far easier kept on in going through woods, low jungle, &c., than the spiked invention from Germany. At the first inspection of corps as a battalion, which took place at Warminster on 7th November, 1861, by Major Gustavus Hume, Assistant-Inspector of the Volunteers, this company mustered fifty-nine ; Captain Pickwick in command, with Lieut. Forster, Ensign Beavan, and Hon. Assistant- Surgeon Adye. All did well, and the inspecting officer gave them great credit for doing so well with so short a time for training. A very heavy hailstorm coming on did not improve the drill, and few were sorry when the trains arrived at the station by which they could return home. The 7.15 train saw Trowbridge, Bradford, and Vvestbury coi'ps returning, but those lower down the line had far longer to wait. It was ever thus for a battalion drill ; the trains never fitted in, and whilst some part of the battalion would arrive at midday to parade at 3 p.m., another could not be present until past the drill hour. If a late hour was fixed for the general assembly then the hurry to catch the last train made a general scramble to be off break up the parade. The ladies of Bradford were nothing behind their sisters elsewhere in helping forward the Kifle Movement, and by bazaars, county and local prize-giving for shooting encouraged very many of the men to practise careful shooting. The earliest record of a subscription being got up from the ladies of Bradford for this purpose is in September, 1861, when Mr. T. Taylor and Mr. J. C.Neale were the collectors. The money obtained allowed of a handsome silver cup being purchased, and smaller sums distributed in prizes. The distances were short, but they were beginners, and allowance had to be made for blundering. The terms being easy, though the entrance as a competitor depended on his subscription to the funds of the corps, so, with or without knowledge, a majority of the company appeared at the targets. The highest scores made at the two distances selected, viz., 200 and 300 3'ards, were those of Sergeant Neale, total 13, Private Eeynolds 13, Charles Adye 13, W. Mager 12. The whole day was occupied in the business, and the band, The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 115 with refi eshments, helped to break the monotony, for it must have been monstrous stupid for onlookers, these many hours of blundering. Being Britons, a dinner at *' The Swan " was necessary to mark the occasion, and there, with Captain Pickwick in the chair, supported by Mr. Forster, Mr. Beavan, and Assistant-Surgeon Adye, and various other gentlemen not immediately connected with the corps, each proposed the health of another, and drank " The Ladies " with great enthusiasm. It will not be here out of place to show how great is the improvement in shooting now-a-days. Formerly the values of a hit were very high, three being obtainable for one shot, and yet here is the result. To quote from the local trumpeter, "at 300 yards most beautiful shooting thronghoTit." 5 shots 300 yards. Tots 2 2 12 2 9 2 2 2 1 1 8 12 12 1 7 112 1 2 7 1111 2 6 The riflemen of Bradford could do better than that now. Again, at even lesser distances it seems that men such as Captain W. Adye, Sergeant Gr. Adye, Sergeant Davis, Privates Scutt, Chas. Adye, &c., at 150 and 200 yards, seven rounds each range, half targets, hits and points added, 25, 34, 38, 33, 40, 33 were the highest scores. In October, 1861, a challenge was sent to the neigh- bouring corps at Trowbridge, to be shot off on the Bradford ground; five rounds at 200 and 400 yards, twelve on each side. The highest score on the occasion was made by a Trowbridge man. Private Thomas, he making 15, not once failing to hit the target. On Brad- ford side. Captain Pickwick, with one miss, made 13, and Private Scutt, without missing, scoring 14. The match was won by Bradford by 14 points. On the return match, shot off on the Trowbridge practice ground, Brad- ford again proved the winners by 9 points. The shooting was bad on both sides. Private Scutt of Bradford, with no misses and 15 points; Private Thomas of Trowbridge, one miss and 13 points; Private Packer, no misses and I 2 116 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 13 points, being the only men doing even tolerable practice. The Bradford Corps next year challenged those of Melksham, twelve picked men to be on each side, 200 and 400 yards, five rounds at each distance, hits and points ; and Bradford were victorious by 39 points, Sergeant Wheeler of Melksham, without missing, making a score of 22, and Private Young, with one miss, a score of 21, whilst Sergeant G. Adye, without missing, scored 24, Private Wallman 27, Eeynolds 22, and Captain Pick- wick 21. At the county meeting held about the same time none of the Bradford men won prizes. Many shot well, but with the magnificent shooting of Messrs. Ward, 5th Wilts ; I^utler, 1st Wilts ; Graham, 2nd Wilts ; Fisher, 1st Wilts, to become a prize-holder was a very difficult thing. However, Private Scutt showed that he, as well as many others in the 9th Corps, knew how to use a rifle. Soon after this Lieut. Forster tendered the resignation of his commission, and