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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dd53411 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65570 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65570) diff --git a/old/65570-0.txt b/old/65570-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4776539..0000000 --- a/old/65570-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7026 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of General Wauchope, by William Baird - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: General Wauchope - -Author: William Baird - -Release Date: June 11, 2021 [eBook #65570] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENERAL WAUCHOPE *** - - - - - - -[Frontispiece: Major-General WAUCHOPE, C.B., C.M.G., LL.D. _From a -Photograph by Horsburgh, Edinburgh._] - - - - - GENERAL WAUCHOPE - - - BY - - WILLIAM BAIRD, F.S.A. SCOT. - - AUTHOR OF - 'JOHN THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, PASTOR AND PAINTER' - 'ANNALS OF DUDDINGSTON AND PORTOBELLO' - 'SIXTY YEARS OF CHURCH LIFE IN AYRE' - ETC. - - - - EDINBURGH AND LONDON - OLIPHANT ANDERSON AND FERRIER - 1900 - - - - - - TO THE - OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE - WHO BRAVELY FOUGHT AT MAGERSFONTEIN - THIS MEMOIR OF THEIR LEADER - IS INSCRIBED - - - - -CONTENTS - - - -INTRODUCTION - -CHAP. - -I. THE WAUCHOPES OF NIDDRIE MARISCHAL - -II. CHILDHOOD--EARLY TENDENCIES--THE 'HOUSEHOLD -TROOP'--EDUCATION--NAVAL TRAINING--THE 'BRITANNIA'--THE 'ST. -GEORGE'--PRINCE ALFRED - -III. ENTERS THE ARMY--THE BLACK WATCH--ASHANTI WAR--RETURN -HOME--BANQUET AT PORTOBELLO - -IV. DEATH OF WAUCHOPE's FATHER--ORDERED TO -MALTA--REMINISCENCES--RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS--CYPRUS--APPOINTMENT AS -CIVIL COMMISSIONER OF PAPHO--REMINISCENCES--SIR ROBERT BIDDULPH--THE -SULTAN'S CLAIMS - -V. WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA--ARABI PASHA'S REBELLION IN -EGYPT--TEL-EL-KEBIR--MARRIAGE--LIFE IN CAIRO - -VI. THE EASTERN SOUDAN--BATTLE OF EL-TEB--ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE GENERAL -GORDON--ASCENT OF THE NILE--THE WHALE-BOATS--BATTLE OF -KIRBEKAN--RETURN TO CAIRO--MALTA--GIBRALTAR - -VII. THE MIDLOTHIAN CAMPAIGN - -VIII. THE 73RD REGIMENT AT MARYHILL BARRACKS--INCIDENTS OF HOME -LIFE--MILITARY LIFE AT YORK--APPOINTMENT TO SOUDAN CAMPAIGN - -IX. THE SOUDAN--BATTLES OF ATBARA AND OMDURMAN--ARRIVAL -HOME--RECEPTION AT NIDDRIE--DEGREE OF LL.D.--PAROCHIAL -DUTIES--PARLIAMENTARY CONTEST FOR SOUTH EDINBURGH - -X. OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA--COMMAND OF THE HIGHLAND -BRIGADE--DEPARTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA--THE SITUATION--BATTLE OF -MAGERSFONTEIN--DEATH--FUNERAL--AFTER THE BATTLE - -XI. CHARACTERISTICS - -INDEX - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - -PORTRAIT . . . . Frontispiece - -NIDDRIE MARISCHAL, FRONT VIEW - -ANDREW WAUCHOPE, MIDSHIPMAN, AGE 14 - -ANDREW WAUCHOPE, AGE 30 - -NIDDRIE MARISCHAL, BACK VIEW - -GENERAL WAUCHOPE ON HORSEBACK - -THE GRAVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD - -THE GRAVE AT MATJESFONTEIN - - - - -{9} - -INTRODUCTION - -On the 11th day of December 1899, amid the rattle of rifles, the -fierce booming of cannon, and the sharp bang of exploding shells, a -British force of Scottish Highlanders found themselves suddenly -confronted in the darkness of an early African morning by an unseen -enemy. All night they had been on the march, tramping the bare rocky -veldt north of the Modder river, to attack, and if possible capture, -the fortified and strongly entrenched position held by the Boer army -of General Cronje among the rocks and cliffs of Magersfontein. This -was full of difficulty and danger. But the relief of the beleaguered -garrison of Kimberley was urgent, and if the work were to be done, it -demanded the best the British army could achieve. Steadily and -determinedly stepped out the men of the Highland Brigade, commanded -by him they had long had reason to trust. As lieutenant, as captain, -as colonel, they had followed him in many a well-fought battle, and -now with Major-General Wauchope leading them in the darkness, no -doubt or fear entered their breast. - -But suddenly there was a flash of light from the rocks above, -followed immediately by a long belching flame of fire from a thousand -rifles in front. They had unexpectedly {10} stumbled on the enemy. -There was no time for reorganisation, and in the midst of an -entanglement of trenches and barbed wire fencing, and exposed the -while to a withering fire against which nothing human could stand, -the Highland Brigade was mown down. Here it was, but well in front -of his men, endeavouring to the last to cheer on his followers, one -of the most gallant and daring of modern British generals fought and -fell, a martyr for his Queen and country. - -General Wauchope's tragic end was no unfitting conclusion to a life -of devoted, arduous service. He died as he had lived, ever in the -midst of strife, an earnest, brave, and self-denying man, thinking -more of others than himself; graced with the dignity that comes from -inborn gentleness of spirit, and ever in his conduct exemplifying the -faith he professed. No wonder that when such a man fell, there was a -wail of lamentation, not merely around his own home in Edinburgh -where he was best known and loved, but throughout the whole British -Empire. - -The story of his life is one of incident and hairbreadth escapes, and -it deserves to rank high in the military annals of our country; for -among those who have helped to raise Great Britain to the honourable -position she holds among the nations of the world, as the vindicator -of freedom, as the protector of the weak against the strong, as the -pioneer of commerce, and the disseminator of Christianity, there are -few who have laboured more zealously or fought more bravely than he -whose career we shall in the following pages attempt to sketch. - -{11} - -In biography there is perhaps nothing more alluring than to trace out -traits in remote kindred, and to watch them coming forth with new -accompaniments in later generations, to work out, as it were, the -full story of the race, and probably to mark a climax in some chosen -individual. Though we have not space to follow this out in the -present case, the distinguishing characteristics of General -Wauchope's ancestors may easily be discerned throughout his career; -to them he doubtless owed that simple manliness which looked upon -every man--whatever his station--as a brother; that unswerving -courage in time of danger, that unflinching devotion to duty, that -cheerfulness of disposition, which made him a general favourite; all -sobered by a sense of the unseen and eternal which entered into the -very heart of his life. - -The author's efforts to gather the scattered material of so chequered -a career have been met on all hands by so willing a response from -those who could in any way claim the General's acquaintance, that his -task has been a pleasant and a comparatively easy one. For -interesting details and incidents coming under their personal -observation, his best thanks are due to Admiral Lord Charles W. D. -Beresford, C.B.; General Sir Robert Biddulph, G.C.M.G., G.C.B., -lately Governor of Gibraltar; Sir John C. M'Leod, G.C.B.; Colonel R. -K. Bayly, C.B.; Colonel Brickenden; Colonel Gordon J. C. Money; Major -A. G. Duff; Captain Christie, and other of his brother officers who -shared with him the dangers and toil of naval and military service, -in various parts of the world. - -{12} - -He cannot too gratefully acknowledge the kind assistance heartily -given by the Rev. George Wisely, D.D., Malta; the Rev. John -Mactaggart, Edinburgh; and the Rev. Alexander Stirling, York, army -chaplains. Their contributions have been invaluable. - -So fully indeed has material been placed at the author's disposal, -that the volume might have been easily extended beyond its present -limits. But enough, it may be hoped, has been said in illustration -of General Wauchope's career as a soldier, and his character as a -man, to enable his fellow-countrymen to realise that in his lamented -death the nation has lost one of its bravest and best. - - - - -{13} - -CHAPTER I - -THE WAUCHOPES OF NIDDRIE MARISCHAL - - -Andrew Gilbert Wauchope came of a long line of ancestry, who have -distinguished themselves as soldiers, as churchmen, or in the more -commonplace capacity of country gentlemen. - -The family history can be traced back for several centuries at least, -as occupying in the immediate vicinity of Edinburgh the estate of -Niddrie Marischal; and throughout the various troubles in which -Scottish history has been involved, the Lairds of Niddrie had their -fair share, forfeitures and restorations being an experience not -uncommon in their career. - -Glancing over their genealogy, one might almost say with truth that -the Wauchopes have ever been a fighting race, holding opinions -strongly, and as strongly asserting them by word or deed when -occasion arose. - -The very name of their estate has a smack of the military in it, if -it is true, as Celtic scholars say, that 'Niddrie' is derived from -the Gaelic _Niadh_ and _Ri_--signifying, in the British form of -Celtic, the king's champion. Then the addition to the word, as -distinguishing it from several other Niddries in Scotland, of -Marischal, Marishal, or Merschell appears to have been given to the -{14} estate from the fact that the Wauchopes of Niddrie were in early -times hereditary bailies to Keith Lords Marischal, and later, -Marischal-Deputies in Midlothian, in the reign of James v. - -Whether it be true, as stated by Mackenzie in his _Lives of Eminent -Scotsmen_, that the Wauchopes had their first rise in the reign of -Malcolm Caenmore, and that they came from France, we shall not stay -to discuss; but it is generally allowed that the name is a local -patronymic, common in the south of Scotland, and that the Wauchopes -of Niddrie Marischal belonged originally to Wauchopedale in -Roxburghshire, where they were for long vassals of the Earls of -Douglas. - -The records of the earlier generations of the family having been -lost, one cannot with accuracy say who was its founder, or when he -lived. In James the Second's reign, for making an inroad into -England, and again in Queen Mary's time, for espousing the cause of -that unfortunate sovereign, the estate of Niddrie was confiscated and -passed for a time into the hands of others, while the feu-charters -that remained were afterwards destroyed when the English under Oliver -Cromwell came to Scotland. But notwithstanding these misfortunes, -there are documents extant which go to show that as far back as the -time of Robert III., who began to reign in 1390, there was one -Gilbert Wauchope holding the lands of Niddrie from that king, who is -supposed to be the grandson of _Thomas Wauchope in the county of -Edinburgh_, mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. - -One scion of the family, born about the year 1500, in the reign of -James IV. attained to considerable distinction as an ecclesiastic. -This was Robert, the famous Archbishop of Armagh, a younger son of -Archibald, the Laird of Niddrie. Defective in his vision almost to -blindness, he was, {15} notwithstanding this misfortune, possessed of -great natural abilities, and by diligent study attained to high and -varied accomplishments. So proficient did he become in the study of -the Scriptures, the Fathers, and the Councils, that he was appointed -Doctor of Divinity in the University of Paris; and in 1535, having -attracted the notice of Pope Paul III., he was called to Rome, and -employed by him as legate to the Emperor of Germany and the King of -France, in both of which commissions he is said to have exhibited the -highest qualifications as an ambassador. Some time after he was -promoted to be Archbishop of Armagh, in Ireland. There he laboured -with incredible pains to enlighten the ignorant natives, travelling -about his diocese, and often preaching to them four or five times a -week. Archbishop Wauchope found scope for his great talents at the -Council of Trent. This famous council, called together by the Pope -to counteract the influence of the Reformation initiated by Luther in -Germany, met in March 1544, and continued its sittings till 1551. -The archbishop not only took a part in its proceedings, but wrote a -full account of them, a labour which, however, proved too much for -his strength, for he died at Paris on his way home on 9th November -1551. He appears to have been held by his contemporaries in high -admiration. Lesley says: 'Such was his judgment in secular affairs, -that few of his age came near him,' and in his capacity as legate 'he -acquitted himself so well that every one admired his wit, judgment, -and experience.' - -Sir James Ware, speaking of him in a similar strain, and alluding, -like Lesley, to his having been born blind, says: 'He was sent legate -_a latere_ from the Pope to Germany, from whence came the German -proverb, "a blind legate to the sharp-sighted Germans."' - -{16} - -[Sidenote: Some ancestors] - -Robert's elder brother, Gilbert Wauchope, was meanwhile Laird of -Niddrie, acquiring more property, extending his borders, and getting -himself involved in the local feuds peculiar to the time of James V.; -that king on one occasion, April 1535, having to grant a letter of -protection in favour of him 'and his wife and bairns' against Sir -Patrick Hepburn of Wauchtonne and thirty-four others for 'umbesetting -the highway for his slaughter.' In this quarrel, even the Pope was -called upon to interfere in the interest of peace and safety. In -1539 Paul III. put forth a mandate to the Dean of the Church of -Restalrig, stating that a beloved son, a noble man, Gilbert Wauchope, -lord in temporals of the place of Niddriffmarschall, within the -diocese of St. Andrews, had represented to the Pope that some sons of -iniquity, whom he was altogether ignorant of, had wickedly brought -many and heavy losses upon the said Gilbert Wauchope by concealing -the boundaries and limits or marches of the piece of land or place -called Quhitinche, feued to him by the Abbot and Convent of the -Monastery of the Holy Cross (Holyrood).... Therefore the Pope -intrusted to the discretion of the said Venerable Dean and Commissary -to admonish publicly in churches, before the people, ... all holders, -etc., and to discover and restore these to the said Gilbert Wauchope -or to the Abbot of the Monastery, under a general sentence of -excommunication against these persons, till suitable satisfaction was -made. - -But the Reformation brought many changes, upsetting the laws, -customs, and opinions held sacred for centuries. The sons no longer -walked in the ways of their fathers, but began to think for -themselves. And so we find that Gilbert, the son of the laird who -had sought and obtained protection from the Pope, renounced the Pope -and took {17} an active part in promoting the Reformation. He was -present at Knox's first sermon at St. Andrews in 1547. And at the -conference of notables that afterwards was held, where Knox and his -preaching were fully discussed, and Wauchope was asked what he -thought of the Reformer, 'this answer gave the Laird of Nydre--"a man -fervent and uprycht in religioun."' This Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie -was a member of the famous Parliament, held at Edinburgh in August -1560, by which the Reformation was established. - -Later on we have a George Wauchope, a celebrated Professor of Civil -Law at Caen, in Normandy, who was a grandson of Gilbert, and who in -1595, when he was about twenty-five years of age, wrote _A Treatise -concerning the Ancient People of Rome_. - -But the early Wauchopes were a wonderfully varied class of men, who -could take their share of fighting when necessary; and towards the -close of the sixteenth century their feuds, their 'slauchters,' and -political partisanship well-nigh led to their extinction. The feuds -with the neighbouring Hepburns and Edmonstons were the occasion of -many unhappy conflicts, while their adhesion to the cause of Queen -Mary for a time brought ruin on the family. Professor Aytoun, in his -poem of 'Bothwell,' referring to Bothwell's attempt to intercept the -Queen on her way from Stirling and carry her to Dunbar Castle, says:-- - - 'Hay, bid the trumpets sound the march, - Go, Bolton, to the van; - Young Niddrie follows with the rear; - Set forward every man.' - - -The estate of Niddrie is quite close to Craigmillar Castle, where -Mary frequently resided, and in all {18} probability the fascination -of her character brought the Wauchopes into frequent contact with -her, and led them to espouse her cause when many of the leaders of -the Scottish nobility had declared against her. We find, therefore, -that Robert Wauchope and his son Archibald are mentioned in the -'charge agains personis denuncit rebellis' in June 1587. This -Archibald appears to have been a youth of wonderful pugnacity, and to -have got himself continually involved in trouble with the authorities -for breaches of the peace, out of which he as often extricated -himself, with no little cleverness. Once, in 1588, for an attempted -'slauchter' of 'umquhile James Giffert, and Johne Edmonston,' the -adjoining laird, he was arrested, tried, and warded in the Tolbooth -of Edinburgh; but 'no pardoun being granted' by the king, 'and about -a thousand persouns in the Tolbuith waiting upon the event, the -candles were put furth about ellevin houres at night, and Nidrie and -his complices escaped out at the windowes.' It is a curious -reflection upon the Wauchopes of this time that their name should be -associated with the wild Clan Gregor of Perthshire as disturbers of -the peace. King James VI. was married in 1590 to the Princess Anne -of Denmark. On the 1st May the king and queen landed at Leith, amid -a great concourse of loyal subjects, 'and with volleys of cannon, and -orations in their welcome.' James had been absent from Scotland more -than six months, and it was remarked at the time, and came to be -memorable afterwards, that these months were a time of universal -peace and good order in Scotland. 'The only notable exceptions,' -according to Spottiswood, 'had been a riot in Edinburgh by Wauchope -of Niddry, and an outbreak of the Clan Gregor in Balquhidder.' - -In connection with this, we find Wauchope charged {19} by the Privy -Council (7th January 1590), 'along with all other keepers of the -places and fortalices of Rossyth and Nudry,' to deliver the same to -the officer executing these letters, within six hours after charge, -under penalty of treason; the said officer to fence the goods and -rents belonging to Wauchope, which are ordered to remain under arrest -at the instance of the King's Treasurer, 'aye and quhill he be tryit -foule or clene of sic crymes quharof he is dilaitet.' - -[Sidenote: Attack on Holyroodhouse] - -Not to mention other scrapes of a similar kind, Archibald Wauchope -was implicated in the attack on the palace of Holyroodhouse, 27th -December 1591, and for this and other misdemeanours he was forfeited, -along with the Earl of Bothwell and others, and had to leave the -country for a time. He afterwards came to an untimely end by falling -from a window in Skinner's Close in Edinburgh, about the year 1596. - -It was apparently about this period that the old house or tower of -Niddrie Marischal--'so commodious that it could garrison a hundred -men'--was destroyed by the enemies of the family. - -For some years the estate was in the hands of Sir James Sandilands of -Slamannan, until 1608, when, through the good graces of James VI., it -was restored to Francis, son of Archibald Wauchope, a restitution -which was confirmed by Act of Parliament in 1609. Francis (usually -styled Sir Francis Wauchope) appears to have done a good deal for the -estate, but his son, Sir John Wauchope, may be regarded as the chief -restorer of the house of Niddrie. He was frugal in his living, and -he added several adjoining properties to the estate by purchase, and -received the honour of knighthood from Charles I. on his visit to -Scotland in 1633. He was an intimate friend of the {20} notorious -Duke of Lauderdale in their younger days, living with him, and spoken -of as 'his bed-fellow.' - -Sir John exercised great judgment in the management of his affairs; -so much so, that in 1661 he acquired by purchase the border estate of -Yetholm or Lochtour, in Roxburghshire, which has remained in the -family ever since. He was present in London at the coronation of -Charles II.; in 1663 he was elected a member of the Scottish -Parliament, and one of the Committee for the Plantation of Kirks; and -in 1678 was a member of the Convention of Estates. - -Other lairds appear in succession as the years rolled on. There are -Williams, Andrews, Gilberts, Roberts, following one another as the -leaves succeed in the spring to those that have fallen in the autumn, -but it is not our purpose to follow their story. One fought and fell -at Killiecrankie with Viscount Dundee in 1689; another fought for the -Stuarts at the Revolution, and afterwards rose to high command in the -French and Spanish services; and though the Wauchopes took no active -part in the Stuart risings of 1715 and 1745, their sympathies were -all for the exiled race. - -In Niddrie House there are to be seen full-length portraits of -Charles I. and his queen; four small half-lengths of the Chevalier -and his consort, and their two sons, Prince Charles Edward and the -Cardinal York, as boys. These are understood to have been forwarded -direct from the Chevalier himself to the Niddrie family as an -acknowledgment of their loyalty, and the assistance--pecuniary and -otherwise--which the royal line of Stuart had received at their hands. - -[Sidenote: A 'Minden' hero] - -To come to more recent times, we find that Andrew Wauchope of -Niddrie--the great-grandfather of the subject {21} of our sketch, -born about the year 1736--was a captain in the First Regiment of -Dragoon Guards, and fought at the battle of Minden in Westphalia, -where in 1759 the French were defeated by an army of Anglo-Hanoverian -troops. He lived to a good old age, for it was he who was alluded to -by Sir Walter Scott in the ballad written on the occasion of the -visit of George IV. to Scotland in 1822:-- - - Come, stately Niddrie, auld and true, - Girt with the sword that Minden knew; - We have owre few sic lairds as you, - Carle, now the King's come. - -This Andrew Wauchope married, in 1786, Alicia, daughter of William -Baird, Newbyth, and sister of the celebrated Sir David Baird, the -hero of Seringapatam, who a few years afterwards--in 1805--commanded -the expedition to the Cape of Good Hope which, after a decisive -victory over the Dutch, received, on 6th January 1806, the surrender -of the colony to Great Britain. There were nine children of this -marriage, five boys and four girls. The eldest, Andrew, was killed -in 1813 at the battle of the Pyrenees while in command of the 20th -Regiment of Foot, and so the second son, William, succeeded to the -property, old Andrew Wauchope having resigned it in his favour in -1817, retaining for himself the liferent. - -William Wauchope, who had the year before married Elizabeth, eldest -daughter of Robert Baird of Newbyth, and niece of the then -Marchioness of Breadalbane, was a lieutenant-colonel in the army. -Curiously enough, William's younger brother, Admiral Robert Wauchope, -was stationed at Cape Town at the beginning of the century, where he -resided for many years with his wife. They knew the Dutch well, and -were on the most friendly terms with both Dutch and English settlers -in the colony. - -{22} - -William Wauchope died in 1826, leaving a family of two, the eldest of -whom, Andrew Wauchope, born in 1818, being then a minor, succeeded to -the property. His sister, Hersey Susan Sydney, was married in 1842 -to George Elliot, captain, Royal Navy, eldest son of the Hon. Admiral -Elliot. Andrew Wauchope, the father of the subject of our memoir, -was for a time in the army--an officer in the dragoons; but, being of -a delicate constitution, he retired after his marriage to reside at -Niddrie, where he was long known and respected as a kind and -indulgent landlord, ever ready to give a helping hand to his tenants -or to religious and philanthropic objects. He did a great deal -towards completing the extensive improvements begun by his father on -the house and grounds of Niddrie. - -The newer part of the house, forming the north-east wing, was erected -by William Wauchope about seventy-five years ago. It contains some -handsome apartments, and it is interesting to note that the -celebrated Hugh Miller, when a lad, was employed (in 1823) as a mason -at the work, and is said to have carved a number of the ornamental -chimneys which form a distinctive feature of a most picturesque -edifice. What the father began, the son ultimately completed. The -park was extended, new approaches and avenues were formed, lodges -erected, and gardens and vineries laid out--the whole place being -transformed into one of the most beautiful country seats to be found -in the county of Midlothian. These somewhat extensive works, resumed -by the father of the General about the year 1850, were steadily -carried on year by year until his death, 22nd November 1874, for he -took much pride in the work, and made it his life hobby. - -[Sidenote: Sir William Wallace] - -So far this brief genealogy of General Wauchope's family has been -traced through the male line, but it would be {23} incomplete and -lacking in public interest, did we not also refer to his descent on -the female side from the family of Sir William Wallace, the champion -of Scottish freedom. This interesting connection is traced to James -Wauchope, the grandfather of the 'Minden' hero. In 1710 he married -Jane, daughter of Sir William Wallace, Bart, of Craigie, near Ayr, -whose eldest son, Andrew, succeeded his cousin in 1726, and in his -line the property has remained to the present time. - -[Illustration: Niddrie Marishchal, Front View] - -Over the fireplace of the dining-room of Niddrie House there is a -painting on canvas inserted in panelling said to be a portrait of -'Wallace Wight.' It has been in possession of the family for nearly -two hundred years, being mentioned in various inventories of the -property from the year 1707. An interesting notice of it appeared in -James Paterson's _Wallace and his Times_, and the family tradition is -that it is a genuine portrait of the hero, the words inscribed above -the likeness, 'Gvl: Wallas: Scotvs: Host: ivm: Terror,' certainly -giving colour to the supposition. We are more inclined to think, -however, that the portrait represents one of the more immediate -ancestors of the Jane Wallace who brought the connection into the -family--probably Sir William Wallace of Craigie, who distinguished -himself as a loyalist in the civil wars. It certainly came into the -family through the marriage of James Wauchope in 1710 with Jane, -daughter of Sir William Wallace of Craigie, and if it does not -represent the champion of Scottish independence, it is from the same -source as a similar portrait preserved at Priory Lodge, Cheltenham, -in the hands of a descendant of the Craigie-Wallace family. - -It was when he was serving with his regiment at Monaghan, in Ireland, -that the father of General Wauchope first met his future wife, -Frances Maria, daughter of Henry Lloyd of {24} Lloydsburgh, County -Tipperary. They were married on 26th March 1840, and two sons and -two daughters were the issue of the marriage. These were-- - -1. William John Wauchope, born in September 1841. - -2. Harriet Elizabeth Frances, afterwards married to Lord Ventry of -County Kerry, Ireland, by whom she has issue, five sons and four -daughters, of whom her daughter, the Hon Hersey Alice -Eveleigh-De-Moleyne, is the present Countess of Hopetoun. - -3. Andrew Gilbert, the subject of our story, born at Niddrie on 5th -July 1846. - -4. Hersey Josephine Frances Mary, now residing in London. - - -A typical Scotsman, loyal to the backbone to the land of his birth, -Andrew Gilbert Wauchope had always a warm corner in his heart for -Ireland, and was ever ready to acknowledge, and indeed to boast of, -his Irish extraction. Combining as he did much of the canniness of -the Scot with that steady-going determination of purpose and -fearlessness in danger peculiar to his countrymen, he displayed the -Irish side of his character in that generous light-heartedness and -impulsive good nature which often led him into self-denying deeds of -kindness, and now and again into trouble. General Wauchope was, as -we have seen, the heir to no mean family traditions. The record of -the Wauchopes is one of patriotic energy through five or six hundred -years of stirring Scottish history, many of them years of turmoil and -strife; and the warlike spirit of the fathers, as well as their more -peaceful characteristics, may be found not infrequently imaged in -this last scion of the race. - - - - -{25} - -CHAPTER II - -CHILDHOOD--EARLY TENDENCIES--THE 'HOUSEHOLD TROOP'--EDUCATION--NAVAL -TRAINING--THE 'BRITANNIA'--THE 'ST. GEORGE'--PRINCE ALFRED. - - -General Wauchope's boyhood was spent mostly at Niddrie, with -occasional short visits in summer to the other property of the family -at Yetholm, among the pastoral Cheviot hills. - -A high-spirited, frolicsome boy, delighting in the open air and every -kind of outdoor sport, 'Andy,' as he was familiarly called, found -scope for his energies in the beautifully wooded park surrounding the -house. Bird-nesting, rabbit-catching, and fishing in the burn which -meanders through the estate, found him an ardent enthusiast, but -often brought him into trouble with his father and mother. His -bird-nesting feats, prosecuted with all the zest of a professional -poacher, often resulted in the dislocation of his clothes, and shoes -and stockings too often betrayed the fact that friendly visits to the -burn were more frequent and prolonged than ought to be. Many a time -Andy was thus in a sore plight. Drenched and torn, he would go to -the kindly gardener's wife, to get the rents in his jacket sewed, his -stockings changed, and his shoes dried, before venturing into the -family presence. In his adventures over the property, the burn was -never a barrier to his {26} progress. It was the same with hedges, -ditches, or stone walls. If he wanted to reach a certain point, he -made a straight road to it over every obstacle. - -[Sidenote: Youthful tendencies] - -But the limits of the park did not always satisfy his roving desires. -He soon made himself acquainted with the surroundings of his home. -Craigmillar Castle was a favourite resort on the one side; the beach -at Portobello gave him a taste for the sea and aquatic exercise; -while the neighbouring little village of Niddrie was not long in -making his acquaintance. Here he was known to every one, for Andy -made himself at home in every cottage; and if the boys stood in some -awe of him, and mothers blamed him for sending their sons home with -their clothes torn, or their noses bleeding, still, for all that, he -was always welcomed among them, sometimes with a 'jeelie' (jelly) -piece or a new-baked scone! - -Many a frolic he and the boys of the village were engaged in, if all -tales were told, and sometimes Andy got credit for more than he -deserved. Boys will be boys, but his boyhood early showed the spirit -of the man, for to have a number of country boys together, and put -them through military drill, was the height of his delight. He was a -born leader, and he doubtless imbibed his love of soldiering from the -frequent opportunities he had of seeing military manoeuvres in the -Queen's Park, or more likely on Portobello sands, where at that time -there was a great deal of drilling, both of the regulars and of the -yeomanry cavalry. That the military instinct revealed itself early -may be gathered from the following:--One day the village dominie, -worthy old Mr. Savage, looking out of the school door across the -road, saw the youthful form of Andy--then about seven or eight years -old--on the top of the high boundary wall of his father's park, which -at that place is {27} nearly nine feet high. 'What are you doing up -there?' shouted the dominie; 'get down at once, you young rascal, or -you'll get killed!' But Andy only waved his hand as he shouted back, -'It's all right, Mr. Savage: I'm only viewing the enemy,' and off he -scampered along the top of the wall! - -Andy's 'household troop' was not a large one, but it sufficed. With -Tom and Jim, the gardener's sons, and their sisters, Jess and Bella, -assisted by a few male and female recruits from among the children of -the other workers, with his sister Fanny and his cousins Elizabeth -and Nina Elliot, now Lady Northesk and Mrs. J. Dacre Butler -respectively--one of whom carried the banner, and another the -drum--the youthful general managed to make a fair show. He drilled -them well, and was naturally very proud of them. One day there -happened to be company at the house. Andy, anxious to display his -forces, marched them up to the front door, and there, seated on his -little black pony 'Donald,' he put them through their facings, to the -great entertainment of the visitors. He was not content with this, -however. He must needs take the place by storm, and so, putting -himself at the head of his troop, he gave the word of command, -'Forward, march!' and actually marched them into the hall, and -through the dining-room to the terrace at the back of the house, -bravely leading them on his pony! - -The ice-house stood in the park not very far from the house. It was -a vaulted chamber covered with turf, forming externally a mound which -made a capital fort. Many a time was it the scene of mimic warfare, -its defence or assault giving splendid scope for the youthful -general's military genius,--brilliant attacks being as brilliantly -defeated without any great loss of life! - -Sometimes 'Andy's' attacks took a wider range, and {28} nocturnal -escapades of a frolicking nature are said to have been not -infrequent. It is told of him that having gathered a few of the -village boys together, they made a raid one night upon the workshop -of the village joiner, and took away a number of odd cart-wheels -lying about in the yard. These they fastened to the doors of some of -the cottages, where they were found next morning, much to the -surprise of the inmates, who had some difficulty in getting egress -from their houses! Nobody, of course, could tell who was to blame; -but, as our informant remarked, 'They a' kent wha did it: it was just -some o' Maister Andra's mischief.' - -One old woman in the village, whose temper was not very good, and who -laboured under the conviction that her hen-house was from time to -time robbed of its roosters, had made herself somewhat obnoxious, and -it was determined to give her a real fright. So one evening, after -all decent folks were supposed to be in bed, Andy and his company -slipped quietly round to the hen-house, and presently there was a -great commotion and cackling among the feathered occupants. The old -lady in her bed heard it all, but was too frightened to come to the -rescue. She was certain, however, that some of her favourite hens -had been taken, and next day she went up to the laird at the big -house to complain, and to ask compensation. Andy was with his father -when the old woman was laying off her story, but betrayed no signs of -his complicity in the transaction, wisely preferring to keep his own -counsel in the matter. Of course the boys had taken none of her -property. They only wanted to play a trick upon her. - -Andy was, however, not a boy who would perpetrate any wilful -mischief, or do anything that would cause pain. He hated cruelty, -and once when he was accused of having {29} killed the cat of an old -servant of the family, who lived as a pensioner in the village, he -heard the accusation with the greatest indignation. Going at once to -Mary's house he strongly asserted his innocence, telling her with all -earnestness, 'I'd rather shoot myself, as shoot your cat, Mary.' - -Very early in life he evinced a strong desire to share in the sport -of the hunting-field. His father would not, however, hear of it, and -refused to allow him to get a proper rig-out. But Master Andrew was -not to be balked in his ambition, for one morning, getting into a -pair of his father's top-boots, many sizes too large for him, and -securing the biggest horse in the stables, he boldly set off for the -hunt. The appearance of such a mite with boots that would scarcely -keep on his feet, on the back of a big hunter, created great laughter -among the county gentry at the meet. - -[Sidenote: Early education] - -During these early years of Wauchope's life, so free from restraint, -his education was being carried on at home under a tutor. At the age -of eleven he was sent to a school at Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, but -he did not remain there very long. He had a hankering for active -life, and specially for the sea. It was accordingly resolved to -prepare him for entering the navy as a midshipman, and he was sent to -Foster's School, Stubbington House, Gosport. His experience here was -also a short one, and was marked by an incident characteristic of his -spirit of adventure and faithfulness to obligations; though in this -case we must say the latter virtue was rather misapplied, and it -might well be said 'his faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.' The -boys at Foster's, evidently wanting to vary the monotony of school -life--perhaps none of the brightest--thought it would be a good lark -if one would run away from the school, and they resolved to draw lots -who it {30} should be. The lot fell upon young Andy Wauchope, and, -like the loyal lad he was, he resolutely stuck to the agreement and -ran off from the school, but of course he was promptly brought back -by his people, and no doubt received the just reward of his frolic! - -He used to say long afterwards that he had only been at two schools -when he was a boy. 'At one of them he was said to be the best boy in -the school, but at the other he was the very worst!' - -With what would now be considered a very inadequate training, young -Wauchope was on the 10th September 1859 entered as a naval cadet on -board Her Majesty's ship _Britannia_, there to pick up in the rough -school of a sailor's life that knowledge of the world, and -particularly of his naval duties, which books and schooling had -denied him. At the same time, though deprived of the advantages of -Eton or Harrow, or any of the Scottish Universities, he had a much -better gift than education--an immense natural shrewdness, and a -persevering application, which afterwards made him a good French and -German scholar. Among his shipmates on the _Britannia_ he was a -general favourite. He was only thirteen years of age, but appears to -have been a plucky little fellow, full of life and fun, and quite -capable of standing up for himself, or for a friend if need be; and -in the thirteen months of his service in the ship he made several -lifelong friendships. Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, writing to us -of that period, mentions that he and Wauchope joined the navy about -the same time. 'I remember,' he says, 'our chests were close -together in the _Britannia_. We separated when we went to sea, but -we never lost the friendship we formed in the _Britannia_. We met -often in different parts of the world, and I always {31} found him -the same sterling, honest, strong, and chivalrous friend, whose -splendid characteristics had so impressed me as a boy. I have always -regarded his friendship for me with sentiments of pride. He was very -proud of being a Scotsman, and being an Irishman myself, we had many -arguments--as boys will have--as to which nation possessed the most -interesting personalities. We agreed cordially on every other point, -but never once on this. The nation has lost one of its best in poor -Andy Wauchope.' There are doubtless others of his _Britannia_ -shipmates surviving who could give similar testimony. - -[Sidenote: Enters the Navy] - -On the 5th October 1860, Wauchope received his discharge from the -_Britannia_, and was entered as a midshipman on board H.M.S. _St. -George_, and he mentions himself with what pride and satisfaction he -found himself on that autumn day walking down the main street of -Portsmouth in his new uniform to join the _St. George_. 'It was one -of the happiest days of my life,' he says; 'a day in which I felt -myself identified as an officer in Her Majesty's service, more -particularly as on the way down to the harbour I was met and saluted -by one of the marines.' - -The _St. George_ was manned by eight hundred men, and in 1860 was -considered a well-equipped vessel, and as compared with the days of -Nelson and Collingwood showed a great advance in naval strength and -efficiency. At Trafalgar the biggest gun in the whole British fleet -was only a fifty-six pounder, but the _St. George_ had in addition to -a number of that calibre several sixty-eight pounders, while her -speed of ten knots an hour was considered highly satisfactory. -Though these equipments would not bear comparison with present-day -standards, the young midshipman was proud of his ship and proud of -the service, and in after years could with no little exultation {32} -honestly say that, 'though armaments had changed, the hearts of oak -remained as of yore; while the old red rag, which had withstood the -battle and the breeze for a thousand years, was still able to claim -the allegiance of its people.' - -[Sidenote: H.R.H. Prince Alfred] - -Wauchope's commanding officer on board the _St. George_ was Captain -the Hon. Francis Egerton--whose son, Commander Egerton, was killed at -Ladysmith in November 1899--and among his brother officers were -H.R.H. Prince Alfred, afterwards the Duke of Edinburgh, and latterly -known as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, and Admiral Sir Robert -Harris, now Commander-in-Chief of the Cape of Good Hope station. - -The _St. George_ was commissioned at Portsmouth, and was transferred -to Devonport early in 1861. She was then one of the noblest and most -imposing-looking ships of the service, having the year before been -thoroughly overhauled and converted from a one hundred and twenty gun -ship to one of ninety guns. As a three-decker sailing ship she was -considered one of the finest fighting vessels afloat, and her -conversion to a steamship of the line had been attended with the most -successful results. She was selected by Prince Albert for his son, -the youthful Prince Alfred, who joined her as a midshipman a few -months after Wauchope--on the 16th January 1861--as she lay in -Plymouth Sound, under orders for a cruise to the British North -American Stations and the West India Islands. - -The greater part of the year seems to have been spent in and about -Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, which became a centre for -cruises in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Canadian ports. We have -it on the authority of several of those who were midshipmen with the -Prince, that they were a jovial, happy company, all on the most -friendly {33} terms with one another. The Prince, who was very fond -of 'Andy,' as he was always called, showed him particular friendship, -and the affection which as boys and shipmates they formed then -continued more or less in later years. - -The Prince came back to England in the month of August to spend a -short holiday with his parents at Balmoral, but rejoined his ship, -which was lying at Halifax, in October. His return was welcomed by -his mates and by the citizens of that town; and the Governor, the -Earl of Mulgrave, entertained His Royal Highness and the officers of -the _St. George_ at a state dinner on the eve of their departure for -a cruise to Bermuda. Among the sunny islands of the South the ship -and her crew were everywhere received with the utmost enthusiasm, the -black and white population alike vying with each other in their -demonstrations of loyalty; but the sudden death of the Prince Consort -at the end of December compelled the return home for a time of Prince -Alfred, who left his ship at Halifax on receipt of the sad news, with -every expression of sympathy from his brother officers. In the -spring of 1862 Wauchope's ship paid another visit to the West India -Islands, taking up her station for some weeks with other six ships of -the line at Bermuda, where the young 'middies' were entertained to a -continued round of amusements and excursions. - -A seafaring life, if often one of risks and toil, has its seasons of -enforced idleness. Midshipmen's amusements and practical jokes are -proverbial, and the quarter-deck of the _St. George_ was not always -free of them. Many pranks were played upon one another in idle hours -by these sprightly young officers, leading sometimes to reprimands by -their superiors; and young Andy Wauchope did not {34} always escape -the suspicion that he was an active leader in such ploys. It has -even been hinted that he had on one occasion the pluck--or, shall we -say, audacity?--to have a stand-up fight with the Queen's son. We do -not vouch for the story; but of this we are certain, that, if he had -a just cause of quarrel, he was not the boy to let even the prestige -of royalty stand between him and the punishment due to the aggressor, -whoever he might be. - -Some years afterwards, in the winter of 1863-64, when Prince Alfred -resided at Holyrood Palace, and was a student of Edinburgh -University, he paid a friendly visit to his old shipmate at Niddrie, -spending the day in pigeon-shooting. He and a number of his friends -arrived in the forenoon on horseback, and the identity of the party -not having been made known to the keeper of the Niddrie toll, through -which they had to pass to reach the house, he peremptorily insisted -upon payment. But being told that it was the Queen's son going to -see the laird, his loyalty so much got the better of him that he -would not take a copper. - -After luncheon the party adjourned to the park to have some shooting. -Mr. Wauchope, 'Andy's' father, was with them, and was persuaded to -try a shot, but unfortunately the piece went off in his hand before -he could take aim, and one of the footmen in attendance was hit in -the arm by the charge. Mr. Wauchope was so distressed over the -accident that he vowed he would never again take a gun in his hand. - -[Illustration: ANDREW WAUCHOPE, Midshipman, Age 14.] - -But it was not in the navy that young Wauchope was destined to -distinguish himself. It has been said that the severity and even -harshness of the naval discipline gave him a distaste of the service, -and drove him from it. Possibly some remarks he made on one occasion -as to his {35} having been unjustly punished for some petty offence -may have given some colour to this supposition. We rather incline to -accept the explanation of a brother officer, who asked him afterwards -why he left the navy. His reply was, 'for no reason except that his -father wished him, and that his father desired that he should have a -naval training before he entered the army.' - -[Sidenote: The St. George] - -The experience gained at sea was certainly not lost, for his father's -wisdom furnished him with a dual equipment which in after years was -not infrequently of value. The injustice of the punishment he -received when in the _St. George_, whatever it may have been, -certainly impressed itself upon him to this extent, that later in -life he made it a rule never to punish a soldier until thoroughly -satisfied of his guilt, and he always was inclined to give a man the -benefit of a doubt. - -The _St. George_ returned home in the beginning of July 1862 from her -long cruise in American waters, and with her return young Wauchope -closed his naval career. The official Admiralty record simply states -that 'on the 3rd of July 1862 Midshipman Wauchope was discharged from -the service at his own request, in order that he might qualify for -the army.' His whole naval experience, therefore, covered a period -of scarcely three years, but it gave him a knowledge of men and -things, and a knowledge of the world, better, perhaps, than any study -of books could afford. - - - - -{36} - -CHAPTER III - -ENTERS THE ARMY--THE BLACK WATCH--ASHANTI WAR--RETURN HOME--BANQUET -AT PORTOBELLO. - - -Young Wauchope had not long to wait for a commission. At that time -positions in the army could only be got by purchase and strong -influence, but he was fortunate in being enrolled as ensign, in -November 1865, in the 42nd Highlanders, one of the most popular and -distinguished of Scottish regiments, and familiarly known as the -'Black Watch.' He was only nineteen years of age at the time when he -joined the regiment at Stirling Castle, and is described by one of -his superiors as then 'a merry, rollicking lad, full of life and -fun.' 'Andy,' as he used to be called by the officers, and 'Red -Mick' more frequently by the men, was a general favourite; and, -notwithstanding his natural lightness of heart, he had soundness of -brain and judgment enough to know that promotion would only come to -him by diligent study and close application to his profession. His -commanding officer, Sir John M'Leod, appears, at all events, to have -been struck with the young man's energy of character and -indefatigable 'go,' for he describes him as at that time 'a -particularly energetic young lad, who thought nothing of walking from -Stirling to Niddrie to see his old father whenever he could get a few -days' leave at a week-end.' This, he explains, was not {37} at all -from motives of economy, 'but merely to walk off superfluous energy.' -Assiduous in the matter of drill, Wauchope soon became as proficient -as his instructor, for he took a thorough pleasure in the exercise. -The innate smartness and recklessness of the red-polled ensign at -once endeared him to a grave old Crimean drill-sergeant, who -forthwith charged himself with his training. Concerning this latest -accession to the commissioned strength of the Black Watch, the man of -stripes was wont to say--'That red-headed Wauchope chap will either -gang tae the deil, or he'll dee Commander-in-Chief!' - -[Sidenote: The Black Watch] - -Though the worthy sergeant's prediction has in neither case been -verified, young Wauchope, though at first inclined to consider his -superiors a trifle slow, soon fell into the steady sober ways of the -42nd, then as now noted for the gentlemanly conduct of its officers, -and the upright character of its rank and file. 'Step out, -shentlemens; step out. You're all shentlemens here; if you're not -shentlemens in the Black Watch, you'll not be shentlemens anywhere.' -Such was the opinion of their old Highland sergeant as he put them -through their drill. We have been told that at that time one might -be a year among the officers and never hear an oath uttered, while -smoking and drinking were scarcely known. Wauchope was thus -fortunate in being, at a critical period of his life, associated with -men who shunned what was vulgar, and whose influence over him was for -good. In military matters he early manifested the inquiring mind. -Points in drill or tactics, which he might not at first understand, -set him thinking, and he would not rest till he got an explanation of -their meaning and object. Captain Christie, then adjutant of the -Black Watch, lately governor of Edinburgh Prison, was early taken -into the young ensign's {38} confidence in difficulties of this kind. -Having been through the hard fighting and the terrible scenes of the -Indian Mutiny, the captain was made frequently to 'fight his battles -o'er again,' explaining the methods and tactics by which decisive -results were attained in the various engagements. Never what may be -called a great reader of books, Wauchope had two, however, placed in -his hand by his adjutant when in Stirling Castle, which he studied -assiduously. These two books--Macaulay's _Essays_ and Burke's -_French Revolution_--he read and re-read, borrowing them several -times, and there is little doubt that the perusal of them made a deep -and lasting impression upon his mind, going a long way towards the -formation of that strong political sagacity, administrative ability -in civil affairs, and military genius which were displayed on many -occasions in his after-life. - -In 1867 Wauchope went to Hythe, where he passed in the Military -School of Instruction first-class in musketry, and in June of that -year was promoted to be lieutenant. So proficient was he found in -the matter of drill that, in spite of his youth, he was appointed to -the important position of adjutant to the regiment in 1870, though -still retaining the rank of lieutenant, a position which he held with -the utmost credit for the next three years. During this time he -served successively with the 42nd in garrison duty at Edinburgh, -Aldershot, and Devonport. - -Leaving Edinburgh in 1869 by the transport _Orontes_, from Granton to -Portsmouth, the regiment reached Aldershot camp on the 12th November, -and was stationed there for two and a half years. After taking a -part in the Autumn Manoeuvres at Dartmoor in August 1873, they were -stationed for a few months at the Clarence Barracks, Portsmouth. His -duties during all these years were of the {39} most arduous and -trying description, but his singularly lovable and attractive nature -made him so many friends that difficulties disappeared before his -cheerful countenance. Speaking of this period in his career, Colonel -Bayly, afterwards his commanding officer, says--'It was very early in -his subaltern career that Wauchope was voted for the appointment of -adjutant, and he made one of the best that had ever been appointed. -His charm of disposition enabled him to gain the love of his men, -whilst his tact and firmness enabled him to enforce the necessary -discipline.' - -[Sidenote: Ashanti war] - -On the outbreak of the Ashanti war on the west coast of Africa in the -autumn of 1873, young Lieutenant Wauchope found his first -opportunity, in active foreign service, of showing the metal of which -he was made. - -The king of Ashanti--Koffee Kalcallee--the head of a strong warlike -kingdom on the north of the Gold Coast, had long asserted his -authority over the neighbouring provinces of Akim, Assin, Gaman, and -Denkira, down to the very coast where the Dutch and English had -settlements. The transfer, in 1872, of the Dutch possessions -adjoining Cape Coast Castle to Great Britain for certain commercial -privileges, gave King Koffee of Ashanti the opportunity for asserting -what he considered his lawful authority over the Fantees or adjoining -coast tribe. This, however, was only a covert excuse for striking a -blow at British rule on the Gold Coast, and in January 1873 an army -of 60,000 warriors--and the Ashantis, though cruel, are brave and -warlike--was in full march upon Cape Coast Castle and Elmina. The -British force on the spot under Colonel Harley was only a thousand -men, mainly West India troops and Haussa police, with a few marines; -and though the neighbouring friendly tribes, whose interest it {40} -was to remain under the British protectorate, raised a large -contingent for their own defence, this was a force that could not be -relied on. By the month of April the Ashantis had crossed the river -Prah, the southern limit of their kingdom, and were within a few -miles of Cape Coast Castle, and matters were looking serious. With -the aid of a small reinforcement of marines, the enemy were -fortunately kept at bay until the 2nd October, when a strong force -arrived from England, which turned the tide against King Koffee, and -ultimately swept him and his warriors back upon his capital. This -expedition, under Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his staff -and a body of five hundred sailors and marines, not only held their -own, but by the end of November, after much hard preliminary work, -had forced the king to retreat to Kumasi. Wolseley, finding the -expedition a more arduous one than was at first expected, had -meantime asked for further reinforcements, and on the 4th December -the Black Watch, accompanied by a considerable number of volunteers -from the 79th, left Portsmouth, arriving on 4th January 1874 at their -destination. Sir Garnet had now at his disposal a force consisting -of the 23rd, 42nd, and 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, detachments of -Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Royal Marines, which, with -native levies, formed a small but effective army wherewith to advance -into the enemy's country. - -This was no light task, more especially when the dangerous nature of -the climate is taken into account, and the necessity there was that -the enterprise should be accomplished, if at all, before the rainy -season, with all its concomitant malaria, set in. To pierce into the -heart of a country like Ashanti, with its marshes and matted forests, -its pathless jungles and fetid swamps, with a {41} cunning foe ever -dogging their steps, was the service imposed on this brave little -army of British. As Lord Derby remarked at the time, this was to be -'an engineers' and doctors' war.' Roads had to be made, bridges -built, telegraphs set up, and camps formed. But by the energy and -skill of General Wolseley, ably supported by such men as Captain (now -Sir) Redvers Buller, Colonel (afterwards Sir John) N'Neil, -Lieut.-Colonel (afterwards Sir Evelyn) Wood, Colonel (now Sir John) -M'Leod, and others who have since risen to distinction in the army, -the enterprise was successfully and brilliantly accomplished within a -month. The Ashantis were forced back upon their own territory in a -number of engagements, until at last their capital was seized and -burned to the ground. - -[Sidenote: Wauchope's black boys] - -Lieutenant Wauchope's share in this expedition was highly creditable -to his bravery and military skill. Accompanying Sir Garnet Wolseley -at an early stage of the struggle, as one of the staff, he resigned -his adjutantship of the Black Watch, and was afterwards fortunate in -obtaining special employment as a commander of one of the native -regiments formed at Cape Coast Castle, namely, Russell's regiment of -Haussas, the Winnebah Company. To form such crude material into a -well-disciplined body of soldiers seemed at first a well-nigh -hopeless undertaking. Their fear made cowards of them all. The very -sight of a gun terrified them, and for long they held their arms in -such superstitious dread, that they would hang them up in the trees -and actually worship them. But Wauchope's admirable drilling -qualifications stood him in good stead. He took, we are told, a -great pride in the training of his 'black boys,' as he called them, -and infused into them much of his own daring spirit. This -appointment separated him for a time from his own regiment, but on -{42} the Black Watch arriving afterwards at the Gold Coast, he had -frequent opportunities of fighting by their side. - -In the advanced guard, the 42d Regiment and Russell's Haussas, under -Colonel M'Leod, having crossed the Adansi hills, reached Prah-su on -the 30th January, and occupied a position about two miles from the -Ashanti main position at Amoaful. Surmounting innumerable -difficulties, and carrying all before them, the Highlanders by their -dash and intrepidity were a splendid example to those led by -Wauchope, who sometimes had difficulty in inspiring his men with -courage enough to face their much-dreaded enemy. In scouting and -clearing the ground his men were, however, invaluable, and if we -consider the dense undergrowth that covered the country traversed, -this was a work of great importance. By one traveller we are told -'the country hereabout (at Amoaful) is one dense mass of brush, -penetrated by a few narrow lanes, where the ground, hollowed by -rains, is so uneven and steep at the sides as to give scanty footing. -A passenger between the two walls of foliage may wander for hours -before he finds that he has mistaken the path. To cross the country -from one narrow clearing to another, axes and knives must be used at -every step. There is no looking over the hedge in this oppressive -and bewildering maze.' It was in such a position as this that the -battle of Amoaful was fought. The enemy's army was never seen in -open order, but its numbers are reported by Ashantis to have been -from fifteen to twenty thousand. After a stubborn day's fight in the -entanglement of the forest, the Ashantis were finally defeated with -great loss. - -[Sidenote: Attack on Kumasi] - -On the 1st February, the day following this important engagement, -orders were issued for an attack upon Becquah, towards which Captain -Buller and Lord Gifford {43} scouted at daybreak. The attack was -intrusted to Sir Archibald Alison, who had under his orders the Naval -Brigade, one gun and one rocket detachment, Rait's Artillery, -detachment of Royal Engineers, with labourers, 23rd Fusiliers, five -companies of 42nd Highlanders, and Russell's regiment of Haussas, -with scouts. This force was divided into an advanced guard and main -body, and Wauchope was again honoured with the post of danger, his -regiment of Haussas being in the advanced guard along with the Naval -Brigade and Rail's Artillery, all under the command of Colonel -M'Leod. After a toilsome march through the bush under a tropical -sun, the town of Becquah was reached, and a sharp but decisive -engagement took place, the main brunt of which fell upon Lord -Gifford's scouts and the Haussas. Still pressing on, the intrepid -little army, through many mazy trampings, arrived at Jarbinbah, every -inch of the ground being disputed by the enemy. Here Wauchope was -wounded in the chest by a slug fired down upon him from one of the -tall trees in the swampy ground in front of an ambuscade; but, -serious enough though it was, and causing much loss of blood, it did -not prevent him sticking to his post and looking after his 'black -boys.' After this battle King Koffee sent in a letter to Sir Garnet -Wolseley, with vague promises of an indemnity, hoping to prevent the -invading army approaching his capital; but his previous -prevarications did not admit of his tardy proposals being for a -moment entertained. The king, realising this, resolved to dispute -the passage of the river Ordah. The stream was about fifty feet -wide, and waist-deep, and the enemy, to the number of at least 10,000 -men, were posted on the further side. Russell's regiment of Haussas -was, on the afternoon of the 3rd February, at once passed to the -other side of the stream as a covering party to the Engineers, who -{44} were ordered to throw over a bridge. They rapidly made -entrenchments, and cleared the ground on the north side, so that the -whole advanced guard might successfully cross. In this affair -Lieutenant Wauchope acquitted himself with much coolness and bravery, -notwithstanding his wounded state, Colonel M'Leod reporting the -regiment as 'being in front the whole day, and having behaved with -remarkable steadiness under trying circumstances, _reserving their -fire_ with remarkable self-control.' This shows a decided -improvement in the discipline of Wauchope's 'black boys' from a -former despatch, where their firing was characterised as 'wild.' By -daybreak on the morning of the 4th February the bridge over the Ordah -was completed, amid drenching rain, which had continued all night, -and the whole available force was successfully passed over in spite -of the vigorous resistance of the Ashantis, who, with drums beating -and great shouting, were endeavouring to circle round the British. -'For the first half-mile from the river the path rose tolerably -even,' says one report; 'then after a rapid descent it passed along a -narrow ridge with a ravine on each side; dipped again deeply, and -then finally rose into the village. To the south-west of the -village, extending almost to the village itself, and for a -considerable distance along the road, the enemy had made a clearing -of several acres, by cutting down a plantain-grove. Colonel M'Leod -steadily advanced along the main road under cover of a gun, after a -few rounds from which the Rifles made a corresponding advance; then -the gun was brought up again, and another advance made; and in this -manner the village was at last reached and carried.' The Ashantis -fought well, and with a vigour and pertinacity which won the praise -and admiration of the Highlanders. The soldiers were put to their -mettle, and even the Haussas, as if {45} catching the fierce courage -of the Scotsmen, laboured with vigour and energy not eclipsed by any -in the field. The dislodgment of the enemy was not effected, -however, without considerable loss, Lieutenant Eyre being killed, -while Wauchope received a second severe wound, this time on the -shoulder. - -[Sidenote: Kumasi captured] - -The battle virtually decided the fate of Kumasi and King Koffee. On -the news of the defeat of his army the king fled, no one knew -whither, and the victorious General Wolseley, with his troops, -entered the blood-stained capital in the evening. Attempts were made -to negotiate with the king. He preferred to keep in hiding, and -after two days' stay in his capital in order, if possible, to compel -him to come to terms, it was at length resolved to destroy the place -and at once retire to Cape Coast Castle. Kumasi was burned to the -ground on the 6th February, and the British troops having -accomplished their purpose retraced their steps, and notwithstanding -the swollen state of the rivers--for the rainy season had just set -in--their destination was reached in twelve days. No time was lost -in getting the troops out of the influence of the deadly climate, and -accordingly by the 4th March the whole expeditionary force was -embarked for home. - -Wauchope's wounds, thanks to a good constitution, readily healed, and -by the time of his arrival at Portsmouth he was fairly convalescent, -though every effort made to extract the slug had been unsuccessful. -He left his favourite Haussas--his 'black boys'--with every -manifestation of regret, at Cape Coast Castle. Nor was the regret -only on his side, for we learn from one of his brother officers that -'they looked up to him as a father, and would willingly have followed -him through any danger, even to death itself.' - -{46} - -[Sidenote: Home again] - -For his conspicuous bravery in the various engagements in Ashanti, -Sir Garnet Wolseley's despatches brought Wauchope under the -favourable notice of the Government, and he was awarded the Ashanti -medal and clasp. On the return of the troops, they were received -with the utmost enthusiasm, commanders and men being fêted and -thanked, both at Cape Coast Castle and in England, for their -brilliant services. The expedition entered Portsmouth in March 1874, -with loud demonstrations of welcome, the Black Watch especially -coming in for a large share of popular attention. - -Sir Garnet Wolseley had in London and elsewhere a repetition of the -extraordinary reception he and his followers had experienced at Cape -Coast Castle on their triumphal return from Kumasi. - -A civic banquet was given in April by the Lord Mayor of London in the -Egyptian Hall, at which nearly three hundred guests sat down, -including nearly all the officers of the expedition. Among those -present were the Prince of Wales, Prince Arthur, the Duke of -Cambridge, and the Duke of Teck, besides a number of members of the -Cabinet. But although the bulk of the honours naturally fell to Sir -Garnet Wolseley and the senior officers of the expedition, and -Wauchope's name scarcely appears in these public demonstrations, his -friends in Scotland had their eye upon the young lieutenant who had -in a few short months carved out for himself a distinguished -reputation, and had added to the laurels of the house of Niddrie. -The people of Portobello specially determined to show their -appreciation of his gallant services by a public banquet, and though -at first the natural modesty of the young soldier shrank from such a -recognition of his services, after some persuasion he consented. The -{47} banquet took place on the 12th June in the Town Hall. There was -a large gathering of the principal inhabitants. Provost Wood -presided, and was supported by, among others, Sir James Gardiner -Baird, Lord Ventry, and a number of county gentry. - -In proposing the toast of the evening, Provost Wood took occasion to -say:--'We are met to do honour to a soldier who volunteered to serve -on the staff of General Wolseley in the recent war. At that time it -was thought that British troops would not be required, but that the -friendly natives, commanded and disciplined by British officers, -would be able to cope with the savage Ashantis. Lieutenant Wauchope, -on his arrival at the Gold Coast, was appointed one of the officers -of the Haussas--a body of natives who proved themselves superior in -courage and endurance to any of our African allies. Commanded and -led by British officers--the chief being the gallant Lord -Gifford--these troops did much valuable service. They formed the van -of our advancing army, and were frequently engaged in the most severe -and wild fighting. Our guest, in his ardour to see active service, -had voluntarily separated himself from his own regiment. Yet he was -destined to share with them the dangers and glory of the war. The -War Office, finding that the Ashantis were more formidable than was -at first expected, and that our native allies were less to be relied -upon, resolved to send out British troops. This meeting must feel -proud, as an assemblage of Scotsmen, that the 42nd Royal Highlanders -was one of the chosen regiments, and our guest must have felt -gratified when he found he had an opportunity of fighting beside his -own regiment at Amoaful; and at that place, while leading on his -Haussas, our gallant guest was wounded. He did not, however, fall to -the rear, but continued to {48} push forward, and, along with the -glorious 42nd, he entered the now famous city of Kumasi. I need -scarcely recall the events of the campaign--how a very small British -army, with little assistance from native allies, in the course of a -few weeks beat and shattered the enormous Ashanti forces, and -compelled the hitherto unconquered Ashantis to sue for peace, and -give freedom and security to the country round. It has always been -the pride and the pleasure of the people of this country to do honour -to those who have fought and bled for their country's cause, -especially so when that cause is associated, as it was in this -instance, with the spread of civilisation and the prevention and -prohibition of slavery and cruelty. The newspaper reports showed us -that the Lothians had gallant representatives at the Ashanti war, and -the people of Portobello felt proud to see the old and honoured name -of Wauchope prominently noticed. We also felt a desire to give -expression to the sympathy and respect we entertain for the house of -Niddrie by a public demonstration in honour of a young scion of that -house, who has proved that he has within him a dauntless spirit -worthy of his ancient lineage. We desire this evening to -congratulate our guest, that a kind Providence has guarded his life, -and protected him through the imminent risks of a pestilential -climate and the dangers of a wild war; and we hope yet to see -Lieutenant Wauchope rise to that high position in the service which -his talents and abilities so eminently qualify him to fill.' - -[Sidenote: Banquet at Portobello] - -Lieutenant Wauchope's reply was characteristic of the man. He was -not quite so much at his ease, or felt he was in his proper place, as -if he had been at the head of his Haussas. 'He thanked the Provost -for the too flattering words in which he had referred to his -services. He had {49} not deserved such great honour at their hands. -His services as rendered to the State were poor and -insignificant--very much so indeed. But he felt himself standing on -firmer ground when he remembered that he was an officer in the 42nd -Royal Highlanders. He recognised in the entertainment a desire to -mark their appreciation of the conduct of the regiment to which he -had the honour to belong. He had no hesitation in saying that the -42nd deserved well of its country, and he thought that it had added -honour to its history. - -'They were all well aware that the Ashantis had invaded our allies' -country, and had perpetrated many horrible cruelties. Our -representative on the coast sent remonstrances and threats, but these -were all in vain until backed by picked battalions. Two hundred -marines were first sent out. They landed at a most unhealthy season, -and most of them died. Sir Garnet Wolseley then arrived on the -scene, accompanied by British officers, and the result was that the -Ashantis were driven back beyond the river Prah, and within fifteen -miles of Kumasi. On the 4th February, King Koffee gave instructions -to his bodyguard that any man who ran away would have his head cut -off. But even King Koffee himself had to run before the British -bullets. He did not think that the lives that were lost, or the -money that was spent, were given in vain, because it would show those -barbarous nations that the glory of old England was not to be -trampled upon with impunity--that if people would invade our -territory and commit murders and crime, the retribution would be -terrible. The British lion took a long time to rise. He was a grand -old animal in his way; but when he did rise, the vengeance would be -speedy. He believed that the King of Ashanti bitterly regretted the -{50} day that he first invaded the British Protectorate.' He thanked -the company for the high honour they had done him, and concluded with -a few jocular remarks as to his connection with the town and -district. He could assure them, he said, that if fortune should -smile on him, and if on a future occasion he should return from some -campaign as a successful soldier, he should be disappointed if he was -not entertained by them in a similar manner. He was proud of the -district--of the county which gave him birth. He had often said to -himself that he would spend the latter days of his life in -Portobello. It might be that yet he would take the position of a -town councillor of the Burgh. He had no doubt he would make a most -excellent civil magistrate, and be a terror to evil-doers! In -afterwards replying to the toast of the House of Niddrie, Lieutenant -Wauchope referred to the long connection it had with the district, -and 'expressed the hope that as it had never brought dishonour upon -its name, it would never do so in the future. So far as in him lay, -he would always try to sustain its honour.' - -It is perhaps not wise to attach too much importance to after-dinner -speeches, but there is a ring of sincerity of purpose in these last -words, which in the light of after events gives them an importance -they might not otherwise have. Wauchope lived up to his ideal -standard of a chivalrous knight, and nobly upheld the honour of his -name. What Chaucer five hundred years ago wrote of his imaginary -knight, we to-day may say of our real one: - - 'He nevere yit no vileinye ne sayde - In al his lyf, unto no maner wight, - He was a verray perfight gentil knight.' - -{51} - -[Sidenote: Father and son] - -Wauchope's father was unfortunately unable to be present on so -auspicious an occasion on account of the state of his health, but he -was much gratified by this public recognition of his son's services. -The latter, still in indifferent health, with the slug-wounds in his -chest giving him no little trouble, had, however, a long period of -rest, and was much of the time at Niddrie. His attention to his -father was very marked while at home--father and son being frequently -seen arm in arm walking through the grounds. - - - - -{52} - -CHAPTER IV - -DEATH OF WAUCHOPE'S FATHER--ORDERED TO -MALTA--REMINISCENCES--RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS--CYPRUS--APPOINTMENT AS -CIVIL COMMISSIONER OF PAPHO--REMINISCENCES--SIR ROBERT BIDDULPH--THE -SULTAN'S CLAIMS. - - -In November 1874 Wauchope had the misfortune to lose his father, for -whom, especially since the death of his much-loved mother in the -summer of 1858, he had the closest affection, never permitting any -opportunity to pass without visiting the paternal roof. Though Mr. -Andrew Wauchope of Niddrie was only fifty-six when he died, he had -for some years been very much of an invalid, and was latterly unable -to take any active part in public business. He spent much of his -time in and about his house and grounds, taking a considerable -interest in their improvement; but outside he was well known for his -efforts to improve the position of those dependent upon him, and for -his quiet but consistent Christian character. - -He attended for several years before his death the Free Church at -Portobello, then under the ministry of the Rev. Robert Henderson -Ireland. There was no more regular attender of the church than Mr. -Wauchope, who was generally accompanied by one of his daughters, and -by his son Andrew when he happened to be at home, and {53} to the -last the friendship between Mr. Wauchope and his minister was of the -most cordial and kindly nature. We believe he often expressed his -sense of the benefit he derived from sitting under Mr. Ireland's -ministry. - -On Mr. Wauchope's death Lieutenant Wauchope's elder brother, William -John Wauchope, then a Major in the Enniskilling Dragoons, succeeded -to the estates, and in some measure this change altered his -relationship to the old home. It could not now be the same to him as -formerly, though he was on the most friendly terms with his brother, -and not unfrequently spent some of his time at Niddrie and Yetholm. - -There is little doubt that his father's death, coupled with his own -precarious state of health, brought to his mind a deeper conviction -of the seriousness of life, and led to his forming more pronounced -views of religious truth. But Lieutenant Wauchope, having creditably -won his spurs and fought and bled in his country's service, was not -the man to rest upon his laurels. He was ready, notwithstanding -former wounds, for further service when the occasion might arise. - -[Sidenote: Ordered to Malta] - -In November 1875 he again joined his regiment at Malta, where it had -been stationed for nearly a year. His arrival among his old comrades -was the occasion of a cordial welcome at the Floriana barracks, and -he at once threw himself with spirit into the whole work and drill of -the regiment, taking a lively interest in the welfare of the men and -also of their wives and children. A brother officer who was then -also a subaltern, and had joined the regiment at Malta a few months -later, says: 'Wauchope was the "Father of the Subalterns" or senior -Lieutenant, and right well he "fathered" newly joined youngsters, -always ready to help them in any way--lending {54} them ponies to -ride and play polo on. I was always,' he continues, 'associated with -him on the mess committee, and served under him, and what struck one -most about him was the thoroughness with which he tackled whatever -was on hand.' - -As regards the rank and file, he was a very brother to many of them, -as the following from one of the colour-sergeants will -show:--'Lieutenant Wauchope was always a favourite with the men, and -in Malta he took a deep interest in them and did much for them, -always manifesting a kindly sympathy towards any who were married -without leave, or who happened to be involved in any trouble which -entailed a deduction from their pay. On pay-day, while the sergeant -was paying the men, Wauchope would often sit at the table looking on, -and note any who got only a few coppers on account of stoppage for -support of wife and family, or for other reasons. He would quietly -tell them to wait a little till the company was all paid. Then he -would speak to each separately, giving them a word of sympathy or -admonition, along with a piece of money, expressing the hope as he -dismissed them that they would try to do better in the future. This -was so unusual as between officers and men that it had a wonderful -effect upon them.' Even in their recreations and amusements he -showed an interest, and encouraged them in every possible way. 'He -kept a small yacht while at Malta, and he was in the habit of -inviting the sergeants to an afternoon's enjoyment in cruising about -the harbour for an hour or two.' - -[Sidenote: Life in Malta] - -With him, care for his men was his first thought; and in commanding -the G company of the 42nd in Floriana barracks, another of his -sergeants observes 'that even in the hot summer afternoons, when the -men were lying {55} down in their beds, he used regularly to sit on -the barrack-room table lecturing them on minor tactics, often, I -fear, more to his own satisfaction than to their edification!' - -Of this period of Wauchope's life we have a most interesting sketch -from one who had ample opportunities of seeing his conduct, and -forming a judgment upon the motives and disposition of heart and mind -which governed his actions. Dr. Wisely, who has for many years been -army chaplain at Malta to the Presbyterian soldiers stationed there, -formed a close and intimate friendship with the young lieutenant on -his arrival in the island. He saw much of him, and their -acquaintance was renewed on several occasions when Wauchope happened -afterwards to be there. His opinion is therefore of some value. 'It -is,' says he, 'almost a quarter of a century since I became -acquainted with the late General Wauchope. He was then about thirty -years of age; and although he had been in the Black Watch for twelve -years or more, and had also for a considerable period been adjutant -of the regiment, he was still only a subaltern, and it seemed quite -uncertain when he would get his company. Promotion in the 42nd was -at that time very slow, and I asked him whether he had ever thought -of changing into some other regiment, where he might have a better -chance. His answer was a very emphatic "No." He wished to remain in -the old corps and take what came. - -'Wauchope held some special appointment at home, and his regiment had -been in Malta for several months before he joined them after the -Ashanti war. He had been severely wounded in that war. A leaden -slug, fired by one of the savages hidden among the branches of trees, -entered his breast, and it was a marvel he was not killed on the -spot. He told me he bled like an ox. His account of {56} how the -blood at last stopped was somewhat curious. His old colonel, Sir -John M'Leod, came to see him after he was wounded, and on leaving he -presented him with a copy of the Book of Psalms. Wauchope said that -he began wondering whether "old Jack," as he familiarly called his -commanding officer, whom he greatly venerated, was in the habit of -carrying about copies of the Psalms in his pocket to give to officers -when dangerously wounded, and it struck him in such a ludicrous light -that, after the good colonel was out of sight, he burst into such a -fit of laughing that he could not stop--and that, he said stopped the -bleeding! Sir John and Wauchope had a great respect for each other. -Wauchope looked up to Sir John with admiration bordering on awe. The -colonel regarded his lieutenant as a model officer. He told me that -Wauchope's character commanded universal respect, and that his high -moral tone and the thoroughness with which he discharged all his -duties gave him an influence which was invaluable. - -'On his arrival in Malta he was appointed musketry Instructor at -Pembroke Camp. The men's shooting did not come up to the standard -which it was thought it ought to reach; and one day Sir John said to -me: "Wauchope is making himself perfectly ill with his anxiety about -it. If he would only be anxious twenty-three hours out of the -twenty-four I would not mind so much, but he is anxious all the -twenty-four hours of the day!" - -'At that time, however, Wauchope was anxious not only about his -professional duties, but he was concerned about himself, for he knew -that his life was a most precarious one, scarcely worth a day's -purchase. The slug which pierced his chest had not been extracted. -It kept moving about, and at any moment might cause death. {57} This -he knew full well. He consulted the best surgeons in the island, but -they were unable to do anything. It was not, I believe, till about a -year afterwards that the slug was at last extracted by an Edinburgh -surgeon. - -[Sidenote: The drawn sword] - -'During this period of Wauchope's stay in Malta, when there was, as -it were, this drawn sword hanging over his head, although he -maintained a quiet exterior, he felt that there was but a step -between him and death. I saw a great deal of him then. He had -brought a letter of introduction to me from his law-agent in -Edinburgh, my old friend the late Mr. Colin Mackenzie, W.S., and from -the first he honoured me with his confidence. He spoke freely of the -possibility, not to say the probability, that his time on earth might -be short, but he showed no craven fear. He said he wished to know as -much as he could about the world into which he might soon be -going--that "undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller -returns." I have seldom met a man further removed from fanaticism, -and at the same time so full of reverence. From his earliest days he -seems to have feared God. He had not, however, escaped from the -doubts and difficulties raised by the sceptical spirit of the age. -He shrank from taking a leap in the dark. He wanted to be sure that -there was no mistake, and he took the best means of becoming sure. -"If any man will do His will," Christ says, "he shall know of the -doctrine, whether it be of God." This is what Wauchope did. He put -the desire to do God's will into every duty which fell to him. He -followed on to know the Lord, and he came to know the truth of the -Gospel, not only as a truth of faith, but a truth of personal -experience.' - -Lieutenant Wauchope was home on furlough more than once during the -period of the 42nd regiment's stay in {58} Malta, extending to nearly -four years, and it was on one of these visits to Edinburgh he was -operated upon successfully, as mentioned by Dr. Wisely. - -Though still only a lieutenant, he was appointed to the command of E -company in July 1878, while in Malta. With a wider range of duties -and greater responsibilities, this appointment gave him much -satisfaction, and he set himself to the task of making E company -_the_ company of the regiment, sparing neither time nor money to -advance its efficiency, and at the same time to add to the comfort -and pleasure of his men. To be one of Wauchope's company was -considered a high privilege. Two months afterwards--in September--he -received his full commission as captain. In addition to the yacht in -which he would give them occasional cruises, we are told by one of -his men that 'the company had a good boating-crew, and at a cost of -about £20 he had the best boat built for them that Malta could -produce. On one occasion, when they had some races, Captain Wauchope -steered them in a match with the 101st regiment, but not to victory. -Wauchope's boat, named "The Black Watch," was beaten, but he was the -first to declare that the race was lost owing entirely to his bad -steering.' - -[Sidenote: Occupation of Malta] - -The occupation of the island of Cyprus by Great Britain in 1878 gave -Wauchope a splendid opportunity for the exercise of his talents, not -only as a military man, but in the capacity of a civil administrator -and judge. The island was taken over from the Turks in July of that -year. Their government of it for centuries had been a curse to the -people and a curse on the land, and it had lapsed into one of the -forgotten spots of God's earth. The advent of British rule proved -the beginning of a new era for both its Greek and Turkish population. -Endowed with a healthy {59} climate and a fertile soil, Cyprus--once -so fruitful and prosperous--may yet rank as one of the most -flourishing dependencies of the Crown. It is full of romance, for -its lovely scenery and relics of the past well entitle it to be -called 'an Enchanted Island.' With mediæval traditions of its -occupation by the Crusaders, and with its still older classical -reminiscences of the heathen worship of Aphrodite, supplanted by the -early conversion of its people to Christianity through the visit of -St. Paul, St. Mark, and Barnabas, not to speak of its repeated -conquest by Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Venetians, and Turks, -there is no more interesting island to be found in the Mediterranean. - -[Illustration: Captain WAUCHOPE at the Age of 30.] - -In July 1878 a regiment of Scottish Highlanders was sent to occupy -this fair island of the Orient in name of the Queen. The Black Watch -from Malta, in the transport _Himalaya_, landed at Larnaka, and were -distributed at various points for garrison duty, under the direction -of General Sir Garnet Wolseley, as High Commissioner. Wolseley, -having divided the island into districts, deputed the civil -administration of these to a number of the most skilled of the -military officers of the regiment. To Lieutenant Wauchope, then -thirty-two years of age, was given, with the title of captain, the -charge of the town and district of Papho--the ancient Paphos, where -the Apostles' journey through the island closed, and where Elymas the -sorcerer was struck blind for a time. As assistant-commissioner -Wauchope was well supported by Lieutenant A. G. Duff, a young officer -of his company, who furnishes us with some particulars of their -duties and difficulties there. The post was anything but a sinecure. -He had the superintendence of the revenue under Sir Robert Biddulph, -then Financial Commissioner of the island. In this important office -he set {60} himself with all the earnestness of his nature to the -correction of abuses, the suppression of crime, and the establishment -of law and order, out of which only can freedom and security be -attained. We have it on the authority of Mr. F. H. Parker, the -District Judge of Limasol, that 'not only was he a most efficient -governor, but in those days, when Ottoman judges sat in the Daavi -(District) Court, he presided as a just and capable judge. Though -more than twenty years have elapsed since then, the inhabitants,' he -says, 'irrespective of creed or nationality, still look back on his -civil administration with admiration and deep respect. Even to this -day his decisions in disputed land or water rights are relied on as -_res judicata_, and he invariably decided these after minute and -personal local inquiries.' During his two years' service on the -island--from 17th June 1878 till July 1880--Wauchope acquitted -himself with much judgment and discretion, and the honours thrust -upon him were worthily achieved as they were gratefully given. But -while Captain Wauchope's administration in Cyprus was marked with -justice, it was sometimes of a kind that did not always give -satisfaction. His punishment, for instance, of heinous crimes was -considered by the natives to be of such severity that a complaint was -lodged with the Colonial Office against some sentences where he had -ordered the delinquents to be flogged. On inquiry being made of him -by the Colonial Office as to what he had to say in the matter, his -reply was that 'flogging was the only thing for them, as they richly -deserved more than the punishment they had got, and he thought it was -better for them than hanging'! - -[Sidenote: Sergeant M'Gaw's funeral] - -His duties did not end in military, or administrative, or judicial -service, for sometimes he had even to act as chaplain in cases of -emergency, as the following instance {61} will show. A day or two -after they landed, Sergeant M'Gaw of the 42nd--who had gallantly won -the Victoria Cross at Amoaful--took ill under the excessive heat and -died. The regimental chaplain was not present, but Wauchope followed -the funeral with his company, and at the grave, stepping forward as -the body was about to be committed to the dust, feelingly addressed -his men in a few appropriate words of exhortation, and concluded, to -the surprise and gratification of all, with an earnest extempore -prayer. Tears, we are told by one who witnessed the occurrence, were -in the eyes of many a stalwart soldier that day, and the incident -made a deep impression at the time and was never forgotten by them. -A sequel to Sergeant M'Gaw's funeral may here be mentioned as another -instance of Wauchope's thoughtful care. Some time afterwards it was -discovered that the Cypriote farmer on whose land the sergeant was -buried, had removed the little wooden head-mark, and not unnaturally -ploughed up the land and destroyed all trace of the grave. The -Government was asked to take action, but declined to interfere. So -Wauchope and some others went on a moonlight night, and after taking -measurements from a certain tree, discovered the grave, dug up the -remains, removed them to Kyrenia, and placed them in what is now -known as the Black Watch cemetery. A pure white marble sarcophagus -now covers Sergeant M'Gaw's grave. - -After the long reign of Turkish misrule it will be easily understood -that Commissioner Wauchope and his colleague Lieutenant Duff did not -all at once find things easy. On the contrary, they found it very -hard work. The rascality of the natives was as idyllic as innocence. -Murder and theft were so common that they were scarcely considered -culpable, and this in what has been called an {62} 'enchanted -island,' full of every beauty to satisfy the eye, and every fruit to -satisfy the taste. Even ten years after the occupation by the -British, and notwithstanding all our efforts to restore order and -justice, W. H. Mallock, describing his visit to Cyprus in 1888, says -that 'he found there more crime in proportion to the population than -in any other known country in the world.' In Nicosia the prisons -were full of persons, male and female, confined for murder, theft, -etc. 'In the country districts,' he says, 'the cause of murders has -generally some connection with sheep-stealing or disputes about -boundaries and water rights, or matters equally simple. In the towns -the Turkish murders nearly always originate in some ordinary fit of -sombre but sudden passion, and the Greek murders in some half-drunken -brawl. Curiously enough, a number of these last take place at -weddings. Wine has flowed; quarrelling has arisen out of laughter; -knives have flashed, and in a second or two one knife has been red -with blood. Yet amid so much crime there exists among this degraded -people a whimsical simplicity almost justifying a smile.' One -instance, as given by Mr. Mallock, will suffice to illustrate this. -One of three men implicated in a murder fled to the hut of a -shepherd, and begged to be kept there in hiding. The shepherd, who -had only a slight acquaintance with the man, asked why he wished to -be hidden. On this the murderer, more like a child than a man, -explained everything in the most naïve manner possible. The shepherd -looked grave. He said that this was a serious matter, and that under -the circumstances his protection would have to be paid for. The -murderer replied that the booty had not yet been divided; 'I have no -money,' he said, 'but save me and I will steal a sheep for you!' - -{63} - -[Sidenote: A Cyprian judge] - -It was among criminals such as these, and a population with the -vaguest possible notions of morality, that Wauchope had to deal out -justice. How did he accomplish his task? His friend and colleague, -now Major Duff, tells us: 'His administration of justice was a -marvel, and astonished both Turks and Greeks. He would frequently -sit a whole day in the Konak or court-house, dispensing even-handed -justice. All the evidence had to be taken through an interpreter, -involving much delay, and frequently he sat in this way under high -fever. I have sometimes taken his temperature to find it at 105°, -but he bore all physical pain without a murmur, and no complaint ever -passed his lips.' Papho was considered the most lawless district in -the island; and the administration of justice, in both civil and -criminal cases, in the hands of Captain Wauchope and Lieutenant Duff, -with the aid of an interpreter, involved painstaking discretion of no -ordinary kind. 