Part 2

(g.) 17 Fortress Companies, of varying strengths (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 15, 18, 20, 24, 25, 29, 31, 32, 36, 41, and 42), which are employed in the repair and keeping up of fortresses. In war-time they would design and execute siege-batteries, parallels, and all work connected with either the attack or defence of fortresses. In peace-time they number altogether about 1600 men.

(h.) 8 Depôt Companies, which are employed in the training and drilling of recruits, and in work relating to the Corps. They number 820 men.

(i.) 2 Railway Companies (Nos. 8 and 10), which number 140 men together, and would be employed in the laying and repairing of railway lines on service.

(k.) A Supernumerary Staff of nearly 400 men, which is employed in a great variety of duties too numerous to mention.

420 more men are distributed in different parts of the world and in military schools of different sorts.

The grand total of Royal Engineers in peace-time is therefore about 7,300 men.

Officers and men are dressed, armed, and equipped very similarly to the Infantry of the Line (q. v.). They may, however, be readily distinguished by the broad red stripe on their trousers, and by the Royal Arms in front of the helmet. The forage-caps of the rank-and-file are small round ones with a broad yellow band and no brim, worn on the top of the head. Officers wear a black and gold pouch belt instead of a sash. The facings are of dark-blue velvet, with yellow edging.

[Sidenote: +Infantry.+]

The British Infantry is composed of—

The Brigade of Guards (3 regiments). 69 Regiments of Infantry of the Line. 1 West India Regiment.

Napoleon the Great said of the British Infantry: “It is the best infantry in the world; luckily, there is not much of it.” It has certainly not deteriorated since his day; but, unfortunately, it is not much more numerous now than it was then.

Two years ago a distinguished Russian general said to an English Guardsman: “Are your men as fine a lot as they were in ’54?” and on receiving an answer in the affirmative, said: “I am sorry for it, if we ever have to fight you again. I had more than enough of them in the Crimea.” And Moltke said of the late Nile Expedition in 1885: “No one but English soldiers could have done what they did.”

Such remarks speak for themselves.

The Brigade of Guards consists of three regiments—

The Grenadier Guards, of which there are 3 battalions. The Coldstream Guards, of which there are 2 battalions. The Scots Guards, of which there are 2 battalions.

These three regiments form the Sovereign’s Body-Guard, and do not usually serve out of Europe. The late campaigns in Egypt, however (1882 and 1885), and the prospective campaign in Canada in 1864, in all of which two or more battalions of Guards took part, go to prove that every rule has its exceptions.

At home, usually five battalions are quartered in London, and the other two in Windsor and Dublin respectively.

The uniform of the Guards differs from that of the Infantry of the Line chiefly in the shape of the facings and in the head-gear, the latter being the well-known bearskin, with white or red plumes for Grenadiers or Coldstream respectively. The forage-cap is round, with bands of red, white, and dice for the three regiments respectively. The armament and equipment is precisely that of the Infantry of the Line.

Of the 69 Regiments of the Line, one (Cameron Highlanders) consists of 1 battalion; two (60th King’s Royal Rifle Corps and Rifle Brigade) of 4 battalions; and the remainder of 2 battalions each. Total 141 battalions.

The regiments are now called after their “Territorial Districts,” which are the districts whence their recruits are drawn, and in which their depôt is situated. Up to 1881, the Infantry of the Line consisted of 109 regiments, mostly of 1 battalion each, and numbered up to 109. In that year, however, the system was changed, and a regiment is now known by the county or part of the country it recruits in, with occasionally the addition of a few other titles, such as “Borderers,” “King’s Own,” “Loyal,” etc., etc.

Of the 69 regiments we have—

9 Regiments of Fusiliers. 4 ” ” Rifles. 5 ” ” Highlanders. 7 ” ” Light Infantry. 44 ” ” Infantry (pure and simple).

The Infantry, with the exception of the four Rifle regiments, is, of course, clothed in scarlet tunics, with facings of dark blue, white, yellow, or green, according as whether the regiment is a “Royal,” English, Scottish, or Irish one.

The head-dress of the Fusiliers is a busby of rough sealskin, shaped similarly to the Guards’ bearskin, but much smaller. The (5th) Northumberland Fusiliers wear a red and white plume, the remainder none.