Mr. A. Beavan was promoted to the vacancy, and afterwards William Adye, Esq., M.D., resigning the hon. assistant surgeoncy, was appointed ensign vice Beavan promoted. The review at Durdham Down, near Bristol, w^as attended by this corps, with Captain Pickwick and Ensign Adye as officers, three sergeants, and forty-one rank and file. Not improbably they joined in the volley firing, so terribly destructive of all discijDline and tradition, in- dulged in by most of the volunteers on this occasion, excepting of course by the virtuous few who, upon becoming aware that to do such a thing was held in holy horror by cocked hats, hastened to let the British public know, through the local papers, that not only were they innocent, but knew a soldier's duty too well to be caught thus napping. Later on, with the other corps composing the battalion, they were present at Lansdown, near Bath, Portsmouth, Portsdown, Windsor, Jubilee Eeview at Aldershot in 1887, and at the Autumn Manoeuvres in 1872. At every regimental camp the corps mustered well, and struggling with very many difficulties, have kejDt up their numbers and efficiency. To their late Captain, Hon. Major William Adye, they are much indebted, as indeed The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 117 to his family generally for constant support and useful help. Among the earliest to join the corps were Dr. Wm. Adye and his brothers George and Charles, all of whom worked with a will in the cause, and set an example to many of punctual attendance at drills and obedience to all orders received. Dr. Adye, resigning the assistant surgeoncy and becoming ensign, eventually commanded the company, retiring as hon. major in 1886, whilst George and Charles Adye both became sergeants, and for the many years they remained in the corps had very few their equals, either in knowledge of all drills or at the targets as steady and reliable shots. On Captain Pick- wick retiring from the post of captain, his place was taken by a gentleman living in the neighbourhood, Buonaparte Wise, Esq., but his remaining with the com- pany was brief. He did not quite understand the men, and it is very certain they did not understand him. He joined too at a wrong time, when financial troubles were more or less prevalent among all volunteer corps, and when a complete change of system was seen to be necessar}^ Some misunderstanding occurring, led to the resignation of Captain Wise, as also Lieut. Beavan ; their places eventually being taken up by the promotion of William Adye, Esq., to be captain, E. M. Davis, Esq., to be lieutenant, and Mr. T. W^. Dunn as ensign. The annual returns of effectives in this company have been fairly good. Taking them roughly in an enrolled' total of 82, they shewed 74 efficients in 1868. In 1870 the enrolled strength was 77, and efficients Q<6. In 1875, enrolled 65, efficients 59. In 1878, enrolled 68, efficients 60 ; and in 1886, enrolled 91, efficients 87. The strength of the company at the annual inspection of the battalion in camp at Warminster in 1886 was thus : One captain. Captain T. H. Clark ; one lieutenant. Lieutenant J. Adye ; one sub-lieutenant. Lieutenant Barton ; five sergeants, one bugler, fifty-five rank and file ; total, 64. ( 118 ) Ko. 10 COEPS. WARMINSTER RIFLE VOLUNTEERS. It was not until late in the year 1859 that the good people at and near Warminster called a meeting to con- sider the best methods for raising a rifle corps at War- minster and in its neighbourhood. It was not the custom of Warminster, as a rule, to let other towns go ahead of her in matters of any great moment, and her doing so in a thing of such interest as the defence of the country remains unexplained. She was struggling into being with her rifle corps, when Trowbridge, Maiden Bradley, Salisbury, &c., were well on at target practice and judging distance drills : but she lost nothing by delay — not improbably gained, having thereby avoided some of the mistakes and unnecessary expenses incurred by beginners. The corps raised eventually was numbered 10 in the county of Wilts, and was known at home as the "Jolly Tenth," but in the battalion, and throughout the county generally, as a rifle corps second to none in real efficiency, and both in its officers and men possessing a smartness and cohesion somewhat unusual. On the oth December, 1859, the following notice of a public meeting to be held at Warminster was posted in the town and neighbourhood : — Volunteer Eifle Corps For the Town and Neighbourhood of Warminster. A Public Meeting Of the Inhabitants of the Town and Neighbourhood Will be held At the Town Hall, Warminster, On Saturday, the 10th December, 1859, At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, To take into consideration the expediency of establishing and organising a Volunteer Corps, and to make arrangements for carrying the same into effect. (Signed) Bath, Joseph Everett, John Davis, Junr., H. Thynne, John Kavenhill, George Temple, William Temple, Nath. Bartov, H. G. Biggs, Magistrates acting for the Division of Warminster. The Marquis of Bath will take the Chair. Tlic 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 110 In accordance with this notice a large and influential meeting of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood was held in the Town Hall, Warminster, on Saturday, the 10th December, 1859, under the presidency of the Marquis of Bath, when it was resolved — " That it is expedient to organize a volunteer rifle corps for the town and neighbourhood." The following noblemen and gentlemen were formed into a committee for the purpose of considering the best plans for carrying this resolution into effect : The Marquis of Bath, Lord Henry Thyrine, William Temple, E.