ALMA AND OTHER ANNIVERSARIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 619, 23 September 1909, Page 4

ALMA AND OTHER ANNIVERSARIES.

Sir,—The old song soys:—'. .-;'.'■ "■Merrily, merrily march away, Soldier's glory lives in 6tdry; His lam-els are green, when Ills locks aro Grey, , . , Then, hurrah! for tho lifo of a soldier." ', .- To-day"is tho anniversary of the battle of tho Alma, on September 20, -1854, after the veterans of Hie Peninsula and Waterloo had parsed the last roll-call. ■ It was tho days" of .Brown Bess and the Minnie, and of bayonet' and black. Eowder. Some of tho soldiers surviving the attlo christened, .' their daughters. Alma, and ono such now resides herb. But.most of the descendants I have met cannot tell:tho nuinbor or, name of their parents' regiment.. Nor docs the. New, Zealand Veteran Association take any notice of this famous general engagement, whero our old opponents; the French, now fought as an ally, together with' plucky. Sardinia and The song may bo remembered':— , ""What will they eay'iri England? ■ When the story there is told; Of deeds of. might on Almai's height- , .." 'Done by tho bravo and bold.'. / '. '.. "They'll say, 'twas.nobly done!" , ■ Nor must the senior sister, service be: omitted. For what would wo have done without the Royal Navy -in tho-Black and Baltic Seas, whilston land in tho Crimen, where would,have been the-siege guns? In Lucknpw,' tho crows of the Shannon and Pearl; in China, at Tie : tsin and Taku Forts, and lastly, but,not tho least, assistance given •by : the handyman-in South Africa, notably at Ladysmith. ; Such anniversaries as Waterloo, Alma, The, Quarries', Balaolavh; Inkermon (tho soldiers' battle), should be kept green in the minds of all'generations of bur race by both sexes. The Quarries and Inkcrinan Was the' festival of.'tho. bayonet or long knives.—l am, otc:, ■~.■:> ;IN" LTJCK' NOW. '■ -September 20. ; . . '; : '';.