DISTRIBUTION OF THE VICTORIA CROSS FOR VALOUR.
[From The Times, June 27.]
A new epoch in our military history was yesterday inaugurated in Hyde
Park. The old and much-abused campaign medal may now
be looked upon as a reward, but it will cease to be sought after as a
distinction, for a new order is instituted an order for merit and valour,
open, without regard to rank or title, to all whose conduct in the field has
rendered them prominent for courage even in the British army. A path is left
open to the ambition of the humblest soldier a road is open to honour which
thousands have toiled, and pined, and died in the endeavour to attain; and
private soldiers may now look forward to wearing a real distinction which kings
might be proud to have earned the right to bear. The old spirit of
exclusiveness, which, while limiting the order of the Bath to field-officers
only, yet dissipated its honours on the whole Staff, may be considered to have
terminated when policemen and park-keepers, officers and privates, captains and
foremast sailors stood side by side as they did yesterday in the presence of
their Sovereign to receive at her hands that high reward for deeds which all
had earned alike. Let us hope that with this last bright episode of the great
Russian war the old regime under which the heroism of the private soldier was
ignored is at an end, and that the Victoria Cross will muster among its wearers
a glorious bead-roll of rank and file, who have always signalized their
bravery, but until now in vain. If the campaign in the Crimea
has only affected this, it has done more towards maintaining the high
efficiency of our army than any military distinction founded since the days of Marlborough.
The display of yesterday in point of numbers was a great metropolitan gathering
it was a concourse such as only London
could send forth. A very large space, at least half a mile broad by
three-quarters of a mile long, was enclosed on the northern side of the park
for the evolution of the troops. On the side of this nearest to Grosvenor-gate
galleries were erected for the accommodation of 7,000 persons, who by a
pleasing fiction were denominated the public, though of course the distribution
of the tickets which admitted to the enclosure was as exclusive as a
presentation at Court. The station for the Queen was in the centre of the
galleries, which formed a huge deal semicircle, enclosing at least one third of
the space in which the troops were formed. On either side of her Majesty's
position were smaller galleries for the members of the Legislature and Corps
Diplomatique, who in virtue of their office were accommodated with seats, while
the other portion of the galleries gave only standing room. All the rest of the
ground round the enclosed space was left open to the public, who had the usual
general license to see as they best could, which, as it happened, was very
little indeed. Every part of these unavailable positions thus liberally set
apart for the multitude was thronged by people, in some parts 30 and 40 deep,
who remained under a broiling sun with silent patience, enduring everything
with only the faintest hope of seeing anything in return for all their
sufferings. The public, in fact, seemed only invited to contribute a great
crowd to the proceedings of the day. They formed a most important portion of
the show, and must rest content with having fulfilled that duty, for, as far as
the majority of them were concerned, the whole ceremonial might as well have
taken place at Stonehenge. What
they did see we cannot undertake to say; but what nine-tenths of those present
assuredly did not see was the very pageant which they came to witness. In vain
they pushed about, stood on their own toes and those of their immediate
neighbours, cried out "hats off," and remained bareheaded under a
burning sun. The natural obstacles of Hyde Park
were not to be overcome, and push as they might they could gain no view of what
was passing at hand, but quite out of sight. -Some were naturally exasperated
at this, for though in the abstract the human head is doubtless a fine head for
contemplation, yet when some ten or twelve intervene between you and the scene
you are striving to behold, the emotions excited by it are neither philosophic
nor pleasant. Thus, therefore, we were not surprised to hear among the
disappointed mass that some occasionally swore in a more audible tone than is
generally allowed to good society in public. Others bore their fate in silence
at least, if not with equanimity, and their only desire appeared to be to get
out of the crowd as fast as possible. Many who had borne the heat of the day,
supported by the knowledge that they had secured an eligible position, found
when the ceremonial commenced that it only commanded an uninterrupted view of X
45's back, or placed them vis-ΰ-vis with the hind-quarters of a volatile troop
horse. The former, it must be admitted, was a dull prospect, and not exactly
one which men get up at dawn and struggle through half a day to witness, while
the latter was decidedly unpleasant, for who could stand unmoved within reach
of sallies from the heels of a powerful brute, from whose perpetual
manifestations of gaiety there is no retreat 1 Yet such yesterday was the lot
of hundreds to whom in the early part of the day fortune seemed to have awarded
the best positions, who only knew by cheers which made the horse more restive
and constable X more rigid that something of unusual interest was taking place.