^q., Charles Lewis Phipps, Esq., H. Godolphin Biggs, Esq., Joseph Everett, Esq., John Eavenhill, Esq., Nath. Barton, Esq., John Davis, jun., Esq., George Temple, Esq., Hud the Rev. A. Fane, Justices acting for the Division of Warminster. Among the many attend- ing the meeting w^ere H. G. G. Ludlow, Esq., John Phipps, Esq., Vere Fane Benett, Esq., Rev. J. Erasmus Philipps, Mr. F. W. Bayly, Mr. Charles Bleeck, Mr. William Davis, Mr. R. Bedford, Mr. Timothy Goodman, Mr. H. P. Jones, Mr. Wm. Morgan, Mr. Martin, Mr. Thos. Poi)e, Mr. Geo. Pope, Mr. E. Parfitt, Mr. W. Parham, Mr. Thos. Harris, Mr. Had en, Mr. R. E. Yardy, Mr. John Scott, Mr. Vicary, and Mr. Grubb. The meeting was. unanimous, and arrangements were made for immediately enrolling members willing to serve. Subscriptions to meet incidental expenses were collected, and within a. few days sixty effective members (the minimum number required for enrolment) having volunteered for service,, an application w^as at once made to the Lord Lieutenant, of the County requesting his sanction to their being en- rolled, and on the 1st April, 1860, the corps was enrolled as the " 10th Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps," with the Marquis of Bath, as captain, commanding the same. In the first instance the members selected their own ofiicers, their names being sent in to the Lord Lieutenant for his approval, through the captain commanding the corps. To the corps were then added the names of William Davis, Esq., as lieutenant, and Mr. John Scott as ensign, Charles Bleeck, Esq., as hon. assistant surgeon, and the Rev. J. Erasmus Philipps as chaplain. The following were the first non-commissioned officers : 120 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. Joseph. Smith, quartermaster-sergeant ; J. B. Iladen, armourer-sergeant ; George White, Philip Grubb, Edward Chambers, were sergeants ; and Eichard E. Vardy, D. Tillbrook, Charles Price, corporals ; with Sergeant Shep- pard, of the Wilts Militia, as sergeant-instructor; Edward Turner, bugler. The uniform and equipments left nothing to be desired. The clothing blue-grey, wdth scarlet facings, and belts dark. The drills for squad purposes were usually held in the corn market, but the broad streets and roads in the neigh- bourhood for wet weather, while the cricket and other fields in summer, were more frequently used. The corps worked with a will, having both morning and evening drills, and doubtless disturbed some of the sleep-loving folk by their devotion to the cause. A company of soldiers being instructed in section formations or wheel- ings, on the high road, under a window at 7 a.m., on a Kovember's morning does not tend to the peaceful rest of any in the house of which the window is part, nor per- haps to their temper or rapture with the volunteer move- ment; more especially if that company were the 10th Wilts, with Sergeant-Instructor Shepj^^rd intent on having things done correctly, and repeating *' As you were " cruelly often. The first range for rifle practice sanctioned by the War Office was at Knapper's Plole on the Parsonage Farm ; but this not being found satisfactory, the range was re- moved in 1861 to Mancomb, about a mile from the town, where there is a most excellent range, up to 1100 yards, perfectly level ; with a low range of chalk hills as a back- ground to the targets, and the whole safe but far from free from gusts of wind and currents of air, trying to riflemen generally, but to pot-hunters in particular. The armoury, at first, was at the Town Hall in a room placed at the disposal of the corps by Lord Bath. It was then re- moved to the market-place, and subsequently to the High-street, where it now is. As a band of some sort was found to be necessary, the formation of a drum-and-fife band was determined upon, and on the 16th May, 1860, the ladies of Warminster pre- sented the corps with a silver bugle and a complete set of drums and fifes. The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 121 In March, 1860, a subdivision was establislied at Cod- ford, and the following officers were appointed: John liavenhill, lieutenant ; Herbert Ingram, ensign. The corps first turned out in complete uniform at a company drill on the 30th May, 1860, and on the follow- ing 2nd July the whole of the members were sworn in at the Town Hall after attending a church parade at the parish church, a sermon being preached for the occasion by the chaplain, the Eev. Sir J. Erasmus Philipps. About the same time a public dinner was held in the Town Hall, and was attended by almost all the rifle corps and very many of