had the honor
and pleasure of being his instructor for some time. The present
Lieutenant-Colonel Rolph will always have a place amongst my best and
happiest thoughts. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, was in
camp and attached to the 39th Regiment for the drill season. He was
doing captain's duty and attended battalion, brigade and divisional
drills; we saw H.R.H. quite frequently. Her Majesty the Queen visited
the camp that summer. It rained the day of review, but that did not
matter; thousands were present to greet the Queen and shouted
themselves hoarse.

General Sir George Brown was in command. The Curragh is a beautiful
spot, there being such a large area for sham fights, field days and
drills in general. The rifle ranges are adjacent to the camp, each
regiment having its own range. The routine of camp life is the same as
in the other camps we have been quartered in. There is a small theatre
in the camp where the troops give performances weekly. Each corps has
its own amateurs and takes turns to furnish programmes, theatrical,
literary, vocal and musical. There was good talent to be found in the
camp. The Prince would occasionally attend a performance, and no doubt
enjoyed it.

We were shown a monument erected to the memory of a captain who was
accidentally shot. It appears his company, which he was in charge of at
the time, had completed their firing and were returning to camp by a
circuitous route. Other corps were firing at the time, when a ricochet
bullet struck the captain and killed him.

About this time we received extremely sad news to the effect that
Lieutenant-Colonel Crofton, who so recently left us, had been
assassinated on the barrack-square in Colchester. It appears that a
private had neglected his duty when on picket sentry, and the adjutant
brought him before the colonel and reported his neglect, and he was
sentenced to an extra duty. It being Saturday, the men of his company
were all assembled in an upper room for medical inspection. He took
advantage of this and went to a room on the ground floor, and procuring
a rifle, loaded it. During this time the two officers had left the
orderly room and were walking arm in arm up the barrack square, the
adjutant being nearest. The assassin fired, the bullet going through
the body of the adjutant and entering the colonel's, and both were
killed. The man was tried and hanged. The sergeants of my regiment made
an application to wear mourning for