CHARACTER SKETCH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1523, 28 February 1901, Page 13

CHARACTER SKETCH.

LORD WILLIAM BERESFORD A GALLANT SOLDIER. WINNER OF THE VICTORIA CROSS. Colonel Lord William de la Poer Beresford, V.C., K.C.1.E., whose death has already been reported in our columns as having taken place at Dorking, England, was the third son of the Rev John de la Poer, fourth Marquis of Waterford, by Christiana, daughter of Mr Charles Powell Leslie, M.P., of Glaslcugh, co. Monaghan, brother of Lord Charles and Lord Marcus Beresford, and uncle of the present Marquis of Waterford. He was bom .on July 20, 1847. was educated at Eton, and entered to

Army as a cornet in June 1867. From December, 1875, to October, 1881, he was A.D.C. to Lord Lytton, Viceroy of India, and during that period served with the Jowaki Afridi Expedition in 1877-8, winning his first medal with clasp. He also served in the Zulu War of 1879,* and took part in the engagement at Ulundr, for which he obtained mention in dispatches, and was awarded the medal with clasp and the Victoria Cross. HOW HE GAINED HIS V.C. The act of gallantry which obtained for him this coveted distinction is thus officially described:—“For gallant conduct in having at great personal risk during the retirement of the reconnoitring party across the ‘White Umvoloti River/ oil July 3, 1879, turned to assist Sergeant Fitzmaurice, Ist Battalion 24th Foot (whose horse had fallen with him), mounted 1 hun behind him on his own horse, and brought him away in safety under the close fire of the Zulus, who w r ere in great force, and coming on quickly. Lord William. Beresford’s> position was rendered most dangerous from the fact that Sergeant Fitamaurice twice nearly pulled him. from his horse.” Such is the brief account to be found in official records of what the late Archibald Forbes described as “the bravest deed I ever saw.” The wounded man at first refused to mount. “The quaint, resourceful humour of his race/’ says Archibald Forbes, “did not fail Beresford in this crisis; he turned .on the wounded man, and with clenched fists announced that he would punch his head if he did not assist in the saving of his own life. This argument prevailed. Still facing his foes with his revolver, ISeresford partly lifted, partly hustled Fitzmaurico into the saddle, then scrambled up himself, and set the chestnut a-going after the other horsemen. Another moment’s delay, and both must have been assegaied. A comrade, the brave Sergeant O’Toole, fortunately came back, shot down Zulu after Zulu with cool courage. Lord William was commanded to Windsor to receive the reward Tor valour’ from the hands of the sovereign.” Beresford told the Queen that he could not in honour receive recognition of the service it had been his good fortune to perform unless that recognition were shared in by Sergeant O’Toole, who, he persisted in maintaining, deserved infinitely greater credit than any which might attach to him. OTHER SERVICE. Lord William Beresford also served in the Afghan War with the 9th Lancers, and was present at the capture of Ali Musjid, for which he was again mentioned in despatches, ancl received the medal with clasp, and with the Burmese Expedition, was mentioned for a third time in despatches. He was Military Secretary to no less than three Viceroys, and retired in 1894. After his return home he married, in 1895, Lilian Warren (Duchess of Marlborough), second daughter of the late Commodore Price, of the United States Navy, and widow of Mr Louis Hamxnersley, of New York, and of the Bth Duke of Marlborough. HIS RACING CAREER, During the last few years he has been connected with horses that, if not quite of the first-class, were able to win valuable races. After Caiman had defeated Flying Fox for the Middle Park Plate of 1898 belief was common that the American colt must be a racehorse of very high degree. A few sound judges thought otherwise, maintained that “the Fox” would beat Caiman when they met as three-year-oldsi, and had the satisfaction of finding their judgment borne out to the full. Neither Derby, Oaks, nor St. Leger was won by a horse carrying the light blue and black cap of Lord William Beresford. Sibola gained the One Thousand Guineas of 1899 easily, ridden by Sloan, and with the same jockey in the saddle suffered defeat for the Oaks by a head. One, of the triumphs achieved by Huggins, who trained for Lord William Beresford, was a hit made with the six-year-old Knight of the Thistle after he had finished second to General Peace for the Lincolnshire Handicap. The prize that fell to the old horse was the Great Jubilee Stakes at Kempton Park. Amongst the lot that succumbed to him were Greenan, Lord Edward 11., Nun Nicer, Tom Cringle, Sirenia, Newhaven 11., Ercildoune, Bridegroom, and his Carholme conqueror, General Peace.

On the previous afternoon had begun at Sunbury the running career of Democrat, a gelding by Sensation—Equality, own brother to Exedo, regarded by shrewd people as likely to run well for the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby in the coming season. Democrat made his first, public effort in the Royal Two-Year-Old Plate, a stake worth upwards of £2ooo. He finished second, but was beaten three lengths by Emotion. As many readers must remember, several of his performances during the same season were very good. Amongst the rivals, for instance, that- succumbed to him for the Coventry Stakes at Ascot were Diamond Jubilee and Chevening. When ue and Forfarshire came together for the valuable National Breeders’ Produce Stakes at Sandown Park in the July of 1899, Democrat gave the other 91b, and beat him by a neck. The long-established ‘‘Champagne” at Doncaster lie won bv a. head from Simon Dale, who last year stretched Diamond Jubilee for the Derby. Towards the close of the campaign he ran home m front of Diamond? Jubilee, Simon Dale, and others, for the Middle Park Plate, and ended his two-year-old career by defeating Diamond Jubilee and Goblet for the Dewhurst Plate. That Ms chance of attaining high honours as a three-year-old was by many deemed a. high one is not surprising. Nevertheless, Democrat was a faiiur© at that age. Lord William, Beresford waa one of the Turf’s staunchest supporters in our Eastern Empire. On four occasions lie secured the coveted Viceroy’s Cup, first with Camballo, an Australian horse, in 1881, and subsequently in 1887, 1888, 1890. with the Australian-bred Myall King.