the tradesmen of the town and county gentle- men. When the corps was first established the requisite finances to meet preliminary expenses were raised by donations from the public, and annual subscriptions from honorary members. Effective members had to pay an annual subscription of £1 and to find their own uniform, with the exception of cap and accoutrements, these being provided by the corps. This somewhat large annual sub- scription from effective members helped to keep the corps unusually select, and to retain men in the ranks. Besides, it caused all to be jealous for the respectable behaviour of each member of the corps, precluding the retention in the ranks of'any unwilling to obey every order as issued, or acting otherwise than was correct. Discipline had to be preserved, and this, with William Davis as captain, with J. Scott for his lieutenant, and such non-commis- sioned officers and men as formed the 10th Corps, was not a matter of very great difficulty. One of the weak points in the volunteers (it is so still) was talking in the ranks, and this was met in this corps by a fine of Qd. on any individual so doing whilst the company or squad to which he might have been attached were drilling. At a later period this fine was reduced to 2)d., and the sergeant of the section to which the man belonged was made responsible for enforcing the rule. It may not be out of place here to introduce a balance sheet showing what the expenses of this corps were from the date of their first formation, December, 1859, to May, 1860. Experience and the class accej)ted made these expenses less than usual. 122 Tkc 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 10th coeps wilts kifle volunteers. Statement of Receipts AND Payments up to 22nd May, 1861 Receipts. Expenditure. d. Honorary Members' ^ Donations and An- s. d. Preliminary Expenses: "" s. Printing and Adver- nual Subscriptions 285 17 tising, &c., before the Donations from the acceptance of the Public 86 4 Corps, from eth Dec, Effective Members' 1859, to April 2, 1800 11 9 5 Atmual Subscrip- Ajipointments (Accou- tions 100 trements and Cap for Three montlis' interest each Member of the on £150 deposit . . 1 6 3 Corps), the same be- ing the property of t'le Corps 63 12 2 Uniforms for Band, Bugler, and Drill In- structor (the property of the Corps) .. ..39 16 6 Rifle Stands and Racks, Aiming Boards, &c., , for Corps (the pro- perty of Corps) . . 13 17 3 Various P2xpenses in swearing in, the Sal- isbury Band Hire, Ringers, &c 20 2 3 Cleaning Arms one year (ceases now, as each Member takes charge of his rifle) .. ..24 6 Prnctice Ranges and Targets, both at War- minsti r and Codford 61 9 4 Drill Instructor's Pay, «fcc., at Warminster and Codford .. ..74 7 6 ^ Band Instructors . . 32 14 Bugler's Boy (one year) 10 Ammunition Account 41 3 Printing and Stationery 16 10 10 Carriage of Rifles, Am- munition, and Stores 5 5 3 Postal Expenses, Use of Town Hall, Gas, De- livering Notices, and / Miscellaneous Ex- penses 22 10 Balance in hand of Treasurer 36 15 _8 £473 7 3 £473 7 3 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 123 By this it may be seen that the sum expended in establishing this corps was not very far from £500 ; and the writer's experience leads him to think that very few corps comprising administrative battalions of volunteers throughout the country were established for much less. Latterly the subscriptions from effective members were lowered, and altogether abolished in 1871. It is not presumed that this corps were more enthu- siastic in preparing themselves for the defence of their country, were it invaded, than others in the country. Drilling, if not a delight, was certainly a duty, and most honestly carried out. The following orders for the week ending 30th June, 1860, taken from the Company Order Book, will give a fair specimen of the really hard work which all undertook to perform, and as a rule absolutely did perform : — Non-Commissioned Officers' Drill . Company Drill in Uniform „ ,, with Eifles Nos. 1 and 2 Sections with Eifles , Company Drill with Eifles „ „ in Uniform Company Drill with Eifles Eecruit Drill .... Nos. 3 and 4 Sections with Eifles . Company Drill with Eifles Longleat-Company Drill with Eifles (Dated) 23rd June, 1860. (Signed) 7 A.M. 6 30 P.M. 6 A.M. 7 P.M. 6 A.M. P.M. A.M. P.M. P.M. A.M. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. J. V. TOONE, Orderly Sergeant. The corps has always been most popular in the town and neighbourhood, and when first raised were petted anid feasted to an extent that would seem almost incredible. At one time there was seldom a company drill without a feed to follow, and gentlemen in the town and neighbour- hood vied with each other in their hospitable treatment of the corps. This led to their being termed the " Jolly Tenth," a name retained long after they had been joined into the battalion, but unknown since the more matter- of-fact days succeeding the year 1880, when they became simply r Company of the 1st Wilts Rifle Volunteer Corps, by which title they are still known. In another part we have said that the rifle range was 124 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. an