When the sands of the lonely desert covered the plains of strife
Where the English fought for the rescue and the Arab stood for his life,
When the crash of the battle is over and healed are our wounds and scars,
There will live in our island story a Tale of the Tenth Hussars.
They had charged in the grand old fashion with furious shout and swoop,
With a “Follow me, lads!” from the Colonel and an answering roar from the troop;
From the Staff, as the troopers past it, in glory of pride and pluck,
They heard, and they never forgot it, one following shout “Good Luck!”
Wounded and worn he sat there, in silence of pride and pain,
The man who had led them often, but was never to lead again.
Think of the secret anguish! Think of the dull remorse!
To see the Hussars sweep past him, unled by the old White Horse.
An Alien, not a stranger; with the heart of a comrade still,
He had borne his sorrow bravely, as a soldier must and will;
And when the battle was over, in deepening gloom and shade,
He followed the staff in silence, and rode to the Grand Parade;
For the Tenth had another hero, all ripe for the General’s praise,
Who was called to the front that evening, by the name of Trooper Hayes;
He had slashed his way to fortune, when scattered, unhorsed, alone,
And in saving the life of a comrade, had managed to guard his own.
The General spoke out bravely, as ever a soldier can,
“The Army’s proud of your valour; the Regiment’s proud of its man!”
Then across that lonely desert, at the close of the General’s praise,
Came a cheer, then a quick short tremble, on the lips of Trooper Hayes.
“Speak out!” said the kindly General, “if you’ve anything Lad to say,
Your Queen and your dear old country shall hear what you’ve done today!”
“Speak out, old chap” said his comrades.
With an effort at last he said
“I came to the front with my pals here, the boys and the brave old tars,
I’ve fought for my Queen and Country and rode with the Tenth Hussars;
“I’m proud of the fine old Regiment” then the Colonel shook his hand,
“So I’ll ask one single favour from my Queen and my native land!
There sits by your side on your staff Sir,
A man we are proud to own!
He was struck down first in the battle, but never was heard to groan;
“If I’ve done ought to deserve it” then the Colonel smiled “Of course”
“Give back to the Tenth their Colonel, the man on the Old White Horse!
“If ever a man bore up Sir, as a soldier should with pluck,
And fought with a savage sorrow the demon of cursed ill-luck—
That man, he sits before you! Give us back with his wounds and scars,
The man who has sorely suffered, and is loved by the Tenth Hussars!”
Then a cheer went up from his comrades, and echoed across the sand,
And was borne of the wings of mercy to the heart of his native land,
Where the Queen on her throne will hear it, and the Colonel Prince will praise
The words of a simple soldier just uttered by Trooper Hayes.
Let the moralist stoop to mercy, that balm of all soles that live;
For better than all forgetting, is the wonderful word “Forgive!”
The above verses by Mr. Clement Scott, appeared in Punch of March 15th, 1884, and was widely re-printed throughout almost every paper in the country due to their very opportune reference to General Valentine Baker, whose sad dismissal case for assault had been widely followed by the public in 1875.
When the sands of the lonely desert covered the plains of strife
Where the English fought for the rescue and the Arab stood for his life,
When the crash of the battle is over and healed are our wounds and scars,
There will live in our island story a Tale of the Tenth Hussars.
They had charged in the grand old fashion with furious shout and swoop,
With a “Follow me, lads!” from the Colonel and an answering roar from the troop;
From the Staff, as the troopers past it, in glory of pride and pluck,
They heard, and they never forgot it, one following shout “Good Luck!”
Wounded and worn he sat there, in silence of pride and pain,
The man who had led them often, but was never to lead again.
Think of the secret anguish! Think of the dull remorse!
To see the Hussars sweep past him, unled by the old White Horse.
An Alien, not a stranger; with the heart of a comrade still,
He had borne his sorrow bravely, as a soldier must and will;
And when the battle was over, in deepening gloom and shade,
He followed the staff in silence, and rode to the Grand Parade;
For the Tenth had another hero, all ripe for the General’s praise,
Who was called to the front that evening, by the name of Trooper Hayes;
He had slashed his way to fortune, when scattered, unhorsed, alone,
And in saving the life of a comrade, had managed to guard his own.
The General spoke out bravely, as ever a soldier can,
“The Army’s proud of your valour; the Regiment’s proud of its man!”
Then across that lonely desert, at the close of the General’s praise,
Came a cheer, then a quick short tremble, on the lips of Trooper Hayes.
“Speak out!” said the kindly General, “if you’ve anything Lad to say,
Your Queen and your dear old country shall hear what you’ve done today!”
“Speak out, old chap” said his comrades.
With an effort at last he said
“I came to the front with my pals here, the boys and the brave old tars,
I’ve fought for my Queen and Country and rode with the Tenth Hussars;
“I’m proud of the fine old Regiment” then the Colonel shook his hand,
“So I’ll ask one single favour from my Queen and my native land!