A great portion of the troops were on the ground at nine o'clock, standing in that
picturesque disarray which is almost more effective as a spectacle than their
close formed serried ranks. The 79th Highlanders were there, as fine a corps as
ever, but looking considerably shorn of their regimental beauty since the new
uniform came in. There was a troop of Horse Artillery and two field batteries,
with the 1st battalion of Grenadiers and Fusiliers, and the 2nd battalion of
Coldstreams, forming great walls of men almost as firm and certainly as regular
as masonry itself. There was a battalion of Marines, equal in appearance and
discipline to the finest troops in the service, and the 2nd battalion of
Rifles, sombre and gloomy looking as a thunder cloud. The 11th Hussars, 1st and
2nd regiments of Life Guards, and the 6th Dragoons formed a glittering mass by
themselves, from off which the sun's rays seemed to dance and sparkle as from
ten thousand mirrors. In fact, a little army, complete even to sappers and
miners, military train, and mule litters, and mustering near 9,000 men of all
arms, was yesterday assembled in Hyde Park.
The persons who composed the fashionable portion of the visitors, if we may
so term those who were admitted to the reserved seats, were very punctual in
their attendance, and every part of the great expanse of platform was well
covered soon after nine o'clock. The heat throughout the entire proceedings was
intense; the ladies seemed to suffer much from it, and even strong, hearty
gentlemen were not too fastidious to extemporise rude fans from coattails,
handkerchiefs, and morning journals, or any suitable material at hand. Not a
breath of air seemed stirring; and the standard which marked the Queen's
position drooped heavily down, as if it, too, suffered from the sun, and was
incapable of fluttering or active motion. Everybody simmered into a state of
aggravation, and everybody gasped and said how hot it was, in a tone of private
communication, as if the temperature was a State secret which must not be
bruited abroad. In less tropical nooks, beneath the trees, costermongers"
drove a brave trade in the retail of liquids from portly-looking barrels, which
we fancy must have contained something better than water, as policemen formed
the staple of their customers.
Things went broiling and burning on thus till about half-past nine, when the
troops formed in contiguous columns, stretching right across the park in a
bright line, the ends of which would have been scarcely distinguishable but for
their incessant glitter. Almost at the same time a small division of
blue-jackets came upon the ground to represent the sister service. These were
100 picked men from the crews of the Excellent and Osborne, all of whom more or
less distinguished themselves in the Baltic or in the naval brigade before Sebastopol.
