run MASTERS. 



59 



sollin;; •• pool '" tickets. Yes ; I say any success of mine is shared l)y my dear 



I am disposed to think there is a f:;rcat sif^nificancc in the kind present you 

 have made me ; and its significance is this — it marks the great difference there 

 is. and always must be, between the \ olunteer force and the regular army. Such 

 a token of affection as that which you have given me would scarcely be possible 

 in the regular army. No. The feelings between privates and their commanding 

 officer must be very different to those between volunteers and their commanding 

 officer. I have commanded you for twenty years, and I can honestly say that, 

 in all that long period, there has always been the most perfect subordination and 

 the best feeling in the whole battalion. 



Mr. Graham has referred in very kind and flattering terms to mj^ services as 

 a volunteer, and you have recognised these services by your exquisite gift ; but 

 I cannot for a moment allow that I have any claim of merit. All I have done 

 is purely and simply my duty. I confess I feel strongly, and almost painfulh', 

 that every man in the battalion has as much right to a testimonial as I have, for 

 each and all have done their duty, and I have done no more. If I know my 

 drill and attend to my work, this is nothing more than every English gentleman 

 ought to do, who has the honour to hold a commission from his sovereign. If 

 I have been kind and courteous to all those under my command, this again is 

 nothing more than every Christian gentleman ought to be. I thank yon. and 

 may God bless you all ! 



Colonel King once said in a speecli. tliat " as long as Old King lived, 



'■ if he were llie only man that survived in the battalion, he would always 



"come out to Hooion, pitch his tent, and stop the u?ual nineteen days."' 



Notwithst.intiing tliis, in the month of June, ]88i, he severed his connection 



with the volunteer force. Tliis deplorable event came about in this wise. 



The Government had published in the Gazctle a list of "birthday honours," 



including therein some marks of distinction for certain volunteer officers. 



As Colonel King's name was omitted, and a " C.B."' granted to an officer 



in the same county much junior to himself, he chose to look upon this as a 



slight from the War Office, and tendered his resignation in the following 



letter. 



6th June, 1881. 



Sir, — I have the honour to inform you that it is my wish to resign the 

 commission which at present I have the honour to hold, and I will thank you to 

 obtain the acceptance of my resignation. The reason of my resignation is this : 

 that I observe that an officer, junior to myself in this count)', has been preferred 

 before me for the reception of a mark of honour from the Crown. 



I do not complain of the advice which has been tendered to Her Majesty ; 

 but I can draw no other inference from the fact above stated than this : that 

 my conduct and services have not been deemed satisfactory, and that it would 

 be well, therefore, that some other gentleman should be appointed to the post 

 which I have unworthily held for the past twenty-two years. 



It would be convenient that my resignation should take effect from the 4th 

 July next. My battalion goes into camp from 21st June to 4th July. As I pay a 

 large share of the expense, my immediate resignation would render the camp im- 

 possible, and the result would be that a large portion of my battalion would not 

 be efficient this year. When the camp is struck, the whole of our volunteer 

 work will be finished for this year, and I have no wish to leave anything undone. 



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