Brighton, December 14, 1865.
Here we are at the Newport of England, in the height of the
season, in comfortable apartments fronting on the Parade, where the world is
continually passing and repassing. We are on the ground floor, have a parlor
and dining-room in front, dressing-room and large bed-room in rear. We have
been trying for rooms for two weeks, but everything is full. The Adamses have
been staying down here, but went to town this week. We had a very kind note
from Mrs. Adams yesterday, asking us to go there Friday, but we had taken these
rooms and did not like to lose them. She had been expecting us down here, as I
told Mr. Adams that we were coming as soon as we could get suitable apartments.
Charlie Adams is with them now, and we shall see him when we return to town.
Yesterday, Frank, was the best day I have had in England. We
went down to Aldershott, under charge of Conolly, on invitation of
Lieutenant-general Sir James Scarlett. We found his carriage, etc., waiting at
the station, and were soon at his house, where we received a cordial welcome
from the old General. He is a fine looking old fellow, white whiskers and
moustache, tall and stout. He won his K. C. B. in the Crimea. His staff were
fine looking men, well decorated. The troops were all out in line, awaiting our
arrival, so we started for the field at once. The General rode a stunning big
thorough-bred, and we went in his carriage with two of Lady Abinger's nieces.
The field of Aldershott extends for miles without a tree or fence, nothing but
barren heath, with a fair division of hilly and level ground. Of course at this
season of the year the ground was wet and soft in some places. The old General
showed me his morning report before we went out, where I saw that out of 7,000
men he could only get out for work about 4,500, and he asked me if I had not
experienced the same annoyance. We know just how to sympathize, don't we,
Frank? You see our army is not the only one where your effective men are
consumed by furloughs, details, extra duty, etc., etc. Sir James's carriage was
allowed to drive inside the line of sentinels, and stand just in rear of the
reviewing officers' post. The day, you must know, was perfect, the first
sunny day I have seen in England. This long line of cavalry, horse and foot
artillery, engineers, and infantry, all in their brilliant uniform, was no
common sight to an American soldier. There were two regiments of Highlanders,
which added color and effect to the picture. The General and staff started
around the line, and the bands began each in turn, as with us, but, also, the
commander of each brigade, with his staff, accompanied the General along the
front of his own line, the commander of each regiment and troop and battery the
same, which I think is a good plan, don't you? for a regimental or brigade commander
likes to see how his men look and stand just as well as the commanding general.
The engineers had their whole pontoon train out with them, the Division
ambulances and wagons were drawn up, — in short, the Division was in perfect
marching order, ready for a campaign. In marching past, the cavalry and
artillery came first, alternating, then the engineers, then infantry. They
marched by divisions, company officers on the flanks; only mounted officers
saluted, and I noticed that the General returned the salute of each, but did
not salute the colors as every other officer in the group did. The Highlanders
did the best marching. I have seen as good in America. The bands of each
brigade were massed in one, which stood opposite us while its brigade passed,
and, as you can imagine, made great music. The cavalry band, which merely fell
back a little while the infantry was passing, now came forward, as the cavalry
was to pass again at trot. This was very good, the horses actually keeping step
with the quick staccato movement. The saddles of the hussars and the harnesses
of the artillery were beautiful to behold, the chains of steel were burnished
so that they looked like silver. The guns were “browned” breach-loading
Armstrong, three-inch. The pontoons and wagons went by, also, at trot, their
equipments as perfect and the uniforms of the drivers as handsome as in the
artillery. It was something that I wished many times that you were by my side
to see with me. The General now gave his brigadiers and chiefs of artillery and
cavalry a general idea of what he wanted done, and then, telling us how we
could best see the movements, left us in charge of the provost marshal, who had
a guard to keep spectators from interfering with the troops. Sir James's
carriage, with our party, was inside this guard, and privileged to move about
at will, so as not to be in the way of the troops. If I had known how it was to
be, I should have gone prepared to ride, as the General had a horse ready for
me. But we saw very well from the carriage. Front was changed to the rear, the
cavalry sent off to the left to harass the flank of the enemy, a heavy skirmish
line sent forward which opened fire at once, advancing in beautiful order,
taking the different crests, which were quickly capped with artillery, opening
as soon as it was in position, the first line and supports moving up, keeping
their distances well, now moving to the right or left as imagined necessity
required.
It was all so natural and so real, that I expected every
minute to hear a bullet whiz by my ear, or a shell go screeching over my head.
I saw one flaw, which of course I held my tongue about (but which the General
himself spoke about and condemned afterwards); the pontoons were sent forward,
ready to throw across a canal that intersects the field, and they were right up
with the skirmish line without any support, and being very large and heavy and
conspicuous, they would have been an easy mark for a good gunner, or have
fallen an easy prey to a determined dash of cavalry, which could easily have
broken through the skirmish line. The pontoons are unlike ours, — open wooden
boats, — but are cylindrical buoys, about twenty feet long and four feet
diameter, on which the timbers are laid, and being made of iron, air-tight,
would be transformed into pepper-boxes by a clever gunner in no time in such an
open country as that. However, the skirmishers cleared the way, and the
pontoons were got into the water in safety, and the bridge very quickly laid,
over which part of the infantry passed; the rest, and the artillery, which was
all this time firing over our heads from the crests in our rear, crossed by a
stone bridge farther to the right, the cavalry by one on the left. We went over
the pontoon, which was very solid, sending the carriage around by the stone
bridge on account of the horses. It took them about twenty-five minutes, I
should think, to get the bridge ready for troops. The enemy (?) now was in full
retreat, and a general advance was made, while the cavalry charged from the
flank.
We drove around through the barracks, which were the picture
of neatness, back to Sir James's to lunch. Lady Scarlett we found a nice,
dignified old lady. We also found that after an early breakfast and a long
morning, we were quite ready for the substantial lunch to which I presently
handed in “my lady.” After lunch, Sir James spoke of the mistake of having
those pontoons in such an exposed position, and I was pleased to find that I
had seen it. He said I must go down there again in the spring, when he will
have twice as many troops, and I shall only be too glad to do so. They were all
very cordial and kind, and I don't remember a more enjoyable day. It only
needed an enemy and ball cartridges, without the lunch and ladies, to make it
like many disagreeable ones that we have seen. We had to go back to London to
take the Brighton train, and got here very comfortably.
SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William
Francis Bartlett, p. 166-70
