to which the eyes of the men are turned, and which, in this case, is of course the centre. To dress the squadron from its two flanks at the same time, on the supposition that the squadron officer cannot see anything of his men, because his back is turned towards them, would have the effect of making him a complete cipher, and frequently of actually disjointing the squadron in its very centre, where of all places it ought to be most solid and compact. We are next informed, that from the circumstance of the yeomanry officers' horses being unsteady, and not well broke, those officers will be disadvantageously placed in front and out of the ranks; and ought, on the contrary, to be in the ranks, and on the flanks of their half squadrons; and then immediately follows the declaration that "the correctness of all movements in column depends on the flank leaders;" from which one arrives at the strange conclusion, that because yeomanry officers' horses are unsteady and unquiet, they will be best placed at those very points where steadiness and correctness are announced to be of such exceeding importance. From what part of his twenty years' experience the field officer of yeomanry has discovered" that the officers of regular cavalry are less efficient than their serjeants," it is not easy to guess; but, before he pays such compliments to the acquirements in the field of his brethren of the regulars, he had perhaps better make himself a little more conversant with their movements, and the principles upon which their execution is made to depend. When he has done this, he will perhaps find out that an officer in front of his men can control them if they rush irregularly forward, much more effectually in his own person than when placed upon the flank, to which the men are ordered not to look, and where he can only exert his influence and authority upon the few men immediately next to him; as if any good commanding officer would permit all the flank officers to be bawling to the men during an advance in line, when the utmost silence should be preserved, and no voice ought to be heard but his own and that of the squadron leaders.

The field-officer proceeds in his observations by saying, that a good yeomanry officer does not set his line a galloping till they are steady at their walk and trot. Does he really imagine that this is a discovery peculiar to himself, and that the officers of regular cavalry have not long ago considered this as an established and standard principle of the service to which they belong? He is very right in saying that some yeomanry corps have arrived at surprising perfection in movement; but it certainly admits of much question how far that style of movement to which he alludes is a useful exercise for yeomanry. To go through a number of complicated manœuvres, all written down in a particular routine and order, and prepared for a length of time beforehand for the purpose of accomplishing one brilliant review, performed in strict and pedantic mimickry of the regular cavalry, appears by no means a judicious employment of the short period available for their training. Many a troop of yeomanry has played its part with perfect success in these exhibitions, without a single man or officer knowing the object and intention of the manœuvres they were going through with such "rapidity and precision ;" and when marching home in high spirits at the encomiums of the reviewing officer, has been grievously

puzzled, officers and all, by having to pass some such unavoidable defile as is caused by an overturned waggon in a confined road, where the common and really useful operation of diminishing their front in a regular and systematic way, and again increasing it after the obstacle was passed, would have obviated all difficulty. But the field-officer would probably disclaim any such simple exercises, and would look upon this and all the other details of what is usually called squadron drill as extremely tiresome, quite beneath the notice of a tactician, and by no means so well calculated for astonishing the minds of spectators at a review, as some grand movement, such as a "formation of close column right in front facing to the rear at a canter," with all the half squadrons curling round in a countermarch like so many great caterpillars, and then scrambling off for their places in column, preceded by a whole flock of markers, led by the adjutant, riding as if his life depended upon it. Let us figure to ourselves the progress of the scenewe will suppose these markers, being even better acquainted with the manœuvre than he who commanded it, are all arrived in safety, and after a great deal of waving to and fro of swords, accompanied by not a few smothered imprecations, finally planted, according to the adjutant's intentions, as pivots of the column. The half-squadrons, meantime, begin to approach, and audible whispers are circulated among the officers of Which is my marker ?" "When am I to lead ?" Am I to stop short, or go straight up to him?" "Do we go round him?” "Which way do we turn?" "Which is to be the front?" and a thousand other equally agitating questions. For one officer that is answered right by his neighbours, two are answered wrong, but under the protection of a cloud of dust, like the heroes in the Iliad, and being now within reach of their markers, who are generally old soldiers of the line, and on the look-out for the approach of their officers, like pilots off a harbour, the whole bundle into column, and settle down into something like order and regularity; the dust clears away, and there they stand glittering in their glory, while the bewildered spectators declare their unmixed admiration of the splendid manœuvre it has been their good-fortune to behold.

