OBITUARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 6725, 16 September 1882, Page 6

OBITUARY.

THE LATE DCOALD MAOPABLkNE, Another Waterloo hero, and an old Colonist, has gone to Lis rest. At half-past eleven yesterday morning Mr Dugald Maofarlane breathed his ‘ last. Up to three weeks ago he was in good health, walking about, apparently as well as ever he had been for soma years past. To the last he retained bis faculties completely, his death being evidently tho result of sheer old age. Born in 1790, he was in bis 92nd year, 82 of which he hod spent in New Zealand. He arrived in the Colony in 1850, in the Sir George Seymour, one of the first four ships. For a short time he managed Mr Watts-Busaell’s station, Ham. In 1851 he commenced sheep-farming on a run he named Ledard, on the Waimakariri, near Kir wee, where he remained till 1860, when he removed to a farm at Leithfield. In 1863 he came to Christchurch, and for some years devoted himself to commercial pursuits. He had been twice married, and leaves behind him a widow and a large family. One of his daughters is settled at Home, the rest of his children being in different parts of Now Zealand. Few men in Christchurch were so well known and so universally respected and loved as Mr Maofarlane. A kind, genial old man, full of life, fun, and anecdote; he was every inch a gentleman in the truest sense of the word in thought and act, and never had an unkind remark to make of anyone. That his demise will be deeply regretted need not be said. Not only shall wo miss his face, buc we shall lose one of those bright examples of uprightness, kindliness, and thorough manliness which iu the battle of every-day life do good'to all around them. In the fulness of years he has passed a war, but the memory of his many virtues will remain in the minds, not only of those who were fortunate enough to know him privately, but of all with whom he was brought into contact.

The following account of his military career we reprint from the Lyttelton Times of April 11,1878: Mr Macfarlane was born in the highlands of Perthshire on June 6, 1790. He was gazetted through the interest of his relative. Sir John Anstruther, in 1811, to a second lieutenancy in the Ist Battalion of the old 95th Light Infantry Rifle Corps, now Rifle Brigade, a title conferred upon it for its intrepid services in the Peninsula, the south of France, and at Waterloo; He joined the depfit at Braybourno, Lees, in Bent, in March, 1812, and was then marched to Bhorhcliffe. In 1813 an army was .raised to assist the Dutch against Napoleon, commanded by General Grahame (afterwards l ord Lyndooh), and the depdt at t-horncliffe furnished four companies of the old 95th Rifle Corps, commanded by the late Sir Alexander Cameron. They were composed of Captain Glass’ Company Ist Battalion, to which Mr Macfarlane was attached ; Captain M'CuUock’s Company, 2nd Battalion; Captain J. Fullarton’s Company, 3rd Battalion; and. Captain W. Bale’s Company, also 3rd Battalion, in all 4GO men. A portion of Grahame’s army, under General Mackenzie, was sent to bombard Antwerp, and Carnot, who commanded, made a sortie to Merxem, when he was driven back with considerable loss, the rifle companies taking a brilliant part in the action. In March, 1814, this force got possession of Antwerp on the overthrow of Napoleon, and ware quartered all over Flanders, the four rifle companies being under the general command of Captain Glass, who bad succeeded Colonel Cameron on his retirement on leave. Early in June Lieutenant Macfarlane got the command of Captain Glass’ company. The companies were then [quartered at Brussels. At the end of June they got the route for Courtrai, then General Mackenzie’s headquarters, whence they were marched in success ion to Mehfb, Kieuport, Bruges, Ghent, and Brussels; and at the end of July they were ordered to Antwerp, where they remained until the middle of August. They again returned to Ghent, whore they acted es guard of honour during the conference between the representatives of Great Britain and the United States on the occasion of the ratification of peace, which conference lasted until the end of December, 1814. - They were ordered to winter at Dixmude. About the end of January, 1816, Colonel Rose arrived and took'command, and early in March they were ordered back to Nieuport, and soon after an order came, while they were on parade, directing the battalion to proceed immediately to Minin by Ypres, to receive Louis XYIII in hie flight from Fan’s to Ghent. In the first week of April Lord Wellington arrived in Flanders from Vienna, and commenced to concentrate the British army for the Waterloo campaign. He began this work by forming at Ath, the second corps under Lord HilL At this time Lieut. Macfarlane was sent forward to Bury, in front of Ath, in command of Captain Glass' Company, a troop of Hussars and a field piece, under Lieutenant Wissell, of the Hanoverian Artillery, hiscommand forming the advanced picket of Lord Hill’s corps. This advanced picket was hurriedly called in daring the last week of May, and all detached companies were ordered to join their respective regiments. About this time Lieutenant Macfarlane was, at the instigation of Colonel Boss, commanding the two companies of the 3rd Battalion (who made the necessary arrangements for Mr Maofsrlane’s exchange with the Colonel of the first battalion, Sir A. Barnard), appointed to command Captain Fullaiton's company of the third battalion, Captain Fnllorton acting as Major to Colonel Boss. By the exchange Mr Macfarlane was attached to the 3rd Light Brigade of Sir Henry Olinton'e 2nd division, in the second dorps, under General Lord HilL Lieutenant Macfarlane commanded the above company at Waterloo, and led it out of the action.