'The Cadi--a Turkish judge--had a seat on the bench -along with them, and his opinion was always taken, though not always -followed. One incident comes to my memory relating to an execution. -We had passed sentence upon a murderer, but were in a difficulty -about the gallows, and did not know what to do for want of a suitable -rope, but fortunately H.M.S. _Raleigh_ unexpectedly put in an -appearance in the bay, and the bluejackets readily came to our aid in -rigging up a makeshift gallows. The ceremony, however, was not -marked with complete success, as, at the first effort, the rope -broke; but death had supervened, so that it was of no consequence, as -the operation did not require to be repeated. There must have been -some flaw in the rope, as it had been previously tried with a very -heavy man's weight. We never had any difficulty in the -administration of justice. Wauchope's {64} impartial and thoroughly -sound sense of judgment as between man and man, always stood him well -with clients and malefactors.' - -One case came before him which in this connection is worthy of being -recorded. A Turk of infamous character, who had been guilty of -horrible crimes, but had escaped punishment under the Turkish rule, -was brought before Commissioner Wauchope on a charge of murder. The -murder was clearly proved, but doubts were entertained whether the -Commissioner would sentence a Mohammedan to be hanged. No such -instance had ever been known in the island before. Wauchope did not -flinch. He pronounced the sentence, and the murderer was publicly -executed. The Commissioner took the precaution, however, of having a -company of his Royal Highlanders on the ground to see that there -should be no disturbance or any attempt at rescue, and all passed off -peacefully. - -[Sidenote: Commissioner at Papho] - -Besides the judicial functions of the Commissioner of Papho, there -were the fiscal duties of Government. Taxes had to be collected, and -these, with the relative duties of finance and the management of the -post office, were entirely under the personal control of Wauchope and -his colleague. The latter service alone must have involved -considerable labour. Besides this, they had at Papho one company of -the 42nd, camped some little distance out of the town, but near -enough to be readily available when required. So busy were they kept -with these varied onerous duties, that Wauchope and his friend, -frequently working at high pressure, had few opportunities for -recreation. But notwithstanding the pressing requirements of the -moment, and the somewhat circumscribed social aspect of the place, -they were on the best of terms with some of the leading native -gentry: the Greek bishop {65} was particularly friendly, and they -often dined with him at his palace. A worthy old fellow he appears -to have been, who could enjoy a good dinner with a prime bottle of -Cyprus wine. In recognition of his great kindness to them Major Duff -mentions that they 'gave him in return such a banquet on St. Andrew's -night as seemed to gladden his soul.' - -Of amusements, or anything in the way of English sports, there were -few or none, even had time permitted. Still, they would not have -been British if they had not introduced among the natives some sports -from the old country. They accordingly started pony races for the -zaptiehs or police of the district. 'Our chief difficulty,' says -Major Duff, 'was to get the Turks and Greeks to run together in the -same coach, and for this difficult task Wauchope was eminently -qualified, as, in addition to all his many sterling attributes, must -be added that of being a student of human nature, without which he -never would have been the leader of men he unquestionably was.' - -So much did Captain Wauchope accomplish during his term of office at -Papho, that Dr. Wisely informs us 'the inhabitants looked on him as -an angel from heaven--and well they might, when they contrasted his -righteous rule with the wretched rule of the Turkish officials who -had tyrannised over them. Yet Wauchope was by no means an easy-going -ruler. He investigated with the greatest patience every case that -was brought before him, and spared himself no pains to get at the -truth. This made such an impression upon the Turks, as well as upon -the Greek-speaking community, that all classes alike respected him, -and when the time came for the Commissioner to retire from office, -there was a universal desire expressed that he might be retained.' - -{66} - -We have been favoured with similar testimony from Sir Robert -Biddulph, sometime High Commissioner of Cyprus, lately Governor of -Gibraltar, who informs us that 'in carrying out his duties Captain -Wauchope showed much administrative ability, as well as great tact -and judgment in dealing with the inhabitants. This enabled him to -steer a clear course through the political agitation which broke out -in Cyprus early in 1879, and which had many adherents in Papho. When -Sir Garnet Wolseley left the island at short notice in May 1879 in -order to command the troops in Natal and Zululand, his departure, -coinciding with the attacks made in Parliament on the Cyprus -administration, caused several of the civil commissioners to send in -their resignations.' Colonel Biddulph, who had been sent from Cyprus -to Constantinople in March 1879 to negotiate with the Porte -concerning the 'tribute,' was in June following instructed by the -Home Government to return and assume the government of the island as -High Commissioner. On his arrival he was met by Captain Wauchope, -who had come with several of the other commissioners to wish him -good-bye before leaving the island. Sir Robert at once realised the -gravity of the situation. 'I told them,' says he, 'that I could not -consent to their leaving all together at this crisis, and Wauchope -willingly consented to remain for, at all events, some months longer. -In September I went home for two months on private affairs, and -Wauchope then went home with me, having resigned his appointment with -my consent.' - -[Sidenote: The Sultan's claims] - -In the interval, certain questions as to personal claims by the -Sultan to property in Cyprus were presented to the British -Government, and it was decided to appoint a qualified British -delegate to investigate these claims on {67} the spot. On the -recommendation of Sir Robert Biddulph, Lord Salisbury appointed -Captain Wauchope for this somewhat difficult duty, and he and Sir -Robert returned to Cyprus together in November of the same year. In -his official capacity Wauchope explored the whole of Cyprus, making -full inquiries wherever he went as to the properties alleged to -belong to the Sultan, and gathering much information as to the -condition of the people in the rural districts, and the state of -agriculture generally. - -'The investigation of the Sultan's claims,' says Sir Robert Biddulph, -'occupied several months, during which time Captain Wauchope again -displayed great tact and judgment in this very delicate matter, and -maintained at the same time very friendly relations with the Turkish -officer who was sent by the Sultan to support his claims. This was -the more remarkable, because every one of the Sultan's claims was -rejected.' - -The Government recognised the thoroughness with which Captain -Wauchope had accomplished his task, by conferring upon him, -immediately on his return home in August 1880, the Order of St. -Michael and St. George. - - - - -{68} - -CHAPTER V - -WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA--ARABI PASHA'S REBELLION IN -EGYPT--TEL-EL-KEBIR--MARRIAGE--LIFE IN CAIRO. - - -Shortly after Captain Wauchope's return home from Cyprus another -opportunity for foreign service presented itself in South Africa, and -he lost no time in offering himself to the War Office. He was -accepted for staff duty, and received a commission to go out at once. -So limited was the time given him for preparation that he had not -even an opportunity to go to Aldershot, where his baggage was lying, -to make up his kit, but he telegraphed from London to the -quartermaster of the regiment--Captain Forbes--to throw him in a -small kit into a bullock-trunk and forward it to Southampton at once, -as he was off to South Africa next day. - -[Sidenote: The Transvaal] - -The country had drifted almost unconsciously into a trouble which has -since cost so much in loss of life and treasure. The South African -Republic, or the Transvaal, was founded some sixty or seventy years -ago by Boer farmers from Cape Colony, who, being dissatisfied with -British rule and its interference with them and their peculiar -notions as to slavery, sought to establish an independent state for -themselves where they might without hindrance carry out their ideas -as they pleased. They, in fact, sought liberty {69} to make the -natives their slaves. Conflicts were, of course, the natural outcome -of their attempts to acquire the land beyond the Vaal; but -notwithstanding this, the new settlers in 1840 were so far -established in possession, and their numbers had so much increased, -that they formed themselves into a Republic for mutual protection. -At that time the possibilities of the future importance of this part -of South Africa, or indeed of our colonies there, were not -sufficiently realised by either our Government or our people at home. -Neither the Transvaal Republic nor the Boers seemed to be any concern -of ours. It was left to a few Scotch missionaries such as Moffat, -Livingstone, Stewart, and Mackenzie to make these known, and to -endeavour to educate and civilise the degraded natives in the science -of social life and in the truths of Christianity. In this effort -they met from the first the virulent opposition of the Boer settlers, -who neither wanted the natives to be educated nor to be Christianised. - -Acts of oppression naturally brought their own retribution. The -natives rose against their oppressors; feuds, murders, and thefts -were acts of daily occurrence, until at last the infant Republic -became so involved in native wars and internal troubles, that with a -view to restore peace and order and to prevent anarchy and bankruptcy -from spreading into Cape Colony, the British Government was -constrained to interfere. In this intervention many of the Boers -cordially acquiesced, and welcomed the protection of our troops, the -more so that the financial difficulties of their independent action -were in a measure cleared away. On the other hand there was a strong -party among them who, in spite of mismanagement and debt, thought -they could carry on a free Republican Government. The security of -the British colonies was, however, of {70} paramount importance, and -it was deemed advisable in their interest as well as in the interest -of the Transvaal Boers themselves that the Transvaal should have the -benefit of British protection. Accordingly its annexation to the -British Crown was in 1877 proclaimed by Sir Theophilus Shepstone, -followed by the appointment of Sir W. Owen Lanyon as British -Administrator. This necessary step by no means pleased the Boer -faction who had attempted to rule, and they did not cease to agitate -for the restoration of the old order of things, bad as these were. -For a time English money and English enterprise worked wonders: -markets were created for produce, and land rose in value. - -In December 1880, however, a majority of the Boers took up arms -against the British authority. They invested towns held by Imperial -troops, and surprised a detachment on the march. The situation was -becoming critical. The Government, which at the time was deeply -engrossed in other matters, did not sufficiently realise the gravity -of the situation, for although troops were at once despatched to the -assistance of those at the Cape, these were insufficient, and arrived -too late to be of service. The Boers, ever on the alert, had seized -the passes of the Drakensberg Mountains, and had strongly fortified -themselves at Laing's Nek. Here they were attacked by Sir G. P. -Colley, but without success. He was defeated with considerable loss, -and shortly afterwards, attempting to check the enemy at Majuba Hill -with a small force of six hundred men, he was again defeated with -loss and was himself killed in the action. - -[Sidenote: The Boer Treaty of 1881] - -Immediately on receipt of this news Mr. Gladstone's Government gave -instructions for an armistice in order to see if satisfactory terms -could not be arranged for the {71} restoration of peace. After a -month's negotiation a treaty was made giving the Transvaal -self-government in internal matters, but reserving all rights -connected with foreign affairs, Great Britain to be recognised as the -Suzerain, including the right to move Imperial troops through the -country in time of war. - -This restoration of independence to the Boers was viewed both at home -and in Cape Colony not only with grave suspicion and distrust, but -with high indignation; and so strong was this feeling against the -home Government that in a great popular demonstration at Cape Town -the effigy of Mr. Gladstone, the Prime Minister, was publicly burned, -and the British lion was caricatured, while many English residents in -Pretoria and other towns left the country rather than remain under -the oligarchical government of the Boers. So ended this part of the -Transvaal drama. - -The action of the British Government was at the time attributed to -various motives. By some it was considered the magnanimous action of -a strong power, willing to help a weak but struggling state in its -efforts at self-government; by others it has been described as a -pusillanimous shrinking from a stern duty which it owed to its -colonies around the Transvaal. President Brand declared the treaty -to be 'in his opinion the noblest act England has ever done'; but the -Boers themselves considered the peace as the result of their own -efforts and of Britain's fear to prosecute the war. The after -results have been most calamitous, and go to show the folly of not -facing and overcoming the beginnings of a corrupt system. - -Captain Wauchope returned on the conclusion of peace in the summer of -1881, having been only a few months abroad, and without engaging in -active service. He was chiefly employed on the line of communication -as one of {72} the staff. His return home was accompanied with -anything but feelings of respect for the Government which had so -ingloriously stopped short in their work--a feeling very generally -shared by the officers and men. Some years afterwards, when alluding -to this episode in his life at a meeting in Edinburgh, he said of -it:--'I was in the Transvaal during those terrible times in 1881 when -we suffered the terrible disgrace from which all our after-troubles -there arose. It was the vacillation and weakness and change of -policy that caused all the trouble then.' - -But while in one part of Africa a temporary peace had been patched -up, in another part of that great continent, and that the most -ancient, events were in the beginning of 1882 hastening to a rupture -which was destined to open up a fresh field for the active military -genius of young Wauchope. Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs, and in -some respects the cradle of European culture, which had long been -oppressed by Turkish tyranny, was showing signs of vitality, and was -recognised as still a country capable of great resources, and having -considerable commercial importance. The opening of the Suez Canal -had much to do with this; and Britain having a large stake in the -Canal as a means of communication with her Eastern possessions, was -naturally interested in the well-being of the country through which -it passed. Nominally a viceroy of the Sultan of Turkey, the Khedive -of Egypt ruled despotically, and did little for the people he ruled. -Discontent was general; and to screen themselves, those in authority -endeavoured to create a feeling of antipathy against the Europeans -residing and trading in Egypt. A party of military adventurers, -headed by Arabi Pasha, and secretly abetted by the Sultan of Turkey, -had seized the reins of government, and endeavoured, with the aid of -the army, {73} to drive all Europeans out of Egypt, and secure the -control of foreign traffic through the Suez Canal to their own -advantage. Arabi commenced the erection of forts at Alexandria, to -command the harbour. This and other war-like preparations were made -in defiance, it was said, of the authority of the Khedive, who was -merely a puppet in Arabi's hands. - -[Sidenote: Bombardment of Alexandria] - -On the 11th June 1882 a large body of Arabs made a murderous attack -on the European residents in Alexandria, and so serious was the -matter considered that a week or two after, the Ambassadors of the -Great Powers met in conference at Constantinople to take the crisis -under review. As no redress was forthcoming, Admiral Sir Beauchamp -Seymour, commander of the British fleet in Egyptian waters, having -ascertained that work on the new fortifications at Alexandria was -being continued, notwithstanding promises made that all such -operations would be suspended, sent to Arabi Pasha, who was nominally -the Egyptian minister of war, an ultimatum that unless the work -ceased immediately the fleet would open fire upon the forts. The -reply was a denial that any such work was being carried on. Three -days afterwards the Admiral discovered that his ultimatum was treated -with contempt, and that guns bearing upon the harbour had been -mounted since the date of his message. He at once prepared a -proclamation calling upon the Egyptian authorities to surrender the -fortifications within twelve hours, otherwise they would be -demolished by the fleet. On the 11th July the bombardment commenced, -and nearly the whole of the fortifications were soon laid in ruins. -Next day hostilities were resumed, but, on a flag of truce being -hoisted, the Admiral ordered firing to cease. On the morning of the -13th it was found that, under cover of the flag of truce, {74} the -Egyptian troops, headed by Arabi Pasha, had evacuated Alexandria, -leaving it to be pillaged and fired by a riotous mob of Arabs, who -massacred a large number of Europeans. To protect life, and save the -place from total destruction, Admiral Seymour landed a force of -seamen and marines, who kept the city in order until the arrival of -British troops a few days afterwards. - -In the course of the following fortnight a force of about 16,000 -occupied Alexandria, Ramleh, and the delta of the Nile, under the -command of Sir Garnet Wolseley. Meantime Arabi Pasha had occupied -Cairo, which was strongly fortified, while he had formidable -entrenched camps some miles south of Ramleh, and also at Port Said -and Ismailia on the Suez Canal, and at Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir, on -the sweet-water canal route between Ismailia and Cairo. - -Throughout the whole business the authority of the Khedive was not -only ignored, but remonstrances from foreign powers were of no -effect. Arabi was determined to make himself ruler of Egypt, and to -assert his position by force of arms. His formal dismissal as -Minister of War, on 22nd July, was the last weak attempt by the -Khedive to maintain his sovereign authority. But Arabi paid no -attention to it, and continued his warlike preparations. His -position at Kafr-dawar was strategically a strong one, for he was -entrenched there at a point where the isthmus, running inland between -Lake Medieh and Lake Mareotis, is only about four miles broad. He -thus commanded both the Mahmoudieh Canal and the railway to Cairo, -which ran past his camp. Arabi's intention was to hold his own at -this position till the annual rise of the Nile was at its fullest in -August, when he counted upon being able to flood the country, and -seriously impede hostile operations against him. - -{75} - -The rising had now assumed all the character of an organised -rebellion, and was a standing menace to British commerce passing -through the Suez Canal; and as the crisis came to be more clearly -realised in this country, further relays of troops were despatched. -In the subsequent operations against Arabi the Black Watch took a -prominent part. After its return from Cyprus and Gibraltar in 1879, -the regiment was brigaded for a time at Aldershot. It was then -located partly at Maryhill barracks, near Glasgow, and at Edinburgh -Castle, under the command of Colonel R. K. Bayly. Captain Wauchope -served at Maryhill from May 1881 till August 1882. - -[Sidenote: The 42nd leaving Edinburgh] - -On the outbreak of hostilities in Egypt the regiment, which was then -about 800 strong, received orders to embark for the East. The -Maryhill contingent, in which he commanded the E Company, left by -train for Edinburgh on the 4th August 1882, and arrived in the -capital amidst much enthusiasm. After two days in Edinburgh Castle, -the whole regiment was entrained for London on the 6th August, their -send-off from the city being one of the most extraordinary ever -witnessed. Wauchope himself, ten years afterwards, at a meeting of -the old members of the Black Watch in Glasgow, when he had become -Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, said 'he would never forget the -scene.' 'He had of late,' he said, 'seen great excitement in the -political world, he had seen political leaders received in Edinburgh -(referring to Mr. Gladstone and the Midlothian election of 1892), and -no doubt at times there had been a pretty brave show, but the -people's heart never went out to these leaders as it went out to the -42nd when they were leaving Edinburgh Castle for active service in -Egypt in 1882. It seemed to him as if every man and woman in -Edinburgh was out to see {76} them off. He would never forget that -scene of enthusiasm and farewell, and he felt convinced that it -affected the whole regiment, more than the eye could see or words -could express. On the lips of many a brave man before that campaign -was over, the last words had been "Scotland for ever," and he had no -doubt their last thoughts were of their homes and native country.' - -Having embarked at Gravesend in the transport _Nepaul_, Wauchope, -with his regiment, landed at Alexandria on the 20th August, and -proceeded to Ramleh, where they formed a part of the Highland Brigade -under General Sir Archibald Alison. Here Wauchope very soon found -his field of action in more than one engagement, and had one or two -hairbreadth escapes. On one occasion a body of the rebels held a -portion of the city, from which they were to be dislodged. Wauchope -got the order to clear the streets. Coming to a house, from every -window of which rifles were pointed, he halted his men, but only for -a moment. Sword in hand, the captain rushed in, followed by his men. -A rifle was pointed full at him, and but for the presence of mind of -one of his followers, it would have ended his career. Dashing in -front of his officer, the soldier threw up the rebel's rifle just as -he fired, the bullet passing through Wauchope's helmet. - -[Sidenote: Tel-el-Kebir] - -The occupation of the Canal and the various ports upon its banks were -important steps in Sir Garnet Wolseley's endeavour to secure Zagazig, -some forty-five miles from Ismailia, the key to the railway system of -Egypt. Arabi had also realised its importance, and in order to -retain it at all hazards and to prevent the British advance in that -direction, had strongly fortified himself at Tel-el-Kebir, about -fifteen miles eastward. - -On the 20th August, Port Said, Kantara, Ismailia, and {77} the Suez -Canal were taken possession of by the British. A few days after, a -determined stand was made by the Egyptian army, about 10,000 strong, -a few miles from Ismailia, but they were utterly defeated by Sir -Garnet Wolseley, who was now reinforced by the Highland Brigade. - -This was followed up by a renewed attack on the British position at -Kassassin Lock on the Ismailia Canal three days later, when the -Egyptians were again repulsed with great loss. - -On the evening of the 12th September, the British army at Kassassin -Lock struck camp. It had been well reinforced, and counted 15,000 -men in cavalry, infantry, and artillery, and was now in a position to -attack Arabi in his stronghold at Tel-el-Kebir. On the verge of a -broad, dreary desert, with lines of entrenchments and redoubts well -mounted with guns, and held by a large force, no better position, it -is said, could have been chosen for offering resistance to any army -approaching the Delta, or the capital of Egypt, from the Suez Canal. - -After an all-night march, Sir Garnet Wolseley found himself within -striking distance of the enemy's trenches before the first streaks of -dawn appeared on the eastern sky. The Egyptians were taken by -surprise, but the alarm once given, they sprang to their feet to face -the attack; and immediately, along the whole front of their line of -defence, was poured upon our troops a fierce artillery and rifle -fire, which, however, was so ill directed that it did no great harm. -With the utmost coolness, the British were formed for the assault. -The Highland Brigade in the centre, with bayonets fixed, was -supported by cavalry on both flanks With a loud cheer the Highlanders -stormed the entrenchments, driving everything before them. The -struggle was {78} short but decisive, not more than twenty minutes -elapsing between the first onset on the trenches and the capture of -the main or inner fortress. The odds were as two to one--26,000 -Egyptians to 13,000 British--but the zeal and soldierly qualities of -our men, with the confidence they had in their leaders, proved the -mettle of which our military are made. Where all did well, it seems -invidious to distinguish. But of this fine force--perhaps the finest -ever seen in Egypt--it was generally admitted that to the Highland -Brigade and the Royal Irish Rifles special honour was due. This -important engagement, in which forty guns were captured, 2000 -Egyptians fell, and 3000 were taken prisoners, opened the way to -Cairo. - -Through all the campaign, Captain Wauchope, with the E Company of the -42nd, had bravely borne his share of the toil and dangers of the -situation. At Tel-el-Kebir, he was among the first to enter the -enemy's trenches sword in hand. The encounter was a fierce one while -it lasted, and it was a marvel how he escaped injury in such a mêlée. -But though the impetuosity of the charge bore down all before it, -when the fight was over, it was found that no less than 200 of his -men had fallen. - -[Sidenote: After Tel-el-Kebir] - -Wauchope's first care was to see that the wounded were attended to, -for his interest in his men was ever uppermost in his mind. He liked -to treat them as brothers as well as subordinates, sharing with them -the roughest work and the greatest dangers; and now particularly, -when many of them were bruised and bleeding, he had all a woman's -sympathy, and did his best to alleviate their sufferings. He went -carefully over the ground after the battle, searching out from among -the dead such of his men who might be alive, relieving some with a -draught of water from his bottle, and seeing that they were removed -to shelter, where they could {79} be surgically attended to; in some -cases, tenderly helping to carry them himself off the field. Such -scenes always filled him with sadness, as they did the heart of -Wellington, who was wont to say: 'Take my word for it, if you had -seen but one day of war, you would pray to Almighty God that you -might never see such a thing again.' The horrors of war make most -brave natures shudder. - -Immediately after the capture of Arabi's camp at Tel-el-Kebir, at the -next halting-stage in the army's progress to Cairo, the 42nd was -marched into the square of a cavalry barracks to wait for a train -being made to enable them to follow the retreating enemy to -Zagazig--an important railway junction on the way. They were in very -rough quarters, but were glad to get any sort of shelter from the -scorching sun. One of the staff-sergeants, wearied out and oppressed -with heat, stumbled into a room which, unknown to him, happened to be -occupied by Captain Wauchope and his subordinate officer, Lieutenant -Duff. 'As I attempted to withdraw--for I had entered not knowing -they were there'--said the sergeant, describing the occurrence, -'Captain Wauchope at once called out in a kindly voice, "Come in, -Pinkney, come in and sit down, you have as much right to be here as -we have."' - -But though this was so, Pinkney, who was not one of his men, did not -fare so well on another occasion when his presence stood in the way -of the convenience of the men of his company, Captain Wauchope having -then no hesitation in leaving him to shift for himself. We give the -story in the sergeant's own words:--'Shortly after this, we were -marched down to the railway and literally packed into trucks. I -being a staff-sergeant, and in a sense "nobody's child," crawled into -one marked E. It was Wauchope's, and as all his men could not find -room, I was ignominiously {80} ordered out by the same gallant -gentleman! We were very good friends, but as I did not belong to his -company, he could not allow me to interfere with their comfort!' - -Sergeant Pinkney also relates an incident of the same day -illustrating Wauchope's thoughts on the inhumanity of war. 'We were -all sitting together on the mud floor of the room where we were -sheltering, discussing the events of the morning. "Andy," as we all -loved to call our captain, had not, for a wonder, been wounded, but a -Remington bullet through the scabbard of his sword had bent it nearly -double, so that he could not return the weapon. Another bullet -through his helmet had disarranged the pugaree and heckle, of which -he was so proud. He drew my attention as armourer to the condition -of his scabbard, and I took it into my hand and broke it across my -knee, so that he could sheath his sword, though some eight inches of -the blood-stained blade were exposed. While I was next adjusting his -pugaree, he suddenly exclaimed, "I say, Duff, what brutes we men -are." We were silent for a minute, and then seeing our surprised -look, as we stopped our work, he continued, "Do you know, I felt this -morning just as if I was on the moors, and for a while I was quite as -anxious to make a good bag; man, Duff, we are terrible brutes, after -all!"' - -[Illustration: Niddrie Marischal, Back View] - -The same day Wauchope's regiment proceeded to within a few miles of -Zagazig, reaching that place in the morning of the 14th September. -Here they seized the railway stock, and went on to Belbeis, an -important junction on the edge of the desert. There they remained -under the utmost discomfort, without tents and without equipage, -until the 23rd September, when they moved forward to Ghezireh, near -to Cairo, and were again quartered with the Highland Brigade, under -Lieut.-General Sir E. Hamley. - -{81} - -The subsequent occupation of Cairo, the arrest and banishment of -Arabi Pasha, and the restoration of the Khedive under British -protection, are matters of history. The war was closed, but still -much required to be done to restore order and peace, and so the -expeditionary force became an army of occupation. - -Captain Wauchope, after a few weeks' encampment at Ghezireh, on the -west bank of the Nile, was moved with his regiment into Kass-el-Nil -barracks, where they were to be quartered for the winter. A time of -peace succeeded a time of sharp fighting. But whether fighting or at -peace, Wauchope gave himself no rest. His military duties might be -heavy enough, but his self-imposed exertions in looking after the -wounded and the sick were varied by efforts to find amusement and -recreation for those who were well. - -For his services in this campaign, Captain Wauchope received the -medal with clasp, and the Khedive's Star, as the public recognition -of the British and Egyptian Governments. - -[Sidenote: Return to Scotland] - -His stay in Egypt was unexpectedly interrupted by the serious illness -of his elder brother, Major William Wauchope, which eventually -resulted in his death on the 28th November 1882. Returning home a -few weeks before that sad event, he was fortunately enabled to look -after the settlement of family affairs and the future management of -the estates. - -The death of his brother without issue made a considerable change in -his position, and when he arrived at Niddrie early in December, he -was welcomed as the new laird with every expression of goodwill. -Though he had been little about the old place for years, the tenants -and servants had warm recollections of 'Andy' as a good, kind, genial -soul, and they all hoped that he might now {82} return to occupy the -ancestral home, and settle down among 'his ain folk.' - -As a pledge that such a consummation might be looked for in the near -future, and taking advantage of his casual visit home, he was married -on the 9th of December to Miss Elythea Ruth Erskine, second daughter -of Sir Thomas Erskine of Cambo, Fife, to whom he had for some time -been engaged. - -The wedding had been arranged to be celebrated at Cambo in a quiet -way, as our informant said, 'without any fuss'; but though this was -so, Captain Wauchope found to some extent the adage verified, that -'the course of true love never did run smooth.' In arranging for his -marriage in the stormy month of December, he did not at all events -lay his account with the elements. These did their best to frustrate -the happy event. - -[Sidenote: Marriage] - -Cambo is situated two or three miles distant from Fife Ness, the -extreme eastern point of the county of Fife. It is now easily -accessible by the railway skirting the northern shore of the Firth of -Forth, connecting Thornton Junction and St. Andrews, by way of -Anstruther and Crail. But at that time the railway was not completed -further than Anstruther on the one side and St. Andrews on the other, -and Cambo was about eight or nine miles from either place. Starting -from Edinburgh on the morning of the day fixed for the wedding, -Captain Wauchope should easily have arrived at Cambo in the forenoon, -but a protracted snowstorm of several days had completely blocked -railways and roads. Thinking he would be more likely to get a -conveyance to carry him to his destination if he went by St. Andrews, -he took that instead of the route to Anstruther; but on arriving at -that ancient city, he was chagrined to find that the roads were so -completely {83} blocked with snow that no one would venture the -journey for him. Taking his luggage to the Royal Hotel, he tried all -his persuasive powers with Mr. Davidson, the genial host, to get a -carriage, or even a dogcart, ready for him without delay. But the -storm still raged, and he was told that the roads were quite -impassable either for driving or riding, and he would require to -remain where he was for the night. 'But,' said the would-be and now -desperate Benedict, 'I _must_ get to Cambo, as I am to be married -to-night.' The hotelkeeper assured him that in the circumstances it -was impossible, but promised to do the best he could for him the next -morning if the weather moderated. At length, convinced that nothing -more could be done, the disappointed swain was obliged to bow to the -inevitable, and eat his solitary dinner with what resignation he -could command. It was a severe trial of patience, but there was -nothing else for it, and so he remained overnight in the friendly -shelter of the 'Royal,' in the hope that he might get release the -following day. Sir Thomas Erskine, meanwhile, expecting the -bridegroom to come by way of Anstruther, where the roads happened not -to be so badly blocked, had sent a carriage with the young bride to -meet him there. But no Wauchope appeared, and the young lady had to -return home without tidings of her lover. The disappointment of all -may be better imagined than described, and the wedding was of course -postponed _sine die_. The following morning the storm had somewhat -abated, but the snow-drift still lay deep on the roads, making them -quite impassable for wheeled vehicles. Davidson, true to his word, -however, gave him the best horse in his stable, repacked his luggage -in carpet-bags slung across the back of another, and with a groom in -attendance Wauchope courageously faced the elements to {84} meet his -bride. It was a toilsome business, and not without danger. At -Browhill, some two miles from St. Andrews, the block was so deep that -they were compelled to make a detour, or 'a flank movement,' as he -afterwards described it, across the fields, but in doing so they came -to grief. The horse which Wauchope rode stumbled and fell through -the accumulated snow into a deep ditch, where it was well-nigh -smothered, and the combined efforts of Wauchope and groom utterly -failed to extricate the poor animal. At length assistance was -procured, a number of farm servants from the neighbourhood giving -willing help, and after a good deal of exertion it was at length got -out, while the groom, wiping the perspiration from his brow, -declared, 'This is terrible work, captain; it's worse than Egypt -yet!' The remainder of the nine-mile journey was completed in -safety. Love had triumphed. A warm welcome greeted the belated -bridegroom at Cambo, and though 'one day after date,' the marriage -cheque was duly honoured! - -The hopes of his friends at home that he might now give up active -service, and become a local county magnate, were not, however, to be -realised. Captain Wauchope, accompanied by his young wife, returned -to Egypt a few weeks after their marriage, to take up his military -duties with the Black Watch; and there, in the quaint old Oriental -city of Cairo, they spent together the first and, alas, the last year -of their married life. - -[Sidenote: Life in Cairo] - -Perhaps no other town under the sun has so many different -characteristics as Cairo, and certainly few places afford such strong -contrasts. It is at one and the same time an official capital, a -city of immemorial antiquity, a garrison town, a health resort, an -Oriental centre, and the Paris of the Dark Continent. Half the -hidden charm of {85} Cairo and its surroundings, it has been said, -consists of the strongly incongruous sights that meet an observant -eye: the modern woman leaning on her bicycle, and steadfastly looking -at the unchanging eyes of the Sphinx, or a laughing party of officers -and Americans in the shadow of the Great Pyramid, or among the tombs -of the caliphs, its Oriental bazaar crowded with British soldiers and -sailors: an old world and a new. Chief among the attractions of -Cairo is its climate, combining almost continuous sunshine, -comparative warmth, and an air of pure and tonic qualities. - -Mrs. Wauchope resided during these months at the Grand Hotel, within -comparatively easy distance of Kass-el-Nil barracks, where the -captain's daily duties lay, and amid new surroundings found much to -interest her, while she materially helped him in his work among the -men of his regiment. - -Unfortunately, though the climate as a rule is excellent during the -greater part of the year, sanitary arrangements and modes of living -were not then, whatever they may be now, such as to prevent the evils -to which most Eastern cities are subject. Cholera, one of the -scourges of the East, broke out in Cairo among the Copts in the -summer of 1883, and, spreading among the better classes of society, -even found its way among the British soldiers. Their removal from -Cairo for a time was considered absolutely necessary; but before this -could be effected, the Black Watch had suffered considerably from the -epidemic. As soon as possible, however, cholera-camps were formed at -Suez in July, where the greater part of the regiment remained till -the beginning of September. During this time Captain Wauchope, with -the rank of brigade-major, was left in charge of the Kass-el-Nil {86} -barracks with a small detachment; and surrounded as they were with an -epidemic which was then cutting down hundreds of poor natives, -without adequate means of relieving the distress, he was much moved -by what he saw, and did his utmost to help. His first care was of -course for the soldiers under his command. They did not altogether -escape, and in a number of cases that occurred he was assiduous in -his attention. Regardless of danger to himself, he would go back and -forward between the hospital and the barracks, giving all the comfort -and material assistance that were required. - -But it was not merely in his co-operation with medical men and nurses -that Wauchope's aid was given: he was a valued co-worker with the -chaplain, assisting him in visiting and addressing meetings. The -Rev. John Mactaggart, who was then acting with the 42nd in Egypt, -says, 'He was always ready to aid me, and willingly responded to any -reasonable request for money on behalf of the men, such as in helping -to defray expenses incurred in holding social, temperance, or -religious meetings.' 'I remember,' he continues, 'in the summer of -1883, the cholera, after raging for weeks among the native -population, attacked the British troops. As a precautionary measure, -these were dispersed and located at considerable distances from -Cairo, the Black Watch being sent to the brackish lake near Suez. -Captain Wauchope's sympathetic nature was deeply stirred by the many -sad sights around him in Cairo, where he remained through it all with -a small company of the regiment. Two of his men were stricken down, -one immediately after the other, with the fell disease, and not being -able myself to attend to them at once, he was full of anxiety about -them, and could not rest till he got me to see them at the barracks, -quite heedless of danger to himself.' - -{87} - -To many a poor fellow he was throughout all this trying time a friend -indeed, counselling, helping, and encouraging wherever he had the -opportunity. - -At the evening voluntary meetings in the barracks, too, he frequently -took a part with the chaplain in the religious services. His -consistent manly conduct and the quiet, unobtrusive profession of his -faith at this time, not only endeared him to many, but gave him a -wonderful influence for good which it is difficult fully to estimate. - -[Sidenote: A Cairo mob] - -Every one has his own characteristic: Wauchope's was consideration -for his men. 'Years ago,' says a friend, 'I was in the street in -Cairo with him, when there approached us a bareheaded Highlander, -running for his life, and pursued by a crowd of Arabs armed with -sticks. Captain Wauchope halted the fugitive, turned about, ordered -him to fall in in front, and thus we marched to the barracks, the mob -howling behind. The Captain handed the man over to the sergeant of -the guard, and notified his intention of giving evidence in the -orderly-room next morning. A few days later I was to meet the -Captain at the club and take a drive with him. On arrival there, I -found a note directing me to come to the hospital. The orderly led -me to a ward, but I could see no Captain. I interviewed the orderly -again, and he told me to go to the far end and I would find him. -There, on the bed of his colour-sergeant, retailing the day's news, -sat the officer commanding his company. On my approach, with a -cheery adieu and a promise to come back again on the morrow, Wauchope -rose and went for his drive.' - -Mrs. Wauchope was sent home in the summer of 1883, as it was not -considered safe for her to remain in Cairo, and she was joined by the -Captain in November. They took up their residence at Niddrie for six -weeks, afterwards going to Cambo on {88} a visit. Towards the end of -January they proceeded to London, where Mrs. Wauchope gave birth to -twins--both boys. The joy of this event was, however, speedily -followed a few days after, on the 3rd February, by the death of Mrs. -Wauchope. - -It was a terrible blow to the Captain, and though he bowed -submissively to the will of God, he none the less felt his loss -keenly, and for a time was inconsolable. - -The children were taken to Cambo, where, under the charge of Lady -Erskine, they were tenderly nursed and cared for, while Wauchope -himself sought in renewed activity to forget, if possible, the misery -of his bereavement. When they were three years old both the children -unfortunately caught scarlet fever. One, a specially promising -child, died, and the other was left a hopeless invalid. - - - - -{89} - -CHAPTER VI - -THE EASTERN SOUDAN--BATTLE OF EL-TEB--ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE GENERAL -GORDON--ASCENT OF THE NILE--THE WHALE-BOATS--BATTLE OF -KIRBEKAN--RETURN TO CAIRO--MALTA--GIBRALTAR. - - -Though peace had been restored to Egypt by our arms, and security of -life and property was being established and upheld by the presence in -the country of the army of occupation, new troubles were brewing in -the upper waters of the Nile. General Gordon, as the representative -of the Khedive in the far-away capital of the Soudan province of -Upper Egypt, was endeavouring to maintain law and order in the midst -of turbulent tribes of wild Arabs. Disaffection and rebellion -against Egyptian authority broke out on all sides, and the first -murmurings were heard of a new power emerging out of the African -darkness, threatening to overwhelm and sweep before its fanatical -sword every evidence of modern civilisation. The rise of the Mahdi -as a religious and political force was one of the most extraordinary -movements of modern times, and can only find a parallel in that of -Mohammed himself, whose follower the Mahdi or Prophet of God -professed to be. With a success at first truly marvellous, he -managed so to impress his claims to sanctity upon the Arab tribes of -the Soudan, that they flocked to his standard in thousands. {90} -Cleverly seizing the occasion of discontent at excessive taxation and -the destruction of the slave trade, which, under European influence, -the Egyptian government had attempted, the Mahdi el Muntazer raised -the cry of revolt, and openly proclaimed himself, by the grace of God -and his Prophet, master of the country. His fanatical pretensions, -carrying the weight of religious sanctity, bore down all opposition -for a time. General Gordon was sent to stem the torrent, and -reaching Khartoum on the 18th of February 1884, bravely held it -against overwhelming numbers for eleven months. - -The British authorities who were responsible for Gordon's -appointment, but who were unfortunately not equally alive to the -danger of his position, resolved at length upon an expedition for his -relief, to proceed by the Red Sea to the port of Suakim to operate in -the Eastern Soudan, between the sea and the River Nile, where a -number of Egyptian garrisons were being threatened by the rebellious -tribes under Osman Digna. British troops in and about Cairo, -Alexandria, and other stations were at once despatched under the -command of Sir Gerald Graham to quell the disturbance. Wauchope, who -had received the appointment from Lord Wolseley of Assistant-Adjutant -and Quartermaster-General to the expedition, left England on short -notice, and, accompanied by Sir Redvers Buller, arrived in the Red -Sea towards the end of February, in time to take his share in active -operations against the enemy, who were strongly fortified and in -possession of Tokar. - -[Sidenote: Battle of El-Teb] - -The expeditionary force was landed at Trinkitat, a port on the Red -Sea, some miles south of Suakim, and Tokar being inland, a long and -fatiguing march had to be undertaken to reach it. When half-way they -encountered {91} the Arabs in a strongly entrenched position in the -desert at the wells of El-Teb, and here, on the 29th February, a -fierce conflict took place, the Arabs fighting with great -determination. The Black Watch and the York and Lancashire Regiment -took a prominent part in the battle, and suffered severely. To the -former fell the main attack on the right and centre of the enemy's -position, where their chief strength lay, protected as it was by -skilfully constructed rifle-pits, defended by resolute men, ready to -die rather than yield. - -Captain Wauchope escaped with his life as by a miracle. Being on -horseback, charging the enemy's guns, he was a prominent figure in -the fight, and was unfortunately struck down by a musket-shot, which -entered the lower part of his body. He was only saved from instant -death by the friendly intervention of his binoculars, which were -hanging by his side, the bullet striking the glass and smashing it to -pieces. He was carried off the field, and at once attended to. But -the wound was of such a serious nature that little hope was -entertained of his recovery. The battle over, and the Arabs -completely routed, the British force proceeded on their way to Tokar -without further opposition, and relieved the small garrison there. -Wauchope and the other wounded men were taken back to Trinkitat and -put on board ship for Suez. - -When sufficiently recovered to be able to be removed from the -hospital, he rejoined the Black Watch at Cairo in the month of April. -The binoculars which, it may be said, saved his life at El-Teb have -been carefully preserved, and may now be seen in their shattered -condition among other relics and war trophies in Niddrie House. - -For his gallant conduct at the battle of El-Teb, Wauchope received a -favourable mention in General {92} Graham's despatches, which -procured for him the medal and two clasps, and what was perhaps of -more importance, the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. - -He suffered long and severely from the wound he had received, but he -was much benefited in health by a visit which he made to his old -friend Sir Robert Biddulph at Mount Troodos in Cyprus during the -summer of that year. - -In the autumn came further rumours from the Soudan of the rising -power of the Mahdi, and the danger with which General Gordon was -threatened of being overwhelmed in the capture of Khartoum. It was -now resolved that active and immediate steps should be taken in order -if possible to relieve him, notwithstanding that the distance was -great, and the road perilous, and to a great extent unknown. The -Black Watch was called upon once more to undertake this difficult -task, and officers and men responded to the call with enthusiastic -delight. The regiment at Cairo numbered about 700, and at an -inspection there by General Sir Garnet Wolseley on 16th September, he -complimented Colonel Bayly and the officers and men under him on the -highly efficient state in which they then were, and the pride with -which the people of England had followed them in the gallant -upholding of 'the honour of their splendid and historic regiment.' -'I do not think,' he continued, 'there will be much fighting in the -coming campaign, but there will be very hard work, and I shall want -you to show that you can work hard as well as fight. If there is any -fighting to be done, I know that I have only to call on the Black -Watch, and you will behave as you have always done.' - -[Sidenote: Relief of Khartoum] - -The sequel proved this to be a true forecast. The expedition was -beset with difficulties from first to last, and the {93} labour -involved was enormous--the pity of it being, that after all, the -result was not commensurate with the cost, and was altogether -disappointing. With Cairo as their starting-point and Khartoum as -their goal, the intervening space of over fifteen hundred miles, with -its sandy plains, its waste howling wilderness, held by hostile -tribes of Arabs, had to be covered by our troops. This was a work of -no ordinary kind, and involved not only skill in planning, but -persevering toil in execution, which tried to the utmost the stuff -our soldiers are made of. The Black Watch, led by such men as -Colonels Green, Bayly, Kidston, Coveny, Eden, and Wauchope were a -host in themselves, and abundantly justified the confidence reposed -in them by the commander-in-chief. The expedition started on 5th -October by rail to Assouan, where they hoped immediately to begin the -ascent of the Nile by steamers and barges. Unfortunately, one or two -cases of smallpox here broke out among the men of the 42nd, and the -regiment was compelled to go into quarantine for four weeks. They -pitched their camp within a palm-grove close to Assouan on the banks -of the Nile, and the tedium of enforced idleness was relieved by -preparation for the arduous task before them. Colonel Wauchope -energetically exerted himself during these weeks, and in the off -hours of drill encouraged the men not only in out-door sports of all -kinds, but was active in getting up theatrical and other -entertainments for their amusement. In this way the time passed -pleasantly until the regiment was released from quarantine on 12th -November, when the real forward movement for the relief of General -Gordon commenced, so far as the Black Watch was concerned. Embarking -at Philae, famed for its ancient island temple, in steamers and -barges, the voyage of two hundred and {94} fifty miles was safely -accomplished to Wady Halfa, after which, avoiding the second cataract -of the Nile, the journey to Sarras was made overland. Here there was -considerable detention waiting the arrival of a large flotilla of 800 -whale boats--which had been commissioned from England by Lord -Wolseley for transporting the troops up the river. Regiment after -regiment were here embarked to fight the cataracts, the rapids, and -the shallows of the mysterious river whose source had for ages been -hidden in the dark recesses of the African Continent. Surely no -stranger or more gigantic armed force ever floated on its waters -either before or since the days of Egypt's ancient greatness! - -[Sidenote: The Nile Expedition] - -As it was, the British soldier--'capable of going anywhere and doing -anything'--had for the nonce to convert himself into a boatman; and -that he had much to learn in this capacity may be gathered from one -of the jokes familiar to the expeditionary force, to the effect that -one day a man at the helm, on receiving the order 'put your helm -down,' immediately proceeded to place the tiller in the bottom of the -boat, and innocently awaited further orders! The boats provided were -about thirty feet long, seven feet beam, and with a draught of two -and a half feet. As the boats were destined each to be -self-supporting, they had, when finally loaded, supplies of -ammunition, ordnance, and commissariat stores for fourteen men for -one hundred days. But it was not unusual for the boats to be -carrying practically one hundred and twenty days' rations and other -stores, and reserve ammunition for fourteen men, with a crew of eight -men in each boat. Great caution and skill were necessary in an -expedition so full of novelty and danger, and if accidents did -happen, it is no matter of surprise, {95} considering that it was -through an almost entirely unknown country and among hostile tribes -their course lay. With a falling river, too, the dangers and -difficulties were increased, for boats were frequently striking -sunken rocks, and springing leaks, which necessitated their being -hauled up on the river bank, unloaded of their tons of stores, and -then repaired by the soldiers themselves, for there was no one else -to do it. In some places there was barely room for a loaded camel to -pass between the perpendicular rocks; in others, where the path was -wider, the rocks had been prepared for defence by loop-holed stone -sconces. There was no order or regularity in the formation of the -rocks. 'They seemed,' said one eye-witness, 'to have been upheaved -in a mass, in some great volcanic convulsion, and to have fallen one -upon another in every direction.' - -Throughout this remarkable voyage Colonel Wauchope's early naval -experience stood him in good stead. Having the command of the E -company of the Black Watch he had charge of sixteen boats, with ten -men in each. He divided the company into two parts so that each -section might have free scope, and collisions be avoided; and, thanks -to his ever watchful eye and naval skill, the soldiers in the boats -speedily became expert sailors. From the Rev. Mr. Mactaggart, who -accompanied the expedition at the special desire of Colonel Wauchope, -and was in his company, we give the following narrative. 'According -to Lord Wolseley's orders, each boat was to have been provided with -one or two Canadian steersmen, but in some way it was found -impossible to get this, and after two days' delay we succeeded in -getting away with one Canadian in every second boat--eight men -instead of thirty-two; much therefore depended on Wauchope {96} -himself. Before starting on several occasions, I remember he had all -of us assembled on the river-side, and gave out minute instructions -theoretically and practically how to enter the boat, how to sit on -the bench, how to handle the oar, and how to splice a rope. His -instructions were always much needed and most excellent. Then as to -loading and unloading, he would demonstrate how this could most -easily be done, and with least danger. He was careful to emphasise -his caution as to managing the boats in the strong eddies and -currents of the stream, and above all to avoid racing or endeavouring -to get ahead of each other. With a vein of humour in his voice, and -yet meant as a serious joke, he would say--"Mind you, my men, no -Derby racing!" On one occasion, in pulling the boats over a strong -current, two boats' crews were necessary to get one at a time over -it, but through some hitch one of these with its contents would have -been irretrievably lost but for his opportune energy and pluck. The -men, exhausted with the heavy strain upon them, slackened the rope, -and in a moment the boat had turned and was being carried back. -Wauchope at once seized the rope, and held on to it tenaciously, -though drawn in among the rocks at the edge of the rapid, and had his -hands very much lacerated for his pains.' - -[Sidenote: Fighting the Cataracts] - -Many incidents--some amusing and some serious enough--occurred in -these daily battles with the river; but Wauchope was ever in the -thick of it if a difficulty occurred; and while as commander he was -prompt in giving his orders, he was never above giving his men a -helping hand when needed. 'It was during our toilsome ascent of the -third and fourth cataracts,' says another comrade of the expedition, -'a staff officer was detailed in charge of different districts up the -banks, whose duty {97} it was to guide and instruct the boats in -their passage up the rapids, or, as the men put it, "to worry and -irritate the troops." On one occasion Colonel Wauchope's boat was in -trouble, and the staff officer was shouting any amount of advice -gratis from the bank. Thinking apparently that enough notice was not -being taken of his instructions, he called out, "You No. 2 boat -there, do you know who I am? I am Colonel Primrose of the Guards." -This immediately drew the following answer from a wild-looking, -red-headed, and half-naked worker in the boat, "And do you know who I -am, sir? I am Colonel Wauchope of the Black Watch, so honours are -easy!"' Though otherwise kind to a fault, in the matter of -discipline he was firm as a rock in adhering strictly to orders. -Indeed at this juncture he was invaluable to the regiment, for he -acted at the same time both as president of the canteen and mess; and -as one of his brother officers informs us, 'it was only through his -continual forethought that we were able to obtain supplies for our -daily wants.' 'A favourite dinner on the Nile,' says one of his men, -'which was looked upon as a great luxury, was one pound of bacon per -man, in place of the usual tinned meat, as by dint of self-denial a -bit of it might be saved for breakfast next morning. This was served -out by the captain, and great was the consternation one day in the -drum-major's boat when the cook fell overboard with the boat's -rations in his hand. The man was secured, but the bacon went to the -crocodiles. The matter being reported to Colonel Wauchope, it was -hoped the rations might be replaced. But not having seen the -accident, he was obdurate. The ration had been issued and could not -be replaced, so the unfortunate boat's crew worked hard all that day -on biscuit and tea only. Evening came, and tea was being made when -word was passed {98} along the bank that the drum-major was wanted by -Colonel Wauchope. Hope sprang up that he had relented at the -eleventh hour; but no such luck. To his honour be it said, however, -he divided his own pound of bacon with the drum-major that night, and -it was his all, for officers and men fared alike at that time.' -Still they knew their commander, and no grumble was heard. Though he -might be strict, they all felt he had their interest at heart. - -The rough work of fighting the cataracts was telling sorely upon -uniforms and shoes, some of the men being actually in rags. They had -proceeded as far as Ambu-Kui, and the necessity for having new boots -was so pressing, Wauchope set out two or three miles inland to where -there was a bazaar and bought for his men all the boots and shoes he -could get. The old dervish from whom he purchased them assured him -with all seriousness of their excellence, saying, 'Well now, oh ye -faithful, if you buy them you can go straight to Paradise'--a -recommendation of his goods which the colonel enjoyed immensely. - -[Sidenote: Battle of Kirbekan] - -Struggling on from day to day in their toilsome up-river journey, one -hope animated every breast, that the gallant general holding his own -with defection and treachery among his native troops in Khartoum, and -a fanatical horde of Arabs under the Mahdi outside its walls, would -be able to hold out until the arrival of the British force on its way -to relieve him. General Gordon was in a most critical position. The -enemy being numerous, and ever increasing, hemmed him in on all -sides, while famine was pressing him even more seriously within. It -was a long road, and bravely Lord Wolseley encouraged his troops to -renewed exertions. In the first week of January 1885 the leading -companies of the 42nd Highlanders arrived at Korti, and on the 13th -January the headquarters rowed into Hamdab with {99} fifty-four -boats. By the 20th the whole regiment was once more together at -Hamdab, and with the South Staffordshire, the 2nd Battalion of the -Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, the 1st Battalion of the Gordon -Highlanders, one squadron of the 19th Hussars, an Egyptian Camel -Corps, and a section of the Engineers and Bluejackets, formed the -Nile River Column, under Major-General Earle. Making a further -advance, the difficult Edermih Cataract was surmounted on the 25th -January, and the Kab-el-Abd Cataract two days after. But it was only -by the daring skill of the Canadian voyageurs and the constant toil -of the whole force that the boats were got successfully over, for now -the currents of the river were getting more difficult to face. At -the fourth or Bird Cataract they began to feel the enemy in stronger -force, and at Kirbekan, some seven miles further on, the ground -overlooking the Nile was found to be fortified with every -determination to resist the passage of the boats. The troops were -accordingly formed for battle, and the British line under General -Earle advanced upon the entrenchments. Finding it impossible, -however, to dislodge the Arabs by musketry fire alone, orders were -given for the Black Watch to carry the position by the bayonet. The -regiment responded gallantly to the order. The pipers struck up, and -with a cheer the Black Watch rushed forward with a steadiness and -valour that were irresistible, and which called forth the -enthusiastic admiration of the general. From the loop-holed walls of -the enemy the rifle puffs shot out continuously, but, undaunted by -danger, the 42nd scaled the rocks, and at the point of the bayonet -drove them from their shelter. - -Colonel Bayly of the 42nd, who commanded the left-half battalion, has -favoured us with the following account {100} of Wauchope's intrepid -daring in this action. 'Kirbekan,' he says, 'was one of the last -fights at which I was present with him. He was in command of a -company of my half battalion in the attack on the Arabs' position, a -high, precipitous rocky range rising from the river's bank. We were -fully engaged, when Wauchope, asking my leave, descended the -precipitous bank of the river, then in full flood. Returning in a -few minutes, he said he could take the company over the rocks, and -with perhaps a little wading he could turn the flank of the kopje -held by the enemy. This he did, and rolled the enemy up to their -final stand, a roughly built stone shanty, where General Earle (who -was in command) and Colonel Coveny met their deaths. And here -Wauchope himself was badly wounded.' Meanwhile the cavalry had -captured the enemy's camp, and the Staffordshire regiment had -gallantly stormed the last remaining ridge. The battle of Kirbekan -was won on the 11th February. - -Wauchope was assisted down from among the high rocks by his friends -Captain Stewart and Mr. Mactaggart, the chaplain, and had his wound -attended to by Dr. Harvey and Dr. Flood. They found his shoulder -very much shattered, and were of opinion that his arm would have to -be amputated. He himself was apparently not conscious that he was -dangerously wounded, and endeavoured to treat the matter lightly. -Having persuaded the doctors to delay the operation till next day, we -are told he seemed after a little to be more concerned about the -condition of his brother officer, Lord Alexander Kennedy, who had -also been severely wounded in the action, than about himself. After -further consultation, to the great relief of Wauchope, it was -determined to give him a chance of saving his arm. The wound was -carefully and successfully {101} dressed. This disablement, however, -reduced him from the position of an active leader in the expedition -to that of a mere spectator. He was quite laid aside for a time, and -compelled to remain in one of the boats floating on the Nile--no -pleasant experience for one of his active temperament. - -Still keeping Khartoum, with its noble defender, in view, the -expedition, though yet more than 450 miles from their destination, -pushed on with vigour. Passing Hebbath, the scene of poor Colonel -Stewart's murder by the chief of the Monassir tribe a few months -before, thence to El Kab, where the current is very swift, the 215 -boats of the force arrived at Huella, not far from Abu Ahmed, with -its beautiful green sward on the banks of the river. - -[Sidenote: Death of Gordon] - -This was destined to be the furthest point to which the river -expedition was to penetrate. Relief had arrived too late, for here -the British force learned that the end had come in Khartoum, and that -all their labour had been in vain. The city had been treacherously -taken by the Mahdi, and General Gordon had been killed on the 25th -January, or nearly a month before. - -As the object of the expedition was said to be merely for the relief -of Gordon with his Egyptian garrison, and the British Government had -determined to abandon the Soudan entirely, there was nothing left for -Lord Wolseley to do on the receipt of this sad intelligence but to -retrace his steps. On the 13th February, Sir Redvers Buller, with -the Desert Column, which had reached Gubat, evacuated that place; -and, as the reason for the occupation of Berber by the River Column -had practically ceased, orders were received commanding a halt. Ten -days afterwards the flotilla commenced the return journey down the -swift and {102} broken waters of the Nile. It was an unfortunate end -of an undecided policy which delayed the relief of the noble Gordon -until it was too late. Had the Government taken up the matter -earnestly some months earlier than they did, Lord Wolseley's -expedition would not only have saved Gordon a tragic death and -relieved Khartoum, but would then have crushed the power of the Madhi -for ever. Thus would have been accomplished in 1885 a piece of work -which, simply by being then neglected, had again to be taken up -thirteen years afterwards, but which was brought then to a successful -issue by the entire overthrow on 2nd September 1898 of the Mahdi's -successor by General Sir Herbert Kitchener at Omdurman. - -Wauchope all through this expedition had proved himself an invaluable -pioneer in the rough and arduous work they had to encounter, and the -many difficulties to be overcome. He was highly popular with all -ranks from the Commander-in-Chief to the youngest drummer, for he -looked upon every one as simply his fellow-workers, and was ever -ready to help any in trouble. 'Gifted,' as one of his brother -officers has said of him, 'with a singularly attractive and lovable -disposition, he made friends of every one he met. With the simplest -of tastes himself, and (after the deaths of his father and brother) -with ample means at his disposal, he used to help more particularly -those married with or without leave in the regiment, and these cases -I only heard of by accident. He never spoke of them himself.' - -[Sidenote: A staunch Prespyterian] - -Nor was his interest in his men limited to merely secular matters. -He was deeply impressed with the conviction that, carrying as the -soldier did his life in his hand, there was no class of men who ought -more to be prepared for death. And facing death, as he so often did -himself, he {103} felt that the consolations of religion should be -within the soldier's reach when needed. He was a staunch -Presbyterian, loyal to his national religion, and ever ready to give -the chaplain of his regiment his support and help. When the Nile -Expedition had reached Korti it was resolved that none but fighting -men should go further, and some of the chaplains were accordingly -left behind as an unnecessary impediment. Just before starting, an -officer of the staff came to the chaplain of the Black Watch, who -happened at the time to be standing beside Colonel Wauchope, with the -order that he was not to proceed further. The chaplain replied that -there was nothing for him to do at Korti, if he were separated from -the regiment; he urged that he had been sent from Cairo with the -Gordons and the Black Watch, and that he would go with them where -duty called. Wauchope at once said, 'Stick to that and I will back -you up.' The chaplain without any further demur was allowed to -proceed, and he was the only chaplain who got beyond the base to be -in time to do duty in action. In this connection an instance of his -strict military discrimination may be mentioned. A man of his -company came and complained to him that he had been told off by the -sergeant-major to remain at the base. A certain number of men of -each corps had been so ordered, and naturally the best soldiers were -not left behind. Wauchope replied to this man, 'You are a soldier -who is often drunk, often late for parade, often absent, and we can't -depend upon you. We prefer to take men we can trust.' The man, very -much crestfallen, and evidently disappointed, said, 'Sir, if you will -take me to the front, I promise you I'll never be brought before an -officer again.' Wauchope said, 'Very well, I'll take you at your -word, but if you don't keep it, I'll never do {104} anything more for -you.' The man behaved perfectly well during the campaign, and -loyally kept his word. 'It may be hoped,' says the friend from whom -we have the story, 'that Wauchope's considerate action was the means -of pulling up a man who was on the downward course, and the making of -a good soldier out of a bad one.' - -One may be sure that the disappointment of not reaching Khartoum, and -the sudden cessation of their active efforts, had a depressing effect -upon the whole force. Lord Wolseley, in his message to the Nile -Column ordering it to return, sought to soften the disappointment in -some measure by judicious praise. 'Please,' said he, 'express to the -troops Lord Wolseley's high appreciation of their gallant conduct in -action, and of the military spirit they have displayed in overcoming -the great difficulties presented by the river. Having punished the -Monassir people for Colonel Stewart's murder, it is not intended to -undertake any further military operations until after the approaching -hot season.' - -[Sidenote: The Soudan abandoned] - -When once more the expedition headed down-stream, difficult as they -had found it to ascend, the return movement was even more risky and -dangerous. The eighty-five Canadian steersmen were now found to be -invaluable, or, as one has remarked, 'were worth their weight in -gold.' Boat after boat with their loads of troops came down at -lightning speed in order of two fathoms' length between each boat. -It required a quick eye and steady steering to avoid collision or -being thrown on the rocks, for half a second was as good as a wreck -when shooting madly between the sunken rocks of the cataracts. A few -boats came to grief, but only one belonging to the Black Watch. And -so Wauchope and the other wounded were steered down the great -river--perhaps the most wonderful stream {105} in this world of -ours--to Meraivi. Rochefoucauld has said that strong minds suffer -without complaining, while weak ones complain without suffering. -Wauchope's exemplary patience under such trying and painful -circumstances, we have been told, was extraordinary. He was ever -cheerful, and not a murmur escaped his lips. At Meraivi the regiment -erected huts and an hospital, and remained for two months, but were -always on the alert night and day against threatened attacks by -unfriendly Arabs. The Government ultimately abandoned the idea of -the reconquest of the Soudan at that time. It was left to its fate -in the hands of the victorious Mahdi, all the troops being recalled. -Leaving the boats at Akasheh on 8th June, the Black Watch took train -for Wady Halfa, thence to Assouan, then by steamers and _diabehas_ to -Assiout, and thereafter by train to Cairo, which was safely reached -on the morning of the 27th June, Lord Wolseley telegraphing to -London, 'The Black Watch has arrived in splendid condition, and -looking the picture of military efficiency.' - -Colonel Wauchope's services in the Nile Expedition of 1884-85 were -acknowledged by two clasps to his Egyptian medal, inscribed Nile and -Kirbekan. - -It is a significant commentary upon the modesty of the man, that -while the records of the regiment at this time, from which we have -gathered these particulars of its movements in the Nile Expedition, -were compiled by Colonel Wauchope himself, Colonel Bayly, who was -then its commanding officer, has pointed out to us 'that just for -that reason we will find his name less mentioned than it ought to be.' - -The Black Watch returned to Cairo, where they remained for over a -year, during which time Wauchope had quite recovered from his wounds -and was able to resume duty. - -{106} - -[Sidenote: Malta and Gibraltar] - -On the 30th April 1886 the regiment left Cairo, sailing from -Alexandria in the steamship _Poonah_ under orders for Malta, and -reaching that interesting island on the 5th May. During the three -years that followed, when the 42nd were quartered there, and -afterwards at Gibraltar, Colonel Wauchope was several times home on -leave of absence, but not for any lengthened period. During these -years, the 42nd had the round of the various barracks with which that -important military station is studded--Ricasoli, St. Elmo, Floriana, -Gozo, and Pembroke Camp. The last, which is about two miles west of -the harbour and fortifications of Valletta, was occupied for a time -when the troops were engaged in firing practice, and one gentleman -who was then in Malta, acting as assistant to Dr. Wisely, the -resident chaplain, mentions that he always found the Colonel -exceedingly kind, occasionally asking him to join the officers' mess, -and showing him much attention. From frequent intercourse with him, -he formed the impression that 'he was one of the most modest and -unassuming of men; and, he might add, one of the most sensible.' - -But Wauchope's influence and personality were not limited to his -military duties, or to the British soldiers merely. He had a great -deal to do with the Maltese, especially in connection with the -formation of a Malta Militia. We are told by Dr. Wisely that he -'entered into the organisation of a body of native militia with his -usual thoroughness; and,' he says, 'by none was he more respected -than by the native inhabitants of the island. The Maltese loved him. -When the news came of his death, some of them I know wept for sorrow.' - -At the sale of the whale-boats of the Nile Expedition, Wauchope -purchased two or three of them, and had them {107} sent to Malta, -where they were largely used, and to good effect, by his men for -recreation purposes. With a good deal of the sailor in him, he -encouraged races and aquatic sports in and about Valletta, he himself -taking an active personal interest in them, and being a good deal out -with the boats. - -His old shipmate of the _St. George_, Prince Alfred, who had now been -created Duke of Edinburgh, and was then serving as captain of one of -the warships in the Mediterranean, and afterwards as -commander-in-chief of the Malta station, came a good deal in contact -with Wauchope at this time. There was a frequent interchange of -visits between them. 'The Duke,' says Colonel Bayly, 'had always the -greatest regard for Wauchope, calling him, as of old, by his -Christian name of Andy, and showing the utmost friendship.' In this -way the otherwise tedious routine of garrison duty was considerably -lightened. - -In June 1889, Wauchope was honoured by having conferred upon him by -Her Majesty the distinction of Companion of the Most Honourable Order -of the Bath, in recognition of his splendid services in Egypt. - -On the 8th August, the battalion of the Black Watch left Malta for -Gibraltar in H.M.S. _Himalaya_, and disembarked at the Rock on the -13th, taking up their quarters in the south barracks. The regiment -had a prolonged stay of nearly three years at Gibraltar, but during -that period Colonel Wauchope, in addition to his being home several -times on furlough, had frequent opportunities of making visits in -Spain and on the coast of Algiers and Morocco. His actual term of -foreign service only extended to February 1891, when he returned to -Scotland to take the command of the 2nd Battalion at Maryhill -Barracks, Glasgow. - -{108} - -During his residence at Gibraltar in 1890, he twice over occupied for -a time a rather unusual position, being called upon to take command -of the garrison. While actually in charge of only a company, he also -commanded the battalion owing to the temporary absence of Colonel -Gordon on leave. The major-general having been called away at the -same time, Wauchope, by virtue of his army seniority, took over the -command of the infantry brigade of four regiments as well. None were -quicker than himself to see the possibilities of this peculiar -situation. As he put it, with a humorous smile--'Now, suppose a man -of my company has a complaint to make, and I decide against him, as I -probably should: his remedy is to appeal to the officer commanding -his regiment, and he gets Andrew Wauchope again to judge the case. -His next appeal would be to the general, and again he comes before -Andrew Wauchope; but being only human myself, I fear he would find -the decision confirmed, and he would go away with the reflection, -that it was "Andrew Wauchope all along the line!"' - -It is needless to say this problematical contingency never arose, and -so he was saved from acting in any such triple capacity. - - - - -{109} - -CHAPTER VII - -THE MIDLOTHIAN CAMPAIGN - - -'A Scot of the Scots,' General Wauchope was a man of many parts. -Great in arms, he was equally great in the arts of peace; and in the -political world, strangely enough, he carved out for himself a -reputation quite unique. Though his countrymen were naturally proud -of his distinguished services as a soldier, they knew him also, it -has been well said, as the man who by pertinacious pluck and sweet -conciliation brought down Mr. Gladstone's majority in the county of -Midlothian. Liberal politicians both in England and Scotland will -not have forgotten the horrified astonishment with which they read -the figures of the poll in that county at the General Election of -1892. - -Mr. Gladstone had been returned for the metropolitan county of -Scotland in 1880, after his great campaign, by a small majority -against the present Duke of Buccleuch, at that time Earl of Dalkeith. -That was under the old and restricted franchise. In 1885, when the -miners and farm hands had largely through his influence obtained -votes, he defeated Sir Charles Dalrymple--a man respected by all who -knew him, and by many who did not--by two to one, and something over. -Nobody thought any more about Midlothian. It was regarded as Mr. -Gladstone's {110} stronghold, and the Liberals went to sleep in the -comfortable assurance that the seat was theirs so long as he lived. -Nor were their slumbers disturbed by the unopposed election of July -1886, when throughout the country the Liberal party suffered a -serious defeat consequent upon Mr. Gladstone's attempt, as Prime -Minister, to pass what was popularly known as the Home Rule Bill for -Ireland. Mr. Gladstone retained his seat, but was obliged to resign -his position as First Lord of the Treasury; and the Home Rule Bill in -course of the next six years, under the administration of Lord -Salisbury, became practically a thing of the past. During that time -remarkable changes were effected in the constituency. In Edinburgh -the Conservative party had rallied. Its leaders did not lack -courage, even under the most hopeless circumstances, and they -resolved to bring forward one whose determination and courage had -been well tried, though in an entirely different field. At a meeting -of the Midlothian Liberal Unionist Association in Edinburgh on the -18th November 1889, the proposal of the committee to adopt Colonel -Wauchope of Niddrie as their representative was unanimously carried. - -[Sidenote: Opposes Mr. Gladstone] - -It was admitted on all hands that his acceptance of such a proposal -involved the undertaking of a very hard task: one speaker at the -meeting even going so far as to say that 'while he did not anticipate -they were to win the county, he was sure that if Colonel Wauchope led -this forlorn hope, it would not be an inglorious defeat.' - -Notwithstanding the rather doubtful prospects of success which his -supporters gave, Wauchope's reply was characteristic of the man. He -accepted the honour and the responsibility all the more readily, it -would appear, that it was accompanied by difficulties. After -thanking the meeting for asking him to come forward at the next -election, {111} he said he should be more than human if he did not -feel deeply gratified. If he had been an orator, or if he had been a -man engaged in public affairs, he would not have been surprised. But -though he was an utterly untried man, he would do his best to try and -serve, he should not say their interests, but the interests of the -cause which they had all at heart. He was sure they would rally -round the old flag--the flag of the Union. It spoke well for the -future of Unionism throughout the land; and their native county of -Midlothian had in this respect shown a good example to the rest of -the country. They must never lose sight of the fact that this battle -that was going on now was not a battle only in Midlothian, but it was -a battle 'all along the line,' from Land's End to John o' Groats. -They were only a mere part of that fight; and if it were a 'forlorn -hope' here, it was of the greatest advantage to the great cause that -they made a good 'forlorn hope' of it! He felt the responsibility -very much to play the part of leader to them when they might so -easily have got a better one. 'However,' he said, 'the choice is -with you. I did not seek it, but shall do my best to come to the end -of the business in a proper way.' Here it will be seen there was -both boldness and modesty, confidence in the cause he was to -champion, and self-reliance, without overrating his ability for the -hazard. His opposition to Irish Home Rule and the possible -disintegration of the Empire made him fearless, even to the extent of -daring to oppose in person the great commander-in-chief of the Home -Rule army. - -At this time he was home from Gibraltar for a short furlough, and -with evidently no expectation of taking any prominent part in -politics; and so, his term of leave of absence having nearly expired, -he was unable to follow up {112} his nomination by any active -movement. He accordingly returned to Gibraltar on 4th December. In -January following he got, however, a further leave of absence from -29th January till 31st May, during which time he took full advantage -of the opportunity. Though there was no near prospect of an -election, he at once set about his canvass with all the -characteristic energy of his nature, devoting all his spare time to -addressing meetings of the electors in the various villages and -parishes of the county. This preliminary canter over, he rejoined -his regiment at Gibraltar in June 1890, leaving politics all behind -him, and entering with fresh zest into his military duties. - -[Sidenote: Canvass of the Electors] - -The Liberal press of the country, as a rule, treated Colonel -Wauchope's candidature with the utmost indifference, if not with -contempt, regarding it as a foregone conclusion that it would end in -nothing. Indeed, his splendid audacity provoked the Radical party to -mirth, and even in Unionist circles there was much shaking of heads. -On all hands, by political friends and foes alike, every -consideration and deference was shown, and he was listened to -generally in respectful silence, rarely with open opposition; but his -claims were not considered serious enough to work out to a conclusion -that would at all affect Mr. Gladstone's position as the sitting -member. Was Mr. Gladstone not the first statesman of the day, and -the most brilliant Chancellor of the Exchequer of the century?--a man -who, it has been wittily said, 'could apply all the resources of a -burnished rhetoric to the illustration of figures; who could make -pippins and cheese interesting, and tea serious; who could sweep the -widest horizon of the financial future and yet stop to bestow the -minutest attention on the microcosm of penny stamps and post horses.' -To oppose such a man seemed madness. The feeling was, {113} however, -more of pity that a good man should waste his energies on a hopeless -effort, than any fear of danger to the Liberal cause. The following, -as the expression of a Liberal editor, may be taken as a fair -specimen of the general feeling at the time:--'The answer to the -question of the Scotsman, "Where is the candidate for Midlothian?" -has at last been answered. Colonel Wauchope is a good and a brave -man, and one almost regrets that he should have been prevailed upon -to lead a forlorn hope. Almost all that was said of Sir Charles -Dalrymple when he contested the county, may be said of the Laird of -Niddrie. His heart is in the right place. He is justly held in much -esteem as a landlord and county gentleman, as well as for his gallant -services to his country. Sir Charles is, however, more of and -perhaps a better politician, and where HE failed, Colonel Wauchope -can have little chance of success.' - -These pessimistic effusions had no more effect upon Wauchope than -water on a duck's back. He had given his word, the die was cast, and -deliberately and systematically he carried out his resolution. -Beginning at his own village of New Craighall--chiefly inhabited by -the miners belonging to the coal-pits on his estate--he commenced his -campaign in the schoolroom on 10th February 1890, his friend and -neighbour Sir Charles Dalrymple acting as chairman. In the course of -his speech, Sir Charles referred to the difficult task Colonel -Wauchope had undertaken, but was of opinion that his experience in -the army had taught him not to shrink from a task because it was -difficult. Indeed, he thought that to Colonel Wauchope a task of -difficulty was more attractive than an easy one. He was above all -things plain-spoken and thorough, and if he made statements on public -questions, they might be sure {114} that he would not have to answer -them or explain them away at a subsequent period. - -It is not necessary we should follow his footsteps throughout the -county on this first round of addresses to the electors, or of his -second round the following year, when he again returned from -Gibraltar, and finally in 1892 when the general election took place. -His personal canvass too of nearly fifteen thousand electors was a -remarkable experience, and was conducted by him with much tact. - -[Sidenote: Electioneering difficulties] - -It is needless to say these repeated appearances proved an excellent -training for him in the art of public speaking. He addressed the -electors on all subjects of public importance from Home Rule as the -all-absorbing question of the day, to questions of Imperial and local -interest. It must be admitted his early speeches bore the -unmistakable signs of the amateur in platform oratory, and when too -hard pressed by a pertinacious heckler he had sometimes to admit he -was nonplussed, but that he would give the embarrassing question his -full attention, and express his opinion on it when he had formed it. -This want of experience told heavily against him, and frequently he -had difficulty in getting a hearing, or in being able clearly to -express his views on some of the topics dealt with. But a breakdown -did not put him very much out; he always managed to please his -audience before he was done, with some happy remark given with the -utmost good-nature. His utterances, sometimes diffuse and incoherent -at first, very soon grew in confidence as well as in clearness, and -before the election was over there were few public speakers better -able to command the attention of a large audience than Andrew Gilbert -Wauchope of Niddrie. - -As he progressed in fluency of utterance he grew in popularity. The -householders of the middle class {115} certainly showed no sympathy -for his claims, and almost closed their doors in his face. They were -Gladstonian to a man. But, notwithstanding this, the Colonel -gradually acquired a hold upon the industrial and agricultural -workmen. He had, as they said, 'a way with him.' He talked to them -in every village about politics and about their own lives. He never -indulged in personal abuse of Mr. Gladstone--on the contrary, when he -did refer to him it was always with the utmost respect, as one or two -of his speeches before us testify. As a rule, the working classes -are not slow to recognise a gentleman, and they soon found the -Colonel was one to the back-bone; one who had a human heart and could -do a kind deed. At a meeting in the early part of the campaign, a -mining village had crowded its men into a hall to hear the man who -dared to oppose Mr. Gladstone. The meeting was very noisy, and -ill-disposed to listen--so much so that a speech was impossible. -When things were becoming serious, a smart-looking working man, -apparently in the thirties, stepped on to the platform amidst the -hubbub, much to the Colonel's surprise. Nobody knew what was coming, -and the singularity of the proceeding secured silence, in which the -unexpected orator spoke to the following effect:--'I dinna ken very -much about politics, but I was wounded at Tel-el-Kebir, and a man -came up to me as I lay on the ground, and after giving me a drink -from his water-bottle carried me back to a place of safety. That man -is on the platform to-night, and that's the man I'm gaen to vote -for.' The effect was electrical; the Colonel was not only listened -to, he was cheered to the echo, and the incident made a deep -impression on many present. - -Frequently, of course, he had to stand a good deal of interruption -and good-natured chaff, but he was generally {116} ready with a happy -retort. 'Does your mother know you're out?' was shouted to him from -the back part of a hall one night in the middle of his speech by a -roisterous opponent. 'Oh yes,' quietly replied the Colonel -parenthetically, 'but she will very soon know that I am in!' - -[Sidenote: Tramping the constituencies] - -Another questioner, evidently thinking he had a poser, put it to the -candidate: 'If war breaks out, will you be able to represent the -county?' to which he returned the laconic and crushing reply: 'My -man, if war breaks out, I'll be there'--an answer which at once -evoked a ringing cheer and turned the meeting largely in his favour. -Of course he did not convert all the miners to his way of thinking, -but he managed to retain their esteem all the same. 'I like ye, -Colonel, but I canna vote for ye,' said a conscientious miner to him -one day, and doubtless the Colonel appreciated his humble political -opponent all the more for his genuine frankness. Few who were -present at his first political meeting in New Craighall schoolroom -will readily forget the difficulty he had in getting through with the -subject of land values. After wandering over half the Continent for -practical illustrations, he at length lost the thread of his -discourse, and got into a hopeless maze. For a minute or two he -stood speechless, while his face became quite florid, as he fiercely -pounded his left hand with his fist in his own characteristic -fashion. A happy inspiration came at last. Turning his back upon -the audience, he suddenly seized one of the newspaper reporters -sitting near, and commanded him to stand up. 'What have you got down -there? Read it!' With some difficulty the reporter obeyed. 