loaded before the troops marched.
"A precious nice game," snorted Tony, when he heard the order. "Here we
are, stuck right in rear of the troops, in charge of a few boxes of
ammunition. Why couldn't someone else have been chosen?"
"Don't you grumble," replied Phil severely. "We have a responsible
charge, and for all we know we may have even more fun and adventure than
the others. Now it's your turn for sentry-go, so out you get. You can
grumble there to your heart's content."
Tony departed abashed, and Phil and Sam looked on at the debarkation,
which still continued. By the 17th all were ashore, save the sick, of
whom there were still a large number. Even to a veteran soldier it was
indeed a most interesting sight to see the huge allied army assembled on
the upland slopes above the lake. In the distance the Turks, sitting
contentedly and composedly in their tents; the French, like so many
ants, bustling hither and thither and busily superintending the mid-day
meal; and the lines of the British, now provided with tents for the few
days before they marched from the shore.
It was a large force, and as many regiments were to make themselves for
ever famous in the course of the campaign, it will perhaps be advisable
to explain how our army was divided.
In chief command was Lord Raglan, an officer who for many years had
lived a peaceful life, and had therefore little, if any, experience of
warfare. His army consisted of six divisions, each made up of several
regiments and commanded by a brigadier, or in some cases divided into
two portions under different leaders.
The Light Division consisted of the 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade, 7th
Fusiliers, 19th Regiment and 23rd Fusiliers, under Major-general
Codrington, and the 33rd, 77th, and 88th Regiments, under
Brigadier-general Buller.
The First Division, under the Duke of Cambridge, included the Grenadier
Guards, the Coldstream and Scots Fusilier Guards, now the Scots Guards,
with Major-general Bentinck in command, and the 42nd, 79th, and 93rd
Highlanders, fine brawny sons of the heather, under Brigadier Sir C.
Campbell.
The Second Division comprised the 30th, 55th, and 95th Regiments, under
Brigadier-general Pennefather, and the 41st, 47th, and 49th, under
Brigadier-general Adams.
The Third Division, under Sir R. England, was composed of the 1st
Royals, 28th, 38th, 44th, 50th, and 68th Regiments, commanded by
Brigadiers Sir John Campbell and Eyre.
Th
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