At Waterloo the 71it Highlanders Light Infantry formed the right, under Colonel Beynell j on their left were the two companies of the 3rd Battalion Bifle Brigade, commanded by Colonel Bony oh their left was the 62nd Light Infantry, a noble regiment, commanded by Sir J. Oolborne (tho late Lord Beaton) j on its left was the second Battalion of tho Bifle Brigade, commanded by Sir Amos Horoott, Tho position of the Brd Light Brigade was the right centre of the British army, on a sloping bank, between Hougohmont and La Haye Sainte, and they were here exposed for Over six hours to

the enemy’s fire, and to the »P»Jed choree* of their cuirassiers and lanoer*. InJtLo language of Maofarlane, describe tho events of tbisexoiting tlmoi "About half-poet 7 o'clock in the «eniD)j. Lord Wellington galloped up to Sir Frederick Adam, and after a moment’s interview, we won. ordered immediately to form line in orescent, with our flank* well in advance. Boon after we got into position, Marshal Hey, the most renowned soldier in France, came direct upon ue,at the head of seven battalions of tho old Imperial Guard, that had not fired ■ shot until then, roeerved evidently to break through our centre and open out in our rear —Napoleon’s favourite mode of securing viotory. They fought three deep in their companies, and in close columns, in rear of their Srenadiere. with a frontage of only 80 men, lur battalions were formed two deep, and the 62nd in our centre, was obliged to form four deep for want of room. Onr strength at thie time was about 2400 men, thus occupying a frontage of about 800 yards, while Hey's seven battalions had only 100 yards frontage, with wide intervals between eaoh phalanx. They charged, drums beating, and cheering “ Vive L'Empereur," and when within about ISO yards, we were ordered-to commence a steady fire by volley* of companies, and after seven or eight rounds of those well-directed volleys, the whole of the enemy were in utter confusion. Hoy’s horse was shot under him; he lost bis cap, and on foot, sword in hand, he endeavoured to rally his men. This was Impossible; they wore treading each other down. We were ordered to charge with the bayonet, and in a moment about 8030 of the enemy threw down their arms, and rushed in tho greatest confusion to the rear. At this moment we were over a hundred yards in front of the British line, pursuing this routed multitude, with Napoleon’s favourite Marshal in their midst, and perfect masters of everything in our front. The left of the 2nd Bat* talion Rifle Brigade had now reached tho high road a little below La Belle Alliance, and shooting the horses in the enemy’s artillery flying to the rear blocked up the road, and thus secured about 80 guns of Count Keille’s and Oount d’Erlon’s corps. About 2000 of the enemy, under General Cambronne, were posted in front of La Belle Alliance to cover the retreat. They got panic stricken, and adding disaster to" confusion, Had with the Old Guard. Oflimbrobne was utkon prisoner by Lieutenant-Colonel Halkett, ana we drove this routed mass a short distance beyond La Belle Alliance, when tbe J’nipsians took up the pursuit. It was now get ting dark. We were halted, and ordered to take ground to our right, and slept upon the field where Count d’Erlon’s men had bivouacked the night before.’’ In this engagement Colonel Ross and Major h'ullarton were severely wounded, and the two companies of the 3rd Battalion were led out of the field by Captain W. Bales. The brigade, with the advance of the British army, drove the scattered enemy on to Paris, and on the evening of July 4 they bivouacked in the Bois de Boulogne, where they waited for Lord Wellington's final arrangements with tbe authorities in Paris, and on the evening of July 6 they received the following instructions:—“The army will hold itself in readiness to enter Paris to-morrow morning." And on the morning of July 7, 1816, the following order was issued:— "Tho two companies 3rd Battalion Rifle corps, under the command of Captain William Bales, will proceed as advance picket through the Sarriere de V Ntoile to their encampment in tho Champs Elysees, where they will pitch their tents." Thus it is that Mr M'Farlane was able to write on a late occasion to the Army arid Navy Gazette with reference to the company that he had the honour to lead out of Waterloo, that he bad the additional satisfaction of leading it into Paris. Two field pieces attached to the brigade marched tbe usual war distance in advance, and passing through the Barrier, posted a gun on each side of the road about 20 yards in front of the gate, with their matches burning. The Rifle companies passing on camped in the Champs Elysees, the first British troops, as Mr Maofarlane says, whoever occupied such an advanced position. On the morning of July 8, the advanced pickets mustered 150 Rifles put of about 200 with which they went into action at Waterloo, and remained quietly within rifle range of the edtry to the Tailleries until the army went into their several cantonments for the occupation of Paris.

