His famous pilgrimage, in November, 1872, from Gretna Green to London, bearing aloft a large American flag, brought forth striking testimony to the undercurrent of cordiality in England for all things American. Photographed from the wax model at Madame Tussaud’s.] This gallant soldier of the Federal Army, after carrying the Star-spangled Banner through the Southern States of America to prove that the war had not killed the respect felt for the national flag, crossed the Atlantic, in fulfilment of a wager, and bore the Stars and Stripes from Gretna Green to London, amid most enthusiastic scenes, demonstrating that Bates was right when he insisted that John Bull and Uncle Sam were the best of friends at heart. Mr. Joseph Tussaud modelled a portrait of the sergeant, who had an honoured place in the Exhibition for several years. Bates was a patriotic American who had a firm belief in the friendship of the English people for their American brethren. For 1,500 miles through States whose streets had been stained with the blood of civil carnage he had marched with the national flag to the strains of patriotic music, an eloquent tribute to his countrymen’s deep-rooted love of peace. His passage was a triumphant success, and the exploit is handed down to posterity in Captain Mayne Reid’s stirring poem “From Vicksburg to the Sea,” the first of its five verses being: Bear on the banner, soldier bold! How Southern hearts must thrill To see the flag, so loved of all, Waving above them still! What chords ’twill touch, what echoes wake, Of that far truer time! Who knows but it the spell may break That maddened them to crime. This was remotely the origin of Bates’s English expedition. Calumny was rife in the States. No theme had been so often discussed for the two years then past as that of the feeling of John Bull towards Uncle Sam. The malicious craft of certain politicians had led them to foster elements of hatred towards the Old Country, and a corrupt section of the Press had lent itself to the unworthy task of exaggerating trifles and distorting facts to suit the fancies of gullible readers. It was in the course of one such discussion as to the feeling of the English towards Americans that this lover of concord was led to make a wager of 100 dollars against 1,000 dollars that the people of England would not insult the flag of America, but would welcome it heartily wherever it should be borne by an American soldier. Not a few of his compatriots were incredulous of his success, and they predicted that he would miserably fail; while one said, “I bet he don’t travel twelve miles before he sets face homeward and leaves his bean-pole in the custody of some parish beadle.” The gallant sergeant was determined and confident, however, and, taking passage in the Anchor liner _Europa_, he crossed the Atlantic.