They were followed by a band of Chelsea Pensioners veterans of bygone wars
and these again by the boys of the Duke of York's School, headed by a duodecimo
edition of h drum-major, who, in spite of an extinguishing "bearskin"
which made half his little bulk, yet strutted and flourished his staff of
office in a style that was inexpressibly amusing. A few minutes before ten o'clock the officers and men who
were to receive the high honour of the Victoria Cross marched in single file
across the park to the Queen's position. Their appearance created a deep sensation;
and well it might, for upon a more distinguished band of soldiers the public
have never yet gazed. One was a policeman and wore his plain uniform as a
constable of the R division, No. 444. This was George Walters, late Sergeant of
the 49th Regiment, who highly distinguished himself at Inkerman in rescuing
General Adams when surrounded by Russians. Surely for such a man a better post
may be found than that of a constable at 18s. a- week. Another, in the dress of
a park keeper, was formerly a corporal in the 23rd, who volunteered on
September the 8th to go out, under a murderous fire, to the front, after the
attack on the Redan, and carry in Lieutenant Dyneley, mortally wounded. Three
or four were in private clothes gallant men who have quitted the ranks since
the war and have been rewarded more or less amply by civil appointments; 10
were officers and men of the Guards, and 7 were of the Rifle Brigade. There
were 61 in all, of whom 12 belonged to the Royal Navy, two to the Marines, four
to the Cavalry, five to the Artillery, four to the Engineers, and the remainder
to various regiments of Infantry. Of all 25 were commissioned officers, 15 were
warrant and non-commissioned officers, and the others privates and common
seamen. Only one was maimed Lieutenant John Knox, who, after greatly
distinguishing himself in the Fusilier Guards, lost his arm in the attack on
the Redan. As they stood in a row, waiting the arrival of her Majesty, one
could not help feeling an emotion of sorrow that they were so few, and that the
majority of the men who would have done honour even to the Victoria Cross lie
in their shallow graves on the bleak cliffs of the Crimea. Where were the men
who climbed the heights of Alma, who hurried forward over the plain of
Balaklava to almost certain death, who, wearied and out-numbered, yet held
their ground on that dismal morning when the valley of Inkerman seethed with
flames and smoke like some vast hellish cauldron ? Where are the troops who
during that fearful winter toiled through the snow night after night, with just
sufficient strength to drag their sick and wasted forms down to the trenches
which became their graves? Let not these men be forgotten at such a time, nor
while we pay all honour to the few survivors of that gallant little army omit a
tribute to the brave who have passed away for ever. But for that dread Crimean
winter, and the way in which the troops were left to pass it, instead of ?? a
thousand Victoria Crosses would yesterday have been deservedly awarded. Her
Majesty was expected to arrive at 10, and precisely at five minutes before that
hour the guns of the Artillery thundered out the Royal salute. ' The atmosphere
was close and heavy, and the sound of the guns struck with a heavy concussion
that seemed to shake the air, and from what we heard of their effects would
almost justify some of the chimneysweepers at the West End in demanding
compensation. The sound had scarcely ceased when the Royal cortege, attended by
the usual brilliant staff," came upon the ground. Her Majesty rode
between their Royal Highnesses the Prince Consort and Prince Frederick William
of Prussia.
She wore her usual scarlet riding coat, with the General's sash over the left
shoulder, and a General's plume of red and white feathers in her open riding
hat. Round her left arm was the customary token of military mourning a band
of black crape. Prince Albert
wore the uniform of a Field-Marshal, and the Prince of Prussia that of a
Colonel in the Prussian service. Following her Majesty were their Royal Highnesses
the Prince of Wales and Alfred, both in the highland costume; and a long
cortege of gallant officers preceded her Majesty. As the Royal party approached
the troops the signal passed from rank to rank, and almost with a simultaneous
movement, and with a dull, heavy rattle, the whole force presented arms and
lowered colours, the bands at the same time playing the National Anthem.
The effect of this salute was grand and impressive beyond description. All
the Royal party; attended as before, rode slowly down the front ranks of the
whole of the long line. The Duke of Cambridge rode on the left of Prince
Albert during this inspection,
and returned with her Majesty to where the crosses were to be awarded. The
Queen did not dismount, but with her charger a little in advance of the suite,
with the Prince of Prussia on her right hand, and the Prince Consort on her
left, awarded the crosses from her seat on horseback. The form observed was
simple in the extreme. The order was handed to her Majesty, and the name and
corps to which each recipient belonged mentioned as he presented himself. The
officers and men passed before the Queen in single file, advancing close while
she affixed to the breast of each in turn the plain bronze cross, with a red
riband for the army and a blue one for the navy. So quietly and expeditiously
was this done in every case that the whole ceremony scarcely occupied 10
minutes, and must have been over before the general but very distant public in
the background were aware it had commenced. The names and ranks of those
decorated are as follows, and each advanced towards and was decorated by her
Majesty in the order in which they are placed :
ROYAL NAVY.
