LIFE SKETCHES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 46

LIFE SKETCHES.

COLIN SICLIY£B CAMPBELL (LORD CLYDE) Bobn, 1792 ; Died, 186&

Bx Mbb T. R. Sbddok.

Over 100 years bave passed away linos this great Scottish hero was born. He cama of a fighting race. His grandfather, Maciivar, followod Prince Ohailia in 1745 and lost h& property in the Isle of Ltlay, in Argyllshire. In consequence of this Clyde's rather Cook up a trade and beoame a carpenter. The boy was born in Glasgow, and afbax r few years at the High School vrai tent when 10 years old to hie mother's brother, Colonel John Campbell, at tha Royal Military and Naval Academy at Goa port. An 15<J lie received a commkeion in the 9'Ai Rfgluientj of Foot, when tbe Duke of York, " supposing the boy to be another of tha clan,"pufc his name down as Colin OampbeU, and ao he was ever afterwards known. Thoie were stirring days. In five weeks he was promoted to jbo lieutenant, and was sbortiy scut to join the army, at that time under the Duke of Wellington, in Spain and Porfcagal. His captaia noted the lad, and immediately before the battle of Vimfera called him; and taking bia hand he led him to the front and walked him up and down before the leading company to try his nerve and accustom hfai to the tiring, the cttemy's artillery haying e>!madj bt^un to play on the English troops. This gave tha boy oon« fideuce, end all through lite he vtaa grateful for this kind notice from bis superior oißcar. 'J. bo next move placed him under tbe great Sir John Hoort?, all o£ whoso officers hnd to lt.iru 4i. d to aiiaro a soktitjr'a duties. Young Colin fully entered into the spirit of tha thitig, a«d in later life when ho beeamo a genonil no one excelled him iv patient;, devoted care of hiu men, and few, if any, were more pasuiouately loved than ho. His soldiers looked on him in the light of a father, and the gallant chief was norar happier than when leading his Hi#fclandero. Five years wer* spent in Spain. When only 19 yearn old be led the storming party at the cuttault of San Sebastian, He was first Boot through the right hip, and fell down the deep ditob. He roue at onco, faoad tho bieach a second time, and wav ehot in the left thigh. These wounds compelled him tb go into hospital. tfa&ing a few montha Inter that an engagement was expected, he and a fellow officer escaped from hospital^ foand their way to their division, and took part in the action, Colin was again badly wounded. Both officers wetp ropcoved by Colonel Cameron, bat ware Almost as qmoliiy forgiven oa account of tbsir great bravery. O* bid ration home he was made captain, and also reosived a grant of £100 a year in cooseqoence of hia wounds, which piovod vary seiiouft, and for mcuay years were the cac&e of much suffering. He had always ecrupul)usly knpb out of debt;, and bad even gone without nice.imrie3 when unable to afford them. He now immediately made hia father an allowance o£ between £30 and £10 a year. He was a man of few words, but ha was also one whosa comSuot ever showed that he ordered and rated his life in the ways o£ G^d. He w«b stem when di*cii>lme waa req\ilrefl,buthQW^»o kind andconwderatethat he easily won the love audreapocL of other?, and officers and men wera alike proud to aervQ under him. Frugal and ecanoj&ta&l bimwlf, he WA» very oaroful of tbe heuitn of tbe golaiera, and strove to put down habits of drunkenness. In 1837 Oulorfl Campbell assumed the command of tha 93 vh regiment. Sir Charles Napiur presented thin gallant regimeut with new colours in May 1841 la a noble speech :—": — " In presenting you with these colours, soldiers," he said, "it may not be out o£ plao» to observe that w* all enter the Bdtish service of our own free wilL We are not slaves, forced into the Kinks by a despot ; we are free men, who enlitft from a fepirit of enterprise, loyalty, and patriotism. We swear before God and man to be true to our colours, round wbioh we are bound to rally." Sir Charles also read to them the account of Colin Campbell's attempt to man the breach at San Sebastian in 1313. " Soldiers," he continued, "yoaDg, well-drilled, highcouraged a? you are, and led by such a commander as Lieut^uAnt-colonel Campbell, I must, and do, feel proud of having tha honour of presenting you with these splendid colours, confident that if tbe day of trial comes*-and coma I think it muat— they will be seen waving victoriously in the smoke of j the batfe." The 98th was ordered to China, and the following year a dreadful eicknes.* swept away this beautiful regiment by hundreds. Colonel Campbell himself suffered repeatedly, yet ha never seems to have lessened his duties, and he was so abstemious and careful in his diet that he quickly recovered. He and his regiment afterwards moved to more healthy quarters. "Thank God," he wrote in his diary, "for all Hie goodness to me." By this time he had made ample provision for hU father and sister should ha die before them. His incessant denial of himselx for others was & beautiful trait in this great soldier's character, and a great source of sorrow to him was his naturally quick temper. -"I wij-h I had not allowed my temper to beat me," he writes in one part of his journal. "1 1 ia very seldom that what we say ia a moment of passion does not cause us to repent it." Along with this hot temper there was much gentleness. Children were bis special pets. He was most polite and courteous towards ladies, and tender towards dumb animals. His next services were in the Panjaab, ia India, at Peshawar, during the Sikh war*