Now, that this picture of a yeomanry field-day of the old school is not overcharged, let any unprejudiced person who may have attended such reviews deny if he can. No ridicule is intended to be thrown upon the yeomanry, whose zeal, intelligence, and patriotic sacrifice of time and expence entitle them to every praise from their fellow-countrymen and brethren of the regulars; but it is merely wished to prove the absurdity of some of their chiefs and instructors in teaching them, as it were, to dance before they can walk, and in accustoming them, as certainly used to be the case, to mistake the performance by rote of a certain series of manœuvres selected from Dundas, and which never yet were, nor ever could be employed by cavalry on service, for that perfection in which the field-officer asserts that two very good yeomanry corps, the Cheshire and Lord Grantham's, were fully equal to the regiments of the line. The practice of the cavalry of the line during the last two years has shown, that among many advantages of placing officers in front of their half-squadrons, it is one of the principal that they have much better control over their men, and can more easily

restrain those who from the impetuosity of their horses, or their own eagerness, are disposed to break the regularity of the line by rushing too forward, a fault which was always too prevalent in the British cavalry, and which not only led to unsteady advances in line, but also to the line being frequently overshot by troops coming up successively in formations to the front, from echellon or open column, as well as in the important manoeuvre of deploying. This advantage and the getting rid of a host of markers, which is a main result of having officers in front, have simplified the movements of the regular cavalry to a greater degree than can be at all appreciated by those who have never practised them; at the same time by not employing at field-days that number of detached markers who could not be so employed before the enemy, the evolutions of the cavalry are made more like what they ought to be, namely, a preparation for what is likely to be required of them on real service. Now, every one of these arguments for abolishing the use of detached markers, and for placing officers in a situation to control their men and preserve the lines from being broken and overshot by the unsteadiness of either man or horse, applies with double force to the yeomanry cavalry; not to mention that the officers are spared the difficulty and inconvenience of constantly shifting flanks, to do which at the proper instant, and without making mistakes, was always, even in the best-drilled regiments of the line, one of the most intricate points of the troop officer's field duty, as every one must well recollect who, before the late revision was introduced into practice, served as a subaltern in the cavalry, or who, in the situation of adjutant, has been conversant with the instruction of the young officers. The abbreviated words of command are the next subject of the animadversion of the field-officer, and he carefully explains that no word of command ought to be given to the yeomen with the meaning of which word they are unacquainted; as if it ever were intended or could be thought proper that unintelligible commands should be given to any cavalry in the world. The whole object of words of command is to convey a distinct and plain meaning, but is it by lengthy sentences that such meaning is best conveyed? Will not a high wind, or the slightest confusion, affect the circulation of long words of command? Will the squadron officers who repeat them, as easily catch and pass a long sentence as a short one? Are not short commands sooner made familiar to the ear, and such words as are lost in noise or wind more easily supplied by the officers most distant from the commanding officer? Above all, are not common and plain terms better understood by young soldiers than technical and scientific phrases, which seem intended for no other purpose than to make a mystery of an art whose chief merit must always be extreme simplicity? For instance, when a division or troop is to make a partial turn towards its right hand, is it not more in accordance with the ordinary expressions of our language to say right," followed by "forward," when the division has wheeled as much as is intended by its officer, than to say "left shoulders forward," followed by "forward," in order to accomplish the very same thing? In the latter command, the term "left" seems really introduced merely to puzzle the cause. Suppose you lost your way in travelling, and were to ask the first man you met to direct you, would he desire

you to bring your left shoulder forward at the next cross road, or would he not plainly tell you to turn to your right? There is no need of twenty years' experience in the yeomanry service to solve such a question. Indeed, the field-officer answers it himself better than any one could answer it for him, by observing with much truth, " that it is of little importance how many syllables are uttered by a commanding officer; the only point worth considering is, by what means he gets his commands most efficiently executed."

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The words of command in the revised movements lately practised by the cavalry, have certainly a few variations from Dundas, but it will hardly be denied, that such a word as change front to the left on the second squadron, is more simple than, "The regiment will change position to the left, right brought forward, left thrown back, upon left half squadron of the right centre squadron; and since the regiments have found no difficulty whatever, but on the contrary much advantage from the abbreviation of these long and puzzling sentences, and execute their purport quite as efficiently and correctly, there really seems no reason for preferring them to shorter and equally plain commands, especially when Dundas himself, speaking of commands, recommends that they should be" short, clear, and expressive of what is to be done."