[INCLUDING THE NAVAL BRIGADE EMPLOYED ASHORE.] Commander Henry James Raby.
Commander John Bythesea (Baltic). Commander Hugh Talbot Burgoyne. Lieutenant
Charles Davis Lucas (Baltic). Lieutenant William Nathan Wright Hewett. Mr. John
Roberts, gunner. Mr. Joseph Kellaway, boatswain. Mr. Henry Cooper, boatswain.
Joseph Trewavas, seaman. Thomas Reeves, seaman. Henry Curtis, boatswain's mate.
George Ingouville, captain of the mast (Baltic).
ROYAL MARINES. First Lieutenant George Dare Dowell, Royal Marine Artillery
(Baltic). Thomas Wilkinson, bombardier, Royal Marine Artillery.
ARMY. 2nd Dragoons. Serjeant-Major John Grieve. 4th Dragoons. Private
Samuel Parkes. 11th Hussars (late). Lieutenant Alexander Robert Dunn. 17th
Lancers. Troop Sergeant-Major John Berryman. Royal Artillery. Colonel
Collingwood Dickson, C.B; Royal Artillery. Captain Andrew Henry,
Quartermaster (late of the Land Transport Corps). Royal Artillery. Captain
Gronow Davis. Royal Artillery. Sergeant Daniel Cambridge. Royal Artillery.
Gunner and Driver Thomas' Arthur. Royal Artillery (sic). Lieutenant Gerald Graham. Royal
Engineers. Corporal John Ross. Royal Engineers. Corporal William J.
Lendrim. Royal Engineers. Sapper John Perie. Grenadier Guards. Colonel the
Hon. Henry Hugh Manvers Percy. Grenadier Guards. Brevet-Major Sir Charles
Russell, Bart. Grenadier Guards. Sergeant Alfred Ablett. Grenadier Guards.
Private Anthony Palmer. Coldstream Guards. Brevet-Major Gerald Littlehales
Goodlake. Coldstream Guards. Brevet-Major John Augustus Conelly (late of the
49th Regiment). Coldstream Guards. Private George Strong. Scots Fusilier
Guards. Brevet-Major Robert James Lindsay. Scots Fusilier Guards. Sergeant
James M'Kechnie. Scots Fusilier Guards. Private William Reynolds. 4th
Regiment. Private Thomas Grady. 7tb Regiment (late). Lieutenant William Hope.
7th Regiment. Assistant-Surgeon Thomas Egerton Hale, M.D. 7th Regiment.
Private Matthew Hughes; 7th Regiment. Private William Noonan. ?th Regiment.
Ensign Andrew Moynihan: 19th Regiment. Private Samuel Evans. 19fb Regiment.
Private John Lyons. 23rd Regiment (late). Corporal Robert Shields. 23rd
Regiment. Lieutenant Luke O'Connor. 34th Regiment. Private William Coffey.
34th Regiment (late). Private John Sims. 44th Regiment. Sergeant William
M'Wheeney. 49th Regiment (late). Sergeant George Walters; 49th Regiment.
Corporal James Owens. 97th Regiment. Brevet-Major Charles Henry Lumley. 97th
Regiment. Sergeant John Coleman. Rifle Brigade, lot Battalion. Brevet-Major
Hon. Henry H. Clifford. Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion. Private Francis
Wheatley. Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion. Captain William James Cuninghame.
Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion. Lieutenant John Knox. Rifle Brigade, 2nd
Battalion. Private Roderick McGregor. Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion. Private
Robert Humpston. Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion. Private Joseph Bradshaw. Rifle
Brigade, 3rd Battalion. Brevet-Major Claude Thomas Bouchier.
