Chapter have willingly permitted their noble pile to be made the Walhalla of the Royal Engineers. The great west window has been taken as the most important feature, and is treated as follows:-The lower portion contains two rows each of eight lights. In the upper eight are single figures representing-1. Abraham; 2. Moses; 3. Joshua; 4. Gideon; 5. Jephtha; 6. Samson; 7. David; 8. Nehemiah. In the lower eight light scenes are represented, each being connected with the figure in the light above, viz.-1. Melchisedec blessing Abraham; 2. The overthrow of Pharaoh in the Red Sea; 3. Joshua commanding the sun to stand still; 4. Gideon overcoming the Midianites; 5. Jephtha returning victorious; 6. Samson carrying off the gates of Gaza; 7. David slaying the lion; 8. Nehemiah building the walls of Jerusalem. In the arch of the window are twelve small lights, in which are represented Caleb, Othniel, Deborah Barak, Samuel, Jonathan, Benaiah, Jehosophat, Hezekiah, Josiah, Matathias, and Judas Maccabæus. Over these are the following ten Military Saints: St. Maurice, St. David, St. Edmund, St. Alban, St. George, St. Andrew, St. Louis, St. Martin, St. Patrick, and St. Gereon. The inscription runs as follows:-"To the Glory of God, and in memory of the Officers, N.C. Officers and Men of the Royal Engineers, who died for Queen and Country, in South Africa, during the Kaffir, Zulu, and Transvaal Campaigns of 1878-81. In Afghanistan during the Campaigns of 1878-9, and 1879-80; and in the Waziri Expedition of 1881, the above Window is dedicated to the Corps of Royal Engineers." In addition to the great west window, the two smaller windows on its right and left are dedicated to two officers whom the Corps is especially desirous to honour. One of these is Colonel Anthony Durnford, who fell bravely fighting to the last with a handful of faithful followers, endeavouring to cover the retreat on the fatal day of Isandlwana in Zululand; the other, Lieutenant T. R. Henn, who in the same manner fought to the bitter end, and died with his Native Sappers and a few men of the 66th Regiment, being the last left on the field at the disastrous battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan. The Durnford window represents three events in the life of Judas Maccabæus. (1) That in which Judas defeats Apollonius and takes his sword. (2) Judas, when opposed with his small force of 800 men to the army of Bacchides and Alcimus 22,000 strong, saying, "God forbid that I should do this thing and flee away from them; if our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our honour." (3) The death of Judas-"Judas also was killed and the remnant fled," 1 Maccabees ix. 18. Beneath is the inscription, "To the glory of God, and in memory of Colonel A. W. Durnford, Royal Engineers, who was killed in action at Isandlwana, South Africa, this window is dedicated by the Corps of Royal Engineers. Faithful unto death." The Henn window represents three scenes from the life of Jonathan. (1) Jonathan and his armour bearer smiting the garrison of the Philistines. (2) Jonathan and David making a covenant. (3) The death of Jonathan. A similar inscription to that for the Durnford window, with due alteration for name of the battle where he was killed, is placed below. The other windows are the raising of Lazarus, in memory of General J. A. Ballard, C.B., R.E. The Centurion, "I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel," in memory of Colonel Robert Home, C.B., R.E. The Crucifixion, with the Centurion at the foot of the Cross, saying, "Truly this Man was the Son of God," in memory of Captain R. N. Buckle, R.E., killed at Amoaful in the Ashanti campaign. The Centurion Cornelius with the angel of God, "What is it, Lord?" in memory of Captain W. Innes, R.E., who was killed in the attack of a stockade at Perak. Moses during the battle with the Amalekites, his hands being upheld by Aaron and Hur, in memory of Major Samuel Anderson, C.M.G., R.E. Joshua and the Angel before Jericho, in memory of Captain W. J. Gill, R.E. David and Goliath, in memory of Captain James Dundas, V.C., R.E. The Ascension, in memory of Lieut. F. N. Hassard, R.E. There is also a Brass, set in a marble tablet, in memory of Major M. Lambert, R.E. Since the above was written a further addition of windows has been made as memorials to the Engineers who fell in the Peninsular, Egypt, and Soudan campaigns. These occupy the south end of the south-west transept. Above are five graduated lights representing the patron saints of the countries whose armies fought as allies against the French in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, viz., St. George for England, Prussia, and Portugal, St. Nicholas for Russia, St. James the Great for Spain, St. Maurice for Austria, and St. Adrian for Prussia and the Low Countries. An inscription runs along the bottom, "In memory of the Officers of Royal Engineers who served in the Peninsula and Waterloo. These windows are inserted, 1888, by the Corps of Royal Engineers." Below these are three larger windows. The centre contains figures of St. Alban and St. Martin, the left St. Florian and