officers, who noiselessly laid them down. About half the wall had been displaced, when the Russians came stealing up to occupy the screen. Neither party could see the other; but the noise made by the friction of the stones, as they were successively removed, reached the alert ears of the Muscovites, and the consequence was a volley, which killed the sentry, and sent the unarmed Sappers flying. Private Harvey came in collision with Major Tylden, and both tumbled over into a quarry; but, quick as thought, they were on their feet again, and arrived safe at the trenches, under a royal salute from the Russian rifles.

The Sapper was such a Protean character, that, before Sebastopol, he sometimes puzzled his own countrymen. This was the more easy, as he was a decided nocturnal, always choosing night for his peculiar performances. Under this friendly cover, Sergeant Docherty once accompanied Lieutenant Penn, R.E., to a point where some rifle-pits were to be established; and after receiving his instructions on the spot, was sent back to the trenches to visit the workmen. Of course the night was of the usual description, dark as pitch, without a rushlight's glimmer on the earth or in the sky; and, indeed, light would at the moment have been rather an inconvenience, for, though the Turks have a proverb that a good man is known by his lantern, the gallant sergeant had to pass somewhat close to some Russian rifle-screens, and he naturally objected to making himself too conspicuous. He threaded his way, therefore, down the ravine, as delicately as Agag, cocking his ear every now and then, particularly after a stumble. At last, he heard footsteps. Did they herald friend or foe? The sergeant was not gifted with that extraordinary faculty of the giant, who could smell the blood of an Englishman, but he was conversant with the low, faint whistle, which had come to be a shibboleth with the English sentries. This he ventured to give forth; but he whistled before he was out of the wood; for though he elicited the usual response, and was thus encouraged to advance, it was only to find himself a prisoner, being seized by another English sergeant and a private, who, as he came from the front, considered him a Russian spy. It might be supposed that the circumstance of his speaking English, added to his uniform, would at once have dispelled this impression, but it happened that Docherty's captors were unusually clever fellows-countrymen of his own, from the greenest parts of the Emerald Isle-and the more he spoke English, and put on English airs, the more were they convinced that they had caught a Tartar. Thus was Docherty brought before the field-officer, who quickly set him at liberty, greatly to the disgust of the bright pair who had effected his capture.

Many were the gallant fellows among the Sappers cut off at their posts, in the performance of their duties. Two schoolfellows met in the embrasure of a battery-Sergeant Morant, of the Sappers, and Soper, a seaman. "This is not such a cricket-match as we used to have at Portsmouth," said the tar, "and I'll advise you to look well to your stumps." Hardly had the words been uttered, when a cannonball carried off his head, and splashed his schoolfellow with his brains. All bore the casualties they incurred with unvarying composure and cheerfulness. This same Sergeant Morant was marching his

party down a ravine, when he observed to a private, named Muir, that one of the two would be hit that day. Soon afterwards Muir was carried past on a stretcher, when he called out to Morant-" You see, sergeant, I am the first struck."

Mr. Connolly, with an esprit de corps truly commendable, but as tempered by judgment as it is by justice, takes especial satisfaction in noting the numerous instances of disinterested zeal, voluntary effort, and heroic devotedness to duty, of which the Sappers furnished such notable exambles before Sebastopol. Proud we are that such men should have their deeds recorded in such a history; and, truly, the record is not more honourable to themselves than to the gallant author. It makes the book a soldier's book: it makes it a national one; and we shall be indeed disappointed if the Minister-for-War does not order a large number for the military libraries, that our soldiers may be stimulated, by the incidents here related, to imitate and emulate such noble actions. A work of this character ought not to be left without encouragement; and we venture to say, that in no other country would the expense and risk of its publication be imposed on the author. We know not what steps have been taken by the Royal Engineers to mark their sense of Mr. Connolly's labours. The German Legion presented our gallant contributor, Colonel Beamish, with a service of plate of the value of £900, for his admirable history of that corps d'armée; and we doubt not that Mr. Connolly will be properly considered. But, whatever may be done in this way, something is due from Government, and we trust that Lord Panmure will not be slow to act justly and generously.