The Rifle regiments are clothed in a very dark green, almost black, uniform. The Rifle Brigade facings are black, those of the 60th K. R. R. red, and those of the other two, Scottish and Irish Rifles, dark and light green respectively. The first two mentioned are historically connected with Hussar regiments,[8] and consequently the officers wear round forage-caps, trailing swords, and a few other Cavalry-like details; and the late head-gear used to be a Hussar-like black busby. The helmet of all Rifle regiments is at present black, but it will shortly be exchanged for a black Astrakhan fatigue-cap, with plume for full dress.

The five Highland regiments are the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), the Seaforth, the Gordon, the Cameron, and the Argyll-and-Sutherland Highlanders. They wear the feather-bonnet and well-known Highland dress—plaid, kilt, hose, white gaiters, and shoes. The tartan, sporran, hose, and a few other details differ in the various regiments.

The remainder of the Infantry, whether Light Infantry or not, wear[9] black felt helmets with brass spike and fixings, the scarlet tunic aforesaid, and blue-black trousers. Their forage-cap is the “Glengarry.”

The West India Regiment consists of two battalions of negroes, officered by Englishmen. The battalions are quartered, turn and turn about, in the West Indies and in our possessions on the West Coast of Africa. The men are dressed in white jackets, with a red vest over them, loose blue Zouave knickerbockers, and yellow gaiters. The head-dress is a turban.

The Infantry, whose weapon for the last seventeen years has been the Martini-Henry rifle, will very shortly be all armed with the new magazine rifle, which has already been issued to a considerable number. The action is on the breech-loading bolt system; by it cartridges may be fired either singly or by means of the magazine, which is a black tin box, holding eight cartridges, and suspended immediately in front of the trigger-guard. The bore is extremely small, being only ·303 inches. The bullet is coated with a hard metal composition, for if it were of lead, it would “strip” in the grooves of the barrel, and by degrees choke it up. The powder is as yet not definitely fixed on, though numerous varieties have been tried with great success. It shoots point blank up to 300 yards, and is sighted on the back sight up to 2,000 yards. By a hanging foresight arrangement, it can be sighted up to 3,500 yards—nearly two miles! The cartridges are so small and light that more than twice the amount of ammunition can now be carried than was possible in the case of the late weapon.

The new bayonet is a much shorter implement than the late one, looking more like a large knife than a bayonet. The name of the new rifle is the Burton-Lee.

The equipment consists of a valise and canteen, suspended by leather braces to the belt, a havresack, wooden water-bottle, and bayonet-frog. Inside the valise is carried the great-coat (under the valise flap), and such articles as are necessary for the time being, such as boots, shirt, socks, hold-all, etc.

A new equipment, slightly different from the above, is now being issued.

Two pouches are attached to the belt in front, holding twenty rounds Martini-Henry ammunition each. Thirty more rounds are carried in the valise and havresack, making seventy in all. With the new rifle cartridges, however, and new pouches, it is expected that each man will be able to carry 150 rounds.

A battalion of Infantry is composed of 8 companies, each company numbering 3 officers, 10 N. C. O.’s, and 111 men on a field establishment. In peace-time, the company rarely numbers above 90 men all told, except in India. The battalion consists therefore of—

30 officers (1 lieut.-colonel, 4 majors, 5 captains, 16 subalterns, etc., etc.), 91 N. C. O.’s, 975 men, 70 horses, 16 carts.

These horses and carts belong for the most part to the Regimental Transport, which has been issued to each battalion forming part of the 1st Army Corps (of which more hereafter).

An Infantry Brigade consists of four battalions and details, and numbers in war-time 130 officers, 4,350 men, and 530 horses.

An Infantry Division consists of 2 brigades, 3 batteries Field Artillery, 1 squadron of Cavalry and details—total, 327 officers, 10,060 men, and 2000 horses.

An Army Corps is to consist of 3 Divisions of Infantry, 3 Horse Artillery, and 2 Field Artillery batteries, Royal Engineers, Cavalry squadron and details—total, 1,158 officers, 35,000 men, and 10,000 horses.

[Sidenote: +Medical Staff Corps.+]

The Medical Staff Corps consists of 17 Divisions, distributed throughout Great Britain and Ireland, and numbering altogether about 400 medical officers and 2,000 N. C. O.’s and men. The depôt and training-school is at Aldershot, and the Army Medical School at Netley. This Corps does not include the Indian Medical Staff Corps.

