On that we handed back our shillings to the sergeant of the 44th
regiment; the recruiting-sergeant of the 90th Light Infantry putting
fresh shillings in our hands, and thus enlisting us in his regiment. We
were then taken to a magistrate, and sworn in to serve Her Majesty for a
period of ten years, if at home; or if on foreign service, not to exceed
twelve.
We finished our day with a dinner, of which I may say that I have eaten
many a better; and we then took a stroll about Westminster, and had a
look at the fine old abbey and the Houses of Parliament, where the laws
are made. I may just remark that a soldier, if he keeps his eyes open,
and himself out of the beer-shop, may, wherever he goes, see a number of
places and things worth seeing, which will give him something to think
about and talk about to the end of his life.
The next day, after breakfast, we were marched off to "pass the
colonel;" that is, that he might see us, and say whether he would have
us. He arrived at noon.
"Now, my boy, get under that standard," said he to me.
I did so, and found that I measured five feet six and three-quarter
inches.
"Is he all right, doctor?" he asked. "Perfectly so, sir," was the
answer. "That will do, my boy; you can go." The trial I thought so
much about was over. Marshall and I had now a few shillings handed over
to us, and were fast bound for our agreed-on term of servitude, unless
at any time we might be able to buy ourselves out of the army. For the
next three days we had nothing to do but eat our meals and walk about
till five o'clock, when we had to appear at the rendezvous; that is, the
house where the recruiting-officer had his head-quarters.
On a dark morning--the 5th of November--we were roused up at half-past
four, and, after parade, were marched off to the railway-station to
proceed to Manchester, the barracks at which place we reached at ten at
night. We were at once sent to a room full of beds, ranged along the
two walls. All were occupied except two, which were turned up. These
were soon made ready, and Marshall and I crept into them. We did not
speak to any of the men, and no one took any notice of us. Though we
were both well tired, what with the strangeness of the place, and the
sentinel every half-hour calling out the number of his post and "All's
well," neither of us could sleep till near morning, when the bugle's
sound quickly made us start to our feet. In about five minutes the
bedding of each bed was neatly folded up, and the iron bedstead turned
up over it, with a pair of trowsers, folded into three parts, placed on
each, and a forage-cap and stock above. A line was then stretched along
the room to see if all the beds were made up of the exact size. This
done, the orderly-sergeant came into the room to see that everything was
correctly arranged; and if any bed was not done up properly, it was
immediately pulled to pieces, to be done up by the owner afresh. All
the men not on duty, except the recruits, turned out for half an hour's
drill in undress uniform. The orderly-sergeant having taken down
Marshall's name and mine in his memorandum-book, went out to drill his
company. They were dismissed at half-past seven, but the recruits were
kept a quarter of an hour longer, when the breakfast bugle sounded. The
room orderly, I should say, is a man told off to keep the room in order,
to draw all rations for the day for his room, to have meat and
vegetables weighed, to see that they are correct in quantity and
quality, and to take them to the cook of his company. At the sound of
the bugle, the orderly-men ran to the cook-house for their coffee, a
pint of which was served out to each man in a white basin, with a pound
of somewhat brownish bread. Breakfast over, the orderlies cleared away,
while the rest of the men commenced cleaning their appointments for
parade, which was to be at eleven o'clock. This was in full uniform and
light marching order. The recruits were to appear in plain clothes.
A sergeant came to Marshall and me, and told us to fall in. He then put
us through our facings.
"Right dress. Eyes front. Stand at ease," he exclaimed.
From having often stood at ease, when watching the men drilling, without
thinking of what I was about, I fell into the proper position.
"To what regiment did you belong, young man, before you joined the
90th?" asked the sergeant, thinking that he had caught a deserter.
"To none," I answered.
"Not so sure of that," said he.
"A man may have learned to drill without being a soldier," I remarked
quietly.
He said nothing; but I had better have held my tongue.
After the parade, we fell in and proceeded to the orderly-room, where
the colonel again inspected us, and asked the usual questions: "Can you
read?"
"Yes."
"Can you write?"
"Yes." And so on.
"That will do, lad," said the colonel. "Sergeant-major, that recruit
will be posted to F Company."
The sergeant of that company advanced. "Now, my lad," said he, "come
on."
