CHAPTER XVII.

SECOND PART OF THE WAR IN THE SUDAN, 1884-85—SUAKIN CAMPAIGN.

Reasons for the expedition to Suakin—Departure of the Coldstream—Orders to Lieut.-General Sir G. Graham—Position of the enemy—Advance against Hashin—Engagement at Tofrek—Attack on a convoy, escorted by the Coldstream and Royal Marines—Advance to Tamai—Construction of the railway—Attack on T'Hakul—Abrupt end of the campaign—The Coldstream proceed to Alexandria, and thence to Cyprus—Evacuation of the Sudan; how the Mahdi took advantage of it; how the Dongolese were treated—Position taken up south of Wady Halfa—Defeat of the Arabs at Ginnis—Return of the Guards Camel regiment—Return of the Coldstream from Cyprus—Honourable distinctions added to the Colours—Officers of the Regiment in December, 1885 393

APPENDIX I.

1. DESPATCH OF M.-GEN. SIR JOHN BYNG TO H.R.H. THE DUKE OF YORK, ON THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO, NIVELLES, JUNE 19, 1815 413

2. GENERAL ORDERS, NIVELLES, JUNE 20, 1815 414

3. PROCLAMATION OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON TO THE FRENCH PEOPLE, MALPLAQUET, JUNE 22, 1815 415

APPENDIX II.

1. GENERAL ORDER, PARIS, OCTOBER 28, 1815 416

2. ORDERS FOR BILLETING THE BRITISH TROOPS IN FRANCE, OCTOBER 29, 1815 416

3. ALARM POSTS OF BRITISH DIVISIONS IN FRANCE, OCTOBER 30, 1815 418

APPENDIX III.

ORDERS FOR A BRITISH CONTINGENT TO OCCUPY FRENCH FORTRESSES, NOVEMBER 9, 1815 418

APPENDIX IV.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE BRITISH CONTINGENT IN FRANCE, APRIL 10, 1816 421

APPENDIX V.

SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE BAND OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS 424

APPENDIX VI.

1. FAREWELL ORDER TO THE ALLIED ARMY OF OCCUPATION IN FRANCE, NOVEMBER 10, 1818 426

2. FAREWELL ORDER TO THE BRITISH CONTINGENT, CAMBRAI, NOVEMBER 10, 1818 427

3. GENERAL ORDER, PARIS, DECEMBER 1, 1818 427

APPENDIX VII.

COLDSTREAM GUARDS HOSPITAL 428

APPENDIX VIII.

THE NULLI SECUNDUS CLUB; AND LIST OF MEMBERS FROM ITS FORMATION, 1783, TO 1896 429

APPENDIX IX.

GENERAL ORDER, CONSTANTINOPLE, APRIL 30, 1854 436

APPENDIX X.

DEATH OF FIELD-MARSHAL LORD RAGLAN, G.C.B. 437

APPENDIX XI.

AGES AND PREVIOUS OCCUPATIONS OF THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE 1ST BATTALION COLDSTREAM GUARDS, AND DRAFTS SENT TO THE EAST, ENGAGED IN THE WAR WITH RUSSIA 439

APPENDIX XII.

1. RETURN OF THE NUMBERS KILLED IN THE CRIMEA 440

2. RETURN OF THE NUMBERS WOUNDED IN THE CRIMEA, DEAD, INVALIDED, ETC. 440

3. DEATHS IN THE 1ST BATTALION COLDSTREAM GUARDS BY MONTHS DURING THE WAR WITH RUSSIA 441

APPENDIX XIII.

THE VICTORIA CROSS 442

APPENDIX XIV.

1. THE BRITISH FORCES EMPLOYED IN THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN, 1882 444

2. EXTRACTS FROM GENERAL ORDERS ISSUED AFTER THE BATTLE OF TEL EL-KEBIR 446

3. EXTRACT OF REPORT ON ARMY SIGNALLING IN EGYPT, 1882 447

APPENDIX XV.

STATIONS OCCUPIED BY THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS, 1833-1885[1] 448

APPENDIX XVI.

1. COLDSTREAM ROLL[2] 458

2. COMMANDING OFFICERS OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS, FROM 1650 TO 1896 478

3. REGIMENTAL STAFF OFFICERS[2] 482

4. WARRANT OFFICERS 485

Footnote 1:

Continued from Appendix 273 of Mackinnon’s _Origin and Services of the Coldstream Guards_.

Footnote 2:

Continued from Appendix 285 of Mackinnon’s _Origin, etc._

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

FIELD-MARSHAL H.R.H. ADOLPHUS FREDERICK DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, K.G. _Frontispiece_

PIKEMAN, 1669; DRUM MAJOR, 1670; GRENADIER COMPANY, 1670 _To face_ 18

SERGEANT, 1658; DRUMMER, 1658 ” 36

MUSQUETEER, 1650 ” 66

MUSKETEER, 1669 ” 86

OFFICER _temp._ JAMES II. ” 102

MUSKETS AND RIFLES FROM 1830 TO 1890 ” 126

PRIVATE, 1742 ” 230

COLOURS, 1669, 1684, 1685 ” 248

COLOURS OF THE COLONEL, LIEUT-COLONEL, AND MAJORS, 1750, AND THE QUEEN’S COLOUR, 1893 ” 266

DRUMMER, 1745 ” 286

SERGEANT, 1775; OFFICER, 1795 ” 300

OFFICER, 1839; OFFICER, 1849 ” 318

OFFICER, 1849; PRIVATE’S UNDRESS CAP, 1850 ” 342

SERGEANT DRUMMER, 1895 ” 392

MAPS.

