THE CELT IN SERVIA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 200, 2 February 1877, Page 15

THE CELT IN SERVIA.

The London correspondent of the Dublin • Freeman's Journal,' gives the annexed sketch of a fighting membor of the Celtic family, -who with the proverbial tendency of the race to which he belongs finds his way to that quarter of the globe in which a "sbindy," big or little, is going on, and, as might be expected, naturally turns up, just now, in Servia : — A remarkable gentleman, -who a few years ago, was very well fimown in military circles in Dublin, is now making his mark with the Servian army. The career of this beau sabreur is certainly a remarkable one. He first appeared on the scene in India shortly before the mutiny. During that sanguinary struggle he faced death a hundred times, but he came out with only a severe scalp wound. On one occasion a Sepoy whom he ran through the body nearly had the best of it, but being foiled the Sepoy in his rag« spat in the soldier's face. After the mutiny he went to America, where he joined the Southern Army, and became a major of cavalry. He served to the end of that war, being again wounded. He then turned his steps to South America, where he formed a foreign legion and saw some service. In the streets of Buenoe Ayres he had to fight for his life, with his sword killing two of his assailants. He joined the Cuban insurgents, was taken prisoner, condemned to be shot, but escaped. For his services in the Cretan insurrection he was decorated. He fought in Mexico. After that we next hear of him in Egypt reorganising the Khedive's forces. He next appeared in the midst of the fray in France, and when the Germans at length put all further resistance out of the question, our hero returned to Dublin in 1572, where he was quiet for some time, getting into only one scrape on the banks of the Liffey. Spain next claimed his attention, but, although desiring to join the Carlists, an insurmountable difficulty arose, and he returned to Dublin, where, in New-street, he had a quixotic rencontre, which ended in a challenge. Coming to London, we used to see him not unfrequently in the Strand and Fleet-street, but the moment war broke out in the East he disappeared. I need hardly say that this little sketch, correct so far as memory serves, refers to the gallant Colonel M'lvor, who now commands about 1,000 Russo-Servian cavalry in the war against the Turks.