The history of the 1st Batt. Wilts Volunteers, from 1861 to 1885Gibney, R. D. (Robert Dwarris)
History
The history of the 1st Batt. Wilts Volunteers, from 1861 to 1885
Gibney, R. D. (Robert Dwarris)
Great Britain. Army. Wiltshire Regiment. Battalion, 1st -- History
It was these ever-increasing expenses in attending home drills,
battalion drills, general assemblies, and camps which ultimately caused
many corps to die out. The initial expenses of an individual or of a
committee, in raising such a body of men, finding practice-grounds,
targets, ammunition, clothing, accoutrements, &c., were heavy, and
were willingly met; but when it came to men being away from their work
for a week at a time in camp, or autumn manœuvres, or hiring wagons,
and paying very large railway fares five or six times in the year,
the scattered corps began to get few recruits, and gradually fell
off in efficiency and numbers. Owing to the death of its founder and
captain, W. Chafyn Grove, Esq., much of the needful support was gone,
and notwithstanding every exertion was made by his family to revive
the company, yet little was the success. The addition of the Silton
estates to the Zeals properties added a few more men, but they served
unwillingly. Their hearts were with their first love, the corps which
they had helped to raise, the 6th, with its head quarters at Maiden
Bradley, and so, after a while, their advent was of little account, and
No. 8 Corps resumed its fading aspect.
Lieutenant Card and Ensign White did their best to keep the company
together, and, at no little expense to themselves and others, succeeded
in bringing a fair number of men to battalion drills and local reviews.
Troyte Bullock, Esq., accepted the vacant commission of Captain, and
attached himself to the Guards with a view of acquiring a knowledge of
the various drills and practices recently introduced, and commanded
the company on the occasion of its last attendance at camp, and
such portions of it as proceeded to the autumn manœuvres, held on
the borders of Wilts and Dorset, taking part in the various defeats
and victories, and being left ingloriously with his men to guard a
haystack, whilst the divisions pushed on to complete the victory over
the northern army at the battle of Wishford.
It was useless to contend against fate, and the 8th Corps, with its
head quarters at Mere, ceased to exist in 1878, just two years later
than that which witnessed the same disaster in the 6th Corps, with its
head quarters at Maiden Bradley.
9TH CORPS. BRADFORD-ON-AVON.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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