St. Gereon, the right St. Denis and St. Longinus. Below these is an inscription, "This tier of windows was filled with stained glass, 1888, by the Corps of Royal Engineers, to the glory of God, and in memory of Major-General Charles George Gordon, C.B., R.E., who was killed at Khartoum 26th January, 1885, also of the Officers, Non-commissioned Officers and men of the Royal Engineers and of the Madras (Queen's Own) Sappers and Miners who fell in Egypt and the Soudan, 1882 to 1885. CHAPTER V. ROYAL ENGINEER COMMITTEE. Warrant establishing Committee at the Tower in 1782-Colonel Debbieg and the Duke of Richmond-Dissolution of Committee-New Committee formed in 1857-Abolition in 1859-Appointment of Captain Duff for preparation of a Reserve of Stores-Revival of Engineer Committee in 1862-Remodelled in 1866-Appointment of Major Home as paid Secretary-Present constitution of Committee-List of Secretaries. THE parentage of the present Royal Engineer Committee is to be traced to the Royal Warrant of 1782, which established a Committee at the Tower. The portion which bears on this point runs as follows: "And whereas you have represented to Us that it would be for the Benefit of Our Service if a Committee of Engineers were established, to which all Plans and Estimates for the Construction of New Works or Buildings, or for the Repairs or Alterations of old ones were referred and on which the said Committee should report to the Master General of Our Ordnance previous to their being carried into Execution, We do hereby direct you to appoint a Committee of Five Engineers, for the Purpose, of which the Chief Engineer shall be President, and two at least of the other four shall be Field Officers. And We do hereby direct that the said Committee shall meet at the Ordnance Office in the Tower two Days in every Week, or as often as the Master General may think necessary, to receive, examine, and report upon the several Plans and Estimates that shall be referred to them, and that the Clerk to the Chief Engineer and the Draftsman appointed to attend him shall act as Clerks to the said Committee, and shall keep Copies of all Plans and Estimates referred to the said Committee and of their proceedings thereupon. And We do direct that the four Engineers who shall be appointed of this Committee to assist the Engineer in Chief shall be considered as employed and shall receive an Allowance of Extra Pay like the Engineers employed in Great Britain, that is to say, equal to one half of the Ordinary Pay which, according to their Rank in the Corps, they will by this Establishment be intitled to receive.' In accordance with the terms of this Warrant, it was intended that the Committee should consist of the following officers : Major-General James Bramham, President. Colonel Hugh Debbieg. Lieutenant-Colonel William Spry. The Duke of Richmond wrote to the several officers announcing their selection, but Colonel Hugh Debbieg made objections to taking office. The Duke then wrote him a second letter very temperately worded, pointing out the small amount of work such duties involved. To this Debbieg returned the following reply "My Lord Duke, "Chatham, 25th July, 1784. "In answer to the honour of your Grace's letter of the 21st inst., wherein you are pleased to say you wish to know whether the degree of attendance which will be requisite on my being appointed one of the Committee at the Tower makes any alteration in my inclination to be of that body in preference to remaining here, the extra pay being the same,' I must beg leave to remind you that the reason I gave your Grace in my letter was that I might attend to my private concerns, though as I look upon the present reform to be in fact a sort of superannuation, it is a matter of indifference to me whether I am employed or not, as I humbly conceive the new regulations to be particularly pointed to distress the higher part of the corps, making scarcely any difference between the services of thirty-nine years and eighteen. With intentions as pure and a zeal for the service as great as others of whatever denomination, I feel myself singled out for slights and oppressions. How long I may continue to suffer under them I will not say at present, but sure I am a little time will discover them. "I have the honour to be with all possible respect, "My Lord Duke, "Your Grace's most obedient and most humble servant, A few days afterwards Debbieg addressed a letter to the Chief Engineer, Major-General Bramham, in which he indulged in still further licence of language; the result was that he was tried by court-martial on charges based on these two letters. He was found guilty, and sentenced to be reprimanded in open court, and to make submission to the Duke of Richmond in terms which were specified. There is no record of who was selected to take his place. He appears on the list in that year as Unemployed. The Royal Warrant of April 21st, 1802, suppressed the Committee at the Tower. The title of the Chief Engineer had by that Warrant been changed into "Inspector-General of Fortifications," his allowances largely increased, and his status and power over all |