[Sidenote: +Army Service Corps.+]

The Army Service Corps corresponds to the former Commissariat and Transport Corps, and deals with the issue of rations and general transport duty. It is divided into 37 companies, distributed throughout Great Britain and Ireland, and numbering 230 officers, 3,363 N. C. O.’s and men, and 1,300 horses and mules.

[Sidenote: +Chaplains’ Department.+]

The Chaplains’ Department consists of about 80 chaplains, divided into four classes. There are four official denominations allowed, Church of England, Roman Catholic, Presbyterians, and Wesleyans. Men belonging to any other of the numerous sects of religion prevalent in England are officially entered as “Church of England.”

The organisation of the remaining departments, _i.e._, Ordnance Store, Veterinary, and Pay, is uninteresting, and need not be detailed here.

[Sidenote: +Military Districts.+]

Of the Regular Forces, 21 regiments of Cavalry, 91 batteries of Artillery, most of the Engineers, and 73 battalions of Infantry are quartered in Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is divided into 11, Ireland into 3, and the Channel Islands into 2, Districts, each under the command of a major-general. These districts are sub-divided into Regimental Districts, each of these latter comprising the recruiting ground, depôt, and Volunteer battalions of a Territorial (_i.e._, Line Infantry) Regiment of two Regular and two or more Militia battalions. The Artillery and Engineers, both Regular, Militia, and Volunteer, are also apportioned to each district. The Regular Corps of all arms rarely remain more than two years in the same quarters, changing from station to station in accordance with different rosters and requirements.

[Sidenote: +Foreign Service.+]

The whole of the Regular Forces, with the exception of the five Heavy Cavalry regiments and Brigade of Guards, take their turn at foreign service in India and the Colonies. As a rule, one battalion of each regiment of the Line is abroad for sixteen years, and is “fed” with men from the other battalion at home. This system, by which all the best and soundest men of a regiment are sent abroad, can hardly be called a good one, but it is difficult to suggest another. For foreign service it is no use having the youngest and unmatured soldiers—they would probably only fall sick in a hot climate. It is, therefore, necessary to keep and train the men till they know their duty thoroughly, and then send them out as full-grown men. It is for this reason that complaints are so often seen in the newspapers that certain regiments are apparently composed of “beardless boys.” This may be so with the home battalion, but if the complaint-makers were to journey to the Colonies and see the other battalion, they would soon alter their opinion.

It sometimes occurs that both battalions are abroad together, in which case the depôt of the regiment is largely increased; in order to feed the two.

Cavalry regiments stay abroad from twelve to fifteen years, and are fed by their depôt.

This foreign service is one of the main impediments in the way of recruiting by conscription.

Of the Regular Forces abroad, 9 Cavalry regiments, 88 batteries of Artillery, 3 companies R. E., and 53 battalions of Infantry are in India; and 1 Cavalry regiment, 27 batteries Artillery, 13 companies R. E., and 20 battalions of Infantry are in the Colonies.

[Sidenote: +Marines.+]

The Royal Marines, although not coming strictly under the head of the Army, are yet soldiers in the widest sense of the word, for they have been engaged by land and sea in every single campaign since their formation in 1755. They consist of two divisions, _i.e._ Artillery (16 companies) and Light Infantry (48 companies), in all nearly 14,000 men. They enlist for twelve years’ service, and may re-engage for nine years more. In garrison they perform the same duties as the Regular army, and on board ship work of a military character, such as guard mounting, working big guns, forming part of armed force on boat service, or fighting on shore under all sorts of conditions and in all climates. The latest development of the Marine is not a Horse-, but a Camel-Marine, a force of Marines having served up the Nile with the Camel Corps.

The Marines have done well wherever they have been, and still form, chiefly no doubt owing to their long service, some of our steadiest troops on service.

Their uniform and equipment is very similar to those of the corresponding branches of the Regular Army. A Marine may always be told from a Linesman by the badge on his helmet and shoulder-straps—a globe with the thoroughly apposite motto of “Per Mare, per Terram.”

* * * * *

[Sidenote: +Native Indian Army.+]

The Native Indian Army is composed of Native Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers, Infantry, Medical Corps, etc., etc., partly officered by Englishmen, and numbering altogether about 152,000 men, including 13,000 Volunteers.

