MILITIA SYSTEM OF ENGLAND. 109 



squadron at fault. I noticed, also, that when pleased, he some- 

 times addressed them in the ranks as " gentlemen." He was 

 probably some old army officer, engaged to drill them. The 

 colonel of the regiment, who was constantly on the ground every 

 day while we were at Chester, is Lord Grosvenor, heir to one of 

 the largest estates in England. A young man in the dress of an 

 officer, but dismounted, informed us that their number was 800, in 

 five companies. Most of them were farmers ; every farmer of a 

 certain age in the county (as we understood him) being obliged to 

 serve three years, but allowed to send a substitute if he chooses. 

 They are out but once a year for training, and then continuously 

 for eight days, and while engaged receive 75 cents a day. They 

 cannot be ordered out of the country, and are seldom called into 

 active service, except to quell riots. 



I frequently asked afterwards for more information about the 

 yeomanry, but never found a person who seemed to know much 

 about them. A man in the ranks of the Denbigshire yeomanry, 

 told us the service was optional. In some counties there is no 

 such body, and the organization, laws, and customs of it seem to 

 vary in the different regiments. There is a regular foot-militia 

 organization throughout England (the "train-bands"), but none 

 of them, I believe, have been paraded for many years. 



According to a parliamentary return of 1838, there were then 

 of the mounted yeomanry 251 troops, numbering 13,594 privates; 

 the annual expense of maintaining them was $525,000. The en- 

 rolled militia of England in 1838 numbered 200,000 men. The 

 officers of these forces, when in service, rank with those of the 

 army of the same grade. A part of the uniform and mountings 

 of the yeomanry are paid for by the government, and some small 

 daily compensation is allowed the privates when in service. A 

 drill-sergeant and a trumpeter is also permanently attached to 

 each troop, with a salary from the state. 