I followed him to the room to which I was posted, where he directed an
old soldier to look after me and give me all necessary information. My
instructor's name was Higgins. He was a good-natured man, and had seen
much service, on the strength of which he indulged in the pleasure of
grumbling and finding fault with things in general, rather than with
people in particular. After he had showed me the bed which I was to
consider my own, and other things, the men came about me, and asked me a
number of questions, which I answered frankly; and thus the time passed
till one o'clock, when dinner was ready.
The dinner was a very good one, and all the mess things, plates, basins,
knives, forks, and spoons, struck me as being very nice and clean.
Higgins asked me to sit down; but, as I cast my eye over my rough not
over-clean countrified dress, I felt ashamed of myself among so many
fine-looking red jackets, forgetting that every man present had once
been much in the same state that I then was. All, however, went
pleasantly enough till three o'clock, when the recruits fell in for
drill, as did the regiment. The drill of the regiment lasted only half
an hour, while ours lasted an hour. Our drill-sergeant, Herbert, a
jolly good fellow, called us to the position of attention. After we had
been drilling for some time, he asked, as the other sergeant had done,
if I had before been in the army; and when I told him that I had not, he
ordered me to stand at ease. My comrade kept eyeing me whenever he
could, wondering what was going to happen. I now learned what I have
since found always to be the case, that every scrap of knowledge which a
man can pick up is likely to come into use some day or other. The
drilling I had got on W-- Common for my amusement now did me good
service. It, in the first place, gained me Sergeant Herbert's favour,
and, making me feel superior to the other recruits, gave me
self-respect, which helped me much to keep steady. On being dismissed
drill, I went to my room, where Higgins began to teach me the "bugle
sounds," and another old soldier "the manual drill," and other things;
so that I soon found out that, whatever I might think of myself, I had
plenty yet to learn.
At half-past four we went to tea, each man getting a pint of tea and a
quarter of a pound of white bread. After that meal, some in dress and
others in undress uniform, went into town; others remained in barracks,
playing drafts and other games, until "tattoo," at half-past eight, when
the first post sounded, and all men about the town, on hearing it,
immediately returned to barracks, or should have done so. In the
meantime the orderly-sergeants called the rolls of the respective rooms,
noted all the men absent, and gave lists of them to the regimental
orderly-sergeant. He again called the roll, and reported all still
absent to the officer of the day, who reported them to the adjutant
[Note 1]. On receiving the report, the adjutant sent the pickets [Note
2] out to bring them in, when those out without leave were confined to
barracks, or received some other punishment the following day. This
done, the staff and non-commissioned officers [Note 3] are dismissed to
their rooms.
Such was my first day in barracks, and such were many days of my life
afterwards. Such indeed is a soldier's ordinary day. On the Sunday
there is a parade instead of drills, and the men are marched to their
respective churches; those of the Church of England to theirs, the
Presbyterians to theirs, the Roman Catholics to theirs. On the last day
of the month, the regiment falls in for parade generally, in England, in
great coats, when every man borne on its strength must answer to his
name, or be accounted for as "on duty", "on furlough", "in
imprisonment", "deserted", "deceased", "in hospital." Regiments are
also marched out of barracks into the country with bands playing and
colours flying, and there are reviews and sham fights occasionally.
Soldiers, too, are placed as sentries before officers' quarters and
other places, and they have many other duties to perform even in the
piping times of peace. I shall soon have to show the life they lead in
war-time. Theirs is not an idle life, but still they have plenty of
time for amusement, and what is more, for improving themselves if they
will but wisely take advantage of it.
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Note 1. The adjutant is chosen from among the lieutenants or captains,
for his steadiness and knowledge of military duties. He is the
commanding officer's principal assistant. All orders are passed through
him, and he has to see that the young officers and non-commissioned
officers are perfect in their drill, and many other things.
Note 2. A picket is a body of men told off for these and other duties.
A camp is guarded by them. An out-lying picket is placed at some
distance from it to give notice of the approach of an enemy.
Note 3. Non-commissioned officers are chosen from among the men for
their superior knowledge and steadiness. They are so called because
they are appointed by the colonel, and have not received commissions
from the Queen. Many, however, for their bravery and high conduct, have
received commissions, and have risen to be captains, and even to higher
rank. Those thus promoted frequently become adjutants of their
regiments.