Show n l TILE THE VICTORIA CROSS I FOR HEROES ONLY I I i How the tho Most Coveted Decoration in England Is W Won n I I II and How It Is I Bestowed I I II u 1 London Jon Jan Roberts Hobert ot of who will ut at the cite Cape ape In a few te l days to take tako charge ut of the big biggest biggest gest British arM army that over ever took the field fjeld is a little maim as 19 everyone knows know and there thero Is not nol much room left on Ills his coat for tor additional medals You can see that for lur yourself by Ii studying the ac accompanying companying 1 picture ot of hIm taken only a 11 few tew weeks eka ago But Dut of at all the honors betokened there end and all ail the others which a fond public has hIlS given hon him and will 11 shower upon him later Inter It if Ithe he fulfils heir hopes In the Transvaal the tho simplest the least leut expensive and by far the most democratic Is the ono one for lor which It necessary you yoli may mn be sure auro ho he would all the others othen It Js Is the Victoria Cross the thu Bret in the therow therow row on his breast Rom ot of the humblest men ally and financially In the empire have hae decorations dec orations just like Ilke It But Dut general and private white while man and black each cach had tho proudest moment ot of his life lite when that little bronze cro cross was laid IBid upon his bren breast t And nd Lord Roberts sailing away to fight on the field where his only son nh had just j tb been n slain at pro probably was supported In his ot of lose 1035 b by the ot of opinion that the action In whIch the young oung man lost his life lite would have hae won for lor him bun also the tho Cross It if ho he had lived lord Roberts won his V C In the In dean mutiny when only on a 11 lieutenant years aKa ago In the course ot of an action that was WIlA unpleasant enough to tobo tobe bo be named While the tight fight fightIng Ing was going on he En saw two ot of the ort off with lh the British colors lie was WIlS on horseback and started after them when they thoy turned on hIm and ond aimed theIr muskets musket at hIm One ml missed hIm the others gun missed tire lire and by that time he was wall on them slashing away his sword lie lc killed one une The other took to hIs heels and the tho standard was safe Only a few tew moments Wore before Un the lIeuten lIeutenant ant had saved the life lite or of one ot of his men by cutting cUlling down n a Seppy who was about to kill hIm with n a bayonet Lord Roberts wears nine decorations on his hI breast on dress occasIons as al the tho illustration shows and how hem many more ho he ma may have no one feels sure even the religIouslY exact army list contents It Itself itself self wIth five fIe and then says breathlesslY etc etc In the picture ono one sees es the generals six medals Ino ina run row and three oll others rs I beneath them Of the tho medals following from left to o rIght the first is III the tho Vic torla loria Cross the second the Indian mu mutiny tiny decoration with three bare bals one for Delhi DeIhl one for tor Lucknow and ono one for the W th third lathe neda for lilt three Burmah and mean Ing that this distinguished d him himself self afresh In each ot of these thesel 1 the fourth Is time medal the fifth the Afghan and the sixth that ot of In recognition ot of his hIli remark remarkable remarkable able march and victorious battle Ayub khan The large decorations bt be neath are oboe above and one below Thore above again from left lett to right are the Iho Order ot of the Hath and the Star or of India that below the tho Order of tile the Indian Empire l Gen Oen Sir Duller Buller Is another VIctorIa Cross man bile decoration was wall granted to hIm for tor raving 11 three lives II yes In Ina ina a retreat after n battle with the tho Zulus Zulu lie He was liS then a captain and brevet lieu lieutenant tenant colonel The Thil Zulus were press pressing Ing the British troops hard when an of horse was killed and its Is rIder left In fearful danger luller Buller galloped back took look the officer up behind hIm and carried car ried hIm to a place ot of safety Return ing he found u a young lI lieutenant In pre precisely the same saine fix and he did the trick over Oer again When he got back II a troop troopers ers animal had lu just fallen tallen exhausted and for tor a 0 thIrd time Hullers Bullers horse car ar Pled Q a double load and Duller exposed d himself to the tbt tHin enemy to IQ sass va n a although h the Zulus Were not Dot n a yards yaros aWl away Sir Oe George ore While so 10 long loag boUle up In the unde CrOlle Lord Ito In tan b by charging a bill hili and Ing It backed by only Ii a few tew I this tine ho he was u on only I R a major In the PIOUS InOUS Gordon They ad vented under I a rackIng tire fire and e 0 reaching the top tOIl or of the slope town foun themselves outnumbered ten teon to 10 Ore OI Quick as II a wInk White grubbed a rid from one ot of bits hili len lain and soot shot tilt the AI ghan chIef Ills followers became df de demoralized moralized and ond the Gordon route them m Later Latr In the same m cam campaign I the march manh to I Roberts name White a second time In his 1111 for tor having rushed on ahead ot of hIs hie rno me and captured a 0 gun lie Ill ended by cut UI c his superior officer In ht commander In In