Immediately after the decoration was concluded, the officers and men on
whose breasts the small dark cross, the sign of so much honourable distinction,
was just visible, drew up in line opposite the Queen's position, but at a
sufficient interval to allow the troops to march past between. The whole force
then marched past at slow and quick time, and, after all, the Horse Artillery and
Cavalry came through at a canter. These movements, simple as they were, were
among the most effective of the day. All the bands of the Cavalry were brigaded
facing the Queen, but in rear of the Victoria Cross men. The troop of Horse
Artillery was the first that passed, and they were followed by the 1st and 2nd
Regiments of Life Guards, the 6th Dragoons, 1lth Hussars, the Sailors, Sappers,
and Miners, the three Battalions of Guards, the Marines, 79th Highlanders, the
2nd battalion of Rifles, two field batteries, the military train (late Land
Transport Corps), and last of all the mule litters. The entire manoeuvre, both
by cavalry and infantry, was splendidly performed; but, on the whole, the
marines showed best, not even accepting the Guards. As the regiments arrived at
the north end of the Park, each company wheeled to the left and took up their
respective positions for marching past again. The brilliant appearance which
this double stream of troops presented, the solid masses of men, with their
undulating movements showing itself in the rise and fall of thousands of
bayonets, exceeded any metropolitan display of the kind we have yet witnessed.
This evolution, both by horse and foot artillery, was beautifully performed.
The batteries of guns and wagons seemed each a whole machine, so perfect was
their regularity of movement. The march of the cavalry was also good. Among the
infantry, the marines again distinguished themselves, though, of course, the
guards carried off the honours. The marching of some of their companies seemed
a perfectly marvellous perfection of drill. All officers as they passed saluted
the Royal party, and the colours were lowered. The sailors saluted in their own
way, by marching past bare-headed, but with all their eyes intently fixed upon
her Majesty. It seemed almost a pity that more of the blue-jackets were not
present, if only to gratify the people, for beyond a doubt they were the
favourites of yesterday, and, on leaving the ground, got one of the few hearty
cheers which broke the otherwise rather silent proceedings of the day. The 2nd
Battalion of Rifles were, as usual, attended by their ram, which had been
washed and apparently bleached for the occasion. It is now too fat to march at
quick time, and its hobbling attempts to overtake the regiment yesterday, as it
passed the Queen, excited much amusement.
When the whole force had passed the second time, the infantry formed in the
order in which they stood when her Majesty arrived, while the cavalry, headed
by the horse artillery and artillery, came past at a canter. This much
enlivened the proceedings, and it was really a grand sight to see the life
guards coming down the Park like a stream of bright metal, and pouring their
solid troops past with a dash and velocity that seemed invincible. The horse
artillery, of course, thundered by, though the men seemed doing their utmost to
hold in their fiery horses. After this the cavalry and artillery returned to
their original positions on the line, which marched forward and gave the
impressive royal salute, and thus terminated the proceedings of a day from
which we trust a new era may be dated in the history of our army.
The greatest anxiety was manifested on the part of the people to see the
Cross of Valour men as they dispersed and left the ground; and the course of
almost each could be traced by the little group that followed him, anxious to
get a glimpse of the cross, with which all found more or less fault at the very
first. Than the Cross of Valour, nothing can be more plain and homely, not to
say coarse-looking. It is a very small Maltese cross, formed from the gun metal
of ordnance captured at Sebastopol.
In the centre is a small crown and lion, with which latters natural proportion
of mane and tail the cutting of the cross much interferes. Below, there is a
small scroll (which shortens three of the arms of the cross, and is utterly out
of keeping with the upper portions) bearing the words "For Valour."
The merit of the design, we believe, is due to the same illustrious individual
who once invented a hat.
One of the rules of the order is, that it shall never be conferred but on
account of acts of personal bravery performed before the enemy, or, to use the
words of the rule, Nothing but the merit of conspicuous bravery shall be held
to establish a sufficient claim to the honour." Another rule of the order
we are sure our readers will peruse with satisfaction. It is " From the
date of the act by which the decoration has been gained all non-commissioned
officers and privates shall be entitled to a pension of £10 a year, and for
each additional bar a-year extra." May they long live to enjoy it!
(Scanned and OCR'd - E&OE)