It is divided into the Armies of the Bengal, Madras, and Bombay Presidencies. The English officers are drawn from the three Staff Corps of those Presidencies, which they have entered after serving for at least one year with their English regiments.

The Army of Bengal numbers—

19 Regiments of Bengal Cavalry, including 7 Lancer regiments. 4 Regiments Punjab Cavalry. Central India Horse. 2 Bengal Mountain Batteries. 5 Punjab Mountain Batteries. Corps of Bengal Sappers. Corps of Guides, Cavalry (6 troops), and Infantry (8 companies). 45 Regiments Bengal Infantry. 5 Regiments Goorkha Light Infantry. 4 Regiments Sikh Infantry. 6 Regiments Punjab Infantry. Hyderabad Contingent, 4 batteries F. Artillery, 4 regiments Cavalry, and 6 regiments Infantry. Several Irregular Corps, and a Medical Department, chiefly Englishmen.

The Army of Madras numbers—

4 Regiments Cavalry, 2 of which are Lancer regiments. Corps of Madras Sappers. 33 Regiments Madras Infantry, and a Madras Medical Department, etc.

The Army of Bombay numbers—

7 Regiments Cavalry, 2 of which are Lancer regiments. 2 Mountain Batteries. Corps of Bombay Sappers. 30 Regiments Bombay Infantry, and a Bombay Medical Department, etc.

Natives enlist for any period of service, from three years to thirty. Most of the troops enlist for nine or fifteen years. They must be physically fit and physically equivalent to a full-grown man. They are for the most part very keen soldiers, especially those that come from the North-West Provinces and Punjab. In many regiments the men have to find everything except firearms—even horses, accoutrements, and food, on their pay of about eighteenpence a day; and yet in some popular regiments there are several hundred candidates waiting for admission.

The Infantry is armed and equipped similarly to the British Infantry. Their rifle is of the Snider pattern, and is being exchanged for the Martini-Henry rifle. The uniforms of the Indian Army are very variegated, ranging from scarlet to yellow, and drab to green. The usual head-dress is the turban, but the other details of costume vary too much for description. The English officers wear in some regiments the native uniform, in others an English one.

A Native Cavalry regiment consists of 4 squadrons of 2 troops each, with an establishment of 10 English officers, Native officers, N. C. O.’s, and about 540 privates.

A Native Infantry Regiment consists of 1 battalion of 8 companies, with an establishment of 9 English officers, Native officers, N. C. O.’s, and about 820 privates. Each Infantry regiment is linked with two others, one of them supplying the other two with men, etc., in time of war.

The establishment of the Mountain Batteries varies according to locality.

A Native Reserve is being formed, but is not yet completely organised.

* * * * *

[Sidenote: +Colonial Forces.+]

The Colonial Forces consist of those raised by each Colony of the British Empire for its own protection. With the exception of a few of the smaller islands in the West Indies and Pacific, it may be said that every one of our Colonies has trained a certain number of men for home defence.

The system of enlistment and service varies in almost every colony, according to requirements. In very few of them are there permanent forces under arms. They mostly correspond to our Militia, and are called out for an annual training only.

The native forces of _Canada_ are—

Cavalry, 4 regiments of Dragoons. 5 ” of Hussars. 4 Independent troops. Artillery, 19 batteries Field Artillery. 5 Brigades and 13 batteries Garrison Artillery. ½ battery Mountain Artillery. Engineers, 2 companies. Infantry, 74 battalions of Infantry. 21 ” of Rifles. 5 Independent companies. Medical Staff Corps. Total strength 38,500.

Of the above troops, a very small number are permanent troops; the remainder consist of Militia, called out for about twelve days’ training in the year. There is universal liability to service in the Militia Reserve for all men between 18 and 60, so that in case of war the armed levy of the country would amount to over 600,000 men! Not more than 45,000 of these however are regularly trained. The country is divided into twelve Military Districts, and these again into Brigade and Regimental Divisions.

Besides this force, there is a Royal Military College, and Royal Schools of Instruction for Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery.

_Cape Colony_ has a force of about 4,500 men, consisting of Corps of—

Cape Mounted Riflemen (practically a Police Force), Volunteer Artillery, ” Engineers, ” Mounted Infantry, ” Infantry, and a ” Corps of Cadets.

