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The Royal Volunteer Review At Edinburgh, 25th August, 1881.
It was , perhaps , well that day that this branch of the service was not more largely represented , for the cavalry march did not improve the ground , which seemed every minute to grow worse . The artillery brigades of the First Division that followed made a gallant effort-to preserve line and step ; but the task was a formidable one , and abundantly proved the quality of the troops , the First Inverness specialldistinguishing themselves . Then came three
y battalions of Forfarshire Rifles in scarlet tunics , followed by the Perthshire corps in grey , the 2 nd Perth in kilts , and marching well together . The third brigade was led by Stirling ancl Kincardineshires Rifle Corps in green , which were soon eclipsed by the magnificent Highland batallions from Sutherland and Argyleshires . The physique of these men was splendid , and they marched in grand styleapparently accustomed to the soaking conditions of
, weather and ground . A very fine regiment from Dumbartonshire followed in green uniform . The last brigade was led by two Lanarkshire battalions , and comprised , also , the First Aberdeenshire corps , of whose steadiness and appearance Colonel Jopp may well feel proud . The artillery brigade in the Second Division was made up of corps from Mid-Lothian to Durham , more than 1300 coming from south of the Tweed . The Fifeshire battalions , both
artillery and rifles , made a- capital appearance , the marching of the latter being very praiseworthy . In the third brigade a detachment of the London Scottish came in for a large share of popular favour , though in appearance and military style they were undoubtedly surpassed by the First Midlothian and the First- Cumberland which followed . Indeed , except some of the real Highland regimentsthere was no body on the ground that looked better
, than the the last-named regiment . The Edinburgh Rifles , in dark grey , that led the next brigade are a very fine corps , 2000 strong ; but although on their own ground , their marching was not equal to those preceding , nor to that of the very soldier-like bodies from the border counties that made up the last brigade of the division .
The ground was now in an awful state , and more than one mounted officer had come to grief ; the men hacl to wade ancle-deep in mud Jand water , and the soaking rain took away all brilliancy from the uniforms . Still the sight was a magnificent one ; ancl the west-countrymen who made up the Third Division , though they had the worst of the ground , received deserved cheers for their plucky and determined bearing . The First Renfrewshire , First Ayrshire , and notably the First Lanarkshire regiments made as fine an appearance as any
corps that clay . Long before the last battalion marched past , the crowd on the hill was beginning to give in to the storm ; ancl had the means of egress been equal to the desi 2-e for escape , the retreat would soon have been general . At one time , indeed , the pressure was so great that the line of troops was in great danger of complete collapseand order was onlrestored bthe most prompt
, y y action on the part of the commanding officers . Her Majesty , amid a royal salute from the battery and the hearty cheers of the spectators , quickly drove off the field and entered the Palace Garden by a private way . After that the stampede on the part of the public become general , and within an hour the Park and hill-sides were as bare of human beings as a Highland moor .
Space will not allow to tell of the incidents of the return to the town . Suffice to say that the whole of the troops were got off in wonderfully good time ; ancl though individual sufferings ancl discomforts must have been great , there was no breakdown or mishap anywhere . The rain continued all the evening , and the state of the streets and railway stations can be more easily conceived than described .
The Volunteer army that day achieved one of its proudest successes , and Queen and country may well De satisfied with the quality of their citizen soldiez-s , after the magnificent displays at Windsor and Edinburgh in 1881 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Royal Volunteer Review At Edinburgh, 25th August, 1881.
It was , perhaps , well that day that this branch of the service was not more largely represented , for the cavalry march did not improve the ground , which seemed every minute to grow worse . The artillery brigades of the First Division that followed made a gallant effort-to preserve line and step ; but the task was a formidable one , and abundantly proved the quality of the troops , the First Inverness specialldistinguishing themselves . Then came three
y battalions of Forfarshire Rifles in scarlet tunics , followed by the Perthshire corps in grey , the 2 nd Perth in kilts , and marching well together . The third brigade was led by Stirling ancl Kincardineshires Rifle Corps in green , which were soon eclipsed by the magnificent Highland batallions from Sutherland and Argyleshires . The physique of these men was splendid , and they marched in grand styleapparently accustomed to the soaking conditions of
, weather and ground . A very fine regiment from Dumbartonshire followed in green uniform . The last brigade was led by two Lanarkshire battalions , and comprised , also , the First Aberdeenshire corps , of whose steadiness and appearance Colonel Jopp may well feel proud . The artillery brigade in the Second Division was made up of corps from Mid-Lothian to Durham , more than 1300 coming from south of the Tweed . The Fifeshire battalions , both
artillery and rifles , made a- capital appearance , the marching of the latter being very praiseworthy . In the third brigade a detachment of the London Scottish came in for a large share of popular favour , though in appearance and military style they were undoubtedly surpassed by the First Midlothian and the First- Cumberland which followed . Indeed , except some of the real Highland regimentsthere was no body on the ground that looked better
, than the the last-named regiment . The Edinburgh Rifles , in dark grey , that led the next brigade are a very fine corps , 2000 strong ; but although on their own ground , their marching was not equal to those preceding , nor to that of the very soldier-like bodies from the border counties that made up the last brigade of the division .
The ground was now in an awful state , and more than one mounted officer had come to grief ; the men hacl to wade ancle-deep in mud Jand water , and the soaking rain took away all brilliancy from the uniforms . Still the sight was a magnificent one ; ancl the west-countrymen who made up the Third Division , though they had the worst of the ground , received deserved cheers for their plucky and determined bearing . The First Renfrewshire , First Ayrshire , and notably the First Lanarkshire regiments made as fine an appearance as any
corps that clay . Long before the last battalion marched past , the crowd on the hill was beginning to give in to the storm ; ancl had the means of egress been equal to the desi 2-e for escape , the retreat would soon have been general . At one time , indeed , the pressure was so great that the line of troops was in great danger of complete collapseand order was onlrestored bthe most prompt
, y y action on the part of the commanding officers . Her Majesty , amid a royal salute from the battery and the hearty cheers of the spectators , quickly drove off the field and entered the Palace Garden by a private way . After that the stampede on the part of the public become general , and within an hour the Park and hill-sides were as bare of human beings as a Highland moor .
Space will not allow to tell of the incidents of the return to the town . Suffice to say that the whole of the troops were got off in wonderfully good time ; ancl though individual sufferings ancl discomforts must have been great , there was no breakdown or mishap anywhere . The rain continued all the evening , and the state of the streets and railway stations can be more easily conceived than described .
The Volunteer army that day achieved one of its proudest successes , and Queen and country may well De satisfied with the quality of their citizen soldiez-s , after the magnificent displays at Windsor and Edinburgh in 1881 .