DISTRIBUTION OF MEDALS BY THE QUEEN AT THE HORSE GUARDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 306, 6 October 1855, Page 3

DISTRIBUTION OF MEDALS BY THE QUEEN AT THE HORSE GUARDS.

On Friday, her Majesty gave the sight-seers of London a grand field-day, by distributing personally the Crimean medals to the wounded officers and privates now in this country, having been invalided, at home, and to thejtars returned from the Black Sea. The sight was one of much splendour, great preparations having beeu made for visitors phaving the entrie from the Horse Guards or War-office. The scene was the parade ground of the Horse Guards. In front of the archway, a low dais was erected for the Queen ; above, level with the first-flbor windows in the centre, was a gallery for the itoyal Family ; on either sides were tiers of seats, to the left for the families and friends of the decorated officers, and to the right for the members of the Government, their families and friends. Facing toe Queen, on the Park side of the square, were galleries lor the two Houses of Parliament. The other sides of the square were also filled up ; and vast masses of people on all accessible points, extending far from the centre of attraction, formed the setting to the picture. As early as ten o'clock, hundreds of officers, wearing the most diverse uniforms, aud hundreds of young soldiers who had never seen service, had assembled ; and the space shown with scarlet and gold. A large body of troops, the Household Cavalry, and the Guards, were drawn up in front of the dais, and behind them the recipients of the medal. The Queen arrived at eleven, accompanied by Prince Albert, the Duke of SaxeCoburg Gotha, in the uniform of the Austrian army, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Alfred :— " The distribution of the medals immediately commenced, the intended recipients of them formed in line, and her Majesty stood face to face with her brave soldiers of the Crimea. The sailors and marines formed in line on the left of the Guards. " The officers and soldiers then passed before her Majesty in single file, the band playing the « Coronation March*1 from the Prophete. As they arrived at the left side of the dais each man handed to Major-General Wetherall a card containing his name, his rank, and if wounded, at what battle. Tbese particulars were read out by the Adjutant-General for the information of the Queen and the Court. On her Majesty's right stood the Minister for War, who handed the medals successively to her Majesty, which her Majesty handed to the men with tlie sweetest grace and dignity. The first person who received the medal was the Duke of Cambridge, and a shout rang out from the multitude which alike expressed the public sense of the Royal Duke's deserts and a consciousness of the high gratification which it must have "afforded the Queen to see in tlie van of that gallant body one so nearly allied to her in blood and friendship. Then came Colonel Macdonald, the Duke's Aide-de-Camp, Major-General the Earl of Lucan, Major-General the Earl of Cardigan, who was greeted with loud cheers, Major-General the Hon. J. Scarlett, with their respective staffs, and the cavalry in the order of their regiments. The Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Royal Sappers and Miners, under LieutenantGeneral Sir J. Burgoyne, G.C.8., followed. Then came the officers and men of the three regiments of Foot .Guard.-, under bis Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge. Next advanced the infantry «f the line, under Lieu-tenant-General Sir De L. Evans and his staff, with Major-General Torrens and his staff. It is impossible to describe the mingled sensation* of admiration and pity which went like an electric thrill through the vast multitude as they saw that.line of heroes, whose gaunt and pallid forms, scarred features, and maimed and mutilated limbs, told alike the story of their bravery, and of their manly endurance of horrible and heartrending suffering aud privation. Many of those who hobbled upon crutches or walked painfully with the assistance of a stick, wore upon their arms the emblems of mourning for some brother or near relative, now reposing on the hill-side at Balaclava, or in the hospital graveyard at Scutari. To every one of the wounded, whether soldiers or officers, her Majesty said some kind word, or asked some gracious question. Three officers, whose wounds rendered them unable to walk, were wheeled past her Majesty in Bath chairs. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Tioubridge, of the 7th Fusiliers, who lost both bis feet in action, was the fmt of these maimed heroes. The Qnee.», leaning over the chair, handed Sir Thomas his medal with the most gracious ges-

ture, and conferred upon him the post of Aide-de-Camp to her Majesty. Captain Saver, of 23rd Fusiliers, was also compelled to receive his medal from his wheeled chair; and her Majesty's sympathy was here also manifested with the liveliest grace. Another gallant sufferer, Capt. Currie, of the 19th Foot, was scarcely able to walk the length of the. dais, even with the aid of a pair of crutches, and his helpless condition and severe sufferings deeply excited the sympathy not only of the Sovereign, but of his comrades in arms., When the Highland regiments passed before the dais, the band changed the tune to the ' Blue Bells of Scotland,' and ' Whar hae ye bin a' day?' Such fine stalwart fellows were some of these Highlanders that one might have thought that the finest men of the regiment were also the bravest, or that they had been selected as much for their physical proweas as for their valour. As the men received the medal they passed towards the line of sentries on the Admiralty side, where they became the objects of eager but respectful curiosity. When the soldiers had passed before the Royal dais, the Royal Navy and Marines, under Vice Admiral Dundas, presented themselves, the gallant Admiral being the first to receive the medal from the Queen, the band playing ' Rule Britannia.' The soldier had, according to regulation, satisfied the necessities of the service by touching his bat to the Sovereign ; but Jack took his off long before he approached the dais. The senior officers of the Royal Navy having passed the dais, then came the turn of the midshipmen—smart gallant little fellows, who, in all the glory of white kid gloves, received such an honour from the hands of their Sovereign as middies never received before. The seamen followed, and when it appeared that any man had been wounded the inquiries of the Queen were made with an earnestness' and sympathy which appeared to be highly relished by the rough but honest tar. The Marines brought up the rear ; and uo body of men better deserved to participate in the honours and distinctions of such a day. " The distribution of medals having been brought to a close, the detachments from the depots of various regiments in the Crimea who had been allowed to witness the ceremony, but who have not seen service yet, marched to the rear of the Guards and formed there. The Guards, who all wore their new scarlet tunic regimentals, then marched past and saluted the Queen, which brought to a termination the imposing pageant. The royal carriages drove up, the bands again played 'God save the Queen,' and her Majesty left the ground amid the cheering of the people, returning to Buckingham Palace by the centre Mall. After the parade the non-commissioned officers and soldiers who had received medals were formed in line and marched to the Queen's riding-school, Pimlico, where a substantial repast was prepared for them, and the sailors, marines, and marine artillery. During the dinner her Majesty, leaningxm the arm of Prince Albert, and accompanied by the Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family, paid them a visit. A party of seamen and marines also enjoyed an al fresco entertainment at the Admiralty gardens. As soon as the sentries were withdrawn, the vast crowd which had been without the line of demarcation poured into the parade and surrounded the royal dais. Here an incident occurred which showed how heartily thp crowd had sympathised in the proceedings of which they had been unable to catch more than a transient and unsatisfactory g'impse. Lord Cardigan, while riding from the Mall to the Horse Guards, was recognised by the public, and was greeted with enthusiastic cheering. When the noble earl arrived at the Horse Guards, he was compelled to pull up while some carriages passed through the archway. During the interval the cheering became quite deafening, and numbers surrounded the noble earl, whose great desire seemed to be to pat his charger, the same that he rode at the battle of Balaclava. Lord Cardigan frequently acknowledged the goodwill of the crowd, and appeared much gratified at the sudden aud spontaneous burst of popular feeling of which he had been the object.'' — Guardian.