$£ter which he was promoted to the second grade of Knight Commander of the Batb. After a short visit to England, active servico called him to the Crimea, wbere he and his Highlanders greatly distinguished themselves a.t tho Battle of Alma. Having forded tho river, ho led his brigade up the steep sides 4 o'olook ia the morning to at certain the enemy's position. "Forward, 42adl" he cried, and they swiftly climbed the bill; the 79th came tieifc, and when tbe general lifted bis hat 4s a signal, the 98th also rushed up tbe hilltfde. "Well hae nane but Highland bonneta here," he cried, and they "rushed into the battle l'ke lions." • It was a terrifying sight for the Russians to ccc Sir Coiin's splendid Highlanders "JMcendiog the bill, wearing what was to them a strange dress, and with large waving plumes hasging from their caps. They fought with all tho eager impetuosity of the Highland character, touched to the quick by the last words of their chief before thoy started— "Make me proud of the Highland Brigade." Sir Oolin Campbell afterwards asked Lord Raglan, the Commander-in-chief, to permit him to have the honour of weariDg the Highland bonnet durlrg the rest of the Campaign— a request which was highly gratifylug to his men. The Battle of Balaclava was fought on October 6 of that game year. On this occasiou Sir Colin arranged his troops in an unbroken even line instead of in the usual square, and from the colour of their iiniform it was called '• The thin red line." Just before the battle he rode down the liae and said to his soldiers : " Remember, there Ib no letreat from here, men. You must die where you stand." •• Aye, aye, Sir Colin, we'll do that," they answered cheorily. He also reminded them that he would bo with them. Thank God, they did not have to fall where they stood, and the victory gained at Balaclava has made Sir Ooiln's "thin red line" lorever gloriously memorable. Tbe story of tbo terrible winter which cur troops passed in the Crimea is well known. Bir Colin shared, as did many another gallant officer, in all the hard»hips of the foldiere. For weeks his clothes were never off, and he laboured indefatigably for the well-being of his men. More than once be also interfered on behalf of the Turkish troops, asking pay for them and helping trhen they were overwo»ked in unloading ordnance stores. Hia vigilance was unceasing, and the first night he again lay down in % bed it is told that he suddenlj jumped up with tbe call, " Stand to your arms 1 " He had impressed the same watchful spirit on his men, who boasted that th.-y could deep with one «ye open. One night a strange noise was heard, and a general turnout ensued. The strange noise was due to some frogs in the neighbourhood, but General Canrobert complimented tbe men on the good look-out they maintained. The death of Lord Raglan was an immense gri«f to the whole army. It was the occasion of an injury to Sir Colin, who at this time, owing to what we must hope was a 'mistake, was offered an unimportant comtnand in Malta. He was bo deeply hurt that, leeigeing his command, he returned to England, and thus missed a letter which crossed Ihim on the road and appointed him com-mander-iii-chiof. Tho Queen sent for him to Windsor, and ao gracious was her reception that all feeling »f anger at once vanished, and hearing that aer Mujesly wished him to return to the Crimea, he answered that be was ready to serve under a corporal should she wish it. When he landed in the Crimea, peace was concluded, and after an affectionate farewell to his men, tho 42nd, the Zlbb, and the 93rd of tbe old Highland Brigade, he once more sailed for home. 16 was in July 1857 that tlie terrible news j of the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny reached liondon, together with the news of the death jjrom cholera of Lord Aneon, the comniander-fn-chief. This high post was offered to Sir jpolln. When asked how soon he could start, i lie answered that same evening, if necessary, Jib he oonld purchase the socks he would Jeed at Southampton. He actually started the following day, Sifter once more having tbe honour of waitleg on tho Queen at Buckingham Palace. The rjewß of the awful massacre at Oawnpore reached him at Calcutta. Sir Henry Havelock bad already advanced to Lucknow, and tbiiher he pushed forward at the head of his army, a joyful meeting having taken place again between the Highlanders and their old chief. It was as they neared Lncknow that the Story is told of how one of tbe soldiers' wives in the Residency, now at the last point of endurance, asserted ag.iin and again that relief was at band, for she had beard tbe pipes playing " The Campbells are comirg." *'At first they thought she waß dreaming, but ;at last the joyful sound reaohed other ears, and shout upon shout was raised as the news ; " of deliverance Bped round, and by midnight on . November 19 the beleagured garrison, GOO '■women and children, and 100 siok and jwounded were moved out of the Kssidency Vitboufc a single loss, so completely were the ' »nemy vanquished. The death of the great .J3ir Henry Havelock a few days later cast a gloom over the event. - This was followed shortly afterwards by the battle of Cawnpore, and by the final I fiiege of Lucknow, in company with Sir James ?Outram, the capture of the town belcg '"'' effected in 20 days. The last of the muti- * neer* were then driven from their strong1 hold. y Honours were'now showered upon Sir . Oolin, that which he valued above all else £i>eing a letter of thanks from the Queen. .UEhanks were also conveyed to him from .-..both thß Houses of Parliament, and he was 4 raised to the peerage under the name of vLora Clyde, of Clydesdale. He refused the f jtitle as it was at first proposed— Lord Clyde, of considering it would be uubecom;%g to " trenoh on the title of that very distinguished officer Sir Henry Havelock." He ' Vas very modest, and we aro told that he •Trarely signed tbe name of Clyde, generally ""butting O. O. instead. v. He spent the last few years of .his life \rfuietly at home, comforted by the society of < tis friends, and preparing in all humility and solemnity for the great change. His friend, Wrs Byre, constantly read an 3 prayed with " £Ob tot the pute, air 9! b,9ave,»i" he ones

exclaimed, " that I might be laid to rest and peace in tbe lap of tho Almighty." On August 13, 18G3, he passed calmly to bis rest, while his sister, General and Mrs Eyre, and a faithful servant knelt beside him. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. "Loyal, loving, generous, self-donying and unflinching in his duty, was this brave old soldier," and from his hard-won rest he looks down still on his comrades straggling through this life, and says to us one and all, " B$ ye also faithful."