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TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF THE GUARDS INTO LONDON.
THE Guards who survived the war in the Crimea entered London in triumph on Wednesday morning, and received from thousands upon thousands of people who assembled to receive them a most enthusiastic welcome. The brigade of Guards, about 3200 strong, were conveyed from Farnborough Station (Aldershott) in four divisions of equal strength, by four special trains, each train being made to convey 30 officers and 810 men. The first train left Farnborough shortly after seven o'clock, and by ten o'clock all had arrived at the Nine Elms station, whence they were to march into the metropolis. Shortly before half-past eleven o'clock the gates of the station-yard were thrown open, and the head of the column of the Grenadier Guards marched out of the station, the bands playing "See the Conquering Hero Comes," amidst a tremendous burst of cheering. The column was preceded by Lord Rokeby (who has been the General commanding the Brigade of Guards since January, 1855), Major-General Craufurd, and the members of the Staff; after them came the pioneers and the band; and next followed the main body of the regiment, headed by the commanding officer, Colonel Foley. The men bore striking evidence of the exposure of their arduous campaign in the bronze colour, of their faces, adorned in the majority of instances with almost patriarchal beards. Their uniforms were almost threadbare, and their bearskins and other appointments bore palpable evidence of having seen hard service. The officers as well as the men, in nearly every instance, preferred wearing the identical uniforms in which they fought and suffered in the Crimean war, rather than the more gaudy but less suggestive paraphernalia of more modern manufacture. As the regiment proceeded out of the station the cheering was almost incessant, but an additionally enthusiastic reception was accorded to the tattered and weather beaten colours, which were unfurled in the centre of the column.
FROM VAUXHIALL-BRIDGE TO PALL-MALL.
The troops, after passing from the station, marched up the Vauxhall-road in the direction of the bridge. Every point on the route was positively thronged with people. The balconies and windows of the houses were occupied by the more respectable portion of the inhabitants, while the pathways and a fair proportion of the road were completely thronged with a miscellaneous crowd. The people on the pathways, kept back with difficulty by the police while the troops were passing, were perfectly unmanageable when they had concluded filing past, and commenced following up the rear in a gradually increasing mass, which completely blocked up the road for nearly a quarter of a mile in the rear. Upon arriving at Vauxhall-bridge, however, the pursuit was checked. The authorities, knowing the crowd would attempt to follow in the wake of the rear-guard, had erected strong barricades across the road, leaving only sufficient room for the troops to pass; a strong body of police were stationed at the barrier to close the gate the instant the column was passed. This they accomplished so expeditiously that merely a few contrived to pass. On reaching Old-Palace-yard a striking scene presented itself. Every window of that portion of the Houses of Parliament visible was occupied by Peers and Peeresses, members of the House of Commons with their wives and daughters, barristers in full costume, who had stolen a few minutes from the discharge of their professional duties to catch a glimpse of the Crimean heroes, and others who had the good fortune to obtain admission. The bells of St. Margaret's Church struck up a joyous peal, and the Park guns announced the progress of the troops. From several houses at the end of Parliament-street the Guards were greeted with showers of flowers, and many flags and other devices were displayed. At the north end of Parliament-street they were received by the 2nd Life Guards, who presented arms, and kept the ground from that point to the park. The Duke of Buccleuch had caused stands to be erected on the grounds of Montague House, and was thus able to accommodate a large number of his personal friends. His Grace warmly cheered the various regiments as they passed. Charing-cross was the next great point calling for observation. The whole area of Trafalgar-square was covered, and dense masses stood on both sides of the road. Here the same enthusiasm was shown towards the troops as had been evinced at earlier portions of the route. Conspicuous among the buildings at this part of the route were the club-houses : the Union, the United Service, the Athenaeum, the Travellers', the Reform, the Carlton, the Army and Navy, and others, accommodating as many persons as could possibly be crammed together.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND CONSTITUTION-HILL.