India I asked aked the In charge ot of th medal branch of the war how hOlY I Victoria Cro Cross wu was obtained after I had hili been won Why there as much red tAp about It as 08 you would ranc fancy he salt ll The action as a 11 reward for which th cross Is given must be performed h b bIh Ih the presence ot of the enem enemy and It I de desirable that the superior or of th man who distinguishes himself f ghoul hn have witnessed It It hoppens some sometimes times limes however houver that no Is pros prel enl ent and In a case calli like that the randl date must prove by his hIe companion that he really did do what hilt he assert that he did When his immediate su so perlor Is satisfied that lie be ought to b rewarded he writes alt an account ot of th business and hands It to the h command ot of the forces and he Indorse the papers and sends them onto on to th war ollice Rere they are laid boto Lord he commander in who asses upon them and decides 1 b which applicants the cross shall h b given Of course the cross goes fI most t ofte to a soldier sailor or marine and wh whIt whet It happens that the fortunate non I In England hl he receives his hili medal trot roc th the hand ot of the Queen herself It If Nh h hIe le Ie In the field however or on ship he re receives elne h his decoration Eros troa the cn or admIral In chief ehler corn com nand on time the semiannual day da and In the presence ot of the m mil l who were at the tho scene of at his hie exploit Then men Inen who he have done brass things do n apply ppl personally 1 CertaInly they do That Is In keep Inc with the spirit ot of the warrant the qu queen en first Issued In IS 1356 6 and says that her majesty desires that th new decoration should be highly prize and eagerly sought after arter In tha warrant she slid said that as the third lass class Order or of the lath was limited II the officers In the Iho higher branches a 01 athe the service and UI as no was then ex r fa meritorious arm army medals medah ot of the ordinary kind are given ghon I for long service and exceptional c can n Victoria Cross Crose was Sometimes It has happened that sev several eral amen Inen ha have done dOM a deed deserving ot of the cross without nn any one ot of then ha g hd himself above aboe his hb comrades In that case the several of meet und and select one officer to br bl decorated the noncommissioned om em eer ctr to bo be decorated and Dd the soldiers marines or seamen also aho gather ather and appoint ap appoint point two ot of their number to r receive ele Uti tIU crosses Besides the ceremony of 01 In the presence pt of isle his comrades ht hI went vent on the Victoria Cross man nUIn hat has his name mentioned In n a general order ordel from the tho war omee offiN with the tars lars of his heroism and his name also alss appears In the london Gazette like likewise likewise wise with an account or of what he did and the original pa papers erl are kept sa In In the archives ot of the war ot oG lice forever afterward That register is III probably the most roll In Great BritaIn for tor upon It the names of 01 nobles noblee and hl highly om pre Continued on page 19 I THE VICTORIA CROSS FOR HEROES ONLY from Bo enten cede and follow Il OW thoe of prIvates and cee drummer bo boys time tho one as much honored as the other ther There ere have been erasures from that roll but they IMe can ben bo be made only by dl di direct rl order ot of to the Quen queen who decides all cases where charle charges are oro made al Y V C men Teason Treason felonY telonY or any infamous online crime are the eURes causes for tor which a form torm former ae lose his place In the reg er hero can loe te rg later Ister Th The Queen las says In her ber warrant shall be bethe bethe We our heir heirs and successors the judges ot of expulsion or restora restoration tora ton tion I a Victoria Victoria Cross means R a of IL 10 n a yer year from the date ot of bestowed Is the act for tor which the tho cross Then n In cases where the holder of Ten the cross become de deserving ot of It once cros and oath I more a clasp Is added Id mor I 20 ear In the means In an increase ot of 1 I a year pensIon Of at COUle course dishonorable con conduct conduct duct on the part of oC a V C man tie de him ot of lat lila his pension as wel well ne as his place on the reister The number ot of crosses bestowed Is kept dOln down by n a strict observance of t the specification which the queen made In her warrant In mG 1816 and mode ninde emphatic b by another In that the cross should be given ulven not on nc ac acCount count ot of rank nor long service nr nor wounds nor an any other service clr cm or condition save the meri merit ot of braverY brave Politics said the officer never neer Is allowed t t play a apart part In the matter matur The lbs queen arranged for tor the establish quer moot ment ot of the cross In 1856 the tho nineteenth year ear or of her relt and ond In an another another other ral royal warrant In 1167 that crosses would be to OmeN anti and men who had themselves In New Zealand In the Insurgent war wars In 1157 n a leond second royal warrant had made members of t th the Ent East India sen er erIce vice Ice anti In 11 1881 came a thin third warrant makin Itron stronger r the tho phrase conspicuous brry bravery and stating tha that the