The Young Dragoon: Every Day Life of a SoldierDrayson, Alfred W. (Alfred Wilks)
History
The Young Dragoon: Every Day Life of a Soldier
Drayson, Alfred W. (Alfred Wilks)
Soldiers -- Juvenile fiction
As an instance of the want of discretion before spoken of, in reference
to the unnecessary exposure to the weather of men and horses, I may
state, that while I was visiting the camp, the 40th Regiment and a few
companies of the 41st Regiment of infantry arrived, having come direct
from the West Indies, where they had been stationed many years. I was
at the railway-station when they were disgorged from the special train,
in all about 1000 men, besides women and children. The sick, some
partially blind, others lame, and many suffering from extreme weakness,
were assisted into the ambulances sent from the camp to convey them from
the station to the hospital. The main body looked sadly emaciated, and
in want of warmer and more comfortable quarters than are to be found at
Aldershot. I have seen thousands upon thousands of soldiers embarked
and disembarked, many with more than a chance of certain death staring
them in the face, but none with such miserable-looking countenances as
these poor men. It was a cold, showery day for the time of year, and
they were accompanied by many women and children, who had to toil
through to camp on foot as best they could; some with infants at the
breast, and others toddling and fretting at their side. Why a few
ambulances were not sent down from the camp to convey these women and
children to their quarters, Lieutenant-General Knollys (then in command
of the troops at Aldershot) can best answer.
It is, however, impossible not to ask why soldiers, calling themselves
_men_, should marry women to such misery as this? And why do women ever
marry soldiers at all? The Legislature ought either to prohibit the
marriage of soldiers, or treat their wives as women, and not worse than
dogs.
It was curious to see the number of parrots and birds of beautiful
plumage, together with monkeys and goats, the men had brought with them
from the West Indies. I noticed a soldier carrying one of the latter,
which was lame, across his shoulders; I also noticed several pure-bred
Arab horses, especially two noble-looking greys of high caste, with
flowing manes and tails, and showing a perfection of symmetry such as I
very seldom see in Arab horses imported into this country. Those of the
officers who had wives assisted them to cabs, and then took their own
places in the ranks; the colonels mounted their Arab chargers, and
"Forty-ninth, fall in! Forty-first, fall in! Attention! Right form
four deep! Quick march!" the columns stepped off with the left foot,
and commenced their measured tramp to the music, which sounded as a
mockery to the horde of weary women and children toiling in their rear,
and who were soon left far behind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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