'That's -not what I want to say at all. Put it out. We can't have that go -into the papers; put it down this way,' and then he proceeded to tell -him what he meant to say. - -{117} - -'I was miserably beaten,' he remarked next day to a friend; 'but I've -determined to master politics, and I'll do it.' How he did it every -one knows. With a volume of Gladstone's speeches in his pocket, he -tramped the constituencies, and on the eve of the election, at a -meeting of seventeen hundred persons in the Corn Exchange of -Dalkeith, which was even honoured by the presence of cabinet -ministers, the speech of the evening was admitted to be that made by -Colonel Wauchope. - -All this involved, of course, active exertion, as well as -concentration of thought and study, and the very servants in the -house could see he was absorbed in thought as he never had been -before. Even his walks about the grounds were less frequent than -before, for the things that used formerly to interest him were passed -unheeded by, as with face to the ground he appeared to be thinking -out some problem or composing a speech. In his room piles of papers -littered the floor, and the preparations for speeches must have been -enormous for one not accustomed to this kind of work. One night he -had sat up late preparing a speech, making cuttings and pasting them -together to be ready for reference. In order that they might be -properly dried, he left them on the fender overnight, and when the -girl came in in the morning to put on the fire, thinking it was a lot -of wastepaper she used it for that purpose. Of course the Colonel -made inquiries about his papers, and for some time there was great -consternation among the servants when it was known what had happened, -and the admission had to be made that they had been destroyed. It -was very different with him, however. He laughed the matter over, -and told the poor girl never to mind, as it was more than likely it -would end in smoke at any rate! - -{118} - -By the end of March 1891 Colonel Wauchope had a second time visited -the whole of the constituency, or, as a Radical paper put it, 'had -been overhauling the preserves of the Grand Old Man,' but admitting -frankly, at the same time, that 'he seemed everywhere to be received -with marked attention and respect.' - -[Sidenote: An eventful night] - -One of the largest of these meetings, held in Dalkeith on 31st -January, gave him an opportunity of twitting the Liberals upon their -alliance with Mr. Parnell, and upon the exposure made to the country -by his having a bag of lime thrown in his face, 'not by an alien -Saxon, but by a Paddy belonging to the soil, in the county of -Kilkenny, in the very midst of dear old Ireland.' The great issue, -he said, now before the country has been wonderfully cleared up, and -he strongly believed that if the people of this country could have -the truth put before them, there would be no more talk of Home -Rule--referring, of course, to the scandal connected with the Irish -leader's temporary retirement from political life by recent exposures -in the Divorce Court. - -These peregrinations through the county brought Colonel Wauchope in -contact with all classes of people. The very reporters, whose duty -it was to follow him and report his speeches, he made friends of, and -by all who had dealings with him he was regarded as the most genial -and generous-minded of political candidates. As one of them said, -'he was affability itself, and gave the impression of regarding the -reporters as his personal friends.' One of these gentlemen has given -us the following graphic account of an electioneering visit to one of -the outlying parishes in the county:-- - - -Once in the course of one of his Midlothian tours we had something in -the nature of adventure. He was to address an {119} evening meeting -at Heriot, and arrangements were duly made for the stopping of an -outgoing express which left the Waverley Station about six o'clock, -as well as for the stopping of the Pullman express in order to bring -him back to Edinburgh. The arrangement was so beautifully fine that -it failed disastrously. To begin with, the departure of the outgoing -train was delayed for over twenty minutes awaiting a Glasgow -connection, and, to make matters worse, the fact that the village of -Heriot is about two miles distant from the railway station had been -totally disregarded--if, indeed, it was known. The result was that -the candidate, his agent, and the writer alighted at Heriot Station -just about the time that the meeting was announced to begin. There -was nothing for it but walking. In a drenching rain the three of us -set out for the meeting-place. When we had accomplished a -considerable part of the journey we were overtaken by a light country -van. The driver on having our plight explained to him, readily gave -us a 'lift,' and in this way we reached Heriot about the time we -ought to have been leaving it in order to catch the train that was -being stopped for the express purpose of picking us up. The -audience, it was evident, was not quite in the best of humour at -having been kept waiting so long; but the explanation of the Colonel, -and his candid, honest attitude won the hearts of his audience, and -he had an excellent reception. A passage in his speech on that -occasion is worth recalling in the light of the event over which all -Scotland to-day mourns. 'People state,' he said, 'that I am a -warlike candidate; but, gentlemen, I have twice or thrice been shot -in the body already, and I declare to you I have no great desire to -be shot again.' At the close of the meeting we set out on the return -trudge to Heriot, painfully aware of the fact that the last train had -gone, and not knowing in the least how or where we were going to pass -the night. In the course of our march, I remember, the Colonel -turned to me and said seriously, 'I hope you don't get into any -bother over this?' I assured him that he need have no anxiety on -that score. 'Because,' he added, 'I'll sign any certificate you -like.' The remark was quite like him. It reflected at once the -soldier and the considerate gentleman. Well, when we {120} got to -the railway station, we found that the train that was to have picked -us up, had passed quite an hour previously. The stationmaster, I -remember, took in the situation sympathetically at a glance. If he -was not a sturdy Unionist he must have been one of the General's -numerous admirers. 'There is nothing for it,' said he, 'but to walk -up the line to Falahill, where we may have a chance of getting a -pilot engine to run you down at least to Dalkeith.' Accordingly the -stationmaster lit a lamp, and the four of us started to walk up the -line in the dark, wet night. When we reached Falahill we learned -with intense relief that a spare engine was at that very moment -pushing up a goods train from Eskbank. The train arrived at the -signal-box in the course of a very few minutes, and in the course of -a few minutes more the Colonel, his agent, and myself had mounted the -spare engine. The engine-driver was a brick. He drove us down the -hill like the wind--tender first, by the way. We alighted from the -engine at the point where the Dalkeith section debouches from the -main line, and after the chilling effect of our rough ride, at once -started off at a smart pace to walk to Dalkeith Station. We reached -Dalkeith exactly at ten minutes to ten o'clock. There were thus ten -minutes left to us in which to obtain a much-needed refreshment, and -we needed little persuasion to visit an adjoining inn for the -purpose. We caught the last train from Dalkeith, and were in the -Waverley Station about half-past ten o'clock. Many a time afterwards -was that eventful evening recalled by all three. - - -In the spring of this same year (1891), when political parties in -Midlothian were busy preparing for the possibility of a general -election occurring in the following year, a portion of Colonel -Wauchope's regiment was ordered home from Gibraltar, and he was -posted to the Second Battalion to be stationed at Belfast. This -transference made him now second in command, with the rank of Senior -Major of the Black Watch. He did not therefore require to go back to -Gibraltar again, but served the {121} greater part of this and the -following year, first in Belfast and afterwards in Limerick. - -[Sidenote: Third tour of Midlothian] - -In January 1892 Colonel Wauchope began his third tour of Midlothian, -carrying it on with energy for the next three months. Still the -dogged determination to do well and thoroughly what he had undertaken -is patent in all the steps of his progress. The 'forlorn hope' was -now looking more hopeful, and his opponents were beginning to take -alarm. At one meeting it had been insinuated that Mr. Gladstone -being an old man of eighty-two, he was only working with a view to -ultimately taking the great statesman's place. He repudiated the -idea with all the eloquence he could command. 'It had been said that -he was waiting to step into dead men's shoes. That, he thought, was -striking a bit below the belt. He certainly could look any man in -Midlothian straight in the face--ay, into his very eye--and say that -he was waiting to fill no dead man's shoes. He was telling the -truth, and nothing but the truth, when he said he hoped Mr. Gladstone -might live for many years. He knew that a greater statesman than Mr. -Gladstone perhaps never lived in this country; but, despite that, he -was sorry to say he could not agree with his policy. Indeed, the -more he admired Mr. Gladstone's genius, and the more wonderful he -considered all that he had done, the more deeply and the more -profoundly did he regret the course he had pursued in regard to the -Irish Home Rule question. There was no doubt that the greatest men -had made the greatest mistakes.' Home Rule he characterised in -another speech as 'Federalism that would completely change the -character of the Government of the United Kingdom,' and 'he could not -help feeling it was a measure which would never be sanctioned by the -people of this country.' - -{122} - -As a counteractive to the Colonel's prolonged canvass, a great -Liberal demonstration took place in Edinburgh on 29th March, when, in -addition to the great statesman himself, Lord Carrington, Governor of -New South Wales, appeared. - -Parliament was dissolved three months after, on 25th June, and -immediately the electoral battle was waged with greater intensity. -Mr. Gladstone came down to Edinburgh on the 30th June to begin a tour -of the county, and the eyes of the whole country were turned upon -Midlothian and the fate of the great leader of the Liberal party. -Charmed with the flow of eloquence, crowded audiences hung upon his -lips, and, no doubt, led away with the popular enthusiasm with which -he was on all hands greeted, Mr. Gladstone's supporters overlooked -the influence that had silently but surely been working against his -return, and were incredulous as to the possibility of defeat, while a -too confident committee were thought to have relaxed their efforts. -One Radical writer had no hesitation in saying, that 'as to the -result of the election, no one seems to have any doubt. It is fully -admitted that Colonel Wauchope is in many respects an admirable -candidate, but to compare him with Mr. Gladstone is looked upon by -the latter gentleman's followers as almost ludicrous!' - -The result was nevertheless looked forward to with the utmost -interest. Speculation ran high; and while the odds were certainly in -favour of Mr. Gladstone, an element of uncertainty was daily growing -as the polling-day drew near, which only whetted public curiosity the -more. - -[Sidenote: Getting into a funk] - -It was even said that the Colonel himself, in view of his rapidly -increasing popularity, was beginning to be apprehensive that he was -actually to be elected--a result he {123} neither expected nor -greatly wished. 'I am getting into a funk,' he remarked--whether -seriously or not we cannot tell--when his agents told him he was -likely to win the seat from Mr. Gladstone. 'You know, I don't want -to go into Parliament; I want to be Commander of the Black Watch.' -He had stood forward when asked as the champion of his party. He had -opposed what he considered the errors of the Liberals. He would have -none of Mr. Gladstone's Home Rule policy. He was opposed to the -Disestablishment of the Church of Scotland. He was against the -enforcement of an eight hours limit of labour as an infringement of -individual liberty, while he held that the foreign policy of the -country under Liberal Governments had not always commanded public -confidence. For three years he had earnestly and well enunciated the -principles for which he contended, but as to turning Mr. Gladstone -out of his seat at last, we can well believe that he shrank from the -bare possibility of it as the day of the poll approached. - -The Midlothian election took place on the 12th July. Out of a -constituency of 13,134, no less than 11,000 tendered their votes--or -84 per cent. of the total. It must be borne in mind that a large -number of the returns throughout the country had already been made, -and these in many cases showed in favour of the Liberal cause. -Indeed, Lord Salisbury's majority in the House of Commons had -disappeared, and each day brought additions to the Liberal majority. -The party was naturally elated, and so far as Midlothian was -concerned it was confidently predicted that Mr. Gladstone's majority -would not be less than 2500. The result of the poll was made known -next day at the Edinburgh County Buildings before an immense -concourse of people. It was one of the biggest {124} surprises Mr. -Gladstone's supporters encountered during the General Election, so -far certainly as Scotland was concerned. The counting of the votes -was completed about a quarter to one o'clock, and an unofficial -intimation of the result soon found its way outside. It put Mr. -Gladstone's majority at 673. There was a crowd of some thousands in -number on the street in front of the court-house, and the -announcement that Mr. Gladstone's majority had been reduced below 700 -gave rise to a scene of extraordinary excitement. The crowd surged -up to the door to hear the figures, and as the cry 'Gladstone in by -700' was passed from one to another, a roar of astonishment, we are -told, went up from a thousand throats. The noise brought hundreds of -more excited politicians flocking to the scene. Town Council -committee men and young men from the adjoining Parliament House of -every shade of politics hurried up to join the excited throng. Blank -dismay took hold of every Gladstonian countenance. Some of them -could nor restrain themselves, and the most convenient object on -which to vent their indignation was apparently the Church of -Scotland, which came in for no little share of abuse as the cause of -it all. - -[Sidenote: Result of the poll] - -When it is recalled that in 1885 Mr. Gladstone had been elected by a -majority of 4631, and that in the following year his return was not -opposed, the figures of 1892 very well justified Colonel Wauchope's -daring. These were, for Mr. Gladstone 5845, and for the Colonel -5150--a majority for the former of 690. In other words, Mr. -Gladstone had lost 2000 votes, and Colonel Wauchope had polled nearly -2000 more than had been recorded for Sir Charles Dalrymple in 1885. -Neither of the candidates happened to be at the County Buildings when -the declaration of the poll was made, so that after the first -surprise {125} was over the crowd dispersed. It had been the -intention to have at once sent a telegram to Mr. Gladstone, who was -residing with Lord Rosebery at Dalmeny, but it is said that so great -was the perplexity among his supporters, that the telegram though -made out was not despatched till later on, for, like the crowd -outside, the people in the corridors refused for a time to credit the -figures. Colonel Wauchope had a most enthusiastic reception accorded -to him at his committee rooms in Princes Street, and on being called -upon for a speech, said he would not make a speech, because he felt -it to be true that it was the committee of Midlothian that had won -this victory. It was, he repeated, the committee; it was the men who -had stood by their guns at the committee rooms, the men who had -assiduously and earnestly worked for the cause--a duty he feared not -always of the most agreeable kind. But they had done their work -well, and it was to them that they owed this great victory--because -it was a victory--that would resound throughout the length and -breadth of the land. 'It is true, I have been the standard-bearer in -this fight, and I hope I have borne the standard not without -discredit to myself. But it is very little that a standard-bearer -can do if he is not supported by an army on the right and an army on -the left of him, and I am here to acknowledge that I have been -supported, and well supported, by a noble army both on my right and -on my left. We have fought a good fight, and a straight fight, and -we have proved that the heart of Midlothian beats sound enough.' - -The result of this Midlothian election was admitted on all hands, and -by none more so than the Liberals themselves, as 'a grievous -surprise,' 'an eye-opener,' 'a severe lesson.' It was realised now -that after all Colonel Wauchope's candidature had not been quite the -'forlorn {126} hope' they had at first predicted it to be. As one of -the party papers afterwards remarked, 'They had been taught the -lesson that it does not do to depend too much upon the individuality -of any one, however eminent, to carry a seat.... The advanced party -was caught napping.' ... 'It is,' they said, 'most astonishing to -find how well Colonel Wauchope is respected in the constituency now, -and how much he has improved in his treatment of political questions. -The outspoken and transparent honesty of his character has made him -troops of friends in all quarters, and the attention with which he -was received both by friends and opponents at the various -polling-booths must have been gratifying to the gallant Colonel -himself in no ordinary degree, as well as encouraging alike to him -and his supporters to try conclusions again.' - -Seldom has a defeat been reckoned so much of a victory. Those of the -'forlorn hope' were amazed, for what at first appeared so hopeless -had come within the region of possibility. Wauchope's name was on -every lip and at the point of every pen. The Midlothian election -startled the political world, and sobered the joy of Liberals; for -even the return of a majority of members to Parliament, sufficient -with the aid of the Irish Nationalists to turn out the Conservative -Government of Lord Salisbury and to place Mr. Gladstone in office, -was, in the estimation of many of that great statesman's admirers, -scarcely compensation enough for such a downcome. - -[Sidenote: Corn Exchange banquet] - -Immediately after the election, on the 18th July, Colonel Wauchope -was entertained to a house dinner by the Scottish Conservative Club, -at which Sir Charles Dalrymple presided. The Unionists of Midlothian -also recognised Colonel Wauchope's efforts and the sacrifices he had -made in the contest by a grand banquet given {127} in his honour in -the Corn Exchange, one of the largest halls in Edinburgh, on the 20th -August. Beautifully decorated for the occasion, and filled as it was -by over a thousand of the leading men of the party, and a large -number of ladies in the galleries, the banquet was a spectacle of -remarkable brilliancy and beauty. - -The meeting was presided over by the Duke of Buccleuch, who, in -proposing their guest's health, congratulated the company upon the -occasion which had brought so many of them together as -representatives of every parish in the county, after a fight in which -the interest of the whole country had been centred--a fight which was -looked upon a short time ago as a forlorn hope--a fight with one of -the most powerful men in the kingdom--one who came down here, you may -say, as the idol of the people. 'It is unusual,' said his Grace, 'to -celebrate a defeat; I will not call it that. I cannot call it a -victory, but I will call it a very great success. It has been a -success that has astonished ourselves, but it has done more than -that--it has created consternation among our opponents. A few more, -or, I would say, one more success of this kind, will not only be a -victory, but a very great one. For a majority of 4631 to have been -reduced on this last occasion to 690 is no small thing to have been -accomplished. It has been accomplished by two causes, or, I might -say, three perhaps. One was a first-class candidate; the second was -hard-working constituents; the third--a very important one--was a -good cause.' His Grace then referred to the Colonel's family as -holding an honoured place in the history of Midlothian for nearly six -hundred years, and to his own good qualities as a soldier who had -fought hard for his country's honour, and faithfully served his Queen. - -{128} - -Colonel Wauchope's reply was at once modest, vigorous, and humorous, -but our space will not permit us to give it in its entirety. In his -most light-hearted bantering manner he referred to the consternation -of their Liberal opponents on hearing that Mr. Gladstone had only -been returned by a majority of 690. 'They said it must be a blunder; -there must be something wrong; a "one" dropped out from before the -"six"; it was absurd; the figure will be at least 1690.' 'Ah, but -they looked, and they better looked, but there was no number "one" -before the "six." The fact was this, my friends, that Mr. -Gladstone's majority was down 4000, and so the news had to travel to -Dalmeny, where, I fancy, it was not received with great cordiality!' -After complimenting the committee for the manner in which they had -all exerted themselves, and a graceful acknowledgment to the ladies -who had also assisted, he concluded by thanking his supporters for -the great kindness he had experienced, and the great honour they had -done him, and sat down amid a perfect storm of applause, the large -audience once more rising to their feet, cheering to the echo. - -One of the other speakers--Mr. Martin, manager of the works at New -Craighall--mentioned that the miners of Niddrie, who had supported -the Colonel with loyal devotion, were going to work on till they had -returned him as member for Midlothian. And as an evidence of their -admiration, on the 17th December they also in their own humble way -honoured him with a banquet. It was given in the schoolroom of the -village, and about a hundred and fifty warm sympathisers were -present, presided over by Mr. Martin. It was in every way a -demonstration creditable to the gratitude of the men for many acts of -kindness shown to them in the past, and a manifestation of {129} -their personal esteem, which the Colonel was not slow to recognise -and appreciate. - -[Sidenote: Wauchope and Gladstone] - -A noteworthy feature of this contest between Colonel Wauchope and Mr. -Gladstone was the entire absence of personal animosity. Both -candidates treated each other, as they were entitled to do, with the -utmost respect. This is not always so in the heat of political -warfare. But Wauchope had the good sense to avoid any reference to -his opponent, and for long Mr. Gladstone did not condescend to reply -to any strictures upon his policy. When Wauchope had decided to -become a candidate for Midlothian, he went to Sir Robert Biddulph, -afterwards Governor of Gibraltar, and told him he would have to -canvass regularly until the next general election. Sir Robert's -advice was wise:--'I told him,' said he, 'that he should never make -any personal attack on Gladstone, nor ever mention his name in his -public speeches. I said, "Gladstone is so strong a man, and so -powerful a speaker, that he can tear you to pieces. You should not, -therefore, give him the least opening for attacking you, but just act -as if no such man existed." Some time after,' continues Sir Robert, -'he reminded me of that advice, and said he had scrupulously acted -upon it, so much so that Mr. Gladstone had never attacked him, and -had even spoken of him as a worthy and estimable man!' - -Notwithstanding his military duties, of which he was far from being -forgetful, amid all the political excitement of 1892, Colonel -Wauchope, encouraged by the enthusiasm of his friends, and still -determined to uphold what he considered Constitutional principles, -though, at the same time, conscious of his own deficiencies, -continued his candidature for some time in view of the possibility of -another election soon. Writing from Limerick Barracks {130} on 28th -July 1892 to a friend in Dalkeith who had sent him some complimentary -verses on the recent election, he says:--'Many thanks for your kind -letter. It is such that repay me for any little trouble I may have -taken in the good old cause. No one feels more than I do how unfit I -am in many ways for the position of candidate. For instance, during -next month we are to be at field manoeuvres, and I am tied by the leg -during that time. But Midlothian deals very tenderly with all my -wants--very much, I take it, that I am one of themselves.' - -It was his strong opinion that the Liberal policy of the time was to -prove disastrous to the best interests of his country which made him -so keen an opponent of Mr. Gladstone. Against that great statesman -he had not the slightest personal feeling. Speaking to a friend -afterwards who was congratulating him upon his having so nearly been -returned to Parliament, he said, 'I never expected to win the seat, -_but I wanted to hash their batteries_!' Before long it became -apparent, however, that it would be a needless waste of energy to -continue the struggle; and, besides this, other duties supervened, -and Colonel Wauchope saw fit to withdraw altogether from politics for -a season. - - - - -{131} - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE 73RD REGIMENT AT MARYHILL BARRACKS--INCIDENTS OF HOME -LIFE--MILITARY LIFE AT YORK--APPOINTMENT TO SOUDAN CAMPAIGN. - - -In the autumn of 1892 Colonel Wauchope's residence in Limerick came -to a close on his appointment to the command of the 73rd Perthshire -Regiment, or the 2nd Battalion of the Black Watch, then stationed at -Maryhill Barracks, Glasgow. This well-earned promotion to a position -he had long aspired to occupy enabled him to be more frequently at -Niddrie than formerly. During the twenty-seven years he had been -connected with the Black Watch, he had risen slowly but steadily from -the rank of subaltern through the various intermediate stages to the -first position, by dint of persevering effort and close application -to his military duties. He was by no means a dilettante officer. He -loved his profession, and he made it his life work, while the -enthusiasm with which he was inspired he imparted to those around -him. We find this exemplified in a speech made at a large gathering -of the old members of the 42nd held in the Trades Hall, Glasgow, on -the 17th September, where he presided. Many of those present had -been with him through the Ashanti and Soudan campaigns, as well as in -Cyprus, Malta, and Gibraltar, and in referring to former times he -{132} recalled their relationship with no little satisfaction. He -felt, he said, as if he was back at Aldershot under his dear old -colonel, now Sir John M'Leod, and once more an ensign, and the -adjutant of the 42nd. But let them not forget their comrades of the -73rd regiment. Almost since the beginning of the century, the 73rd -had been part and parcel of the 42nd, having been indeed the second -battalion of the regiment. That alliance had been a happy one. -Personally he had now served the second battalion for eighteen -months, and it had been to him a period of great pleasure in his -duties. That which bound them together and gave them so much in -common was the glorious traditions of the 42nd. Their hearts warmed -to each other and the old regiment as they thought of Waterloo and -Quatre Bras. But it was not only traditions they had. He saw men -before him who had fought in a European theatre of war, and who had -taken part in the great battle of the Alma, of which they were now -celebrating the anniversary. He had spent twenty-seven years in the -old regiment, and the longer he was in it the better he loved it. In -concluding an eloquent address, he said: 'The 42nd stood high in the -esteem of the Scottish people, for there was no regiment that -Scotland loved more than the "Auld Forty-twa," and well they might. -By sea and by land, at home and abroad, the 42nd had fought and -always deserved well of its country. Our old regiment has become -renowned chiefly, I believe, because of the strict and stern yet good -discipline exercised by such commanders as Sir Daniel Cameron, Sir -John M'Leod, and others. These men had always stood up for -discipline, and it was discipline that brought the soldier comfort, -whilst it was the reverse that brought disorder and crime, and -everything that was disagreeable.' - -{133} - -[Sidenote: 'Right-about wheel!'] - -The Colonel was not, however, always so successful as a speaker. An -amusing incident is told of him when in command at Maryhill Barracks -which shows that an eloquent man may not always have command of his -tongue. One morning on parade he purposed giving the men an address, -and from the demeanour of their colonel the men anticipated something -eloquent. The genial Andrew, however, had only got the length of -'Men of the gallant 42nd,' when his tongue seemed to cleave to the -roof of his mouth. Thrice did he make the attempt, and thrice did he -fail to make progress, until, exasperated with himself, he suddenly -exclaimed, to the astonishment of the regiment--'Men of the gallant -42nd, right-about wheel!' - -But while the Colonel was strong in politics and diligent in the -discharge of barrack duties, he did not forget his old ancestral home -at Niddrie. It was never his lot to make anything like a permanent -residence at Niddrie House, but so long as he was stationed either at -Maryhill or afterwards in Edinburgh Castle he embraced every -opportunity of making short visits home; and when home he never -failed to interest himself in the welfare of all in the -neighbourhood. In the spring of 1893, being then in command in -Edinburgh Castle, he had more frequent opportunities of being among -'his ain folk,' and taking a more active interest in their welfare -than was formerly possible. It is with almost a smile we read of his -being at home at that time, and attending a meeting mostly composed -of miners and labourers in the Niddrie School, to present prizes to -the members of the local Bowling Club, in whose success he took a -lively interest. A social meeting held after this ceremony was -heartily enjoyed by all present, the Colonel entering freely into the -spirit of the occasion, making himself the gayest of {134} the gay -and 'everybody's body,' among men, women, and children. As one has -well said, 'he had a magnetism about him which not only made him the -friend of all, but made all his friends.' - -It will be long before the people of Niddrie and New Craighall -villages forget his kindness to them. One and all while he lived -regarded him with pride, affection, and gratitude. Nor is this to be -wondered at, for he held their loyalty and friendship by simple and -unaffected acts of kindness and helpfulness, never making them feel -that his friendship was an act of condescension, but rather the -outcome of a warm heart and a generous nature. Their acknowledgment -of his services when occasion arose was always spontaneous and -sincere. - -This was strikingly exemplified on the occasion of Colonel Wauchope's -marriage in 1893 to Miss Jean Muir, the daughter of the venerable -Principal of Edinburgh University. On the Saturday previous, the -villagers and others turned out in full force, and by their gifts as -well as by their presence showed how gratified they were with the -lady of his choice, and how their good wishes went out towards them -both. Two bands headed the procession to the mansion-house, and when -the lawn was reached the Colonel was presented in name of them all -with a silver punch-bowl, on a polished cannel-coal stand taken from -the Niddrie coal-pits. The presents from the school children, the -tenants on the estate, and other incidents of the day testified -unmistakably in the same way to the cordial relations subsisting -between the laird and his neighbours and dependants. - -'A better man never lived' was the terse estimate of one of the -villagers when speaking of him lately, and the echo of it will long -keep his memory green. - -{135} - -[Sidenote: Charlie Egan] - -One touching incident illustrating his goodness of heart is told by -the Rev. George Dodds, the Free Church Minister of Liberton, as -occurring about this time. When in command at Maryhill Barracks the -Colonel one day inspecting the hospital had his attention directed to -a boy--one of two brothers in the band of the Black Watch--who was -dying of consumption, and it touched the soldier's heart. Finding -out that the boy was an orphan, he had him removed to a room in his -own house, the Colonel himself accompanying the lad from Glasgow to -Niddrie, where every possible attention was paid to him. Dr. A. -Balfour of Portobello was asked to look after the case, and it was -the Colonel's wish that a nurse should attend him. The lad, however, -got so attached to the housekeeper at Niddrie--one of the kindest and -most faithful of servants--that he would have no other attention than -hers. During all the illness of the brave little chap, no one knows -but the kindly nurse, the doctor, and the minister, the Colonel's -tenderness and anxiety and unstinted generosity towards his little -friend. When at length after some weeks he died, it was a sight not -to be forgotten, how at the close of the funeral service he stood -weeping at the head of the coffin which was laid on trestles in the -hall. It was a stormy wintry day at the end of April, the snow lying -thick on the ground; but, following the bier, he walked uncovered -through the snow with all the reverence of a bereaved man to the -grave in the little private burying-ground in the Niddrie policies, -where the young soldier, whose closing weeks of life he had soothed -so tenderly, was laid to rest by his comrades from Edinburgh Castle. - -Poor little Charlie Egan, with only his fifteen summers over his -head, truly found in his commanding officer one {136} who was touched -with the truest Christian sympathy, and acted well towards him the -part of the Good Samaritan. Such conduct is a noble example. It is -the secret of lasting popularity. It is more,--it is the secret of -true happiness. - -In 1894 occurred a protracted strike among the colliers throughout -the country. The Niddrie coal-works were affected by it, and for -seventeen weeks the men were out of employment, and their families -suffering the severest hardship. On this question he expressed -himself at a later date most forcibly in these words:--'I do not know -anything to a patriotic mind more terrible for the country, and bad -for it, than anything in the shape of strikes--those industrial wars -which the country has witnessed and which had been an evil thing in -every way. I know it will be said that I am a man of war, and that I -love war, and all that sort of thing. Never was there a greater -fable. Though I have never had to stand on a great European field of -battle, I have seen too much of war in all its horrible aspects not -to hate it in every sense of the word. In the same way with those -industrial wars, there is nothing more deplorable and nothing which -has tended more to unhappy homes, and all the consequences thereof.' -But the Niddrie miners were in sore straits, and a deputation of them -went to the Colonel to lay their case before him, and they did not -appeal in vain. He told them very plainly he had no sympathy -whatever with the strike; 'but man, Tam,' addressing the leader of -the deputation, 'I would rather do anything than see the women and -weans starving,' and there and then he promised to give one pound -daily to keep the soup-kitchen going, so that they might at least -have one good meal a day. Not only so, but as long as the strike -lasted, vegetables in abundance were supplied from the Niddrie House -gardens. - -{137} - -[Sidenote: The country gentleman] - -In New Craighall there is a large reading-room and bagatelle-room. -Many years ago the building was erected by the Wauchope family for a -school, and was used as such up till 1896, when it was superseded by -the large school erected by the Board at Niddrie Mill. Niddrie -bowling-green, gifted to the villagers lately by Sir Charles -Dalrymple, has been a great boon to the men; and Colonel Wauchope -contributed largely to the expense connected with its formation. A -bleaching-green in the centre of the village--part of it fenced off -for football; the local football club; the local brass band--these -were all objects of his liberality. Was a site for a church or a -chapel wanted, it was given ungrudgingly, and his grounds were thrown -open for Sunday-school excursions and picnics during the summer -months. In cases of accident to any of the miners, he had an -ambulance waggon ready at the collieries, and in many other ways he -indicated his interest in the villagers. - -Similar instances of generosity among the people of Town and Kirk -Yetholm--where the other family estate is situated--made him, we are -told, the 'admired of all admirers.' There he bestowed large -monetary help in providing better water supply and sanitary -requirements for these villages. In Yetholm district he was an -open-handed benefactor, and will probably be longer remembered as -such than for his warlike achievements. And all this kindness was -done without ostentation. It was the outcome of a noble and generous -disposition. 'No man is truly great who is not gentle,' it has been -wisely remarked, for a gentleman must be kind and considerate for -others; and though the work of a soldier is to fight, and if need be -to kill, he is all the stronger in his hour of struggle against the -enemy that he carries within him a gentle heart. - -{138} - -Colonel Wauchope's heart was in the right place, and his influence -was consequently far-reaching. It is told of him that one day he had -as a companion in a country walk an ex-brother officer, not very -popular among the private soldiers. As they sauntered along, they -forgathered with a big boisterous bully who had been drummed out of -his regiment, taking with him a rankling ill-will against this -officer. He gave vent to his wrath against the Colonel's companion, -and threatened that he would 'do' for him, showing at the same time -every disposition to carry his threat into effect; but Wauchope -promptly stepped between the two, when the rowdy somewhat changed his -manner, saying, 'Captain, I would not lift a hand against so gallant -an officer as you; it is lucky for Mr. ---- that you are with him,' -whereupon the Colonel lectured him upon the impropriety of his -conduct, and with sundry other good advices parted from him by -leaving a silver coin in his hand. This was too much for the man, -and he burst into tears. - -Nor was he above doing a kindly action, even though asked in not the -most polite fashion. Once he happened to be visiting his friend Sir -Charles Dalrymple, at Newhailes, dressed in plain rustic costume. He -had scarcely entered the grounds, and closed the gate behind him, -when he heard a shrill voice calling out, 'Hae, man! come and open -the gate, will ye?' Looking round, Colonel Wauchope descried two -fish-women with their creels on their backs, vainly endeavouring to -effect an entrance. On the request being repeated, he at once turned -back, politely opened the gate, and walked on! They had taken him -for one of the workmen, and were rather disconcerted when they -afterwards discovered who had been acting the part of porter for them. - -{139} - -Such acts of courtesy came natural to Colonel Wauchope: they were not -put on for occasion. Whether in openhanded generosity and -hospitality, or in the mere opening of a gate, he exemplified -Emerson's idea of what a gentleman should be. As that writer -expresses it, 'When I view the fine gentleman with regard to his -manners, methinks I see him modest without bashfulness; frank and -affable without impertinence; obliging and complaisant without -servility; cheerful and in good humour without noise. These amiable -qualities are not easily obtained, neither are there many men that -have a faculty to excel this way. A finished gentleman is perhaps -the most uncommon of all the characters in life.' - -[Sidenote: The miners' strike] - -Colonel Wauchope stood well by the miners through their long enforced -idleness, with all its concomitant troubles, and when the time of -distress was at last over and the pits had resumed work, the men -determined to show their appreciation of his conduct by a public -recognition of their esteem. On the 3rd May 1895, a large gathering -took place in the New Craighall schoolroom, presided over by the -manager of the works, when an illuminated address expressive of their -gratitude, affection, and admiration, was presented to him in a -silver-mounted casket. That he valued such an expression of -affection from 'his own people,' as he liked to call them, goes -without saying. In acknowledging the gift he said: 'This address -will stand foremost among our household gods. On the face of it is a -view of the old house of Niddrie, where for centuries my forefathers -have lived before me. I will say that in distant lands and in -moments of danger, my thoughts have always been of my old home and -the people of Niddrie and this neighbourhood. And as to my poor -services, I feel proud when they are brought to the {140} notice of -my own people in my own country. And you may depend, that when the -hour of danger is, if there is one thing that supports me in that -hour, it is the knowledge that those at home are thinking about me, -and should I fall, that their thoughts would be kindly towards me -when I am no more.' Referring to a passage in the address that spoke -of his relationship as owner of the soil to his dependants being ever -of a kindly nature, he said: 'I would be no man at all if I were not -pleased to hear that.' Then as for the unfortunate strike some -months ago: 'I knew there were difficulties, and I stepped forward in -a small way to try and help my countrymen and women. As for strikes, -I don't like them. They are not good for our pockets, they are not -good for our tempers, and they are unfortunate in every respect. It -is an ill wind that blows nobody good, however, and that strike has -done this good for me--it has given me this presentation, which shall -for ever be valued. The strike will also have done good to the -community, inasmuch as it has shown that when difficulties are around -us, and trials and tribulations come, we can stand shoulder to -shoulder.' After a graceful allusion to Mrs. Wauchope as one -desirous of doing her duty, and who in the address had been called -his 'Gentle Consort,' the Colonel concluded amid great applause by -thanking them all for the great kindness which had prompted such a -meeting. - -It does one good in these times, when capital and labour are too -often in antagonism, to find such cordiality of affection and -identity of interest. - -[Sidenote: Departure from Edinburgh] - -After three years' residence in Edinburgh Castle, the and Battalion -of the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) received orders in the autumn -of 1896 to take up their quarters in the city of York, and -accordingly on 26th {141} September they left Edinburgh, where they -had so long enjoyed the esteem of the citizens for their excellence -of conduct. Colonel Wauchope and his gallant Highlanders paraded at -seven in the morning at the Castle Esplanade, and although one -hundred and seventy of the regiment were at the time at Ballater as a -guard of honour to Her Majesty, the muster was five hundred and fifty -strong. It spoke volumes for their discipline and good conduct, that -Colonel Wauchope was able to say as the regiment was addressed before -their departure, that 'there was not a single absentee from parade, -nor yet a prisoner.' - -The Black Watch were garrisoned in York for the following eighteen -months, and both officers and men gained for themselves in that -ancient cathedral city much popular favour. Effective discipline and -systematic drill were never relaxed, and what they might lose in ease -or pleasure was compensated by admirable efficiency. - -In the Sussex military manoeuvres of August and September 1897, -Colonel Wauchope with a brigade of the Black Watch went from York to -take a part in the proceedings. Joining the force of General -Burnett, which had fallen back from Waltham, and had bivouacked -overnight near Arundel, Wauchope's timely reinforcement enabled him -to retrace his steps westwards. Passing through the ducal Arundel -Park, he struck across Houghton Forest, deploying his battalions as -the area of conflict neared, and encountered the opposing force under -General Gosset, when some smart skirmishing (continued for several -days) took place at Burton Down, Dignor Hill, and Bury Hill. The -attempt to drive Burnett and Wauchope back over the river Arun, -though gallantly attempted, was ultimately declared by the umpires to -have {142} failed. Wauchope and his brigade were reported as having -done splendidly. - -[Illustration: GENERAL WAUCHOPE. _From a Photograph by arrangement -with Mr Thomas Kemp, Dalkeith._] - -In such exercises Wauchope was an adept. In military science he made -it a point to be thoroughly conversant not only with the details of -drill, but in general strategy, to be able to grip a given situation -with comprehensive tact. A born soldier, he instinctively realised -what was the right thing to do and the right time to attempt it. Nor -was he the man to ask his men to do anything that he would not -himself do, or take a part in. When in Edinburgh Castle it was his -habit, in order to keep the regiment up to the fighting standard of -physical endurance, to march them out a nine or ten miles round of -country, and that in all sorts of weather; sunshine or rain -apparently made no difference. Frequently have we seen him swinging -along at the head of his men, sometimes on horseback, but more often -on foot, over roads inches deep with mud. Like most favourite -officers, he had his pet name. As we have already said, the name by -which he was familiarly known in the Black Watch was 'Red Mick.' One -day the regiment had been ordered out for a march, and in passing a -group of the men the Colonel happened to overhear one of them say, -'Red Mick will be going to ride to-day.' The regiment was in due -time drawn up on parade, and addressed by their commander as to the -order of march; then looking the man who had made the remark straight -in the face, he finished up by saying, 'but to-day Red Mick will -walk!' - -[Sidenote: Military life at York] - -While the regiment was in York, Wauchope took a deep interest in the -benevolent institutions of the city, and specially in the Scotch -community. He was the President of the St. Andrew's Society, which, -through his active interest in its affairs, greatly increased in -numbers and {143} influence. 'He always,' says one who knew him -there, 'let it be known that he was a Scotsman, and was proud of his -country. The stirring speeches that he made before the St. Andrew's -Society are still remembered with delight; and as an evidence of the -regard in which his memory is still held there, that Society is about -to erect a tablet in the Presbyterian church to the memory of the -officers and men of the Black Watch who have since fallen in battle.' - -It was noticed also that the same chivalrous feeling of relationship -existed between him and his men as existed formerly between a -Highland chief and his clan. His interest in them and their families -was ever showing itself in kindly visits to the married quarters of -the barracks, in order to look after the welfare of the women and -children, so as to increase their comfort. Fêtes and social meetings -were not unfrequent, and at Christmas time it was his custom to have -a well-laden Christmas tree, on which were suitable presents for the -children, while the mothers had welcome little gifts of money -distributed to them. All this, says the Rev. Alexander Stirling, -minister of the Presbyterian church, York, was at his own private -expense, and must have cost him not less than £50 on each occasion. -In spite of the attractive splendours of a grand cathedral, Colonel -Wauchope preferred to worship according to his accustomed manner in -the simpler form of the Presbyterian church. There, too, by his -arrangement, the regiment worshipped in force, and he always insisted -upon a full complement of officers accompanying the men. Not only -so, but, as Mr. Stirling informs us, Mrs. Wauchope and the officers -of the Black Watch were in many ways helpful to him and his -congregation, taking a part in much of their church work, and showing -their loyalty to their Presbyterian principles in many ways. - -{144} - -In July 1898, Colonel Wauchope was selected by Lord Wolseley to -command a brigade in the expedition then being organised under -General (now Lord) Kitchener for the reconquest of the Soudan. The -42nd regiment was not ordered out for this service, and so the time -had come when, after thirty-three years of close connection with them -both in peace and in war, that connection must for a time be broken. -One of his brother officers, writing afterwards of that period and -the grief that was in every heart over the prospect of losing him, -says: 'The send-off he received at York when he left will never be -effaced from the memory of those who took part in it. I have never -seen Scotch soldiers exhibit any such emotion, or give way so -thoroughly to their feelings. They knew whom they were losing; they -realised their loss, and gave vent accordingly.' - -At the same time, the circumstances, if touching, were not without a -dash of the ludicrous; but they show how warmly attached the Black -Watch were to one who from the rank of subaltern had risen steadily -to be their colonel, and was now to leave them for the command of a -brigade. Many a man among them wished he had the chance to accompany -him. - -[Sidenote: Send-off from York] - -The regiment was at the time camped out for summer quarters at -Strensall camp, about five miles from York. On the evening of a hot -July day, when Colonel Wauchope was to leave for the Soudan, there -was an open mess among the officers, and the health and prosperity of -their departing colonel was enthusiastically drunk. It was arranged -that he was to go south by the midnight train at York, and as the -evening hours sped on, the regiment as usual retired to their tents -to rest for the night, after tuck of drum. They did not, however, -retire to {145} sleep, for no sooner were the wheels of the Colonel's -carriage heard than there was a general move. It was a little after -twelve o'clock, and the men were stripped and in bed. But in an -instant every tent was astir, and like a swarm of bees the whole -regiment broke loose. Every tent belched forth its quota of excited -men, and without taking time to dress they had surrounded the -carriage, cheering, and enthusiastically shaking hands with their -departing chief. Many of them, with only their nightshirts on, ran -after the carriage a considerable distance, still cheering as they -went along! It was such a send-off as few officers ever experienced. - -It is a striking testimony to the impression made during these two -years upon the community of the city of York by this good Scotsman -and his regiment, that at the unveiling of a handsome marble memorial -in the Presbyterian Church, Prior Street, on the 26th November 1900, -all classes were represented, and the Dean of York gave expression to -the thoughts of many when he said that, although he never saw General -Wauchope until he came to York, and during his residence there with -his regiment it was not very often they met, 'yet there was in some -characters a sort of magnetic attraction so that one felt at once -drawn to them because they were sterling material, true metal. It -would be impossible to be in General Wauchope's company, and be -associated in any way with him, or to hear very much about him, -without feeling that he was not only a soldier of the Crown but -eminently a soldier of the Cross. It was right that his memory -should be perpetuated in York, it was right that it should be -perpetuated in that house of God which he specially identified -himself with, and which specially belonged to his nationality.' - - - - -{146} - -CHAPTER IX - -THE SOUDAN--BATTLES OF ATBARA AND OMDURMAN--ARRIVAL HOME--RECEPTION -AT NIDDRIE----DEGREE OF LL.D.--PAROCHIAL DUTIES--PARLIAMENTARY -CONTEST FOR SOUTH EDINBURGH. - - -Once more Wauchope found himself on the way to the front for active -service, this time back to the scene of his former exploits in the -Soudan. Matters there, ever since the withdrawal of the British and -Egyptian troops in 1885, when the then all-conquering Mahdi took -Khartoum and slew the gallant General Gordon, had gone on from bad to -worse. Over-running the whole valley of the Nile, the Egyptian -boundary-line had been much circumscribed, and was now fixed as far -north as Wady Halfa, the prophet holding almost undisputed sway over -the whole Soudan, except that part of it contiguous to the Red Sea in -the neighbourhood of Suakim. On the death of the Mahdi in 1885, his -tomb at Omdurman became a sanctuary, round which the faithful -gathered themselves. Under the sway of his successor, Khalifa -Abdullahi of the Baggara tribe, cruelty and oppression ground down -with iron hand every neighbouring tribe. Military despotism stamped -out commerce, and trade and agriculture; the people were ruined, and -slaughter and devastation ruled where formerly there had been -prosperity and peace. {147} Even Egypt was not safe from the inroads -of the Dervish host, attempts being made several times to invade its -borders; but Tokar was their utmost limit. In 1892, Colonel Horatio -Herbert Kitchener recaptured that town, but no further attempt was -made to regain lost ground till 1896, when that officer, now -Major-General and Sirdar, or Commander of the Egyptian army, received -orders to advance up the Nile for the reconquest of the Soudan. The -days of Egypt's weakness were past, for during the interval between -this and Tel-el-Kebir, when the then wretched Egyptian army was -smashed to pieces, English officers had been actively licking into -shape a new native force. Drill and discipline, combined with -growing confidence in their officers, had in those years built up an -army able and willing to dare anything. The Sirdar was ready to -fight the Khalifa, but he realised that in an invasion of the Soudan -the real enemy to be faced was the Soudan itself--'its barrenness -which refuses food, and its vastness which paralyses transport.' - -These were the problems to be overcome by the general who would -conquer the Soudan and plant his flag on the walls of Khartoum. - -Science and engineering skill came to the rescue, and with these -under the guidance of a marvellous military genius that took in every -situation, and turned it to his advantage, the enterprise was -ultimately crowned with success. Hitherto military movements in the -Soudan had been either by camels and weary foot trudging, or by boats -on the Nile. Kitchener determined upon Wolseley's idea of crossing -the desert between Wady Halfa and Abu-Hammed, but not by camels. He -resolved to do it by rail, and to build the railway as they marched. -It was a bold stroke. This is how it was done. Starting from {148} -Wady Halfa, a surveying party set out for ten miles or so, making a -rough survey of the lie of the ground, marking as they went the -proposed course; about five miles behind the surveying parties came -working parties 1200 strong, levelling and embanking where necessary. -Two miles behind these came 550 platelayers, and half a mile after -them a gang of 400 men to lift, straighten, and ballast the line. -One mile behind these again came 400 men to put on the finishing -touches, and the line was complete, but ever progressing to its -ultimate terminus, carrying forward its own materials of rails and -sleepers, as well as supplies for troops on the march. The credit of -this great work was largely due to the young lieutenants of the Royal -Engineers under the direction of Lieutenant Girouard, a Canadian -officer. - -[Sidenote: On the Atbara] - -It was steady, plodding work; slow, perhaps, as a fighting campaign, -but every mile of advance the army made sure of its position, and was -kept within touch of Cairo. The campaign of 1897 found the greater -part of the Sirdar's force as far as Ed-Damer, seven miles beyond the -junction of the Nile and the Atbara river. - -Here a strong camp was formed and preparations were made for -encountering the enemy who were massing some distance up the Nile at -Matemneh, under Mahmoud, the son of the Khalifa, and old Osman Digna. -These joined forces at Shendi, about half-way between Berber and -Khartoum, their strength being about eighteen thousand men. - -General Kitchener, leading and directing every movement, returned -from Cairo in December 1897, having arranged with the British -Government for the sending out of a small British force to assist the -Egyptian troops already in the field. - -{149} - -These were at once granted, and the reserve British force at Cairo, -consisting of the 1st Warwicks, 1st Lincolns, and 1st Cameron -Highlanders, left for the front, their places being taken by several -regiments sent out from England. - -With such generals as Hunter and Hector Macdonald the Sirdar had -worked his way up the Nile valley, overcoming all difficulties, with -his Egyptian force of some ten thousand men and forty-six guns. The -arrival of the British Division in two brigades under General Gatacre -in March and April added largely to the strength of the force. The -command of the First Brigade was afterwards given to Colonel -Wauchope, now promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General. How -different his journey up the Nile on this occasion from his -experience fourteen years before with the weary whale-boats! Now, -thanks to the energy of the Sirdar, he could travel to Berber in a -saloon carriage. Speaking of this afterwards, he said he was never -so struck in his life as when he saw that railway across the desert, -which did so much for the expedition. - -Before his arrival at the front, however, one brilliant fight had -taken place. Mahmoud had been discovered securely, as he thought, -entrenched some seventeen miles up the river from Abador, or about -forty from Atbara camp; and it was not fitting, notwithstanding the -difficulties of transport by camels for twelve thousand men, that so -large a British force should sit down within so short a distance of -an enemy and not attempt to drive him out of his position. The -forward order was given, and on 8th April, after a long night-march, -the troops found themselves facing Mahmoud's zareba at Nakheila, on -the Atbara. - -The story of the attack has been given with all the graphic skill of -an eye-witness, by G. W. Steevens in his {150} book, _With Kitchener -to Khartoum_. When the sun rose behind the Sirdar's men, it revealed -a stockade made up of timber, and a ten-foot hedge of camel-thorn, -with entrenchments behind--a formidable enough obstacle to face. -Without delay arrangements were made for the attack. The enemy's -base rested on the river, and the Sirdar, determined that he should -not escape, formed his force in a semi-circle round him. At 6.20 the -first gun announced the advent of battle, and for an hour and twenty -minutes Mahmoud's zareba was pounded with shot, shell, and rocket, -after which the Egyptian and British troops advanced to the attack -all along the line. Maxwell's, Macdonald's, and Hunter's Egyptians -deployed on the right. Gatacre's British Division had the Cameron -Highlanders in the place of honour, formed in line along their whole -front; then, in columns of their eight companies, the Lincolns on the -right, the Seaforths in the centre, and the Warwicks--two companies -short--on the left. The orders to these were, not to advance till it -was certain the Dervish cavalry, hovering to the left of the zareba, -would not charge in flank. Behind all was Lewis's brigade ready for -any emergency that might occur. Stirring addresses having been made -by the leading officers, the Sirdar called upon the men to 'remember -Gordon,' and all being ready, 'the word came, and the men sprang up. -The squares shifted into fighting formations; at one impulse, in one -superb sweep, nearly twelve thousand men moved forward towards the -enemy. All England and all Egypt, and the flower of the black lands -beyond, Birmingham and the West Highlands, the half-regenerated -children of the earth's earliest civilisation, and grinning savages -from the uttermost swamps of Equatoria, muscle and machinery, lord -and larrikin, {151} Balliol and the Board School, the Sirdar's brain -and the camel's back--all welded into one, the awful war machine went -forward into action.' - -[Sidenote: Attack on the Zareba] - -The Camerons no sooner got the word to advance than, with a wild -rush, the pipers meanwhile playing 'The March of the Cameron Men,' -they made for the zareba some three hundred yards ahead. Forward and -forward, midst a rain of bullets, they reached the hedge of -camel-thorn. In a few moments it was torn to pieces and scattered -like brushwood, Gatacre being among the first to lay hands on the -obstruction, and the Highlanders were inside the stockade and in the -trenches, where now sprang out of the earth dusty, black, half-naked -shapes, running and turning to shoot, but running away. 'It was a -wild confusion of Highlanders, purple tartan, and black green too, -for now the Seaforths had brought their perfect columns through the -teeth of the fire, and were charging in at the gap.' The enemy -scarcely waited to fight, so impetuous was the rush upon them, and -they fled in the utmost confusion for the river, where they were cut -down by the pursuing cavalry, and General Lewis's half brigade of -Egyptians. - -In the attack on the right, the Egyptian troops, led by British -officers under Generals Hunter, Maxwell, and Macdonald, behaved with -great gallantry, carrying all before them. The ground was easier on -their side than that covered by Gatacre's men, and they entered the -zareba a few minutes before the Highlanders, not a man flinching from -the encounter. The battle of the Atbara--thanks to British -discipline and drill--definitely placed the blacks and the once -contemned Egyptians in the ranks of the very best troops in the -world. In forty minutes the Dervish host had been driven out of -their lair, thousands of them had been killed, and four thousand, -including their leader {152} Mahmoud, were prisoners in the Sirdar's -hands. The way was now so far open to Khartoum, but the opportunity -was not yet. - -Reserves and supplies were needed, and a strong base had still to be -secured before the final advance on the Khalifa's capital could be -attempted. The whole force, British and Egyptian, accordingly -retraced their steps down the Atbara river to El Hudi, where they -struck across the desert to the various camps they had formerly -occupied at Kenur, Darmali, Assilem, Berber, and Fort Atbara, at the -junction of the rivers. - -The 1st Brigade of British, viz. the Camerons, the Lincolns, -Seaforths, and Maxim battery resumed their quarters at Darmali, where -they remained throughout the summer. By the month of August, -however, when Wauchope joined them, casualties in action and deaths -and invalidings from sickness had seriously affected the strength of -the brigade, though officers and men upon the whole stood the climate -well. 'The sick list had never touched six per cent. There were not -fifty graves in the cemetery; and most of the faces at the mess table -were familiar.' The Lincolns, who had come up over 1100 strong, -still had 980; the other three battalions were each about 750 strong, -and the Warwicks were expecting a further draft of men. The total -strength of Wauchope's brigade would thus come to nearly 3500 men. -With eager expectation they now awaited the order to advance on -Khartoum. - -[Sidenote: Advance on Khartoum] - -The forward movement began on 3rd August, regiment after regiment -first concentrating at Atbara fort, then being shipped by steamer up -the Nile to Shabluka, where they were to reform and make the -remainder of the journey in six marches on the west bank to Omdurman. -Even with several steamers at the Sirdar's disposal it {153} was a -tedious business, and occupied nearly a month. Wauchope's brigade -passed up in the steamers on the 14th August, a four days' voyage, -and on the 23rd, when paraded with the and Brigade, they were -reported as 'in splendid condition.' - -On the 25th August, the 1st Brigade marched out of Wad Hamed, and the -scene is described by one who saw it as a most imposing spectacle. -The four battalions of which it was composed moved off with their -baggage at the bugle-call, taking the road in four parallel columns. -'Many of the men were bearded, and all were tanned with the sun, -acclimatised by a summer in the country, hardened by perpetual -labours, and confident from the recollection of victory--a -magnificent force, which any man might be proud to accompany into the -field.' General Wauchope's men were worthy of their commander, and -it was, we may be sure, with no little elation that he stepped out -with them that day on the way to their final triumph. - -Keeping his forces well in hand, the Sirdar had the whole army -encamped at Wadi Abid on the evening of the 29th, the British -Division marching in by moonlight. They were now within twenty-eight -miles of Omdurman, and the two following days' marches brought them -within touch of the enemy and in sight of the Mahdi's tomb. - -The 2nd of September saw the last stand for Mahdism and its complete -overthrow. - -Resting their base upon the river, where they were supported by five -gun-boats, the British formed their camp within a few miles of -Omdurman, the Sirdar taking the precaution to entrench in case of -surprise. Early in the morning the Khalifa brought out his whole -force, computed to be about fifty thousand men, making a dead {154} -onset upon the British position. If overpowering numbers could have -achieved victory he had it in his grasp. - -But British coolness and pluck won the day. The Dervish host on -horseback swept the plain with a rush that no infantry could have -withstood. 'They came very fast, and they came very straight; and -then presently they came no further. With a crash the bullets leaped -out of the British rifles,' Egyptians, Englishmen, and Highlanders -pouring out death as fast as they could load and press trigger; while -shrapnel whistled and Maxims growled savagely. - -[Sidenote: Battle of Omdurman] - -We need not describe the details of the fighting. The Khalifa's -attack was speedily turned into a rout, though many a brave stand was -made by the Dervish host. Attacked on two sides, the British force -gradually spread itself out like an opening fan, under admirable -handling by their generals. At a critical point in the engagement, -when Generals Hunter and Macdonald in the front were being threatened -by an outflanking movement of the enemy's cavalry, Hunter sent for -Wauchope's 1st Brigade to fill the gap between Macdonald on the right -and Lewis on the left. The request went to General Gatacre first -instead of the Sirdar; but with the soldier's instinct he immediately -set the Brigade in motion. Wauchope, cool as a statue, took in the -situation at once, and moved his men forward as if on parade, while -the Lincolns and the Warwicks under his command--said to be the best -shooting regiments in the British army--did great execution, and -effectually kept the enemy at bay. They saved the position, for, as -one correspondent has said, 'It was the very crux and crisis of the -fight. If Macdonald went, Lewis on his left, and Collinson and the -supporting camel-corps and the newly returned cavalry, all on his -right or {155} rear must all go too.' Exposed to a withering fire, -the enemy were unable to withstand the steady discipline of our men. -Defeated on all sides, the Khalifa turned and fled. Then was the -time for our cavalry. With a dash the 21st Lancers made for the -retreating foe, pursuing and slaughtering up to the walls of -Omdurman. The bravery of the Dervishes was unquestionable. They -literally threw themselves upon the British lines, only to be -overwhelmed in a common ruin. Over 11,000 of the enemy were killed, -16,000 wounded, and 4000 were taken prisoners, and this by an army -numbering not more than 22,000 men. On the Anglo-Egyptian side the -losses were comparatively light, killed and wounded not amounting to -above 500. - -General Wauchope was fortunate on this occasion in coming out of the -engagement without a scratch. In some respects the battle of -Omdurman has been described as 'a less brilliant affair than the -Atbara. On the other hand it was more complex, more like a modern -battle. The Atbara took more fighting, Omdurman more generalship. -Success in each was complete and crushing.' Mahdism was no more. It -died well. 'It had earned its death by its iniquities, it had -condoned its iniquities by its death.' Gordon was avenged. And not -only so, it was the dawn of a new era for the long down-trodden -Soudan, so that it might in future be a country fit to live in. - -We have already referred to General Wauchope's attachment to Scottish -Presbyterianism, and told how loyally and consistently he adhered to -the Church of his fathers. From the days when he was an ensign, it -was known among his brother officers as a _casus belli_ to speak -slightingly to him of his Church. He would stand up for -Presbyterianism, and would suffer for it if necessary, when its -claims were in danger of being thrust into the background. A -difficulty {156} of this kind arose after the taking of Omdurman, and -it is interesting to note how he acted. Orders had been given to all -the chaplains, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and Anglican, for a -combined Gordon Memorial Service at Khartoum. The Anglican chaplain -in Wauchope's division intimated, however, that he would take no part -in it if the Presbyterian chaplain were to share in the function. -The General used what persuasion he could to move the chaplain to a -broader view of things, declaring that he would not displace the -Presbyterian, whom he considered one of the best of men. He was, he -said, a Presbyterian himself, along with most of his regiment. At -last, when persuasion failed, and the Anglican still held his point, -the General said, 'then there is nothing for me but to report you to -my General of Division.' When General Gatacre heard the story he -reported the affair to the Sirdar, who called the three -chaplains--Presbyterian, Anglican, and Roman Catholic--and said -laconically, something like this: 'You are each under orders, and the -man who disobeys must fall to the rear.' This settled the question; -all of them took a part. The Memorial Service and the formal entry -into Omdurman and Khartoum, taken part in by all the troops, were -most impressive spectacles. These over, arrangements were at once -made for the withdrawal of the greater part of the army. - -[Sidenote: Welcome home] - -The troops returned immediately down the Nile, the British regiments -being shipped for England, where they arrived in the early part of -October. A hearty welcome greeted their arrival, all classes of -society vying with one another in heaping honours upon them. - -General Wauchope hurried home so soon as he was relieved of his -official duties, and after a short visit to {157} Yetholm, where he -was received with great enthusiasm, he and Mrs. Wauchope set out for -Niddrie on Monday, 10th October, by train from Kelso. - -It was only on the Saturday previous that the villagers of New -Craighall heard that the General was to return, but short as was the -time for preparation, the determination to give him a hearty welcome -was so enthusiastically proceeded with that when he did reach it, the -rather quiet and dreary exterior of the village presented quite a -festive appearance. Triumphal arches, flags, and streamers floated -in the breeze, and wreaths of flowers and evergreens were everywhere -visible. It was the home-coming of a victor, beloved by his -neighbours, and well known beyond the limits of his demesne. - -At the Newhailes station, which was also gaily adorned, the General -and Mrs. Wauchope were received on alighting from the train by quite -a crowd of friends, among others being Sir Charles Dalrymple and the -Misses Dalrymple, Mrs. Arbuthnot and Miss Muir, Councillor and Mrs. -Cranston, Edinburgh, Rev. A. Prentice, Rev. R. Burnett, Liberton, -Mrs. General Hoggan, and Ex-Provost Young, Loanhead, with the whole -village, men, women, and children at their back. - -It was a good-humoured, enthusiastic crowd, and at a convenient part -of the road the horses were unyoked from his carriage and their -places supplied by hundreds of willing miners, who dragged the -carriage up to the gate of Niddrie Marischal, where it was given over -to the tenantry. - -The procession was a long one, and was headed by the school children, -preceded by the local pipe band. Then came the Niddrie brass band, -playing 'See the Conquering Hero comes,' and after them appeared the -members of {158} the 'A. G. Wauchope' Lodge of Shepherds, bearing -aloft their banner with his portrait on it. The incidents of the -march were many. Some were amusing, some were pathetic, but all told -of the loyalty and enthusiasm of the people among whom the General -had his home. Bunting was displayed on all hands. Women and -children cheered vociferously. At the square of the village the -first halt was made, and an address of welcome in name of the -villagers was presented by Mr. Robert Wilson, one of their number, in -which expression was made of their pride in the distinguished place -the General had held in the Soudan war, of their joy at his safe -return from a battlefield where the mention of his services by the -Sirdar in his despatches for the special consideration of the Queen -had caused them the utmost gratification. - -[Sidenote: Lord Kitchener, the Sirdar] - -General Wauchope, who was apparently unprepared for such a -manifestation of public feeling, made the following reply:--'I can -assure you that the splendid reception you have accorded me is one -which I shall never forget. I know very well that much of it is -owing to the fact that we have been neighbours now for many a long -year, and there is nothing that gave me greater pride and -satisfaction than being told two or three years ago that the people -of New Craighall looked upon me as being one of themselves. In -addition to that, there is another feeling that has prompted you in -this reception, and it is that in me you recognised one--a humble -one, perhaps, but still one--of those who tried to serve his country -under, perhaps, difficult circumstances; and something is also due to -the fact that we have been completely successful in planting our -standards on the ruined palaces of Khartoum. At Yetholm I said, and -I am going to say it again, that fact alone would be a great gain to -civilisation and to the world. {159} If the Dervish power had been -continued for any length of time, hundreds and, perhaps, hundreds of -thousands of people who in the future will have a chance of living in -comfort and peace, would never have been able to live at all. It was -a power based on murder, rapine, and cruelty, and it was our bounden -duty to put an end to that power, because Great Britain was -responsible for the condition of things that existed in that part of -the world. Scotland was well represented at the battle of Khartoum -by two of our Highland regiments. (Here a voice shouted out, -"Scotland Yet!") Yes, Scotland yet, and Scotland for ever, will be -the cry; and I can speak for those two battalions that they in no way -went behind from what other regiments had done in other fields of our -great empire; and you may be sure of this, that our Scottish -regiments will always be able to show that high and distinguished -valour and discipline for which they have so long been noted.... It -would almost seem by the splendid reception you have given me here, -and which I have had in another part of Scotland, that you thought I -had played a very great part in the campaign. I feel bound, as an -honest man, to disabuse you of such a misapprehension. The campaign -was carried out by a very great man, the Sirdar, Lord Kitchener, who -is a man of great ability, and who in the future undoubtedly will -shine as one of our great soldiers. The campaign was a marvel of -organisation. It was marvellous how that railway was made across the -desert. Great credit was due to the Sirdar, but I should like also -to bring before you another name--that of the general of our -division--General Gatacre, whose constant care and great power of -leading men aided the successful issue of events. There is still -another man I should like to mention. He is a Scotsman, General -Macdonald, who led one of the {160} Egyptian brigades. He got his -chance, and he was able to take it, and certainly by his tactics, by -his coolness, by his perception at the proper moment, he had a great -deal to do with the success of the day; and it was a great -satisfaction to myself to be able with the brigade under my command -to go and support him on a somewhat critical occasion.' - -He concluded his address by a humorous reference which pleased an -audience of miners: to the effect that in the near future he hoped -the line to Khartoum would be supplied with coal from the Niddrie -pits! As the cavalcade proceeded, presentations of bouquets of -flowers, wreaths of laurel, and other kindly greetings marked the -General's way. At the entrance-hall of Niddrie Marischal, Mr. Thomas -Skirving of Niddrie Mains, on behalf of himself and the tenantry, -presented an address of welcome. This was feelingly replied to by -the General in a few well-chosen words, concluding as follows:--'No -Roman emperor coming from a victorious campaign could have been half -so well received as I to-day have been, and as long as I live I can -never forget it. If there is one thing that makes a man nerve -himself to accomplish a difficult task, it is the thought that he is -thought well of by the people in the midst of whom he lives. I -cannot tell you all I feel--I should be more than human if I could.' - -It may here be mentioned that General Wauchope brought home with him -one of the Khalifa's banners which had been given to him by General -Macdonald as a memento of his timely assistance at the battle of -Omdurman. It is of white damur cotton, with a line of Arabic in blue -across its face inscribed, 'Mohammed Ahmed el Mahdi Kalifat er -Rasul.' On a gold band on the staff is the inscription, 'September -1898. They were brave {161} foemen, these Dervishes.' This and -other trophies now find a resting-place in Niddrie Marischal. - -A time of busy activity in metropolitan and county affairs followed -General Wauchope's return home, and his high place as a public man -was now universally recognised. His services were largely in request -specially in connection with public and social functions of various -kinds,--opening of bazaars of ladies' work, inspecting boys' -brigades, presiding at lectures and concerts, school board work, -county council work, and his duties as an elder of the Church of -Scotland--these all engrossed much of his attention and a large share -of his time during the winter and spring following his return from -the Soudan. - -[Sidenote: At Windsor Castle] - -Honours also were heaped upon him on all sides, but without in any -way marring his simplicity of character, or causing him to be any the -less the plain, free and easy approachable man he ever was, even to -the meanest hodman. To high and low alike he was ever courteous and -considerate, and he most willingly lectured, or presided at lectures, -concerts, or meetings of friendly societies, wherever he thought he -could be useful. For his distinguished services in the Soudan -campaign Wauchope was now promoted from Brigadier to the rank of -Major-General, and towards the end of November 1898 he received the -Queen's commands to attend at Windsor Castle, and had the privilege -on that occasion of dining with Her Majesty along with his brother -officer Sir William Gatacre--not the first time he had been similarly -honoured. - -Of course every other engagement must give way to a summons of this -kind; and Major-General Wauchope's presence at a meeting in Dalkeith -on the evening of the same day had to be dispensed with, though much -to the disappointment of those who had come to hear him speak. - -{162} - -At bazaars he was always happy in his remarks, and whether the object -were the building of a new church, or a manse, or getting up funds -for a drill hall, he commended it with earnestness and wit, and at -the same time did not stint his own contribution to the cause. On -one of these occasions he was appropriately introduced to the company -by Dr. Gray of Liberton 'as a sincere Christian, a true-hearted -gentleman, a brave soldier, and a modest man.' - -In the work of the Boys' Brigade and Volunteer gatherings he was -delighted to give his support, and was frequently asked to take a -part in their meetings both at New Craighall and Portobello. - -It was so characteristic of the outspoken candour of his nature, that -his inspections were not matters of formal display, or the mere -occasion of fulsome praise. Drill to him was business; and he was -quick to detect faults, and if needful correct them. Once at an -open-air inspection of the Portobello Company of the Boys' Brigade, -after a thorough examination of the lads, he addressed them upon the -various points of drill, and emphasised certain weaknesses noticed by -him; for, as he expressed it, 'he did not come there to tell them -they were the best creatures on earth, for he did not believe they -were. Taking all things into consideration, he thought they did very -well, but they might do better.' The spectators were somewhat amused -at the critical attitude of the General, but it was none the less -appreciated, for on this subject an ounce of criticism from him was -worth a ton of praise from any other person. - -[Sidenote: Liberton School Board] - -The same qualities of thoroughness and close application -characterised General Wauchope's conduct in the School Board and -Parish Council of Liberton, of both of which he was for some time a -member. He was specially {163} interested in the education of the -young, and spent much time making himself acquainted with the -intricacies of the code and details of school management, and on a -recent occasion it is recalled how at the annual visit of the -Government Inspector, he followed close upon the Inspector's heels -during his visit, in order that he might fully comprehend the whole -system of public school education, and make himself familiar with its -requirements. - -On one occasion, in the absence of the chairman, Major Gordon -Gilmour, he was called upon to preside at a meeting of the School -Board, but having ridden over from Niddrie House to Liberton -Church--in the vestry of which the meeting was held--in riding -costume, with top boots, spurs, riding-breeches, etc., he was -reluctant to pose as chairman. Yielding to pressure, he, however, at -length consented, jocularly appealing to the reporters not to _take -off_ his coat, or mention his costume in their report! - -In the routine of parochial work the General took his full share, and -never shirked discussions on even the smallest details of poor relief. - -While he did not care to bulk largely in the public eye, and was -specially desirous that his private benefactions should be known as -little as possible, yet it was well understood that he was an -unobtrusive but most liberal benefactor to the district. Dr. Andrew -Balfour of Portobello gives the following instance. 'I remember -well,' he says, 'that ere he went out to Egypt as captain in the -Black Watch, during the Arabi Pasha rebellion, he said to me, "Now, -Balfour, I will trust to you to let me know of anything going on at -Niddrie in which I can lend a helping hand." It so happened at that -time we started reading and recreation rooms for the miners, so I -wrote to him, as he desired, with the result that he at once sent -{164} me a kind letter and an order for £25 to help the scheme.' - -His private benefactions were as a rule administered with -praiseworthy discrimination, as the following incident will show. -Two little boys had been caught pilfering coal and were lodged in -jail. On the circumstance being reported to the General, he visited -the little fellows in prison, and learning the circumstances of their -family, and that their mother was a poor, struggling, hard-working -widow, he at once sent her half a ton of coals, and the boys were -liberated. - -On the 14th April 1899, General Wauchope had conferred on him the -honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Edinburgh. -The spring graduation ceremonial in which arts, science, and law -degrees are conferred, is generally of an interesting character, but -on this occasion it was more than usually imposing. This was owing -in some measure to its being performed in the recently opened M'Ewan -Hall, an adjunct of the University, and the handsomest hall in the -city; but more especially from the fact that like honorary degrees -were to be conferred at the same time on Lord Wolseley, the Marquis -of Dufferin, and other distinguished men. - -It was a magnificent spectacle, and the large audience which crowded -the spacious hall at an early hour in the forenoon cordially greeted -the General as he ascended the rostrum to receive the degree from his -father-in-law, Sir William Muir, who as vice-chancellor presided on -the occasion. - -In formally presenting him to the Senatus, Professor Sir Ludovic -Grant took occasion to say: 'It is a fortunate coincidence that a -graduation ceremonial which is honoured with the presence of the -Commander-in-Chief, should also {165} include among its distinguished -guests one who is so noble an embodiment of all that is best and -bravest in the British Army, as is to be found in General Wauchope. -Here in Scotland his name is a household word, synonymous with high -courage and devotion to duty. It were superfluous to recall the -occasions on which their gallant commander has led the Black Watch to -victory, or to rehearse the long tale of all his exploits and all but -mortal wounds. But it is not in his capacity as a soldier only that -he does with his might that which his right hand finds to do. There -is not a miner in the village of Niddrie who will not testify to the -watchful guardianship which he exercises over his people. He has -thrown himself with characteristic zest into public affairs, and we -all know that the battle of the warrior is not the only form of -contest in which he has shown himself a dauntless foeman. The -University rejoices to inscribe the name of so gallant and -public-spirited a soldier on her roll of honorary graduates in law.' - -That General Wauchope had not only won his spurs but his doctor's -hood in fair fight goes without saying. His military services could -not refuse him the former; and it says much for the discrimination of -the great Scottish University that it should have discerned in one -whose scholastic education was of the smallest, and who certainly had -not the benefit of a university training, a fitting subject for so -great an honour as it conferred. But the Senatus recognised this -fact, that his life all through had been an educational training, -equal at least to all the learning of the schools. A life of hard -experience well utilised has often achieved great results, as in -Wauchope's case it did. - -But honours of this kind did not turn his head, or cause {166} him to -forget the commoner duties of life, or lessen his interest in others. -He could and did sympathise with distress and trouble, and even the -brute creation were not forgotten by him, as the following instance -will show. Lord Wolseley arrived in Edinburgh the day preceding the -graduation ceremony, and was the guest of General Wauchope at -Niddrie. One evening the two officers were taking a walk together -round the grounds. As they passed the cottage door of one of his -tenants, the man's daughter was noticed to be leading a horse which -was labouring under a severe attack of inflammation. Wauchope at -once stopped and inquired of the girl what was the matter, and on -being informed, the two commanders were soon as much engrossed in the -discussion of the poor animal's malady, and the best remedy for it, -as if it had been a question of important military strategy. - -One other event in civil life gave General Wauchope in the summer of -this year considerable notoriety. On the sudden death in June of Mr. -Robert Cox, the member for South Edinburgh, he was, at the urgent -request of the Unionist party, induced once more to enter the lists -as a candidate for parliamentary honours against Mr. Arthur Dewar, -advocate, who represented the Liberal party. - -The contest was a short one, but while it lasted it was sharp, for -both the candidates and their supporters threw themselves into it -with vigour and earnestness. - -As in his famous campaign against Mr. Gladstone, the chief feature of -the General's policy was the integrity of the Empire, as opposed to -the cry of Home Rule for Ireland, and although other subjects formed -a part of his programme, still that was for him the root question of -all others at the time. - -At a largely attended meeting of his supporters, held {167} on the -9th June, Mr. John Harrison, the chairman, in formally nominating him -for the vacancy, spoke of the name of Wauchope 'as one which stirred -the blood of every one who had any pride in his country. He was -known wherever the English language was spoken. Wherever the British -went he was known as a gallant soldier, who had done his duty to his -country in many climes and in many circumstances, as a soldier of the -Crown. He was known in a narrower sphere all over Scotland as an -honourable politician, who fought some years ago a good fight in -Midlothian. He fought an uphill fight--what some considered an -impossible fight--and in losing it he scored a tremendous success. -But he was also known as a good neighbour, whose ancestors had -resided at Niddrie for centuries back.' - -General Wauchope's speeches at this and various other meetings, held -almost daily for the following two weeks, were of a most stirring -nature, but were always characterised by courtesy towards opponents, -and the utmost frankness in stating his opinions. He scorned to -'hedge' a question to secure votes, and when challenged with being a -Tory, and therefore ineligible for a Liberal constituency, he boldly -took up the challenge. 'Mr. Dewar had said he was a Tory. (A voice, -"Quite right.") Quite right. Yes. Mr. Dewar was quite right. He -never said he was wrong. He often wondered why there should be any -disgrace in being called a Tory. Who had done most for the working -classes in days gone by? Who passed the Factory Acts? Did Mr. -Gladstone or Mr. Bright pass the Factory Acts? No; it was the Tory -party--that party which had been so much abused.' At another time, -referring to free speech, he said: 'He knew there were many in the -hall opposed to him in politics. There was no use putting the -blinkers on that {168} fact; but he did not see why, though thus -opposed, they should not meet together as free citizens of a free -city, and have it out thoroughly. He never liked to use the word -opponent. He always said "political" opponent, because he found that -some of the best friends he had were politically opposed to him. He -was pleased to think that in this country more and more both sides -were coming together to discuss political affairs in a quiet and -proper manner. It was not always so. When he was young, things were -much hotter then. There was more powder in the air.' - -In reference to our foreign policy, the General spoke in the highest -terms of Lord Salisbury's dealing with the Soudan question, as -compared with that of Mr. Gladstone's Government, when divisions in -the Liberal party had led to so much loss of life and money without -corresponding results. And in regard to the Transvaal question, then -beginning once more to attract public attention, he insisted strongly -that his great anxiety was that peace should be preserved. There was -no man, he said, who was a greater lover of peace than he was, but he -deprecated the vacillation and weakness and change of policy of 1881 -that caused all the trouble then, and from which all the present -trouble had arisen. What he wanted to see now was a strong and firm -line taken, and he believed matters there would be put right. It -could not be to the advantage of the Transvaal that British subjects -should be treated as they were being treated now. What he wanted was -that their people should be treated as human beings, and have the -same voice in the government of the country as was given them in any -other civilised country.' He admitted that the Jameson Raid was a -most unwise and wicked proceeding, and had done a great deal to -damage their {169} relationship with the Transvaal, the Orange Free -State, and the Dutch portion of South Africa; 'but although that was -true, it did not remove the fact that the position of their -countrymen in the Transvaal had not been improved. The great mass of -them had nothing to do with the Jameson Raid. They were British -subjects, who went out there under the _ægis_ of the British Crown, -and surely it was their bounden duty as a nation to see that their -rights were respected.' - -The poll was taken on 19th June, with the result that Mr. Dewar, the -Liberal candidate, was returned with a majority of 831 over 4989 -votes given for General Wauchope. The General in a manly speech at -the close assured his supporters 'they had no cause to be -discouraged, for they had only to gird up their loins, and victory -would one day rest with them. He felt no bitterness whatever in -regard to this fight. He was honoured by their call, and they had -told him he had not dishonoured them. They had fought a square fight -on both sides, and if he was right in his estimate of the citizens of -South Edinburgh, they would very soon put matters right. It was only -the difference of 400 men going from the one side to the other, and -he would, so far as in him lay, do his very utmost at any time to -stand by and aid them.' - -It is due to Mr. Dewar to say that he looked upon the General as 'a -foeman worthy of his steel.' In returning thanks to his supporters, -he frankly acknowledged that 'we have won a victory against the -strongest and most gallant opponent that could have been put in the -field, and I rejoice to say that the contest has been carried on with -the utmost courtesy and good feeling on both sides.' These words, -spoken, as it were, in the very heat of the {170} controversy, were -more than confirmed some six months after, when the sad news of the -General's death on the battlefield reached Edinburgh. - -The annual meeting of the South Edinburgh Liberals--which was -intended to be of a social as well as business character--was held on -the evening of the 13th December, the very day on which the news -came; but instead of going on with the programme of proceedings, it -was resolved out of respect for the General's memory only to go -through with the ordinary formal business and then adjourn, Mr. Dewar -remarking, 'that having regard to the sad intelligence just received, -it would be utterly out of place that anything in the nature of a -social evening should be held.... When he stood before them in that -hall a few months ago, he had told them he counted it an honour to be -opposed by a soldier so distinguished, and a man so eminent and -thoroughly respected as General Wauchope. As the election proceeded, -their regard for him increased day by day, and now that he was dead -he felt as if they were in the very presence of death; ... and every -one would agree that the proper and respectful course to take was to -give their last tribute to a man who was a gallant opponent of -theirs, and who became their friend; and they should place upon his -grave a wreath of respect and regard.' The chairman, in seconding -the proposal, said 'he had frequently come in contact with General -Wauchope at the election, and it was remarkable that during the whole -contest, however keen it was, their opponent never uttered one single -word he had cause to regret. No election,' he added, 'was ever -fought with more good feeling than the contest between Mr. Dewar and -General Wauchope.' And as showing the entire accord of the large -meeting with what had been said, the audience in {171} silence, and -upstanding, signified their sympathy with the resolution, and quietly -dispersed. - -General Wauchope's political contests were thus characteristic of the -man. There was the set purpose, the indomitable will; no shrinking -from declaring what he thought was the truth, but an ever dauntless -standing up for the right at any hazard, all combined with a modest -diffidence of his own personal merits, and the utmost respect and -courtesy for his opponents' opinions. It has been said, 'he makes no -friend who never made a foe'; but the General had a happy way of -turning his political foes into fast friends. - -With him political opinion did not sever the ties of friendship. -Personalities did not enter into his political life. He would hold -his own tenaciously, and give blow for blow in fair fight, but there -it ended. Meeting a number of friends at the Church Offices, 22 -Queen Street, shortly after this election, who were sympathising with -him on his defeat, he cheerily replied, 'Oh, I don't think much of a -man if he can't take a beating.' - - - - -{172} - -CHAPTER X - -OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA--COMMAND OF THE HIGHLAND -BRIGADE--DEPARTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA--THE SITUATION--BATTLE OF -MAGERSFONTEIN--DEATH--FUNERAL--AFTER THE BATTLE. - - -Another and a more stirring field of action was in store for General -Wauchope. In several of his election speeches reference, as we have -shown, was made to the question then beginning to agitate the public -mind, as to our relationship with the Transvaal Republic. It was not -thought, however, that the difficulty was of such a nature as could -not easily be overcome by diplomatic arrangement. True, the -correspondence between Mr. Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, and -the Transvaal Government had been protracted, and had practically -failed in securing any concession in favour of foreign residents in -the Transvaal; but few realised how near we were to the verge of a -war which has proved one of the greatest and most calamitous of the -century. - -[Sidenote: South Africa] - -It will be in the recollection of our readers that when in 1881 the -Boers invaded Natal and gained the victories of Laing's Nek and -Majuba Hill, Sir Evelyn Wood had ranged his forces for an extended -attack upon them and was ready for action; and notwithstanding that -Sir Frederick, now Lord Roberts, had reached South Africa with 10,000 -{173} additional men, the Government of Mr. Gladstone abandoned their -position and hurriedly patched up a peace with Mr. Kruger. All -accounts agree that the treaty or 'surrender' after Majuba was -regarded by both whites and blacks all over South Africa as an -absolute capitulation. It had at all events a most disastrous effect -upon British influence there. From that date arose in the Boer mind -that most fatal ingredient of racial animosity, contempt. As Kruger -afterwards said, 'he had once reckoned with the British army,' and he -felt he could safely do so again. The one idea apparently fixed in -his mind and growing every day was to get rid of his subordination to -the Queen, with a view, as the Transvaal grew in military efficiency, -to subvert her power in South Africa altogether, and set up a Dutch -Republic. - -Owing partly to the poverty of the country until the great influx of -British and foreign colonists, generally called 'Uitlanders,' and the -development of the gold and diamond mines after 1884-5, the politics -of the Transvaal created little or no attention in England till about -1895, when Boer raids into Bechuanaland and elsewhere obliged the -British authorities on the spot to protect our Colonial interests -against their further advances. But then came the Jameson Raid at -the very end of that year, which, though universally condemned both -by the British Government and people as an infraction of -international law, was yet the outcome of deep-rooted discontent in -the Transvaal by the English and other settlers there. The 'Raid' -was the turning-point in recent Transvaal history. In the first -place, it attracted the attention of the whole civilised world, and -placed the Transvaal, the Uitlanders, and the relationship of Great -Britain both to the one and to the other in the full glare of day. -From {174} the date of the raid the difficulties of the position were -more and more accentuated, and the designs of President Kruger for -entire independence were hastened to a consummation. By the Boer -government the course of justice was perverted, and the Chief-Justice -was made subordinate to the will of the Executive. Owing to -insecurity to life and property, mine owners could scarcely get a -supply of labourers. Kruger and his Hollanders ran the country for -their own benefit. They taxed and plundered the Uitlanders, while -neglecting such matters as roads, bridges, railways, sanitary and -educational schemes, but took care to arm the Boers while they -fattened on monopolies, and kept the Uitlanders from any share in the -government. In short, the Transvaal was a Republic in nothing but -the name. It was really a corrupt oligarchy, in which a privileged -minority made laws to suit themselves, and put the whole burden of -taxation on the shoulders of a majority who were deprived of the -franchise. - -[Sidenote: Uitlander grievances] - -With a largely increased revenue, President Kruger found he could now -indulge his hostility to this country and his long-cherished hopes of -independence by providing for a possible struggle. As Lord Selborne -said, 'the money was used to turn the whole of the Boer population -into soldiers; it was used to stock the whole country with millions -of cartridges, to buy battery after battery of guns, to buy rifles -enough to arm every Boer four or five times over, to build things -previously unknown in South Africa, namely, great fortresses in the -middle of the country, at Pretoria and at Johannesburg--such -fortresses as were not to be seen in England except to guard the -public dockyards, and such as could only be seen on the frontier -between France and Germany.' The course of the war has abundantly -shown that these enormous preparations {175} had been made in view of -other than mere native aggression; that, in fact, nothing less than -the entire subversion of British authority over our South African -Colonies was to be aimed at. - -So intolerable had the oligarchy at Pretoria made the position of the -Uitlanders, that these at length petitioned the Queen for some -redress of their grievances. This document, signed by 40,000 -persons, 21,000 of whom were British subjects in the Transvaal, was -handed to the British Agent in Pretoria for transmission to the High -Commissioner, and was forwarded by Mr. Conyngham Greene in the -ordinary official course to the Government. - -The petition showed that for many years discontent had existed among -the Uitlanders, who are mostly British subjects. The Uitlanders -possessed most of the wealth and intelligence in the country, and -they had no voice in its government. In spite of the promises of the -Transvaal Government and the petitions addressed to the President, -there had been no practical reforms. The discontent culminated in -the insurrection of 1895. The people then placed themselves in the -hands of the High Commissioner, and President Kruger promised -reforms. Since then their position had been worse. Legislation had -been unfriendly. The petition cited as examples the Aliens' -Immigration Act, withdrawn at the instance of the British Government; -the Press Law, giving the President arbitrary powers; the Aliens' -Expulsion Law, permitting the expulsion of British subjects at the -will of the President without appeal to the High Court, while -burghers cannot be expelled, this being contrary to the Convention. -The municipality granted to Johannesburg was worthless. It was -entirely subject to the Government. Half of the councillors are -necessarily burghers, though the {176} burghers and Uitlanders number -1000 and 23,000 respectively. The Government rejected the report of -the Industrial Commission, which was composed of its own officials. -The High Court had been reduced to a condition of subservience, the -revenues of the country had been diverted for the purpose of building -forts at Pretoria and Johannesburg in order to terrorise British -subjects; the police were exclusively burghers, ignorant and -prejudiced, and were a danger to the community; jurors were -necessarily burghers, and justice was impossible in cases where a -racial issue might be involved. - -[Sidenote: Petition of the Uitlanders] - -The petition went on to state that indignation was finally aroused by -the murder of Edgar and the favouritism displayed by the Public -Prosecutor. A petition to the Queen, presented by 4000 British -subjects, was rejected in consequence of informalities. For taking a -leading part in getting up the petition, Messrs. Dodd and Webb were -arrested under the Public Meetings Act, and were only released on -giving bail of £1000, five times the amount required for the murderer -of Edgar. A meeting within a closed place, permitted by law and -sanctioned expressly by the Government, was called by the South -African League on January 14. This was broken up by an armed and -organised band of burghers and police in plain clothes led by -Government officials. The police refused to interfere. The -behaviour of the British subjects was orderly. They did not -retaliate, preferring to lay their grievances before Her Majesty. No -arrests were made either of the officials responsible or of the -rioters. - -The condition of the British subjects, the petition concluded, was -intolerable. They were prevented by the direct action of the -Government from ventilating their grievances; 'wherefore the -petitioners pray Her Majesty {177} to extend her protection to them, -to cause an inquiry to be held into their grievances, to secure the -reform of abuses, and to obtain substantial guarantees from the -Transvaal Government and a recognition of the petitioners' rights.' -This important petition was accompanied by affidavits substantiating -the various allegations made in it. - -To have refused a petition like this under the circumstances which -had arisen, would have been tantamount to resigning the position of -paramount power. Negotiations and conferences ensued, in the vain -hope of adjusting racial differences, under Boer domination. They -came to nothing, and only proved that the Pretoria Government were -merely waiting their time to strike a blow which they hoped would for -ever terminate British authority in South Africa. The opportunity, -they thought, had at length come, and on Monday the 9th October an -ultimatum of the most insolent nature was presented to the British -Government, demanding not only the immediate withdrawal of our troops -on the borders of the Republic, but that all reinforcements which had -arrived since 1st June should be removed from South Africa. Not only -so, but that any of Her Majesty's troops now on the high seas should -not be landed in any part of our colonies! To these requirements an -immediate answer in the affirmative was demanded 'not later than 5 -o'clock on Wednesday'! No more ridiculous message has been received -by the British Government for over one hundred years. Her Majesty's -Government declined to discuss the conditions of the ultimatum, but -expressed regret that the Transvaal Government should contemplate so -extreme and so serious a step as war. The invasion of Natal by the -Boers followed at once, and the Orange Free State, though in no way -involved in the matter in dispute, gratuitously sided with the {178} -Pretoria Government, and an invasion of Cape Colony was made later on -chiefly by the Free Staters. With great boldness and, it must be -said, with much military skill, the Boer forces seized the passes, -attacked the small garrisons on the frontiers, and after several -successes and defeats they finally settled down to besiege Ladysmith -in Natal, and Kimberley and Mafeking in Cape Colony--sieges which -will be long memorable in the history of British South Africa. - -The war had only proceeded for about a week when General Wauchope -received a commission to command the Third or Highland Brigade, -forming part of the western column under General Lord Methuen for the -relief of Kimberley and Mafeking. This position was undoubtedly the -highest honour he had achieved, and its acquisition afforded him the -utmost satisfaction. He was residing at Niddrie at the time, and as -soon as it became known that he was ordered to the front, there was a -general desire among the miners and villagers that he should have a -suitable 'send-off,' and some arrangements had actually been made for -the occasion. But time was short, and besides, the General, always a -modest man, shrank from publicity where he would be the central -figure, and he would not consent to it. - -[Sidenote: Embarkation for the Cape] - -This, however, did not prevent him saying farewell to his old -friends. Amid all the bustle of preparation he found time to call at -the cottages of not a few in the grounds and in the village, to shake -hands with their inmates before he left; not, it is said, without -forebodings that it was for the last time. To a friend in Edinburgh -who, in saying 'good-bye,' expressed the hope that he would soon be -back again with fresh laurels, he replied with a shake of the head, -'I don't half like the job we {179} have got; we have a very hard nut -to crack with these Boers.' On Sunday, the 8th October, the General -and Mrs. Wauchope attended as usual the service in New Craighall -Parish Church. It forms a part of the parish of Liberton, and the -church was erected chiefly for the large mining portion of the -population at the east end of the parish, in which the General took -so much interest. He liked the simple, natural, artless form of the -Presbyterian service, and as his minister has since remarked, 'We -know how reverently and heartily he worshipped, and the pleasure he -had in hearing and in joining in the singing of the old psalms and -paraphrases, without any accompaniment.' It was his last quiet -Sabbath in Scotland. With a view to avoid fuss he slipped away that -evening by rail for London, without some of his nearest friends -knowing he was off, to see to the embarkation of his brigade. - -The Highland Brigade was made up of the Seaforth Highlanders, the -Second Battalion Royal Highlanders (or Black Watch), and the Gordon -Highlanders--three crack Scotch regiments, which any man might have -been proud to command. The two first embarked for South Africa at -Tilbury Fort on the 21st and 22nd October in the transports -_Mongolian_ and _Orient_ respectively, the total equipment in the -latter being about 1200 officers and men, including staff of a -cavalry brigade, medical corps, etc. These were followed a fortnight -later by the Gordons under Colonel Downman from Edinburgh, among the -citizens of which city officers and men had earned an honoured name. - -General Wauchope joined the transport _Aurania_ at Southampton on -23rd October, and some of his letters written on the eve of -embarkation are touching illustrations of kindly interest in others, -and specially in those {180} dependent on him. To his old friend and -colonel in the first Soudan Expedition, Colonel Bayly, he writes:-- - - -'MY DEAR OLD COLONEL,--Many thanks for your kind and affectionate -letter. I wish you were going out in charge of the brigade. I shall -sadly miss your wise counsels. Well, I will do my best; and this I -know, whether I succeed or fail, you will stick up for me.--Yours -ever, A. G. WAUCHOPE.' - - -To Mr. Martin, the manager of the Niddrie Collieries, he wrote as -follows:-- - - -'SOUTHAMPTON, 23_rd October_ 1899. - -'I am just about to embark. Please go and see Mrs. Wauchope when she -gets back. She will act for me at all times in my spirit. I hope -you understand about the send-off. I hate fuss. Give my love to all -my numerous friends in the works. I hope "Klondyke" [one of the new -workings] will prosper and flourish. I hope the war will soon be -over. Symons is a terrible loss. He was one of our best. [General -Symons fell at the battle of Glencoe in Natal, 20th October.] The -British officer and soldier is showing to the world that they are not -behind their fathers in the days of the Peninsula and Waterloo. I -hope all may continue so to do, and then make it up with the Boers, -who really must be reasonable. We have no grudge against them, -beyond that we cannot allow a Dutchman to be worth three -Scotsmen.--Ever yours, A. G. WAUCHOPE.' - - -To his head gardener, Mr. Alexander, also dated from Southampton on -23rd October, he writes:--'Dear Alexander, we are just off.... -Please convey to all our men and women my thanks for their faithful -service to me, and {181} that I will hope to see them soon -again.--Yours very truly, A. G. WAUCHOPE.' - - -That amid all the bustle of preparing to embark he should still have -time for loving thoughts of Niddrie and 'the old folks at home,' and -should at the last moment take the trouble to write such kindly -words, speaks eloquently of the affection in his breast for all that -he had left behind in Scotland. - -[Sidenote: Enthusiastic reception] - -The _Aurania_ took out with her the 1st Battalion of Highland Light -Infantry, and Wauchope was accompanied by Captain Rennie of the Black -Watch, as his _aide-de-camp_. The Black Watch in another vessel -reached Table Bay two or three days after the General's arrival, and -were at once entrained for De-Aar by half-battalions, so that until -he joined them a week or two afterwards, the General had had no -opportunity of coming in touch with his old regiment since his -appointment to the division. Major Duff, who was with the Black -Watch at De-Aar, speaks of their meeting as a remarkable one. 'I -went up,' he says, 'in command of the leading half-battalion, and -when the men first saw the General, their reception of him was a most -truly enthusiastic one. They cheered him over and over again, and it -reminded one of their send-off to him at York, as they had not seen -him since then.' - -While the British Government were thus hurrying forward troops to the -seat of war with all despatch, weeks of course elapsed before they -could be in a position to meet the invaders. - -The Boers in strong force, and evidently well prepared, had actively -assumed the aggressive, and in consequence of the unexpected -declaration of war by Presidents Kruger and Steyn, the northern part -of Cape Colony bordering {182} upon the Orange Free State was for a -time practically defenceless. Taking advantage of this fact, the -Boers had advanced boldly across the frontier, attacking many of our -towns and villages, and formally annexing them to the Free State. -The arrival of British troops at the Cape in November to some extent -arrested this invasion, and as troops were poured into the Colony in -quick succession, Generals French, Gatacre, and Methuen found -themselves ultimately in a position to assume the offensive, their -communications and supplies being kept up by the three lines of -railway from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and East London respectively. -The Highland Brigade, originally destined for Natal, was stopped at -Cape Town and at once sent on to reinforce Lord Methuen in command of -the western division. With his advanced base at De-Aar, at the -junction of the Port Elizabeth and Cape Town railways, and striking -north with what troops he had, Methuen engaged and defeated a party -of Boers near Belmont on the 10th November. Nine days after, he had -concentrated his troops on the Orange River, driving the enemy before -him, and on the 23rd November he attacked and completely routed the -enemy in the decisive battle of Belmont. - -After several skirmishes the battle of Modder River was fought, in -which the British encountered a Boer force of 11,000 men. It lasted -the whole of Tuesday the 28th November, and was keenly contested; but -in spite of the bravery and superior position of the enemy, they were -compelled to withdraw, and Methuen formed his advanced camp on the -north side of the river. After the Modder River fight he rested his -force until the 10th December, waiting for the battalions of -Wauchope's Highland Brigade, for the great naval gun, and the -howitzer battery, and for the {183} sorely needed cavalry. The -valiant Ninth Brigade, composed of Yorkshire Light Infantry, 5th -Northumberlands, Loyal North Lancashires, Northamptonshires, 9th -Lancers, and Mounted Infantry, which had done such gallant work in -the previous battles, was now to be scattered, and in some measure -supplanted by the Argylls, Seaforths, Gordons, Black Watch, and -Highland Light Infantry of the fresher brigade. - -Having secured his position on the Modder River, Lord Methuen found -the way to Kimberley still barred by the Boer army under General -Cronje. The enemy were strongly intrenched among the rocks and -precipices of the hilly region, some four miles from the river, -between the railway on the west and the highroad to Kimberley on the -east, and commanded the position with their artillery. - -[Sidenote: The Diamond City] - -Lord Methuen resolved upon making a frontal attack in full force on -this stronghold, so as to drive the Boers out and clear the road to -the Diamond City, now suffering acutely the miseries of a siege. - -Before making the attack, he resolved to shell the Boer position with -all his artillery and the great naval gun which had been dragged up -to a ridge overlooking the kopje occupied by the enemy, at ranges -varying between six thousand and eight thousand yards. The -bombardment while it lasted was a severe one. An eye-witness of the -scene says: 'The shells tore through the air with precisely the noise -of an express train rushing at highest speed, and when they burst -they seemed to envelop an acre of ground in heavy brown smoke, which -lifted and floated over the kopje as if it were a mass of pulverised -earth. The noise of each discharge was like the bark of a monster -bulldog, and the bursting of each shell sounded like the cough of a -giant.' It is believed that the lyddite {184} shells fell among the -Boers several times during the afternoon, but it is doubtful if the -damage done was sufficient to cause them to shift their position. -The naval gun remained on the ridge all night, and defined the -extreme left of the next day's battle-ground. This ground extended -from the railway where the gun stood, across the veldt to the river -and along its northern bank for two miles, or about four miles from -the railway to near the Kimberley road. It was covered--ridges and -level veldt alike--with bushes, or shapely little trees from four to -seven feet high, of round, full form, and pretty dense foliage. In -such a veldt as this the Boers had two miles of trenches in front of -their strongly fortified heights, well packed with riflemen. And not -only so; but to make the approach more difficult, lines of -barbed-wire fencing were run across the veldt parallel with the -trenches. - -To attack such a strong position required the very best troops of the -British army, if the assault were to be a success, and Wauchope's -Highland Brigade was selected for the work. Lord Methuen conceived -it to be his duty to take it at all hazards, seeing that his orders -were to relieve Kimberley, and the longer he remained inactive on the -Modder River, the probability was the enemy would become stronger in -front. As soon therefore as the last of his reinforcements arrived -from De-Aar, he resolved to attack the Magersfontein kopje. For this -purpose, as we have said, the heights were bombarded from 4.50 P.M. -to 6.40 P.M. on the 10th December, in the expectation that--judging -from the moral effect produced by his guns in the three previous -actions, and the anticipated effect of lyddite, to be used for the -first time--there would not only be great destruction of life in the -trenches, but a considerable demoralising effect on the enemy's -nerves. {185} Whether this was so is doubtful. A longer -bombardment, as the result proved, would in all probability have led -to a more successful issue of the enterprise, and with less loss to -our arms. - -[Sidenote: On the eve of battle] - -General Wauchope having received his orders, all were in readiness -for the attack, which it was resolved should be made in the darkness -of the early morning. - -Fireside romancers have pictured Wauchope on the evening before the -battle as full of despondency and prepossessed with a sense of -imminent disaster. Needless to say, these are purely imaginary -fancies. He was not the man either to shirk danger or dread a deadly -engagement. - -What afterwards happened is best described in the words of Lord -Methuen's despatch. 'The night march,' he says, 'was ordered for -12.30 A.M., the bearings and distance having been ascertained at -great personal risk by Major Benson, Royal Artillery, my Deputy -Assistant Adjutant-General. The distance is two and a half miles, -and daybreak was due at 3.25 A.M. About half an hour after the -Highland Brigade marched off it came on to pour, a heavy thunderstorm -accompanying the rain. The downpour lasted until daybreak. The -brigade was led with perfect accuracy to the point of assault by -Major Benson. The advance was slow, even for a night march. Major -Benson, with a compass in each hand, having frequently to halt on -account of the lightning and rifles affecting the compasses. I may -remark that two rifles went off by accident before the march -commenced, and it is pretty clear that flashes from a lantern gave -the enemy timely notice of the march. - -'Before moving off, Major-General Wauchope explained all he intended -to do, and the particular part each battalion of his brigade was to -play in the scheme. The brigade {186} was to march in mass of -quarter columns, the four battalions keeping touch and, if necessary, -ropes were to be used for the left guides; these ropes were taken, -but I believe used by only two battalions. What happened was as -follows:--Not finding any signs of the enemy on the right flank just -before daybreak, which took place at 4 A.M., as the brigade was -approaching the foot of the kopje, Major-General Wauchope gave the -order for the Black Watch to extend, but to direct its advance on the -spur in front, the Seaforth Highlanders to prolong to the left, the -Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to prolong to the right, the -Highland Light Infantry in reserve. Five minutes earlier (the kopje -looming in the distance) Major Benson had asked Major-General -Wauchope if he did not consider it to be time to deploy. -Lieut.-Colonel Hughes-Hallett states that the extension could have -taken place two hundred yards sooner, but the leading battalion got -thrown into confusion in the dark by a very thick bit of bush about -twenty or thirty yards long. The Seaforth Highlanders went round -this bush to the right, and had just got into its original position -behind the Black Watch when the order to extend was given by -Major-General Wauchope to the Black Watch. The Seaforth Highlanders -and two companies of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were also -moving out, and were in the act of extending, when suddenly a heavy -fire was poured in by the enemy, most of the bullets going over the -men. - -[Sidenote: Magersfontein] - -'Lieut.-Colonel Hughes-Hallett at once ordered the Seaforths to fix -bayonets and charge the position. The officers commanding the other -battalions acted in a similar manner. At this moment some one gave -the word "Retire." Part of the Black Watch then rushed back through -the ranks of the Seaforths. Lieut.-Colonel Hallett {187} ordered his -men to halt and lie down, and not to retire. It was now becoming -quite light, and some of the Black Watch were a little in front, to -the left of the Seaforths. The artillery, advancing to the support -of the attack, had opened fire from the time it was light enough to -see. No orders having been received by the Seaforths, the commanding -officer advanced the leading units to try and reach the trenches, -which were about four hundred yards off; but the officers and half -the men fell before a very heavy fire, which opened as soon as the -men moved. About ten minutes later the Seaforths tried another rush, -with the same result. Colonel Hughes-Hallett then considered it best -to remain where he was till orders came. - -'Meanwhile the 9th Lancers, the 12th Lancers, G Battery Royal Horse -Artillery, and Mounted Infantry were working on the right flank. At -twelve midnight on the 10th the 12th Lancers and Guards marched from -camp, the former to join the Cavalry Brigade, the latter to protect -the rear and right of the Highland Brigade. Considering the night, -it does Major-General Sir Henry Colville immense credit that he -carried out his orders to the letter, as did Major-General Babington. -A heavy fire was maintained the whole morning. The Guards Brigade -held a front of about one and three quarter miles. The Yorkshire -Light Infantry protected my right flank with five companies, three -companies being left at a drift. Captain Jones, Royal Engineers, and -Lieutenant Grubb were with the Balloon Section, and gave me valuable -information during the day. I learnt from this source, at about -twelve noon, that the enemy were receiving large reinforcements from -Abutsdam and from Spytfontein. The enemy held their own on this part -of the field, for the under-feature was strongly entrenched, {188} -concealed by small bushes, and on slight undulations. At twelve noon -I ordered the battalion of Gordons, which was with the Supply Column, -to support the Highland Brigade. The trenches, even after the -bombardment by lyddite and shrapnel since daybreak, were too strongly -held to be cleared. The Gordons advanced in separate -half-battalions, and though the attack could not be carried home, the -battalion did splendid work throughout the day. - -'At 1 P.M. the Seaforth Highlanders found themselves exposed to a -heavy crossfire, the enemy trying to get round to the right. The -commanding officer brought his left forward. An order to "Retire" -was given, and it was at this time that the greater part of the -casualties occurred. The retirement continued for five hundred -yards, and the Highlanders remained there till dusk. Lieut-Colonel -Downman, commanding the Gordons, gave the order to retire, because he -found his position untenable, so soon as the Seaforth Highlanders -made the turning movement to the right. This was an unfortunate -retirement, for Lieut.-Colonel Hughes-Hallett had received -instructions from me to remain in position until dusk, and the enemy -were at this time quitting the trenches by tens and twenties. I have -made use of Lieut.-Colonel Hughes-Hallett's report (the acting -Brigadier) for the description of the part the Highland Brigade took -in this action. - -'Major-General Wauchope told me, when I asked him the question, on -the evening of the 10th, that he quite understood his orders, and -made no further remark. He died at the head of the brigade, in which -his name will always remain honoured and respected. His high -military reputation and attainments disarm all criticism. Every -{189} soldier in my division deplores the loss of a fine soldier and -a true comrade. The attack failed; the inclement weather was against -success; the men in the Highland Brigade were ready enough to rally, -but the paucity of officers and non-commissioned officers rendered -this no easy matter. I attach no blame to this splendid brigade. -From noon until dark I held my own opposite to the enemy's -intrenchments. G Battery Royal Horse Artillery fired hard till dark, -expending nearly two hundred rounds per gun. Nothing could exceed -the conduct of the troops from the time of the failure of the attack -at daybreak. There was not the slightest confusion, though the fight -was carried on under as hard conditions as one can imagine, for the -men had been on the move from midnight, and were suffering terribly -from thirst. At 7.15 P.M. fighting ceased, the Highland Brigade -formed up under cover, the Guards Brigade held my front, the -Yorkshire Light Infantry secured my right flank, the cavalry and guns -were drawn in behind the cavalry.' - -[Sidenote: An ill-fated enterprise] - -Many descriptions have been published of the ill-fated enterprise, -differing in some respects from the despatch of the commander; and -much controversy has been raised as to an alleged difference of -opinion between Generals Methuen and Wauchope regarding the method of -the attack on the Boer position, and as to who was responsible for -its disastrous failure. Into that controversy it is not our purpose -to enter, seeing so much of it is founded on mere conjecture, -coloured by the imagination or the prejudice of some of the writers. -Whether blunder, or miscalculation, or mere misadventure, no voice -has been ever raised to cast the shadow of blame on the officer who -gallantly led his brigade through that long dark night into what -proved an impossible position, a position {190} which the best troops -in the world could not have hoped to take. Every precaution was made -that forethought could suggest. Untoward circumstances, and not want -of courage, ruined all. - -[Sidenote: Fall of the General] - -That the fall of the General largely contributed to the loss of the -battle, seems all too plain. He fell after being twice hit with -rifle bullets through his helmet, and even while lying on the ground, -when struck in the body, he appears, from the evidence of some of his -men who passed him as they still pressed on to his orders, to be able -to raise himself on his hands and knees, and taking a long farewell -of his comrades, he cried, 'Good-bye, men; fight for yourselves. It -is man to man now.' Other words are said to have been uttered, and -were freely circulated afterwards about the camp, and found their way -into letters written to friends at home; but in the din and confusion -of such a moment it is difficult to see how these--many of them -contradictory--can be accepted as his utterances. One witness -describes the scene as 'an awful sight. The bullets,' he says, 'were -like a shower of hail, and the shells were bursting all around us. -God knows how I got clear, for I was in the thick of it. I felt the -heat of a shell on my face. I never was so near being killed in my -life. There were bullets hitting all around me, and whistling over -my head. I have been in a few battles, but nothing like this.... We -would have beat them had our General not been killed. He was shot in -three places.' - -That General Wauchope fought and fell as a man and as a soldier, -carrying out his orders loyally to the end, has never been called in -question. He died where he would have wished to die, at the head of -his gallant Highlanders, with his face to the foe. - -{191} - -All that fateful day the battle was carried on. Our wounded and dead -lay as they fell, under a blazing sun, close to the Boer lines. Over -their heads the shots of friends and foes passed, without ceasing. -'Many a gallant deed was done by comrades helping comrades; men who -were shot through the body lay without water, enduring all the agony -of thirst caused by their wounds and the blistering heat. To them -crawled Scots with shattered limbs, sharing the last drop of water in -their bottles, and taking farewell messages to many a cottage home in -far-off Scotland.' But still the battle raged. Wounded and dead -must wait alike the ultimate fate of the day. Lying on the veldt the -British still held their ground, firing when they could, but drawing -a hotter fire upon themselves from the trenches. For fourteen hours -they thus lay--from three o'clock in the morning till six at night. -It was cruel work, with all the odds against the attackers, fighting -against a foe they could neither see nor reach. Once the Guards made -a brilliant dash at the trenches, and like a torrent their resistless -valour bore down all before them, and for a brief few moments they -got within striking distance of the enemy; and well did they avenge -the slaughter of the Scots. With bayonets fixed and a ringing cheer -the Guardsmen, we are told by a graphic writer, 'tossed the Boers out -of their trenches as men in English harvest-fields toss the hay.' -Then they retired under the deadly fire from the heights above, -falling thick as hail upon them. - -Not till the evening did the conflict cease. Then there was an -armistice, and our ambulance bearers went out to bring in their -fallen comrades. The Rev. J. Robertson, chaplain of the brigade, -mentions in a letter: 'I was with Wauchope when he fell. I think he -wished me to keep {192} near him, but I got knocked down, and in the -dark and wild confusion I was borne away, and did not see him in life -again, though I spared no effort to find him, in the hope that he -might be only wounded.' This statement is confirmed by the Anglican -chaplain with Lord Methuen, who, after describing the battle of -Magersfontein, thus refers to the Highland Brigade: 'Being chiefly -Highlanders, they were in Robertson's charge. He, good-hearted -fellow, was risking his life in the trenches and under fire to find -General Wauchope's body. Why he was not killed in his fearless -efforts I cannot tell.' The General's body was found next morning -from twenty to thirty yards off the Boer trenches, 'riddled with -bullets,' and was carried reverently back into camp, amidst the -unmistakable grief of every soldier. - -[Sidenote: 'Lochaber no more'] - -The exigencies of war brook no delay, and so the funeral was arranged -for the day following. Three hundred yards to the rear of the -township of Modder River, just as the sun was sinking in a blaze of -African splendour, on the evening of Tuesday the 13th December, a -long shallow grave lay exposed in the breast of the veldt. To the -westward the broad river fringed with trees ran unconsciously along; -to the eastward the heights still held by the enemy scowled -menacingly; north and south stretched the long swelling plain. A few -paces to the north of the grave, fifty dead Highlanders lay, dressed -as they had fallen. They had followed their chief to the field, and -they were to follow him to the grave. It was an impressive sight, -and as one who saw it has said: 'The plaids dear to every Highland -clan were represented there, and, as I looked, out of the distance -came the sound of the pipes. It was the General coming to join his -men. There, right under the eyes of the enemy, {193} moved with slow -and solemn tread all that remained of the Highland Brigade. In front -of them walked the chaplain, with bared head, dressed in his robes of -office; then came the pipers with their pipes, sixteen in all, -wailing out "Lochaber no More"; and behind them, with arms reversed, -moved the Highlanders, in all the regalia of their regiments; and in -the midst, the dead General, borne by four of his comrades.' Many a -cheek was wet with tears, and many a heart throbbed with emotion as -the last kind offices were performed. Right up to the grave they -marched, then broke away into companies until the General was laid in -the shallow grave, with a Scottish square of armed men around him. -The simple Presbyterian service of the Scottish Church was led by Mr. -Robertson, the chaplain, amid profound silence. No shots were fired. -Only the silent farewell salute of his sorrowing men as they marched -campwards in the gathering darkness, and the black pall of an African -night was drawn sadly over the scene. - -[Illustration: THE GRAVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. _From a Photograph by -H. C. Shelley of "The King."_] - -There, among his men, Wauchope's body might have been left to rest on -the open veldt, and the spot would doubtless ever afterwards have -been consecrated in the heart of every patriot Briton, lonely and -wild though it be. But the kindly sympathy of a brother Scot found -for him a last resting-place four hundred miles farther south in Cape -Colony, at Matjesfontein. On receipt of the news of Wauchope's -death, the Honourable J. D. Logan, a member of the Cape Legislative -Council, who owns an extensive estate there, on which there is a -small enclosed private burying-ground, promptly asked permission to -bring the body for reinterment there. Permission having been granted -by General Lord Methuen, Mr. Logan proceeded to Modder River, and -returned with the {194} body in a zinc-lined coffin on the 18th -December. The remains of the gallant General were buried next -morning with full military honours, in presence of a considerable -number of people. Those present included Captain Rennie, _A.-D.-C._ -to the General, Mr. Logan and his family, Major Stuart, and Colonel -Schrembrucker. The escort consisted of eleven officers and 195 -non-commissioned officers and men of various detachments, including -some of the Highland Brigade, and a fife band with pipers. The -coffin was borne on a gun-carriage, which was covered with many -beautiful wreaths, one bearing the inscription, 'With the Logans' -deepest sympathy. In memory of one of Scotland's brave ones.' And -on another was inscribed, 'A token of admiration and respect for one -of Scotland's heroes, from his fellow-countrymen at Matjesfontein.' -The favourite charger of the General followed the coffin, and the -service, conducted by the Revs. Messrs. Robertson and Price, army -chaplains, was of a deeply impressive character. Thus passed from -sight, at the age of fifty-four, the man whose career it has been our -privilege to sketch. - -[Sidenote: After the battle] - -Few episodes in the Transvaal war--and there have been many striking -ones--have made such an impression on the public at large, or on -those immediately concerned, as the fall of the leader of the -Highland Brigade on that disastrous 10th of December 1899. - -The one man best qualified to speak of its effects upon the soldiers -at the front, has in touching letters referred to the sadness that -overspread the camp, and the deep religious feelings which were -awakened. The Rev. J. Robertson says: 'Of the seven who formed our -original mess--General Wauchope's brigade staff--only Colonel Ewart -and myself remain. He is an old campaigning {195} friend, so also is -General Macdonald, who has now joined us. I am glad I knew the -Brigadier before. It makes all the difference, messing and living -together. I am not to refer to General Wauchope. Mere acquaintances -mourn his loss, how much more one who was honoured with his -friendship and confidence? As for the Highland Brigade--there is but -one heart, and it's sore, sore. A strange fatality befell all my -best-known friends. Whenever I let myself think of them, there's a -painful tug at my heart's strings. God knows what lies before. To -give some idea of how hearts have been touched, on the last Sunday of -the year I had communion. I thought it better to take it then than -on the first Sunday, when the year would be a week old and the good -start perhaps lost. I did not make intimation the Sunday before, as -I did not think I would be able to get communion wine in time. I -just stated at the ordinary parade service that I purposed having it -after the benediction was pronounced. I invited any and every one to -come forward, even though they had not partaken it before, saying -that in the circumstances I took it upon me to dispense with the -usual preparatory forms of procedure. To my great surprise, but to -my heart's joy, knowing how backward young men are--Highlanders -especially--in coming to the Lord's Table, over 250 stepped out, and -many more would have come had it not been for the fact that they had -to go at once on picket duty. In fact, they had strained a point to -attend parade service, coming all ready to go on outpost, heavily -accoutred. With a full heart, I thanked God and took courage.' In -another letter the chaplain says: 'We were a sad, a very sad brigade, -for though we tried to hide it, we took our losses to heart sorely; -for "men of steel are men who feel." But out of evil came good. -{196} The depth of latent religious feeling that was evoked in -officers and men was a revelation to me, and were it not that -confessions, and acknowledgments, and vows are too sacred for -repetition, I could tell a tale that would gladden your hearts--not -that I put too much stress on what's said or done at such an -impressionable, solemnising time, but after-proof of sincerity has -not been wanting.' - -The receipt of the news of the General's death in England, Scotland, -and Ireland, and indeed throughout the world, was accompanied with -every expression of grief. It was felt that the empire had lost one -of its noblest and best, that a hero had gone down to his rest ere -his full life's work was done. Alike from soldier and civilian, from -political opponent and political friend, came the common lament; -while the fluent pens of journalists were in some cases constrained -to acknowledge that it was all but impossible to write with calmness -of the sad event. - -The national feeling was roused as it seldom has been before, and -from one correspondent we have the following remarkable testimony. -'I believe,' he says, 'that General Wauchope's tragic death did more -than anything else to bring the nation as a nation to call upon God. -No doubt before his death there was much prayer throughout the nation -both in private and in almost all the churches; but there was no -national acknowledgment of God--no day set apart by authority for -this purpose. General Wauchope's death awoke the national -conscience, and there was a public recognition of God by the nation. -It is a matter of history that when this took place the tide of -battle, which for so long had been against us, then began to turn in -our favour. Andrew Gilbert Wauchope did not die in vain.' - -[Sidenote: Sympathy of the Queen] - -Her Majesty the Queen felt the loss she and the country had -sustained, and, with her usual womanly {197} consideration, sent a -message through her Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Hopetoun, desiring -him to express her deep sympathy with Mrs. Wauchope of Niddrie, and -with Lady Ventry, the General's sister. In this message, it is -understood the Queen paid a warm tribute to the General's fearless -qualities as a soldier, and to his magnificent services to the -nation; while she sympathetically referred to the fact, that in every -campaign in which he had taken a part previously, with the exception -of the Soudan war of 1898, he had had the misfortune to be wounded. - -Seldom has so general and so spontaneous an expression of public -feeling been given in this country. In Scotland especially was this -so, as might naturally be expected. In Edinburgh, where both the -Black Watch and the Gordon Highlanders had recently been stationed, -the death of Colonel Downman of the Gordons, and many others with him -in the same engagement, gave a sharper edge to the calamity. -Lieutenant F. G. Tail, also well known in Edinburgh, and popular all -over the country as a champion golfer, was wounded on this occasion. -After his recovery he went again to the front and was killed on 7th -February at Koodoosberg Drift. From Mr. Low's record of his life it -is interesting to quote what he says as to the Black Watch at -Magersfontein, inasmuch as it differs somewhat from the despatch of -Lord Methuen already quoted, and expresses the opinion of one who was -on the spot. 'The papers say the Highland Brigade retired and -re-formed. The Black Watch never did; and, furthermore, we held our -ground all day.' As to his commanding officer he says, 'General -Wauchope is in no way responsible for the fearful loss of life -amongst the Highland Brigade: he got his orders, and had to carry -them out, and he was killed in front of his brigade.' - - - - -{198} - -CHAPTER XI - -CHARACTERISTICS - -[Sidenote: A devoted soldier] - -That General Wauchope was a skilled officer goes without saying. He -had made military tactics his life study. And he had the personal -influence that enabled men to follow his leadership without -hesitation. Several of his brother officers who had been with him -for years, and had fought beside him in many a battle, have favoured -us with their opinion of his skill as a commander; and, as to his -responsibility for the blunder or misadventure of Magersfontein, one -of them says: 'As a commanding officer, he was beloved by all ranks; -respected as a born leader of men, for he had but to hold up his -little finger and the whole regiment would have followed him -to--anywhere! He brought the battalion to a wonderful pitch of -excellency, both in professional and social success, and invariably -received the highest praise from every general officer who ever -inspected them.' And from another we have the remarkable testimony: -'Wauchope diligently studied his profession, to which he was devoted, -and was noted in his regiment for his coolness and judgment. I say -this with special reference to the circumstances preceding his -lamentable death, and the loss of a large part of the Highland -Brigade recently in South Africa. Eminently a cool and cautious -leader, Wauchope would have never led his brigade in close formation -into the very {199} jaws of destruction without scouting or other -means of discovering the near proximity of the enemy, unless he had -had direct stringent orders to do so.' From still another -distinguished officer comes the following: 'General Wauchope's name -as a soldier was known to all ranks in the army, and I am certain -that time will prove that he was not responsible for the decimation -of the brigade he loved so well. He was far too good a tactician for -that blunder.' - -It will be seen as our narrative has proceeded, that while the career -of Andrew Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie is in the main that of an -earnest, devoted soldier of the Crown, full of chequered incident and -varied experience, there is at the same time a many-sidedness of -character developed in his life. A soldier first, he was as much at -home, it has been said, in the commonplace business of the local -School Board and Parish Council, or in the transactions of the -General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Essentially a modest -man, he never made an affectation of superiority, and indeed he was -much inclined to underrate his own ability in almost every work in -which he was engaged. As a politician he knew his own mind, and he -had become one of the clearest and most humorous exponents of the -policy which he advocated. Great in arms, he was equally great in -the arts of peace; and while professionally attached to his duties as -a soldier, he had a horror of war, and an unbounded appreciation of -the blessings of peace. - -Those who knew him best, who had lived with him in barracks or camp, -who shared with him the dangers of war, bear witness to his many kind -deeds, and his sympathetic interest in others, of his kind-hearted -generosity, his homeliness, and general simplicity of heart. He was -{200} indeed a typical Scotsman, possessing all the best -characteristics of a Scotsman, with no fear in his heart but the fear -of God, or, as one has described him--'A man among men, and a man of -God.' - -[Sidenote: Honoured by all] - -To the people on his estate he was more than anything else a father, -in his interest and care; the active patron of everything that was -worthy, the participator in all that was helpful to their life; the -benefactor whose liberal hand supplied many a need, and brightened -and blessed many a home. When the news of his death came from South -Africa, all ranks and classes united in lamenting the fall of a brave -and a good man, of one who would be much missed, of one who could ill -be spared. 'From the Queen on the throne to some of her humblest -subjects, through all ranks of statesmen and politicians of all -shades of opinion, from soldiers and from sailors of all grades, and -most affectionately from the rank and file of his own historic -regiment, from newspapers throughout the length and breadth of the -land, from neighbours and friends--and who were not his friends who -knew him?--even from opponents; in short, from all classes, the -highest and the humblest, came tributes of respect and eulogy, and -expressions of sorrow over what seemed, at first thought, his -untimely end.' - -As it has been well said, 'the simple record of his campaigns and -wounds, in the service of Queen and country, would alone be -sufficient to confer greatness on any man. His was the truest -greatness, because he was so utterly unconscious that it was great; -and his extreme modesty, and almost diffidence, obscured it from the -merely superficial observer.' - -His was the kind of life that exerted a magnetic charm upon all with -whom he had dealings. His plain exterior, {201} his somewhat awkward -gait and habiliments, more frequently marked by the absence of -fashionable conventionality than by military smartness, were a -deception to a stranger. 'That the great Captain Wauchope!' said a -man on the road one day, when he was pointed out to him as the hero -of Tel-el-Kebir--'_That_ Captain Wauchope, impossible! I thought -that was a labourer!' Though carrying no outward symbol of what was -in him, to his friends he was dear. But we do not always gather -diamonds on the surface. ''Tis the mind that makes the body rich.' -He seemed best to those who knew him longest, for about his actions -there was a sincerity that was all the better because it was -spontaneous; and behind that bronzed, ascetic face--said by some to -resemble that of Cicero or Cæsar--there was a soul with the courage -of a hero and the tenderness of a woman. - -In a letter from Dr. Wisely of Malta, we have striking testimony in -confirmation of this. 'Wauchope,' he says, 'in a remarkable manner -fulfilled the New Testament injunction to "honour all men," and this, -I believe, was the secret of his being honoured by all, for he was -liked and trusted by all sorts and conditions of men. His brother -officers found in him a friend, and so did the men in the ranks. If -any man had a grievance he was sure of getting a fair hearing from -him. But Wauchope was not easily taken in. I remember seeing him -once standing in the street when I was speaking to a man of his -regiment, who had seen better days. After the man had left me, he -came up and said, "I was just waiting to warn you, lest you should be -taken in by that man. He will tell you plausible stories to get -money out of you, but don't listen to him. He is a humbug, and is -not to be trusted." I found he was right. But when there was {202} -real distress, Wauchope was ever ready to do what he could to relieve -it, and he did it in the most unostentatious way. In 1878, when he -went with his regiment to Cyprus, a man in his company, whom I knew, -died of heat apoplexy on landing. Wauchope immediately wrote to me -and enclosed a cheque for £10, to be given to the man's widow to help -her, as he said, to make a fresh start. I happened to mention this -incident recently to a lady, whose husband at one time commanded the -regiment, and she said "it was just like Wauchope," and that she knew -of many similar cases where his help was as quietly given. On one -occasion, when the regiment was in Egypt, he presented a cheque for -£200, to be expended, he informed me, for the benefit of the women of -the regiment, on the one sole condition that his name should not be -mentioned. He had his own way, however, of dispensing charity, and -was not afraid to refuse to subscribe to objects merely because other -people subscribed and thought he ought to do so too. He judged for -himself. And he did so, not only regarding cases of charity, but in -whatever he had to do with. Some years ago we happened to be -speaking of his tenants in Scotland, and he told me that he made a -point of occasionally seeing each one alone, without a factor or any -one being present, and he would ask the tenant to speak frankly to -him, and let him know of any grievance he had to complain of. He did -not promise to agree with him, or to see things in the same light, -but he promised to give the case a fair hearing, and to do his best -to remedy the grievance, if he was convinced that there was one.' - -[Sidenote: A religious life] - -It is not difficult to discern that the secret spring of such a life -is to be found not so much in early education, social influences, -rank, ample means, or even {203} natural kind-heartedness--though -these doubtless had a certain influence in the formation of -character--as in that fervent, devout spirit which characterised -nearly all that he said or did--in short, from that 'fear of the Lord -which is the beginning of wisdom.' Wauchope's life was indeed a -deeply religious life. Not religious certainly in the conventional -sense of the term, that looks to the repetition of favourite texts of -Scripture and the recurrence of pious sentiments; but in the -deep-down utterances of a devout heart that sought the expression of -his faith rather in deeds of kindness and thoughtful sympathy. His -whole life, as we have seen, was saturated with affection for those -in life's path who were bound to him by kindred ties, and for whom -his quick eye saw his help was needed. Yet, let it be said, he -shrank from no opportunity which presented itself of making a good -confession before men, or of giving religious comfort, or engaging in -religious services, where he might be able to do good. His daily -duties, he once remarked to a company of Sabbath-school boys, were -largely influenced by his morning devotions. The early training of a -Scottish home, with a pious father's example, laid the foundation of -a religious life, which after-trouble and affliction more fully -developed into ripe conviction, and matured Christian faith. He -believed in prayer and in family worship, and it was doubtless this -that so much imbued him with strength and courage for many a day of -arduous work and patient pain. How else can we explain that trying -period of his life when in Malta, with a drawn sword, as it were, -hanging over his head, and only a step between him and death? There -he sought to know of the doctrine whether it be of God, and with -reverent fear put himself into his Saviour's hands, with the desire -to do God's will in every duty that fell to him. 'He {204} followed -on to know the Lord,' says Dr. Wisely of Malta, 'and he came to know -the truth of the Gospel, not only as a truth of faith, but a truth of -personal experience.' - -How else can we explain that impressive scene at the grave in Cyprus -shortly afterwards, when in the absence of the chaplain he stepped -forward, and in the midst of his hushed and weeping comrades, -touchingly performed the last offices over the dead? - -All through his life it was the same. Consistent and true, but -without affectation, in his relationship to God and to man, he sought -to have a conscience void of offence, and to do his duty as in view -of the Eternal. - -[Illustration: THE GRAVE AT MATJESFONTEIN. Marked by Wreath on left -of the Cross.] - -Fearless of death, and accustomed to meet it on many occasions, he -dreaded it the less that he fully realised the after-issues. It has -been well said that the man who has no place for death in his -philosophy has not learned to live. The lesson of life is death. -For Wauchope, death had no terrors, because it had been overcome -through faith in Him who has conquered death and the grave. The -pathos of life was with him no forced sentiment, for he had often -felt the pity for suffering and bereavement which underlies all true -life. In his own family and person he had experienced the loss of -loved ones, and known the grief and disappointments of a bereaved -father. Such experiences broaden out sympathy and cause 'the primal -duties shine aloft like stars.' In his own parish of Liberton he -discharged the office of the eldership with much acceptance, visiting -among the parishioners, and officiating at the communion in the -parish church; leading a quiet, useful, unobtrusive life, doing good -where he had opportunity. On several occasions a representative -elder in the highest court of the Scottish Church, he took an active -part in the work of the General Assembly. {205} There indeed he was -a prominent figure, as he would sometimes take his seat in his -military uniform fresh from his duties as the officer commanding the -Black Watch at the Castle. The Church of Scotland had no more true -and loyal son, and in many ways he identified himself with her -interests, and was always ready to testify to the value of the -national recognition of religion. He was for some time vice-convener -of the Church's Committee on Temperance, and had he been spared -longer, his ripe judgment, his knowledge of men, and his own personal -experience would doubtless have been of much service in the -advancement of this important cause. - -[Sidenote: An elder of the Church] - -In 1895 he was chosen as one of the deputies by the Assembly to -represent the Church of Scotland at the General Assembly of the Irish -Presbyterian Church, which met in Belfast in June of that year. In -introducing him to the Assembly, the Rev. Professor Todd Martin, the -Moderator, paid a high tribute to his abilities as a soldier, and -spoke of the courage and bravery with which he had faced the Right -Honourable W. E. Gladstone, the greatest political general of the -age. 'Colonel Wauchope,' he said, 'had won for himself the -admiration and love of his most strenuous opponents. They honoured -him, however, specially because he took his place from year to year -as a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church, and entered with great -enthusiasm into the maintenance of their Presbyterian faith, to the -advocacy of the simplicity of ritual, and to the furtherance of -temperance and every other good cause that was for the salvation of -the great body of the people.' Wauchope's address, which, according -to the prints of the day, was 'long, eloquent, and deeply -interesting,' feelingly referred at the outset to his Irish -connection through his mother; and after pointing out the {206} -dangers surrounding the Protestant population of Scotland and -Ireland, and the necessity for more united sympathy for each other, -he concluded as follows:--'I thank you, Moderator of this vast -Assembly, for the kind manner in which you have been pleased to -receive me as a member of the Church of Scotland. I am proud, and I -cannot say how proud, to be a member of it. It is also a matter of -great thankfulness to all of us, especially to us laymen, that now in -the Church of Scotland we have elders--men of great transcendent -ability--who love their Church, and work loyally as Christian men for -the furtherance of that great Church.' - -[Sidenote: A Christian gentleman] - -He had a high ideal of the Church's duty, and so far at least as in -him lay he sought to take his share of that duty. In the cause of -temperance he had done much among his soldiers, and in the Assembly -he was ever the eloquent advocate of its claims upon the attention of -the Church. - -To one like him, more accustomed to the political platform and the -style of address there required than to the ecclesiastical forms of -the Church, it was natural he should sometimes forget the ceremonial -style peculiar to the General Assembly. On one occasion he rose to -second a motion, and inadvertently addressed the venerable Assembly -not as 'Fathers and Brethren,' but as 'Gentlemen,' which immediately -caused a titter to pass over the House. He at once became conscious -of his mistake, and turning to the chair, said, 'Moderator, I am no -theologian, nor am I an ecclesiastic; I am a soldier; I second the -motion.' The brevity and pointed nature of this short speech drew -out an appreciative cheer, and the motion was carried _nem. con_. - -Though loving and serving his own Church faithfully {207} and well, -General Wauchope was no sectarian. He had seen too much of the world -not to take a wide view of the brotherhood of Christianity. As the -different regiments of one army serving a common cause, he viewed the -various sections of the Church of Christ--whether Roman Catholic or -Protestant, whether Established Church or Nonconformist, whether -Episcopal or Presbyterian--as all members one with another of the -great army of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the one Captain and -Head. He could, and often did, extend a helping hand to one and all -as he had opportunity. 'Wherever I am wanted, I shall be there, -straight,' was his prompt and witty reply once to a 'heckler' at one -of his political meetings, when asked how it was possible for him to -serve both in Parliament and in the army. The same answer might have -been given as to church and philanthropic demands made upon his -sympathy. 'Wherever he was wanted' to advance any good object, he -was ready to be 'there, straight.' - -The spontaneous references made after his death from nearly every -pulpit in Midlothian, and in various churches in England and -Scotland--too numerous to quote--and the more formal deliverance of -the General Assembly in May 1900, all bear testimony to the nation's -grief over the loss of one who could ill be spared. These -expressions may be found fittingly summarised in the words of one who -knew the General well, and who was accustomed to experience his -influence in his own parish of Liberton. The Rev. George Dodds, of -the Free Church there, in concluding a memorial service in his -church, and taking as his text 2 Samuel i. 25--'How are the mighty -fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, slain in thine high -places,' spoke as follows:--'Nothing which has hitherto {208} -occurred,' he said, 'and perhaps no casualty which can yet happen, -could to any greater extent quicken our imagination to realise the -horrors of war, and the desperate work these brave men face who fight -our battles. The people of this parish will always remember the -battle of Magersfontein as that which deprived them of one of whom -they were more than proud. General Wauchope was a man whom every one -loved, and it was little wonder. Anything else was impossible. A -man so real, with no vestige of the actor about him; so free from -narrowness both in church and political creed; so generous as a -patron, so philanthropic as a gentleman among his people; so -honourable as a public man, so brotherly as a neighbour--when shall -we look upon his like again? ... Liberton parish knows what the army -and the empire have lost, but our loss is one of those sacred things -with which no outsider can intermeddle.... Much which I could tell -of him makes me know with undying conviction that Andrew Gilbert -Wauchope of Niddrie was one of the finest Christian gentlemen one -could find in a lifetime.' - - 'Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er, - Sleep the sleep that knows no breaking; - Dream of battlefields no more, - Days of danger, nights of waking. - No rude sound shall reach thine ear; - Armour's clang, or war-steed champing; - Trump nor pibroch summon here, - Mustering clan or squadron tramping.' - - - - -{209} - -INDEX - -Abu-Hammed, 147. - -Albert, Prince, 32. - -Aldershot, 38, 75. - -Alexandria, 73, 74, 90, 106. - -Alfred, Prince, Duke of Edinburgh, 32, 33, 34, 107. - -Alison, Sir Archibald, 76. - -Arabi Pasha, 73, 79, 163. - -Ashanti, 39, 46, 49. - -Assouan, 93, 105. - -Atbara River, 148, 151, 155. - - - -Babington, Major-General, 187. - -Baird, Sir David, 21. - ----- Sir James Gardiner, 47. - ----- Robert, 21. - ----- of Newbyth, William, 21. - -Balfour, Dr. Andrew, 135, 163. - -Ballater, 141. - -Balmoral, 33. - -Bayly, Colonel R. K., 11, 39, 75, 92, 99, 105, 107, 180. - -Belfast, 120, 205. - -Benson, Major, 185, 186. - -Berber, 149, 152. - -Beresford, Lord Charles, 11, 30. - -Bermuda, 33. - -Biddulph, Sir Robert, 59, 66, 92, 129. - -Black Watch, 36, 40, 75, 84, 86, 92, 99, 105, 123, 131, 140, 144, -163, 179, 181, 183, 196. - -_Britannia_, H.M.S., 30. - -Buccleuch, Duke of, 109, 127. - -Buller, Sir Redvers, 41, 42, 90, 101. - - - -Cairo, 74, 78, 80, 84, 86, 90, 105. - -Cambo, 82, 87, 88. - -Cameron Highlanders, 149, 150, 151, 152. - -Cameron, Sir Daniel, 132. - -Cape Colony, 21, 71, 178, 182, 193. - -Chamberlain, Right Hon. Joseph, 172. - -Charles Edward, 20. - ----- I., 19, 20. - ----- II., 20. - -Christie, Captain, 37. - -Church of Scotland, 124, 161, 199, 204, 206. - -Colville, Sir Henry, 187. - -Convention of Estates, 20. - -Cox, Robert, M. P., 166. - -Craigmillar, 17, 26. - -Cyprus, 58, 67, 75, 92, 202. - - - -Dalrymple, Sir Charles, 109, 113, 124, 126, 137, 138, 157. - -Devonport, 38. - -Dewar, Mr. Arthur, 166, 167, 169, 170. - -Dodds, Rev. George, 135, 207. - -Douglas, Earls of, 14. - -Downman, Colonel, 179, 188, 197. - -Duff, Major A. G., 11, 59, 63, 79, 181. - -Dufferin, Marquis of, 164. - -Dundee, Viscount, 20. - - - -Earle, Major-General, 99, 100. - -Ed-Damer, 148. - -Edinburgh, 38, 75, 133, 140, 142, 196. - ----- Duke of. _See_ Alfred, Prince. - ----- University, 164. - ----- South, Election, 166, 170. - -Egan, Charlie, 135. - -Egerton, Hon. Francis, 32. - -Egypt, 72, 75, 76, 81, 84, 89, 94, 147, 202. - -Elliot, Admiral, 32. - -Erskine, Sir Thomas, 82. - - - -Foster's School, Gosport, 29. - - -Gatacre, Major-General, 150, 154, 156, 159, 161, 181. - -Gibraltar, 11, 75, 107, 111, 114, 120. - -Gifford, Lord, 42. - -Gironard, Lieutenant, 148. - -Gladstone, Right Hon. W. E., 70, 109-129, 166, 168, 205. - -Gordon, General, 89, 93, 98, 101, 146. - -Gordon Highlanders, 179, 183, 188, 190. - -Gregor, Clan, 18. - -Grant, Professor Sir Ludovic, 164. - -Guards' Brigade, 187, 189, 191. - - - -Halifax, 32. - -Harley, Colonel, 39. - -Hamley, Sir E., 80. - -Highland Brigade, 9, 76, 185, 188, 193, 194, 198. - -Holyroodhouse, 16, 19, 34. - -Hopetoun, Earl of, 24, 196. - -Hughes-Hallett, Lieut.-Col., 186, 188. - -Hunter, General, 149, 150, 154. - -Hythe, 38. - - - -Ireland, Rev. Robert H., 52. - - - -James V., 16. - ----- VI., 18. - - - -Kass-el-Nil Barracks, 81, 85. - -Keith Lords Marischal, 14. - -Khalifa Abdullahi, 146. - -Khartoum, 92, 98, 101, 146, 147, 152, 158. - -King Koffee, 43. - -Kitchener, Lord, 102, 144, 147, 159. - -Kimberley, 178, 183, 184. - -Kirbekan, battle of, 99. - -Knox, John, 17. - -Kruger, President, 173, 174, 181. - -Kumasi, 45. - - - -Ladysmith, 178. - -Lauderdale, Duke of, 20. - -Liberton, 135, 162, 179. - -Limerick Barracks, 129, 131. - -Lloyd, Henry, 33. - -Lochtour, 20. - -Logan, Hon. J. D., 193. - - - -Macdonald, General, 149, 150, 154, 159, 160, 195. - -M'Gaw, Sergeant, 61. - -M'Leod, Sir John C., 11, 36, 42, 44, 56, 132. - -M'Neil, Sir John, 41. - -Mactaggart, Rev. John, 12, 86, 95, 100, 103. - -Mafeking, 178. - -Magersfontein, 184, 192, 208. - -Matjesfontein, 193. - -Malcolm Caenmore, 14. - -Mahdi, 89, 92, 101, 105, 146, 153. - -Mahmoud, 149. - -Majuba Hill, 70, 172. - -Malta, 53, 106, 203. - -Martin, Professor Todd, 205. - ----- Robert, 128, 180. - -Maryhill, 75, 107, 131, 133. - -Methuen, Lord, 178, 182, 183, 185, 189, 193, 198. - -Midlothian campaign, 109, 113, 121, 123, 126. - -Miller, Hugh, 22. - -Modder River, 182, 184, 192. - -Muir, Sir William, 134, 164. - - - -Natal, 177, 178, 180, 182. - -New Craighall, 113, 134, 137, 139, 157, 162, 179. - -Niddrie Marischal, 13, 19, 81, 133, 157, 160, 163, 167. - -Niddrie, 25, 34, 87, 134, 136, 157, 160, 163, 178. - -Nile Expeditions, 95, 97, 99, 103, 105, 146, 152, 156. - - - -Omdurman, 146, 152, 153, 155, 160. - -Orange Free State, 177, 182. - -Osman Digna, 148, - - - -Papho, Cyprus, 59. - -Parker, F. H., 60. - -Pinkney, Sergeant, 79, 80 - -Pope Paul III., 15, 16. - -Portobello, 26, 46, 162. - -Presbyterian Church, 103, 143, 155. - - - -'Red Mick,' 36, 142. - -Rennie, Captain, 181, 194. - -Restalrig, church of, 16. - -Roberts, Sir F., or Lord, 172. - -Robertson, Rev. J., 191, 193, 194. - -Rosebery, Lord, 125. - -Rossyth, 19. - - - -Salisbury, Lord, 67, 110, 123, 126, 168. - -Sandilands, Sir James, 19. - -St. Andrews, 82. - -_St. George_, H.M.S., 31, 33, 35, 107. - -Seaforth Highlanders, 152, 179, 186, 188. - -Selborne, Lord, 174. - -Seymour, Sir Beauchamp, 73, 74. - -Shepstone, Sir Theophilus, 70. - -Stirling Castle, 36. - -Stirling, Rev. Alexander, 12, 143. - -Soudan, the, 89, 92, 146. - -South Africa, 68, 173, 199. - -Spottiswood, 18. - -Steyn, President, 181. - -Suakim, 146. - -Suez Canal, 72, 75, 76. - -Sussex Manoeuvres, 141. - -Sutherland Highlanders, 186. - -Symons, General, 180. - - - -Tait, F. G., 197. - -Tel-el-Kebir, 74, 76, 78, 115, 147, 201. - -Transvaal, 68, 168, 172, 177. - -Trent, Council of, 15. - -Trinkitat, 90. - - - -Uitlander Grievances, 173, 175, 177. - - - -Ventry, Lord and Lady, 24, 47, 196. - - - -Wady Halfa, 94, 105, 147, 148. - -Wallace, Sir William, 23. - -Ware, Sir James, 15. - -Wauchope, Andrew, 21, 22, 34. - ----- Sir Francis, 19. - ----- George, 17. - ----- Gilbert, 16, 17. - ----- James, 23. - ----- Robert, Archbishop, 14, - ----- Thomas, 14. - ----- William, 21, 22. - ----- Major William, 53, 81. - -Wellington, Duke of, 79. - -Windsor, 161. - -Wisely, Dr. George, 12, 55, 65, 106. - -Wood, Sir Evelyn, 41, 172. - -Wood, Provost, Portobello, 47. - -Worksop, school at, 29. - -Wolseley, Sir G., or Lord, 40, 46, 59, 76, 90, 92, 98, 101, 104, 164, -166, 201, - - - -Yetholm, 20, 25, 137, 158. - -York, Cardinal, 20. - -York, city, 140, 141, 144. - - - -Zagazig, 76, 79, 80. - - - - Printed by T. and A. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: General Wauchope</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: William Baird</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: June 11, 2021 [eBook #65570]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Al Haines</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENERAL WAUCHOPE ***</div> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-front"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-front.jpg" alt="Major-General WAUCHOPE, C.B., C.M.G., LL.D. From a Photograph by Horsburgh, Edinburgh." /> -<br /> -Major-General WAUCHOPE, C.B., C.M.G., LL.D.<br /> -<i>From a Photograph by Horsburgh, Edinburgh.</i> -</p> - -<h1> -<br /><br /> - GENERAL WAUCHOPE<br /> -</h1> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> - BY<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t2"> - WILLIAM BAIRD, F.S.A. SCOT.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="t4"> - AUTHOR OF<br /> - 'JOHN THOMSON OF DUDDINGSTON, PASTOR AND PAINTER'<br /> - 'ANNALS OF DUDDINGSTON AND PORTOBELLO'<br /> - 'SIXTY YEARS OF CHURCH LIFE IN AYRE'<br /> - ETC.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - EDINBURGH AND LONDON<br /> - OLIPHANT ANDERSON AND FERRIER<br /> - 1900<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - TO THE<br /> - OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE<br /> - WHO BRAVELY FOUGHT AT MAGERSFONTEIN<br /> - THIS MEMOIR OF THEIR LEADER<br /> - IS INSCRIBED<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -CONTENTS -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="contents"> -INTRODUCTION -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -CHAP. -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap01">I.</a> THE WAUCHOPES OF NIDDRIE MARISCHAL -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap02">II.</a> CHILDHOOD—EARLY TENDENCIES—THE 'HOUSEHOLD -TROOP'—EDUCATION—NAVAL TRAINING—THE -'BRITANNIA'—THE 'ST. GEORGE'—PRINCE ALFRED -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap03">III.</a> ENTERS THE ARMY—THE BLACK WATCH—ASHANTI -WAR—RETURN HOME—BANQUET AT PORTOBELLO -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap04">IV.</a> DEATH OF WAUCHOPE's FATHER—ORDERED TO -MALTA—REMINISCENCES—RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS—CYPRUS—APPOINTMENT -AS CIVIL COMMISSIONER OF PAPHO—REMINISCENCES—SIR -ROBERT BIDDULPH—THE -SULTAN'S CLAIMS -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap05">V.</a> WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA—ARABI PASHA'S REBELLION IN -EGYPT—TEL-EL-KEBIR—MARRIAGE—LIFE IN CAIRO -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap06">VI.</a> THE EASTERN SOUDAN—BATTLE OF EL-TEB—ATTEMPT -TO RELIEVE GENERAL GORDON—ASCENT OF THE -NILE—THE WHALE-BOATS—BATTLE OF -KIRBEKAN—RETURN TO CAIRO—MALTA—GIBRALTAR -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap07">VII.</a> THE MIDLOTHIAN CAMPAIGN -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap08">VIII.</a> THE 73RD REGIMENT AT MARYHILL BARRACKS—INCIDENTS -OF HOME LIFE—MILITARY LIFE AT YORK—APPOINTMENT -TO SOUDAN CAMPAIGN -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap09">IX.</a> THE SOUDAN—BATTLES OF ATBARA AND OMDURMAN—ARRIVAL -HOME—RECEPTION AT NIDDRIE—DEGREE -OF LL.D.—PAROCHIAL DUTIES—PARLIAMENTARY -CONTEST FOR SOUTH EDINBURGH -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap10">X.</a> OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA—COMMAND -OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE—DEPARTURE -FOR SOUTH AFRICA—THE SITUATION—BATTLE OF -MAGERSFONTEIN—DEATH—FUNERAL—AFTER THE -BATTLE -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap11">XI.</a> CHARACTERISTICS -</p> - -<p class="contents"> -<a href="#chap12">INDEX</a> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -ILLUSTRATIONS -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-front">PORTRAIT</a> . . . . Frontispiece -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-022">NIDDRIE MARISCHAL, FRONT VIEW</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-034">ANDREW WAUCHOPE, MIDSHIPMAN, AGE 14</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-058">ANDREW WAUCHOPE, AGE 30</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-080">NIDDRIE MARISCHAL, BACK VIEW</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-142">GENERAL WAUCHOPE ON HORSEBACK</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-192">THE GRAVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-204">THE GRAVE AT MATJESFONTEIN</a> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap00b"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P9"></a>9}</span></p> - -<h3> -INTRODUCTION -</h3> - -<p> -On the 11th day of December 1899, amid the rattle of -rifles, the fierce booming of cannon, and the sharp bang -of exploding shells, a British force of Scottish Highlanders -found themselves suddenly confronted in the darkness of -an early African morning by an unseen enemy. All -night they had been on the march, tramping the bare -rocky veldt north of the Modder river, to attack, and if -possible capture, the fortified and strongly entrenched -position held by the Boer army of General Cronje among -the rocks and cliffs of Magersfontein. This was full of -difficulty and danger. But the relief of the beleaguered -garrison of Kimberley was urgent, and if the work were to -be done, it demanded the best the British army could -achieve. Steadily and determinedly stepped out the men -of the Highland Brigade, commanded by him they had long -had reason to trust. As lieutenant, as captain, as colonel, -they had followed him in many a well-fought battle, and -now with Major-General Wauchope leading them in the -darkness, no doubt or fear entered their breast. -</p> - -<p> -But suddenly there was a flash of light from the rocks -above, followed immediately by a long belching flame of -fire from a thousand rifles in front. They had unexpectedly -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P10"></a>10}</span> -stumbled on the enemy. There was no time for reorganisation, -and in the midst of an entanglement of trenches and -barbed wire fencing, and exposed the while to a withering -fire against which nothing human could stand, the -Highland Brigade was mown down. Here it was, but well -in front of his men, endeavouring to the last to cheer on -his followers, one of the most gallant and daring of -modern British generals fought and fell, a martyr for his -Queen and country. -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope's tragic end was no unfitting conclusion -to a life of devoted, arduous service. He died as -he had lived, ever in the midst of strife, an earnest, brave, -and self-denying man, thinking more of others than -himself; graced with the dignity that comes from inborn -gentleness of spirit, and ever in his conduct exemplifying -the faith he professed. No wonder that when such a man -fell, there was a wail of lamentation, not merely around -his own home in Edinburgh where he was best known and -loved, but throughout the whole British Empire. -</p> - -<p> -The story of his life is one of incident and hairbreadth -escapes, and it deserves to rank high in the military -annals of our country; for among those who have helped -to raise Great Britain to the honourable position she holds -among the nations of the world, as the vindicator of -freedom, as the protector of the weak against the strong, -as the pioneer of commerce, and the disseminator of -Christianity, there are few who have laboured more -zealously or fought more bravely than he whose career -we shall in the following pages attempt to sketch. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P11"></a>11}</span> -</p> - -<p> -In biography there is perhaps nothing more alluring -than to trace out traits in remote kindred, and to watch -them coming forth with new accompaniments in later -generations, to work out, as it were, the full story of the -race, and probably to mark a climax in some chosen -individual. Though we have not space to follow this out -in the present case, the distinguishing characteristics of -General Wauchope's ancestors may easily be discerned -throughout his career; to them he doubtless owed that -simple manliness which looked upon every man—whatever -his station—as a brother; that unswerving courage in -time of danger, that unflinching devotion to duty, that -cheerfulness of disposition, which made him a general -favourite; all sobered by a sense of the unseen and eternal -which entered into the very heart of his life. -</p> - -<p> -The author's efforts to gather the scattered material of -so chequered a career have been met on all hands by so -willing a response from those who could in any way claim -the General's acquaintance, that his task has been a -pleasant and a comparatively easy one. For interesting -details and incidents coming under their personal -observation, his best thanks are due to Admiral Lord Charles -W. D. Beresford, C.B.; General Sir Robert Biddulph, -G.C.M.G., G.C.B., lately Governor of Gibraltar; Sir John -C. M'Leod, G.C.B.; Colonel R. K. Bayly, C.B.; Colonel -Brickenden; Colonel Gordon J. C. Money; Major A. G. Duff; -Captain Christie, and other of his brother officers -who shared with him the dangers and toil of naval and -military service, in various parts of the world. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P12"></a>12}</span> -</p> - -<p> -He cannot too gratefully acknowledge the kind -assistance heartily given by the Rev. George Wisely, D.D., -Malta; the Rev. John Mactaggart, Edinburgh; and the -Rev. Alexander Stirling, York, army chaplains. Their -contributions have been invaluable. -</p> - -<p> -So fully indeed has material been placed at the author's -disposal, that the volume might have been easily extended -beyond its present limits. But enough, it may be hoped, -has been said in illustration of General Wauchope's career -as a soldier, and his character as a man, to enable his -fellow-countrymen to realise that in his lamented death -the nation has lost one of its bravest and best. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap01"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P13"></a>13}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER I -</h3> - -<p class="t3"> -THE WAUCHOPES OF NIDDRIE MARISCHAL -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Andrew Gilbert Wauchope came of a long line of -ancestry, who have distinguished themselves as soldiers, -as churchmen, or in the more commonplace capacity of -country gentlemen. -</p> - -<p> -The family history can be traced back for several -centuries at least, as occupying in the immediate vicinity -of Edinburgh the estate of Niddrie Marischal; and throughout -the various troubles in which Scottish history has been -involved, the Lairds of Niddrie had their fair share, -forfeitures and restorations being an experience not -uncommon in their career. -</p> - -<p> -Glancing over their genealogy, one might almost say -with truth that the Wauchopes have ever been a fighting -race, holding opinions strongly, and as strongly asserting -them by word or deed when occasion arose. -</p> - -<p> -The very name of their estate has a smack of the -military in it, if it is true, as Celtic scholars say, that -'Niddrie' is derived from the Gaelic <i>Niadh</i> and <i>Ri</i>—signifying, -in the British form of Celtic, the king's champion. -Then the addition to the word, as distinguishing it -from several other Niddries in Scotland, of Marischal, -Marishal, or Merschell appears to have been given to the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P14"></a>14}</span> -estate from the fact that the Wauchopes of Niddrie were -in early times hereditary bailies to Keith Lords Marischal, -and later, Marischal-Deputies in Midlothian, in the reign -of James v. -</p> - -<p> -Whether it be true, as stated by Mackenzie in his <i>Lives -of Eminent Scotsmen</i>, that the Wauchopes had their first rise -in the reign of Malcolm Caenmore, and that they came -from France, we shall not stay to discuss; but it is generally -allowed that the name is a local patronymic, common in -the south of Scotland, and that the Wauchopes of Niddrie -Marischal belonged originally to Wauchopedale in -Roxburghshire, where they were for long vassals of the Earls -of Douglas. -</p> - -<p> -The records of the earlier generations of the family -having been lost, one cannot with accuracy say who was -its founder, or when he lived. In James the Second's reign, -for making an inroad into England, and again in Queen -Mary's time, for espousing the cause of that unfortunate -sovereign, the estate of Niddrie was confiscated and passed -for a time into the hands of others, while the feu-charters -that remained were afterwards destroyed when the English -under Oliver Cromwell came to Scotland. But notwithstanding -these misfortunes, there are documents extant -which go to show that as far back as the time of Robert III., -who began to reign in 1390, there was one Gilbert Wauchope -holding the lands of Niddrie from that king, who is supposed -to be the grandson of <i>Thomas Wauchope in the county of -Edinburgh</i>, mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. -</p> - -<p> -One scion of the family, born about the year 1500, in the -reign of James IV. attained to considerable distinction as -an ecclesiastic. This was Robert, the famous Archbishop -of Armagh, a younger son of Archibald, the Laird of -Niddrie. Defective in his vision almost to blindness, he was, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P15"></a>15}</span> -notwithstanding this misfortune, possessed of great natural -abilities, and by diligent study attained to high and varied -accomplishments. So proficient did he become in the -study of the Scriptures, the Fathers, and the Councils, that -he was appointed Doctor of Divinity in the University of -Paris; and in 1535, having attracted the notice of Pope -Paul III., he was called to Rome, and employed by him -as legate to the Emperor of Germany and the King of -France, in both of which commissions he is said to have -exhibited the highest qualifications as an ambassador. -Some time after he was promoted to be Archbishop of -Armagh, in Ireland. There he laboured with incredible -pains to enlighten the ignorant natives, travelling about -his diocese, and often preaching to them four or five -times a week. Archbishop Wauchope found scope for his -great talents at the Council of Trent. This famous council, -called together by the Pope to counteract the influence of -the Reformation initiated by Luther in Germany, met in -March 1544, and continued its sittings till 1551. The -archbishop not only took a part in its proceedings, but -wrote a full account of them, a labour which, however, -proved too much for his strength, for he died at Paris on -his way home on 9th November 1551. He appears to -have been held by his contemporaries in high admiration. -Lesley says: 'Such was his judgment in secular affairs, that -few of his age came near him,' and in his capacity as legate -'he acquitted himself so well that every one admired his -wit, judgment, and experience.' -</p> - -<p> -Sir James Ware, speaking of him in a similar strain, and -alluding, like Lesley, to his having been born blind, says: -'He was sent legate <i>a latere</i> from the Pope to Germany, -from whence came the German proverb, "a blind legate -to the sharp-sighted Germans."' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P16"></a>16}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Some ancestors -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Robert's elder brother, Gilbert Wauchope, was meanwhile -Laird of Niddrie, acquiring more property, extending -his borders, and getting himself involved in the local feuds -peculiar to the time of James V.; that king on one occasion, -April 1535, having to grant a letter of protection in favour -of him 'and his wife and bairns' against Sir Patrick -Hepburn of Wauchtonne and thirty-four others for 'umbesetting -the highway for his slaughter.' In this quarrel, even -the Pope was called upon to interfere in the interest of -peace and safety. In 1539 Paul III. put forth a mandate -to the Dean of the Church of Restalrig, stating that a -beloved son, a noble man, Gilbert Wauchope, lord in -temporals of the place of Niddriffmarschall, within the -diocese of St. Andrews, had represented to the Pope that -some sons of iniquity, whom he was altogether ignorant of, -had wickedly brought many and heavy losses upon the -said Gilbert Wauchope by concealing the boundaries and -limits or marches of the piece of land or place called -Quhitinche, feued to him by the Abbot and Convent of the -Monastery of the Holy Cross (Holyrood).... Therefore -the Pope intrusted to the discretion of the said Venerable -Dean and Commissary to admonish publicly in churches, -before the people, ... all holders, etc., and to discover -and restore these to the said Gilbert Wauchope or to the -Abbot of the Monastery, under a general sentence of -excommunication against these persons, till suitable -satisfaction was made. -</p> - -<p> -But the Reformation brought many changes, upsetting -the laws, customs, and opinions held sacred for centuries. -The sons no longer walked in the ways of their fathers, -but began to think for themselves. And so we find that -Gilbert, the son of the laird who had sought and obtained -protection from the Pope, renounced the Pope and took -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P17"></a>17}</span> -an active part in promoting the Reformation. He was -present at Knox's first sermon at St. Andrews in 1547. -And at the conference of notables that afterwards was held, -where Knox and his preaching were fully discussed, and -Wauchope was asked what he thought of the Reformer, -'this answer gave the Laird of Nydre—"a man fervent and -uprycht in religioun."' This Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie -was a member of the famous Parliament, held at -Edinburgh in August 1560, by which the Reformation was -established. -</p> - -<p> -Later on we have a George Wauchope, a celebrated -Professor of Civil Law at Caen, in Normandy, who was a -grandson of Gilbert, and who in 1595, when he was about -twenty-five years of age, wrote <i>A Treatise concerning the -Ancient People of Rome</i>. -</p> - -<p> -But the early Wauchopes were a wonderfully varied -class of men, who could take their share of fighting when -necessary; and towards the close of the sixteenth century -their feuds, their 'slauchters,' and political partisanship -well-nigh led to their extinction. The feuds with the -neighbouring Hepburns and Edmonstons were the occasion of -many unhappy conflicts, while their adhesion to the cause -of Queen Mary for a time brought ruin on the family. -Professor Aytoun, in his poem of 'Bothwell,' referring to -Bothwell's attempt to intercept the Queen on her way -from Stirling and carry her to Dunbar Castle, says:— -</p> - -<p class="poem"> - 'Hay, bid the trumpets sound the march,<br /> - Go, Bolton, to the van;<br /> - Young Niddrie follows with the rear;<br /> - Set forward every man.'<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -The estate of Niddrie is quite close to Craigmillar -Castle, where Mary frequently resided, and in all -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P18"></a>18}</span> -probability the fascination of her character brought the -Wauchopes into frequent contact with her, and led them -to espouse her cause when many of the leaders of the -Scottish nobility had declared against her. We find, -therefore, that Robert Wauchope and his son Archibald -are mentioned in the 'charge agains personis denuncit -rebellis' in June 1587. This Archibald appears to have -been a youth of wonderful pugnacity, and to have got -himself continually involved in trouble with the authorities for -breaches of the peace, out of which he as often extricated -himself, with no little cleverness. Once, in 1588, for an -attempted 'slauchter' of 'umquhile James Giffert, and -Johne Edmonston,' the adjoining laird, he was arrested, -tried, and warded in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh; but 'no -pardoun being granted' by the king, 'and about a -thousand persouns in the Tolbuith waiting upon the event, -the candles were put furth about ellevin houres at night, -and Nidrie and his complices escaped out at the windowes.' It -is a curious reflection upon the Wauchopes of this time -that their name should be associated with the wild Clan -Gregor of Perthshire as disturbers of the peace. King -James VI. was married in 1590 to the Princess Anne of -Denmark. On the 1st May the king and queen landed -at Leith, amid a great concourse of loyal subjects, 'and -with volleys of cannon, and orations in their -welcome.' James had been absent from Scotland more than six -months, and it was remarked at the time, and came to be -memorable afterwards, that these months were a time of -universal peace and good order in Scotland. 'The only -notable exceptions,' according to Spottiswood, 'had been -a riot in Edinburgh by Wauchope of Niddry, and an -outbreak of the Clan Gregor in Balquhidder.' -</p> - -<p> -In connection with this, we find Wauchope charged -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P19"></a>19}</span> -by the Privy Council (7th January 1590), 'along with all -other keepers of the places and fortalices of Rossyth and -Nudry,' to deliver the same to the officer executing these -letters, within six hours after charge, under penalty of -treason; the said officer to fence the goods and rents -belonging to Wauchope, which are ordered to remain under -arrest at the instance of the King's Treasurer, 'aye and -quhill he be tryit foule or clene of sic crymes quharof he is -dilaitet.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Attack on Holyroodhouse -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Not to mention other scrapes of a similar kind, Archibald -Wauchope was implicated in the attack on the palace -of Holyroodhouse, 27th December 1591, and for this and -other misdemeanours he was forfeited, along with the Earl -of Bothwell and others, and had to leave the country for a -time. He afterwards came to an untimely end by falling -from a window in Skinner's Close in Edinburgh, about -the year 1596. -</p> - -<p> -It was apparently about this period that the old house -or tower of Niddrie Marischal—'so commodious that it -could garrison a hundred men'—was destroyed by the -enemies of the family. -</p> - -<p> -For some years the estate was in the hands of Sir James -Sandilands of Slamannan, until 1608, when, through the -good graces of James VI., it was restored to Francis, son -of Archibald Wauchope, a restitution which was confirmed -by Act of Parliament in 1609. Francis (usually styled Sir -Francis Wauchope) appears to have done a good deal for -the estate, but his son, Sir John Wauchope, may be -regarded as the chief restorer of the house of Niddrie. He -was frugal in his living, and he added several adjoining -properties to the estate by purchase, and received the -honour of knighthood from Charles I. on his visit to -Scotland in 1633. He was an intimate friend of the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P20"></a>20}</span> -notorious Duke of Lauderdale in their younger days, living -with him, and spoken of as 'his bed-fellow.' -</p> - -<p> -Sir John exercised great judgment in the management -of his affairs; so much so, that in 1661 he acquired by -purchase the border estate of Yetholm or Lochtour, in -Roxburghshire, which has remained in the family ever -since. He was present in London at the coronation of -Charles II.; in 1663 he was elected a member of the -Scottish Parliament, and one of the Committee for the -Plantation of Kirks; and in 1678 was a member of the -Convention of Estates. -</p> - -<p> -Other lairds appear in succession as the years rolled on. -There are Williams, Andrews, Gilberts, Roberts, following -one another as the leaves succeed in the spring to those -that have fallen in the autumn, but it is not our purpose to -follow their story. One fought and fell at Killiecrankie -with Viscount Dundee in 1689; another fought for the -Stuarts at the Revolution, and afterwards rose to high -command in the French and Spanish services; and though -the Wauchopes took no active part in the Stuart risings -of 1715 and 1745, their sympathies were all for the exiled -race. -</p> - -<p> -In Niddrie House there are to be seen full-length -portraits of Charles I. and his queen; four small -half-lengths of the Chevalier and his consort, and their two -sons, Prince Charles Edward and the Cardinal York, as -boys. These are understood to have been forwarded -direct from the Chevalier himself to the Niddrie family as -an acknowledgment of their loyalty, and the assistance—pecuniary -and otherwise—which the royal line of Stuart -had received at their hands. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -A 'Minden' hero -</span> -</p> - -<p> -To come to more recent times, we find that Andrew -Wauchope of Niddrie—the great-grandfather of the subject -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P21"></a>21}</span> -of our sketch, born about the year 1736—was a captain in -the First Regiment of Dragoon Guards, and fought at the -battle of Minden in Westphalia, where in 1759 the French -were defeated by an army of Anglo-Hanoverian troops. -He lived to a good old age, for it was he who was alluded -to by Sir Walter Scott in the ballad written on the occasion -of the visit of George IV. to Scotland in 1822:— -</p> - -<p class="poem"> - Come, stately Niddrie, auld and true,<br /> - Girt with the sword that Minden knew;<br /> - We have owre few sic lairds as you,<br /> - Carle, now the King's come.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -This Andrew Wauchope married, in 1786, Alicia, daughter -of William Baird, Newbyth, and sister of the celebrated -Sir David Baird, the hero of Seringapatam, who a few -years afterwards—in 1805—commanded the expedition -to the Cape of Good Hope which, after a decisive victory -over the Dutch, received, on 6th January 1806, the -surrender of the colony to Great Britain. There were -nine children of this marriage, five boys and four girls. -The eldest, Andrew, was killed in 1813 at the battle of the -Pyrenees while in command of the 20th Regiment of Foot, -and so the second son, William, succeeded to the property, -old Andrew Wauchope having resigned it in his favour in -1817, retaining for himself the liferent. -</p> - -<p> -William Wauchope, who had the year before married -Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Robert Baird of Newbyth, -and niece of the then Marchioness of Breadalbane, was a -lieutenant-colonel in the army. Curiously enough, William's -younger brother, Admiral Robert Wauchope, was stationed -at Cape Town at the beginning of the century, where he -resided for many years with his wife. They knew the -Dutch well, and were on the most friendly terms with both -Dutch and English settlers in the colony. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P22"></a>22}</span> -</p> - -<p> -William Wauchope died in 1826, leaving a family of two, -the eldest of whom, Andrew Wauchope, born in 1818, -being then a minor, succeeded to the property. His sister, -Hersey Susan Sydney, was married in 1842 to George -Elliot, captain, Royal Navy, eldest son of the Hon. Admiral -Elliot. Andrew Wauchope, the father of the subject of -our memoir, was for a time in the army—an officer in the -dragoons; but, being of a delicate constitution, he retired -after his marriage to reside at Niddrie, where he was long -known and respected as a kind and indulgent landlord, -ever ready to give a helping hand to his tenants or to -religious and philanthropic objects. He did a great deal -towards completing the extensive improvements begun by -his father on the house and grounds of Niddrie. -</p> - -<p> -The newer part of the house, forming the north-east -wing, was erected by William Wauchope about seventy-five -years ago. It contains some handsome apartments, and -it is interesting to note that the celebrated Hugh Miller, -when a lad, was employed (in 1823) as a mason at the -work, and is said to have carved a number of the -ornamental chimneys which form a distinctive feature of a -most picturesque edifice. What the father began, the -son ultimately completed. The park was extended, new -approaches and avenues were formed, lodges erected, and -gardens and vineries laid out—the whole place being -transformed into one of the most beautiful country seats -to be found in the county of Midlothian. These somewhat -extensive works, resumed by the father of the General -about the year 1850, were steadily carried on year by year -until his death, 22nd November 1874, for he took much -pride in the work, and made it his life hobby. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Sir William Wallace -</span> -</p> - -<p> -So far this brief genealogy of General Wauchope's family -has been traced through the male line, but it would be -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P23"></a>23}</span> -incomplete and lacking in public interest, did we not also -refer to his descent on the female side from the family of -Sir William Wallace, the champion of Scottish freedom. -This interesting connection is traced to James Wauchope, -the grandfather of the 'Minden' hero. In 1710 he -married Jane, daughter of Sir William Wallace, Bart, of -Craigie, near Ayr, whose eldest son, Andrew, succeeded -his cousin in 1726, and in his line the property has -remained to the present time. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-022"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-022.jpg" alt="Niddrie Marishchal, Front View" /> -<br /> -Niddrie Marishchal, Front View -</p> - -<p> -Over the fireplace of the dining-room of Niddrie House -there is a painting on canvas inserted in panelling said to -be a portrait of 'Wallace Wight.' It has been in possession -of the family for nearly two hundred years, being mentioned -in various inventories of the property from the year -1707. An interesting notice of it appeared in James -Paterson's <i>Wallace and his Times</i>, and the family tradition -is that it is a genuine portrait of the hero, the words -inscribed above the likeness, 'Gvl: Wallas: Scotvs: Host: -ivm: Terror,' certainly giving colour to the supposition. -We are more inclined to think, however, that the portrait -represents one of the more immediate ancestors of the -Jane Wallace who brought the connection into the family—probably -Sir William Wallace of Craigie, who distinguished -himself as a loyalist in the civil wars. It certainly came -into the family through the marriage of James Wauchope -in 1710 with Jane, daughter of Sir William Wallace of -Craigie, and if it does not represent the champion of -Scottish independence, it is from the same source as a -similar portrait preserved at Priory Lodge, Cheltenham, in -the hands of a descendant of the Craigie-Wallace family. -</p> - -<p> -It was when he was serving with his regiment at Monaghan, -in Ireland, that the father of General Wauchope first met his -future wife, Frances Maria, daughter of Henry Lloyd of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P24"></a>24}</span> -Lloydsburgh, County Tipperary. They were married on -26th March 1840, and two sons and two daughters were -the issue of the marriage. These were— -</p> - -<p class="bullet"> -1. William John Wauchope, born in September 1841. -</p> - -<p class="bullet"> -2. Harriet Elizabeth Frances, afterwards married to -Lord Ventry of County Kerry, Ireland, by whom -she has issue, five sons and four daughters, of whom -her daughter, the Hon Hersey Alice Eveleigh-De-Moleyne, -is the present Countess of Hopetoun. -</p> - -<p class="bullet"> -3. Andrew Gilbert, the subject of our story, born at -Niddrie on 5th July 1846. -</p> - -<p class="bullet"> -4. Hersey Josephine Frances Mary, now residing in -London. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -A typical Scotsman, loyal to the backbone to the land of -his birth, Andrew Gilbert Wauchope had always a warm -corner in his heart for Ireland, and was ever ready to -acknowledge, and indeed to boast of, his Irish extraction. -Combining as he did much of the canniness of the Scot -with that steady-going determination of purpose and -fearlessness in danger peculiar to his countrymen, he displayed -the Irish side of his character in that generous -light-heartedness and impulsive good nature which often led him -into self-denying deeds of kindness, and now and again -into trouble. General Wauchope was, as we have seen, -the heir to no mean family traditions. The record of the -Wauchopes is one of patriotic energy through five or six -hundred years of stirring Scottish history, many of them years -of turmoil and strife; and the warlike spirit of the fathers, -as well as their more peaceful characteristics, may be found -not infrequently imaged in this last scion of the race. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap02"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P25"></a>25}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER II -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -CHILDHOOD—EARLY TENDENCIES—THE 'HOUSEHOLD -TROOP'—EDUCATION—NAVAL TRAINING—THE 'BRITANNIA'—THE -'ST. GEORGE'—PRINCE ALFRED. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -General Wauchope's boyhood was spent mostly at -Niddrie, with occasional short visits in summer to the -other property of the family at Yetholm, among the -pastoral Cheviot hills. -</p> - -<p> -A high-spirited, frolicsome boy, delighting in the open -air and every kind of outdoor sport, 'Andy,' as he was -familiarly called, found scope for his energies in the -beautifully wooded park surrounding the house. Bird-nesting, -rabbit-catching, and fishing in the burn which meanders -through the estate, found him an ardent enthusiast, but -often brought him into trouble with his father and mother. -His bird-nesting feats, prosecuted with all the zest of a -professional poacher, often resulted in the dislocation of -his clothes, and shoes and stockings too often betrayed the -fact that friendly visits to the burn were more frequent and -prolonged than ought to be. Many a time Andy was thus -in a sore plight. Drenched and torn, he would go to -the kindly gardener's wife, to get the rents in his jacket -sewed, his stockings changed, and his shoes dried, before -venturing into the family presence. In his adventures -over the property, the burn was never a barrier to his -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P26"></a>26}</span> -progress. It was the same with hedges, ditches, or stone -walls. If he wanted to reach a certain point, he made a -straight road to it over every obstacle. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Youthful tendencies -</span> -</p> - -<p> -But the limits of the park did not always satisfy his -roving desires. He soon made himself acquainted with -the surroundings of his home. Craigmillar Castle was a -favourite resort on the one side; the beach at Portobello -gave him a taste for the sea and aquatic exercise; while the -neighbouring little village of Niddrie was not long in -making his acquaintance. Here he was known to every -one, for Andy made himself at home in every cottage; and -if the boys stood in some awe of him, and mothers blamed -him for sending their sons home with their clothes torn, -or their noses bleeding, still, for all that, he was always -welcomed among them, sometimes with a 'jeelie' (jelly) -piece or a new-baked scone! -</p> - -<p> -Many a frolic he and the boys of the village were engaged -in, if all tales were told, and sometimes Andy got credit -for more than he deserved. Boys will be boys, but his -boyhood early showed the spirit of the man, for to have a -number of country boys together, and put them through -military drill, was the height of his delight. He was a -born leader, and he doubtless imbibed his love of -soldiering from the frequent opportunities he had of seeing -military manoeuvres in the Queen's Park, or more likely -on Portobello sands, where at that time there was a great -deal of drilling, both of the regulars and of the yeomanry -cavalry. That the military instinct revealed itself early may -be gathered from the following:—One day the village -dominie, worthy old Mr. Savage, looking out of the school -door across the road, saw the youthful form of Andy—then -about seven or eight years old—on the top of the high -boundary wall of his father's park, which at that place is -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P27"></a>27}</span> -nearly nine feet high. 'What are you doing up there?' -shouted the dominie; 'get down at once, you young -rascal, or you'll get killed!' But Andy only waved his -hand as he shouted back, 'It's all right, Mr. Savage: I'm -only viewing the enemy,' and off he scampered along the -top of the wall! -</p> - -<p> -Andy's 'household troop' was not a large one, but it -sufficed. With Tom and Jim, the gardener's sons, and their -sisters, Jess and Bella, assisted by a few male and female -recruits from among the children of the other workers, with -his sister Fanny and his cousins Elizabeth and Nina Elliot, -now Lady Northesk and Mrs. J. Dacre Butler respectively—one -of whom carried the banner, and another the drum—the -youthful general managed to make a fair show. He drilled -them well, and was naturally very proud of them. One day -there happened to be company at the house. Andy, anxious -to display his forces, marched them up to the front door, -and there, seated on his little black pony 'Donald,' he put -them through their facings, to the great entertainment of -the visitors. He was not content with this, however. He -must needs take the place by storm, and so, putting -himself at the head of his troop, he gave the word of command, -'Forward, march!' and actually marched them into the -hall, and through the dining-room to the terrace at the -back of the house, bravely leading them on his pony! -</p> - -<p> -The ice-house stood in the park not very far from the -house. It was a vaulted chamber covered with turf, -forming externally a mound which made a capital fort. Many -a time was it the scene of mimic warfare, its defence or -assault giving splendid scope for the youthful general's -military genius,—brilliant attacks being as brilliantly -defeated without any great loss of life! -</p> - -<p> -Sometimes 'Andy's' attacks took a wider range, and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P28"></a>28}</span> -nocturnal escapades of a frolicking nature are said to have -been not infrequent. It is told of him that having gathered -a few of the village boys together, they made a raid one -night upon the workshop of the village joiner, and took -away a number of odd cart-wheels lying about in the yard. -These they fastened to the doors of some of the cottages, -where they were found next morning, much to the surprise -of the inmates, who had some difficulty in getting -egress from their houses! Nobody, of course, could tell -who was to blame; but, as our informant remarked, 'They -a' kent wha did it: it was just some o' Maister Andra's -mischief.' -</p> - -<p> -One old woman in the village, whose temper was not -very good, and who laboured under the conviction that -her hen-house was from time to time robbed of its -roosters, had made herself somewhat obnoxious, and it -was determined to give her a real fright. So one evening, -after all decent folks were supposed to be in bed, Andy -and his company slipped quietly round to the hen-house, -and presently there was a great commotion and cackling -among the feathered occupants. The old lady in her bed -heard it all, but was too frightened to come to the rescue. -She was certain, however, that some of her favourite hens -had been taken, and next day she went up to the laird at -the big house to complain, and to ask compensation. Andy -was with his father when the old woman was laying off her -story, but betrayed no signs of his complicity in the -transaction, wisely preferring to keep his own counsel in the -matter. Of course the boys had taken none of her -property. They only wanted to play a trick upon her. -</p> - -<p> -Andy was, however, not a boy who would perpetrate -any wilful mischief, or do anything that would cause pain. -He hated cruelty, and once when he was accused of having -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P29"></a>29}</span> -killed the cat of an old servant of the family, who lived as -a pensioner in the village, he heard the accusation with -the greatest indignation. Going at once to Mary's house he -strongly asserted his innocence, telling her with all -earnestness, 'I'd rather shoot myself, as shoot your cat, Mary.' -</p> - -<p> -Very early in life he evinced a strong desire to share -in the sport of the hunting-field. His father would not, -however, hear of it, and refused to allow him to get a -proper rig-out. But Master Andrew was not to be balked -in his ambition, for one morning, getting into a pair of his -father's top-boots, many sizes too large for him, and securing -the biggest horse in the stables, he boldly set off for the -hunt. The appearance of such a mite with boots that -would scarcely keep on his feet, on the back of a big -hunter, created great laughter among the county gentry -at the meet. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Early education -</span> -</p> - -<p> -During these early years of Wauchope's life, so free from -restraint, his education was being carried on at home under -a tutor. At the age of eleven he was sent to a school at -Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, but he did not remain there -very long. He had a hankering for active life, and specially -for the sea. It was accordingly resolved to prepare him -for entering the navy as a midshipman, and he was sent -to Foster's School, Stubbington House, Gosport. His -experience here was also a short one, and was marked -by an incident characteristic of his spirit of adventure -and faithfulness to obligations; though in this case we -must say the latter virtue was rather misapplied, and it -might well be said 'his faith unfaithful kept him falsely -true.' The boys at Foster's, evidently wanting to vary the -monotony of school life—perhaps none of the brightest—thought -it would be a good lark if one would run away -from the school, and they resolved to draw lots who it -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P30"></a>30}</span> -should be. The lot fell upon young Andy Wauchope, and, -like the loyal lad he was, he resolutely stuck to the -agreement and ran off from the school, but of course he was -promptly brought back by his people, and no doubt -received the just reward of his frolic! -</p> - -<p> -He used to say long afterwards that he had only been -at two schools when he was a boy. 'At one of them he -was said to be the best boy in the school, but at the other -he was the very worst!' -</p> - -<p> -With what would now be considered a very inadequate -training, young Wauchope was on the 10th September -1859 entered as a naval cadet on board Her Majesty's -ship <i>Britannia</i>, there to pick up in the rough school of -a sailor's life that knowledge of the world, and particularly -of his naval duties, which books and schooling had denied -him. At the same time, though deprived of the advantages -of Eton or Harrow, or any of the Scottish Universities, -he had a much better gift than education—an -immense natural shrewdness, and a persevering -application, which afterwards made him a good French and -German scholar. Among his shipmates on the <i>Britannia</i> -he was a general favourite. He was only thirteen years -of age, but appears to have been a plucky little fellow, -full of life and fun, and quite capable of standing up -for himself, or for a friend if need be; and in the -thirteen months of his service in the ship he made several -lifelong friendships. Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, -writing to us of that period, mentions that he and -Wauchope joined the navy about the same time. 'I -remember,' he says, 'our chests were close together in the -<i>Britannia</i>. We separated when we went to sea, but we -never lost the friendship we formed in the <i>Britannia</i>. We -met often in different parts of the world, and I always -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P31"></a>31}</span> -found him the same sterling, honest, strong, and chivalrous -friend, whose splendid characteristics had so impressed me -as a boy. I have always regarded his friendship for me -with sentiments of pride. He was very proud of being a -Scotsman, and being an Irishman myself, we had many -arguments—as boys will have—as to which nation -possessed the most interesting personalities. We agreed -cordially on every other point, but never once on this. -The nation has lost one of its best in poor Andy -Wauchope.' There are doubtless others of his <i>Britannia</i> -shipmates surviving who could give similar testimony. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Enters the Navy -</span> -</p> - -<p> -On the 5th October 1860, Wauchope received his discharge -from the <i>Britannia</i>, and was entered as a midshipman -on board H.M.S. <i>St. George</i>, and he mentions himself -with what pride and satisfaction he found himself on that -autumn day walking down the main street of Portsmouth -in his new uniform to join the <i>St. George</i>. 'It was one of -the happiest days of my life,' he says; 'a day in which I -felt myself identified as an officer in Her Majesty's service, -more particularly as on the way down to the harbour I was -met and saluted by one of the marines.' -</p> - -<p> -The <i>St. George</i> was manned by eight hundred men, and -in 1860 was considered a well-equipped vessel, and as -compared with the days of Nelson and Collingwood -showed a great advance in naval strength and efficiency. -At Trafalgar the biggest gun in the whole British fleet was -only a fifty-six pounder, but the <i>St. George</i> had in addition -to a number of that calibre several sixty-eight pounders, -while her speed of ten knots an hour was considered -highly satisfactory. Though these equipments would not -bear comparison with present-day standards, the young -midshipman was proud of his ship and proud of the -service, and in after years could with no little exultation -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P32"></a>32}</span> -honestly say that, 'though armaments had changed, the -hearts of oak remained as of yore; while the old red rag, -which had withstood the battle and the breeze for a -thousand years, was still able to claim the allegiance of -its people.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -H.R.H. Prince Alfred -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Wauchope's commanding officer on board the <i>St. George</i> -was Captain the Hon. Francis Egerton—whose -son, Commander Egerton, was killed at Ladysmith in -November 1899—and among his brother officers were -H.R.H. Prince Alfred, afterwards the Duke of Edinburgh, -and latterly known as the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, -and Admiral Sir Robert Harris, now Commander-in-Chief -of the Cape of Good Hope station. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>St. George</i> was commissioned at Portsmouth, and -was transferred to Devonport early in 1861. She was then -one of the noblest and most imposing-looking ships of the -service, having the year before been thoroughly overhauled -and converted from a one hundred and twenty gun ship to -one of ninety guns. As a three-decker sailing ship she -was considered one of the finest fighting vessels afloat, -and her conversion to a steamship of the line had been -attended with the most successful results. She was selected -by Prince Albert for his son, the youthful Prince Alfred, who -joined her as a midshipman a few months after Wauchope—on -the 16th January 1861—as she lay in Plymouth -Sound, under orders for a cruise to the British North -American Stations and the West India Islands. -</p> - -<p> -The greater part of the year seems to have been spent in -and about Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, which -became a centre for cruises in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and -the Canadian ports. We have it on the authority of several -of those who were midshipmen with the Prince, that they -were a jovial, happy company, all on the most friendly -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P33"></a>33}</span> -terms with one another. The Prince, who was very fond -of 'Andy,' as he was always called, showed him particular -friendship, and the affection which as boys and shipmates -they formed then continued more or less in later -years. -</p> - -<p> -The Prince came back to England in the month of -August to spend a short holiday with his parents at -Balmoral, but rejoined his ship, which was lying at Halifax, in -October. His return was welcomed by his mates and by -the citizens of that town; and the Governor, the Earl of -Mulgrave, entertained His Royal Highness and the officers -of the <i>St. George</i> at a state dinner on the eve of their -departure for a cruise to Bermuda. Among the sunny -islands of the South the ship and her crew were everywhere -received with the utmost enthusiasm, the black and white -population alike vying with each other in their demonstrations -of loyalty; but the sudden death of the Prince -Consort at the end of December compelled the return -home for a time of Prince Alfred, who left his ship at -Halifax on receipt of the sad news, with every expression -of sympathy from his brother officers. In the spring of -1862 Wauchope's ship paid another visit to the West -India Islands, taking up her station for some weeks -with other six ships of the line at Bermuda, where the -young 'middies' were entertained to a continued round of -amusements and excursions. -</p> - -<p> -A seafaring life, if often one of risks and toil, has its -seasons of enforced idleness. Midshipmen's amusements -and practical jokes are proverbial, and the quarter-deck of -the <i>St. George</i> was not always free of them. Many pranks -were played upon one another in idle hours by these -sprightly young officers, leading sometimes to reprimands -by their superiors; and young Andy Wauchope did not -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P34"></a>34}</span> -always escape the suspicion that he was an active leader in -such ploys. It has even been hinted that he had on one -occasion the pluck—or, shall we say, audacity?—to have a -stand-up fight with the Queen's son. We do not vouch -for the story; but of this we are certain, that, if he had -a just cause of quarrel, he was not the boy to let even the -prestige of royalty stand between him and the punishment -due to the aggressor, whoever he might be. -</p> - -<p> -Some years afterwards, in the winter of 1863-64, when -Prince Alfred resided at Holyrood Palace, and was a -student of Edinburgh University, he paid a friendly visit to -his old shipmate at Niddrie, spending the day in -pigeon-shooting. He and a number of his friends arrived in the -forenoon on horseback, and the identity of the party not -having been made known to the keeper of the Niddrie -toll, through which they had to pass to reach the house, he -peremptorily insisted upon payment. But being told that -it was the Queen's son going to see the laird, his loyalty so -much got the better of him that he would not take a -copper. -</p> - -<p> -After luncheon the party adjourned to the park to have -some shooting. Mr. Wauchope, 'Andy's' father, was with -them, and was persuaded to try a shot, but unfortunately -the piece went off in his hand before he could take aim, -and one of the footmen in attendance was hit in the arm -by the charge. Mr. Wauchope was so distressed over the -accident that he vowed he would never again take a gun -in his hand. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-034"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-034.jpg" alt="ANDREW WAUCHOPE, Midshipman, Age 14." /> -<br /> -ANDREW WAUCHOPE, Midshipman, Age 14. -</p> - -<p> -But it was not in the navy that young Wauchope was -destined to distinguish himself. It has been said that the -severity and even harshness of the naval discipline gave -him a distaste of the service, and drove him from it. -Possibly some remarks he made on one occasion as to his -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P35"></a>35}</span> -having been unjustly punished for some petty offence may -have given some colour to this supposition. We rather -incline to accept the explanation of a brother officer, who -asked him afterwards why he left the navy. His reply -was, 'for no reason except that his father wished him, and -that his father desired that he should have a naval training -before he entered the army.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The St. George -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The experience gained at sea was certainly not lost, for -his father's wisdom furnished him with a dual equipment -which in after years was not infrequently of value. The -injustice of the punishment he received when in the -<i>St. George</i>, whatever it may have been, certainly impressed -itself upon him to this extent, that later in life he made it -a rule never to punish a soldier until thoroughly satisfied -of his guilt, and he always was inclined to give a man the -benefit of a doubt. -</p> - -<p> -The <i>St. George</i> returned home in the beginning of July -1862 from her long cruise in American waters, and with -her return young Wauchope closed his naval career. The -official Admiralty record simply states that 'on the 3rd of -July 1862 Midshipman Wauchope was discharged from the -service at his own request, in order that he might qualify -for the army.' His whole naval experience, therefore, -covered a period of scarcely three years, but it gave him a -knowledge of men and things, and a knowledge of the -world, better, perhaps, than any study of books could -afford. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap03"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P36"></a>36}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER III -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -ENTERS THE ARMY—THE BLACK WATCH—ASHANTI -WAR—RETURN HOME—BANQUET AT PORTOBELLO. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Young Wauchope had not long to wait for a commission. -At that time positions in the army could only be got by -purchase and strong influence, but he was fortunate in -being enrolled as ensign, in November 1865, in the 42nd -Highlanders, one of the most popular and distinguished -of Scottish regiments, and familiarly known as the 'Black -Watch.' He was only nineteen years of age at the time when -he joined the regiment at Stirling Castle, and is described -by one of his superiors as then 'a merry, rollicking lad, -full of life and fun.' 'Andy,' as he used to be called -by the officers, and 'Red Mick' more frequently by the -men, was a general favourite; and, notwithstanding his -natural lightness of heart, he had soundness of brain and -judgment enough to know that promotion would only -come to him by diligent study and close application to his -profession. His commanding officer, Sir John M'Leod, -appears, at all events, to have been struck with the young -man's energy of character and indefatigable 'go,' for he -describes him as at that time 'a particularly energetic -young lad, who thought nothing of walking from Stirling -to Niddrie to see his old father whenever he could get a -few days' leave at a week-end.' This, he explains, was not -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P37"></a>37}</span> -at all from motives of economy, 'but merely to walk off -superfluous energy.' Assiduous in the matter of drill, -Wauchope soon became as proficient as his instructor, for -he took a thorough pleasure in the exercise. The innate -smartness and recklessness of the red-polled ensign at -once endeared him to a grave old Crimean drill-sergeant, -who forthwith charged himself with his training. -Concerning this latest accession to the commissioned strength -of the Black Watch, the man of stripes was wont to -say—'That red-headed Wauchope chap will either gang tae the -deil, or he'll dee Commander-in-Chief!' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The Black Watch -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Though the worthy sergeant's prediction has in neither -case been verified, young Wauchope, though at first inclined -to consider his superiors a trifle slow, soon fell into -the steady sober ways of the 42nd, then as now noted for -the gentlemanly conduct of its officers, and the upright -character of its rank and file. 'Step out, shentlemens; -step out. You're all shentlemens here; if you're not -shentlemens in the Black Watch, you'll not be -shentlemens anywhere.' Such was the opinion of their old -Highland sergeant as he put them through their drill. We -have been told that at that time one might be a year -among the officers and never hear an oath uttered, while -smoking and drinking were scarcely known. Wauchope -was thus fortunate in being, at a critical period of his life, -associated with men who shunned what was vulgar, and -whose influence over him was for good. In military -matters he early manifested the inquiring mind. Points -in drill or tactics, which he might not at first understand, -set him thinking, and he would not rest till he got an -explanation of their meaning and object. Captain Christie, -then adjutant of the Black Watch, lately governor of -Edinburgh Prison, was early taken into the young ensign's -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P38"></a>38}</span> -confidence in difficulties of this kind. Having been -through the hard fighting and the terrible scenes of the -Indian Mutiny, the captain was made frequently to 'fight -his battles o'er again,' explaining the methods and tactics -by which decisive results were attained in the various -engagements. Never what may be called a great reader -of books, Wauchope had two, however, placed in his hand -by his adjutant when in Stirling Castle, which he studied -assiduously. These two books—Macaulay's <i>Essays</i> and -Burke's <i>French Revolution</i>—he read and re-read, borrowing -them several times, and there is little doubt that the -perusal of them made a deep and lasting impression upon -his mind, going a long way towards the formation of that -strong political sagacity, administrative ability in civil -affairs, and military genius which were displayed on many -occasions in his after-life. -</p> - -<p> -In 1867 Wauchope went to Hythe, where he passed in -the Military School of Instruction first-class in musketry, -and in June of that year was promoted to be lieutenant. -So proficient was he found in the matter of drill that, in -spite of his youth, he was appointed to the important -position of adjutant to the regiment in 1870, though still -retaining the rank of lieutenant, a position which he held -with the utmost credit for the next three years. During -this time he served successively with the 42nd in garrison -duty at Edinburgh, Aldershot, and Devonport. -</p> - -<p> -Leaving Edinburgh in 1869 by the transport <i>Orontes</i>, -from Granton to Portsmouth, the regiment reached -Aldershot camp on the 12th November, and was stationed -there for two and a half years. After taking a part in the -Autumn Manoeuvres at Dartmoor in August 1873, they -were stationed for a few months at the Clarence Barracks, -Portsmouth. His duties during all these years were of the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P39"></a>39}</span> -most arduous and trying description, but his singularly -lovable and attractive nature made him so many friends -that difficulties disappeared before his cheerful -countenance. Speaking of this period in his career, Colonel -Bayly, afterwards his commanding officer, says—'It was -very early in his subaltern career that Wauchope was -voted for the appointment of adjutant, and he made one -of the best that had ever been appointed. His charm of -disposition enabled him to gain the love of his men, whilst -his tact and firmness enabled him to enforce the necessary -discipline.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Ashanti war -</span> -</p> - -<p> -On the outbreak of the Ashanti war on the west coast -of Africa in the autumn of 1873, young Lieutenant -Wauchope found his first opportunity, in active foreign -service, of showing the metal of which he was made. -</p> - -<p> -The king of Ashanti—Koffee Kalcallee—the head of a -strong warlike kingdom on the north of the Gold Coast, -had long asserted his authority over the neighbouring -provinces of Akim, Assin, Gaman, and Denkira, down to the -very coast where the Dutch and English had settlements. -The transfer, in 1872, of the Dutch possessions -adjoining Cape Coast Castle to Great Britain for certain -commercial privileges, gave King Koffee of Ashanti the -opportunity for asserting what he considered his lawful -authority over the Fantees or adjoining coast tribe. This, -however, was only a covert excuse for striking a blow at -British rule on the Gold Coast, and in January 1873 an -army of 60,000 warriors—and the Ashantis, though cruel, -are brave and warlike—was in full march upon Cape Coast -Castle and Elmina. The British force on the spot under -Colonel Harley was only a thousand men, mainly West -India troops and Haussa police, with a few marines; and -though the neighbouring friendly tribes, whose interest it -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P40"></a>40}</span> -was to remain under the British protectorate, raised a large -contingent for their own defence, this was a force that -could not be relied on. By the month of April the -Ashantis had crossed the river Prah, the southern limit -of their kingdom, and were within a few miles of Cape -Coast Castle, and matters were looking serious. With the -aid of a small reinforcement of marines, the enemy were -fortunately kept at bay until the 2nd October, when a -strong force arrived from England, which turned the tide -against King Koffee, and ultimately swept him and his -warriors back upon his capital. This expedition, under -Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his staff and a body -of five hundred sailors and marines, not only held their own, -but by the end of November, after much hard preliminary -work, had forced the king to retreat to Kumasi. Wolseley, -finding the expedition a more arduous one than was at -first expected, had meantime asked for further reinforcements, -and on the 4th December the Black Watch, accompanied -by a considerable number of volunteers from the -79th, left Portsmouth, arriving on 4th January 1874 at their -destination. Sir Garnet had now at his disposal a force -consisting of the 23rd, 42nd, and 2nd Battalion Rifle -Brigade, detachments of Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, -and Royal Marines, which, with native levies, formed a -small but effective army wherewith to advance into the -enemy's country. -</p> - -<p> -This was no light task, more especially when the -dangerous nature of the climate is taken into account, and -the necessity there was that the enterprise should be -accomplished, if at all, before the rainy season, with all its -concomitant malaria, set in. To pierce into the heart of -a country like Ashanti, with its marshes and matted -forests, its pathless jungles and fetid swamps, with a -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P41"></a>41}</span> -cunning foe ever dogging their steps, was the service -imposed on this brave little army of British. As Lord Derby -remarked at the time, this was to be 'an engineers' and -doctors' war.' Roads had to be made, bridges built, -telegraphs set up, and camps formed. But by the energy and -skill of General Wolseley, ably supported by such men as -Captain (now Sir) Redvers Buller, Colonel (afterwards Sir -John) N'Neil, Lieut.-Colonel (afterwards Sir Evelyn) Wood, -Colonel (now Sir John) M'Leod, and others who have -since risen to distinction in the army, the enterprise was -successfully and brilliantly accomplished within a month. -The Ashantis were forced back upon their own territory in -a number of engagements, until at last their capital was -seized and burned to the ground. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Wauchope's black boys -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Lieutenant Wauchope's share in this expedition was -highly creditable to his bravery and military skill. -Accompanying Sir Garnet Wolseley at an early stage of the -struggle, as one of the staff, he resigned his adjutantship of -the Black Watch, and was afterwards fortunate in -obtaining special employment as a commander of one of the -native regiments formed at Cape Coast Castle, namely, -Russell's regiment of Haussas, the Winnebah Company. -To form such crude material into a well-disciplined body -of soldiers seemed at first a well-nigh hopeless -undertaking. Their fear made cowards of them all. The very -sight of a gun terrified them, and for long they held their -arms in such superstitious dread, that they would hang -them up in the trees and actually worship them. But -Wauchope's admirable drilling qualifications stood him in -good stead. He took, we are told, a great pride in the -training of his 'black boys,' as he called them, and infused -into them much of his own daring spirit. This appointment -separated him for a time from his own regiment, but on -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P42"></a>42}</span> -the Black Watch arriving afterwards at the Gold Coast, he -had frequent opportunities of fighting by their side. -</p> - -<p> -In the advanced guard, the 42d Regiment and Russell's -Haussas, under Colonel M'Leod, having crossed the -Adansi hills, reached Prah-su on the 30th January, and -occupied a position about two miles from the Ashanti -main position at Amoaful. Surmounting innumerable -difficulties, and carrying all before them, the Highlanders -by their dash and intrepidity were a splendid example to -those led by Wauchope, who sometimes had difficulty in -inspiring his men with courage enough to face their -much-dreaded enemy. In scouting and clearing the -ground his men were, however, invaluable, and if we -consider the dense undergrowth that covered the country -traversed, this was a work of great importance. By one -traveller we are told 'the country hereabout (at Amoaful) -is one dense mass of brush, penetrated by a few narrow -lanes, where the ground, hollowed by rains, is so uneven -and steep at the sides as to give scanty footing. A -passenger between the two walls of foliage may wander for -hours before he finds that he has mistaken the path. To -cross the country from one narrow clearing to another, axes -and knives must be used at every step. There is no -looking over the hedge in this oppressive and bewildering -maze.' It was in such a position as this that the battle of -Amoaful was fought. The enemy's army was never seen -in open order, but its numbers are reported by Ashantis -to have been from fifteen to twenty thousand. After a -stubborn day's fight in the entanglement of the forest, the -Ashantis were finally defeated with great loss. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Attack on Kumasi -</span> -</p> - -<p> -On the 1st February, the day following this important -engagement, orders were issued for an attack upon -Becquah, towards which Captain Buller and Lord Gifford -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P43"></a>43}</span> -scouted at daybreak. The attack was intrusted to Sir -Archibald Alison, who had under his orders the Naval Brigade, -one gun and one rocket detachment, Rait's Artillery, -detachment of Royal Engineers, with labourers, 23rd Fusiliers, -five companies of 42nd Highlanders, and Russell's regiment -of Haussas, with scouts. This force was divided into an -advanced guard and main body, and Wauchope was again -honoured with the post of danger, his regiment of Haussas -being in the advanced guard along with the Naval Brigade -and Rail's Artillery, all under the command of Colonel -M'Leod. After a toilsome march through the bush under -a tropical sun, the town of Becquah was reached, and a -sharp but decisive engagement took place, the main brunt -of which fell upon Lord Gifford's scouts and the Haussas. -Still pressing on, the intrepid little army, through many -mazy trampings, arrived at Jarbinbah, every inch of the -ground being disputed by the enemy. Here Wauchope -was wounded in the chest by a slug fired down upon him -from one of the tall trees in the swampy ground in front -of an ambuscade; but, serious enough though it was, and -causing much loss of blood, it did not prevent him sticking -to his post and looking after his 'black boys.' After this -battle King Koffee sent in a letter to Sir Garnet Wolseley, -with vague promises of an indemnity, hoping to prevent -the invading army approaching his capital; but his previous -prevarications did not admit of his tardy proposals being -for a moment entertained. The king, realising this, resolved -to dispute the passage of the river Ordah. The stream was -about fifty feet wide, and waist-deep, and the enemy, to the -number of at least 10,000 men, were posted on the further -side. Russell's regiment of Haussas was, on the afternoon -of the 3rd February, at once passed to the other side of -the stream as a covering party to the Engineers, who -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P44"></a>44}</span> -were ordered to throw over a bridge. They rapidly made -entrenchments, and cleared the ground on the north side, -so that the whole advanced guard might successfully cross. -In this affair Lieutenant Wauchope acquitted himself with -much coolness and bravery, notwithstanding his wounded -state, Colonel M'Leod reporting the regiment as 'being in -front the whole day, and having behaved with remarkable -steadiness under trying circumstances, <i>reserving their fire</i> -with remarkable self-control.' This shows a decided -improvement in the discipline of Wauchope's 'black boys' -from a former despatch, where their firing was characterised -as 'wild.' By daybreak on the morning of the 4th February -the bridge over the Ordah was completed, amid drenching -rain, which had continued all night, and the whole -available force was successfully passed over in spite of the -vigorous resistance of the Ashantis, who, with drums -beating and great shouting, were endeavouring to circle -round the British. 'For the first half-mile from the river -the path rose tolerably even,' says one report; 'then after a -rapid descent it passed along a narrow ridge with a ravine -on each side; dipped again deeply, and then finally rose -into the village. To the south-west of the village, extending -almost to the village itself, and for a considerable -distance along the road, the enemy had made a clearing of -several acres, by cutting down a plantain-grove. Colonel -M'Leod steadily advanced along the main road under -cover of a gun, after a few rounds from which the Rifles -made a corresponding advance; then the gun was brought -up again, and another advance made; and in this manner -the village was at last reached and carried.' The Ashantis -fought well, and with a vigour and pertinacity which won -the praise and admiration of the Highlanders. The soldiers -were put to their mettle, and even the Haussas, as if -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P45"></a>45}</span> -catching the fierce courage of the Scotsmen, laboured with -vigour and energy not eclipsed by any in the field. The -dislodgment of the enemy was not effected, however, without -considerable loss, Lieutenant Eyre being killed, while -Wauchope received a second severe wound, this time on -the shoulder. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Kumasi captured -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The battle virtually decided the fate of Kumasi and -King Koffee. On the news of the defeat of his army the -king fled, no one knew whither, and the victorious General -Wolseley, with his troops, entered the blood-stained capital -in the evening. Attempts were made to negotiate with -the king. He preferred to keep in hiding, and after two -days' stay in his capital in order, if possible, to compel -him to come to terms, it was at length resolved to destroy -the place and at once retire to Cape Coast Castle. -Kumasi was burned to the ground on the 6th February, -and the British troops having accomplished their purpose -retraced their steps, and notwithstanding the swollen state -of the rivers—for the rainy season had just set in—their -destination was reached in twelve days. No time was -lost in getting the troops out of the influence of the deadly -climate, and accordingly by the 4th March the whole -expeditionary force was embarked for home. -</p> - -<p> -Wauchope's wounds, thanks to a good constitution, -readily healed, and by the time of his arrival at Portsmouth -he was fairly convalescent, though every effort made to -extract the slug had been unsuccessful. He left his -favourite Haussas—his 'black boys'—with every manifestation -of regret, at Cape Coast Castle. Nor was the regret -only on his side, for we learn from one of his brother -officers that 'they looked up to him as a father, and would -willingly have followed him through any danger, even to -death itself.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P46"></a>46}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Home again -</span> -</p> - -<p> -For his conspicuous bravery in the various engagements -in Ashanti, Sir Garnet Wolseley's despatches brought -Wauchope under the favourable notice of the Government, -and he was awarded the Ashanti medal and clasp. -On the return of the troops, they were received with the -utmost enthusiasm, commanders and men being fêted and -thanked, both at Cape Coast Castle and in England, for -their brilliant services. The expedition entered -Portsmouth in March 1874, with loud demonstrations of -welcome, the Black Watch especially coming in for a large -share of popular attention. -</p> - -<p> -Sir Garnet Wolseley had in London and elsewhere a -repetition of the extraordinary reception he and his -followers had experienced at Cape Coast Castle on their -triumphal return from Kumasi. -</p> - -<p> -A civic banquet was given in April by the Lord Mayor -of London in the Egyptian Hall, at which nearly three -hundred guests sat down, including nearly all the officers -of the expedition. Among those present were the Prince -of Wales, Prince Arthur, the Duke of Cambridge, and the -Duke of Teck, besides a number of members of the -Cabinet. But although the bulk of the honours naturally -fell to Sir Garnet Wolseley and the senior officers of the -expedition, and Wauchope's name scarcely appears in -these public demonstrations, his friends in Scotland had -their eye upon the young lieutenant who had in a few -short months carved out for himself a distinguished reputation, -and had added to the laurels of the house of Niddrie. -The people of Portobello specially determined to show -their appreciation of his gallant services by a public -banquet, and though at first the natural modesty of the -young soldier shrank from such a recognition of his -services, after some persuasion he consented. The -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P47"></a>47}</span> -banquet took place on the 12th June in the Town Hall. -There was a large gathering of the principal inhabitants. -Provost Wood presided, and was supported by, among -others, Sir James Gardiner Baird, Lord Ventry, and a -number of county gentry. -</p> - -<p> -In proposing the toast of the evening, Provost Wood -took occasion to say:—'We are met to do honour to a -soldier who volunteered to serve on the staff of General -Wolseley in the recent war. At that time it was thought -that British troops would not be required, but that the -friendly natives, commanded and disciplined by British -officers, would be able to cope with the savage Ashantis. -Lieutenant Wauchope, on his arrival at the Gold Coast, -was appointed one of the officers of the Haussas—a body -of natives who proved themselves superior in courage and -endurance to any of our African allies. Commanded and -led by British officers—the chief being the gallant Lord -Gifford—these troops did much valuable service. They -formed the van of our advancing army, and were frequently -engaged in the most severe and wild fighting. Our guest, -in his ardour to see active service, had voluntarily separated -himself from his own regiment. Yet he was destined to -share with them the dangers and glory of the war. The -War Office, finding that the Ashantis were more formidable -than was at first expected, and that our native allies -were less to be relied upon, resolved to send out British -troops. This meeting must feel proud, as an assemblage -of Scotsmen, that the 42nd Royal Highlanders was one of -the chosen regiments, and our guest must have felt gratified -when he found he had an opportunity of fighting beside -his own regiment at Amoaful; and at that place, while -leading on his Haussas, our gallant guest was wounded. -He did not, however, fall to the rear, but continued to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P48"></a>48}</span> -push forward, and, along with the glorious 42nd, he -entered the now famous city of Kumasi. I need -scarcely recall the events of the campaign—how a very -small British army, with little assistance from native allies, -in the course of a few weeks beat and shattered the -enormous Ashanti forces, and compelled the hitherto -unconquered Ashantis to sue for peace, and give freedom -and security to the country round. It has always been -the pride and the pleasure of the people of this country to -do honour to those who have fought and bled for their -country's cause, especially so when that cause is associated, -as it was in this instance, with the spread of civilisation -and the prevention and prohibition of slavery and cruelty. -The newspaper reports showed us that the Lothians had -gallant representatives at the Ashanti war, and the people -of Portobello felt proud to see the old and honoured -name of Wauchope prominently noticed. We also felt a -desire to give expression to the sympathy and respect we -entertain for the house of Niddrie by a public demonstration -in honour of a young scion of that house, who has -proved that he has within him a dauntless spirit worthy of -his ancient lineage. We desire this evening to congratulate -our guest, that a kind Providence has guarded his life, -and protected him through the imminent risks of a -pestilential climate and the dangers of a wild war; and -we hope yet to see Lieutenant Wauchope rise to that high -position in the service which his talents and abilities so -eminently qualify him to fill.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Banquet at Portobello -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Lieutenant Wauchope's reply was characteristic of the -man. He was not quite so much at his ease, or felt he was -in his proper place, as if he had been at the head of his -Haussas. 'He thanked the Provost for the too flattering -words in which he had referred to his services. He had -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P49"></a>49}</span> -not deserved such great honour at their hands. His -services as rendered to the State were poor and -insignificant—very much so indeed. But he felt himself standing -on firmer ground when he remembered that he was an -officer in the 42nd Royal Highlanders. He recognised -in the entertainment a desire to mark their appreciation -of the conduct of the regiment to which he had the -honour to belong. He had no hesitation in saying that -the 42nd deserved well of its country, and he thought that -it had added honour to its history. -</p> - -<p> -'They were all well aware that the Ashantis had -invaded our allies' country, and had perpetrated many -horrible cruelties. Our representative on the coast sent -remonstrances and threats, but these were all in vain -until backed by picked battalions. Two hundred marines -were first sent out. They landed at a most unhealthy -season, and most of them died. Sir Garnet Wolseley then -arrived on the scene, accompanied by British officers, and -the result was that the Ashantis were driven back beyond -the river Prah, and within fifteen miles of Kumasi. On -the 4th February, King Koffee gave instructions to his -bodyguard that any man who ran away would have his -head cut off. But even King Koffee himself had to run -before the British bullets. He did not think that the -lives that were lost, or the money that was spent, were -given in vain, because it would show those barbarous -nations that the glory of old England was not to be -trampled upon with impunity—that if people would -invade our territory and commit murders and crime, the -retribution would be terrible. The British lion took a long -time to rise. He was a grand old animal in his way; but -when he did rise, the vengeance would be speedy. He -believed that the King of Ashanti bitterly regretted the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P50"></a>50}</span> -day that he first invaded the British Protectorate.' He -thanked the company for the high honour they had done -him, and concluded with a few jocular remarks as to his -connection with the town and district. He could assure -them, he said, that if fortune should smile on him, and if -on a future occasion he should return from some campaign -as a successful soldier, he should be disappointed -if he was not entertained by them in a similar manner. -He was proud of the district—of the county which -gave him birth. He had often said to himself that -he would spend the latter days of his life in Portobello. -It might be that yet he would take the position of -a town councillor of the Burgh. He had no doubt he -would make a most excellent civil magistrate, and be a -terror to evil-doers! In afterwards replying to the toast -of the House of Niddrie, Lieutenant Wauchope referred -to the long connection it had with the district, and -'expressed the hope that as it had never brought dishonour -upon its name, it would never do so in the future. So -far as in him lay, he would always try to sustain its -honour.' -</p> - -<p> -It is perhaps not wise to attach too much importance -to after-dinner speeches, but there is a ring of sincerity -of purpose in these last words, which in the light of after -events gives them an importance they might not otherwise -have. Wauchope lived up to his ideal standard of a -chivalrous knight, and nobly upheld the honour of his -name. What Chaucer five hundred years ago wrote of -his imaginary knight, we to-day may say of our real -one: -</p> - -<p class="poem"> - 'He nevere yit no vileinye ne sayde<br /> - In al his lyf, unto no maner wight,<br /> - He was a verray perfight gentil knight.'<br /> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P51"></a>51}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Father and son -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Wauchope's father was unfortunately unable to be present -on so auspicious an occasion on account of the state of his -health, but he was much gratified by this public recognition -of his son's services. The latter, still in indifferent -health, with the slug-wounds in his chest giving him no -little trouble, had, however, a long period of rest, and was -much of the time at Niddrie. His attention to his father -was very marked while at home—father and son being -frequently seen arm in arm walking through the grounds. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap04"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P52"></a>52}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IV -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -DEATH OF WAUCHOPE'S FATHER—ORDERED TO -MALTA—REMINISCENCES—RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS—CYPRUS—APPOINTMENT -AS CIVIL COMMISSIONER OF PAPHO—REMINISCENCES—SIR -ROBERT BIDDULPH—THE -SULTAN'S CLAIMS. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -In November 1874 Wauchope had the misfortune to lose -his father, for whom, especially since the death of his -much-loved mother in the summer of 1858, he had the -closest affection, never permitting any opportunity to pass -without visiting the paternal roof. Though Mr. Andrew -Wauchope of Niddrie was only fifty-six when he died, he -had for some years been very much of an invalid, and was -latterly unable to take any active part in public business. -He spent much of his time in and about his house and -grounds, taking a considerable interest in their improvement; -but outside he was well known for his efforts to -improve the position of those dependent upon him, and -for his quiet but consistent Christian character. -</p> - -<p> -He attended for several years before his death the Free -Church at Portobello, then under the ministry of the -Rev. Robert Henderson Ireland. There was no more regular -attender of the church than Mr. Wauchope, who was -generally accompanied by one of his daughters, and by -his son Andrew when he happened to be at home, and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P53"></a>53}</span> -to the last the friendship between Mr. Wauchope and his -minister was of the most cordial and kindly nature. We -believe he often expressed his sense of the benefit he -derived from sitting under Mr. Ireland's ministry. -</p> - -<p> -On Mr. Wauchope's death Lieutenant Wauchope's -elder brother, William John Wauchope, then a Major in -the Enniskilling Dragoons, succeeded to the estates, and -in some measure this change altered his relationship to -the old home. It could not now be the same to him as -formerly, though he was on the most friendly terms with -his brother, and not unfrequently spent some of his time -at Niddrie and Yetholm. -</p> - -<p> -There is little doubt that his father's death, coupled with -his own precarious state of health, brought to his mind a -deeper conviction of the seriousness of life, and led to his -forming more pronounced views of religious truth. But -Lieutenant Wauchope, having creditably won his spurs -and fought and bled in his country's service, was not the -man to rest upon his laurels. He was ready, notwithstanding -former wounds, for further service when the occasion -might arise. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Ordered to Malta -</span> -</p> - -<p> -In November 1875 he again joined his regiment at -Malta, where it had been stationed for nearly a year. -His arrival among his old comrades was the occasion -of a cordial welcome at the Floriana barracks, and he -at once threw himself with spirit into the whole work -and drill of the regiment, taking a lively interest in the -welfare of the men and also of their wives and children. -A brother officer who was then also a subaltern, and had -joined the regiment at Malta a few months later, says: -'Wauchope was the "Father of the Subalterns" or senior -Lieutenant, and right well he "fathered" newly joined -youngsters, always ready to help them in any way—lending -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P54"></a>54}</span> -them ponies to ride and play polo on. I was always,' he -continues, 'associated with him on the mess committee, -and served under him, and what struck one most about -him was the thoroughness with which he tackled whatever -was on hand.' -</p> - -<p> -As regards the rank and file, he was a very brother to -many of them, as the following from one of the -colour-sergeants will show:—'Lieutenant Wauchope was always -a favourite with the men, and in Malta he took a deep -interest in them and did much for them, always manifesting -a kindly sympathy towards any who were married without -leave, or who happened to be involved in any trouble -which entailed a deduction from their pay. On pay-day, -while the sergeant was paying the men, Wauchope would -often sit at the table looking on, and note any who got -only a few coppers on account of stoppage for support of -wife and family, or for other reasons. He would quietly -tell them to wait a little till the company was all paid. -Then he would speak to each separately, giving them a -word of sympathy or admonition, along with a piece of -money, expressing the hope as he dismissed them that -they would try to do better in the future. This was so -unusual as between officers and men that it had a -wonderful effect upon them.' Even in their recreations and -amusements he showed an interest, and encouraged them -in every possible way. 'He kept a small yacht while at -Malta, and he was in the habit of inviting the sergeants to -an afternoon's enjoyment in cruising about the harbour for -an hour or two.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Life in Malta -</span> -</p> - -<p> -With him, care for his men was his first thought; and -in commanding the G company of the 42nd in Floriana -barracks, another of his sergeants observes 'that even in -the hot summer afternoons, when the men were lying -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P55"></a>55}</span> -down in their beds, he used regularly to sit on the barrack-room -table lecturing them on minor tactics, often, I fear, -more to his own satisfaction than to their edification!' -</p> - -<p> -Of this period of Wauchope's life we have a most -interesting sketch from one who had ample opportunities of -seeing his conduct, and forming a judgment upon the -motives and disposition of heart and mind which governed -his actions. Dr. Wisely, who has for many years been -army chaplain at Malta to the Presbyterian soldiers -stationed there, formed a close and intimate friendship -with the young lieutenant on his arrival in the island. He -saw much of him, and their acquaintance was renewed on -several occasions when Wauchope happened afterwards to -be there. His opinion is therefore of some value. 'It is,' -says he, 'almost a quarter of a century since I became -acquainted with the late General Wauchope. He was then -about thirty years of age; and although he had been in the -Black Watch for twelve years or more, and had also for a -considerable period been adjutant of the regiment, he was -still only a subaltern, and it seemed quite uncertain when -he would get his company. Promotion in the 42nd was -at that time very slow, and I asked him whether he had -ever thought of changing into some other regiment, where -he might have a better chance. His answer was a very -emphatic "No." He wished to remain in the old corps -and take what came. -</p> - -<p> -'Wauchope held some special appointment at home, and -his regiment had been in Malta for several months before -he joined them after the Ashanti war. He had been -severely wounded in that war. A leaden slug, fired by one -of the savages hidden among the branches of trees, entered -his breast, and it was a marvel he was not killed on the -spot. He told me he bled like an ox. His account of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P56"></a>56}</span> -how the blood at last stopped was somewhat curious. His -old colonel, Sir John M'Leod, came to see him after he -was wounded, and on leaving he presented him with a -copy of the Book of Psalms. Wauchope said that he -began wondering whether "old Jack," as he familiarly -called his commanding officer, whom he greatly venerated, -was in the habit of carrying about copies of the Psalms in -his pocket to give to officers when dangerously wounded, -and it struck him in such a ludicrous light that, after the -good colonel was out of sight, he burst into such a fit -of laughing that he could not stop—and that, he said -stopped the bleeding! Sir John and Wauchope had a -great respect for each other. Wauchope looked up to Sir -John with admiration bordering on awe. The colonel -regarded his lieutenant as a model officer. He told me -that Wauchope's character commanded universal respect, -and that his high moral tone and the thoroughness with -which he discharged all his duties gave him an influence -which was invaluable. -</p> - -<p> -'On his arrival in Malta he was appointed musketry -Instructor at Pembroke Camp. The men's shooting did -not come up to the standard which it was thought it ought -to reach; and one day Sir John said to me: "Wauchope -is making himself perfectly ill with his anxiety about it. -If he would only be anxious twenty-three hours out of the -twenty-four I would not mind so much, but he is anxious -all the twenty-four hours of the day!" -</p> - -<p> -'At that time, however, Wauchope was anxious not -only about his professional duties, but he was concerned -about himself, for he knew that his life was a most -precarious one, scarcely worth a day's purchase. The slug -which pierced his chest had not been extracted. It kept -moving about, and at any moment might cause death. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P57"></a>57}</span> -This he knew full well. He consulted the best surgeons -in the island, but they were unable to do anything. It -was not, I believe, till about a year afterwards that the -slug was at last extracted by an Edinburgh surgeon. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The drawn sword -</span> -</p> - -<p> -'During this period of Wauchope's stay in Malta, when -there was, as it were, this drawn sword hanging over his -head, although he maintained a quiet exterior, he felt that -there was but a step between him and death. I saw a -great deal of him then. He had brought a letter of -introduction to me from his law-agent in Edinburgh, my old -friend the late Mr. Colin Mackenzie, W.S., and from the -first he honoured me with his confidence. He spoke -freely of the possibility, not to say the probability, that -his time on earth might be short, but he showed no craven -fear. He said he wished to know as much as he could -about the world into which he might soon be going—that -"undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller -returns." I have seldom met a man further removed from -fanaticism, and at the same time so full of reverence. -From his earliest days he seems to have feared God. He -had not, however, escaped from the doubts and difficulties -raised by the sceptical spirit of the age. He shrank from -taking a leap in the dark. He wanted to be sure that -there was no mistake, and he took the best means of -becoming sure. "If any man will do His will," Christ -says, "he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of -God." This is what Wauchope did. He put the desire -to do God's will into every duty which fell to him. He -followed on to know the Lord, and he came to know the -truth of the Gospel, not only as a truth of faith, but a -truth of personal experience.' -</p> - -<p> -Lieutenant Wauchope was home on furlough more than -once during the period of the 42nd regiment's stay in -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P58"></a>58}</span> -Malta, extending to nearly four years, and it was on one of -these visits to Edinburgh he was operated upon -successfully, as mentioned by Dr. Wisely. -</p> - -<p> -Though still only a lieutenant, he was appointed to the -command of E company in July 1878, while in Malta. -With a wider range of duties and greater responsibilities, -this appointment gave him much satisfaction, and he set -himself to the task of making E company <i>the</i> company of -the regiment, sparing neither time nor money to advance -its efficiency, and at the same time to add to the comfort -and pleasure of his men. To be one of Wauchope's -company was considered a high privilege. Two months -afterwards—in September—he received his full commission as -captain. In addition to the yacht in which he would give -them occasional cruises, we are told by one of his men -that 'the company had a good boating-crew, and at a cost -of about £20 he had the best boat built for them that -Malta could produce. On one occasion, when they had -some races, Captain Wauchope steered them in a match -with the 101st regiment, but not to victory. Wauchope's -boat, named "The Black Watch," was beaten, but he was -the first to declare that the race was lost owing entirely to -his bad steering.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Occupation of Malta -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The occupation of the island of Cyprus by Great Britain -in 1878 gave Wauchope a splendid opportunity for the -exercise of his talents, not only as a military man, but in -the capacity of a civil administrator and judge. The -island was taken over from the Turks in July of that year. -Their government of it for centuries had been a curse to -the people and a curse on the land, and it had lapsed into -one of the forgotten spots of God's earth. The advent of -British rule proved the beginning of a new era for both its -Greek and Turkish population. Endowed with a healthy -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P59"></a>59}</span> -climate and a fertile soil, Cyprus—once so fruitful and -prosperous—may yet rank as one of the most flourishing -dependencies of the Crown. It is full of romance, for its -lovely scenery and relics of the past well entitle it to be -called 'an Enchanted Island.' With mediæval traditions -of its occupation by the Crusaders, and with its still older -classical reminiscences of the heathen worship of Aphrodite, -supplanted by the early conversion of its people to -Christianity through the visit of St. Paul, St. Mark, and -Barnabas, not to speak of its repeated conquest by -Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Venetians, and Turks, -there is no more interesting island to be found in the -Mediterranean. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-058"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-058.jpg" alt="Captain WAUCHOPE at the Age of 30." /> -<br /> -Captain WAUCHOPE at the Age of 30. -</p> - -<p> -In July 1878 a regiment of Scottish Highlanders was -sent to occupy this fair island of the Orient in name of the -Queen. The Black Watch from Malta, in the transport -<i>Himalaya</i>, landed at Larnaka, and were distributed at various -points for garrison duty, under the direction of General -Sir Garnet Wolseley, as High Commissioner. Wolseley, -having divided the island into districts, deputed the civil -administration of these to a number of the most skilled -of the military officers of the regiment. To Lieutenant -Wauchope, then thirty-two years of age, was given, with -the title of captain, the charge of the town and district of -Papho—the ancient Paphos, where the Apostles' journey -through the island closed, and where Elymas the sorcerer -was struck blind for a time. As assistant-commissioner -Wauchope was well supported by Lieutenant A. G. Duff, -a young officer of his company, who furnishes us with some -particulars of their duties and difficulties there. The post -was anything but a sinecure. He had the superintendence -of the revenue under Sir Robert Biddulph, then Financial -Commissioner of the island. In this important office he set -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P60"></a>60}</span> -himself with all the earnestness of his nature to the -correction of abuses, the suppression of crime, and the -establishment of law and order, out of which only can freedom -and security be attained. We have it on the authority of -Mr. F. H. Parker, the District Judge of Limasol, that 'not -only was he a most efficient governor, but in those days, -when Ottoman judges sat in the Daavi (District) Court, -he presided as a just and capable judge. Though more -than twenty years have elapsed since then, the inhabitants,' -he says, 'irrespective of creed or nationality, still look -back on his civil administration with admiration and deep -respect. Even to this day his decisions in disputed land -or water rights are relied on as <i>res judicata</i>, and he -invariably decided these after minute and personal local -inquiries.' During his two years' service on the -island—from 17th June 1878 till July 1880—Wauchope acquitted -himself with much judgment and discretion, and the -honours thrust upon him were worthily achieved as they -were gratefully given. But while Captain Wauchope's -administration in Cyprus was marked with justice, it was -sometimes of a kind that did not always give satisfaction. -His punishment, for instance, of heinous crimes was -considered by the natives to be of such severity that a -complaint was lodged with the Colonial Office against -some sentences where he had ordered the delinquents to -be flogged. On inquiry being made of him by the -Colonial Office as to what he had to say in the matter, his -reply was that 'flogging was the only thing for them, as -they richly deserved more than the punishment they had -got, and he thought it was better for them than hanging'! -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Sergeant M'Gaw's funeral -</span> -</p> - -<p> -His duties did not end in military, or administrative, or -judicial service, for sometimes he had even to act as -chaplain in cases of emergency, as the following instance -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P61"></a>61}</span> -will show. A day or two after they landed, Sergeant M'Gaw -of the 42nd—who had gallantly won the Victoria Cross at -Amoaful—took ill under the excessive heat and died. The -regimental chaplain was not present, but Wauchope -followed the funeral with his company, and at the grave, -stepping forward as the body was about to be committed -to the dust, feelingly addressed his men in a few -appropriate words of exhortation, and concluded, to the -surprise and gratification of all, with an earnest extempore -prayer. Tears, we are told by one who witnessed the -occurrence, were in the eyes of many a stalwart soldier -that day, and the incident made a deep impression at the -time and was never forgotten by them. A sequel to -Sergeant M'Gaw's funeral may here be mentioned as -another instance of Wauchope's thoughtful care. Some -time afterwards it was discovered that the Cypriote -farmer on whose land the sergeant was buried, had removed -the little wooden head-mark, and not unnaturally ploughed -up the land and destroyed all trace of the grave. The -Government was asked to take action, but declined to -interfere. So Wauchope and some others went on a -moonlight night, and after taking measurements from a -certain tree, discovered the grave, dug up the remains, -removed them to Kyrenia, and placed them in what is -now known as the Black Watch cemetery. A pure white -marble sarcophagus now covers Sergeant M'Gaw's grave. -</p> - -<p> -After the long reign of Turkish misrule it will be easily -understood that Commissioner Wauchope and his colleague -Lieutenant Duff did not all at once find things easy. -On the contrary, they found it very hard work. The -rascality of the natives was as idyllic as innocence. -Murder and theft were so common that they were scarcely -considered culpable, and this in what has been called an -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P62"></a>62}</span> -'enchanted island,' full of every beauty to satisfy the eye, -and every fruit to satisfy the taste. Even ten years after -the occupation by the British, and notwithstanding all our -efforts to restore order and justice, W. H. Mallock, -describing his visit to Cyprus in 1888, says that 'he found -there more crime in proportion to the population than in -any other known country in the world.' In Nicosia the -prisons were full of persons, male and female, confined -for murder, theft, etc. 'In the country districts,' he says, -'the cause of murders has generally some connection with -sheep-stealing or disputes about boundaries and water -rights, or matters equally simple. In the towns the -Turkish murders nearly always originate in some ordinary -fit of sombre but sudden passion, and the Greek murders -in some half-drunken brawl. Curiously enough, a number -of these last take place at weddings. Wine has flowed; -quarrelling has arisen out of laughter; knives have flashed, -and in a second or two one knife has been red with blood. -Yet amid so much crime there exists among this degraded -people a whimsical simplicity almost justifying a smile.' One -instance, as given by Mr. Mallock, will suffice to -illustrate this. One of three men implicated in a murder -fled to the hut of a shepherd, and begged to be kept there -in hiding. The shepherd, who had only a slight acquaintance -with the man, asked why he wished to be hidden. -On this the murderer, more like a child than a man, -explained everything in the most naïve manner possible. -The shepherd looked grave. He said that this was a -serious matter, and that under the circumstances his -protection would have to be paid for. The murderer -replied that the booty had not yet been divided; 'I have -no money,' he said, 'but save me and I will steal a sheep -for you!' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P63"></a>63}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -A Cyprian judge -</span> -</p> - -<p> -It was among criminals such as these, and a population -with the vaguest possible notions of morality, that Wauchope -had to deal out justice. How did he accomplish his task? -His friend and colleague, now Major Duff, tells us: 'His -administration of justice was a marvel, and astonished -both Turks and Greeks. He would frequently sit a whole -day in the Konak or court-house, dispensing even-handed -justice. All the evidence had to be taken through an -interpreter, involving much delay, and frequently he sat -in this way under high fever. I have sometimes taken -his temperature to find it at 105°, but he bore all physical -pain without a murmur, and no complaint ever passed his -lips.' Papho was considered the most lawless district in -the island; and the administration of justice, in both civil -and criminal cases, in the hands of Captain Wauchope -and Lieutenant Duff, with the aid of an interpreter, -involved painstaking discretion of no ordinary kind. 'The -Cadi—a Turkish judge—had a seat on the bench along -with them, and his opinion was always taken, though not -always followed. One incident comes to my memory -relating to an execution. We had passed sentence upon -a murderer, but were in a difficulty about the gallows, and -did not know what to do for want of a suitable rope, -but fortunately H.M.S. <i>Raleigh</i> unexpectedly put in an -appearance in the bay, and the bluejackets readily came -to our aid in rigging up a makeshift gallows. The -ceremony, however, was not marked with complete success, -as, at the first effort, the rope broke; but death had -supervened, so that it was of no consequence, as the -operation did not require to be repeated. There must -have been some flaw in the rope, as it had been previously -tried with a very heavy man's weight. We never had any -difficulty in the administration of justice. Wauchope's -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P64"></a>64}</span> -impartial and thoroughly sound sense of judgment as -between man and man, always stood him well with clients -and malefactors.' -</p> - -<p> -One case came before him which in this connection is -worthy of being recorded. A Turk of infamous character, -who had been guilty of horrible crimes, but had escaped -punishment under the Turkish rule, was brought before -Commissioner Wauchope on a charge of murder. The -murder was clearly proved, but doubts were entertained -whether the Commissioner would sentence a Mohammedan -to be hanged. No such instance had ever been known in -the island before. Wauchope did not flinch. He -pronounced the sentence, and the murderer was publicly -executed. The Commissioner took the precaution, -however, of having a company of his Royal Highlanders on -the ground to see that there should be no disturbance or -any attempt at rescue, and all passed off peacefully. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Commissioner at Papho -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Besides the judicial functions of the Commissioner of -Papho, there were the fiscal duties of Government. Taxes -had to be collected, and these, with the relative duties of -finance and the management of the post office, were -entirely under the personal control of Wauchope and his -colleague. The latter service alone must have involved -considerable labour. Besides this, they had at Papho one -company of the 42nd, camped some little distance out of -the town, but near enough to be readily available when -required. So busy were they kept with these varied -onerous duties, that Wauchope and his friend, frequently -working at high pressure, had few opportunities for -recreation. But notwithstanding the pressing requirements -of the moment, and the somewhat circumscribed social -aspect of the place, they were on the best of terms -with some of the leading native gentry: the Greek bishop -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P65"></a>65}</span> -was particularly friendly, and they often dined with him -at his palace. A worthy old fellow he appears to have -been, who could enjoy a good dinner with a prime bottle -of Cyprus wine. In recognition of his great kindness -to them Major Duff mentions that they 'gave him in -return such a banquet on St. Andrew's night as seemed to -gladden his soul.' -</p> - -<p> -Of amusements, or anything in the way of English -sports, there were few or none, even had time permitted. -Still, they would not have been British if they had not -introduced among the natives some sports from the old -country. They accordingly started pony races for the -zaptiehs or police of the district. 'Our chief difficulty,' -says Major Duff, 'was to get the Turks and Greeks to run -together in the same coach, and for this difficult task -Wauchope was eminently qualified, as, in addition to all -his many sterling attributes, must be added that of being a -student of human nature, without which he never would -have been the leader of men he unquestionably was.' -</p> - -<p> -So much did Captain Wauchope accomplish during his -term of office at Papho, that Dr. Wisely informs us 'the -inhabitants looked on him as an angel from heaven—and -well they might, when they contrasted his righteous rule -with the wretched rule of the Turkish officials who had -tyrannised over them. Yet Wauchope was by no means -an easy-going ruler. He investigated with the greatest -patience every case that was brought before him, and -spared himself no pains to get at the truth. This made -such an impression upon the Turks, as well as upon the -Greek-speaking community, that all classes alike respected -him, and when the time came for the Commissioner to -retire from office, there was a universal desire expressed -that he might be retained.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P66"></a>66}</span> -</p> - -<p> -We have been favoured with similar testimony from Sir -Robert Biddulph, sometime High Commissioner of Cyprus, -lately Governor of Gibraltar, who informs us that 'in -carrying out his duties Captain Wauchope showed much -administrative ability, as well as great tact and judgment -in dealing with the inhabitants. This enabled him to steer -a clear course through the political agitation which broke -out in Cyprus early in 1879, and which had many -adherents in Papho. When Sir Garnet Wolseley left the -island at short notice in May 1879 in order to command -the troops in Natal and Zululand, his departure, coinciding -with the attacks made in Parliament on the Cyprus -administration, caused several of the civil commissioners -to send in their resignations.' Colonel Biddulph, who -had been sent from Cyprus to Constantinople in March -1879 to negotiate with the Porte concerning the 'tribute,' -was in June following instructed by the Home Government -to return and assume the government of the island -as High Commissioner. On his arrival he was met by -Captain Wauchope, who had come with several of the -other commissioners to wish him good-bye before leaving -the island. Sir Robert at once realised the gravity of -the situation. 'I told them,' says he, 'that I could -not consent to their leaving all together at this crisis, -and Wauchope willingly consented to remain for, at all -events, some months longer. In September I went home -for two months on private affairs, and Wauchope then -went home with me, having resigned his appointment with -my consent.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The Sultan's claims -</span> -</p> - -<p> -In the interval, certain questions as to personal claims -by the Sultan to property in Cyprus were presented to the -British Government, and it was decided to appoint a -qualified British delegate to investigate these claims on -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P67"></a>67}</span> -the spot. On the recommendation of Sir Robert Biddulph, -Lord Salisbury appointed Captain Wauchope for this -somewhat difficult duty, and he and Sir Robert returned -to Cyprus together in November of the same year. In his -official capacity Wauchope explored the whole of Cyprus, -making full inquiries wherever he went as to the properties -alleged to belong to the Sultan, and gathering much -information as to the condition of the people in the rural -districts, and the state of agriculture generally. -</p> - -<p> -'The investigation of the Sultan's claims,' says Sir -Robert Biddulph, 'occupied several months, during which -time Captain Wauchope again displayed great tact and -judgment in this very delicate matter, and maintained at -the same time very friendly relations with the Turkish -officer who was sent by the Sultan to support his claims. -This was the more remarkable, because every one of the -Sultan's claims was rejected.' -</p> - -<p> -The Government recognised the thoroughness with -which Captain Wauchope had accomplished his task, by -conferring upon him, immediately on his return home in -August 1880, the Order of St. Michael and St. George. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap05"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P68"></a>68}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER V -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA—ARABI PASHA'S REBELLION IN -EGYPT—TEL-EL-KEBIR—MARRIAGE—LIFE IN CAIRO. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Shortly after Captain Wauchope's return home from -Cyprus another opportunity for foreign service presented -itself in South Africa, and he lost no time in offering -himself to the War Office. He was accepted for staff duty, -and received a commission to go out at once. So limited -was the time given him for preparation that he had not -even an opportunity to go to Aldershot, where his baggage -was lying, to make up his kit, but he telegraphed from -London to the quartermaster of the regiment—Captain -Forbes—to throw him in a small kit into a bullock-trunk -and forward it to Southampton at once, as he was off to -South Africa next day. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The Transvaal -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The country had drifted almost unconsciously into a -trouble which has since cost so much in loss of life and -treasure. The South African Republic, or the Transvaal, was -founded some sixty or seventy years ago by Boer farmers -from Cape Colony, who, being dissatisfied with British rule -and its interference with them and their peculiar notions -as to slavery, sought to establish an independent state for -themselves where they might without hindrance carry out -their ideas as they pleased. They, in fact, sought liberty -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P69"></a>69}</span> -to make the natives their slaves. Conflicts were, of course, -the natural outcome of their attempts to acquire the land -beyond the Vaal; but notwithstanding this, the new settlers -in 1840 were so far established in possession, and their -numbers had so much increased, that they formed themselves -into a Republic for mutual protection. At that time -the possibilities of the future importance of this part of -South Africa, or indeed of our colonies there, were not -sufficiently realised by either our Government or our people -at home. Neither the Transvaal Republic nor the Boers -seemed to be any concern of ours. It was left to a few -Scotch missionaries such as Moffat, Livingstone, Stewart, -and Mackenzie to make these known, and to endeavour -to educate and civilise the degraded natives in the science -of social life and in the truths of Christianity. In this -effort they met from the first the virulent opposition of -the Boer settlers, who neither wanted the natives to be -educated nor to be Christianised. -</p> - -<p> -Acts of oppression naturally brought their own retribution. -The natives rose against their oppressors; feuds, -murders, and thefts were acts of daily occurrence, until at -last the infant Republic became so involved in native wars -and internal troubles, that with a view to restore peace and -order and to prevent anarchy and bankruptcy from spreading -into Cape Colony, the British Government was constrained -to interfere. In this intervention many of the -Boers cordially acquiesced, and welcomed the protection -of our troops, the more so that the financial difficulties of -their independent action were in a measure cleared away. -On the other hand there was a strong party among them -who, in spite of mismanagement and debt, thought they -could carry on a free Republican Government. The -security of the British colonies was, however, of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P70"></a>70}</span> -paramount importance, and it was deemed advisable in their -interest as well as in the interest of the Transvaal Boers -themselves that the Transvaal should have the benefit of -British protection. Accordingly its annexation to the -British Crown was in 1877 proclaimed by Sir Theophilus -Shepstone, followed by the appointment of Sir W. Owen -Lanyon as British Administrator. This necessary step -by no means pleased the Boer faction who had attempted -to rule, and they did not cease to agitate for the -restoration of the old order of things, bad as these were. For -a time English money and English enterprise worked -wonders: markets were created for produce, and land rose -in value. -</p> - -<p> -In December 1880, however, a majority of the Boers -took up arms against the British authority. They -invested towns held by Imperial troops, and surprised a -detachment on the march. The situation was becoming -critical. The Government, which at the time was deeply -engrossed in other matters, did not sufficiently realise the -gravity of the situation, for although troops were at once -despatched to the assistance of those at the Cape, these -were insufficient, and arrived too late to be of service. -The Boers, ever on the alert, had seized the passes of the -Drakensberg Mountains, and had strongly fortified -themselves at Laing's Nek. Here they were attacked by Sir -G. P. Colley, but without success. He was defeated with -considerable loss, and shortly afterwards, attempting to -check the enemy at Majuba Hill with a small force of -six hundred men, he was again defeated with loss and -was himself killed in the action. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The Boer Treaty of 1881 -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Immediately on receipt of this news Mr. Gladstone's -Government gave instructions for an armistice in order to -see if satisfactory terms could not be arranged for the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P71"></a>71}</span> -restoration of peace. After a month's negotiation a treaty -was made giving the Transvaal self-government in internal -matters, but reserving all rights connected with foreign -affairs, Great Britain to be recognised as the Suzerain, -including the right to move Imperial troops through the -country in time of war. -</p> - -<p> -This restoration of independence to the Boers was viewed -both at home and in Cape Colony not only with grave -suspicion and distrust, but with high indignation; and so -strong was this feeling against the home Government that -in a great popular demonstration at Cape Town the effigy -of Mr. Gladstone, the Prime Minister, was publicly burned, -and the British lion was caricatured, while many English -residents in Pretoria and other towns left the country rather -than remain under the oligarchical government of the -Boers. So ended this part of the Transvaal drama. -</p> - -<p> -The action of the British Government was at the time -attributed to various motives. By some it was considered -the magnanimous action of a strong power, willing to help -a weak but struggling state in its efforts at self-government; -by others it has been described as a pusillanimous -shrinking from a stern duty which it owed to its colonies -around the Transvaal. President Brand declared the -treaty to be 'in his opinion the noblest act England has -ever done'; but the Boers themselves considered the -peace as the result of their own efforts and of Britain's fear -to prosecute the war. The after results have been most -calamitous, and go to show the folly of not facing and -overcoming the beginnings of a corrupt system. