xlii BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 



In a letter written from Sebastopol, towards the end of February 1856, he dwells upon the 

 lamentable fact " that all prospect of war was over," and describes the anxiety of his comrades to 

 get away from a place so uninteresting. The recent review of the army by Sir W. Codrington 

 was, he says, " a fine sight, and most gratifying in many respects. It was gratifying to see the 

 number of men under arms, their perfect health and good condition, and the absence of fuss and 

 hurrv on the part of the Staff. Eight regiments were absent, and all the Sebastopol guards and 

 duties naturally, and still we showed 20,000 as fine infantry as you could wish to see. Pelissier 

 said that he did not mind reading the names of our victories written upon our regimental colours 

 when he saw what big men surrounded them. It was surprising to see the way in which 

 six divisions were handled and moved about without confusion, jumble, or mistake, like so 

 many companies. The First Division came up to its points as steady as a rock, not an inch 

 of ground too much or little, took up its position stunningly, and looked stunning, considering 

 that we miserable, wretched, poor ignorant staff fellows have never been educated at a 

 military school, and that we have nothing to recommend us beyond a gentleman's education, 

 service in the army, and a little common sense. My old regiment marched past at the 

 head of the aimy with a front of fifty file. The Grenadiers turned out 797 men on parade, 

 exclusive of sergeants, &c. ; all the Divisions looked splendid, but the Brigade of Guards, 

 as usual, was the first. It is often a matter of speculation to me what cerebral want is in the 

 intellectual cranium of the English which makes them so anxious to destroy all that there is 

 of good remaining in their institutions. I am credibly informed, and by men whom I cannot 

 disbelieve, that certain indiriduals in England, who are reputed sane upon most subjects, arc 

 desirous of destroying the prestige, the name, and the very existence of the Brigade of Guards. 

 "Who are these maniacs f. Who are the fools who, instead of striving to raise the standard of 

 the Line Infantry to that of the Guards, are for pulling down the Guards to the level of the 

 Line ? As a soldier, I cannot, of course, but regard this tendency with the deepest regret. I 

 know too Avell how great the advantages are of having select picked bodies of men like the 

 Guards — men who set a good example in the army, and who are a cause of jealousy and emu- 

 lation. There is no incentive so good as jealousy. Its effects on an army are wonderful. Every 

 regiment is trying to march past better, to shoot better at a target, to do their duty better, and 

 to fight better than the Guards. Instead of this, it seems the wish to establish throughout the 

 army a universal standard of mediocrity. There was a shooting-match the other day. I brought 

 down two Guardsmen as our champions ; one only was required to shoot in the match, which, I 

 need scarcely add, was won by his side, and his shooting was the best. An officer in the Rifles 

 stepped out after the match was over, and said he would bring a man who would beat any 

 Guardsman. He had the pick of the whole army, we of only three regiments. His man was a 