unexceptionably good one, within an easy walk from the town and offering many advantages. In the corps there were some good shots, men always certain to score, but not as a rule prize-winners of any note at open meetings. However, most of the members were satisfied with the prizes offered at home, without going elsewhere to try their skill. The shooting of such men as Captain Wakeman, Lieut. Pouting, Sergeants Toone, Whiting, Haden, Luke, Smith, &c., was uniformly good. The great supporter of the corps has been the Marquis of Bath, having always contributed £50 yearly to its funds, besides giving various sums in prizes and other methods by which the corps is benefited. Of this annual £50 the sum of £25 is carried to the shooting-prize fund. "With this, and the amount collected for the same fund from the ladies and gentlemen of Warminster, it may be said that few, if any, of the corps composing the battalion can equal and none surpass this company in the amount at its disposal for prize shooting. There is a yearly chal- lenge cup given by the officers of the corps considered as being the blue ribbon of the local meeting, also two silver cups open to monthly competition to all members — one of these cups is given by the officers of the company, and the other by Mr. George Hurrell of the town. There is also a very handsome challenge cup given by His High- ness Higashi Fusimi, Piince Imperial of Japan, in the year 1872, when he with his suite resided for a long period at Warminster. Altogether the company has many inducements to target practice, and this is taken advantage of, the attendance at class-firing and honest fulfilment of the regulations as regards this part of a rifleman's duty being strictly carried out. With this company the efficiency of all returned as efficient was to be depended upon; and no better company or moie really efficient a body of officers and men can be found throughout the whole of the Volunteer Force than is the F Company of the 1st Wilts Volunteer Battalion. The following is a complete list of the officers of the company, with the dates of their commissions, promotions, and retirements : — Captain Commandant The Marquis of Bath; Captain, 18G0; retired, 1862; Hon. Colonel of the Battalion, 186G. The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 125 Captain "William Davis ; Lieutenant, 1860 ; Captain, 1862 ; retired, 1866. Captain John Scott ; Ensign, 1860 ; Lieutenant, 1862 ; Captain, 1866 ; retired, 1874. Captain Herbert Ingram ; Ensign, 1860 ; Lieutenant, 1867 ; Captain, 1874; retired, 1877. Captain Hon. Major Herbert Wakeman ; Ensign, 1867 ; Lieutenant, 1870 ; Captain, 1877 ; retired with hon. rank of Major, 1886. Captain Thomas Pouting; Ensign, 1869 ; Lieutenant, 1873; Captain, 1886. Lieutenant John Ravenhill ; Lieutenant, 1860 ; retired, 1867. Lieutenant Philip Grubb ; Ensign, 1862 ; Lieutenant, 1867 ; retired, 1870. Lieutenant Joseph Smith ; Ensign, 1866 ; retired, 1869. Lieutenant Thomas Flower ; Sub-Lieutenant, 1878 ; died, 1882. Lieutenant Sir Harold Pelly, Bart. ; Lieutenant, 1882 ; retired, 18S7. Lieutenant Sidney Smith ; Lieutenant, 1884. Lieutenant George Herbert Wakeman ; Second Lieutenant, 1887. Surgeon Charles Bleeek ; Hon. Assist.- Surgeon, 1860 ; Battalion Surgeon, 1864 ; resigned. Hon. Assist.-Surgeon Isaac Flower, 1864 ; resigned, 1874. Hon. Assist.-Surgeon Thomas Flower, 1874 ; resigned, 1878. Acting Surgeon Joseph Hinton, 1878. Hon. Chaplain Sir James Erasmus Philipps, Bart., 1861 ; resigned, 1883. ( 126 ) iNO. 13 COEPS. WESTBURY. [No returns have been received.] ( 127 ) 14th COEPS. head QUAKTEES, WILTON. " The earliest records of the formation of this corps have not been preserved, but that is no reason for supposing that the stir for some more satisfactory system of self- defence than then existed did not affect the good people of Wilton and its neighbourhood as much as in other parts of Wiltshire. However, all were slow in moving, but whom to blame for this supineness it would be hard to say. The lordly owner of Wilton House, and of some thousands of acres stretching away into Dorsetshire and North Wilts, was residing abroad, and his representative, distinguished as a senator and one of the ministry, perhaps too much occupied at such a moment with greater matters to enable him to find the necessary time to work out details and set the thing well on its legs. It was plain that any rifle corps raised at or near Wilton must be composed chiefly of the tenants of the Earl of Pembroke, and that the starting this corps, which then simply meant coming down with a large sum of ready money, the obtaining uniforms, accoutrements, ammunition, even arms, armouries, and practice grounds, must fall to a veiy great extent on the possessor of Wilton House. Of course, for a time, as long as enthusiasm lasted and the French blustered, men would offer their services, and county gentlemen contribute handsomely to the funds, and acknowledging that it was very hard for patriotic Thomas, the blacksmith's assistant, or William, the village car- penter, to leave work early two or three times weekly, and stump across miles of down to Broad