DEATH OF FIELD-MARSHALL LORD CLYDE, G.C.B., K.S.I.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIX, Issue 1955, 22 October 1863, Page 4

DEATH OF FIELD-MARSHALL LORD CLYDE, G.C.8., K.S.I.

After ft liugering illness, Lord Clyde expired on tlio morning of bhe 14bh August, ab tho house of his fiinnil, Gonor.il Eyre, at Chatham. For more than half iv oonbtiry ho hnd served his country iv every quat tev of the globe. Bub his honours came peihaps boo late, for he was near Bovonly when lie received tkein, and throe or four yean was too briof iv period to enjoy tho repose which ho had so nobly earned. Born on the 20th of October, 1792, of humble parents — for his father was a cabinet-maker in Glasgow — ho entered the army in 1808, and became a lieutenant in the following year. I Cow great must have been tho perseverance, the coimigu, and tha discretion of such a friendless and penniless boy to have raisod himsulf to a peerage and to the colonelcy of tho Ooldbtreiun Guards can be known only to those who understind tho aristocratic traditions of the British auny. Ib is needless here to> recount iv detail his numerous services. But it may bo interesting to recall tho account which Lord Clydo once gave a eommibtco of the House of Commons of his own lifo when ho appeared to give evidence against the purchase sybtom — "t am now," he said, "in my 63rd year; I entered the auny at fifteen. 1 was present at tho battles of Vimiora mid Coriiuna, aud m the expedition to Walchereu ; aud I came homo before I was sixteen. I served in America in 1814 and 1815. I passed seven years in the West Indies, wheio I was constantly iil of fever, but 1 stayed there seven year?, thinking it would be considered a merit by sticking to my regiment. In tho West Indies I was brigade major part of tho time, but sharing in tho duties of captain of my regiment. I w.is afterwards upwards of thirteen years in China and India, and the greater part of tho time in command of conbideruble bodies of troops in the field. I was borne on bhe rolls of my legiment, tho 98th, from 1535 to 1853. I was in actual command of tho regiment for ueaily ten years, and present with ib ; but it was only after twenty-five yenis thai 1 obtained my lieutenantcolonelcy, even by pnrcbase, and tho money for that purpose was only obtained With my gieatesl difficulty. Whilst still on the rolls of my ingiincnb, 1 beived as a biigadier in China, and subsequently as brigadier commanding in the garrison in Lahoie, boforo the ovei throw of the Sikh Government. Subsequently I commanded a division in the Punjaub campaign, and afterwaids a field force on the Peshawnr frontier, where we weie constantly engaged ftt war with the tribes inhabiting tho mountains which inteivene between the valley of the Indus and Hie open countiy of Afghanistan." Such were the sei vices, of Colin Campbell before the Ctimeau war, and yet in thai w.ir — having been some iive-and-foi'ty years iv the British Army — ho was appointed only a brigadier, being still a colonel, and had the honour of seiving under those who had but half his yeais aud no service to recommend them Though ho contributed much to the victoiy of tho Alma— though ho had watched day and night tho lines of Balaklava — though ho had met the onset of tho Russian horse with tho famous "thin led Hue," disd.uning to throw his men into bquare— though he had proved himself the ablest ollicer who was lofl with tho Butish army after the de.ith of Lord Raglan, he was destined to bo passed over by two men, who, however excellent as niou of business, or as copious letter waters, wciv. iinmcasiuably his lufeiiors. Fortunately Sebastopol was taken, and the British army io tin lied to England; and it was not long befoie the services of Sir Colin Campbell weio uigently lequircd. In 1857 tho great Indian mutiny broke out, and the Peninsula \ya% iv n conflagration. The system of appointing worn-out olUceis and men about town who had once bocu ensigns to command the gieat armies m India had broken down. A man was requnod to sa\o India, and within twenty-four bouts after leceiving his appointment Sh Oolin Campbell Was on his way to the JOast ; nor did lie go alono. lip took with lamas his chief of the .staff that able and accomplished officer Sir William Mansfield, to nmtuie his plans and to issue the outers by which these plans were to be executed. Fmm thctimethat Kit XJollin Campbell took the field and set his columns in motion, rebellion, tho offspring of mutiny, withered and died. It is beyond our limits to dehciibe his woik . Looking back upon the career of this stuuly and gallant soldier, it is impossible to suppi ess a feeling of honest piide thai this country should have owned him as her son. Few men l.ibounng under such difficulties as must have besot tho career of youn<* M 'Liver — for that was His oiiginil name — would have had the courage to persevere for nearly half a centniy, or would have had the ability to take advantage of tho oppoituniby when ib presented itself. The case of Lout Cljde will of couse bo quoted by iAto aUvoc\fce<s of fcHe piG^enfc system of j>rojnotU>n by pui chase as a proof that, even under tho most ad verso circumstance.-), snoh men must use to the top of their piofession. But those who know the ie.il .stoiy will blush to think th.at it needed nune than foity years of arduous seivico, a Russian war, and a tottering cmpiio befoie such a man could obtain promotion or lcason.vblc rewaid. As o^militaiy officer it cannot bo Raid that Loul Clyde wa,s a gieat stiatecjist. The operations which he undertook weie not such as to entitle him to be placed in the same category with Napoleon or Wellington. It may even be doubted whether his military genius would bear comparison with the best officers now engaged in Atneiica. But he was thoioughly (flicietit in every situation in whiuh he was tried. Others might be Dioic daiing and ingenious in devising combinations aud in planning a campaign. But in the face of the enemy Laid Clyde was in his element. llis coolness, prudence, and fuitility of lcsouice seemed to be quickened by tho presence of the enemy. That roughness ofdepoitmcnt which cliainc tensed him on oulmaiy occasions disappeared with the sound oE the mat gun ; hie irritable temperament was soothed, mid he became abnormally polite. Amidtt the smoke and din of battle his senses acquit ei) a supernatural acutene*s — he could inteipiet the changing signs of the battle and anticipate the movements of the enemy with a fiu>ltle°s precision which was almost miiaculous. This strong and cool judgment r\erci«cd in the most tr> injj circumstances amounted almost to genius. Iv poison, Loid Clyde was well knit, symmctiicil, and giaceful ; but of late yeais his shouldcis became somewhat bowed, though he lost little of the activity which was rcmai kable iv so old a man. To the last his teeth remained full and firm in the great squat e jaws, and his e)es pieiced the distance with nil tho foice of hta youthful vision. His crisp, grey locks still stood close and thick, culling- over the head and above the wrinkled brow, and thei o wore few extei nal signs of the decay of native which was, no doubt, going on within, accelerated by so many wounds, such fcveis, s\ieh relentless, exacting service. When he so willed it, he coultl tlttow into his manner and eonvei ßation such a wmulioui chaun of simplicity and vivacity, as facinated those over whom it was excited, and women admiied and men weie delighted with tho comteous, polished, gallant old soldier. In the other mood he could be quite us effective. Such was Colin, Loid Clydo. lie is gone : but his name will rank with the great soldiers) who fought under Mnrlboiough mid Wellington. His loulsbip's f uncial took place on tho 22nd. Tho place where his honoured lemains rest was changed almost at the l a;t hour from Kensal-«icen to Westminster Abbey. It is understood that this was done at the instance of the Government, acting upon the expressed wishes of the Soveteign heiself. In other respects the privacy and absence of display which the departed hero recommended to be observed was scrupulously adhcicd to. But it was impossible that Loid Clyde ithonld altogether go to the ginvo ns an obscure man. The mourning carriages of tho royal family followed tho procession, and theio was many a soldier who hnd followed the departed *into the very jaws of death, svho was now present at tho voige of the tomb. The streets lluough which tho mournful procession passed were lined with crowds of respectalo persons ; and evei y nook and coign of vantage of the old Abbey was occupied with its knot of eager spectators. The service observed at the funeral was affoctintjly solemn, and tho whole ceiemony spoke less of the fiery wariior than of the humble modest Clnistian. — Home News.