PAGE

1. SKETCH MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF FRANCE FROM 1815 TO 1810 _To face_ 54

2. BLACK SEA AND SURROUNDING COUNTRY ” 149

3. COUNTRY BETWEEN EUPATORIA AND SEVASTOPOL ” 165

4. BATTLE OF THE ALMA ” 174

5. SKETCH MAP OF COUNTRY NEAR SEVASTOPOL ” 182

6. SEVASTOPOL ” 194

7. BATTLE OF INKERMAN ” 216

8. THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF TEL EL-KEBIR FROM THE SUEZ CANAL TO ZAGAZIG AND THE COUNTRY ROUND SUAKIN ” 360

9. SKETCH MAPS TO ILLUSTRATE EGYPTIAN AND SUDAN EXPEDITIONS, 1882-1885 ” 379

CORRIGENDA.

Page 86, line 31, _for_ “May 25th” _read_ “May 27th.” ” 90, ” 13, _for_ “May 15, 1829” _read_ “May 16, 1829.” ” 118, ” 12, _for_ “November 13th” _read_ “November 9th.”

INTRODUCTION.

The central figure in Europe, during the first fifteen years of this century, was the Emperor Napoleon, the great military leader, who, having restored order in France—violently disturbed by the terror, anarchy, and confusion of the Revolution that broke out in 1789,—succeeded in ruling that country, and in imposing his arbitrary will upon its people. A master of the science of war, and gifted with the genius that makes a man supreme in the field of battle, he organized the military qualities of his subjects, who, under his guidance, invaded their neighbours, destroyed their institutions, and overran Europe from one end to the other. One opponent only remained unsubdued, and that was England; and so strong was her resistance to this modern Attila, that she succeeded not only in breaking his power, but in adding also to her own importance and influence in the world.

Napoleon, though a General of the first order,—whose campaigns will always commend themselves to the student of the art of war,—was less remarkable for his knowledge of that other science which makes a man a statesman. He lived by the sword, and he perished by the sword. He destroyed the prosperity of the people he subdued, but he could not cement a friendship with them. His object was war and only war, and he reaped its reward—military fame; but he did not use the absolute power he wielded, for the advantage of France, nor was he able to establish his name among the greatest and most enlightened rulers of mankind.

After a period of victory, he exhausted the resources of his country, and then there was formed against him a coalition of European Princes, who gradually closed their forces around him with ever tightening grasp, and pursued him to the heart of his Empire. At last, he was defeated and undone, and acknowledged his impotence to carry on any longer the mighty struggle in which he had been engaged (1814). Europe then restored the Bourbons as Kings of France, and determined that Napoleon should be expelled therefrom, and interned in the island of Elba,—an Emperor of a very narrow dominion, and a Monarch only in name. But scarcely had he been there a year, when he broke loose. Landing in France, he made the King (Louis XVIII.) fly from Paris; and, amid the acclamations of the people, he once more re-established himself upon the throne (March, 1815).

The Allied Sovereigns now combined to drive this disturber of the peace from France, and took immediate steps to invade that country again. In June, two of the Powers had their forces in Belgium,—the British and their immediate allies (the Dutch, Hanoverians, etc.), under the Duke of Wellington; and the Prussians, under Marshal Blücher. The rest were still east of the Rhine. Perceiving that his antagonists were not yet able to move forward together against him, the French Emperor resolved to strike the first blow, by advancing northwards and by attacking Wellington and Blücher. Accordingly, he left Paris on the 12th of June, and on the 16th he fought the battles of Ligny, where he defeated the Prussians and drove them off the field, and of Quatre-Bras, from which place the British, though they held their ground, eventually fell back slowly towards Waterloo. Giving orders to Marshal Grouchy, who was placed at the head of a considerable force, to pursue Blücher, and to prevent him from forming a junction with Wellington, Napoleon advanced, and attacked the British at Waterloo (June 18th). Here the most decisive battle of the present age took place. Stubbornly did the British troops maintain their position; while Blücher, rallying his forces, and leaving behind only a small corps to contain Grouchy, marched with the remainder to the field of Waterloo. The French were now enveloped, and completely and irretrievably defeated.

There was a Guards Division at the battle of Waterloo, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir George Cooke, formed of two Brigades. The 1st Guards Brigade (Major-General P. Maitland) was composed of the 2nd and 3rd First (now Grenadier) Guards; and the 2nd Guards Brigade (Major-General Sir John Byng) of the 2nd Coldstream and the 2nd Third (now Scots) Guards. Sir George Cooke being severely wounded during the course of the day, the command of the Guards Division devolved upon Sir John Byng.

THE HISTORY OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS. 1815-1885.