Chalke, Dinton, or elsewhere, to attend squad or company drills, so willingly helped towards the expense of conveying such men to these drills ; but this philanthropic tendency would not last, and the expense would devolve either on the officers and men themselves, ultimately causing the corps to be lost altogether, or to sink into mere pot-shooters, but if to be kept up as a disciplined and useful adjunct to the forces of the Empire, the command, and many incidental 128 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. expenses, and arrangement connected therewith, would fall upon the Herbert family. Not improbably, then, it was from want of an initiative being shewn by this house that the delay arose in the formation of a rifle company at Wilton, and that the one ultimately raised became No. 14 Corps in the 1st Administrative Battalion Wilts Eifle Volunteers. On the 23rd March, 1860, a public meeting was called at Wilton, at which Charles Penruddocke, Esq., of Compton Park, Geo. Lapworth, Esq., J. AVoodcock, Esq., W. J. French, Esq., with Messrs. Chipperdale, Wm. Allen, Gr. Young, D. Dodds, W. Naish, E. Rawlence, &c., present, and from whom a committee of management w^as formed; ultimately causing a body of riflemen being raised at Wilton and from the surrounding neighbourhood, termed the Wilton Eifle Volunteer Corps, with a strength of one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, and 100 of all ranks. The officers recommended for commissions were Charles Penruddocke, Esq., of Compton Park, as captain ; Mr. Geo. Lapworth as lieutenant ; and Mr. J. Woodcock as ensign : Mr. W. J. French as assistant surgeon, and tlie Eev. E. S. Chermside as chaplain ; Mr. Chipperdale undertaking the post of secretary ; Messrs. Barnes, Eyres, Dodds, Miedenhall, Wm. Allen, and G. Eawlence being appointed non-commissioned officers. As with other corps composing the battalion, the first great difficulty showing itself was in arranging so that drills should be numerous, practical, and easily and in- expensively attended by the corps ; but with its members scattered from Wilton to the borders of Dorsetshire and many miles apart, the conveying to drill, whether at first for squad and company, and later on for battalion and camps, was ever a source of difficulty and great expense. Nevertheless, the attendances, both at battalion drills and in camps and at autumn manoeuvres, with reviews, and less grand assemblies, have been uniformly good, as the following numbers will show. Before the creation of the battalion this corps attended the Eeview held in Clarendon Park to the number of 72 ; at Bath, 60 ; at Salisbury, 70 ; at Wilton Park, 72 ; at the Autumn Manoeuvres, 68 ; at the Grand Eeview in Windsor Park, 2 officers and 72 men; and the average The Ist Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 129 attendance at the annual regimental camps has been 2 officers and 60 men. Eecently, indeed, at the Jubilee Eeview at Poi-tsmouth, it showed 3 officers and 64 men. This represents a heavy expenditure for travelling and incidental expenses, which cannot be met by the men themselves, and usually falls upon the officers. A company of 60 volunteers is not taken from the wilds of Wiltshire and placed down on a hillside overlooking the sea at Portsmouth for a small travelling allowance, or at their own expense. An additional major being sanctioned to the battalion, Captain C. Penruddocke of this corps accepted the vacancy, holding it for some years, but at the same time continuing to be captain of the company. Lieutenant Lapworth resigning, was replaced by Mr. C. K. Clay, Mr. Woodcock by Mr. Wm. Allen, and the Eev. D. Olivier chaplain in place of Mr. Chermside. Later on Major Penruddocke resigned the company, and his place was taken in the command by the Earl of Pembroke, who resigned on becoming junior major in the battalion, of which he is now lieutenant-colonel in command. It will be seen by what has been said, that there are great expenses and difficulties incidental to a scattered country rifle corps such as was this, also No. 6 Corps and No. 8 of the battalion, than many are aware of — cer- tainly much more than could have been known by the clerk managing the master of the department in the War Office at the period ; otherwise, one could hardly have imagined that the passing of a travelling allowance, in- sufficient by a large amount as it was, would have been granted according to the efficient strength of a corps equally whether that corps were all collected together in a large town, with railway accommodation handy, or were scattered in twos or threes half over a county ; and the better to make the mean allowance appreciated, add the rule, that such corps as are at the headquarters of the battalion or within six miles radius are to be exempt from the receipt of travelling allowances altogether. Perhaps Mr. of the War Office thought that omnibuses and cabs, with underground railways, were common on Wiltshire Downs, and that time was of so little value to the agriculturist, that he could affi)rd to 130 Tlie 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. walk three times yearly six miles out and back