Mr. Connolly draws graphic pictures of the arduous and difficult works undertaken by the Sappers, showing their intricacy and magnitude. The truthfulness of his observations will be apparent from the following passage:

"A batch of rifle-pits on the left attack, commenced in front of Nos. 7 and 8 batteries, subsequently became an extended series of screens, spotting the ridge on its very brow, each connected with the other by an approach, which, in time, encircled the hill and formed a continuous line of intrenchment for musketry fire within fair range of the enemy's batteries and quarries. As the nights were bright, a heavy cross-fire of shells and grape was constantly poured upon the Sappers and workmen, that rendered the operation as trying as perilous; but it well repaid the trouble and courage exercised in its construction, as the riflemen picked off the Russian gunners, and thus silenced some of the ordnance which cannonaded the trenches from the Redan and barrack batteries. The Round-hill trench-an astonishing achievement of persevering skill and courage, formed, for the most part, through rock at an extraordinary outlay of labour, under very adverse circumstances and interruptions from the galling play of musketry and artillery-was designated the fourth parallel, and though it was at no time armed with a battery, it was mailed at all points with selected light troops.

Every hour made obvious the necessity of hastening the termination. of a struggle which had swallowed up an army in its chequered events. The secret of success in a siege, next to good generalship, is expedition

in the construction of essential works, and attention to their efficiency. This was ever borne in mind; and though opposed by astounding obstacles, never a day passed but a sensible addition was made to the vast network of trenches. Parallels and approaches now covered the hills, and saps daringly progressed in front. Dingy pits, filled with groups of prying and fatal marksmen, studded the advances and flanks. Caves were augmented in size and number in the sides of the ravines to give safety to the gunpowder, and shell-rooms were constructed to hold the combustibles. All existing batteries were maintained intact, and new works by degrees were thrown up in front to grapple with the sturdy formations of the Russians. As they were finished, the masks which blinded the apertures were removed, and heavy guns, peering through them, flashed on the enemy's works. One hundred and sixty-five guns and mortars of all weights and calibres were in position, and the average distance of the advanced batteries from the Russian lines was, on the right, for 11 guns and 5 mortars, 360 yards; and on the left, for 20 guns and 3 mortars, about 460 yards."

It will hardly be credited that while the Sappers were thus exerting and thus distinguishing themselves, while they formed a sort of perpetual forlorn hope at the head of every parallel, and in every battery, and were constantly eliciting the highest encomiums from Lord Raglan, our jobbing authorities at home wholly excluded them from the distribution of honours. "No medals," writes General Jones, "have been sent out for the Royal Sappers and Miners for distinguished conduct. The strength of the corps serving with the army is equal to any regiment of the line, and, therefore, the Sappers and Miners should be considered entitled to the same number at least as have been sent out for a regiment; and by the conduct of so many men who have distinguished themselves, there will not be any difficulty of finding men entitled to them under the terms of the Royal warrant." The lion's share of work and danger that fell to the Sappers is attested by their casualties, which, in a body of 935 of all ranks, were no less than 445, or one-half of the whole force.

The final assault on the Redan is faithfully described by our gallant author. As, on a former occasion, we were enabled to give publicity to the reports of Captain Montagu and Lieutenant Ranken, who so ably carried out the engineering operations on that disastrous occasion, we shall not here dwell upon the sad record; but, as the Sappers rendered access to the Redan easy for the stormers, it is due to the corps to note that a Sapper was the first to discover its evacuation by the Russians. Corporal John Ross was the man who performed this useful service. Ross was searching outside" for wounded comrades, when, coming up with two under the abbattis, he observed the absence of the Russian outposts, and leaving his canteen with the wounded men, he cautiously crept forward, climbed the slope, and entered the Redan. That last standing-ground of the enemy was now unguarded and vacant, and returning to the trenches, he announced the great news that the Russians had flown!

But the work of the Sapper did not terminate with the capture of the Karabelnaia. He had now to effect its demolition, to burn, blast, and destroy, to throw down mighty walls, mine barracks, and blow up

quays, so that, of that proud fort and arsenal, not one stone might be left upon another. These operations are all fully noticed by Mr. Connolly, and he appropriately concludes the "strange, eventful history" with an announcement from the London Gazette of October 7th, which alone was wanted to render it complete :

"The Queen has been graciously pleased to direct that the corps of Royal Sappers and Miners shall henceforward be denominated the corps of ROYAL ENGINEERS, and form one body with the existing corps of Royal Engineers."