There sits by your side on your staff Sir,
A man we are proud to own!
He was struck down first in the battle, but never was heard to groan;
“If I’ve done ought to deserve it” then the Colonel smiled “Of course”
“Give back to the Tenth their Colonel, the man on the Old White Horse!
“If ever a man bore up Sir, as a soldier should with pluck,
And fought with a savage sorrow the demon of cursed ill-luck—
That man, he sits before you! Give us back with his wounds and scars,
The man who has sorely suffered, and is loved by the Tenth Hussars!”
Then a cheer went up from his comrades, and echoed across the sand,
And was borne of the wings of mercy to the heart of his native land,
Where the Queen on her throne will hear it, and the Colonel Prince will praise
The words of a simple soldier just uttered by Trooper Hayes.
Let the moralist stoop to mercy, that balm of all soles that live;
For better than all forgetting, is the wonderful word “Forgive!”
The above verses by Mr. Clement Scott, appeared in Punch of March 15th, 1884, and was widely re-printed throughout almost every paper in the country due to their very opportune reference to General Valentine Baker, whose sad dismissal case for assault had been widely followed by the public in 1875.Copyright 2019 © Major Pillinger/Richard Pillinger. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. www.sciweb.co.uk
The Secretary of the Admiralty states that information has been received from the Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope, dated December 3rd, reporting that the transport Ismore struck on the rocks off Columbine Point, near St Helen’s Bay, distant about 75 miles north of Table Bay, in calm, thick weather. The troops had been landed, also a quantity of baggage, most of the guns, swords, carbines and some ammunition. The men were reported to be comfortable and plenty of food available. The Admiralty was sending HM ships Niobe and Doris, also the transport Columbine, with lighters to assist.
A copy of a telegram has been received from the principal transport officer at Cape Town, dated the 4th inst., reporting that the transport Ismore (no 52.)broke up on Sunday night. Her stern is out of water and her bows gone. All hands and 20 horses were saved and will probably entrain to Malmesbury. The Ismore, which went ashore in Helen’s Bay on Sunday morning is the second transport that has come to grief on the voyage to the Cape the Persia having been disabled in a storm at St Vincent while conveying the C Squadron of Dragoons and some men of the Inniskillings on November 8th. In the latter case all the troops and horses were successfully transferred to the transport Goth, but in the case of the Ismore a large number of the horses were lost. She had on board the 63rd Field Battery, Royal Artillery from Bristol, “A” Squadron of the Tenth Hussars and a troop of “B” Squadron of the Tenth Hussars from Aldershot, and No. 9 Company (Bearer) Royal Army Medical Corp from Colchester. The military details would necessarily have with them a considerable number of horses, for the mounted troops on board number 460. As only 20 horses were reported saved, it is feared that the loss of animals is serious, inasmuch as they would not be3 of the chartered class, but selected trained chargers and gun-teams. The value placed upon such animals by military authorities is very considerable, and the loss will be much keenly felt by reason by the dearth of suitable and reliable mounts and gun-teams at the front.
It is too be hoped that the troops will be able to save the six field pieces, if not the wagons and other pieces of the Field 63rd Battery, but nothing is said as to this being effected.
The presence of warships at the scene of the wreck may have been valuable in this respect, assuming that the position of the wreck and weather permitted the sufficiently near approach of the working parties who would have the advantage of the necessary appliances for transferring the guns. The time at the disposal of those on the spot between the hours of the vessel sinking and breaking up to save much other than themselves would seem to have been very limited, and therefore it cannot be hoped that any considerable proportion of the vessel’s war stores can have been saved. It is known that with the troops were landed some guns, swords, carbines etc. and ammunition; but the bulk of Ismore’s cargo cannot have been landed in the time available. It will be remembered that the Ismore endeavoured to leave England in a gale, and after futile attempts took shelter in Moelfre Bay on the Anglesey coast until November 8th, when she put to sea four days late.
The Ismore had on board 400 rank and file of various sections. The 63rd Field Battery consisted of six officers, 170 men and 140 horses, with six 15 pounder guns 11 four-wheeled military vehicles, ambulance wagons, and stores. The Bearer Company of the Royal Army Medical Corps on board consisted of one officer and 52 men, with ambulance wagons and fittings. The A squadron and troop of B squadron of the Tenth Hussars on board numbered about 180 officers and men. There were altogether about 250 horses shipped, together with numerous wagons and vehicles. Major W Paget is the officer commanding the Field battery , and Major Alexander the Hussars.
The Press Association added that 230 valuable horses have been lost to the British cavalry and artillery proceeding to the front by the wreck of the Ismore. It is scarcely possible that the numerous ambulance wagons and other vehicles referred to in the above telegram can have been saved owing to the difficulties of transfer, and consequently one of the most important non-combative branches of the military service has lost probably their conveyance and medical equipment and supplies.
From the Glasgow Herald 3rd December 1889
By kind Permission of the British Library Board.