to do the required battalion drills, and saunter about with his rifle from the targets to squad or company drill. Any way, it was soon found that for the men to attend in any numbers at the five weekly squad drills arranged to be held — three at Wilton, where the riding school of Wilton House was kindly placed at their disposal for winter nights, one at Broad Ohalke, and the other at Dinton or Burcombe Down — was a serious drag on all for time, and on many for money. To those having horses it was a great expense, and the carrying of rifles for individuals from the armoury no little trouble. For a while, so long as the war cloud hovered over the land, money would come in, and every encouragement be given by those not serving, in the way of money or help; but with the war scare decreasing, enthusiasm decreased also, and Private Stumptheveld began to discover that his rifle and belts were heavy and hot, also that it was more comfortable on a bleak evening at the fireside of the " Seven Stars," than at the hillside of the Punch Bowl at Burcombe Down, and as his patriotism was less demonstrative, so his rheumatics in- creased, and his attendances at drills became few and far between. It was evident that having many places for the men to meet at for drill purposes was a mistake. It was more expensive than by fixing upon one as the general drilling place for all, and gave no promise that the attendance would be sufficient for instruction being given in anything beyond the mere rudiments of drill. Anyhow, at the outlying stations the attendances became fewer and fewer, until the vanishing point was almost reached. Often, beyond the sergeant-instructor, there was none attending, and on the occasion of visits from the adjutant, whether at Dinton, Broad Ohalke, and latterly at Wilton also, the numbers putting in an appearance were far toa few. Ultimately, all this was changed, and Oaptain the Earl of Pembroke required all the drills to be done at Wilton, the head quarters, and made such arrangements that, in attending them, the loss of time and expense wa& less than formerly. The rifle butts of this corps were very good, safe, but perhaps rather spoiling men using it much from even shooting elsewhere, though this was not shown by the The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 131 many good shots found in the corps. It was one of those deep valleys scooped out of the soft chalk hills by the action of sea or glacier in long ages past, and whilst the steep hillside kept off every breath of wind, the smooth flat bottom made shooting in any position easy, leaving the targets distinctly visible. Probably, in the olden time, this "Punch Bowl," as it is termed, might have been used as a tilting ground, where knights spitted knights for the fun of the thing, or because they had nothing better to do, unless it were to spit Paynims in the Holy Land, a race of men far superior to themselves in scientific knowledge and civilization. However, modern necessities have found a full use for the Punch Bowl, and may it long continue a practice ground for the "Wilton Kifle Volunteers. It may be as well now to describe the uniform of this corps as it was for officers and men on the first formation. Each corps had a different one — some soldierlike and useful, some perfectly hideous ; but for a thing of beauty for ever. No. 14 beat all Wiltshire. Its colour was a light drab with facings of scarlet, but much of this concealed under an abundance of silver lace ; trousers to match, and shako of the same colour, ornamented with goodly lace and flowing plume, half concealing the silver plate on shako, which was a copy of that worn on the belts. Then the belts! For officers, of light Eussian leather with Avaist and cross-belt, on which was fixed a silver breastplate large and polished, instructive in heraldry and art. The centre contained the number of the corps, XIV., surmounted by a crown, and round this was placed the corporation arms of Wilton, the whole surrounded with the words " Wilton Rifle Volunteers." Above this breastplate, attached to the belt, was a lion's grim head in silver, from which descended two chains attached to a whistle, encased in graven silver, about equi-distant from the breast centrepiece. From below the shoulder to about midway in the back were crossbars of silver, ending in a monster buckle of the same metal, such as may yet be seen iu shining brass worn by that terror of the London boy, viz., the beadle of the Burlington Arcade. It certainly was not a suitable dress for riflemen ; and 132 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. thongh less gorgeous for non-commissioned officers and rank and file, the silver lace being represented by wbite braid, and bronze for silver ornaments, was quite unfitted by colour to stand knocking about in, or was it otherwise than visible at all distances. The blame for having uniforms of all sorts, kinds, and colours is not to fall on officers raising corps. The War Office had for the infantry red or black, or indeed the khakee of India as a choice ; but to have given a decided order on the subject would have shown an interest in, or perhaps a