Mauks on Gold and Silvkr Manufactured in thk Unitiid Kingdom.— 1. The makei's mark.— llia initials. 2. The standard or assay mark — Viz. : for gold a crown, and figures denoting the number of | carats fine. For silver, of Biitish standard, or 11 oz. 2 dwts. fine: England, a lion panant ; Ireland, a harp crowned ; Edinburgh, a thistle ; Glasgow, a lion rampant. 8. The hall marks of the district office. London, a leopard's head crowned ; Yoik, throo lions and a cross ; Exeter, a cattle with two wings i Chester, three \vheataheave3 or a dagger ; Newcastle, thiee castles ; Birmingham, an anchor ; Sheffield, a ciown ; Edinburgh, a castle and lion ; Glasgow, a tree, salmon, and ring j Dublin, the figino of Hibernia i. The duty mark, indicating the payment of duty — Viz., the head of the roigning soveieigu. 6. The date mark — Each office lias its alphabetical mark, indicating the date of tlio stamp. Tlio icriei of London date maiks commencing May 30th, 1796, are ai follows :— A to U, from 30th May, 1790, to 29th May, 1816, a to v ,from 30th May, 1816, to 29th May, 1836; A to U (old English capitals) fiom 30th May, 1836, to 29th May, 1856 ; A from 30th May, 1856, to 29th May, 1876.