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Wauchope returned on the conclusion of peace -in the summer of 1881, having been only a few months -abroad, and without engaging in active service. He was -chiefly employed on the line of communication as one of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P72"></a>72}</span> -the staff. His return home was accompanied with anything -but feelings of respect for the Government which had -so ingloriously stopped short in their work—a feeling very -generally shared by the officers and men. Some years -afterwards, when alluding to this episode in his life at a -meeting in Edinburgh, he said of it:—'I was in the -Transvaal during those terrible times in 1881 when we suffered -the terrible disgrace from which all our after-troubles there -arose. It was the vacillation and weakness and change of -policy that caused all the trouble then.' -</p> - -<p> -But while in one part of Africa a temporary peace had -been patched up, in another part of that great continent, -and that the most ancient, events were in the beginning of -1882 hastening to a rupture which was destined to open -up a fresh field for the active military genius of young -Wauchope. Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs, and in some -respects the cradle of European culture, which had long -been oppressed by Turkish tyranny, was showing signs of -vitality, and was recognised as still a country capable of -great resources, and having considerable commercial -importance. The opening of the Suez Canal had much to -do with this; and Britain having a large stake in the Canal -as a means of communication with her Eastern possessions, -was naturally interested in the well-being of the country -through which it passed. Nominally a viceroy of the -Sultan of Turkey, the Khedive of Egypt ruled despotically, -and did little for the people he ruled. Discontent was -general; and to screen themselves, those in authority -endeavoured to create a feeling of antipathy against the -Europeans residing and trading in Egypt. A party of -military adventurers, headed by Arabi Pasha, and secretly -abetted by the Sultan of Turkey, had seized the reins of -government, and endeavoured, with the aid of the army, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P73"></a>73}</span> -to drive all Europeans out of Egypt, and secure the control -of foreign traffic through the Suez Canal to their own -advantage. Arabi commenced the erection of forts at -Alexandria, to command the harbour. This and other war-like -preparations were made in defiance, it was said, of the -authority of the Khedive, who was merely a puppet in -Arabi's hands. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Bombardment of Alexandria -</span> -</p> - -<p> -On the 11th June 1882 a large body of Arabs made a -murderous attack on the European residents in Alexandria, -and so serious was the matter considered that a -week or two after, the Ambassadors of the Great Powers -met in conference at Constantinople to take the crisis -under review. As no redress was forthcoming, Admiral -Sir Beauchamp Seymour, commander of the British fleet -in Egyptian waters, having ascertained that work on the -new fortifications at Alexandria was being continued, -notwithstanding promises made that all such operations would -be suspended, sent to Arabi Pasha, who was nominally -the Egyptian minister of war, an ultimatum that unless the -work ceased immediately the fleet would open fire upon -the forts. The reply was a denial that any such work was -being carried on. Three days afterwards the Admiral -discovered that his ultimatum was treated with contempt, -and that guns bearing upon the harbour had been mounted -since the date of his message. He at once prepared a -proclamation calling upon the Egyptian authorities to -surrender the fortifications within twelve hours, otherwise -they would be demolished by the fleet. On the 11th July -the bombardment commenced, and nearly the whole of -the fortifications were soon laid in ruins. Next day -hostilities were resumed, but, on a flag of truce being hoisted, -the Admiral ordered firing to cease. On the morning of -the 13th it was found that, under cover of the flag of truce, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P74"></a>74}</span> -the Egyptian troops, headed by Arabi Pasha, had evacuated -Alexandria, leaving it to be pillaged and fired by a riotous -mob of Arabs, who massacred a large number of Europeans. -To protect life, and save the place from total destruction, -Admiral Seymour landed a force of seamen and marines, -who kept the city in order until the arrival of British troops -a few days afterwards. -</p> - -<p> -In the course of the following fortnight a force of about -16,000 occupied Alexandria, Ramleh, and the delta of the -Nile, under the command of Sir Garnet Wolseley. Meantime -Arabi Pasha had occupied Cairo, which was strongly -fortified, while he had formidable entrenched camps some -miles south of Ramleh, and also at Port Said and Ismailia -on the Suez Canal, and at Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir, on -the sweet-water canal route between Ismailia and Cairo. -</p> - -<p> -Throughout the whole business the authority of the -Khedive was not only ignored, but remonstrances from -foreign powers were of no effect. Arabi was determined -to make himself ruler of Egypt, and to assert his position -by force of arms. His formal dismissal as Minister of War, -on 22nd July, was the last weak attempt by the Khedive -to maintain his sovereign authority. But Arabi paid no -attention to it, and continued his warlike preparations. -His position at Kafr-dawar was strategically a strong one, -for he was entrenched there at a point where the isthmus, -running inland between Lake Medieh and Lake Mareotis, -is only about four miles broad. He thus commanded -both the Mahmoudieh Canal and the railway to Cairo, -which ran past his camp. Arabi's intention was to hold -his own at this position till the annual rise of the Nile was -at its fullest in August, when he counted upon being able -to flood the country, and seriously impede hostile -operations against him. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P75"></a>75}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The rising had now assumed all the character of an -organised rebellion, and was a standing menace to British -commerce passing through the Suez Canal; and as the -crisis came to be more clearly realised in this country, -further relays of troops were despatched. In the -subsequent operations against Arabi the Black Watch took a -prominent part. After its return from Cyprus and -Gibraltar in 1879, the regiment was brigaded for a time at -Aldershot. It was then located partly at Maryhill barracks, -near Glasgow, and at Edinburgh Castle, under the -command of Colonel R. K. Bayly. Captain Wauchope served -at Maryhill from May 1881 till August 1882. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The 42nd leaving Edinburgh -</span> -</p> - -<p> -On the outbreak of hostilities in Egypt the regiment, -which was then about 800 strong, received orders to -embark for the East. The Maryhill contingent, in which -he commanded the E Company, left by train for Edinburgh -on the 4th August 1882, and arrived in the capital -amidst much enthusiasm. After two days in Edinburgh -Castle, the whole regiment was entrained for London on -the 6th August, their send-off from the city being one of -the most extraordinary ever witnessed. Wauchope himself, -ten years afterwards, at a meeting of the old members -of the Black Watch in Glasgow, when he had become -Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment, said 'he would -never forget the scene.' 'He had of late,' he said, 'seen -great excitement in the political world, he had seen political -leaders received in Edinburgh (referring to Mr. Gladstone -and the Midlothian election of 1892), and no doubt at -times there had been a pretty brave show, but the people's -heart never went out to these leaders as it went out to -the 42nd when they were leaving Edinburgh Castle -for active service in Egypt in 1882. It seemed to him as -if every man and woman in Edinburgh was out to see -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P76"></a>76}</span> -them off. He would never forget that scene of enthusiasm -and farewell, and he felt convinced that it affected the -whole regiment, more than the eye could see or words -could express. On the lips of many a brave man before -that campaign was over, the last words had been "Scotland -for ever," and he had no doubt their last thoughts were of -their homes and native country.' -</p> - -<p> -Having embarked at Gravesend in the transport <i>Nepaul</i>, -Wauchope, with his regiment, landed at Alexandria on the -20th August, and proceeded to Ramleh, where they formed -a part of the Highland Brigade under General Sir Archibald -Alison. Here Wauchope very soon found his field of -action in more than one engagement, and had one or two -hairbreadth escapes. On one occasion a body of the rebels -held a portion of the city, from which they were to be -dislodged. Wauchope got the order to clear the streets. -Coming to a house, from every window of which rifles were -pointed, he halted his men, but only for a moment. Sword -in hand, the captain rushed in, followed by his men. A -rifle was pointed full at him, and but for the presence of -mind of one of his followers, it would have ended his -career. Dashing in front of his officer, the soldier threw -up the rebel's rifle just as he fired, the bullet passing -through Wauchope's helmet. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Tel-el-Kebir -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The occupation of the Canal and the various ports upon -its banks were important steps in Sir Garnet Wolseley's -endeavour to secure Zagazig, some forty-five miles from -Ismailia, the key to the railway system of Egypt. Arabi had -also realised its importance, and in order to retain it at all -hazards and to prevent the British advance in that direction, -had strongly fortified himself at Tel-el-Kebir, about -fifteen miles eastward. -</p> - -<p> -On the 20th August, Port Said, Kantara, Ismailia, and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P77"></a>77}</span> -the Suez Canal were taken possession of by the British. -A few days after, a determined stand was made by the -Egyptian army, about 10,000 strong, a few miles from -Ismailia, but they were utterly defeated by Sir Garnet -Wolseley, who was now reinforced by the Highland -Brigade. -</p> - -<p> -This was followed up by a renewed attack on the British -position at Kassassin Lock on the Ismailia Canal three -days later, when the Egyptians were again repulsed with -great loss. -</p> - -<p> -On the evening of the 12th September, the British army at -Kassassin Lock struck camp. It had been well reinforced, -and counted 15,000 men in cavalry, infantry, and artillery, -and was now in a position to attack Arabi in his stronghold -at Tel-el-Kebir. On the verge of a broad, dreary desert, -with lines of entrenchments and redoubts well mounted -with guns, and held by a large force, no better position, it -is said, could have been chosen for offering resistance to -any army approaching the Delta, or the capital of Egypt, -from the Suez Canal. -</p> - -<p> -After an all-night march, Sir Garnet Wolseley found -himself within striking distance of the enemy's trenches -before the first streaks of dawn appeared on the eastern sky. -The Egyptians were taken by surprise, but the alarm once -given, they sprang to their feet to face the attack; and -immediately, along the whole front of their line of defence, -was poured upon our troops a fierce artillery and rifle fire, -which, however, was so ill directed that it did no great -harm. With the utmost coolness, the British were formed -for the assault. The Highland Brigade in the centre, with -bayonets fixed, was supported by cavalry on both flanks -With a loud cheer the Highlanders stormed the entrenchments, -driving everything before them. The struggle was -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P78"></a>78}</span> -short but decisive, not more than twenty minutes elapsing -between the first onset on the trenches and the capture of -the main or inner fortress. The odds were as two to -one—26,000 Egyptians to 13,000 British—but the zeal and -soldierly qualities of our men, with the confidence they had -in their leaders, proved the mettle of which our military are -made. Where all did well, it seems invidious to distinguish. -But of this fine force—perhaps the finest ever seen -in Egypt—it was generally admitted that to the Highland -Brigade and the Royal Irish Rifles special honour was -due. This important engagement, in which forty guns -were captured, 2000 Egyptians fell, and 3000 were taken -prisoners, opened the way to Cairo. -</p> - -<p> -Through all the campaign, Captain Wauchope, with the -E Company of the 42nd, had bravely borne his share -of the toil and dangers of the situation. At Tel-el-Kebir, -he was among the first to enter the enemy's trenches sword -in hand. The encounter was a fierce one while it lasted, -and it was a marvel how he escaped injury in such a -mêlée. But though the impetuosity of the charge bore -down all before it, when the fight was over, it was found -that no less than 200 of his men had fallen. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -After Tel-el-Kebir -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Wauchope's first care was to see that the wounded were -attended to, for his interest in his men was ever uppermost -in his mind. He liked to treat them as brothers as well as -subordinates, sharing with them the roughest work and the -greatest dangers; and now particularly, when many of them -were bruised and bleeding, he had all a woman's sympathy, -and did his best to alleviate their sufferings. He went -carefully over the ground after the battle, searching out -from among the dead such of his men who might be alive, -relieving some with a draught of water from his bottle, and -seeing that they were removed to shelter, where they could -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P79"></a>79}</span> -be surgically attended to; in some cases, tenderly helping to -carry them himself off the field. Such scenes always filled -him with sadness, as they did the heart of Wellington, who -was wont to say: 'Take my word for it, if you had seen -but one day of war, you would pray to Almighty God that -you might never see such a thing again.' The horrors of -war make most brave natures shudder. -</p> - -<p> -Immediately after the capture of Arabi's camp at Tel-el-Kebir, -at the next halting-stage in the army's progress to -Cairo, the 42nd was marched into the square of a cavalry -barracks to wait for a train being made to enable them to -follow the retreating enemy to Zagazig—an important -railway junction on the way. They were in very rough -quarters, but were glad to get any sort of shelter from -the scorching sun. One of the staff-sergeants, wearied out -and oppressed with heat, stumbled into a room which, -unknown to him, happened to be occupied by Captain -Wauchope and his subordinate officer, Lieutenant Duff. -'As I attempted to withdraw—for I had entered not -knowing they were there'—said the sergeant, describing the -occurrence, 'Captain Wauchope at once called out in a -kindly voice, "Come in, Pinkney, come in and sit down, -you have as much right to be here as we have."' -</p> - -<p> -But though this was so, Pinkney, who was not one of his -men, did not fare so well on another occasion when his -presence stood in the way of the convenience of the men of -his company, Captain Wauchope having then no hesitation -in leaving him to shift for himself. We give the story in the -sergeant's own words:—'Shortly after this, we were marched -down to the railway and literally packed into trucks. I -being a staff-sergeant, and in a sense "nobody's child," -crawled into one marked E. It was Wauchope's, and as -all his men could not find room, I was ignominiously -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P80"></a>80}</span> -ordered out by the same gallant gentleman! We were -very good friends, but as I did not belong to his company, -he could not allow me to interfere with their comfort!' -</p> - -<p> -Sergeant Pinkney also relates an incident of the same -day illustrating Wauchope's thoughts on the inhumanity of -war. 'We were all sitting together on the mud floor of the -room where we were sheltering, discussing the events of -the morning. "Andy," as we all loved to call our captain, -had not, for a wonder, been wounded, but a Remington -bullet through the scabbard of his sword had bent it nearly -double, so that he could not return the weapon. Another -bullet through his helmet had disarranged the pugaree -and heckle, of which he was so proud. He drew my -attention as armourer to the condition of his scabbard, -and I took it into my hand and broke it across my -knee, so that he could sheath his sword, though some -eight inches of the blood-stained blade were exposed. -While I was next adjusting his pugaree, he suddenly -exclaimed, "I say, Duff, what brutes we men are." We were -silent for a minute, and then seeing our surprised look, as -we stopped our work, he continued, "Do you know, I felt -this morning just as if I was on the moors, and for a while -I was quite as anxious to make a good bag; man, Duff, we -are terrible brutes, after all!"' -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-080"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-080.jpg" alt="Niddrie Marischal, Back View" /> -<br /> -Niddrie Marischal, Back View -</p> - -<p> -The same day Wauchope's regiment proceeded to within -a few miles of Zagazig, reaching that place in the morning -of the 14th September. Here they seized the railway stock, -and went on to Belbeis, an important junction on the edge -of the desert. There they remained under the utmost -discomfort, without tents and without equipage, until the 23rd -September, when they moved forward to Ghezireh, near to -Cairo, and were again quartered with the Highland Brigade, -under Lieut.-General Sir E. Hamley. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P81"></a>81}</span> -</p> - -<p> -The subsequent occupation of Cairo, the arrest and -banishment of Arabi Pasha, and the restoration of the -Khedive under British protection, are matters of history. -The war was closed, but still much required to be done to -restore order and peace, and so the expeditionary force -became an army of occupation. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Wauchope, after a few weeks' encampment at -Ghezireh, on the west bank of the Nile, was moved with -his regiment into Kass-el-Nil barracks, where they were to -be quartered for the winter. A time of peace succeeded a -time of sharp fighting. But whether fighting or at peace, -Wauchope gave himself no rest. His military duties -might be heavy enough, but his self-imposed exertions -in looking after the wounded and the sick were varied -by efforts to find amusement and recreation for those -who were well. -</p> - -<p> -For his services in this campaign, Captain Wauchope -received the medal with clasp, and the Khedive's Star, as -the public recognition of the British and Egyptian Governments. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Return to Scotland -</span> -</p> - -<p> -His stay in Egypt was unexpectedly interrupted by the -serious illness of his elder brother, Major William Wauchope, -which eventually resulted in his death on the 28th November -1882. Returning home a few weeks before that sad event, -he was fortunately enabled to look after the settlement of -family affairs and the future management of the estates. -</p> - -<p> -The death of his brother without issue made a considerable -change in his position, and when he arrived at -Niddrie early in December, he was welcomed as the new -laird with every expression of goodwill. Though he had -been little about the old place for years, the tenants -and servants had warm recollections of 'Andy' as a good, -kind, genial soul, and they all hoped that he might now -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P82"></a>82}</span> -return to occupy the ancestral home, and settle down -among 'his ain folk.' -</p> - -<p> -As a pledge that such a consummation might be looked -for in the near future, and taking advantage of his casual -visit home, he was married on the 9th of December to Miss -Elythea Ruth Erskine, second daughter of Sir Thomas -Erskine of Cambo, Fife, to whom he had for some time -been engaged. -</p> - -<p> -The wedding had been arranged to be celebrated at -Cambo in a quiet way, as our informant said, 'without -any fuss'; but though this was so, Captain Wauchope -found to some extent the adage verified, that 'the course -of true love never did run smooth.' In arranging for his -marriage in the stormy month of December, he did not at -all events lay his account with the elements. These did -their best to frustrate the happy event. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Marriage -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Cambo is situated two or three miles distant from Fife -Ness, the extreme eastern point of the county of Fife. It -is now easily accessible by the railway skirting the northern -shore of the Firth of Forth, connecting Thornton Junction -and St. Andrews, by way of Anstruther and Crail. But at -that time the railway was not completed further than -Anstruther on the one side and St. Andrews on the other, -and Cambo was about eight or nine miles from either -place. Starting from Edinburgh on the morning of the -day fixed for the wedding, Captain Wauchope should -easily have arrived at Cambo in the forenoon, but a -protracted snowstorm of several days had completely blocked -railways and roads. Thinking he would be more likely to -get a conveyance to carry him to his destination if he went -by St. Andrews, he took that instead of the route to -Anstruther; but on arriving at that ancient city, he was -chagrined to find that the roads were so completely -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P83"></a>83}</span> -blocked with snow that no one would venture the journey -for him. Taking his luggage to the Royal Hotel, he tried -all his persuasive powers with Mr. Davidson, the genial host, -to get a carriage, or even a dogcart, ready for him without -delay. But the storm still raged, and he was told that -the roads were quite impassable either for driving or -riding, and he would require to remain where he was for -the night. 'But,' said the would-be and now desperate -Benedict, 'I <i>must</i> get to Cambo, as I am to be married -to-night.' The hotelkeeper assured him that in the -circumstances it was impossible, but promised to do the best -he could for him the next morning if the weather moderated. -At length, convinced that nothing more could be done, the -disappointed swain was obliged to bow to the inevitable, -and eat his solitary dinner with what resignation he could -command. It was a severe trial of patience, but there -was nothing else for it, and so he remained overnight in -the friendly shelter of the 'Royal,' in the hope that he -might get release the following day. Sir Thomas Erskine, -meanwhile, expecting the bridegroom to come by way of -Anstruther, where the roads happened not to be so badly -blocked, had sent a carriage with the young bride to meet -him there. But no Wauchope appeared, and the young -lady had to return home without tidings of her lover. -The disappointment of all may be better imagined than -described, and the wedding was of course postponed <i>sine -die</i>. The following morning the storm had somewhat -abated, but the snow-drift still lay deep on the roads, -making them quite impassable for wheeled vehicles. -Davidson, true to his word, however, gave him the best -horse in his stable, repacked his luggage in carpet-bags -slung across the back of another, and with a groom in -attendance Wauchope courageously faced the elements to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P84"></a>84}</span> -meet his bride. It was a toilsome business, and not -without danger. At Browhill, some two miles from -St. Andrews, the block was so deep that they were compelled -to make a detour, or 'a flank movement,' as he afterwards -described it, across the fields, but in doing so they came -to grief. The horse which Wauchope rode stumbled and -fell through the accumulated snow into a deep ditch, -where it was well-nigh smothered, and the combined efforts -of Wauchope and groom utterly failed to extricate the poor -animal. At length assistance was procured, a number of -farm servants from the neighbourhood giving willing help, -and after a good deal of exertion it was at length got out, -while the groom, wiping the perspiration from his brow, -declared, 'This is terrible work, captain; it's worse than -Egypt yet!' The remainder of the nine-mile journey was -completed in safety. Love had triumphed. A warm -welcome greeted the belated bridegroom at Cambo, and -though 'one day after date,' the marriage cheque was duly -honoured! -</p> - -<p> -The hopes of his friends at home that he might now -give up active service, and become a local county magnate, -were not, however, to be realised. Captain Wauchope, -accompanied by his young wife, returned to Egypt a few -weeks after their marriage, to take up his military duties -with the Black Watch; and there, in the quaint old Oriental -city of Cairo, they spent together the first and, alas, the -last year of their married life. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Life in Cairo -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Perhaps no other town under the sun has so many -different characteristics as Cairo, and certainly few places -afford such strong contrasts. It is at one and the same -time an official capital, a city of immemorial antiquity, a -garrison town, a health resort, an Oriental centre, and the -Paris of the Dark Continent. Half the hidden charm of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P85"></a>85}</span> -Cairo and its surroundings, it has been said, consists of -the strongly incongruous sights that meet an observant -eye: the modern woman leaning on her bicycle, and steadfastly -looking at the unchanging eyes of the Sphinx, or a -laughing party of officers and Americans in the shadow of -the Great Pyramid, or among the tombs of the caliphs, -its Oriental bazaar crowded with British soldiers and -sailors: an old world and a new. Chief among the attractions -of Cairo is its climate, combining almost continuous -sunshine, comparative warmth, and an air of pure and -tonic qualities. -</p> - -<p> -Mrs. Wauchope resided during these months at the -Grand Hotel, within comparatively easy distance of -Kass-el-Nil barracks, where the captain's daily duties lay, and -amid new surroundings found much to interest her, while -she materially helped him in his work among the men of -his regiment. -</p> - -<p> -Unfortunately, though the climate as a rule is excellent -during the greater part of the year, sanitary arrangements -and modes of living were not then, whatever they may -be now, such as to prevent the evils to which most -Eastern cities are subject. Cholera, one of the scourges -of the East, broke out in Cairo among the Copts in the -summer of 1883, and, spreading among the better classes -of society, even found its way among the British soldiers. -Their removal from Cairo for a time was considered -absolutely necessary; but before this could be effected, -the Black Watch had suffered considerably from the -epidemic. As soon as possible, however, cholera-camps -were formed at Suez in July, where the greater part of the -regiment remained till the beginning of September. -During this time Captain Wauchope, with the rank of -brigade-major, was left in charge of the Kass-el-Nil -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P86"></a>86}</span> -barracks with a small detachment; and surrounded as they -were with an epidemic which was then cutting down -hundreds of poor natives, without adequate means of -relieving the distress, he was much moved by what he saw, and -did his utmost to help. His first care was of course for -the soldiers under his command. They did not altogether -escape, and in a number of cases that occurred he was -assiduous in his attention. Regardless of danger to -himself, he would go back and forward between the hospital -and the barracks, giving all the comfort and material -assistance that were required. -</p> - -<p> -But it was not merely in his co-operation with medical -men and nurses that Wauchope's aid was given: he was -a valued co-worker with the chaplain, assisting him in -visiting and addressing meetings. The Rev. John Mactaggart, -who was then acting with the 42nd in Egypt, says, -'He was always ready to aid me, and willingly responded -to any reasonable request for money on behalf of the men, -such as in helping to defray expenses incurred in holding -social, temperance, or religious meetings.' 'I remember,' -he continues, 'in the summer of 1883, the cholera, after -raging for weeks among the native population, attacked -the British troops. As a precautionary measure, these -were dispersed and located at considerable distances from -Cairo, the Black Watch being sent to the brackish lake -near Suez. Captain Wauchope's sympathetic nature was -deeply stirred by the many sad sights around him in Cairo, -where he remained through it all with a small company of -the regiment. Two of his men were stricken down, one -immediately after the other, with the fell disease, and not -being able myself to attend to them at once, he was full of -anxiety about them, and could not rest till he got me to see -them at the barracks, quite heedless of danger to himself.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P87"></a>87}</span> -</p> - -<p> -To many a poor fellow he was throughout all this trying -time a friend indeed, counselling, helping, and encouraging -wherever he had the opportunity. -</p> - -<p> -At the evening voluntary meetings in the barracks, too, -he frequently took a part with the chaplain in the religious -services. His consistent manly conduct and the quiet, -unobtrusive profession of his faith at this time, not only -endeared him to many, but gave him a wonderful influence -for good which it is difficult fully to estimate. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -A Cairo mob -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Every one has his own characteristic: Wauchope's was -consideration for his men. 'Years ago,' says a friend, -'I was in the street in Cairo with him, when there -approached us a bareheaded Highlander, running for his -life, and pursued by a crowd of Arabs armed with sticks. -Captain Wauchope halted the fugitive, turned about, -ordered him to fall in in front, and thus we marched -to the barracks, the mob howling behind. The Captain -handed the man over to the sergeant of the guard, and -notified his intention of giving evidence in the orderly-room -next morning. A few days later I was to meet the -Captain at the club and take a drive with him. On -arrival there, I found a note directing me to come to the -hospital. The orderly led me to a ward, but I could see -no Captain. I interviewed the orderly again, and he told -me to go to the far end and I would find him. There, on -the bed of his colour-sergeant, retailing the day's news, sat -the officer commanding his company. On my approach, -with a cheery adieu and a promise to come back again on -the morrow, Wauchope rose and went for his drive.' -</p> - -<p> -Mrs. Wauchope was sent home in the summer of 1883, as it -was not considered safe for her to remain in Cairo, and she was -joined by the Captain in November. They took up their residence -at Niddrie for six weeks, afterwards going to Cambo on -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P88"></a>88}</span> -a visit. Towards the end of January they proceeded to -London, where Mrs. Wauchope gave birth to twins—both -boys. The joy of this event was, however, speedily -followed a few days after, on the 3rd February, by the -death of Mrs. Wauchope. -</p> - -<p> -It was a terrible blow to the Captain, and though he -bowed submissively to the will of God, he none the less -felt his loss keenly, and for a time was inconsolable. -</p> - -<p> -The children were taken to Cambo, where, under the -charge of Lady Erskine, they were tenderly nursed and -cared for, while Wauchope himself sought in renewed -activity to forget, if possible, the misery of his -bereavement. When they were three years old both the children -unfortunately caught scarlet fever. One, a specially -promising child, died, and the other was left a hopeless -invalid. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap06"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P89"></a>89}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VI -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -THE EASTERN SOUDAN—BATTLE OF EL-TEB—ATTEMPT TO -RELIEVE GENERAL GORDON—ASCENT OF THE NILE—THE -WHALE-BOATS—BATTLE OF KIRBEKAN—RETURN -TO CAIRO—MALTA—GIBRALTAR. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Though peace had been restored to Egypt by our arms, -and security of life and property was being established -and upheld by the presence in the country of the army -of occupation, new troubles were brewing in the upper -waters of the Nile. General Gordon, as the representative -of the Khedive in the far-away capital of the Soudan -province of Upper Egypt, was endeavouring to maintain law -and order in the midst of turbulent tribes of wild Arabs. -Disaffection and rebellion against Egyptian authority broke -out on all sides, and the first murmurings were heard of -a new power emerging out of the African darkness, -threatening to overwhelm and sweep before its fanatical -sword every evidence of modern civilisation. The rise of -the Mahdi as a religious and political force was one of the -most extraordinary movements of modern times, and can -only find a parallel in that of Mohammed himself, whose -follower the Mahdi or Prophet of God professed to be. -With a success at first truly marvellous, he managed so to -impress his claims to sanctity upon the Arab tribes of the -Soudan, that they flocked to his standard in thousands. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P90"></a>90}</span> -Cleverly seizing the occasion of discontent at excessive -taxation and the destruction of the slave trade, which, -under European influence, the Egyptian government had -attempted, the Mahdi el Muntazer raised the cry of -revolt, and openly proclaimed himself, by the grace of -God and his Prophet, master of the country. His -fanatical pretensions, carrying the weight of religious -sanctity, bore down all opposition for a time. General -Gordon was sent to stem the torrent, and reaching -Khartoum on the 18th of February 1884, bravely held it -against overwhelming numbers for eleven months. -</p> - -<p> -The British authorities who were responsible for -Gordon's appointment, but who were unfortunately not -equally alive to the danger of his position, resolved at -length upon an expedition for his relief, to proceed by -the Red Sea to the port of Suakim to operate in the -Eastern Soudan, between the sea and the River Nile, where -a number of Egyptian garrisons were being threatened -by the rebellious tribes under Osman Digna. British -troops in and about Cairo, Alexandria, and other stations -were at once despatched under the command of Sir -Gerald Graham to quell the disturbance. Wauchope, -who had received the appointment from Lord Wolseley -of Assistant-Adjutant and Quartermaster-General to the -expedition, left England on short notice, and, accompanied -by Sir Redvers Buller, arrived in the Red Sea towards -the end of February, in time to take his share in active -operations against the enemy, who were strongly fortified -and in possession of Tokar. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Battle of El-Teb -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The expeditionary force was landed at Trinkitat, a port -on the Red Sea, some miles south of Suakim, and Tokar -being inland, a long and fatiguing march had to be -undertaken to reach it. When half-way they encountered -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P91"></a>91}</span> -the Arabs in a strongly entrenched position in the desert -at the wells of El-Teb, and here, on the 29th February, a -fierce conflict took place, the Arabs fighting with great -determination. The Black Watch and the York and -Lancashire Regiment took a prominent part in the battle, -and suffered severely. To the former fell the main attack -on the right and centre of the enemy's position, where -their chief strength lay, protected as it was by skilfully -constructed rifle-pits, defended by resolute men, ready to -die rather than yield. -</p> - -<p> -Captain Wauchope escaped with his life as by a miracle. -Being on horseback, charging the enemy's guns, he was a -prominent figure in the fight, and was unfortunately struck -down by a musket-shot, which entered the lower part of -his body. He was only saved from instant death by the -friendly intervention of his binoculars, which were hanging -by his side, the bullet striking the glass and smashing it to -pieces. He was carried off the field, and at once attended -to. But the wound was of such a serious nature that little -hope was entertained of his recovery. The battle over, and -the Arabs completely routed, the British force proceeded on -their way to Tokar without further opposition, and relieved -the small garrison there. Wauchope and the other wounded -men were taken back to Trinkitat and put on board ship -for Suez. -</p> - -<p> -When sufficiently recovered to be able to be removed -from the hospital, he rejoined the Black Watch at Cairo -in the month of April. The binoculars which, it may be -said, saved his life at El-Teb have been carefully preserved, -and may now be seen in their shattered condition among -other relics and war trophies in Niddrie House. -</p> - -<p> -For his gallant conduct at the battle of El-Teb, -Wauchope received a favourable mention in General -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P92"></a>92}</span> -Graham's despatches, which procured for him the medal -and two clasps, and what was perhaps of more importance, -the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. -</p> - -<p> -He suffered long and severely from the wound he had -received, but he was much benefited in health by a visit -which he made to his old friend Sir Robert Biddulph -at Mount Troodos in Cyprus during the summer of that -year. -</p> - -<p> -In the autumn came further rumours from the Soudan of -the rising power of the Mahdi, and the danger with which -General Gordon was threatened of being overwhelmed in -the capture of Khartoum. It was now resolved that -active and immediate steps should be taken in order if -possible to relieve him, notwithstanding that the distance -was great, and the road perilous, and to a great extent -unknown. The Black Watch was called upon once more -to undertake this difficult task, and officers and men -responded to the call with enthusiastic delight. The -regiment at Cairo numbered about 700, and at an -inspection there by General Sir Garnet Wolseley on 16th -September, he complimented Colonel Bayly and the -officers and men under him on the highly efficient state -in which they then were, and the pride with which the -people of England had followed them in the gallant -upholding of 'the honour of their splendid and historic -regiment.' 'I do not think,' he continued, 'there will be -much fighting in the coming campaign, but there will be -very hard work, and I shall want you to show that you -can work hard as well as fight. If there is any fighting to -be done, I know that I have only to call on the Black -Watch, and you will behave as you have always done.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Relief of Khartoum -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The sequel proved this to be a true forecast. The expedition -was beset with difficulties from first to last, and the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P93"></a>93}</span> -labour involved was enormous—the pity of it being, that -after all, the result was not commensurate with the cost, -and was altogether disappointing. With Cairo as their -starting-point and Khartoum as their goal, the intervening -space of over fifteen hundred miles, with its sandy plains, -its waste howling wilderness, held by hostile tribes of Arabs, -had to be covered by our troops. This was a work of no -ordinary kind, and involved not only skill in planning, but -persevering toil in execution, which tried to the utmost the -stuff our soldiers are made of. The Black Watch, led by such -men as Colonels Green, Bayly, Kidston, Coveny, Eden, -and Wauchope were a host in themselves, and abundantly -justified the confidence reposed in them by the -commander-in-chief. The expedition started on 5th October -by rail to Assouan, where they hoped immediately to -begin the ascent of the Nile by steamers and barges. -Unfortunately, one or two cases of smallpox here broke -out among the men of the 42nd, and the regiment was -compelled to go into quarantine for four weeks. They -pitched their camp within a palm-grove close to Assouan -on the banks of the Nile, and the tedium of enforced -idleness was relieved by preparation for the arduous task -before them. Colonel Wauchope energetically exerted -himself during these weeks, and in the off hours of drill -encouraged the men not only in out-door sports of all -kinds, but was active in getting up theatrical and other -entertainments for their amusement. In this way the -time passed pleasantly until the regiment was released -from quarantine on 12th November, when the real -forward movement for the relief of General Gordon -commenced, so far as the Black Watch was concerned. -Embarking at Philae, famed for its ancient island temple, -in steamers and barges, the voyage of two hundred and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P94"></a>94}</span> -fifty miles was safely accomplished to Wady Halfa, after -which, avoiding the second cataract of the Nile, the journey -to Sarras was made overland. Here there was considerable -detention waiting the arrival of a large flotilla of 800 -whale boats—which had been commissioned from England -by Lord Wolseley for transporting the troops up the river. -Regiment after regiment were here embarked to fight the -cataracts, the rapids, and the shallows of the mysterious -river whose source had for ages been hidden in the dark -recesses of the African Continent. Surely no stranger -or more gigantic armed force ever floated on its waters -either before or since the days of Egypt's ancient -greatness! -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The Nile Expedition -</span> -</p> - -<p> -As it was, the British soldier—'capable of going -anywhere and doing anything'—had for the nonce to convert -himself into a boatman; and that he had much to learn -in this capacity may be gathered from one of the jokes -familiar to the expeditionary force, to the effect that -one day a man at the helm, on receiving the order 'put -your helm down,' immediately proceeded to place the -tiller in the bottom of the boat, and innocently awaited -further orders! The boats provided were about thirty -feet long, seven feet beam, and with a draught of two and -a half feet. As the boats were destined each to be -self-supporting, they had, when finally loaded, supplies of -ammunition, ordnance, and commissariat stores for -fourteen men for one hundred days. But it was not -unusual for the boats to be carrying practically one -hundred and twenty days' rations and other stores, and -reserve ammunition for fourteen men, with a crew of -eight men in each boat. Great caution and skill were -necessary in an expedition so full of novelty and danger, -and if accidents did happen, it is no matter of surprise, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P95"></a>95}</span> -considering that it was through an almost entirely -unknown country and among hostile tribes their course -lay. With a falling river, too, the dangers and difficulties -were increased, for boats were frequently striking sunken -rocks, and springing leaks, which necessitated their being -hauled up on the river bank, unloaded of their tons of -stores, and then repaired by the soldiers themselves, for -there was no one else to do it. In some places there was -barely room for a loaded camel to pass between the -perpendicular rocks; in others, where the path was wider, the -rocks had been prepared for defence by loop-holed stone -sconces. There was no order or regularity in the -formation of the rocks. 'They seemed,' said one eye-witness, -'to have been upheaved in a mass, in some great volcanic -convulsion, and to have fallen one upon another in every -direction.' -</p> - -<p> -Throughout this remarkable voyage Colonel Wauchope's -early naval experience stood him in good stead. Having -the command of the E company of the Black Watch he -had charge of sixteen boats, with ten men in each. He -divided the company into two parts so that each section -might have free scope, and collisions be avoided; and, -thanks to his ever watchful eye and naval skill, the -soldiers in the boats speedily became expert sailors. -From the Rev. Mr. Mactaggart, who accompanied the -expedition at the special desire of Colonel Wauchope, -and was in his company, we give the following narrative. -'According to Lord Wolseley's orders, each boat was to -have been provided with one or two Canadian steersmen, -but in some way it was found impossible to get this, and -after two days' delay we succeeded in getting away with -one Canadian in every second boat—eight men instead of -thirty-two; much therefore depended on Wauchope -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P96"></a>96}</span> -himself. Before starting on several occasions, I remember -he had all of us assembled on the river-side, and gave -out minute instructions theoretically and practically how -to enter the boat, how to sit on the bench, how to handle -the oar, and how to splice a rope. His instructions were -always much needed and most excellent. Then as to -loading and unloading, he would demonstrate how this -could most easily be done, and with least danger. He -was careful to emphasise his caution as to managing the -boats in the strong eddies and currents of the stream, and -above all to avoid racing or endeavouring to get ahead of -each other. With a vein of humour in his voice, and yet -meant as a serious joke, he would say—"Mind you, my -men, no Derby racing!" On one occasion, in pulling the -boats over a strong current, two boats' crews were necessary -to get one at a time over it, but through some hitch -one of these with its contents would have been irretrievably -lost but for his opportune energy and pluck. The -men, exhausted with the heavy strain upon them, slackened -the rope, and in a moment the boat had turned and was -being carried back. Wauchope at once seized the rope, -and held on to it tenaciously, though drawn in among the -rocks at the edge of the rapid, and had his hands very -much lacerated for his pains.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Fighting the Cataracts -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Many incidents—some amusing and some serious -enough—occurred in these daily battles with the river; -but Wauchope was ever in the thick of it if a difficulty -occurred; and while as commander he was prompt in -giving his orders, he was never above giving his men a -helping hand when needed. 'It was during our toilsome -ascent of the third and fourth cataracts,' says another -comrade of the expedition, 'a staff officer was detailed -in charge of different districts up the banks, whose duty -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P97"></a>97}</span> -it was to guide and instruct the boats in their passage up -the rapids, or, as the men put it, "to worry and irritate the -troops." On one occasion Colonel Wauchope's boat was -in trouble, and the staff officer was shouting any amount -of advice gratis from the bank. Thinking apparently that -enough notice was not being taken of his instructions, he -called out, "You No. 2 boat there, do you know who I am? -I am Colonel Primrose of the Guards." This immediately -drew the following answer from a wild-looking, red-headed, -and half-naked worker in the boat, "And do you know who -I am, sir? I am Colonel Wauchope of the Black Watch, -so honours are easy!"' Though otherwise kind to a -fault, in the matter of discipline he was firm as a rock -in adhering strictly to orders. Indeed at this juncture he -was invaluable to the regiment, for he acted at the same -time both as president of the canteen and mess; and as -one of his brother officers informs us, 'it was only through -his continual forethought that we were able to obtain -supplies for our daily wants.' 'A favourite dinner on the -Nile,' says one of his men, 'which was looked upon as a -great luxury, was one pound of bacon per man, in place of -the usual tinned meat, as by dint of self-denial a bit of it -might be saved for breakfast next morning. This was -served out by the captain, and great was the consternation -one day in the drum-major's boat when the cook fell -overboard with the boat's rations in his hand. The man was -secured, but the bacon went to the crocodiles. The -matter being reported to Colonel Wauchope, it was hoped -the rations might be replaced. But not having seen the -accident, he was obdurate. The ration had been issued -and could not be replaced, so the unfortunate boat's crew -worked hard all that day on biscuit and tea only. -Evening came, and tea was being made when word was passed -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P98"></a>98}</span> -along the bank that the drum-major was wanted by Colonel -Wauchope. Hope sprang up that he had relented at the -eleventh hour; but no such luck. To his honour be it -said, however, he divided his own pound of bacon with -the drum-major that night, and it was his all, for officers -and men fared alike at that time.' Still they knew their -commander, and no grumble was heard. Though he -might be strict, they all felt he had their interest at heart. -</p> - -<p> -The rough work of fighting the cataracts was telling -sorely upon uniforms and shoes, some of the men being -actually in rags. They had proceeded as far as Ambu-Kui, -and the necessity for having new boots was so pressing, -Wauchope set out two or three miles inland to where -there was a bazaar and bought for his men all the boots -and shoes he could get. The old dervish from whom he -purchased them assured him with all seriousness of their -excellence, saying, 'Well now, oh ye faithful, if you buy -them you can go straight to Paradise'—a recommendation -of his goods which the colonel enjoyed immensely. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Battle of Kirbekan -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Struggling on from day to day in their toilsome up-river -journey, one hope animated every breast, that the gallant -general holding his own with defection and treachery among -his native troops in Khartoum, and a fanatical horde of -Arabs under the Mahdi outside its walls, would be able to -hold out until the arrival of the British force on its way to -relieve him. General Gordon was in a most critical position. -The enemy being numerous, and ever increasing, hemmed -him in on all sides, while famine was pressing him even -more seriously within. It was a long road, and bravely -Lord Wolseley encouraged his troops to renewed exertions. -In the first week of January 1885 the leading companies -of the 42nd Highlanders arrived at Korti, and on the -13th January the headquarters rowed into Hamdab with -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P99"></a>99}</span> -fifty-four boats. By the 20th the whole regiment was -once more together at Hamdab, and with the South -Staffordshire, the 2nd Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's -Light Infantry, the 1st Battalion of the Gordon -Highlanders, one squadron of the 19th Hussars, an -Egyptian Camel Corps, and a section of the Engineers and -Bluejackets, formed the Nile River Column, under -Major-General Earle. Making a further advance, the difficult -Edermih Cataract was surmounted on the 25th January, -and the Kab-el-Abd Cataract two days after. But it was -only by the daring skill of the Canadian voyageurs and -the constant toil of the whole force that the boats were -got successfully over, for now the currents of the river -were getting more difficult to face. At the fourth or Bird -Cataract they began to feel the enemy in stronger force, -and at Kirbekan, some seven miles further on, the ground -overlooking the Nile was found to be fortified with every -determination to resist the passage of the boats. The -troops were accordingly formed for battle, and the British -line under General Earle advanced upon the entrenchments. -Finding it impossible, however, to dislodge the -Arabs by musketry fire alone, orders were given for the -Black Watch to carry the position by the bayonet. The -regiment responded gallantly to the order. The pipers -struck up, and with a cheer the Black Watch rushed -forward with a steadiness and valour that were irresistible, -and which called forth the enthusiastic admiration of the -general. From the loop-holed walls of the enemy the -rifle puffs shot out continuously, but, undaunted by danger, -the 42nd scaled the rocks, and at the point of the bayonet -drove them from their shelter. -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Bayly of the 42nd, who commanded the left-half -battalion, has favoured us with the following account -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P100"></a>100}</span> -of Wauchope's intrepid daring in this action. 'Kirbekan,' -he says, 'was one of the last fights at which I was present -with him. He was in command of a company of my half -battalion in the attack on the Arabs' position, a high, -precipitous rocky range rising from the river's bank. We -were fully engaged, when Wauchope, asking my leave, -descended the precipitous bank of the river, then in full -flood. Returning in a few minutes, he said he could take -the company over the rocks, and with perhaps a little -wading he could turn the flank of the kopje held by the -enemy. This he did, and rolled the enemy up to their -final stand, a roughly built stone shanty, where General -Earle (who was in command) and Colonel Coveny met -their deaths. And here Wauchope himself was badly -wounded.' Meanwhile the cavalry had captured the -enemy's camp, and the Staffordshire regiment had -gallantly stormed the last remaining ridge. The battle -of Kirbekan was won on the 11th February. -</p> - -<p> -Wauchope was assisted down from among the high -rocks by his friends Captain Stewart and Mr. Mactaggart, -the chaplain, and had his wound attended to by Dr. Harvey -and Dr. Flood. They found his shoulder very much -shattered, and were of opinion that his arm would have to -be amputated. He himself was apparently not conscious -that he was dangerously wounded, and endeavoured to -treat the matter lightly. Having persuaded the doctors to -delay the operation till next day, we are told he seemed -after a little to be more concerned about the condition of -his brother officer, Lord Alexander Kennedy, who had -also been severely wounded in the action, than about -himself. After further consultation, to the great relief of -Wauchope, it was determined to give him a chance of -saving his arm. The wound was carefully and successfully -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P101"></a>101}</span> -dressed. This disablement, however, reduced him -from the position of an active leader in the expedition to -that of a mere spectator. He was quite laid aside for a -time, and compelled to remain in one of the boats floating -on the Nile—no pleasant experience for one of his active -temperament. -</p> - -<p> -Still keeping Khartoum, with its noble defender, in -view, the expedition, though yet more than 450 miles -from their destination, pushed on with vigour. Passing -Hebbath, the scene of poor Colonel Stewart's murder by -the chief of the Monassir tribe a few months before, -thence to El Kab, where the current is very swift, the -215 boats of the force arrived at Huella, not far from -Abu Ahmed, with its beautiful green sward on the banks -of the river. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Death of Gordon -</span> -</p> - -<p> -This was destined to be the furthest point to which the -river expedition was to penetrate. Relief had arrived too -late, for here the British force learned that the end had come -in Khartoum, and that all their labour had been in vain. -The city had been treacherously taken by the Mahdi, and -General Gordon had been killed on the 25th January, or -nearly a month before. -</p> - -<p> -As the object of the expedition was said to be merely -for the relief of Gordon with his Egyptian garrison, and -the British Government had determined to abandon the -Soudan entirely, there was nothing left for Lord Wolseley -to do on the receipt of this sad intelligence but to retrace -his steps. On the 13th February, Sir Redvers Buller, with -the Desert Column, which had reached Gubat, evacuated -that place; and, as the reason for the occupation of Berber -by the River Column had practically ceased, orders were -received commanding a halt. Ten days afterwards the -flotilla commenced the return journey down the swift and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P102"></a>102}</span> -broken waters of the Nile. It was an unfortunate end of -an undecided policy which delayed the relief of the noble -Gordon until it was too late. Had the Government taken -up the matter earnestly some months earlier than they did, -Lord Wolseley's expedition would not only have saved -Gordon a tragic death and relieved Khartoum, but would -then have crushed the power of the Madhi for ever. Thus -would have been accomplished in 1885 a piece of work -which, simply by being then neglected, had again to be -taken up thirteen years afterwards, but which was brought -then to a successful issue by the entire overthrow on 2nd -September 1898 of the Mahdi's successor by General Sir -Herbert Kitchener at Omdurman. -</p> - -<p> -Wauchope all through this expedition had proved himself -an invaluable pioneer in the rough and arduous work -they had to encounter, and the many difficulties to be -overcome. He was highly popular with all ranks from the -Commander-in-Chief to the youngest drummer, for he -looked upon every one as simply his fellow-workers, and -was ever ready to help any in trouble. 'Gifted,' as one -of his brother officers has said of him, 'with a singularly -attractive and lovable disposition, he made friends of -every one he met. With the simplest of tastes himself, -and (after the deaths of his father and brother) with ample -means at his disposal, he used to help more particularly -those married with or without leave in the regiment, and -these cases I only heard of by accident. He never spoke -of them himself.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -A staunch Prespyterian -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Nor was his interest in his men limited to merely secular -matters. He was deeply impressed with the conviction -that, carrying as the soldier did his life in his hand, there -was no class of men who ought more to be prepared for -death. And facing death, as he so often did himself, he -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P103"></a>103}</span> -felt that the consolations of religion should be within the -soldier's reach when needed. He was a staunch Presbyterian, -loyal to his national religion, and ever ready to give -the chaplain of his regiment his support and help. When -the Nile Expedition had reached Korti it was resolved that -none but fighting men should go further, and some of the -chaplains were accordingly left behind as an unnecessary -impediment. Just before starting, an officer of the staff -came to the chaplain of the Black Watch, who happened -at the time to be standing beside Colonel Wauchope, with -the order that he was not to proceed further. The -chaplain replied that there was nothing for him to do at -Korti, if he were separated from the regiment; he urged -that he had been sent from Cairo with the Gordons and -the Black Watch, and that he would go with them where -duty called. Wauchope at once said, 'Stick to that and -I will back you up.' The chaplain without any further -demur was allowed to proceed, and he was the only -chaplain who got beyond the base to be in time to do -duty in action. In this connection an instance of his -strict military discrimination may be mentioned. A man -of his company came and complained to him that he had -been told off by the sergeant-major to remain at the base. -A certain number of men of each corps had been so -ordered, and naturally the best soldiers were not left -behind. Wauchope replied to this man, 'You are a -soldier who is often drunk, often late for parade, often -absent, and we can't depend upon you. We prefer to -take men we can trust.' The man, very much crestfallen, -and evidently disappointed, said, 'Sir, if you will take me -to the front, I promise you I'll never be brought before an -officer again.' Wauchope said, 'Very well, I'll take you -at your word, but if you don't keep it, I'll never do -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P104"></a>104}</span> -anything more for you.' The man behaved perfectly well -during the campaign, and loyally kept his word. 'It may -be hoped,' says the friend from whom we have the story, -'that Wauchope's considerate action was the means of -pulling up a man who was on the downward course, and -the making of a good soldier out of a bad one.' -</p> - -<p> -One may be sure that the disappointment of not reaching -Khartoum, and the sudden cessation of their active -efforts, had a depressing effect upon the whole force. -Lord Wolseley, in his message to the Nile Column ordering -it to return, sought to soften the disappointment in -some measure by judicious praise. 'Please,' said he, -'express to the troops Lord Wolseley's high appreciation -of their gallant conduct in action, and of the military spirit -they have displayed in overcoming the great difficulties -presented by the river. Having punished the Monassir -people for Colonel Stewart's murder, it is not intended to -undertake any further military operations until after the -approaching hot season.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The Soudan abandoned -</span> -</p> - -<p> -When once more the expedition headed down-stream, -difficult as they had found it to ascend, the return -movement was even more risky and dangerous. The eighty-five -Canadian steersmen were now found to be invaluable, or, -as one has remarked, 'were worth their weight in gold.' Boat -after boat with their loads of troops came down at -lightning speed in order of two fathoms' length between -each boat. It required a quick eye and steady steering -to avoid collision or being thrown on the rocks, for half -a second was as good as a wreck when shooting madly -between the sunken rocks of the cataracts. A few boats -came to grief, but only one belonging to the Black Watch. -And so Wauchope and the other wounded were steered -down the great river—perhaps the most wonderful stream -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P105"></a>105}</span> -in this world of ours—to Meraivi. Rochefoucauld has said -that strong minds suffer without complaining, while weak -ones complain without suffering. Wauchope's exemplary -patience under such trying and painful circumstances, we -have been told, was extraordinary. He was ever cheerful, -and not a murmur escaped his lips. At Meraivi the regiment -erected huts and an hospital, and remained for two months, -but were always on the alert night and day against -threatened attacks by unfriendly Arabs. The Government -ultimately abandoned the idea of the reconquest of the -Soudan at that time. It was left to its fate in the hands -of the victorious Mahdi, all the troops being recalled. -Leaving the boats at Akasheh on 8th June, the Black -Watch took train for Wady Halfa, thence to Assouan, -then by steamers and <i>diabehas</i> to Assiout, and thereafter -by train to Cairo, which was safely reached on the morning -of the 27th June, Lord Wolseley telegraphing to London, -'The Black Watch has arrived in splendid condition, and -looking the picture of military efficiency.' -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Wauchope's services in the Nile Expedition of -1884-85 were acknowledged by two clasps to his Egyptian -medal, inscribed Nile and Kirbekan. -</p> - -<p> -It is a significant commentary upon the modesty of the -man, that while the records of the regiment at this time, -from which we have gathered these particulars of its -movements in the Nile Expedition, were compiled by Colonel -Wauchope himself, Colonel Bayly, who was then its -commanding officer, has pointed out to us 'that just for that -reason we will find his name less mentioned than it ought -to be.' -</p> - -<p> -The Black Watch returned to Cairo, where they remained -for over a year, during which time Wauchope had quite -recovered from his wounds and was able to resume duty. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P106"></a>106}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Malta and Gibraltar -</span> -</p> - -<p> -On the 30th April 1886 the regiment left Cairo, sailing -from Alexandria in the steamship <i>Poonah</i> under orders -for Malta, and reaching that interesting island on the -5th May. During the three years that followed, when the -42nd were quartered there, and afterwards at Gibraltar, -Colonel Wauchope was several times home on leave of -absence, but not for any lengthened period. During -these years, the 42nd had the round of the various barracks -with which that important military station is -studded—Ricasoli, St. Elmo, Floriana, Gozo, and Pembroke Camp. -The last, which is about two miles west of the harbour -and fortifications of Valletta, was occupied for a time -when the troops were engaged in firing practice, and one -gentleman who was then in Malta, acting as assistant to -Dr. Wisely, the resident chaplain, mentions that he always -found the Colonel exceedingly kind, occasionally asking -him to join the officers' mess, and showing him much -attention. From frequent intercourse with him, he formed -the impression that 'he was one of the most modest and -unassuming of men; and, he might add, one of the most -sensible.' -</p> - -<p> -But Wauchope's influence and personality were not -limited to his military duties, or to the British soldiers -merely. He had a great deal to do with the Maltese, -especially in connection with the formation of a Malta -Militia. We are told by Dr. Wisely that he 'entered into -the organisation of a body of native militia with his -usual thoroughness; and,' he says, 'by none was he more -respected than by the native inhabitants of the island. -The Maltese loved him. When the news came of his death, -some of them I know wept for sorrow.' -</p> - -<p> -At the sale of the whale-boats of the Nile Expedition, -Wauchope purchased two or three of them, and had them -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P107"></a>107}</span> -sent to Malta, where they were largely used, and to good -effect, by his men for recreation purposes. With a good -deal of the sailor in him, he encouraged races and aquatic -sports in and about Valletta, he himself taking an active -personal interest in them, and being a good deal out with -the boats. -</p> - -<p> -His old shipmate of the <i>St. George</i>, Prince Alfred, who -had now been created Duke of Edinburgh, and was then -serving as captain of one of the warships in the Mediterranean, -and afterwards as commander-in-chief of the Malta -station, came a good deal in contact with Wauchope at -this time. There was a frequent interchange of visits -between them. 'The Duke,' says Colonel Bayly, 'had -always the greatest regard for Wauchope, calling him, as -of old, by his Christian name of Andy, and showing the -utmost friendship.' In this way the otherwise tedious -routine of garrison duty was considerably lightened. -</p> - -<p> -In June 1889, Wauchope was honoured by having -conferred upon him by Her Majesty the distinction of -Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, in -recognition of his splendid services in Egypt. -</p> - -<p> -On the 8th August, the battalion of the Black Watch -left Malta for Gibraltar in H.M.S. <i>Himalaya</i>, and -disembarked at the Rock on the 13th, taking up their -quarters in the south barracks. The regiment had a -prolonged stay of nearly three years at Gibraltar, but during -that period Colonel Wauchope, in addition to his being -home several times on furlough, had frequent opportunities -of making visits in Spain and on the coast of Algiers and -Morocco. His actual term of foreign service only extended -to February 1891, when he returned to Scotland to take -the command of the 2nd Battalion at Maryhill Barracks, -Glasgow. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P108"></a>108}</span> -</p> - -<p> -During his residence at Gibraltar in 1890, he twice over -occupied for a time a rather unusual position, being called -upon to take command of the garrison. While actually in -charge of only a company, he also commanded the battalion -owing to the temporary absence of Colonel Gordon on -leave. The major-general having been called away at the -same time, Wauchope, by virtue of his army seniority, took -over the command of the infantry brigade of four regiments -as well. None were quicker than himself to see the -possibilities of this peculiar situation. As he put it, with -a humorous smile—'Now, suppose a man of my company -has a complaint to make, and I decide against him, as I -probably should: his remedy is to appeal to the officer -commanding his regiment, and he gets Andrew Wauchope -again to judge the case. His next appeal would be to the -general, and again he comes before Andrew Wauchope; -but being only human myself, I fear he would find the -decision confirmed, and he would go away with the -reflection, that it was "Andrew Wauchope all along the -line!"' -</p> - -<p> -It is needless to say this problematical contingency never -arose, and so he was saved from acting in any such triple -capacity. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap07"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P109"></a>109}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VII -</h3> - -<p class="t3"> -THE MIDLOTHIAN CAMPAIGN -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -'A Scot of the Scots,' General Wauchope was a man of -many parts. Great in arms, he was equally great in the -arts of peace; and in the political world, strangely enough, -he carved out for himself a reputation quite unique. -Though his countrymen were naturally proud of his -distinguished services as a soldier, they knew him also, it has -been well said, as the man who by pertinacious pluck and -sweet conciliation brought down Mr. Gladstone's majority -in the county of Midlothian. Liberal politicians both in -England and Scotland will not have forgotten the horrified -astonishment with which they read the figures of the poll -in that county at the General Election of 1892. -</p> - -<p> -Mr. Gladstone had been returned for the metropolitan -county of Scotland in 1880, after his great campaign, by a -small majority against the present Duke of Buccleuch, at -that time Earl of Dalkeith. That was under the old and -restricted franchise. In 1885, when the miners and farm -hands had largely through his influence obtained votes, -he defeated Sir Charles Dalrymple—a man respected by all -who knew him, and by many who did not—by two to one, -and something over. Nobody thought any more about -Midlothian. It was regarded as Mr. Gladstone's -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P110"></a>110}</span> -stronghold, and the Liberals went to sleep in the comfortable -assurance that the seat was theirs so long as he lived. Nor -were their slumbers disturbed by the unopposed election -of July 1886, when throughout the country the Liberal -party suffered a serious defeat consequent upon -Mr. Gladstone's attempt, as Prime Minister, to pass what was -popularly known as the Home Rule Bill for Ireland. -Mr. Gladstone retained his seat, but was obliged to resign his -position as First Lord of the Treasury; and the Home Rule -Bill in course of the next six years, under the administration -of Lord Salisbury, became practically a thing of the past. -During that time remarkable changes were effected in the -constituency. In Edinburgh the Conservative party had -rallied. Its leaders did not lack courage, even under the -most hopeless circumstances, and they resolved to bring -forward one whose determination and courage had been well -tried, though in an entirely different field. At a meeting of -the Midlothian Liberal Unionist Association in Edinburgh -on the 18th November 1889, the proposal of the committee -to adopt Colonel Wauchope of Niddrie as their -representative was unanimously carried. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Opposes Mr. Gladstone -</span> -</p> - -<p> -It was admitted on all hands that his acceptance of such -a proposal involved the undertaking of a very hard task: -one speaker at the meeting even going so far as to say that -'while he did not anticipate they were to win the county, -he was sure that if Colonel Wauchope led this forlorn hope, -it would not be an inglorious defeat.' -</p> - -<p> -Notwithstanding the rather doubtful prospects of success -which his supporters gave, Wauchope's reply was -characteristic of the man. He accepted the honour and the -responsibility all the more readily, it would appear, that it -was accompanied by difficulties. After thanking the -meeting for asking him to come forward at the next election, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P111"></a>111}</span> -he said he should be more than human if he did not -feel deeply gratified. If he had been an orator, or if he -had been a man engaged in public affairs, he would not -have been surprised. But though he was an utterly untried -man, he would do his best to try and serve, he should not -say their interests, but the interests of the cause which -they had all at heart. He was sure they would rally round -the old flag—the flag of the Union. It spoke well for the -future of Unionism throughout the land; and their native -county of Midlothian had in this respect shown a good -example to the rest of the country. They must never lose -sight of the fact that this battle that was going on now was -not a battle only in Midlothian, but it was a battle 'all -along the line,' from Land's End to John o' Groats. They -were only a mere part of that fight; and if it were a -'forlorn hope' here, it was of the greatest advantage to -the great cause that they made a good 'forlorn hope' of -it! He felt the responsibility very much to play the -part of leader to them when they might so easily have got -a better one. 'However,' he said, 'the choice is with you. -I did not seek it, but shall do my best to come to the end -of the business in a proper way.' Here it will be seen -there was both boldness and modesty, confidence in -the cause he was to champion, and self-reliance, without -overrating his ability for the hazard. His opposition -to Irish Home Rule and the possible disintegration of the -Empire made him fearless, even to the extent of daring -to oppose in person the great commander-in-chief of the -Home Rule army. -</p> - -<p> -At this time he was home from Gibraltar for a short -furlough, and with evidently no expectation of taking -any prominent part in politics; and so, his term of leave of -absence having nearly expired, he was unable to follow up -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P112"></a>112}</span> -his nomination by any active movement. He accordingly -returned to Gibraltar on 4th December. In January -following he got, however, a further leave of absence from -29th January till 31st May, during which time he took -full advantage of the opportunity. Though there was -no near prospect of an election, he at once set about his -canvass with all the characteristic energy of his nature, -devoting all his spare time to addressing meetings of the -electors in the various villages and parishes of the county. -This preliminary canter over, he rejoined his regiment -at Gibraltar in June 1890, leaving politics all behind him, -and entering with fresh zest into his military duties. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Canvass of the Electors -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Liberal press of the country, as a rule, treated Colonel -Wauchope's candidature with the utmost indifference, if -not with contempt, regarding it as a foregone conclusion -that it would end in nothing. Indeed, his splendid -audacity provoked the Radical party to mirth, and even -in Unionist circles there was much shaking of heads. On -all hands, by political friends and foes alike, every -consideration and deference was shown, and he was listened -to generally in respectful silence, rarely with open -opposition; but his claims were not considered serious enough -to work out to a conclusion that would at all affect -Mr. Gladstone's position as the sitting member. Was -Mr. Gladstone not the first statesman of the day, and the most -brilliant Chancellor of the Exchequer of the century?—a -man who, it has been wittily said, 'could apply all the -resources of a burnished rhetoric to the illustration of -figures; who could make pippins and cheese interesting, -and tea serious; who could sweep the widest horizon of the -financial future and yet stop to bestow the minutest -attention on the microcosm of penny stamps and post horses.' -To oppose such a man seemed madness. The feeling was, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P113"></a>113}</span> -however, more of pity that a good man should waste his -energies on a hopeless effort, than any fear of danger to -the Liberal cause. The following, as the expression of a -Liberal editor, may be taken as a fair specimen of the -general feeling at the time:—'The answer to the question -of the Scotsman, "Where is the candidate for Midlothian?" -has at last been answered. Colonel Wauchope is a good -and a brave man, and one almost regrets that he should -have been prevailed upon to lead a forlorn hope. Almost -all that was said of Sir Charles Dalrymple when he -contested the county, may be said of the Laird of Niddrie. -His heart is in the right place. He is justly held in much -esteem as a landlord and county gentleman, as well as for -his gallant services to his country. Sir Charles is, -however, more of and perhaps a better politician, and where -HE failed, Colonel Wauchope can have little chance of -success.' -</p> - -<p> -These pessimistic effusions had no more effect upon -Wauchope than water on a duck's back. He had given -his word, the die was cast, and deliberately and systematically -he carried out his resolution. Beginning at his own -village of New Craighall—chiefly inhabited by the miners -belonging to the coal-pits on his estate—he commenced his -campaign in the schoolroom on 10th February 1890, his -friend and neighbour Sir Charles Dalrymple acting as -chairman. In the course of his speech, Sir Charles referred -to the difficult task Colonel Wauchope had undertaken, but -was of opinion that his experience in the army had taught -him not to shrink from a task because it was difficult. -Indeed, he thought that to Colonel Wauchope a task of -difficulty was more attractive than an easy one. He was -above all things plain-spoken and thorough, and if he -made statements on public questions, they might be sure -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P114"></a>114}</span> -that he would not have to answer them or explain them -away at a subsequent period. -</p> - -<p> -It is not necessary we should follow his footsteps -throughout the county on this first round of addresses -to the electors, or of his second round the following year, -when he again returned from Gibraltar, and finally in 1892 -when the general election took place. His personal canvass -too of nearly fifteen thousand electors was a remarkable -experience, and was conducted by him with much tact. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Electioneering difficulties -</span> -</p> - -<p> -It is needless to say these repeated appearances proved an -excellent training for him in the art of public speaking. He -addressed the electors on all subjects of public importance -from Home Rule as the all-absorbing question of the day, -to questions of Imperial and local interest. It must be -admitted his early speeches bore the unmistakable signs -of the amateur in platform oratory, and when too hard -pressed by a pertinacious heckler he had sometimes to -admit he was nonplussed, but that he would give the -embarrassing question his full attention, and express his -opinion on it when he had formed it. This want of -experience told heavily against him, and frequently he had -difficulty in getting a hearing, or in being able clearly to -express his views on some of the topics dealt with. But -a breakdown did not put him very much out; he always -managed to please his audience before he was done, with -some happy remark given with the utmost good-nature. -His utterances, sometimes diffuse and incoherent at first, -very soon grew in confidence as well as in clearness, and -before the election was over there were few public speakers -better able to command the attention of a large audience -than Andrew Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie. -</p> - -<p> -As he progressed in fluency of utterance he grew in -popularity. The householders of the middle class -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P115"></a>115}</span> -certainly showed no sympathy for his claims, and almost -closed their doors in his face. They were Gladstonian -to a man. But, notwithstanding this, the Colonel gradually -acquired a hold upon the industrial and agricultural -workmen. He had, as they said, 'a way with him.' He talked to -them in every village about politics and about their own -lives. He never indulged in personal abuse of -Mr. Gladstone—on the contrary, when he did refer to him it was -always with the utmost respect, as one or two of his speeches -before us testify. As a rule, the working classes are not -slow to recognise a gentleman, and they soon found the -Colonel was one to the back-bone; one who had a human -heart and could do a kind deed. At a meeting in the -early part of the campaign, a mining village had crowded -its men into a hall to hear the man who dared to oppose -Mr. Gladstone. The meeting was very noisy, and ill-disposed -to listen—so much so that a speech was impossible. -When things were becoming serious, a smart-looking -working man, apparently in the thirties, stepped -on to the platform amidst the hubbub, much to the -Colonel's surprise. Nobody knew what was coming, and -the singularity of the proceeding secured silence, in which -the unexpected orator spoke to the following effect:—'I -dinna ken very much about politics, but I was wounded at -Tel-el-Kebir, and a man came up to me as I lay on the -ground, and after giving me a drink from his water-bottle -carried me back to a place of safety. That man is on the -platform to-night, and that's the man I'm gaen to vote -for.' The effect was electrical; the Colonel was not only -listened to, he was cheered to the echo, and the incident -made a deep impression on many present. -</p> - -<p> -Frequently, of course, he had to stand a good deal of -interruption and good-natured chaff, but he was generally -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P116"></a>116}</span> -ready with a happy retort. 'Does your mother know -you're out?' was shouted to him from the back part of a -hall one night in the middle of his speech by a roisterous -opponent. 'Oh yes,' quietly replied the Colonel -parenthetically, 'but she will very soon know that I am in!' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Tramping the constituencies -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Another questioner, evidently thinking he had a poser, -put it to the candidate: 'If war breaks out, will you be -able to represent the county?' to which he returned the -laconic and crushing reply: 'My man, if war breaks out, -I'll be there'—an answer which at once evoked a ringing -cheer and turned the meeting largely in his favour. Of -course he did not convert all the miners to his way of -thinking, but he managed to retain their esteem all the -same. 'I like ye, Colonel, but I canna vote for ye,' said -a conscientious miner to him one day, and doubtless the -Colonel appreciated his humble political opponent all the -more for his genuine frankness. Few who were present at -his first political meeting in New Craighall schoolroom -will readily forget the difficulty he had in getting through -with the subject of land values. After wandering over -half the Continent for practical illustrations, he at length -lost the thread of his discourse, and got into a hopeless -maze. For a minute or two he stood speechless, while his -face became quite florid, as he fiercely pounded his left -hand with his fist in his own characteristic fashion. A -happy inspiration came at last. Turning his back upon -the audience, he suddenly seized one of the newspaper -reporters sitting near, and commanded him to stand up. -'What have you got down there? Read it!' With some -difficulty the reporter obeyed. 'That's not what I want -to say at all. Put it out. We can't have that go into the -papers; put it down this way,' and then he proceeded to -tell him what he meant to say. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P117"></a>117}</span> -</p> - -<p> -'I was miserably beaten,' he remarked next day to a -friend; 'but I've determined to master politics, and I'll -do it.' How he did it every one knows. With a volume -of Gladstone's speeches in his pocket, he tramped the -constituencies, and on the eve of the election, at a meeting -of seventeen hundred persons in the Corn Exchange of -Dalkeith, which was even honoured by the presence of -cabinet ministers, the speech of the evening was admitted -to be that made by Colonel Wauchope. -</p> - -<p> -All this involved, of course, active exertion, as well as -concentration of thought and study, and the very servants -in the house could see he was absorbed in thought as he -never had been before. Even his walks about the grounds -were less frequent than before, for the things that used -formerly to interest him were passed unheeded by, as with -face to the ground he appeared to be thinking out some -problem or composing a speech. In his room piles of -papers littered the floor, and the preparations for speeches -must have been enormous for one not accustomed to this -kind of work. One night he had sat up late preparing a -speech, making cuttings and pasting them together to be -ready for reference. In order that they might be -properly dried, he left them on the fender overnight, and -when the girl came in in the morning to put on the fire, -thinking it was a lot of wastepaper she used it for that -purpose. Of course the Colonel made inquiries about his -papers, and for some time there was great consternation -among the servants when it was known what had happened, -and the admission had to be made that they had been -destroyed. It was very different with him, however. He -laughed the matter over, and told the poor girl never to -mind, as it was more than likely it would end in smoke -at any rate! -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P118"></a>118}</span> -</p> - -<p> -By the end of March 1891 Colonel Wauchope had a -second time visited the whole of the constituency, or, as -a Radical paper put it, 'had been overhauling the -preserves of the Grand Old Man,' but admitting frankly, at the -same time, that 'he seemed everywhere to be received with -marked attention and respect.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -An eventful night -</span> -</p> - -<p> -One of the largest of these meetings, held in Dalkeith -on 31st January, gave him an opportunity of twitting the -Liberals upon their alliance with Mr. Parnell, and upon -the exposure made to the country by his having a bag of -lime thrown in his face, 'not by an alien Saxon, but by a -Paddy belonging to the soil, in the county of Kilkenny, in -the very midst of dear old Ireland.' The great issue, he -said, now before the country has been wonderfully cleared -up, and he strongly believed that if the people of this -country could have the truth put before them, there would -be no more talk of Home Rule—referring, of course, to -the scandal connected with the Irish leader's temporary -retirement from political life by recent exposures in the -Divorce Court. -</p> - -<p> -These peregrinations through the county brought Colonel -Wauchope in contact with all classes of people. The very -reporters, whose duty it was to follow him and report his -speeches, he made friends of, and by all who had dealings -with him he was regarded as the most genial and generous-minded -of political candidates. As one of them said, 'he -was affability itself, and gave the impression of regarding -the reporters as his personal friends.' One of these -gentlemen has given us the following graphic account of an -electioneering visit to one of the outlying parishes in the -county:— -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="quote"> -Once in the course of one of his Midlothian tours we had -something in the nature of adventure. He was to address an -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P119"></a>119}</span> -evening meeting at Heriot, and arrangements were duly made -for the stopping of an outgoing express which left the Waverley -Station about six o'clock, as well as for the stopping of the -Pullman express in order to bring him back to Edinburgh. -The arrangement was so beautifully fine that it failed -disastrously. To begin with, the departure of the outgoing train -was delayed for over twenty minutes awaiting a Glasgow connection, -and, to make matters worse, the fact that the village -of Heriot is about two miles distant from the railway station -had been totally disregarded—if, indeed, it was known. The -result was that the candidate, his agent, and the writer alighted -at Heriot Station just about the time that the meeting was -announced to begin. There was nothing for it but walking. -In a drenching rain the three of us set out for the -meeting-place. When we had accomplished a considerable part of the -journey we were overtaken by a light country van. The driver -on having our plight explained to him, readily gave us a 'lift,' -and in this way we reached Heriot about the time we ought to -have been leaving it in order to catch the train that was being -stopped for the express purpose of picking us up. The audience, -it was evident, was not quite in the best of humour at having -been kept waiting so long; but the explanation of the Colonel, -and his candid, honest attitude won the hearts of his audience, -and he had an excellent reception. A passage in his speech -on that occasion is worth recalling in the light of the event -over which all Scotland to-day mourns. 'People state,' he -said, 'that I am a warlike candidate; but, gentlemen, I have -twice or thrice been shot in the body already, and I declare to -you I have no great desire to be shot again.' At the close of -the meeting we set out on the return trudge to Heriot, painfully -aware of the fact that the last train had gone, and not knowing -in the least how or where we were going to pass the night. -In the course of our march, I remember, the Colonel turned to -me and said seriously, 'I hope you don't get into any bother -over this?' I assured him that he need have no anxiety on that -score. 'Because,' he added, 'I'll sign any certificate you -like.' The remark was quite like him. It reflected at once -the soldier and the considerate gentleman. Well, when we -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P120"></a>120}</span> -got to the railway station, we found that the train that was to -have picked us up, had passed quite an hour previously. The -stationmaster, I remember, took in the situation sympathetically -at a glance. If he was not a sturdy Unionist he must have -been one of the General's numerous admirers. 'There is -nothing for it,' said he, 'but to walk up the line to Falahill, -where we may have a chance of getting a pilot engine to run -you down at least to Dalkeith.' Accordingly the stationmaster -lit a lamp, and the four of us started to walk up the line in the -dark, wet night. When we reached Falahill we learned with -intense relief that a spare engine was at that very moment -pushing up a goods train from Eskbank. The train arrived at -the signal-box in the course of a very few minutes, and in the -course of a few minutes more the Colonel, his agent, and -myself had mounted the spare engine. The engine-driver was a -brick. He drove us down the hill like the wind—tender first, -by the way. We alighted from the engine at the point where -the Dalkeith section debouches from the main line, and after -the chilling effect of our rough ride, at once started off at a -smart pace to walk to Dalkeith Station. We reached Dalkeith -exactly at ten minutes to ten o'clock. There were thus ten -minutes left to us in which to obtain a much-needed refreshment, -and we needed little persuasion to visit an adjoining inn -for the purpose. We caught the last train from Dalkeith, and -were in the Waverley Station about half-past ten o'clock. -Many a time afterwards was that eventful evening recalled by -all three. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -In the spring of this same year (1891), when political -parties in Midlothian were busy preparing for the possibility -of a general election occurring in the following year, -a portion of Colonel Wauchope's regiment was ordered -home from Gibraltar, and he was posted to the Second -Battalion to be stationed at Belfast. This transference -made him now second in command, with the rank of -Senior Major of the Black Watch. He did not therefore -require to go back to Gibraltar again, but served the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P121"></a>121}</span> -greater part of this and the following year, first in Belfast -and afterwards in Limerick. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Third tour of Midlothian -</span> -</p> - -<p> -In January 1892 Colonel Wauchope began his third -tour of Midlothian, carrying it on with energy for the next -three months. Still the dogged determination to do well -and thoroughly what he had undertaken is patent in all -the steps of his progress. The 'forlorn hope' was now -looking more hopeful, and his opponents were beginning -to take alarm. At one meeting it had been insinuated -that Mr. Gladstone being an old man of eighty-two, he -was only working with a view to ultimately taking the -great statesman's place. He repudiated the idea with all -the eloquence he could command. 