belief in, the pro- longed existence of these corps, and this was to be avoided. However, as mutual assembling together of corps for re- views and battalion purposes became more frequent, so did the absurdity of each company in a battalion having different uniforms and accouti^ements become more evi- dent. It rendered the equalisation of companies very difficult, and marked men making mistakes only too dis- tinctly ; so at last the matter was taken up by the Lord Lieutenant of the County, who with Colonel M. F. Ward, commanding the 2nd Administrative Battalion Wilts Rifle Volunteers, and the adjutant of the 1st Administrative Battalion, as representing his commanding officer, met together at the Government manufactory at Pimlico, and it was there decided that the uniform for the future should be the same as worn by the Rifle Brigade. This decided the case ; the ugly and the beautiful, the light grey and the dark blue, the olive and the drab ceased to exist. All had to change, and to mourn over the past by assuming black. At the commencement of the movement it was a pretty sight, and spoke volumes for the patriotism of the inhabitants, when they willingly gave up their time to attending drills, and could be seen dotted here and there on the hillsides, riding, walking, or driving to the places of assembly. Conspicuous among these was the captain's dog-cart, bristling with rifles as do quills on the porcupine ; and beneath these rifles (which are being carried for men walking, or whose horsemanship allows not of such an article being in the rider's hand) might be seen the officer himself and subalterns shining in their uniforms, guiding the horse as best they could. Perhaps some of the cocked hats so harshly judging the The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. 133 force would have been less generous in their remarks on ignorance and not so very condemnatory of the volunteer movement, and complaining about the disgraceful per- formance of some of the members of a battalion, re- commending impossibilities in the way of classifying, squadding, drilling, &c., as the certain cure for the fault, had they only known the difficulties attending a corps becoming efficient. Things have certainly changed since these earlier days for the better. Prejudice is lessened, a far more real knowledge of the military profession, as regards all details of tactics, drill, and of men from whom soldiers can be made, has been acquired by superior officers. Some test of ability to command is required now. The possession of rank, which position and only too often wealth gave, no longer enables an elderly gentleman, surrounded by a brilliant staff, to bluster out abuse, and offer his opinion and advice on matters which are far better understood by his juniors and unwilling listeners. He now-a-days must know his work, and do it. There were some good shots in this corps whose names were sure to be seen not only at local events as prize- holders, but at county meetings. Messrs. King, Dodds, Barnes, and Allen were perhaps among the best ; and although Mr. Allen's name appears last he was first as a prize-holder, and at all times a dangerous opponent ; very cool, very steady, and one who seldom missed the target. Dwelling perhaps somewhat lengthily on his aim, he added not a little to the suspense of opponents; but usually relieved them by increasing the distance he held ahead of them. Lieutenant Allen held a badge for Queen's Prize, the Challenge Cup for one year, and on one occasion was second for Queen's Prize. The prize meetings at the Punch Bowl were from the first held annually, and have been hitherto well supported by the officers and surrounding gentlemen, the mayor and corpora- tion of Wilton always giving a hearty support by way of prizes. Major Penruddocke was ever foremost in inducing men to attend drills and to know how to use the rifle by offer- ing prizes, &c., and very frequently both on prize shooting occasions and on general musters provided most sumptu- ously for the inner wants of the hungry men. To Major 134 The 1st Battalion Wilts Volunteers. Penruddocke the company is much indebted for the getting up of the fife-and-drum band; indeed, for very many things useful and necessary, but which cannot be obtained out of common funds, or be found by the men themselves. The Earl of Pembroke, Major Penruddocke's successor in the command of the company, besides offering many prizes at the targets, &c., most liberally provided every non-commissioned officer and man with an undress suit of uniform, an expense which none but a comjDany having a good subscription list and a balance at the bankers can enter into, the capitation grant being quite insufficient. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, Limited, STAMFOKD STREET AND CHAEING CROSS. Price 2s. Gd. Fo^t Free 3s. Containing Maps, Plans, Tabulated Statements, Abstracts, &c., compiled from authentic sources. THE ARMY & NAVY CALENDAR 1888-9. Being a Compendium of General Information relating to the Army, Navy, Militia, and Volunteers. OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 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