The field-officer concludes his remarks by saying, that "if the yeomanry are inferior to regulars in some things, there is the greater necessity for rendering them more perfect in other things"-and this remark, if properly applied, is an extremely just one, but for yeomanry to aim at this perfection by long and difficult words of command, and still more long and complicated manoeuvres, is the very last means of arriving at excellence of any kind. Yeomanry are never wanted in great lines for any purposes except the empty ones of parade. It is in separate squadrons and smaller detachments that their real services are generally required, and if they can execute the simple formations of the troop and squadron readily, and without confusion, to either front, flank, or rear, and can also with equal readiness increase and diminish their front while upon the march at a moderate trot, they will find themselves much more efficient, as a military force in the hour of trial, than they can ever be made from imitating the parade movements and reviews of the regular cavalry, to which, in these matters, their want of habitual practice must always render them inferior, however plausibly they may perform a prepared field-day; while by adhering to those simple exercises above mentioned, they may not only rival the regulars in points which are of the first importance on service, but also will make themselves a truly effective and formidable force, able to render the most essential and valuable aid for the preservation of internal peace, and forming a patriotic and efficient safeguard for the liberties of themselves and their fellow-countrymen.

(Signed) A CAVALRY CAPTAIN.

THE SERVICES OF THE LATE

ADMIRAL SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE, K.C.B.

THE melancholy event which occurred on the 5th of May, and which deprived Sir Joseph S. Yorke of his life, has been the subject of universal regret, not only in the naval circles, but among all classes where he was known; for it cannot be denied that he possessed feelings actively alive in the cause of benevolence, and which he fully exercised whenever an object at all worthy of his interference solicited his assistance.

It seems that Sir Joseph Yorke had been with Capt. Mathew Barton Bradby, in the latter officer's vessel, of fourteen tons burthen, accompanied by Capt. Thomas Young, on board the St. Vincent at Spithead, which ship is fitted for the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir H. Hotham, who is about to proceed to the Mediterranean as Commander-inchief. On their return, a sudden and violent gust of wind came on in Stokes Bay, which upset the vessel, and all on board perished.* The bodies of the unfortunate sufferers were found, and on the following day, the Coroner held an inquest, when a verdict of "accidental death" was recorded.t

The Admiral was born in London, 6th June 1768, and entered the Navy as Midshipman on board the Duke, (98,) Feb. 15th 1780, then commanded by Capt. Sir Charles Douglas, with whom he joined the Formidable, the flag ship of Admiral Lord Rodney, and was in the celebrated actions with the French fleet under Comte de Grasse, on the 9th and 12th of April 1782. The peace which was soon after concluded caused Mr. Yorke to return to England, and the Formidable being put out of commission, he after a short time joined the Assistance, Commodore Sir Charles Douglas, and then the Salisbury, Capt. Sir Erasmus Gower, as Master's Mate, and remained on the Newfoundland Station nearly three years.

June 16th 1789, Mr. Yorke was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and served with Admiral Sir Richard Hughes on board the Adamant of 50 guns. He subsequently served as Lieutenant of the Thisbe, and Victory, and in the latter during the armaments against Spain and Russia. In February 1791, he was promoted to Master and Commander, and to the Rattlesnake sloop cruising in the Channel, until the war with the French Republic commenced. Capt. Yorke was promoted to Post-rank Feb. 4th 1793, and to command the Circe frigate, under the orders of Admiral Earl Howe; he was actively em

* Little doubt exists of the Yacht having been struck by lightning.

+ Capt. Bradby, who thus lost his life, was the son of Rear-Admiral Bradby, who died on the Superannuated List of Admirals in 1809. Capt. Bradby was made a Lieutenant, July 1796, and a Commander, 29th of April 1802. He afterwards commanded the Calypso, of 18 guns, in the North Sea, and was made PostCaptain, June 28th, 1810. He has left a widow, who was daughter of ViceAdmiral Billy Douglas.

Capt. Thomas Young, the other unfortunate sufferer, was made Lieutenant, October 8th 1801; promoted to Commander, November 5th 1806; and to Captain, January 1st 1817.