'It had been said that -he was waiting to step into dead men's shoes. That, he -thought, was striking a bit below the belt. He certainly -could look any man in Midlothian straight in the face—ay, -into his very eye—and say that he was waiting to -fill no dead man's shoes. He was telling the truth, and -nothing but the truth, when he said he hoped Mr. Gladstone -might live for many years. He knew that a -greater statesman than Mr. Gladstone perhaps never lived -in this country; but, despite that, he was sorry to say he -could not agree with his policy. Indeed, the more he -admired Mr. Gladstone's genius, and the more wonderful -he considered all that he had done, the more deeply and -the more profoundly did he regret the course he had -pursued in regard to the Irish Home Rule question. -There was no doubt that the greatest men had made the -greatest mistakes.' Home Rule he characterised in another -speech as 'Federalism that would completely change the -character of the Government of the United Kingdom,' and -'he could not help feeling it was a measure which would -never be sanctioned by the people of this country.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P122"></a>122}</span> -</p> - -<p> -As a counteractive to the Colonel's prolonged canvass, a -great Liberal demonstration took place in Edinburgh on -29th March, when, in addition to the great statesman -himself, Lord Carrington, Governor of New South Wales, -appeared. -</p> - -<p> -Parliament was dissolved three months after, on 25th -June, and immediately the electoral battle was waged -with greater intensity. Mr. Gladstone came down to -Edinburgh on the 30th June to begin a tour of the county, -and the eyes of the whole country were turned upon -Midlothian and the fate of the great leader of the Liberal -party. Charmed with the flow of eloquence, crowded -audiences hung upon his lips, and, no doubt, led away -with the popular enthusiasm with which he was on all -hands greeted, Mr. Gladstone's supporters overlooked the -influence that had silently but surely been working against -his return, and were incredulous as to the possibility of -defeat, while a too confident committee were thought to -have relaxed their efforts. One Radical writer had no -hesitation in saying, that 'as to the result of the election, -no one seems to have any doubt. It is fully admitted -that Colonel Wauchope is in many respects an admirable -candidate, but to compare him with Mr. Gladstone is -looked upon by the latter gentleman's followers as almost -ludicrous!' -</p> - -<p> -The result was nevertheless looked forward to with the -utmost interest. Speculation ran high; and while the -odds were certainly in favour of Mr. Gladstone, an element -of uncertainty was daily growing as the polling-day drew -near, which only whetted public curiosity the more. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Getting into a funk -</span> -</p> - -<p> -It was even said that the Colonel himself, in view of his -rapidly increasing popularity, was beginning to be -apprehensive that he was actually to be elected—a result he -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P123"></a>123}</span> -neither expected nor greatly wished. 'I am getting into -a funk,' he remarked—whether seriously or not we cannot -tell—when his agents told him he was likely to win the -seat from Mr. Gladstone. 'You know, I don't want to go -into Parliament; I want to be Commander of the Black -Watch.' He had stood forward when asked as the -champion of his party. He had opposed what he considered -the errors of the Liberals. He would have none -of Mr. Gladstone's Home Rule policy. He was opposed -to the Disestablishment of the Church of Scotland. He -was against the enforcement of an eight hours limit of -labour as an infringement of individual liberty, while -he held that the foreign policy of the country under -Liberal Governments had not always commanded public -confidence. For three years he had earnestly and well -enunciated the principles for which he contended, but as -to turning Mr. Gladstone out of his seat at last, we can -well believe that he shrank from the bare possibility of it -as the day of the poll approached. -</p> - -<p> -The Midlothian election took place on the 12th July. -Out of a constituency of 13,134, no less than 11,000 -tendered their votes—or 84 per cent. of the total. It -must be borne in mind that a large number of the returns -throughout the country had already been made, and these -in many cases showed in favour of the Liberal cause. -Indeed, Lord Salisbury's majority in the House of -Commons had disappeared, and each day brought additions -to the Liberal majority. The party was naturally -elated, and so far as Midlothian was concerned it was -confidently predicted that Mr. Gladstone's majority would -not be less than 2500. The result of the poll was made -known next day at the Edinburgh County Buildings before -an immense concourse of people. It was one of the biggest -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P124"></a>124}</span> -surprises Mr. Gladstone's supporters encountered during -the General Election, so far certainly as Scotland was -concerned. The counting of the votes was completed about -a quarter to one o'clock, and an unofficial intimation of -the result soon found its way outside. It put -Mr. Gladstone's majority at 673. There was a crowd of -some thousands in number on the street in front of the -court-house, and the announcement that Mr. Gladstone's -majority had been reduced below 700 gave rise to a scene -of extraordinary excitement. The crowd surged up to the -door to hear the figures, and as the cry 'Gladstone in by -700' was passed from one to another, a roar of astonishment, -we are told, went up from a thousand throats. -The noise brought hundreds of more excited politicians -flocking to the scene. Town Council committee men and -young men from the adjoining Parliament House of every -shade of politics hurried up to join the excited throng. -Blank dismay took hold of every Gladstonian countenance. -Some of them could nor restrain themselves, and the most -convenient object on which to vent their indignation was -apparently the Church of Scotland, which came in for no -little share of abuse as the cause of it all. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Result of the poll -</span> -</p> - -<p> -When it is recalled that in 1885 Mr. Gladstone had -been elected by a majority of 4631, and that in the -following year his return was not opposed, the figures of 1892 -very well justified Colonel Wauchope's daring. These -were, for Mr. Gladstone 5845, and for the Colonel 5150—a -majority for the former of 690. In other words, -Mr. Gladstone had lost 2000 votes, and Colonel Wauchope -had polled nearly 2000 more than had been recorded for -Sir Charles Dalrymple in 1885. Neither of the candidates -happened to be at the County Buildings when the declaration -of the poll was made, so that after the first surprise -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P125"></a>125}</span> -was over the crowd dispersed. It had been the intention -to have at once sent a telegram to Mr. Gladstone, who was -residing with Lord Rosebery at Dalmeny, but it is said that -so great was the perplexity among his supporters, that the -telegram though made out was not despatched till later on, -for, like the crowd outside, the people in the corridors -refused for a time to credit the figures. Colonel Wauchope -had a most enthusiastic reception accorded to him at his -committee rooms in Princes Street, and on being called -upon for a speech, said he would not make a speech, -because he felt it to be true that it was the committee of -Midlothian that had won this victory. It was, he repeated, -the committee; it was the men who had stood by their -guns at the committee rooms, the men who had assiduously -and earnestly worked for the cause—a duty he feared not -always of the most agreeable kind. But they had done their -work well, and it was to them that they owed this great -victory—because it was a victory—that would resound -throughout the length and breadth of the land. 'It is true, -I have been the standard-bearer in this fight, and I hope I -have borne the standard not without discredit to myself. -But it is very little that a standard-bearer can do if he is -not supported by an army on the right and an army on the -left of him, and I am here to acknowledge that I have -been supported, and well supported, by a noble army both -on my right and on my left. We have fought a good fight, -and a straight fight, and we have proved that the heart of -Midlothian beats sound enough.' -</p> - -<p> -The result of this Midlothian election was admitted on -all hands, and by none more so than the Liberals themselves, -as 'a grievous surprise,' 'an eye-opener,' 'a severe -lesson.' It was realised now that after all Colonel -Wauchope's candidature had not been quite the 'forlorn -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P126"></a>126}</span> -hope' they had at first predicted it to be. As one of the -party papers afterwards remarked, 'They had been taught -the lesson that it does not do to depend too much upon -the individuality of any one, however eminent, to carry -a seat.... The advanced party was caught napping.' -... 'It is,' they said, 'most astonishing to find how well -Colonel Wauchope is respected in the constituency now, -and how much he has improved in his treatment of -political questions. The outspoken and transparent -honesty of his character has made him troops of friends in -all quarters, and the attention with which he was received -both by friends and opponents at the various polling-booths -must have been gratifying to the gallant Colonel -himself in no ordinary degree, as well as encouraging alike -to him and his supporters to try conclusions again.' -</p> - -<p> -Seldom has a defeat been reckoned so much of a -victory. Those of the 'forlorn hope' were amazed, for -what at first appeared so hopeless had come within the -region of possibility. Wauchope's name was on every -lip and at the point of every pen. The Midlothian -election startled the political world, and sobered the joy of -Liberals; for even the return of a majority of members to -Parliament, sufficient with the aid of the Irish Nationalists -to turn out the Conservative Government of Lord Salisbury -and to place Mr. Gladstone in office, was, in the estimation -of many of that great statesman's admirers, scarcely -compensation enough for such a downcome. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Corn Exchange banquet -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Immediately after the election, on the 18th July, -Colonel Wauchope was entertained to a house dinner by -the Scottish Conservative Club, at which Sir Charles -Dalrymple presided. The Unionists of Midlothian also -recognised Colonel Wauchope's efforts and the sacrifices -he had made in the contest by a grand banquet given -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P127"></a>127}</span> -in his honour in the Corn Exchange, one of the largest -halls in Edinburgh, on the 20th August. Beautifully -decorated for the occasion, and filled as it was by over -a thousand of the leading men of the party, and a large -number of ladies in the galleries, the banquet was a -spectacle of remarkable brilliancy and beauty. -</p> - -<p> -The meeting was presided over by the Duke of -Buccleuch, who, in proposing their guest's health, -congratulated the company upon the occasion which had -brought so many of them together as representatives of -every parish in the county, after a fight in which the -interest of the whole country had been centred—a fight -which was looked upon a short time ago as a forlorn -hope—a fight with one of the most powerful men in the -kingdom—one who came down here, you may say, as the -idol of the people. 'It is unusual,' said his Grace, 'to -celebrate a defeat; I will not call it that. I cannot call it -a victory, but I will call it a very great success. It has -been a success that has astonished ourselves, but it has -done more than that—it has created consternation among -our opponents. A few more, or, I would say, one more -success of this kind, will not only be a victory, but a very -great one. For a majority of 4631 to have been reduced -on this last occasion to 690 is no small thing to have been -accomplished. It has been accomplished by two causes, -or, I might say, three perhaps. One was a first-class -candidate; the second was hard-working constituents; -the third—a very important one—was a good cause.' His -Grace then referred to the Colonel's family as holding an -honoured place in the history of Midlothian for nearly six -hundred years, and to his own good qualities as a soldier -who had fought hard for his country's honour, and -faithfully served his Queen. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P128"></a>128}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Wauchope's reply was at once modest, vigorous, -and humorous, but our space will not permit us to give it in -its entirety. In his most light-hearted bantering manner he -referred to the consternation of their Liberal opponents on -hearing that Mr. Gladstone had only been returned by a -majority of 690. 'They said it must be a blunder; there -must be something wrong; a "one" dropped out from -before the "six"; it was absurd; the figure will be at least -1690.' 'Ah, but they looked, and they better looked, but -there was no number "one" before the "six." The fact -was this, my friends, that Mr. Gladstone's majority was -down 4000, and so the news had to travel to Dalmeny, -where, I fancy, it was not received with great -cordiality!' After complimenting the committee for the manner in -which they had all exerted themselves, and a graceful -acknowledgment to the ladies who had also assisted, he -concluded by thanking his supporters for the great -kindness he had experienced, and the great honour they had -done him, and sat down amid a perfect storm of applause, -the large audience once more rising to their feet, cheering -to the echo. -</p> - -<p> -One of the other speakers—Mr. Martin, manager of the -works at New Craighall—mentioned that the miners of -Niddrie, who had supported the Colonel with loyal -devotion, were going to work on till they had returned -him as member for Midlothian. And as an evidence of -their admiration, on the 17th December they also in their -own humble way honoured him with a banquet. It was -given in the schoolroom of the village, and about a hundred -and fifty warm sympathisers were present, presided over -by Mr. Martin. It was in every way a demonstration -creditable to the gratitude of the men for many acts of -kindness shown to them in the past, and a manifestation of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P129"></a>129}</span> -their personal esteem, which the Colonel was not slow to -recognise and appreciate. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Wauchope and Gladstone -</span> -</p> - -<p> -A noteworthy feature of this contest between Colonel -Wauchope and Mr. Gladstone was the entire absence -of personal animosity. Both candidates treated each -other, as they were entitled to do, with the utmost -respect. This is not always so in the heat of political -warfare. But Wauchope had the good sense to avoid any -reference to his opponent, and for long Mr. Gladstone did -not condescend to reply to any strictures upon his policy. -When Wauchope had decided to become a candidate for -Midlothian, he went to Sir Robert Biddulph, afterwards -Governor of Gibraltar, and told him he would have to -canvass regularly until the next general election. Sir -Robert's advice was wise:—'I told him,' said he, 'that he -should never make any personal attack on Gladstone, nor -ever mention his name in his public speeches. I said, -"Gladstone is so strong a man, and so powerful a speaker, -that he can tear you to pieces. You should not, therefore, -give him the least opening for attacking you, but just act -as if no such man existed." Some time after,' continues -Sir Robert, 'he reminded me of that advice, and said he -had scrupulously acted upon it, so much so that -Mr. Gladstone had never attacked him, and had even spoken -of him as a worthy and estimable man!' -</p> - -<p> -Notwithstanding his military duties, of which he was far -from being forgetful, amid all the political excitement of -1892, Colonel Wauchope, encouraged by the enthusiasm -of his friends, and still determined to uphold what he -considered Constitutional principles, though, at the same -time, conscious of his own deficiencies, continued his -candidature for some time in view of the possibility of -another election soon. Writing from Limerick Barracks -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P130"></a>130}</span> -on 28th July 1892 to a friend in Dalkeith who had sent -him some complimentary verses on the recent election, -he says:—'Many thanks for your kind letter. It is such -that repay me for any little trouble I may have taken in -the good old cause. No one feels more than I do how -unfit I am in many ways for the position of candidate. -For instance, during next month we are to be at field -manoeuvres, and I am tied by the leg during that time. -But Midlothian deals very tenderly with all my wants—very -much, I take it, that I am one of themselves.' -</p> - -<p> -It was his strong opinion that the Liberal policy of the time -was to prove disastrous to the best interests of his country -which made him so keen an opponent of Mr. Gladstone. -Against that great statesman he had not the slightest personal -feeling. Speaking to a friend afterwards who was -congratulating him upon his having so nearly been returned to -Parliament, he said, 'I never expected to win the seat, <i>but -I wanted to hash their batteries</i>!' Before long it became -apparent, however, that it would be a needless waste of -energy to continue the struggle; and, besides this, other -duties supervened, and Colonel Wauchope saw fit to -withdraw altogether from politics for a season. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap08"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P131"></a>131}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VIII -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -THE 73RD REGIMENT AT MARYHILL BARRACKS—INCIDENTS -OF HOME LIFE—MILITARY LIFE AT YORK—APPOINTMENT -TO SOUDAN CAMPAIGN. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -In the autumn of 1892 Colonel Wauchope's residence in -Limerick came to a close on his appointment to the -command of the 73rd Perthshire Regiment, or the 2nd -Battalion of the Black Watch, then stationed at Maryhill -Barracks, Glasgow. This well-earned promotion to a -position he had long aspired to occupy enabled him to -be more frequently at Niddrie than formerly. During -the twenty-seven years he had been connected with the -Black Watch, he had risen slowly but steadily from -the rank of subaltern through the various intermediate -stages to the first position, by dint of persevering effort -and close application to his military duties. He was by -no means a dilettante officer. He loved his profession, -and he made it his life work, while the enthusiasm with -which he was inspired he imparted to those around him. -We find this exemplified in a speech made at a large -gathering of the old members of the 42nd held in the Trades -Hall, Glasgow, on the 17th September, where he presided. -Many of those present had been with him through the -Ashanti and Soudan campaigns, as well as in Cyprus, -Malta, and Gibraltar, and in referring to former times he -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P132"></a>132}</span> -recalled their relationship with no little satisfaction. He -felt, he said, as if he was back at Aldershot under his dear -old colonel, now Sir John M'Leod, and once more an -ensign, and the adjutant of the 42nd. But let them not -forget their comrades of the 73rd regiment. Almost since -the beginning of the century, the 73rd had been part and -parcel of the 42nd, having been indeed the second -battalion of the regiment. That alliance had been a -happy one. Personally he had now served the second -battalion for eighteen months, and it had been to him a -period of great pleasure in his duties. That which bound -them together and gave them so much in common was the -glorious traditions of the 42nd. Their hearts warmed to -each other and the old regiment as they thought of -Waterloo and Quatre Bras. But it was not only traditions -they had. He saw men before him who had fought in a -European theatre of war, and who had taken part in the -great battle of the Alma, of which they were now celebrating -the anniversary. He had spent twenty-seven years -in the old regiment, and the longer he was in it the better -he loved it. In concluding an eloquent address, he said: -'The 42nd stood high in the esteem of the Scottish people, -for there was no regiment that Scotland loved more than -the "Auld Forty-twa," and well they might. By sea and -by land, at home and abroad, the 42nd had fought and -always deserved well of its country. Our old regiment -has become renowned chiefly, I believe, because of the -strict and stern yet good discipline exercised by such -commanders as Sir Daniel Cameron, Sir John M'Leod, -and others. These men had always stood up for discipline, -and it was discipline that brought the soldier comfort, -whilst it was the reverse that brought disorder and -crime, and everything that was disagreeable.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P133"></a>133}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -'Right-about wheel!' -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Colonel was not, however, always so successful as a -speaker. An amusing incident is told of him when in -command at Maryhill Barracks which shows that an eloquent -man may not always have command of his tongue. One -morning on parade he purposed giving the men an address, -and from the demeanour of their colonel the men anticipated -something eloquent. The genial Andrew, however, -had only got the length of 'Men of the gallant 42nd,' -when his tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of his mouth. -Thrice did he make the attempt, and thrice did he fail to -make progress, until, exasperated with himself, he suddenly -exclaimed, to the astonishment of the regiment—'Men of -the gallant 42nd, right-about wheel!' -</p> - -<p> -But while the Colonel was strong in politics and diligent -in the discharge of barrack duties, he did not forget his -old ancestral home at Niddrie. It was never his lot to -make anything like a permanent residence at Niddrie -House, but so long as he was stationed either at Maryhill -or afterwards in Edinburgh Castle he embraced every -opportunity of making short visits home; and when home -he never failed to interest himself in the welfare of all in -the neighbourhood. In the spring of 1893, being then in -command in Edinburgh Castle, he had more frequent -opportunities of being among 'his ain folk,' and taking a -more active interest in their welfare than was formerly -possible. It is with almost a smile we read of his -being at home at that time, and attending a meeting -mostly composed of miners and labourers in the Niddrie -School, to present prizes to the members of the local -Bowling Club, in whose success he took a lively interest. -A social meeting held after this ceremony was heartily -enjoyed by all present, the Colonel entering freely into -the spirit of the occasion, making himself the gayest of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P134"></a>134}</span> -the gay and 'everybody's body,' among men, women, and -children. As one has well said, 'he had a magnetism -about him which not only made him the friend of all, but -made all his friends.' -</p> - -<p> -It will be long before the people of Niddrie and New -Craighall villages forget his kindness to them. One and -all while he lived regarded him with pride, affection, and -gratitude. Nor is this to be wondered at, for he held -their loyalty and friendship by simple and unaffected acts -of kindness and helpfulness, never making them feel that -his friendship was an act of condescension, but rather the -outcome of a warm heart and a generous nature. Their -acknowledgment of his services when occasion arose was -always spontaneous and sincere. -</p> - -<p> -This was strikingly exemplified on the occasion of -Colonel Wauchope's marriage in 1893 to Miss Jean Muir, -the daughter of the venerable Principal of Edinburgh -University. On the Saturday previous, the villagers and -others turned out in full force, and by their gifts as well -as by their presence showed how gratified they were with -the lady of his choice, and how their good wishes went -out towards them both. Two bands headed the procession -to the mansion-house, and when the lawn was reached -the Colonel was presented in name of them all with a -silver punch-bowl, on a polished cannel-coal stand taken -from the Niddrie coal-pits. The presents from the -school children, the tenants on the estate, and other -incidents of the day testified unmistakably in the same -way to the cordial relations subsisting between the laird -and his neighbours and dependants. -</p> - -<p> -'A better man never lived' was the terse estimate of one -of the villagers when speaking of him lately, and the echo -of it will long keep his memory green. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P135"></a>135}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Charlie Egan -</span> -</p> - -<p> -One touching incident illustrating his goodness of heart -is told by the Rev. George Dodds, the Free Church -Minister of Liberton, as occurring about this time. When -in command at Maryhill Barracks the Colonel one day -inspecting the hospital had his attention directed to a -boy—one of two brothers in the band of the Black Watch—who -was dying of consumption, and it touched the soldier's -heart. Finding out that the boy was an orphan, he had him -removed to a room in his own house, the Colonel himself -accompanying the lad from Glasgow to Niddrie, where -every possible attention was paid to him. Dr. A. Balfour -of Portobello was asked to look after the case, and it was -the Colonel's wish that a nurse should attend him. The -lad, however, got so attached to the housekeeper at -Niddrie—one of the kindest and most faithful of -servants—that he would have no other attention than hers. -During all the illness of the brave little chap, no one -knows but the kindly nurse, the doctor, and the minister, -the Colonel's tenderness and anxiety and unstinted -generosity towards his little friend. When at length after -some weeks he died, it was a sight not to be forgotten, -how at the close of the funeral service he stood weeping -at the head of the coffin which was laid on trestles in the -hall. It was a stormy wintry day at the end of April, the -snow lying thick on the ground; but, following the bier, -he walked uncovered through the snow with all the -reverence of a bereaved man to the grave in the little private -burying-ground in the Niddrie policies, where the young -soldier, whose closing weeks of life he had soothed so -tenderly, was laid to rest by his comrades from Edinburgh -Castle. -</p> - -<p> -Poor little Charlie Egan, with only his fifteen summers -over his head, truly found in his commanding officer one -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P136"></a>136}</span> -who was touched with the truest Christian sympathy, and -acted well towards him the part of the Good Samaritan. -Such conduct is a noble example. It is the secret of lasting -popularity. It is more,—it is the secret of true happiness. -</p> - -<p> -In 1894 occurred a protracted strike among the colliers -throughout the country. The Niddrie coal-works were -affected by it, and for seventeen weeks the men were out -of employment, and their families suffering the severest -hardship. On this question he expressed himself at a later date -most forcibly in these words:—'I do not know anything -to a patriotic mind more terrible for the country, and bad for -it, than anything in the shape of strikes—those industrial -wars which the country has witnessed and which had been -an evil thing in every way. I know it will be said that -I am a man of war, and that I love war, and all that -sort of thing. Never was there a greater fable. Though -I have never had to stand on a great European field of -battle, I have seen too much of war in all its horrible -aspects not to hate it in every sense of the word. In the -same way with those industrial wars, there is nothing -more deplorable and nothing which has tended more to -unhappy homes, and all the consequences thereof.' But -the Niddrie miners were in sore straits, and a deputation -of them went to the Colonel to lay their case before him, and -they did not appeal in vain. He told them very plainly -he had no sympathy whatever with the strike; 'but man, -Tam,' addressing the leader of the deputation, 'I would -rather do anything than see the women and weans starving,' -and there and then he promised to give one pound daily -to keep the soup-kitchen going, so that they might at least -have one good meal a day. Not only so, but as long as -the strike lasted, vegetables in abundance were supplied -from the Niddrie House gardens. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P137"></a>137}</span> -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The country gentleman -</span> -</p> - -<p> -In New Craighall there is a large reading-room and -bagatelle-room. Many years ago the building was erected -by the Wauchope family for a school, and was used as -such up till 1896, when it was superseded by the large -school erected by the Board at Niddrie Mill. Niddrie -bowling-green, gifted to the villagers lately by Sir Charles -Dalrymple, has been a great boon to the men; and -Colonel Wauchope contributed largely to the expense -connected with its formation. A bleaching-green in the -centre of the village—part of it fenced off for football; -the local football club; the local brass band—these were -all objects of his liberality. Was a site for a church or a -chapel wanted, it was given ungrudgingly, and his grounds -were thrown open for Sunday-school excursions and picnics -during the summer months. In cases of accident to any -of the miners, he had an ambulance waggon ready at the -collieries, and in many other ways he indicated his interest -in the villagers. -</p> - -<p> -Similar instances of generosity among the people of -Town and Kirk Yetholm—where the other family estate -is situated—made him, we are told, the 'admired of all -admirers.' There he bestowed large monetary help in -providing better water supply and sanitary requirements for -these villages. In Yetholm district he was an open-handed -benefactor, and will probably be longer remembered as such -than for his warlike achievements. And all this kindness was -done without ostentation. It was the outcome of a noble -and generous disposition. 'No man is truly great who is -not gentle,' it has been wisely remarked, for a gentleman -must be kind and considerate for others; and though the -work of a soldier is to fight, and if need be to kill, he is all -the stronger in his hour of struggle against the enemy that -he carries within him a gentle heart. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P138"></a>138}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Wauchope's heart was in the right place, and -his influence was consequently far-reaching. It is told of -him that one day he had as a companion in a country -walk an ex-brother officer, not very popular among the -private soldiers. As they sauntered along, they -forgathered with a big boisterous bully who had been -drummed out of his regiment, taking with him a rankling -ill-will against this officer. He gave vent to his wrath -against the Colonel's companion, and threatened that he -would 'do' for him, showing at the same time every -disposition to carry his threat into effect; but Wauchope -promptly stepped between the two, when the rowdy -somewhat changed his manner, saying, 'Captain, I would not -lift a hand against so gallant an officer as you; it is lucky -for Mr. —— that you are with him,' whereupon the Colonel -lectured him upon the impropriety of his conduct, and -with sundry other good advices parted from him by leaving -a silver coin in his hand. This was too much for the -man, and he burst into tears. -</p> - -<p> -Nor was he above doing a kindly action, even though -asked in not the most polite fashion. Once he happened -to be visiting his friend Sir Charles Dalrymple, at -Newhailes, dressed in plain rustic costume. He had scarcely -entered the grounds, and closed the gate behind him, -when he heard a shrill voice calling out, 'Hae, man! come -and open the gate, will ye?' Looking round, -Colonel Wauchope descried two fish-women with their -creels on their backs, vainly endeavouring to effect an -entrance. On the request being repeated, he at once -turned back, politely opened the gate, and walked on! -They had taken him for one of the workmen, and were -rather disconcerted when they afterwards discovered who -had been acting the part of porter for them. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P139"></a>139}</span> -</p> - -<p> -Such acts of courtesy came natural to Colonel Wauchope: -they were not put on for occasion. Whether in openhanded -generosity and hospitality, or in the mere opening -of a gate, he exemplified Emerson's idea of what a -gentleman should be. As that writer expresses it, 'When I view -the fine gentleman with regard to his manners, methinks -I see him modest without bashfulness; frank and affable -without impertinence; obliging and complaisant without -servility; cheerful and in good humour without noise. -These amiable qualities are not easily obtained, neither -are there many men that have a faculty to excel this way. -A finished gentleman is perhaps the most uncommon of -all the characters in life.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The miners' strike -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Colonel Wauchope stood well by the miners through -their long enforced idleness, with all its concomitant -troubles, and when the time of distress was at last over -and the pits had resumed work, the men determined to -show their appreciation of his conduct by a public -recognition of their esteem. On the 3rd May 1895, a large -gathering took place in the New Craighall schoolroom, -presided over by the manager of the works, when an -illuminated address expressive of their gratitude, affection, -and admiration, was presented to him in a silver-mounted -casket. That he valued such an expression of affection -from 'his own people,' as he liked to call them, goes -without saying. In acknowledging the gift he said: 'This -address will stand foremost among our household gods. -On the face of it is a view of the old house of Niddrie, -where for centuries my forefathers have lived before me. I -will say that in distant lands and in moments of danger, -my thoughts have always been of my old home and the -people of Niddrie and this neighbourhood. And as to my -poor services, I feel proud when they are brought to the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P140"></a>140}</span> -notice of my own people in my own country. And you may -depend, that when the hour of danger is, if there is one -thing that supports me in that hour, it is the knowledge -that those at home are thinking about me, and should I -fall, that their thoughts would be kindly towards me when I -am no more.' Referring to a passage in the address that -spoke of his relationship as owner of the soil to his -dependants being ever of a kindly nature, he said: 'I -would be no man at all if I were not pleased to hear -that.' Then as for the unfortunate strike some months ago: 'I -knew there were difficulties, and I stepped forward in a -small way to try and help my countrymen and women. As -for strikes, I don't like them. They are not good for our -pockets, they are not good for our tempers, and they are -unfortunate in every respect. It is an ill wind that blows -nobody good, however, and that strike has done this good -for me—it has given me this presentation, which shall for -ever be valued. The strike will also have done good -to the community, inasmuch as it has shown that when -difficulties are around us, and trials and tribulations come, -we can stand shoulder to shoulder.' After a graceful -allusion to Mrs. Wauchope as one desirous of doing her -duty, and who in the address had been called his 'Gentle -Consort,' the Colonel concluded amid great applause by -thanking them all for the great kindness which had -prompted such a meeting. -</p> - -<p> -It does one good in these times, when capital and -labour are too often in antagonism, to find such cordiality -of affection and identity of interest. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Departure from Edinburgh -</span> -</p> - -<p> -After three years' residence in Edinburgh Castle, the -and Battalion of the Royal Highlanders (Black Watch) -received orders in the autumn of 1896 to take up their -quarters in the city of York, and accordingly on 26th -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P141"></a>141}</span> -September they left Edinburgh, where they had so long -enjoyed the esteem of the citizens for their excellence of -conduct. Colonel Wauchope and his gallant Highlanders -paraded at seven in the morning at the Castle Esplanade, -and although one hundred and seventy of the regiment -were at the time at Ballater as a guard of honour -to Her Majesty, the muster was five hundred and fifty -strong. It spoke volumes for their discipline and good -conduct, that Colonel Wauchope was able to say as -the regiment was addressed before their departure, that -'there was not a single absentee from parade, nor yet -a prisoner.' -</p> - -<p> -The Black Watch were garrisoned in York for the -following eighteen months, and both officers and men -gained for themselves in that ancient cathedral city much -popular favour. Effective discipline and systematic drill -were never relaxed, and what they might lose in ease or -pleasure was compensated by admirable efficiency. -</p> - -<p> -In the Sussex military manoeuvres of August and -September 1897, Colonel Wauchope with a brigade of -the Black Watch went from York to take a part in the -proceedings. Joining the force of General Burnett, which -had fallen back from Waltham, and had bivouacked -overnight near Arundel, Wauchope's timely reinforcement -enabled him to retrace his steps westwards. Passing -through the ducal Arundel Park, he struck across Houghton -Forest, deploying his battalions as the area of conflict -neared, and encountered the opposing force under -General Gosset, when some smart skirmishing (continued -for several days) took place at Burton Down, Dignor -Hill, and Bury Hill. The attempt to drive Burnett and -Wauchope back over the river Arun, though gallantly -attempted, was ultimately declared by the umpires to have -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P142"></a>142}</span> -failed. Wauchope and his brigade were reported as -having done splendidly. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-142"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-142.jpg" alt="GENERAL WAUCHOPE. From a Photograph by arrangement with Mr Thomas Kemp, Dalkeith." /> -<br /> -GENERAL WAUCHOPE.<br /> -<i>From a Photograph by arrangement with Mr Thomas Kemp, Dalkeith.</i> -</p> - -<p> -In such exercises Wauchope was an adept. In military -science he made it a point to be thoroughly conversant -not only with the details of drill, but in general strategy, to -be able to grip a given situation with comprehensive tact. -A born soldier, he instinctively realised what was the -right thing to do and the right time to attempt it. Nor -was he the man to ask his men to do anything that he -would not himself do, or take a part in. When in -Edinburgh Castle it was his habit, in order to keep the -regiment up to the fighting standard of physical -endurance, to march them out a nine or ten miles round of -country, and that in all sorts of weather; sunshine or rain -apparently made no difference. Frequently have we seen -him swinging along at the head of his men, sometimes on -horseback, but more often on foot, over roads inches deep -with mud. Like most favourite officers, he had his pet -name. As we have already said, the name by which he -was familiarly known in the Black Watch was 'Red -Mick.' One day the regiment had been ordered out for -a march, and in passing a group of the men the Colonel -happened to overhear one of them say, 'Red Mick will be -going to ride to-day.' The regiment was in due time -drawn up on parade, and addressed by their commander -as to the order of march; then looking the man who had -made the remark straight in the face, he finished up by -saying, 'but to-day Red Mick will walk!' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Military life at York -</span> -</p> - -<p> -While the regiment was in York, Wauchope took a deep -interest in the benevolent institutions of the city, and -specially in the Scotch community. He was the President -of the St. Andrew's Society, which, through his active -interest in its affairs, greatly increased in numbers and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P143"></a>143}</span> -influence. 'He always,' says one who knew him there, -'let it be known that he was a Scotsman, and was proud -of his country. The stirring speeches that he made before -the St. Andrew's Society are still remembered with delight; -and as an evidence of the regard in which his memory is -still held there, that Society is about to erect a tablet in -the Presbyterian church to the memory of the officers and -men of the Black Watch who have since fallen in battle.' -</p> - -<p> -It was noticed also that the same chivalrous feeling of -relationship existed between him and his men as existed -formerly between a Highland chief and his clan. His -interest in them and their families was ever showing itself -in kindly visits to the married quarters of the barracks, -in order to look after the welfare of the women and -children, so as to increase their comfort. Fêtes and social -meetings were not unfrequent, and at Christmas time it -was his custom to have a well-laden Christmas tree, on -which were suitable presents for the children, while the -mothers had welcome little gifts of money distributed to -them. All this, says the Rev. Alexander Stirling, minister -of the Presbyterian church, York, was at his own private -expense, and must have cost him not less than £50 on -each occasion. In spite of the attractive splendours of a -grand cathedral, Colonel Wauchope preferred to worship -according to his accustomed manner in the simpler form -of the Presbyterian church. There, too, by his -arrangement, the regiment worshipped in force, and he always -insisted upon a full complement of officers accompanying -the men. Not only so, but, as Mr. Stirling informs us, -Mrs. Wauchope and the officers of the Black Watch were -in many ways helpful to him and his congregation, taking -a part in much of their church work, and showing their -loyalty to their Presbyterian principles in many ways. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P144"></a>144}</span> -</p> - -<p> -In July 1898, Colonel Wauchope was selected by Lord -Wolseley to command a brigade in the expedition then -being organised under General (now Lord) Kitchener for -the reconquest of the Soudan. The 42nd regiment was -not ordered out for this service, and so the time had -come when, after thirty-three years of close connection -with them both in peace and in war, that connection -must for a time be broken. One of his brother officers, -writing afterwards of that period and the grief that was -in every heart over the prospect of losing him, says: -'The send-off he received at York when he left will never -be effaced from the memory of those who took part -in it. I have never seen Scotch soldiers exhibit any -such emotion, or give way so thoroughly to their feelings. -They knew whom they were losing; they realised their -loss, and gave vent accordingly.' -</p> - -<p> -At the same time, the circumstances, if touching, were -not without a dash of the ludicrous; but they show how -warmly attached the Black Watch were to one who from -the rank of subaltern had risen steadily to be their colonel, -and was now to leave them for the command of a brigade. -Many a man among them wished he had the chance to -accompany him. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Send-off from York -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The regiment was at the time camped out for summer -quarters at Strensall camp, about five miles from York. -On the evening of a hot July day, when Colonel -Wauchope was to leave for the Soudan, there was an open -mess among the officers, and the health and prosperity of -their departing colonel was enthusiastically drunk. It -was arranged that he was to go south by the midnight -train at York, and as the evening hours sped on, the -regiment as usual retired to their tents to rest for the night, -after tuck of drum. They did not, however, retire to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P145"></a>145}</span> -sleep, for no sooner were the wheels of the Colonel's -carriage heard than there was a general move. It was a -little after twelve o'clock, and the men were stripped and -in bed. But in an instant every tent was astir, and like -a swarm of bees the whole regiment broke loose. Every -tent belched forth its quota of excited men, and without -taking time to dress they had surrounded the carriage, -cheering, and enthusiastically shaking hands with their -departing chief. Many of them, with only their nightshirts -on, ran after the carriage a considerable distance, -still cheering as they went along! It was such a send-off -as few officers ever experienced. -</p> - -<p> -It is a striking testimony to the impression made during -these two years upon the community of the city of York by -this good Scotsman and his regiment, that at the unveiling -of a handsome marble memorial in the Presbyterian Church, -Prior Street, on the 26th November 1900, all classes were -represented, and the Dean of York gave expression to the -thoughts of many when he said that, although he never saw -General Wauchope until he came to York, and during his -residence there with his regiment it was not very often they -met, 'yet there was in some characters a sort of magnetic -attraction so that one felt at once drawn to them because -they were sterling material, true metal. It would be -impossible to be in General Wauchope's company, and be -associated in any way with him, or to hear very much about -him, without feeling that he was not only a soldier of the -Crown but eminently a soldier of the Cross. It was right -that his memory should be perpetuated in York, it was -right that it should be perpetuated in that house of God -which he specially identified himself with, and which -specially belonged to his nationality.' -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap09"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P146"></a>146}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IX -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -THE SOUDAN—BATTLES OF ATBARA AND OMDURMAN—ARRIVAL -HOME—RECEPTION AT NIDDRIE——DEGREE -OF LL.D.—PAROCHIAL DUTIES—PARLIAMENTARY -CONTEST FOR SOUTH EDINBURGH. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Once more Wauchope found himself on the way to the -front for active service, this time back to the scene of -his former exploits in the Soudan. Matters there, ever -since the withdrawal of the British and Egyptian troops -in 1885, when the then all-conquering Mahdi took -Khartoum and slew the gallant General Gordon, had gone on -from bad to worse. Over-running the whole valley of the -Nile, the Egyptian boundary-line had been much -circumscribed, and was now fixed as far north as Wady Halfa, -the prophet holding almost undisputed sway over the -whole Soudan, except that part of it contiguous to the -Red Sea in the neighbourhood of Suakim. On the death -of the Mahdi in 1885, his tomb at Omdurman became a -sanctuary, round which the faithful gathered themselves. -Under the sway of his successor, Khalifa Abdullahi of the -Baggara tribe, cruelty and oppression ground down with -iron hand every neighbouring tribe. Military despotism -stamped out commerce, and trade and agriculture; the -people were ruined, and slaughter and devastation ruled -where formerly there had been prosperity and peace. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P147"></a>147}</span> -Even Egypt was not safe from the inroads of the Dervish -host, attempts being made several times to invade its -borders; but Tokar was their utmost limit. In 1892, Colonel -Horatio Herbert Kitchener recaptured that town, but no -further attempt was made to regain lost ground till 1896, -when that officer, now Major-General and Sirdar, or -Commander of the Egyptian army, received orders to advance -up the Nile for the reconquest of the Soudan. The days -of Egypt's weakness were past, for during the interval -between this and Tel-el-Kebir, when the then wretched -Egyptian army was smashed to pieces, English officers had -been actively licking into shape a new native force. Drill -and discipline, combined with growing confidence in their -officers, had in those years built up an army able and -willing to dare anything. The Sirdar was ready to fight -the Khalifa, but he realised that in an invasion of the -Soudan the real enemy to be faced was the Soudan itself—'its -barrenness which refuses food, and its vastness which -paralyses transport.' -</p> - -<p> -These were the problems to be overcome by the general -who would conquer the Soudan and plant his flag on the -walls of Khartoum. -</p> - -<p> -Science and engineering skill came to the rescue, and -with these under the guidance of a marvellous military -genius that took in every situation, and turned it to his -advantage, the enterprise was ultimately crowned with -success. Hitherto military movements in the Soudan had -been either by camels and weary foot trudging, or by boats -on the Nile. Kitchener determined upon Wolseley's idea -of crossing the desert between Wady Halfa and Abu-Hammed, -but not by camels. He resolved to do it by -rail, and to build the railway as they marched. It was a -bold stroke. This is how it was done. Starting from -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P148"></a>148}</span> -Wady Halfa, a surveying party set out for ten miles or so, -making a rough survey of the lie of the ground, marking -as they went the proposed course; about five miles behind -the surveying parties came working parties 1200 strong, -levelling and embanking where necessary. Two miles -behind these came 550 platelayers, and half a mile after -them a gang of 400 men to lift, straighten, and ballast the -line. One mile behind these again came 400 men to put on -the finishing touches, and the line was complete, but ever -progressing to its ultimate terminus, carrying forward its -own materials of rails and sleepers, as well as supplies -for troops on the march. The credit of this great work -was largely due to the young lieutenants of the Royal -Engineers under the direction of Lieutenant Girouard, a -Canadian officer. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -On the Atbara -</span> -</p> - -<p> -It was steady, plodding work; slow, perhaps, as a -fighting campaign, but every mile of advance the army -made sure of its position, and was kept within touch of -Cairo. The campaign of 1897 found the greater part of -the Sirdar's force as far as Ed-Damer, seven miles beyond -the junction of the Nile and the Atbara river. -</p> - -<p> -Here a strong camp was formed and preparations were -made for encountering the enemy who were massing some -distance up the Nile at Matemneh, under Mahmoud, the -son of the Khalifa, and old Osman Digna. These joined -forces at Shendi, about half-way between Berber and -Khartoum, their strength being about eighteen thousand -men. -</p> - -<p> -General Kitchener, leading and directing every -movement, returned from Cairo in December 1897, having -arranged with the British Government for the sending out -of a small British force to assist the Egyptian troops -already in the field. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P149"></a>149}</span> -</p> - -<p> -These were at once granted, and the reserve British -force at Cairo, consisting of the 1st Warwicks, 1st Lincolns, -and 1st Cameron Highlanders, left for the front, their -places being taken by several regiments sent out from -England. -</p> - -<p> -With such generals as Hunter and Hector Macdonald -the Sirdar had worked his way up the Nile valley, -overcoming all difficulties, with his Egyptian force of some -ten thousand men and forty-six guns. The arrival of the -British Division in two brigades under General Gatacre in -March and April added largely to the strength of the force. -The command of the First Brigade was afterwards given -to Colonel Wauchope, now promoted to the rank of -Brigadier-General. How different his journey up the -Nile on this occasion from his experience fourteen years -before with the weary whale-boats! Now, thanks to the -energy of the Sirdar, he could travel to Berber in a saloon -carriage. Speaking of this afterwards, he said he was -never so struck in his life as when he saw that railway -across the desert, which did so much for the expedition. -</p> - -<p> -Before his arrival at the front, however, one brilliant -fight had taken place. Mahmoud had been discovered -securely, as he thought, entrenched some seventeen miles -up the river from Abador, or about forty from Atbara -camp; and it was not fitting, notwithstanding the difficulties -of transport by camels for twelve thousand men, that so -large a British force should sit down within so short a -distance of an enemy and not attempt to drive him out of -his position. The forward order was given, and on 8th -April, after a long night-march, the troops found themselves -facing Mahmoud's zareba at Nakheila, on the Atbara. -</p> - -<p> -The story of the attack has been given with all the -graphic skill of an eye-witness, by G. W. Steevens in his -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P150"></a>150}</span> -book, <i>With Kitchener to Khartoum</i>. When the sun rose -behind the Sirdar's men, it revealed a stockade made up -of timber, and a ten-foot hedge of camel-thorn, with -entrenchments behind—a formidable enough obstacle to -face. Without delay arrangements were made for the -attack. The enemy's base rested on the river, and the -Sirdar, determined that he should not escape, formed his -force in a semi-circle round him. At 6.20 the first gun -announced the advent of battle, and for an hour and -twenty minutes Mahmoud's zareba was pounded with shot, -shell, and rocket, after which the Egyptian and British -troops advanced to the attack all along the line. Maxwell's, -Macdonald's, and Hunter's Egyptians deployed on the -right. Gatacre's British Division had the Cameron -Highlanders in the place of honour, formed in line along -their whole front; then, in columns of their eight -companies, the Lincolns on the right, the Seaforths in the -centre, and the Warwicks—two companies short—on the -left. The orders to these were, not to advance till it was -certain the Dervish cavalry, hovering to the left of the -zareba, would not charge in flank. Behind all was -Lewis's brigade ready for any emergency that might occur. -Stirring addresses having been made by the leading -officers, the Sirdar called upon the men to 'remember -Gordon,' and all being ready, 'the word came, and the -men sprang up. The squares shifted into fighting formations; -at one impulse, in one superb sweep, nearly twelve -thousand men moved forward towards the enemy. All -England and all Egypt, and the flower of the black lands -beyond, Birmingham and the West Highlands, the -half-regenerated children of the earth's earliest civilisation, -and grinning savages from the uttermost swamps of -Equatoria, muscle and machinery, lord and larrikin, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P151"></a>151}</span> -Balliol and the Board School, the Sirdar's brain and -the camel's back—all welded into one, the awful war -machine went forward into action.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Attack on the Zareba -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The Camerons no sooner got the word to advance than, -with a wild rush, the pipers meanwhile playing 'The March -of the Cameron Men,' they made for the zareba some three -hundred yards ahead. Forward and forward, midst a rain -of bullets, they reached the hedge of camel-thorn. In a -few moments it was torn to pieces and scattered like -brushwood, Gatacre being among the first to lay hands on the -obstruction, and the Highlanders were inside the stockade -and in the trenches, where now sprang out of the earth -dusty, black, half-naked shapes, running and turning to -shoot, but running away. 'It was a wild confusion of -Highlanders, purple tartan, and black green too, for now the -Seaforths had brought their perfect columns through the -teeth of the fire, and were charging in at the gap.' The -enemy scarcely waited to fight, so impetuous was the rush -upon them, and they fled in the utmost confusion for the -river, where they were cut down by the pursuing cavalry, -and General Lewis's half brigade of Egyptians. -</p> - -<p> -In the attack on the right, the Egyptian troops, led by -British officers under Generals Hunter, Maxwell, and -Macdonald, behaved with great gallantry, carrying all before -them. The ground was easier on their side than that -covered by Gatacre's men, and they entered the zareba a -few minutes before the Highlanders, not a man flinching -from the encounter. The battle of the Atbara—thanks to -British discipline and drill—definitely placed the blacks -and the once contemned Egyptians in the ranks of the -very best troops in the world. In forty minutes the Dervish -host had been driven out of their lair, thousands of them -had been killed, and four thousand, including their leader -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P152"></a>152}</span> -Mahmoud, were prisoners in the Sirdar's hands. The way -was now so far open to Khartoum, but the opportunity was -not yet. -</p> - -<p> -Reserves and supplies were needed, and a strong base -had still to be secured before the final advance on the -Khalifa's capital could be attempted. The whole force, -British and Egyptian, accordingly retraced their steps -down the Atbara river to El Hudi, where they struck -across the desert to the various camps they had formerly -occupied at Kenur, Darmali, Assilem, Berber, and Fort -Atbara, at the junction of the rivers. -</p> - -<p> -The 1st Brigade of British, viz. the Camerons, the -Lincolns, Seaforths, and Maxim battery resumed their -quarters at Darmali, where they remained throughout the -summer. By the month of August, however, when Wauchope -joined them, casualties in action and deaths and invalidings -from sickness had seriously affected the strength of the -brigade, though officers and men upon the whole stood the -climate well. 'The sick list had never touched six per cent. -There were not fifty graves in the cemetery; and most of -the faces at the mess table were familiar.' The Lincolns, -who had come up over 1100 strong, still had 980; the -other three battalions were each about 750 strong, and the -Warwicks were expecting a further draft of men. The total -strength of Wauchope's brigade would thus come to nearly -3500 men. With eager expectation they now awaited the -order to advance on Khartoum. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Advance on Khartoum -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The forward movement began on 3rd August, regiment -after regiment first concentrating at Atbara fort, then -being shipped by steamer up the Nile to Shabluka, where -they were to reform and make the remainder of the -journey in six marches on the west bank to Omdurman. -Even with several steamers at the Sirdar's disposal it -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P153"></a>153}</span> -was a tedious business, and occupied nearly a month. -Wauchope's brigade passed up in the steamers on the -14th August, a four days' voyage, and on the 23rd, when -paraded with the and Brigade, they were reported as 'in -splendid condition.' -</p> - -<p> -On the 25th August, the 1st Brigade marched out of -Wad Hamed, and the scene is described by one who saw -it as a most imposing spectacle. The four battalions of -which it was composed moved off with their baggage at -the bugle-call, taking the road in four parallel columns. -'Many of the men were bearded, and all were tanned with -the sun, acclimatised by a summer in the country, hardened -by perpetual labours, and confident from the recollection -of victory—a magnificent force, which any man might be -proud to accompany into the field.' General Wauchope's -men were worthy of their commander, and it was, we may -be sure, with no little elation that he stepped out with -them that day on the way to their final triumph. -</p> - -<p> -Keeping his forces well in hand, the Sirdar had the -whole army encamped at Wadi Abid on the evening of -the 29th, the British Division marching in by moonlight. -They were now within twenty-eight miles of Omdurman, -and the two following days' marches brought them -within touch of the enemy and in sight of the Mahdi's -tomb. -</p> - -<p> -The 2nd of September saw the last stand for Mahdism -and its complete overthrow. -</p> - -<p> -Resting their base upon the river, where they were -supported by five gun-boats, the British formed their -camp within a few miles of Omdurman, the Sirdar taking -the precaution to entrench in case of surprise. Early in -the morning the Khalifa brought out his whole force, -computed to be about fifty thousand men, making a dead -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P154"></a>154}</span> -onset upon the British position. If overpowering numbers -could have achieved victory he had it in his grasp. -</p> - -<p> -But British coolness and pluck won the day. The -Dervish host on horseback swept the plain with a rush -that no infantry could have withstood. 'They came -very fast, and they came very straight; and then presently -they came no further. With a crash the bullets leaped -out of the British rifles,' Egyptians, Englishmen, and -Highlanders pouring out death as fast as they could load -and press trigger; while shrapnel whistled and Maxims -growled savagely. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Battle of Omdurman -</span> -</p> - -<p> -We need not describe the details of the fighting. The -Khalifa's attack was speedily turned into a rout, though -many a brave stand was made by the Dervish host. -Attacked on two sides, the British force gradually spread -itself out like an opening fan, under admirable handling -by their generals. At a critical point in the engagement, -when Generals Hunter and Macdonald in the front were -being threatened by an outflanking movement of the -enemy's cavalry, Hunter sent for Wauchope's 1st Brigade -to fill the gap between Macdonald on the right and Lewis -on the left. The request went to General Gatacre first -instead of the Sirdar; but with the soldier's instinct he -immediately set the Brigade in motion. Wauchope, cool as a -statue, took in the situation at once, and moved his men -forward as if on parade, while the Lincolns and the -Warwicks under his command—said to be the best -shooting regiments in the British army—did great execution, -and effectually kept the enemy at bay. They saved the -position, for, as one correspondent has said, 'It was the -very crux and crisis of the fight. If Macdonald went, -Lewis on his left, and Collinson and the supporting -camel-corps and the newly returned cavalry, all on his right or -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P155"></a>155}</span> -rear must all go too.' Exposed to a withering fire, the -enemy were unable to withstand the steady discipline of -our men. Defeated on all sides, the Khalifa turned and -fled. Then was the time for our cavalry. With a dash -the 21st Lancers made for the retreating foe, pursuing and -slaughtering up to the walls of Omdurman. The bravery -of the Dervishes was unquestionable. They literally threw -themselves upon the British lines, only to be overwhelmed -in a common ruin. Over 11,000 of the enemy were killed, -16,000 wounded, and 4000 were taken prisoners, and this -by an army numbering not more than 22,000 men. On -the Anglo-Egyptian side the losses were comparatively -light, killed and wounded not amounting to above 500. -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope was fortunate on this occasion in -coming out of the engagement without a scratch. In some -respects the battle of Omdurman has been described as 'a -less brilliant affair than the Atbara. On the other hand -it was more complex, more like a modern battle. The -Atbara took more fighting, Omdurman more generalship. -Success in each was complete and crushing.' Mahdism -was no more. It died well. 'It had earned its death by -its iniquities, it had condoned its iniquities by its -death.' Gordon was avenged. And not only so, it was the dawn -of a new era for the long down-trodden Soudan, so that it -might in future be a country fit to live in. -</p> - -<p> -We have already referred to General Wauchope's attachment -to Scottish Presbyterianism, and told how loyally and -consistently he adhered to the Church of his fathers. From -the days when he was an ensign, it was known among his -brother officers as a <i>casus belli</i> to speak slightingly to him -of his Church. He would stand up for Presbyterianism, -and would suffer for it if necessary, when its claims were -in danger of being thrust into the background. A difficulty -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P156"></a>156}</span> -of this kind arose after the taking of Omdurman, and it is -interesting to note how he acted. Orders had been given -to all the chaplains, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, and -Anglican, for a combined Gordon Memorial Service at -Khartoum. The Anglican chaplain in Wauchope's division -intimated, however, that he would take no part in it if -the Presbyterian chaplain were to share in the function. -The General used what persuasion he could to move -the chaplain to a broader view of things, declaring that -he would not displace the Presbyterian, whom he -considered one of the best of men. He was, he said, a -Presbyterian himself, along with most of his regiment. -At last, when persuasion failed, and the Anglican still -held his point, the General said, 'then there is nothing -for me but to report you to my General of Division.' When -General Gatacre heard the story he reported the -affair to the Sirdar, who called the three -chaplains—Presbyterian, Anglican, and Roman Catholic—and said -laconically, something like this: 'You are each under -orders, and the man who disobeys must fall to the rear.' This -settled the question; all of them took a part. The -Memorial Service and the formal entry into Omdurman -and Khartoum, taken part in by all the troops, were most -impressive spectacles. These over, arrangements were at -once made for the withdrawal of the greater part of the -army. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Welcome home -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The troops returned immediately down the Nile, the -British regiments being shipped for England, where they -arrived in the early part of October. A hearty welcome -greeted their arrival, all classes of society vying with one -another in heaping honours upon them. -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope hurried home so soon as he was -relieved of his official duties, and after a short visit to -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P157"></a>157}</span> -Yetholm, where he was received with great enthusiasm, -he and Mrs. Wauchope set out for Niddrie on Monday, -10th October, by train from Kelso. -</p> - -<p> -It was only on the Saturday previous that the villagers -of New Craighall heard that the General was to return, -but short as was the time for preparation, the determination -to give him a hearty welcome was so enthusiastically -proceeded with that when he did reach it, the rather quiet -and dreary exterior of the village presented quite a festive -appearance. Triumphal arches, flags, and streamers -floated in the breeze, and wreaths of flowers and -evergreens were everywhere visible. It was the home-coming -of a victor, beloved by his neighbours, and well known -beyond the limits of his demesne. -</p> - -<p> -At the Newhailes station, which was also gaily adorned, -the General and Mrs. Wauchope were received on alighting -from the train by quite a crowd of friends, among others -being Sir Charles Dalrymple and the Misses Dalrymple, -Mrs. Arbuthnot and Miss Muir, Councillor and Mrs. Cranston, -Edinburgh, Rev. A. Prentice, Rev. R. Burnett, -Liberton, Mrs. General Hoggan, and Ex-Provost Young, -Loanhead, with the whole village, men, women, and -children at their back. -</p> - -<p> -It was a good-humoured, enthusiastic crowd, and at a -convenient part of the road the horses were unyoked from -his carriage and their places supplied by hundreds of -willing miners, who dragged the carriage up to the gate -of Niddrie Marischal, where it was given over to the -tenantry. -</p> - -<p> -The procession was a long one, and was headed by the -school children, preceded by the local pipe band. Then -came the Niddrie brass band, playing 'See the Conquering -Hero comes,' and after them appeared the members of -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P158"></a>158}</span> -the 'A. G. Wauchope' Lodge of Shepherds, bearing aloft -their banner with his portrait on it. The incidents of the -march were many. Some were amusing, some were -pathetic, but all told of the loyalty and enthusiasm of the -people among whom the General had his home. Bunting -was displayed on all hands. Women and children cheered -vociferously. At the square of the village the first halt -was made, and an address of welcome in name of the -villagers was presented by Mr. Robert Wilson, one of -their number, in which expression was made of their pride -in the distinguished place the General had held in the -Soudan war, of their joy at his safe return from a battlefield -where the mention of his services by the Sirdar in -his despatches for the special consideration of the Queen -had caused them the utmost gratification. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Lord Kitchener, the Sirdar -</span> -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope, who was apparently unprepared for -such a manifestation of public feeling, made the following -reply:—'I can assure you that the splendid reception -you have accorded me is one which I shall never forget. -I know very well that much of it is owing to the fact -that we have been neighbours now for many a long year, -and there is nothing that gave me greater pride and -satisfaction than being told two or three years ago that -the people of New Craighall looked upon me as being one -of themselves. In addition to that, there is another feeling -that has prompted you in this reception, and it is that in -me you recognised one—a humble one, perhaps, but still -one—of those who tried to serve his country under, -perhaps, difficult circumstances; and something is also due -to the fact that we have been completely successful in -planting our standards on the ruined palaces of Khartoum. -At Yetholm I said, and I am going to say it again, that fact -alone would be a great gain to civilisation and to the world. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P159"></a>159}</span> -If the Dervish power had been continued for any length -of time, hundreds and, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of -people who in the future will have a chance of living in -comfort and peace, would never have been able to live at -all. It was a power based on murder, rapine, and cruelty, -and it was our bounden duty to put an end to that power, -because Great Britain was responsible for the condition -of things that existed in that part of the world. Scotland -was well represented at the battle of Khartoum by two of -our Highland regiments. (Here a voice shouted out, "Scotland -Yet!") Yes, Scotland yet, and Scotland for ever, will -be the cry; and I can speak for those two battalions that -they in no way went behind from what other regiments had -done in other fields of our great empire; and you may be -sure of this, that our Scottish regiments will always be able -to show that high and distinguished valour and discipline -for which they have so long been noted.... It would -almost seem by the splendid reception you have given me -here, and which I have had in another part of Scotland, -that you thought I had played a very great part in the -campaign. I feel bound, as an honest man, to disabuse -you of such a misapprehension. The campaign was carried -out by a very great man, the Sirdar, Lord Kitchener, who -is a man of great ability, and who in the future -undoubtedly will shine as one of our great soldiers. The -campaign was a marvel of organisation. It was marvellous -how that railway was made across the desert. Great credit -was due to the Sirdar, but I should like also to bring -before you another name—that of the general of our -division—General Gatacre, whose constant care and great -power of leading men aided the successful issue of events. -There is still another man I should like to mention. He -is a Scotsman, General Macdonald, who led one of the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P160"></a>160}</span> -Egyptian brigades. He got his chance, and he was able -to take it, and certainly by his tactics, by his coolness, by -his perception at the proper moment, he had a great deal -to do with the success of the day; and it was a great -satisfaction to myself to be able with the brigade under -my command to go and support him on a somewhat critical -occasion.' -</p> - -<p> -He concluded his address by a humorous reference which -pleased an audience of miners: to the effect that in the -near future he hoped the line to Khartoum would be -supplied with coal from the Niddrie pits! As the -cavalcade proceeded, presentations of bouquets of flowers, -wreaths of laurel, and other kindly greetings marked the -General's way. At the entrance-hall of Niddrie Marischal, -Mr. Thomas Skirving of Niddrie Mains, on behalf of -himself and the tenantry, presented an address of welcome. -This was feelingly replied to by the General in a few -well-chosen words, concluding as follows:—'No Roman -emperor coming from a victorious campaign could have -been half so well received as I to-day have been, and as -long as I live I can never forget it. If there is one thing -that makes a man nerve himself to accomplish a difficult -task, it is the thought that he is thought well of by the -people in the midst of whom he lives. I cannot tell you -all I feel—I should be more than human if I could.' -</p> - -<p> -It may here be mentioned that General Wauchope -brought home with him one of the Khalifa's banners -which had been given to him by General Macdonald as a -memento of his timely assistance at the battle of Omdurman. -It is of white damur cotton, with a line of Arabic -in blue across its face inscribed, 'Mohammed Ahmed el -Mahdi Kalifat er Rasul.' On a gold band on the staff is -the inscription, 'September 1898. They were brave -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P161"></a>161}</span> -foemen, these Dervishes.' This and other trophies now -find a resting-place in Niddrie Marischal. -</p> - -<p> -A time of busy activity in metropolitan and county -affairs followed General Wauchope's return home, and -his high place as a public man was now universally -recognised. His services were largely in request specially -in connection with public and social functions of various -kinds,—opening of bazaars of ladies' work, inspecting boys' -brigades, presiding at lectures and concerts, school board -work, county council work, and his duties as an elder of -the Church of Scotland—these all engrossed much of his -attention and a large share of his time during the winter -and spring following his return from the Soudan. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -At Windsor Castle -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Honours also were heaped upon him on all sides, but -without in any way marring his simplicity of character, or -causing him to be any the less the plain, free and easy -approachable man he ever was, even to the meanest -hodman. To high and low alike he was ever courteous -and considerate, and he most willingly lectured, or presided -at lectures, concerts, or meetings of friendly societies, -wherever he thought he could be useful. For his -distinguished services in the Soudan campaign Wauchope -was now promoted from Brigadier to the rank of -Major-General, and towards the end of November 1898 he -received the Queen's commands to attend at Windsor Castle, -and had the privilege on that occasion of dining with Her -Majesty along with his brother officer Sir William -Gatacre—not the first time he had been similarly honoured. -</p> - -<p> -Of course every other engagement must give way to a -summons of this kind; and Major-General Wauchope's -presence at a meeting in Dalkeith on the evening of the -same day had to be dispensed with, though much to the -disappointment of those who had come to hear him speak. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P162"></a>162}</span> -</p> - -<p> -At bazaars he was always happy in his remarks, and -whether the object were the building of a new church, or -a manse, or getting up funds for a drill hall, he commended -it with earnestness and wit, and at the same time did not -stint his own contribution to the cause. On one of these -occasions he was appropriately introduced to the company -by Dr. Gray of Liberton 'as a sincere Christian, a -true-hearted gentleman, a brave soldier, and a modest man.' -</p> - -<p> -In the work of the Boys' Brigade and Volunteer -gatherings he was delighted to give his support, and was -frequently asked to take a part in their meetings both at -New Craighall and Portobello. -</p> - -<p> -It was so characteristic of the outspoken candour of his -nature, that his inspections were not matters of formal -display, or the mere occasion of fulsome praise. Drill to -him was business; and he was quick to detect faults, and -if needful correct them. Once at an open-air inspection -of the Portobello Company of the Boys' Brigade, after -a thorough examination of the lads, he addressed them -upon the various points of drill, and emphasised certain -weaknesses noticed by him; for, as he expressed it, 'he -did not come there to tell them they were the best -creatures on earth, for he did not believe they were. -Taking all things into consideration, he thought they did -very well, but they might do better.' The spectators were -somewhat amused at the critical attitude of the General, -but it was none the less appreciated, for on this subject -an ounce of criticism from him was worth a ton of praise -from any other person. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Liberton School Board -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The same qualities of thoroughness and close application -characterised General Wauchope's conduct in the School -Board and Parish Council of Liberton, of both of which -he was for some time a member. He was specially -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P163"></a>163}</span> -interested in the education of the young, and spent much -time making himself acquainted with the intricacies of the -code and details of school management, and on a recent -occasion it is recalled how at the annual visit of the -Government Inspector, he followed close upon the -Inspector's heels during his visit, in order that he might -fully comprehend the whole system of public school -education, and make himself familiar with its requirements. -</p> - -<p> -On one occasion, in the absence of the chairman, Major -Gordon Gilmour, he was called upon to preside at a meeting -of the School Board, but having ridden over from Niddrie -House to Liberton Church—in the vestry of which the -meeting was held—in riding costume, with top boots, -spurs, riding-breeches, etc., he was reluctant to pose as -chairman. Yielding to pressure, he, however, at length -consented, jocularly appealing to the reporters not to -<i>take off</i> his coat, or mention his costume in their report! -</p> - -<p> -In the routine of parochial work the General took his full -share, and never shirked discussions on even the smallest -details of poor relief. -</p> - -<p> -While he did not care to bulk largely in the public eye, -and was specially desirous that his private benefactions -should be known as little as possible, yet it was well -understood that he was an unobtrusive but most liberal -benefactor to the district. Dr. Andrew Balfour of Portobello -gives the following instance. 'I remember well,' he -says, 'that ere he went out to Egypt as captain in the -Black Watch, during the Arabi Pasha rebellion, he said -to me, "Now, Balfour, I will trust to you to let me know -of anything going on at Niddrie in which I can lend a -helping hand." It so happened at that time we started -reading and recreation rooms for the miners, so I wrote to -him, as he desired, with the result that he at once sent -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P164"></a>164}</span> -me a kind letter and an order for £25 to help the -scheme.' -</p> - -<p> -His private benefactions were as a rule administered -with praiseworthy discrimination, as the following incident -will show. Two little boys had been caught pilfering coal -and were lodged in jail. On the circumstance being -reported to the General, he visited the little fellows in -prison, and learning the circumstances of their family, and -that their mother was a poor, struggling, hard-working -widow, he at once sent her half a ton of coals, and the -boys were liberated. -</p> - -<p> -On the 14th April 1899, General Wauchope had conferred -on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by -the University of Edinburgh. The spring graduation -ceremonial in which arts, science, and law degrees are -conferred, is generally of an interesting character, but on -this occasion it was more than usually imposing. This -was owing in some measure to its being performed in the -recently opened M'Ewan Hall, an adjunct of the -University, and the handsomest hall in the city; but more -especially from the fact that like honorary degrees were to -be conferred at the same time on Lord Wolseley, the -Marquis of Dufferin, and other distinguished men. -</p> - -<p> -It was a magnificent spectacle, and the large audience -which crowded the spacious hall at an early hour in the -forenoon cordially greeted the General as he ascended the -rostrum to receive the degree from his father-in-law, Sir -William Muir, who as vice-chancellor presided on the -occasion. -</p> - -<p> -In formally presenting him to the Senatus, Professor -Sir Ludovic Grant took occasion to say: 'It is a fortunate -coincidence that a graduation ceremonial which is honoured -with the presence of the Commander-in-Chief, should also -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P165"></a>165}</span> -include among its distinguished guests one who is so -noble an embodiment of all that is best and bravest in -the British Army, as is to be found in General Wauchope. -Here in Scotland his name is a household word, synonymous -with high courage and devotion to duty. It were -superfluous to recall the occasions on which their gallant -commander has led the Black Watch to victory, or to -rehearse the long tale of all his exploits and all but mortal -wounds. But it is not in his capacity as a soldier only -that he does with his might that which his right hand -finds to do. There is not a miner in the village of Niddrie -who will not testify to the watchful guardianship which -he exercises over his people. He has thrown himself -with characteristic zest into public affairs, and we all -know that the battle of the warrior is not the only form -of contest in which he has shown himself a dauntless -foeman. The University rejoices to inscribe the name of -so gallant and public-spirited a soldier on her roll of -honorary graduates in law.' -</p> - -<p> -That General Wauchope had not only won his spurs -but his doctor's hood in fair fight goes without saying. -His military services could not refuse him the former; -and it says much for the discrimination of the great -Scottish University that it should have discerned in one -whose scholastic education was of the smallest, and who -certainly had not the benefit of a university training, a -fitting subject for so great an honour as it conferred. But -the Senatus recognised this fact, that his life all through -had been an educational training, equal at least to all the -learning of the schools. A life of hard experience well -utilised has often achieved great results, as in Wauchope's -case it did. -</p> - -<p> -But honours of this kind did not turn his head, or cause -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P166"></a>166}</span> -him to forget the commoner duties of life, or lessen his -interest in others. He could and did sympathise with -distress and trouble, and even the brute creation were not -forgotten by him, as the following instance will show. -Lord Wolseley arrived in Edinburgh the day preceding -the graduation ceremony, and was the guest of General -Wauchope at Niddrie. One evening the two officers were -taking a walk together round the grounds. As they passed -the cottage door of one of his tenants, the man's daughter -was noticed to be leading a horse which was labouring -under a severe attack of inflammation. Wauchope at once -stopped and inquired of the girl what was the matter, and -on being informed, the two commanders were soon as much -engrossed in the discussion of the poor animal's malady, -and the best remedy for it, as if it had been a question of -important military strategy. -</p> - -<p> -One other event in civil life gave General Wauchope -in the summer of this year considerable notoriety. On -the sudden death in June of Mr. Robert Cox, the member -for South Edinburgh, he was, at the urgent request of the -Unionist party, induced once more to enter the lists as -a candidate for parliamentary honours against Mr. Arthur -Dewar, advocate, who represented the Liberal party. -</p> - -<p> -The contest was a short one, but while it lasted it was -sharp, for both the candidates and their supporters threw -themselves into it with vigour and earnestness. -</p> - -<p> -As in his famous campaign against Mr. Gladstone, the -chief feature of the General's policy was the integrity of -the Empire, as opposed to the cry of Home Rule for -Ireland, and although other subjects formed a part of his -programme, still that was for him the root question of -all others at the time. -</p> - -<p> -At a largely attended meeting of his supporters, held -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P167"></a>167}</span> -on the 9th June, Mr. John Harrison, the chairman, in -formally nominating him for the vacancy, spoke of the -name of Wauchope 'as one which stirred the blood -of every one who had any pride in his country. He -was known wherever the English language was spoken. -Wherever the British went he was known as a gallant -soldier, who had done his duty to his country in many -climes and in many circumstances, as a soldier of the -Crown. He was known in a narrower sphere all over -Scotland as an honourable politician, who fought some -years ago a good fight in Midlothian. He fought an -uphill fight—what some considered an impossible fight—and -in losing it he scored a tremendous success. But he -was also known as a good neighbour, whose ancestors -had resided at Niddrie for centuries back.' -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope's speeches at this and various other -meetings, held almost daily for the following two weeks, -were of a most stirring nature, but were always characterised -by courtesy towards opponents, and the utmost frankness -in stating his opinions. He scorned to 'hedge' a question -to secure votes, and when challenged with being a Tory, -and therefore ineligible for a Liberal constituency, he boldly -took up the challenge. 'Mr. Dewar had said he was a Tory. -(A voice, "Quite right.") Quite right. Yes. Mr. Dewar -was quite right. He never said he was wrong. He often -wondered why there should be any disgrace in being called -a Tory. Who had done most for the working classes in days -gone by? Who passed the Factory Acts? Did Mr. Gladstone -or Mr. Bright pass the Factory Acts? No; it was the -Tory party—that party which had been so much abused.' At -another time, referring to free speech, he said: 'He -knew there were many in the hall opposed to him in -politics. There was no use putting the blinkers on that -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P168"></a>168}</span> -fact; but he did not see why, though thus opposed, -they should not meet together as free citizens of a free -city, and have it out thoroughly. He never liked to use -the word opponent. He always said "political" opponent, -because he found that some of the best friends he had -were politically opposed to him. He was pleased to think -that in this country more and more both sides were -coming together to discuss political affairs in a quiet and -proper manner. It was not always so. When he was -young, things were much hotter then. There was more -powder in the air.' -</p> - -<p> -In reference to our foreign policy, the General spoke -in the highest terms of Lord Salisbury's dealing with the -Soudan question, as compared with that of Mr. Gladstone's -Government, when divisions in the Liberal party had led -to so much loss of life and money without corresponding -results. And in regard to the Transvaal question, then -beginning once more to attract public attention, he insisted -strongly that his great anxiety was that peace should -be preserved. There was no man, he said, who was a -greater lover of peace than he was, but he deprecated the -vacillation and weakness and change of policy of 1881 -that caused all the trouble then, and from which all the -present trouble had arisen. What he wanted to see now -was a strong and firm line taken, and he believed matters -there would be put right. It could not be to the advantage -of the Transvaal that British subjects should be treated -as they were being treated now. What he wanted was that -their people should be treated as human beings, and have -the same voice in the government of the country as was -given them in any other civilised country.' He admitted -that the Jameson Raid was a most unwise and wicked -proceeding, and had done a great deal to damage their -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P169"></a>169}</span> -relationship with the Transvaal, the Orange Free State, and -the Dutch portion of South Africa; 'but although that was -true, it did not remove the fact that the position of their -countrymen in the Transvaal had not been improved. The -great mass of them had nothing to do with the Jameson -Raid. They were British subjects, who went out there -under the <i>ægis</i> of the British Crown, and surely it was -their bounden duty as a nation to see that their rights -were respected.' -</p> - -<p> -The poll was taken on 19th June, with the result that -Mr. Dewar, the Liberal candidate, was returned with a -majority of 831 over 4989 votes given for General -Wauchope. The General in a manly speech at the close -assured his supporters 'they had no cause to be -discouraged, for they had only to gird up their loins, and -victory would one day rest with them. He felt no bitterness -whatever in regard to this fight. He was honoured -by their call, and they had told him he had not -dishonoured them. They had fought a square fight on both -sides, and if he was right in his estimate of the citizens -of South Edinburgh, they would very soon put matters -right. It was only the difference of 400 men going from -the one side to the other, and he would, so far as in -him lay, do his very utmost at any time to stand by and -aid them.' -</p> - -<p> -It is due to Mr. Dewar to say that he looked upon the -General as 'a foeman worthy of his steel.' In returning -thanks to his supporters, he frankly acknowledged that -'we have won a victory against the strongest and most -gallant opponent that could have been put in the field, -and I rejoice to say that the contest has been carried on -with the utmost courtesy and good feeling on both -sides.' These words, spoken, as it were, in the very heat of the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P170"></a>170}</span> -controversy, were more than confirmed some six months -after, when the sad news of the General's death on the -battlefield reached Edinburgh. -</p> - -<p> -The annual meeting of the South Edinburgh Liberals—which -was intended to be of a social as well as business -character—was held on the evening of the 13th December, -the very day on which the news came; but instead of going -on with the programme of proceedings, it was resolved out -of respect for the General's memory only to go through with -the ordinary formal business and then adjourn, Mr. Dewar -remarking, 'that having regard to the sad intelligence just -received, it would be utterly out of place that anything in -the nature of a social evening should be held.... -When he stood before them in that hall a few months -ago, he had told them he counted it an honour to be -opposed by a soldier so distinguished, and a man so -eminent and thoroughly respected as General Wauchope. -As the election proceeded, their regard for him increased -day by day, and now that he was dead he felt as if they -were in the very presence of death; ... and every one -would agree that the proper and respectful course to take -was to give their last tribute to a man who was a gallant -opponent of theirs, and who became their friend; and they -should place upon his grave a wreath of respect and -regard.' The chairman, in seconding the proposal, said -'he had frequently come in contact with General Wauchope -at the election, and it was remarkable that during the -whole contest, however keen it was, their opponent never -uttered one single word he had cause to regret. No -election,' he added, 'was ever fought with more good -feeling than the contest between Mr. Dewar and General -Wauchope.' And as showing the entire accord of the -large meeting with what had been said, the audience in -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P171"></a>171}</span> -silence, and upstanding, signified their sympathy with the -resolution, and quietly dispersed. -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope's political contests were thus -characteristic of the man. There was the set purpose, the -indomitable will; no shrinking from declaring what he -thought was the truth, but an ever dauntless standing up -for the right at any hazard, all combined with a modest -diffidence of his own personal merits, and the utmost -respect and courtesy for his opponents' opinions. It has -been said, 'he makes no friend who never made a foe'; but -the General had a happy way of turning his political foes -into fast friends. -</p> - -<p> -With him political opinion did not sever the ties of -friendship. Personalities did not enter into his political -life. He would hold his own tenaciously, and give blow -for blow in fair fight, but there it ended. Meeting a -number of friends at the Church Offices, 22 Queen Street, -shortly after this election, who were sympathising with him -on his defeat, he cheerily replied, 'Oh, I don't think much -of a man if he can't take a beating.' -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap10"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P172"></a>172}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER X -</h3> - -<p class="intro"> -OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA—COMMAND -OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE—DEPARTURE FOR SOUTH -AFRICA—THE SITUATION—BATTLE OF -MAGERSFONTEIN—DEATH—FUNERAL—AFTER THE BATTLE. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -Another and a more stirring field of action was in store -for General Wauchope. In several of his election speeches -reference, as we have shown, was made to the question -then beginning to agitate the public mind, as to our -relationship with the Transvaal Republic. It was not -thought, however, that the difficulty was of such a nature as -could not easily be overcome by diplomatic arrangement. -True, the correspondence between Mr. Chamberlain, the -Colonial Secretary, and the Transvaal Government had -been protracted, and had practically failed in securing any -concession in favour of foreign residents in the Transvaal; -but few realised how near we were to the verge of a war -which has proved one of the greatest and most calamitous -of the century. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -South Africa -</span> -</p> - -<p> -It will be in the recollection of our readers that when in -1881 the Boers invaded Natal and gained the victories of -Laing's Nek and Majuba Hill, Sir Evelyn Wood had ranged -his forces for an extended attack upon them and was -ready for action; and notwithstanding that Sir Frederick, -now Lord Roberts, had reached South Africa with 10,000 -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P173"></a>173}</span> -additional men, the Government of Mr. Gladstone -abandoned their position and hurriedly patched up a peace -with Mr. Kruger. All accounts agree that the treaty or -'surrender' after Majuba was regarded by both whites -and blacks all over South Africa as an absolute capitulation. -It had at all events a most disastrous effect upon -British influence there. From that date arose in the Boer -mind that most fatal ingredient of racial animosity, -contempt. As Kruger afterwards said, 'he had once reckoned -with the British army,' and he felt he could safely do so -again. The one idea apparently fixed in his mind and -growing every day was to get rid of his subordination to -the Queen, with a view, as the Transvaal grew in military -efficiency, to subvert her power in South Africa altogether, -and set up a Dutch Republic. -</p> - -<p> -Owing partly to the poverty of the country until the -great influx of British and foreign colonists, generally -called 'Uitlanders,' and the development of the gold and -diamond mines after 1884-5, the politics of the Transvaal -created little or no attention in England till about 1895, -when Boer raids into Bechuanaland and elsewhere obliged -the British authorities on the spot to protect our Colonial -interests against their further advances. But then came -the Jameson Raid at the very end of that year, which, -though universally condemned both by the British -Government and people as an infraction of international -law, was yet the outcome of deep-rooted discontent in -the Transvaal by the English and other settlers there. -The 'Raid' was the turning-point in recent Transvaal -history. In the first place, it attracted the attention of -the whole civilised world, and placed the Transvaal, the -Uitlanders, and the relationship of Great Britain both to -the one and to the other in the full glare of day. From -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P174"></a>174}</span> -the date of the raid the difficulties of the position were -more and more accentuated, and the designs of President -Kruger for entire independence were hastened to a -consummation. By the Boer government the course of -justice was perverted, and the Chief-Justice was made -subordinate to the will of the Executive. Owing to -insecurity to life and property, mine owners could scarcely -get a supply of labourers. Kruger and his Hollanders -ran the country for their own benefit. They taxed and -plundered the Uitlanders, while neglecting such matters as -roads, bridges, railways, sanitary and educational schemes, -but took care to arm the Boers while they fattened on -monopolies, and kept the Uitlanders from any share in the -government. In short, the Transvaal was a Republic in -nothing but the name. It was really a corrupt oligarchy, in -which a privileged minority made laws to suit themselves, -and put the whole burden of taxation on the shoulders of -a majority who were deprived of the franchise. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Uitlander grievances -</span> -</p> - -<p> -With a largely increased revenue, President Kruger -found he could now indulge his hostility to this country -and his long-cherished hopes of independence by providing -for a possible struggle. As Lord Selborne said, 'the money -was used to turn the whole of the Boer population into -soldiers; it was used to stock the whole country with -millions of cartridges, to buy battery after battery of guns, -to buy rifles enough to arm every Boer four or five times -over, to build things previously unknown in South Africa, -namely, great fortresses in the middle of the country, at -Pretoria and at Johannesburg—such fortresses as were -not to be seen in England except to guard the public -dockyards, and such as could only be seen on the frontier -between France and Germany.' The course of the war -has abundantly shown that these enormous preparations -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P175"></a>175}</span> -had been made in view of other than mere native aggression; -that, in fact, nothing less than the entire subversion -of British authority over our South African Colonies was -to be aimed at. -</p> - -<p> -So intolerable had the oligarchy at Pretoria made the -position of the Uitlanders, that these at length petitioned -the Queen for some redress of their grievances. This -document, signed by 40,000 persons, 21,000 of whom were -British subjects in the Transvaal, was handed to the British -Agent in Pretoria for transmission to the High -Commissioner, and was forwarded by Mr. Conyngham Greene in -the ordinary official course to the Government. -</p> - -<p> -The petition showed that for many years discontent had -existed among the Uitlanders, who are mostly British -subjects. The Uitlanders possessed most of the wealth -and intelligence in the country, and they had no voice -in its government. In spite of the promises of the -Transvaal Government and the petitions addressed to -the President, there had been no practical reforms. The -discontent culminated in the insurrection of 1895. The -people then placed themselves in the hands of the High -Commissioner, and President Kruger promised reforms. -Since then their position had been worse. Legislation -had been unfriendly. The petition cited as examples the -Aliens' Immigration Act, withdrawn at the instance of the -British Government; the Press Law, giving the President -arbitrary powers; the Aliens' Expulsion Law, permitting -the expulsion of British subjects at the will of the -President without appeal to the High Court, while -burghers cannot be expelled, this being contrary to the -Convention. The municipality granted to Johannesburg -was worthless. It was entirely subject to the Government. -Half of the councillors are necessarily burghers, though the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P176"></a>176}</span> -burghers and Uitlanders number 1000 and 23,000 -respectively. The Government rejected the report of the -Industrial Commission, which was composed of its own -officials. The High Court had been reduced to a condition -of subservience, the revenues of the country had been -diverted for the purpose of building forts at Pretoria and -Johannesburg in order to terrorise British subjects; the -police were exclusively burghers, ignorant and prejudiced, -and were a danger to the community; jurors were necessarily -burghers, and justice was impossible in cases where -a racial issue might be involved. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Petition of the Uitlanders -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The petition went on to state that indignation was finally -aroused by the murder of Edgar and the favouritism -displayed by the Public Prosecutor. A petition to the Queen, -presented by 4000 British subjects, was rejected in -consequence of informalities. For taking a leading part in -getting up the petition, Messrs. Dodd and Webb were -arrested under the Public Meetings Act, and were only -released on giving bail of £1000, five times the amount -required for the murderer of Edgar. A meeting within a -closed place, permitted by law and sanctioned expressly by -the Government, was called by the South African League -on January 14. This was broken up by an armed and -organised band of burghers and police in plain clothes led -by Government officials. The police refused to interfere. -The behaviour of the British subjects was orderly. They -did not retaliate, preferring to lay their grievances before -Her Majesty. No arrests were made either of the officials -responsible or of the rioters. -</p> - -<p> -The condition of the British subjects, the petition -concluded, was intolerable. They were prevented by the -direct action of the Government from ventilating their -grievances; 'wherefore the petitioners pray Her Majesty -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P177"></a>177}</span> -to extend her protection to them, to cause an inquiry to be -held into their grievances, to secure the reform of abuses, -and to obtain substantial guarantees from the Transvaal -Government and a recognition of the petitioners' rights.' This -important petition was accompanied by affidavits -substantiating the various allegations made in it. -</p> - -<p> -To have refused a petition like this under the circumstances -which had arisen, would have been tantamount to -resigning the position of paramount power. Negotiations -and conferences ensued, in the vain hope of adjusting -racial differences, under Boer domination. They came to -nothing, and only proved that the Pretoria Government -were merely waiting their time to strike a blow which they -hoped would for ever terminate British authority in South -Africa. The opportunity, they thought, had at length -come, and on Monday the 9th October an ultimatum of -the most insolent nature was presented to the British -Government, demanding not only the immediate withdrawal -of our troops on the borders of the Republic, but -that all reinforcements which had arrived since 1st June -should be removed from South Africa. Not only so, but -that any of Her Majesty's troops now on the high seas -should not be landed in any part of our colonies! To -these requirements an immediate answer in the affirmative -was demanded 'not later than 5 o'clock on Wednesday'! No -more ridiculous message has been received by the -British Government for over one hundred years. Her -Majesty's Government declined to discuss the conditions of -the ultimatum, but expressed regret that the Transvaal -Government should contemplate so extreme and so serious -a step as war. The invasion of Natal by the Boers followed -at once, and the Orange Free State, though in no way -involved in the matter in dispute, gratuitously sided with the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P178"></a>178}</span> -Pretoria Government, and an invasion of Cape Colony -was made later on chiefly by the Free Staters. With great -boldness and, it must be said, with much military skill, -the Boer forces seized the passes, attacked the small -garrisons on the frontiers, and after several successes and -defeats they finally settled down to besiege Ladysmith in -Natal, and Kimberley and Mafeking in Cape Colony—sieges -which will be long memorable in the history of -British South Africa. -</p> - -<p> -The war had only proceeded for about a week when -General Wauchope received a commission to command -the Third or Highland Brigade, forming part of the western -column under General Lord Methuen for the relief of -Kimberley and Mafeking. This position was undoubtedly -the highest honour he had achieved, and its acquisition -afforded him the utmost satisfaction. He was residing at -Niddrie at the time, and as soon as it became known that -he was ordered to the front, there was a general desire -among the miners and villagers that he should have a -suitable 'send-off,' and some arrangements had actually -been made for the occasion. But time was short, and -besides, the General, always a modest man, shrank from -publicity where he would be the central figure, and he -would not consent to it. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Embarkation for the Cape -</span> -</p> - -<p> -This, however, did not prevent him saying farewell to -his old friends. Amid all the bustle of preparation he -found time to call at the cottages of not a few in the -grounds and in the village, to shake hands with their -inmates before he left; not, it is said, without forebodings -that it was for the last time. To a friend in Edinburgh -who, in saying 'good-bye,' expressed the hope that he -would soon be back again with fresh laurels, he replied -with a shake of the head, 'I don't half like the job we -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P179"></a>179}</span> -have got; we have a very hard nut to crack with these -Boers.' On Sunday, the 8th October, the General and -Mrs. Wauchope attended as usual the service in New -Craighall Parish Church. It forms a part of the parish -of Liberton, and the church was erected chiefly for the -large mining portion of the population at the east end of -the parish, in which the General took so much interest. He -liked the simple, natural, artless form of the Presbyterian -service, and as his minister has since remarked, 'We know -how reverently and heartily he worshipped, and the pleasure -he had in hearing and in joining in the singing of the -old psalms and paraphrases, without any accompaniment.' It -was his last quiet Sabbath in Scotland. With a view to -avoid fuss he slipped away that evening by rail for London, -without some of his nearest friends knowing he was off, -to see to the embarkation of his brigade. -</p> - -<p> -The Highland Brigade was made up of the Seaforth -Highlanders, the Second Battalion Royal Highlanders (or -Black Watch), and the Gordon Highlanders—three crack -Scotch regiments, which any man might have been proud -to command. The two first embarked for South Africa -at Tilbury Fort on the 21st and 22nd October in the -transports <i>Mongolian</i> and <i>Orient</i> respectively, the total -equipment in the latter being about 1200 officers and -men, including staff of a cavalry brigade, medical corps, -etc. These were followed a fortnight later by the Gordons -under Colonel Downman from Edinburgh, among the -citizens of which city officers and men had earned an -honoured name. -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope joined the transport <i>Aurania</i> at -Southampton on 23rd October, and some of his letters -written on the eve of embarkation are touching illustrations -of kindly interest in others, and specially in those -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P180"></a>180}</span> -dependent on him. To his old friend and colonel in the -first Soudan Expedition, Colonel Bayly, he writes:— -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -'MY DEAR OLD COLONEL,—Many thanks for your kind -and affectionate letter. I wish you were going out in -charge of the brigade. I shall sadly miss your wise -counsels. Well, I will do my best; and this I know, -whether I succeed or fail, you will stick up for me.—Yours -ever, A. G. WAUCHOPE.' -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -To Mr. Martin, the manager of the Niddrie Collieries, -he wrote as follows:— -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -'SOUTHAMPTON, 23<i>rd October</i> 1899. -</p> - -<p> -'I am just about to embark. Please go and see Mrs. Wauchope -when she gets back. She will act for me at all -times in my spirit. I hope you understand about the -send-off. I hate fuss. Give my love to all my numerous -friends in the works. I hope "Klondyke" [one of the -new workings] will prosper and flourish. I hope the war -will soon be over. Symons is a terrible loss. He was one -of our best. [General Symons fell at the battle of Glencoe -in Natal, 20th October.] The British officer and soldier is -showing to the world that they are not behind their fathers -in the days of the Peninsula and Waterloo. I hope all -may continue so to do, and then make it up with the Boers, -who really must be reasonable. We have no grudge against -them, beyond that we cannot allow a Dutchman to be -worth three Scotsmen.—Ever yours, A. G. WAUCHOPE.' -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -To his head gardener, Mr. Alexander, also dated from -Southampton on 23rd October, he writes:—'Dear Alexander, -we are just off.... Please convey to all our men -and women my thanks for their faithful service to me, and -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P181"></a>181}</span> -that I will hope to see them soon again.—Yours very -truly, A. G. WAUCHOPE.' -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -That amid all the bustle of preparing to embark he -should still have time for loving thoughts of Niddrie and -'the old folks at home,' and should at the last moment -take the trouble to write such kindly words, speaks -eloquently of the affection in his breast for all that he had -left behind in Scotland. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Enthusiastic reception -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The <i>Aurania</i> took out with her the 1st Battalion of -Highland Light Infantry, and Wauchope was accompanied -by Captain Rennie of the Black Watch, as his <i>aide-de-camp</i>. -The Black Watch in another vessel reached Table Bay two -or three days after the General's arrival, and were at once -entrained for De-Aar by half-battalions, so that until he -joined them a week or two afterwards, the General had -had no opportunity of coming in touch with his old -regiment since his appointment to the division. Major Duff, -who was with the Black Watch at De-Aar, speaks of their -meeting as a remarkable one. 'I went up,' he says, 'in -command of the leading half-battalion, and when the men -first saw the General, their reception of him was a most -truly enthusiastic one. They cheered him over and over -again, and it reminded one of their send-off to him at -York, as they had not seen him since then.' -</p> - -<p> -While the British Government were thus hurrying -forward troops to the seat of war with all despatch, weeks -of course elapsed before they could be in a position -to meet the invaders. -</p> - -<p> -The Boers in strong force, and evidently well prepared, -had actively assumed the aggressive, and in consequence -of the unexpected declaration of war by Presidents Kruger -and Steyn, the northern part of Cape Colony bordering -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P182"></a>182}</span> -upon the Orange Free State was for a time practically -defenceless. Taking advantage of this fact, the Boers -had advanced boldly across the frontier, attacking many -of our towns and villages, and formally annexing them to -the Free State. The arrival of British troops at the Cape -in November to some extent arrested this invasion, and -as troops were poured into the Colony in quick succession, -Generals French, Gatacre, and Methuen found themselves -ultimately in a position to assume the offensive, their -communications and supplies being kept up by the three -lines of railway from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and -East London respectively. The Highland Brigade, -originally destined for Natal, was stopped at Cape Town and -at once sent on to reinforce Lord Methuen in command -of the western division. With his advanced base at -De-Aar, at the junction of the Port Elizabeth and Cape -Town railways, and striking north with what troops he had, -Methuen engaged and defeated a party of Boers near -Belmont on the 10th November. Nine days after, he -had concentrated his troops on the Orange River, driving -the enemy before him, and on the 23rd November he -attacked and completely routed the enemy in the decisive -battle of Belmont. -</p> - -<p> -After several skirmishes the battle of Modder River was -fought, in which the British encountered a Boer force of -11,000 men. It lasted the whole of Tuesday the 28th -November, and was keenly contested; but in spite of the -bravery and superior position of the enemy, they were -compelled to withdraw, and Methuen formed his advanced camp -on the north side of the river. After the Modder River fight -he rested his force until the 10th December, waiting for -the battalions of Wauchope's Highland Brigade, for the -great naval gun, and the howitzer battery, and for the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P183"></a>183}</span> -sorely needed cavalry. The valiant Ninth Brigade, -composed of Yorkshire Light Infantry, 5th Northumberlands, -Loyal North Lancashires, Northamptonshires, 9th Lancers, -and Mounted Infantry, which had done such gallant work -in the previous battles, was now to be scattered, and in -some measure supplanted by the Argylls, Seaforths, -Gordons, Black Watch, and Highland Light Infantry of -the fresher brigade. -</p> - -<p> -Having secured his position on the Modder River, Lord -Methuen found the way to Kimberley still barred by the -Boer army under General Cronje. The enemy were -strongly intrenched among the rocks and precipices of -the hilly region, some four miles from the river, between -the railway on the west and the highroad to Kimberley on -the east, and commanded the position with their artillery. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -The Diamond City -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Lord Methuen resolved upon making a frontal attack in -full force on this stronghold, so as to drive the Boers out and -clear the road to the Diamond City, now suffering acutely -the miseries of a siege. -</p> - -<p> -Before making the attack, he resolved to shell the Boer -position with all his artillery and the great naval gun which -had been dragged up to a ridge overlooking the kopje -occupied by the enemy, at ranges varying between six -thousand and eight thousand yards. The bombardment -while it lasted was a severe one. An eye-witness of -the scene says: 'The shells tore through the air with -precisely the noise of an express train rushing at highest -speed, and when they burst they seemed to envelop an -acre of ground in heavy brown smoke, which lifted and -floated over the kopje as if it were a mass of pulverised -earth. The noise of each discharge was like the bark of -a monster bulldog, and the bursting of each shell sounded -like the cough of a giant.' It is believed that the lyddite -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P184"></a>184}</span> -shells fell among the Boers several times during the afternoon, -but it is doubtful if the damage done was sufficient to -cause them to shift their position. The naval gun remained -on the ridge all night, and defined the extreme left of the -next day's battle-ground. This ground extended from the -railway where the gun stood, across the veldt to the river -and along its northern bank for two miles, or about four -miles from the railway to near the Kimberley road. It -was covered—ridges and level veldt alike—with bushes, -or shapely little trees from four to seven feet high, of -round, full form, and pretty dense foliage. In such a -veldt as this the Boers had two miles of trenches in front -of their strongly fortified heights, well packed with -riflemen. And not only so; but to make the approach more -difficult, lines of barbed-wire fencing were run across the -veldt parallel with the trenches. -</p> - -<p> -To attack such a strong position required the very -best troops of the British army, if the assault were to be -a success, and Wauchope's Highland Brigade was selected -for the work. Lord Methuen conceived it to be his duty -to take it at all hazards, seeing that his orders were to -relieve Kimberley, and the longer he remained inactive -on the Modder River, the probability was the enemy -would become stronger in front. As soon therefore as -the last of his reinforcements arrived from De-Aar, he -resolved to attack the Magersfontein kopje. For this -purpose, as we have said, the heights were bombarded -from 4.50 P.M. to 6.40 P.M. on the 10th December, in the -expectation that—judging from the moral effect produced -by his guns in the three previous actions, and the anticipated -effect of lyddite, to be used for the first time—there would -not only be great destruction of life in the trenches, but -a considerable demoralising effect on the enemy's nerves. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P185"></a>185}</span> -Whether this was so is doubtful. A longer bombardment, -as the result proved, would in all probability have led -to a more successful issue of the enterprise, and with less -loss to our arms. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -On the eve of battle -</span> -</p> - -<p> -General Wauchope having received his orders, all were -in readiness for the attack, which it was resolved should -be made in the darkness of the early morning. -</p> - -<p> -Fireside romancers have pictured Wauchope on the -evening before the battle as full of despondency and -prepossessed with a sense of imminent disaster. Needless to -say, these are purely imaginary fancies. He was not the -man either to shirk danger or dread a deadly engagement. -</p> - -<p> -What afterwards happened is best described in the words -of Lord Methuen's despatch. 'The night march,' he -says, 'was ordered for 12.30 A.M., the bearings and distance -having been ascertained at great personal risk by Major -Benson, Royal Artillery, my Deputy Assistant -Adjutant-General. The distance is two and a half miles, and -daybreak was due at 3.25 A.M. About half an hour after -the Highland Brigade marched off it came on to pour, -a heavy thunderstorm accompanying the rain. The -downpour lasted until daybreak. The brigade was led -with perfect accuracy to the point of assault by Major -Benson. The advance was slow, even for a night march. -Major Benson, with a compass in each hand, having -frequently to halt on account of the lightning and rifles -affecting the compasses. I may remark that two rifles -went off by accident before the march commenced, and -it is pretty clear that flashes from a lantern gave the enemy -timely notice of the march. -</p> - -<p> -'Before moving off, Major-General Wauchope explained -all he intended to do, and the particular part each battalion -of his brigade was to play in the scheme. The brigade -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P186"></a>186}</span> -was to march in mass of quarter columns, the four -battalions keeping touch and, if necessary, ropes were to -be used for the left guides; these ropes were taken, but -I believe used by only two battalions. What happened -was as follows:—Not finding any signs of the enemy on -the right flank just before daybreak, which took place at -4 A.M., as the brigade was approaching the foot of the -kopje, Major-General Wauchope gave the order for the -Black Watch to extend, but to direct its advance on the -spur in front, the Seaforth Highlanders to prolong to -the left, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to prolong -to the right, the Highland Light Infantry in reserve. Five -minutes earlier (the kopje looming in the distance) Major -Benson had asked Major-General Wauchope if he did not -consider it to be time to deploy. Lieut.-Colonel -Hughes-Hallett states that the extension could have taken place -two hundred yards sooner, but the leading battalion got -thrown into confusion in the dark by a very thick bit of -bush about twenty or thirty yards long. The Seaforth -Highlanders went round this bush to the right, and had -just got into its original position behind the Black Watch -when the order to extend was given by Major-General -Wauchope to the Black Watch. The Seaforth Highlanders -and two companies of the Argyll and Sutherland -Highlanders were also moving out, and were in the act of -extending, when suddenly a heavy fire was poured in by -the enemy, most of the bullets going over the men. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Magersfontein -</span> -</p> - -<p> -'Lieut.-Colonel Hughes-Hallett at once ordered the -Seaforths to fix bayonets and charge the position. The -officers commanding the other battalions acted in a -similar manner. At this moment some one gave the -word "Retire." Part of the Black Watch then rushed back -through the ranks of the Seaforths. Lieut.-Colonel Hallett -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P187"></a>187}</span> -ordered his men to halt and lie down, and not to retire. -It was now becoming quite light, and some of the Black -Watch were a little in front, to the left of the Seaforths. -The artillery, advancing to the support of the attack, had -opened fire from the time it was light enough to see. No -orders having been received by the Seaforths, the -commanding officer advanced the leading units to try and -reach the trenches, which were about four hundred yards -off; but the officers and half the men fell before a very -heavy fire, which opened as soon as the men moved. -About ten minutes later the Seaforths tried another rush, -with the same result. Colonel Hughes-Hallett then -considered it best to remain where he was till orders came. -</p> - -<p> -'Meanwhile the 9th Lancers, the 12th Lancers, G -Battery Royal Horse Artillery, and Mounted Infantry -were working on the right flank. At twelve midnight on -the 10th the 12th Lancers and Guards marched from -camp, the former to join the Cavalry Brigade, the latter -to protect the rear and right of the Highland Brigade. -Considering the night, it does Major-General Sir Henry -Colville immense credit that he carried out his orders to -the letter, as did Major-General Babington. A heavy -fire was maintained the whole morning. The Guards -Brigade held a front of about one and three quarter -miles. The Yorkshire Light Infantry protected my right -flank with five companies, three companies being left at -a drift. Captain Jones, Royal Engineers, and Lieutenant -Grubb were with the Balloon Section, and gave me -valuable information during the day. I learnt from this -source, at about twelve noon, that the enemy were -receiving large reinforcements from Abutsdam and from -Spytfontein. The enemy held their own on this part -of the field, for the under-feature was strongly entrenched, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P188"></a>188}</span> -concealed by small bushes, and on slight undulations. -At twelve noon I ordered the battalion of Gordons, which -was with the Supply Column, to support the Highland -Brigade. The trenches, even after the bombardment by -lyddite and shrapnel since daybreak, were too strongly -held to be cleared. The Gordons advanced in separate -half-battalions, and though the attack could not be carried -home, the battalion did splendid work throughout the -day. -</p> - -<p> -'At 1 P.M. the Seaforth Highlanders found themselves -exposed to a heavy crossfire, the enemy trying to get -round to the right. The commanding officer brought his -left forward. An order to "Retire" was given, and it -was at this time that the greater part of the casualties -occurred. The retirement continued for five hundred -yards, and the Highlanders remained there till dusk. -Lieut-Colonel Downman, commanding the Gordons, gave -the order to retire, because he found his position -untenable, so soon as the Seaforth Highlanders made the turning -movement to the right. This was an unfortunate -retirement, for Lieut.-Colonel Hughes-Hallett had received -instructions from me to remain in position until dusk, -and the enemy were at this time quitting the trenches by -tens and twenties. I have made use of Lieut.-Colonel -Hughes-Hallett's report (the acting Brigadier) for the -description of the part the Highland Brigade took in -this action. -</p> - -<p> -'Major-General Wauchope told me, when I asked him -the question, on the evening of the 10th, that he quite -understood his orders, and made no further remark. He -died at the head of the brigade, in which his name will -always remain honoured and respected. His high military -reputation and attainments disarm all criticism. Every -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P189"></a>189}</span> -soldier in my division deplores the loss of a fine soldier -and a true comrade. The attack failed; the inclement -weather was against success; the men in the Highland -Brigade were ready enough to rally, but the paucity of -officers and non-commissioned officers rendered this no -easy matter. I attach no blame to this splendid brigade. -From noon until dark I held my own opposite to the -enemy's intrenchments. G Battery Royal Horse Artillery -fired hard till dark, expending nearly two hundred rounds -per gun. Nothing could exceed the conduct of the troops -from the time of the failure of the attack at daybreak. -There was not the slightest confusion, though the fight -was carried on under as hard conditions as one can -imagine, for the men had been on the move from midnight, -and were suffering terribly from thirst. At 7.15 -P.M. fighting ceased, the Highland Brigade formed up under -cover, the Guards Brigade held my front, the Yorkshire -Light Infantry secured my right flank, the cavalry and guns -were drawn in behind the cavalry.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -An ill-fated enterprise -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Many descriptions have been published of the ill-fated -enterprise, differing in some respects from the despatch -of the commander; and much controversy has been raised -as to an alleged difference of opinion between Generals -Methuen and Wauchope regarding the method of the -attack on the Boer position, and as to who was responsible -for its disastrous failure. Into that controversy it is not -our purpose to enter, seeing so much of it is founded on -mere conjecture, coloured by the imagination or the -prejudice of some of the writers. Whether blunder, or -miscalculation, or mere misadventure, no voice has been -ever raised to cast the shadow of blame on the officer -who gallantly led his brigade through that long dark -night into what proved an impossible position, a position -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P190"></a>190}</span> -which the best troops in the world could not have hoped -to take. Every precaution was made that forethought -could suggest. Untoward circumstances, and not want -of courage, ruined all. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Fall of the General -</span> -</p> - -<p> -That the fall of the General largely contributed to the -loss of the battle, seems all too plain. He fell after being -twice hit with rifle bullets through his helmet, and even -while lying on the ground, when struck in the body, he -appears, from the evidence of some of his men who -passed him as they still pressed on to his orders, to be -able to raise himself on his hands and knees, and taking -a long farewell of his comrades, he cried, 'Good-bye, men; -fight for yourselves. It is man to man now.' Other words -are said to have been uttered, and were freely circulated -afterwards about the camp, and found their way into -letters written to friends at home; but in the din and -confusion of such a moment it is difficult to see how -these—many of them contradictory—can be accepted as his -utterances. One witness describes the scene as 'an awful -sight. The bullets,' he says, 'were like a shower of hail, -and the shells were bursting all around us. God knows -how I got clear, for I was in the thick of it. I felt the -heat of a shell on my face. I never was so near being -killed in my life. There were bullets hitting all around -me, and whistling over my head. I have been in a few -battles, but nothing like this.... We would have beat -them had our General not been killed. He was shot in -three places.' -</p> - -<p> -That General Wauchope fought and fell as a man and -as a soldier, carrying out his orders loyally to the end, has -never been called in question. He died where he would -have wished to die, at the head of his gallant Highlanders, -with his face to the foe. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P191"></a>191}</span> -</p> - -<p> -All that fateful day the battle was carried on. Our -wounded and dead lay as they fell, under a blazing sun, -close to the Boer lines. Over their heads the shots of -friends and foes passed, without ceasing. 'Many a gallant -deed was done by comrades helping comrades; men who -were shot through the body lay without water, enduring -all the agony of thirst caused by their wounds and the -blistering heat. To them crawled Scots with shattered -limbs, sharing the last drop of water in their bottles, and -taking farewell messages to many a cottage home in far-off -Scotland.' But still the battle raged. Wounded and dead -must wait alike the ultimate fate of the day. Lying on -the veldt the British still held their ground, firing when -they could, but drawing a hotter fire upon themselves from -the trenches. For fourteen hours they thus lay—from -three o'clock in the morning till six at night. It was cruel -work, with all the odds against the attackers, fighting -against a foe they could neither see nor reach. Once the -Guards made a brilliant dash at the trenches, and like -a torrent their resistless valour bore down all before them, -and for a brief few moments they got within striking -distance of the enemy; and well did they avenge the slaughter -of the Scots. With bayonets fixed and a ringing cheer -the Guardsmen, we are told by a graphic writer, 'tossed -the Boers out of their trenches as men in English -harvest-fields toss the hay.' Then they retired under the deadly -fire from the heights above, falling thick as hail upon -them. -</p> - -<p> -Not till the evening did the conflict cease. Then there -was an armistice, and our ambulance bearers went out to -bring in their fallen comrades. The Rev. J. Robertson, -chaplain of the brigade, mentions in a letter: 'I was with -Wauchope when he fell. I think he wished me to keep -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P192"></a>192}</span> -near him, but I got knocked down, and in the dark and -wild confusion I was borne away, and did not see him in -life again, though I spared no effort to find him, in the -hope that he might be only wounded.' This statement -is confirmed by the Anglican chaplain with Lord Methuen, -who, after describing the battle of Magersfontein, thus -refers to the Highland Brigade: 'Being chiefly Highlanders, -they were in Robertson's charge. He, good-hearted fellow, -was risking his life in the trenches and under fire to find -General Wauchope's body. Why he was not killed in -his fearless efforts I cannot tell.' The General's body -was found next morning from twenty to thirty yards off -the Boer trenches, 'riddled with bullets,' and was carried -reverently back into camp, amidst the unmistakable grief -of every soldier. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -'Lochaber no more' -</span> -</p> - -<p> -The exigencies of war brook no delay, and so the -funeral was arranged for the day following. Three -hundred yards to the rear of the township of Modder -River, just as the sun was sinking in a blaze of African -splendour, on the evening of Tuesday the 13th December, -a long shallow grave lay exposed in the breast of the veldt. -To the westward the broad river fringed with trees ran -unconsciously along; to the eastward the heights still -held by the enemy scowled menacingly; north and south -stretched the long swelling plain. A few paces to the -north of the grave, fifty dead Highlanders lay, dressed as -they had fallen. They had followed their chief to the -field, and they were to follow him to the grave. It was -an impressive sight, and as one who saw it has said: 'The -plaids dear to every Highland clan were represented -there, and, as I looked, out of the distance came the -sound of the pipes. It was the General coming to join -his men. There, right under the eyes of the enemy, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P193"></a>193}</span> -moved with slow and solemn tread all that remained of -the Highland Brigade. In front of them walked the -chaplain, with bared head, dressed in his robes of office; -then came the pipers with their pipes, sixteen in all, wailing -out "Lochaber no More"; and behind them, with arms -reversed, moved the Highlanders, in all the regalia of -their regiments; and in the midst, the dead General, borne -by four of his comrades.' Many a cheek was wet with -tears, and many a heart throbbed with emotion as the last -kind offices were performed. Right up to the grave they -marched, then broke away into companies until the General -was laid in the shallow grave, with a Scottish square of -armed men around him. The simple Presbyterian service -of the Scottish Church was led by Mr. Robertson, the -chaplain, amid profound silence. No shots were fired. -Only the silent farewell salute of his sorrowing men as they -marched campwards in the gathering darkness, and the -black pall of an African night was drawn sadly over the -scene. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-192"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-192.jpg" alt="THE GRAVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. From a Photograph by H. C. Shelley of "The King."" /> -<br /> -THE GRAVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.<br /> -<i>From a Photograph by H. C. Shelley of "The King."</i> -</p> - -<p> -There, among his men, Wauchope's body might have -been left to rest on the open veldt, and the spot would -doubtless ever afterwards have been consecrated in the -heart of every patriot Briton, lonely and wild though -it be. But the kindly sympathy of a brother Scot found -for him a last resting-place four hundred miles farther -south in Cape Colony, at Matjesfontein. On receipt of -the news of Wauchope's death, the Honourable J. D. Logan, -a member of the Cape Legislative Council, who -owns an extensive estate there, on which there is a small -enclosed private burying-ground, promptly asked permission -to bring the body for reinterment there. Permission -having been granted by General Lord Methuen, Mr. Logan -proceeded to Modder River, and returned with the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P194"></a>194}</span> -body in a zinc-lined coffin on the 18th December. The -remains of the gallant General were buried next morning -with full military honours, in presence of a considerable -number of people. Those present included Captain -Rennie, <i>A.-D.-C.</i> to the General, Mr. Logan and his -family, Major Stuart, and Colonel Schrembrucker. The -escort consisted of eleven officers and 195 non-commissioned -officers and men of various detachments, including -some of the Highland Brigade, and a fife band with -pipers. The coffin was borne on a gun-carriage, which -was covered with many beautiful wreaths, one bearing the -inscription, 'With the Logans' deepest sympathy. In -memory of one of Scotland's brave ones.' And on -another was inscribed, 'A token of admiration and respect -for one of Scotland's heroes, from his fellow-countrymen -at Matjesfontein.' The favourite charger of the General -followed the coffin, and the service, conducted by the -Revs. Messrs. Robertson and Price, army chaplains, was -of a deeply impressive character. Thus passed from -sight, at the age of fifty-four, the man whose career it -has been our privilege to sketch. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -After the battle -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Few episodes in the Transvaal war—and there have -been many striking ones—have made such an impression -on the public at large, or on those immediately concerned, -as the fall of the leader of the Highland Brigade -on that disastrous 10th of December 1899. -</p> - -<p> -The one man best qualified to speak of its effects upon -the soldiers at the front, has in touching letters referred to -the sadness that overspread the camp, and the deep -religious feelings which were awakened. The -Rev. J. Robertson says: 'Of the seven who formed our original -mess—General Wauchope's brigade staff—only Colonel -Ewart and myself remain. He is an old campaigning -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P195"></a>195}</span> -friend, so also is General Macdonald, who has now joined -us. I am glad I knew the Brigadier before. It makes all -the difference, messing and living together. I am not to -refer to General Wauchope. Mere acquaintances mourn -his loss, how much more one who was honoured with his -friendship and confidence? As for the Highland Brigade—there -is but one heart, and it's sore, sore. A strange -fatality befell all my best-known friends. Whenever I let -myself think of them, there's a painful tug at my heart's -strings. God knows what lies before. To give some -idea of how hearts have been touched, on the last Sunday -of the year I had communion. I thought it better to take -it then than on the first Sunday, when the year would be -a week old and the good start perhaps lost. I did not -make intimation the Sunday before, as I did not think -I would be able to get communion wine in time. I just -stated at the ordinary parade service that I purposed -having it after the benediction was pronounced. I -invited any and every one to come forward, even though -they had not partaken it before, saying that in the -circumstances I took it upon me to dispense with the usual -preparatory forms of procedure. To my great surprise, but -to my heart's joy, knowing how backward young men -are—Highlanders especially—in coming to the Lord's Table, -over 250 stepped out, and many more would have come -had it not been for the fact that they had to go at once -on picket duty. In fact, they had strained a point to -attend parade service, coming all ready to go on outpost, -heavily accoutred. With a full heart, I thanked God and -took courage.' In another letter the chaplain says: 'We -were a sad, a very sad brigade, for though we tried to -hide it, we took our losses to heart sorely; for "men -of steel are men who feel." But out of evil came good. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P196"></a>196}</span> -The depth of latent religious feeling that was evoked in -officers and men was a revelation to me, and were it not -that confessions, and acknowledgments, and vows are -too sacred for repetition, I could tell a tale that would -gladden your hearts—not that I put too much stress on -what's said or done at such an impressionable, solemnising -time, but after-proof of sincerity has not been wanting.' -</p> - -<p> -The receipt of the news of the General's death in -England, Scotland, and Ireland, and indeed throughout -the world, was accompanied with every expression of grief. -It was felt that the empire had lost one of its noblest and -best, that a hero had gone down to his rest ere his full life's -work was done. Alike from soldier and civilian, from political -opponent and political friend, came the common lament; -while the fluent pens of journalists were in some cases -constrained to acknowledge that it was all but impossible -to write with calmness of the sad event. -</p> - -<p> -The national feeling was roused as it seldom has been -before, and from one correspondent we have the following -remarkable testimony. 'I believe,' he says, 'that General -Wauchope's tragic death did more than anything else to -bring the nation as a nation to call upon God. No doubt -before his death there was much prayer throughout the -nation both in private and in almost all the churches; but -there was no national acknowledgment of God—no day set -apart by authority for this purpose. General Wauchope's -death awoke the national conscience, and there was a public -recognition of God by the nation. It is a matter of history -that when this took place the tide of battle, which for so -long had been against us, then began to turn in our favour. -Andrew Gilbert Wauchope did not die in vain.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Sympathy of the Queen -</span> -</p> - -<p> -Her Majesty the Queen felt the loss she and the -country had sustained, and, with her usual womanly -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P197"></a>197}</span> -consideration, sent a message through her Lord Chamberlain, -the Earl of Hopetoun, desiring him to express her deep -sympathy with Mrs. Wauchope of Niddrie, and with Lady -Ventry, the General's sister. In this message, it is -understood the Queen paid a warm tribute to the General's -fearless qualities as a soldier, and to his magnificent -services to the nation; while she sympathetically referred -to the fact, that in every campaign in which he had taken -a part previously, with the exception of the Soudan war of -1898, he had had the misfortune to be wounded. -</p> - -<p> -Seldom has so general and so spontaneous an expression -of public feeling been given in this country. In -Scotland especially was this so, as might naturally be -expected. In Edinburgh, where both the Black Watch -and the Gordon Highlanders had recently been stationed, -the death of Colonel Downman of the Gordons, and many -others with him in the same engagement, gave a sharper -edge to the calamity. Lieutenant F. G. Tail, also well -known in Edinburgh, and popular all over the country as -a champion golfer, was wounded on this occasion. After -his recovery he went again to the front and was killed on -7th February at Koodoosberg Drift. From Mr. Low's -record of his life it is interesting to quote what he says as -to the Black Watch at Magersfontein, inasmuch as it differs -somewhat from the despatch of Lord Methuen already -quoted, and expresses the opinion of one who was on the -spot. 'The papers say the Highland Brigade retired and -re-formed. The Black Watch never did; and, furthermore, -we held our ground all day.' As to his commanding -officer he says, 'General Wauchope is in no way responsible -for the fearful loss of life amongst the Highland Brigade: -he got his orders, and had to carry them out, and he was -killed in front of his brigade.' -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap11"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P198"></a>198}</span></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER XI -</h3> - -<p class="t3"> -CHARACTERISTICS -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -A devoted soldier -</span> -</p> - -<p> -That General Wauchope was a skilled officer goes without -saying. He had made military tactics his life study. And -he had the personal influence that enabled men to follow -his leadership without hesitation. Several of his brother -officers who had been with him for years, and had fought -beside him in many a battle, have favoured us with their -opinion of his skill as a commander; and, as to his -responsibility for the blunder or misadventure of Magersfontein, -one of them says: 'As a commanding officer, he was -beloved by all ranks; respected as a born leader of men, -for he had but to hold up his little finger and the -whole regiment would have followed him to—anywhere! -He brought the battalion to a wonderful pitch of -excellency, both in professional and social success, and -invariably received the highest praise from every general -officer who ever inspected them.' And from another we -have the remarkable testimony: 'Wauchope diligently -studied his profession, to which he was devoted, and was -noted in his regiment for his coolness and judgment. I -say this with special reference to the circumstances -preceding his lamentable death, and the loss of a large -part of the Highland Brigade recently in South Africa. -Eminently a cool and cautious leader, Wauchope would -have never led his brigade in close formation into the very -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P199"></a>199}</span> -jaws of destruction without scouting or other means of -discovering the near proximity of the enemy, unless he -had had direct stringent orders to do so.' From still -another distinguished officer comes the following: 'General -Wauchope's name as a soldier was known to all ranks in -the army, and I am certain that time will prove that he -was not responsible for the decimation of the brigade he -loved so well. He was far too good a tactician for that -blunder.' -</p> - -<p> -It will be seen as our narrative has proceeded, that -while the career of Andrew Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie -is in the main that of an earnest, devoted soldier of the -Crown, full of chequered incident and varied experience, -there is at the same time a many-sidedness of character -developed in his life. A soldier first, he was as much at -home, it has been said, in the commonplace business -of the local School Board and Parish Council, or in the -transactions of the General Assembly of the Church of -Scotland. Essentially a modest man, he never made an -affectation of superiority, and indeed he was much inclined -to underrate his own ability in almost every work in which -he was engaged. As a politician he knew his own -mind, and he had become one of the clearest and most -humorous exponents of the policy which he advocated. -Great in arms, he was equally great in the arts of peace; -and while professionally attached to his duties as a soldier, -he had a horror of war, and an unbounded appreciation -of the blessings of peace. -</p> - -<p> -Those who knew him best, who had lived with him -in barracks or camp, who shared with him the dangers of -war, bear witness to his many kind deeds, and his sympathetic -interest in others, of his kind-hearted generosity, -his homeliness, and general simplicity of heart. He was -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P200"></a>200}</span> -indeed a typical Scotsman, possessing all the best -characteristics of a Scotsman, with no fear in his heart but the -fear of God, or, as one has described him—'A man among -men, and a man of God.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -Honoured by all -</span> -</p> - -<p> -To the people on his estate he was more than anything -else a father, in his interest and care; the active patron -of everything that was worthy, the participator in all that -was helpful to their life; the benefactor whose liberal -hand supplied many a need, and brightened and blessed -many a home. When the news of his death came from -South Africa, all ranks and classes united in lamenting -the fall of a brave and a good man, of one who would -be much missed, of one who could ill be spared. 'From -the Queen on the throne to some of her humblest -subjects, through all ranks of statesmen and politicians -of all shades of opinion, from soldiers and from sailors of -all grades, and most affectionately from the rank and file -of his own historic regiment, from newspapers throughout -the length and breadth of the land, from neighbours and -friends—and who were not his friends who knew him?—even -from opponents; in short, from all classes, the highest -and the humblest, came tributes of respect and eulogy, -and expressions of sorrow over what seemed, at first -thought, his untimely end.' -</p> - -<p> -As it has been well said, 'the simple record of his -campaigns and wounds, in the service of Queen and -country, would alone be sufficient to confer greatness on -any man. His was the truest greatness, because he was so -utterly unconscious that it was great; and his extreme -modesty, and almost diffidence, obscured it from the -merely superficial observer.' -</p> - -<p> -His was the kind of life that exerted a magnetic charm -upon all with whom he had dealings. His plain exterior, -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P201"></a>201}</span> -his somewhat awkward gait and habiliments, more -frequently marked by the absence of fashionable -conventionality than by military smartness, were a deception to -a stranger. 'That the great Captain Wauchope!' said a -man on the road one day, when he was pointed out to -him as the hero of Tel-el-Kebir—'<i>That</i> Captain Wauchope, -impossible! I thought that was a labourer!' Though -carrying no outward symbol of what was in him, to his -friends he was dear. But we do not always gather -diamonds on the surface. ''Tis the mind that makes the -body rich.' He seemed best to those who knew him -longest, for about his actions there was a sincerity that -was all the better because it was spontaneous; and behind -that bronzed, ascetic face—said by some to resemble -that of Cicero or Cæsar—there was a soul with the -courage of a hero and the tenderness of a woman. -</p> - -<p> -In a letter from Dr. Wisely of Malta, we have striking -testimony in confirmation of this. 'Wauchope,' he says, -'in a remarkable manner fulfilled the New Testament -injunction to "honour all men," and this, I believe, was -the secret of his being honoured by all, for he was liked -and trusted by all sorts and conditions of men. His -brother officers found in him a friend, and so did the -men in the ranks. If any man had a grievance he was -sure of getting a fair hearing from him. But Wauchope -was not easily taken in. I remember seeing him once -standing in the street when I was speaking to a man of -his regiment, who had seen better days. After the man -had left me, he came up and said, "I was just waiting to -warn you, lest you should be taken in by that man. He -will tell you plausible stories to get money out of you, -but don't listen to him. He is a humbug, and is not to be -trusted." I found he was right. But when there was -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P202"></a>202}</span> -real distress, Wauchope was ever ready to do what he -could to relieve it, and he did it in the most unostentatious -way. In 1878, when he went with his regiment to Cyprus, -a man in his company, whom I knew, died of heat apoplexy -on landing. Wauchope immediately wrote to me and -enclosed a cheque for £10, to be given to the man's -widow to help her, as he said, to make a fresh start. -I happened to mention this incident recently to a lady, -whose husband at one time commanded the regiment, and -she said "it was just like Wauchope," and that she knew of -many similar cases where his help was as quietly given. -On one occasion, when the regiment was in Egypt, he -presented a cheque for £200, to be expended, he informed -me, for the benefit of the women of the regiment, on the -one sole condition that his name should not be mentioned. -He had his own way, however, of dispensing charity, and -was not afraid to refuse to subscribe to objects merely -because other people subscribed and thought he ought -to do so too. He judged for himself. And he did so, -not only regarding cases of charity, but in whatever he -had to do with. Some years ago we happened to be -speaking of his tenants in Scotland, and he told me that -he made a point of occasionally seeing each one alone, -without a factor or any one being present, and he would -ask the tenant to speak frankly to him, and let him know -of any grievance he had to complain of. He did not -promise to agree with him, or to see things in the same -light, but he promised to give the case a fair hearing, and -to do his best to remedy the grievance, if he was convinced -that there was one.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -A religious life -</span> -</p> - -<p> -It is not difficult to discern that the secret spring -of such a life is to be found not so much in early -education, social influences, rank, ample means, or even -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P203"></a>203}</span> -natural kind-heartedness—though these doubtless had a -certain influence in the formation of character—as in that -fervent, devout spirit which characterised nearly all that -he said or did—in short, from that 'fear of the Lord which -is the beginning of wisdom.' Wauchope's life was indeed -a deeply religious life. Not religious certainly in the -conventional sense of the term, that looks to the repetition of -favourite texts of Scripture and the recurrence of pious -sentiments; but in the deep-down utterances of a devout heart -that sought the expression of his faith rather in deeds of -kindness and thoughtful sympathy. His whole life, as we -have seen, was saturated with affection for those in life's -path who were bound to him by kindred ties, and for whom -his quick eye saw his help was needed. Yet, let it be said, -he shrank from no opportunity which presented itself -of making a good confession before men, or of giving -religious comfort, or engaging in religious services, where -he might be able to do good. His daily duties, he once -remarked to a company of Sabbath-school boys, were largely -influenced by his morning devotions. The early training -of a Scottish home, with a pious father's example, laid the -foundation of a religious life, which after-trouble and -affliction more fully developed into ripe conviction, and -matured Christian faith. He believed in prayer and in -family worship, and it was doubtless this that so much -imbued him with strength and courage for many a day of -arduous work and patient pain. How else can we explain -that trying period of his life when in Malta, with a -drawn sword, as it were, hanging over his head, and -only a step between him and death? There he sought -to know of the doctrine whether it be of God, and with -reverent fear put himself into his Saviour's hands, with the -desire to do God's will in every duty that fell to him. 'He -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P204"></a>204}</span> -followed on to know the Lord,' says Dr. Wisely of Malta, -'and he came to know the truth of the Gospel, not only as -a truth of faith, but a truth of personal experience.' -</p> - -<p> -How else can we explain that impressive scene at the -grave in Cyprus shortly afterwards, when in the absence -of the chaplain he stepped forward, and in the midst of -his hushed and weeping comrades, touchingly performed -the last offices over the dead? -</p> - -<p> -All through his life it was the same. Consistent and -true, but without affectation, in his relationship to God -and to man, he sought to have a conscience void of -offence, and to do his duty as in view of the Eternal. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-204"></a> -<br /> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-204.jpg" alt="THE GRAVE AT MATJESFONTEIN. Marked by Wreath on left of the Cross." /> -<br /> -THE GRAVE AT MATJESFONTEIN. -<br /> -Marked by Wreath on left of the Cross. -</p> - -<p> -Fearless of death, and accustomed to meet it on many -occasions, he dreaded it the less that he fully realised the -after-issues. It has been well said that the man who has -no place for death in his philosophy has not learned to -live. The lesson of life is death. For Wauchope, death -had no terrors, because it had been overcome through -faith in Him who has conquered death and the grave. -The pathos of life was with him no forced sentiment, for he -had often felt the pity for suffering and bereavement which -underlies all true life. In his own family and person he -had experienced the loss of loved ones, and known the -grief and disappointments of a bereaved father. Such -experiences broaden out sympathy and cause 'the primal -duties shine aloft like stars.' In his own parish of -Liberton he discharged the office of the eldership with -much acceptance, visiting among the parishioners, and -officiating at the communion in the parish church; leading -a quiet, useful, unobtrusive life, doing good where he -had opportunity. On several occasions a representative -elder in the highest court of the Scottish Church, he took -an active part in the work of the General Assembly. -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P205"></a>205}</span> -There indeed he was a prominent figure, as he would -sometimes take his seat in his military uniform fresh from -his duties as the officer commanding the Black Watch at -the Castle. The Church of Scotland had no more true -and loyal son, and in many ways he identified himself -with her interests, and was always ready to testify to the -value of the national recognition of religion. He was for -some time vice-convener of the Church's Committee on -Temperance, and had he been spared longer, his ripe -judgment, his knowledge of men, and his own personal -experience would doubtless have been of much service in -the advancement of this important cause. -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -An elder of the Church -</span> -</p> - -<p> -In 1895 he was chosen as one of the deputies by the -Assembly to represent the Church of Scotland at the -General Assembly of the Irish Presbyterian Church, which -met in Belfast in June of that year. In introducing him -to the Assembly, the Rev. Professor Todd Martin, the -Moderator, paid a high tribute to his abilities as a soldier, -and spoke of the courage and bravery with which he had -faced the Right Honourable W. E. Gladstone, the greatest -political general of the age. 'Colonel Wauchope,' he -said, 'had won for himself the admiration and love of his -most strenuous opponents. They honoured him, however, -specially because he took his place from year to year as a -ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church, and entered with -great enthusiasm into the maintenance of their Presbyterian -faith, to the advocacy of the simplicity of ritual, and -to the furtherance of temperance and every other good -cause that was for the salvation of the great body of the -people.' Wauchope's address, which, according to the -prints of the day, was 'long, eloquent, and deeply interesting,' -feelingly referred at the outset to his Irish connection -through his mother; and after pointing out the -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P206"></a>206}</span> -dangers surrounding the Protestant population of Scotland -and Ireland, and the necessity for more united sympathy -for each other, he concluded as follows:—'I thank you, -Moderator of this vast Assembly, for the kind manner in -which you have been pleased to receive me as a member -of the Church of Scotland. I am proud, and I cannot say -how proud, to be a member of it. It is also a matter of -great thankfulness to all of us, especially to us laymen, -that now in the Church of Scotland we have elders—men -of great transcendent ability—who love their Church, and -work loyally as Christian men for the furtherance of that -great Church.' -</p> - -<p> -<span class="sidenote"> -A Christian gentleman -</span> -</p> - -<p> -He had a high ideal of the Church's duty, and so far at -least as in him lay he sought to take his share of that -duty. In the cause of temperance he had done much -among his soldiers, and in the Assembly he was ever the -eloquent advocate of its claims upon the attention of the -Church. -</p> - -<p> -To one like him, more accustomed to the political -platform and the style of address there required than to the -ecclesiastical forms of the Church, it was natural he should -sometimes forget the ceremonial style peculiar to the -General Assembly. On one occasion he rose to second -a motion, and inadvertently addressed the venerable -Assembly not as 'Fathers and Brethren,' but as 'Gentlemen,' -which immediately caused a titter to pass over the -House. He at once became conscious of his mistake, -and turning to the chair, said, 'Moderator, I am no -theologian, nor am I an ecclesiastic; I am a soldier; I -second the motion.' The brevity and pointed nature of -this short speech drew out an appreciative cheer, and the -motion was carried <i>nem. con</i>. -</p> - -<p> -Though loving and serving his own Church faithfully -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P207"></a>207}</span> -and well, General Wauchope was no sectarian. He had -seen too much of the world not to take a wide view -of the brotherhood of Christianity. As the different -regiments of one army serving a common cause, he -viewed the various sections of the Church of Christ—whether -Roman Catholic or Protestant, whether Established -Church or Nonconformist, whether Episcopal or -Presbyterian—as all members one with another of the -great army of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the one -Captain and Head. He could, and often did, extend a -helping hand to one and all as he had opportunity. -'Wherever I am wanted, I shall be there, straight,' was -his prompt and witty reply once to a 'heckler' at one -of his political meetings, when asked how it was possible -for him to serve both in Parliament and in the army. -The same answer might have been given as to church -and philanthropic demands made upon his sympathy. -'Wherever he was wanted' to advance any good object, -he was ready to be 'there, straight.' -</p> - -<p> -The spontaneous references made after his death from -nearly every pulpit in Midlothian, and in various churches -in England and Scotland—too numerous to quote—and -the more formal deliverance of the General Assembly in -May 1900, all bear testimony to the nation's grief over the -loss of one who could ill be spared. These expressions -may be found fittingly summarised in the words of one -who knew the General well, and who was accustomed to -experience his influence in his own parish of Liberton. -The Rev. George Dodds, of the Free Church there, in -concluding a memorial service in his church, and taking -as his text 2 Samuel i. 25—'How are the mighty fallen in -the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, slain in thine high -places,' spoke as follows:—'Nothing which has hitherto -<span class="pagenum">{<a id="P208"></a>208}</span> -occurred,' he said, 'and perhaps no casualty which can -yet happen, could to any greater extent quicken our -imagination to realise the horrors of war, and the desperate -work these brave men face who fight our battles. The -people of this parish will always remember the battle of -Magersfontein as that which deprived them of one of -whom they were more than proud. General Wauchope -was a man whom every one loved, and it was little wonder. -Anything else was impossible. A man so real, with no -vestige of the actor about him; so free from narrowness -both in church and political creed; so generous as a -patron, so philanthropic as a gentleman among his people; -so honourable as a public man, so brotherly as a -neighbour—when shall we look upon his like again? ... Liberton -parish knows what the army and the empire have lost, but -our loss is one of those sacred things with which no -outsider can intermeddle.... Much which I could tell -of him makes me know with undying conviction that -Andrew Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie was one of the -finest Christian gentlemen one could find in a lifetime.' -</p> - -<p class="poem"> - 'Soldier, rest! thy warfare o'er,<br /> - Sleep the sleep that knows no breaking;<br /> - Dream of battlefields no more,<br /> - Days of danger, nights of waking.<br /> - No rude sound shall reach thine ear;<br /> - Armour's clang, or war-steed champing;<br /> - Trump nor pibroch summon here,<br /> - Mustering clan or squadron tramping.'<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap12"></a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">{<a id="P209"></a>208}</span></p> - -<h3> -INDEX -</h3> - -<p class="index"> -Abu-Hammed, <a href="#P147">147</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Albert, Prince, <a href="#P32">32</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Aldershot, <a href="#P38">38</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Alexandria, <a href="#P73">73</a>, <a href="#P74">74</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a>, <a href="#P106">106</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Alfred, Prince, Duke of Edinburgh, <a href="#P32">32</a>, -<a href="#P33">33</a>, <a href="#P34">34</a>, <a href="#P107">107</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Alison, Sir Archibald, <a href="#P76">76</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Arabi Pasha, <a href="#P73">73</a>, <a href="#P79">79</a>, <a href="#P163">163</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ashanti, <a href="#P39">39</a>, <a href="#P46">46</a>, <a href="#P49">49</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Assouan, <a href="#P93">93</a>, <a href="#P105">105</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Atbara River, <a href="#P148">148</a>, <a href="#P151">151</a>, <a href="#P155">155</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Babington, Major-General, <a href="#P187">187</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Baird, Sir David, <a href="#P21">21</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Sir James Gardiner, <a href="#P47">47</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Robert, <a href="#P21">21</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— of Newbyth, William, <a href="#P21">21</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Balfour, Dr. Andrew, <a href="#P135">135</a>, <a href="#P163">163</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ballater, <a href="#P141">141</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Balmoral, <a href="#P33">33</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bayly, Colonel R. K., <a href="#P11">11</a>, <a href="#P39">39</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P99">99</a>, -<a href="#P105">105</a>, <a href="#P107">107</a>, <a href="#P180">180</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Belfast, <a href="#P120">120</a>, <a href="#P205">205</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Benson, Major, <a href="#P185">185</a>, <a href="#P186">186</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Berber, <a href="#P149">149</a>, <a href="#P152">152</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Beresford, Lord Charles, <a href="#P11">11</a>, <a href="#P30">30</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Bermuda, <a href="#P33">33</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Biddulph, Sir Robert, <a href="#P59">59</a>, <a href="#P66">66</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P129">129</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Black Watch, <a href="#P36">36</a>, <a href="#P40">40</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P84">84</a>, <a href="#P86">86</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P99">99</a>, -<a href="#P105">105</a>, <a href="#P123">123</a>, <a href="#P131">131</a>, <a href="#P140">140</a>, <a href="#P144">144</a>, <a href="#P163">163</a>, <a href="#P179">179</a>, <a href="#P181">181</a>, -<a href="#P183">183</a>, <a href="#P196">196</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -<i>Britannia</i>, H.M.S., <a href="#P30">30</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Buccleuch, Duke of, <a href="#P109">109</a>, <a href="#P127">127</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Buller, Sir Redvers, <a href="#P41">41</a>, <a href="#P42">42</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a>, <a href="#P101">101</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Cairo, <a href="#P74">74</a>, <a href="#P78">78</a>, <a href="#P80">80</a>, <a href="#P84">84</a>, <a href="#P86">86</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a>, <a href="#P105">105</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cambo, <a href="#P82">82</a>, <a href="#P87">87</a>, <a href="#P88">88</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cameron Highlanders, <a href="#P149">149</a>, <a href="#P150">150</a>, <a href="#P151">151</a>, <a href="#P152">152</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cameron, Sir Daniel, <a href="#P132">132</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cape Colony, <a href="#P21">21</a>, <a href="#P71">71</a>, <a href="#P178">178</a>, <a href="#P182">182</a>, <a href="#P193">193</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Chamberlain, Right Hon. Joseph, <a href="#P172">172</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Charles Edward, <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— I., <a href="#P19">19</a>, <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— II., <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Christie, Captain, <a href="#P37">37</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Church of Scotland, <a href="#P124">124</a>, <a href="#P161">161</a>, <a href="#P199">199</a>, <a href="#P204">204</a>, -<a href="#P206">206</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Colville, Sir Henry, <a href="#P187">187</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Convention of Estates, <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cox, Robert, M. P., <a href="#P166">166</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Craigmillar, <a href="#P17">17</a>, <a href="#P26">26</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Cyprus, <a href="#P58">58</a>, <a href="#P67">67</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P202">202</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Dalrymple, Sir Charles, <a href="#P109">109</a>, <a href="#P113">113</a>, <a href="#P124">124</a>, -<a href="#P126">126</a>, <a href="#P137">137</a>, <a href="#P138">138</a>, <a href="#P157">157</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Devonport, <a href="#P38">38</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Dewar, Mr. Arthur, <a href="#P166">166</a>, <a href="#P167">167</a>, <a href="#P169">169</a>, <a href="#P170">170</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Dodds, Rev. George, <a href="#P135">135</a>, <a href="#P207">207</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Douglas, Earls of, <a href="#P14">14</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Downman, Colonel, <a href="#P179">179</a>, <a href="#P188">188</a>, <a href="#P197">197</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Duff, Major A. G., <a href="#P11">11</a>, <a href="#P59">59</a>, <a href="#P63">63</a>, <a href="#P79">79</a>, <a href="#P181">181</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Dufferin, Marquis of, <a href="#P164">164</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Dundee, Viscount, <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Earle, Major-General, <a href="#P99">99</a>, <a href="#P100">100</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ed-Damer, <a href="#P148">148</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Edinburgh, <a href="#P38">38</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P133">133</a>, <a href="#P140">140</a>, <a href="#P142">142</a>, <a href="#P196">196</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Duke of. <i>See</i> Alfred, Prince. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— University, <a href="#P164">164</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— South, Election, <a href="#P166">166</a>, <a href="#P170">170</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Egan, Charlie, <a href="#P135">135</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Egerton, Hon. Francis, <a href="#P32">32</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Egypt, <a href="#P72">72</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P76">76</a>, <a href="#P81">81</a>, <a href="#P84">84</a>, <a href="#P89">89</a>, <a href="#P94">94</a>, <a href="#P147">147</a>, -<a href="#P202">202</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Elliot, Admiral, <a href="#P32">32</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Erskine, Sir Thomas, <a href="#P82">82</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Foster's School, Gosport, <a href="#P29">29</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Gatacre, Major-General, <a href="#P150">150</a>, <a href="#P154">154</a>, <a href="#P156">156</a>, -<a href="#P159">159</a>, <a href="#P161">161</a>, <a href="#P181">181</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gibraltar, <a href="#P11">11</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P107">107</a>, <a href="#P111">111</a>, <a href="#P114">114</a>, <a href="#P120">120</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gifford, Lord, <a href="#P42">42</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gironard, Lieutenant, <a href="#P148">148</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gladstone, Right Hon. W. E., <a href="#P70">70</a>, <a href="#P109">109-129</a>, -<a href="#P166">166</a>, <a href="#P168">168</a>, <a href="#P205">205</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gordon, General, <a href="#P89">89</a>, <a href="#P93">93</a>, <a href="#P98">98</a>, <a href="#P101">101</a>, <a href="#P146">146</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gordon Highlanders, <a href="#P179">179</a>, <a href="#P183">183</a>, <a href="#P188">188</a>, <a href="#P190">190</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Gregor, Clan, <a href="#P18">18</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Grant, Professor Sir Ludovic, <a href="#P164">164</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Guards' Brigade, <a href="#P187">187</a>, <a href="#P189">189</a>, <a href="#P191">191</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Halifax, <a href="#P32">32</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Harley, Colonel, <a href="#P39">39</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hamley, Sir E., <a href="#P80">80</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Highland Brigade, <a href="#P9">9</a>, <a href="#P76">76</a>, <a href="#P185">185</a>, <a href="#P188">188</a>, <a href="#P193">193</a>, -<a href="#P194">194</a>, <a href="#P198">198</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Holyroodhouse, <a href="#P16">16</a>, <a href="#P19">19</a>, <a href="#P34">34</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hopetoun, Earl of, <a href="#P24">24</a>, <a href="#P196">196</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hughes-Hallett, Lieut.-Col., <a href="#P186">186</a>, <a href="#P188">188</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hunter, General, <a href="#P149">149</a>, <a href="#P150">150</a>, <a href="#P154">154</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Hythe, <a href="#P38">38</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Ireland, Rev. Robert H., <a href="#P52">52</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -James V., <a href="#P16">16</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— VI., <a href="#P18">18</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Kass-el-Nil Barracks, <a href="#P81">81</a>, <a href="#P85">85</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Keith Lords Marischal, <a href="#P14">14</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Khalifa Abdullahi, <a href="#P146">146</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Khartoum, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P98">98</a>, <a href="#P101">101</a>, <a href="#P146">146</a>, <a href="#P147">147</a>, <a href="#P152">152</a>, <a href="#P158">158</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -King Koffee, <a href="#P43">43</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kitchener, Lord, <a href="#P102">102</a>, <a href="#P144">144</a>, <a href="#P147">147</a>, <a href="#P159">159</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kimberley, <a href="#P178">178</a>, <a href="#P183">183</a>, <a href="#P184">184</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kirbekan, battle of, <a href="#P99">99</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Knox, John, <a href="#P17">17</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kruger, President, <a href="#P173">173</a>, <a href="#P174">174</a>, <a href="#P181">181</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Kumasi, <a href="#P45">45</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Ladysmith, <a href="#P178">178</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Lauderdale, Duke of, <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Liberton, <a href="#P135">135</a>, <a href="#P162">162</a>, <a href="#P179">179</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Limerick Barracks, <a href="#P129">129</a>, <a href="#P131">131</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Lloyd, Henry, <a href="#P33">33</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Lochtour, <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Logan, Hon. J. D., <a href="#P193">193</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Macdonald, General, <a href="#P149">149</a>, <a href="#P150">150</a>, <a href="#P154">154</a>, -<a href="#P159">159</a>, <a href="#P160">160</a>, <a href="#P195">195</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -M'Gaw, Sergeant, <a href="#P61">61</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -M'Leod, Sir John C., <a href="#P11">11</a>, <a href="#P36">36</a>, <a href="#P42">42</a>, <a href="#P44">44</a>, <a href="#P56">56</a>, -<a href="#P132">132</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -M'Neil, Sir John, <a href="#P41">41</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mactaggart, Rev. John, <a href="#P12">12</a>, <a href="#P86">86</a>, <a href="#P95">95</a>, <a href="#P100">100</a>, -<a href="#P103">103</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mafeking, <a href="#P178">178</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Magersfontein, <a href="#P184">184</a>, <a href="#P192">192</a>, <a href="#P208">208</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Matjesfontein, <a href="#P193">193</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Malcolm Caenmore, <a href="#P14">14</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mahdi, <a href="#P89">89</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P101">101</a>, <a href="#P105">105</a>, <a href="#P146">146</a>, <a href="#P153">153</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Mahmoud, <a href="#P149">149</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Majuba Hill, <a href="#P70">70</a>, <a href="#P172">172</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Malta, <a href="#P53">53</a>, <a href="#P106">106</a>, <a href="#P203">203</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Martin, Professor Todd, <a href="#P205">205</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Robert, <a href="#P128">128</a>, <a href="#P180">180</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Maryhill, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P107">107</a>, <a href="#P131">131</a>, <a href="#P133">133</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Methuen, Lord, <a href="#P178">178</a>, <a href="#P182">182</a>, <a href="#P183">183</a>, <a href="#P185">185</a>, <a href="#P189">189</a>, -<a href="#P193">193</a>, <a href="#P198">198</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Midlothian campaign, <a href="#P109">109</a>, <a href="#P113">113</a>, <a href="#P121">121</a>, -<a href="#P123">123</a>, <a href="#P126">126</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Miller, Hugh, <a href="#P22">22</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Modder River, <a href="#P182">182</a>, <a href="#P184">184</a>, <a href="#P192">192</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Muir, Sir William, <a href="#P134">134</a>, <a href="#P164">164</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Natal, <a href="#P177">177</a>, <a href="#P178">178</a>, <a href="#P180">180</a>, <a href="#P182">182</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -New Craighall, <a href="#P113">113</a>, <a href="#P134">134</a>, <a href="#P137">137</a>, <a href="#P139">139</a>, <a href="#P157">157</a>, -<a href="#P162">162</a>, <a href="#P179">179</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Niddrie Marischal, <a href="#P13">13</a>, <a href="#P19">19</a>, <a href="#P81">81</a>, <a href="#P133">133</a>, <a href="#P157">157</a>, -<a href="#P160">160</a>, <a href="#P163">163</a>, <a href="#P167">167</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Niddrie, <a href="#P25">25</a>, <a href="#P34">34</a>, <a href="#P87">87</a>, <a href="#P134">134</a>, <a href="#P136">136</a>, <a href="#P157">157</a>, <a href="#P160">160</a>, -<a href="#P163">163</a>, <a href="#P178">178</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Nile Expeditions, <a href="#P95">95</a>, <a href="#P97">97</a>, <a href="#P99">99</a>, <a href="#P103">103</a>, <a href="#P105">105</a>, -<a href="#P146">146</a>, <a href="#P152">152</a>, <a href="#P156">156</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Omdurman, <a href="#P146">146</a>, <a href="#P152">152</a>, <a href="#P153">153</a>, <a href="#P155">155</a>, <a href="#P160">160</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Orange Free State, <a href="#P177">177</a>, <a href="#P182">182</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Osman Digna, <a href="#P148">148</a>, -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Papho, Cyprus, <a href="#P59">59</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Parker, F. H., <a href="#P60">60</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Pinkney, Sergeant, <a href="#P79">79</a>, <a href="#P80">80</a> -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Pope Paul III., <a href="#P15">15</a>, <a href="#P16">16</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Portobello, <a href="#P26">26</a>, <a href="#P46">46</a>, <a href="#P162">162</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Presbyterian Church, <a href="#P103">103</a>, <a href="#P143">143</a>, <a href="#P155">155</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -'Red Mick,' <a href="#P36">36</a>, <a href="#P142">142</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Rennie, Captain, <a href="#P181">181</a>, <a href="#P194">194</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Restalrig, church of, <a href="#P16">16</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Roberts, Sir F., or Lord, <a href="#P172">172</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Robertson, Rev. J., <a href="#P191">191</a>, <a href="#P193">193</a>, <a href="#P194">194</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Rosebery, Lord, <a href="#P125">125</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Rossyth, <a href="#P19">19</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Salisbury, Lord, <a href="#P67">67</a>, <a href="#P110">110</a>, <a href="#P123">123</a>, <a href="#P126">126</a>, <a href="#P168">168</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Sandilands, Sir James, <a href="#P19">19</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -St. Andrews, <a href="#P82">82</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -<i>St. George</i>, H.M.S., <a href="#P31">31</a>, <a href="#P33">33</a>, <a href="#P35">35</a>, <a href="#P107">107</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Seaforth Highlanders, <a href="#P152">152</a>, <a href="#P179">179</a>, <a href="#P186">186</a>, -<a href="#P188">188</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Selborne, Lord, <a href="#P174">174</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Seymour, Sir Beauchamp, <a href="#P73">73</a>, <a href="#P74">74</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Shepstone, Sir Theophilus, <a href="#P70">70</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Stirling Castle, <a href="#P36">36</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Stirling, Rev. Alexander, <a href="#P12">12</a>, <a href="#P143">143</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Soudan, the, <a href="#P89">89</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P146">146</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -South Africa, <a href="#P68">68</a>, <a href="#P173">173</a>, <a href="#P199">199</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Spottiswood, <a href="#P18">18</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Steyn, President, <a href="#P181">181</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Suakim, <a href="#P146">146</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Suez Canal, <a href="#P72">72</a>, <a href="#P75">75</a>, <a href="#P76">76</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Sussex Manoeuvres, <a href="#P141">141</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Sutherland Highlanders, <a href="#P186">186</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Symons, General, <a href="#P180">180</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Tait, F. G., <a href="#P197">197</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Tel-el-Kebir, <a href="#P74">74</a>, <a href="#P76">76</a>, <a href="#P78">78</a>, <a href="#P115">115</a>, <a href="#P147">147</a>, <a href="#P201">201</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Transvaal, <a href="#P68">68</a>, <a href="#P168">168</a>, <a href="#P172">172</a>, <a href="#P177">177</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Trent, Council of, <a href="#P15">15</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Trinkitat, <a href="#P90">90</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Uitlander Grievances, <a href="#P173">173</a>, <a href="#P175">175</a>, <a href="#P177">177</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Ventry, Lord and Lady, <a href="#P24">24</a>, <a href="#P47">47</a>, <a href="#P196">196</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Wady Halfa, <a href="#P94">94</a>, <a href="#P105">105</a>, <a href="#P147">147</a>, <a href="#P148">148</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wallace, Sir William, <a href="#P23">23</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Ware, Sir James, <a href="#P15">15</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wauchope, Andrew, <a href="#P21">21</a>, <a href="#P22">22</a>, <a href="#P34">34</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Sir Francis, <a href="#P19">19</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— George, <a href="#P17">17</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Gilbert, <a href="#P16">16</a>, <a href="#P17">17</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— James, <a href="#P23">23</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Robert, Archbishop, <a href="#P14">14</a>, -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Thomas, <a href="#P14">14</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— William, <a href="#P21">21</a>, <a href="#P22">22</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -—— Major William, <a href="#P53">53</a>, <a href="#P81">81</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wellington, Duke of, <a href="#P79">79</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Windsor, <a href="#P161">161</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wisely, Dr. George, <a href="#P12">12</a>, <a href="#P55">55</a>, <a href="#P65">65</a>, <a href="#P106">106</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wood, Sir Evelyn, <a href="#P41">41</a>, <a href="#P172">172</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wood, Provost, Portobello, <a href="#P47">47</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Worksop, school at, <a href="#P29">29</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -Wolseley, Sir G., or Lord, <a href="#P40">40</a>, <a href="#P46">46</a>, <a href="#P59">59</a>, -<a href="#P76">76</a>, <a href="#P90">90</a>, <a href="#P92">92</a>, <a href="#P98">98</a>, <a href="#P101">101</a>, <a href="#P104">104</a>, <a href="#P164">164</a>, <a href="#P166">166</a>, <a href="#P201">201</a>, -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Yetholm, <a href="#P20">20</a>, <a href="#P25">25</a>, <a href="#P137">137</a>, <a href="#P158">158</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -York, Cardinal, <a href="#P20">20</a>. -</p> - -<p class="index"> -York, city, <a href="#P140">140</a>, <a href="#P141">141</a>, <a href="#P144">144</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="index"> -Zagazig, <a href="#P76">76</a>, <a href="#P79">79</a>, <a href="#P80">80</a>. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t4"> - Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to Her Majesty<br /> - at the Edinburgh University Press<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GENERAL WAUCHOPE ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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