1 64 MEMORIES OF MY LIFE 



be done by myself towards removing this extra- 

 ordinary and culpable ignorance, I offered to give 

 lectures on the subject, gratuitously, at the then 

 newly founded camp at Aldershot. As may be 

 imagined from what is otherwise known of the con- 

 fusion of the War Office at that time, no answer at 

 all was sent to my letters, until I ventured to apply 

 personally to the then Premier, Lord Palmerston, who 

 at once caused me to be installed. It is evident from 

 my old notebooks that I worked very hard to frame 

 a suitable course of practical instruction and of 

 lectures for those who cared to profit by them. 



General Knowles (1797-1883) was then in com- 

 mand, and he gave me both moral and material help. 

 He assigned me two huts, and made arrangements 

 about hours. My second brother, Erasmus, was in 

 camp as Captain in the 2nd Warwickshire Militia, 

 and his presence was most grateful to me. I myself 

 took a small house about two miles from my hut, and 

 walked there and back each day. Several officers 

 came, and not a few of them showed interest. A 

 lecture was also given by me at the United Service 

 Institution, and the newspapers warmly backed the 

 attempt. The War Office requested that ten (I 

 think) reproductions should be made of a cabinet 

 with four drawers, containing models of what was 

 exhibited in my lectures. One of the cabinets was 

 sent to the South Kensington Museum, and may be 

 there still. One was sent to Woolwich. The others 

 were distributed elsewhere. I do not think that my 

 lectures had much other result, because the rude 

 teachings of the Crimean War soon superseded 

 mine, and the army generally became expert in 



