Taking Tales by William Henry Giles Kingston

Author:William Henry Giles Kingston [Kingston, William Henry Giles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Naval Fiction
ISBN: 9780554399607
Google: VNn3RAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0554399601
Publisher: BiblioLife
Published: 2008-08-17T12:00:00+00:00

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bert, a jolly good lellow, called us to the position of attention. After we had been drilling for some time, be 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

JOHN ARMSTBONG, THE SOLDIER.

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.* On receiving the report, the adjutant sent the picket} 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 | are dismissed to their rooms.

** The adjutant is cliosen 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.

f A picket is a body of men told oif 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.

J 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

JOHN ARMSTRONG, THE SOLDIER.

Such was my first day in barracks, and such were many days of my hfe afterwards. Such indeed is a soldier's ordinary day.

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