Here we must take leave of this interesting, valuable, and important work, heartily wishing it a continued tide of success, and commending it to every one who bears the name and loves the glory of the British soldier. Mr. Connolly well merits our thanks, and if our good word can procure for him a proper recognition of the great service he has rendered to his corps, to the army, and to military literature, by this admirable history, it assuredly shall never be wanting. Meanwhile, he must enjoy a high reward in his own reflections, in the consciousness of having successfully performed a laborious task, and in the gratitude of the brave soldiers whose great deeds he has recorded.

F.

SOME THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY THE WAR.

BY R. W. LOWRY, MAJOR, 47TH REGIMENT, AND LIEUT.-COLONEL.

A WRITER in the April number of your Magazine observes, "The late war has given us a great deal to think about." Realizing much of the truth of this remark, I purpose noting down some such thoughts as they occur to me.

And first, how that one twelvemonth of work has brought out and wrought out character. We who remain all know one another better. In some cases, men who were thought much of before, and had somewhat of a name, are thought less of now; whilst in others the process has been reversed. And so, too, it has proved, to some extent, as to bodily capability and stamina; the proverbially weak and nervous have stood the wear and tear of that trying time better than the stout and strong. Whose remembrance does not turn to some men who were counted of little worth, and yet who weathered, unflinchingly, the whole campaign? How many boys, who were homesick at starting, were heroes at the close? In what regiment were there not some who were thought to be of feeble spirit, and yet who proved to be veritable "Mark Tapleys," in the worst times, in the trenches?

The general truth of this remark is not confined to our knowledge of one another as officers; it must, I think, hold true as regards our better acquaintance with the real character of our men. What captain or officer of a company, who journeyed with it on that weary march from Old Fort to Sebastopol, who crossed the Alma with it, who went with his men, duty after duty, to the picket or the trench, or who fought side by side with them at Inkermann, but knew that

company well, and in a way years of peace would not have brought with them? Have not those days and nights of common danger, bivouac, and hardship, created a feeling and a trust from the soldier to the officer, and the officer to the soldier, which will exist as long as does their mutual service?

us.

Those of us who have given any serious thought at all to our life in the campaign, must be struck with the importance of its bearing upon However little heed we may have paid to it at the time, we react it in a different and a truer light now. I do not, in the foregoing remark, refer to the consequences of the campaign, either upon our health or upon our position in the service. Both may have been much affected. I speak of a something more inner, and more important still. Doubtless it is true of us, in and through all our lives and their most common incidents, that a certain tone and character is being stamped upon us. But at no time is this more true than in a time of war, and at none more apparent than, to a thoughtful observer, when that war is over. We stand out in the colours we have worn, be they bright or be they overcast. It is realised, as regards every man's individual character, that there is and has been no standing still; that, out of the host of commonplace (we may think them) duties, we have, each one of us, either been rising or falling; that however low or seemingly unimportant our post, we have, in the opinion of those above us, below us, or about us, been either acquiring a name or losing one. How little did we think then what, with the light of after-life, we can realize now-that every duty, every conversation, the manner of bearing every pain and every hardship, have helped to mould and make us what we now are. So completely has time, except in its issue, passed away from us, so entirely in that issue has it ever remained with us. How true that "To-day has been the harvest of yesterday," and is "the seed-corn of to-morrow."

In the commencement of the war, probably three-fourths of the appointments on the staff were directly traceable to interest. I believe that, before six months of fighting, the new appointments bore an inverse ratio, were traceable to merit, and that the best men were honestly sought for. Wherein the system of selection was reprehensible the disease has been its own remedy. Witness the appointments to the staff towards the close of and since the war. I think, as a general rule, that few will be hardy enough to deny that the men who, during the war, proved themselves the most able, have been the selected ones. I know no more barren faith than that grumbling one which is ever preaching that merit is unappreciated. Those who looked at all beneath the surface, must have seen that, before the first winter of hardship and of work was over, the best men on the ground were known. If spared, when opportunity offered, they were employed, and there was hardly a captain in a regiment whose qualities and qualifications were not reported on and known at head-quarters. That all might not and should not have been better educated is nothing to the purport, save as regards our measures of preparation for the future; I simply put it forward that the best use was made of the materials then possessed. Almost every officer