THE COLONIST. Published Every Morning. Nelson, Monday, Dec. 2, 1907. A GREAT SOLDIER.

Colonist, Volume L, Issue 12105, 2 December 1907, Page 2

THE COLONIST. Published Every Morning. Nelson, Monday, Dec. 2, 1907. A GREAT SOLDIER.

Field - Marshal Sir Evelyn Wood has for sime time been contributing to % 'Tuo Times'' (London) a series of intensely interesting articles on the revolt io Hindustan, 1557-9. The. issue -of Ocio-ber 18tb, the latest to. reach New Zealand, treats mainly of that intrepid general, Sir Colin Campbell, dne.of the most famous the man? famous men the" land of the thistle has: presented to the cause of arms. Campbell's martial instincts were probably not inherited bayoiid the love .of warfare natural to the Celt. Even the name he made enown^d was not bis own, but cams to him by accident. The son of a working carpenter of Glasgow, McLiver by name, he wag received in his lnfacoy by the roaiden sisters of his mother, and educated at the Glasgow LligtT School, and afterwards at Gosport. Wt.en he was iiffeen his mother's brother, Colonel Campbell, obtained a commission for him. Being accidentally gazetted as "Colin Campbell," he was so known until 1858, when as Lord Clyde, lie was ra ised to theipeerage as a reward for his valiant services to his country. Before he reached a captaincy, in 1815, Campbell had a good record to his credit. He had fought at Vinnera, Corunna, Barrosa, Vittoria, and on the Bidassoa, and had been three times severely wounded Napier, describing in his history the disastrous assault on St. Sebastian, said of the future peer, "It was in vain that Lieutenant Campbell/breaking through the tumultuous crowd with tbe survivors of bis chosen detachment, mounted the ruins; twice he ascended, twice he was wounded, and all around him died." He was 65 years of age when he loft England for the East at twenty-four hours' notice. Be wa,s ready for the call, and his energy, activity and personal courage played a great part in the quelling of the mutiny. Describing Sir Colin Gampbsll's advance on Lucknow. Sir Ev6lyn Wood tells how, at Sultangauj, the column was tired on from tho Sibandarbaigh (Aexander'sGarden) and 'adjacent buildings. The enclosure was 120 yards square", with high walls of strong. masonry,. On tho cornets were bastions with houses, and in the centro of tho enclosure was a two-storey house with a flat roof. From it And from the carefully. loophaled walls a shower of bullets Dred at close range was poured upon the head of the advanced guard, which was peltod also from houses on the right and left of tbo road. The capture of this position was only accomplished after desperate fight inc. The iisrht only ended after 2000 of tboss mside | lay" dead. Sir Colin, withal.l his experience of many bard h'ghte since 'St. Sebastian, wrote of tho capture of the Siba idarbigb, "There neve Km a bolder f jafc of nrn)9." Both tt^ I^nglisl) md Irish regiment^ '-.«■

thought ;Sir Uolin Campbell,; wa*ij prone to^ favour his countrymen by selecting Highlanders k> give the finishing blow in the capture of positions, and on the oycaaion^oi an : assault on a body of the enemy: lodged before the village oi Khuda•ganj, the P&'d had been detailed to pas£ through and relieve the 53rd; (Shropshire Light Infantry) Regi-j ment. This arrangement irfitated the battalion, «i*hi6h had been in touch with ihe enemy all day, and when the leading company of Highlanders stepped on to. the bridge 1 a 53rd man, jurapiifig Ctr, shouted— "Pilby tftiid, you will aever let those bare legged fellows pass you, " and a small bugler sounding the "Advance, double", the whole battalion rose up as one man, charged the enemy holding the toll house on a iise between" the river and Khudaganj, and 'droVo them back. I Sir CoMil was very angry, but when he attempted. to rebuke the battalion ! And its bugler, his words were drowned by enthusiasic "cheers for the Oommander-in-Cliief. "