_Ceylon_ possesses a force of about 900 Volunteer Light Infantry.

_Hong Kong_ possesses a force of Volunteer Artillery and Military Police (370).

_Jamaica_ possesses a force of Volunteer Militia, Mounted Rifles, and Garrison Artillery (1,300).

_Natal_ possesses a paid Volunteer Cavalry, Field Artillery, and Rifles, 1,500 altogether.

_Singapore_ possesses a paid Volunteer Artillery and Military Police (1,000).

_New Zealand_ possesses a Corps of paid Light Horse Volunteers, 13 batteries Volunteer Artillery, Engineer Corps, Force of Militia Infantry, and 7 or more Rifle battalions. A total of 7,400 men.

_New South Wales_ has a force of 6,350 men, consisting of—

Regular Artillery} } 940 of all ranks. Volunteer ” } Engineers, 200 of all ranks. Mounted Infantry 160 of all ranks. 4 Regiments Infantry, 2,100 of all ranks.

Reserve Force of Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry, 2,700 of all ranks; besides a Naval Brigade and Naval Artillery Volunteers numbering nearly 500 men.

_Queensland_ has a Defence Force of three classes, numbering altogether over 4,500 men.

1st Class—“Permanent Defence”—135 men. 2nd Class—“Defence”—2,600 men. 3rd Class—“Volunteers”—about 1,800 men; besides 4 Lines of Reserves in case of national danger, composed of every male between 18 and 60.

_South Australia_ has 2 troops of Lancers, 1 Field and 2 Garrison Batteries, 2 battalions Rifles, and numerous Mounted Rifle Corps, numbering altogether 2,700 men, including Volunteers.

_Victoria_ has a force of several Cavalry and Artillery Corps, 4 battalions Rifles, Mounted Infantry, and numerous Rifle Volunteer Corps, besides a Reserve. Total 8,300 men.

_Tasmania_ has a small force of Artillery and 2 regiments of Rifles, total 930 of all ranks.

_Western Australia_ has a small force of Volunteer, Infantry, and Artillery—640 altogether.

_Trinidad_ and other islands in the West Indies have raised small forces for their defence, about 1,000 altogether.

Total Colonial Forces, about 84,100 men.

* * * * *

Let us now turn to the Reserve Forces at home, composed of the two classes of Army Reserves, Militia, Militia Reserve, Yeomanry, and Volunteers. We will not take into account either the Native Indian Reserves, as they are not yet fully formed, or the Colonial Militia or Reserves, as they are inextricably mixed up with the Colonial Forces already described.

[Sidenote: +Army Reserve.+]

The 1st Class Army Reserve, created in 1877, consists of men who have served their three, seven, or eight years with the Colours, and who then pass to this Reserve to complete their service to twelve years. They are liable to service at home and abroad when called out; this would happen only in case of war or national danger. The men would then either join their own regiments or be formed into separate corps, or, with their consent, be attached to a regiment or corps other than their old one. This class numbers over 54,000 men.

The 2nd Class Army Reserve, in which there are not quite 3,000 men, is composed of those men who have served twelve years with the Colours and then choose to enter this Reserve, and of a few other special classes of men. They do not serve out of Great Britain. Both classes are liable to be called out for an annual training, but have never yet been so called out.

[Sidenote: +Militia.+]

The Militia consists of men voluntarily enlisted for six years, with power to re-engage for periods of four years up to forty-five years of age. The recruits are trained for six months or less at the depôt of the regimental district, and have subsequently to undergo only twenty-eight days’[10] training a year with their corps when called out. During these twenty-eight days the men receive regular pay, with a “bounty” of 10_s._ or upward at the end of the training. They are then dismissed till next year.

In cases of national emergency, the Militia may be called out, _i.e._ “embodied,” for active service. This has occurred four times already in this century; during the Crimean War, for instance, ten battalions of Militia were garrisoning our possessions in the Mediterranean, and no fewer than 32,000 entered the Regulars and fought before Sebastopol.

The Militia comprises Artillery, Engineers, and Infantry.

The Artillery consists of 34 brigades of Garrison Artillery, attached to the regular Garrison Artillery Divisions as follows:—4 to the Eastern, 21 to the Southern, and 9 to the Western Division. The Engineer Militia numbers 7 companies.