warrant was M as lome some doubts had had arisen us to the exact qualIfication for tor the croS cross Although no official statement has been made on the subject I it Is fair to assume that Lr Lord Wolseley hM has already decided Oi Oft I a te few at least leut y V C winners of the war Wins Winston Winston ton Churchill has been declared by the public to bo be deserving or of one for hIs In ot of the wounded when the armore armored train was aU attacked Trum Trumpeter peter Sherlock the boy ho shot three Dor with a a revolver and whose ex cx example ample every by boy Is dying to ot of them havIng rn run runaway away from school wih with that project t In t a clear claim to toone toone one Mor More people tha than hf he himself I 11 be dIsappointed it the tho I bugler boy of Elan o II is not ma made e I a y V C The Tho story ot of bl bi d dec tI ho baa traveled t futer than his name but he Is 18 true truo to the type ot of Napoleons drummer bo boy who know how to bet beat I a retreat Attached to the Gordon who seem always to be prowling aun around when ther there Is a any ot of heights o 0 be done be Je It In Europe Asia or Africa be and they mounted the slope at the cret crest of at which the floors hud had their 1 cheerIng lust lustily Ind and driving everything before tore them un Until ti til the they ra reached hed the summit wih with the tho Devons and Imperial light horo horse at their when sud aud denly a a bugle cal call rang out out Cease firing Retreat True rue It was a Doer trick and n a Doer trumpet that WM was be beIng beIng Ing win winded led to demoralize the rd red redcoats coats but the they know It The soldier Is a machine who obeys without thinking and ho did cese cease fr frIng fir firIng Ing and was about to retreat when this chap jumped Into the breach Retreat ho be damned I he screamed and then lifting hi his bugle Jugle and putting lila his whole heart henrt Into one blow he lent sent the Charge rocketing over oer the hi Some ot of the men heard beard the swear anti al all heard te the bugle They charged Ind and the Doer lne line was split and shattered J It was a drummer who had the honor I to be Ile tile youngest mon man Who ever Wore the Victoria Cross Js Ills name namo was wa Michael Maimer asner and his chance cre crent caine nt at time tho storming ot of Magdala under tinder Lord Jl Napier 11 iii Abyssinia Tile Tho path leading to the tue gate ot of the fortress WIS was fled filled wih with obstacles and the tho defenders ot of the gate were pouring a witherIng Iro lire over It It Iel Letl by the drummer bo boy n a small party part climbed the hi bill by J n a circuitous path forced their way vay through 1 a breastwork ot of thorns and engaged the enemy beating theta them back Then the main body ot of the army advanced Ind and the tho works were wert taken The drummer bo boy was one ot of the frt first to enter Then there Is Corp Farmer whom everybody knows ns as Farmer ot of Mn Ma Juba JI lie He WIS was n a member of time the army hospitaL corps and amId ot of coure course I it was his business to look after Coie Colleys men In that ghastly massacre Corp Farmer and his comrades had gather gathered the wounded men inca together In n a little ot of tho ho hi for tor shelter heler but time Doers vero pourIng bullets In ever every everywhere where and the wounded soldier soldiers were being wounded a second time Farmer found a white tag hag and wand I It over oer the tho lite little group when a bal bail Ila Passed Eed through hl his fal flag arm ne lb said Never mInd 10 Ive got another and lifted the fag flag again tn In his lef left hand when that vas too Then ho fel fell only a few tew yards ard na away from Gen Oen Col ColIe Ie Icy Je Io got tred tired telling the tho stor story he be said to mo me last when I It If ho would put I it In his own words lie He HeIs lieIs Is a assistant doorkeeper at the Criterion theater anti and oter after helping to form fonni time the bug cue cuc of people that walt wait outside the pit entrance eel every nigh night he guards on one ot of tile the exl exits It was In III February tha that I WM was shot ho said and I got rny my cross In August AugustI I 1 was fick sick In the ho hospital a at New Newcastle castle until the lat last ot of May Yes the quen queen herel herself gase me the cross at Osborne House In the Isle hie ot of SIght WIght My Ir general went with me and when We came In the Queen said Mid This Is ono one ot of the bravest men J I hl Int Inthe he general The ho g general nerl Just nodded his head The Tho Queen pinned the cr cross crosson on my coat coal and said ld J I am proud tt of you nd and I hops bop have hae 1 a long le life My nn arm was al all bandage bandaged and In splints and she laid her hand band on I It anti caressed It J I let left the cross where she DUt aut It until that coat nt Was wor worn 80 sos I wear I it any longer Im Im I a modest man ho he went vent on Jm Im one oUe or of the ot of men but Il Ill say this tt to you ou about what I did Most ot of the men won th the cross hl hare advanced on ambuscades cadel or fought under a lr lire that came frons the they know where Hut But I tel tell you TOU J I knew I 1 was as shot through both arms armsby 1 by the sime same man and I 1 tel tell you ou Its hard to stand there AlI and be potted |