is to say, on the outskirt of the town. It must also be perfectly
comfortable for the soldiers, and the officers' quarters attached
to it. Unless these conditions be complied with, you must inform
the magistrates that I must positively order the detachment back to
Newcastle. I will not have troops in billets."
The disaffection in the north gradually died down as Colin Campbell
had prognosticated; and his wise and judicious conduct during the
troublous time was fully acknowledged by the authorities. From the
Home Office came the following approval of his behaviour. "Lord John
Russell desires to express to you the satisfaction he has received
from the report of the Newcastle-on-Tyne magistrates of the prompt
and valuable services which you have constantly rendered them since
the commencement of their intercourse with you. Lord John Russell
has not failed to make known to Lord Hill" (the Commander-in-Chief)
"the testimony borne by the magistrates to your valuable services,
and Lord John requests that you will accept his best thanks for your
exertions, and for the zeal manifested by you in supporting the Civil
authorities, and in the preservation of the public peace." Lord
Fitzroy Somerset conveyed to Campbell Lord Hill's satisfaction in
learning that "his conduct had met with the unqualified approbation
of Her Majesty's Government;" and the magistrates of the county
tendered him their acknowledgment of the cordial and efficient manner
in which he and the troops under his command had co-operated with
the civil power in the preservation of the public peace.
It is the experience of all soldiers that a regiment broken up in
detachments tends to fall into slackness as well in discipline as
in drill. But throughout his command of the Ninety-Eighth Colin
Campbell had the invaluable advantage of having exceptionally good
and zealous officers serving under him. Alike at headquarters and on
detachment discipline was rigid without being unduly severe; and when
the regiment was together at Newcastle its drill was admirable,--"so
steady, so perfect in battalion movements, so rapid and intelligent
in light-infantry exercise." It was when the regiment was stationed
at Newcastle that Campbell taught it to advance firing in line, which
was a specially difficult movement with the old muzzle-loader of
the period, but which on two subsequent occasions he brought into
practice against the enemy with particularly advantageous results.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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