Lieutenant Maofarlane having lost his father and only brother, was advised by their executors to retire upon half-pay, *in order to give bis attention to certain family matters. He did so while with the army of occupation in France, and effected ah exchange with a lieutenant of the 68th Light Infantry, but subsequently being advised to settle in New Zealand, he commuted his half-pay. Bis photograph and a brief account of his services, of which this is a partial transcript, ha been placed on permanent record in the archives of the batt'Mon, and which, one of its distinguished officers adds, “ will be read with pride by many future riflemen, who will slso tee with plena re how the memory of having served in the regiment hrs through life been cherished.”

THE LATE BOBEBT CHAPMAN. On Thursday afternoon a cable telegram we - ' received in Bangiora by the family of Mr B. Chapman, to the effect that he was taken dangerously ill in Melbourne, whither be went about three weeks ago for the purpose of buying stud sheep. Test :rday morning a further message was received from his son Thomas, who accompanied him, to the effect that bo was dead. On receipt of the first message Mrs Chapman proceeded to Christchurch and theuce to Dunedin with a view of catching the Botomahana at the Bluff, but the nows of his death reached her before she had proceeded far on her journey. Mr Chapman was one of the earliest settlers in Canterbury, having come from Victoria with the second flock of sheep sent here, and when the runs were submitted to public competition, Mr Chapman became the lessee of run No. 1, a portion of which now remains his property, run comprised dll the country between the Oust district and Southbrook, and was bounded on the south by the Eyre and on the north by the main Oxford and Bangiora road. Bangiora proper, soon became populated, and the run was gradually circumscribed ; but Mr Chapman secured, by dint of perseverance, one of the finest blocks of land in the Province, which he now holds in fee simple. His stock of stud merino sheep is well known at our agricultural show grounds, where, as a prize-taker, ha has always been foremost. Daring the last two years Mr Chapman’s hcalth'has been failing, but he did not appear to have any signs of so sudden a breaking up when be left for Melbourne. He. was in the habit of attending the first-class sheep sales in Victoria for the purpose of maintaining the standard of his flock. Mr John Smithson, of Leeston, died on Thursday last, at the ago of 66. Mr Smithson arrived in Lyttelton about 20 years ago, in the Aorington, and settled in Christchurch. About six years after arrival he purchased a farm at Leeston, where he resided till the time of his decease. He leaves a large family to mourn his Ibis.

At a bazaar recently hold in London in aid of ladies in distress in Ireland, the Queen and all the royal family were patrons, with six duchesses, eight marchionesses, and a swarm of countesses. Lady Beotive organised a concert, at which Lady Arthur Hill sang her ballad “In tho Gloaming," the Princsss Mary had a flower stall, and JAdy Colin Campbell a stall for gloves, canel, and sugar plums. The girl graduates of the Hew York High Schools showed for greater proficiency In their studies at the final examinations than did their male companions. The same questions were submitted to each, and of 800 boys examined 868, or about 46 per cent, poised satisfactorily. Of 928 girls, 686, or about 78 per cent, were successful. The old Chinese custom of burying the dead in the graveyards of their ancestors led a few months ago to » curious cargo being shipped from Yokohama, to various ports on the eastern Chinese boast. Ho fewer than two hundred and twenty-six corpses were aboard this ship, having been exhumed at Hegbuhi for re interment) in China,