Exactly at ten minutes past twelve the head of the column reached the top of the Mull, and the Guards were in the presence of their Queen. Probably this was the most interesting moment of the procession. The crowd in front of the Palace was immense, and conducted itself as is the wont of British crowds. There was a great deal of noise, a great deal of enthusiasm on behalf of any popular hero that happened to pass, and a very great deal of good-humoured resistance to the efforts of the constituted authorities when they would fain keep the British people within the prescribed limits. Some time before the troops arrived her Majesty appeared at a window on the extreme right of the Palace, immediately beneath the apartments occupied by the Royal children, and for ten minutes or more remained at the window, no one else being visible, intent, as it were, upon taking a quiet view of the behaviour of her subjects. After having apparently satisfied herself on the point, her Majesty retired, not having been recognised, except by a few. As soon as the crowd caught sight of the leading soldiers, they gave an immense cheer, and from every window in the Palace handkerchiefs were waved. At this moment the scene was most exciting, every window in the Palace being occupied; while in the balcony over the grand entrance stood her Majesty; the King of the Belgians, in the uniform of an English Field Marshal; Prince Oscar of Sweden, in the uniform of the Swedish army; the Count of Flanders, in the Belgian uniform; the Princess Charlotte of Belgium, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary, the Prince of Wales, in the Highland costume, and all the junior members of the Royal family, the Duchess of Sutherland, &c. On gaining the front of the Palace the Grenadiers wheeled to the right, and entered the inclosure by the gate on the extreme left, marching past beneath the balcony on which her Majesty stood, to the tune of the "British Grenadiers." Each company as it came up gave a cheer for the Queen, the men elevating their Bearskin caps on the top of their bayonets. The Queen seemed much moved by the appearance and enthusiasm of her soldiers, and never ceased to acknowledge their loyal acclamations and evince her sense of their services by waving her handkerchief. Next followed the Scots Fusiliers (2nd Battalion), which as the junior of the three regiments, occupied the centre position. Coming up the Mall and as they entered the inclosure the band played "Home, sweet Home;" but on arriving under the balcony they suddenly changed to "Here's a Health to all Good Lasses," to the no little amusement of her Majesty and the company that surrounded her. As in the case of the Grenadiers, each company on passing in front of the balcony gave a thrilling cheer for the Queen. The Coldstreams, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Drummond, came last, the band playing a favourite march of the regiment, entitled "La Manillora." As company after company came up under the balcony, there was the same vociferous cheering for the Queen as had marked the passing of their brethren in arms who had preceded them, and the same gracious and warm recognition on the part of her Majesty of the deeds of the gallant men that were before her. The troops left the inclosure by the northern gate, and, "right shoulders forward," continued their march up Constitution-hill for Hyde-park. having occupied just nineteen minutes in marching past. Along the whole of their route they were vociferously cheered. Prince Albert left the palace a few minutes before one in his uniform as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, attended by his aides-de-camp, and mounted on a magnificent bay charger. At half-past one, as soon as a notification had reached the Palace that the troops had formed, her Majesty departed for Hyde-park, accompanied by her guests. Her Majesty was loudly cheered by the crowd in front of the Palace, which she graciously acknowledged by bowing to those assembled.
HYDE-PARK.
All the anxiety which was manifested along the various routes by which the Guards entered the metropolis was, of course. centred here. Though the Crimean troops were not expected before one, yet as early as eight o'clock in the morning spectators had begun to assemble. Before eleven all but the space set apart for the troops was thronged with multitudes. On a great national show of this kind it is no easy matter so to arrange details as to afford multitudes a g0od view of the spectacle; but in Hyde-park all was so admirably arranged, that, although 100,000 persons were present, there were few who were not able to obtain a perfect view of the whole display. The whole of the fine open space stretching from the statue of Achilles to the Bayswater road was set apart for the troops. Outside this railings were set round, forming a circle of immense extent, outside which the masses of spectators were collected.
At eleven the battalions of the Guards who have been employed at home came on the ground. The preliminary arrangements having thus been made, the troops piled arms and stretched themselves on the grass to await the arrival of their comrades from the East. For those who had taste for the details of a great military spectacle there was much to charm in the aspect which Hyde-park presented at this moment. The soldiers lay about in picturesque groups, beneath the shade of the noble elms in front of which they formed, and their bright red uniforms showed in rich relief upon the short green turf. The inclosure itself seemed encircled with a particoloured belt, as the spectators in every variety of rich and fashionable costume thronged around it. Over these, again, another mass of people rose, who, with noisy expectancy, waited for the arrival of the Crimean heroes. These seemed to be the relatives and friends of the privates in the Eastern battalion, and they watched with an anxious interest, which no laughter disguised, the faintest indications of the return of their long-expected friends. Park-lane formed a fine back-ground to the whole picture. All the windows of its splendid houses were thronged; their roofs were black with masses of visitors.
At half-past twelve it was suddenly discovered that the Crimean Guards were in the park. The three battalions had entered without music or heat of drum, and stood at the end of the open space so unexpectedly that all seemed taken by surprise, and not a single cheer was raised. Others may perhaps, account for this fact, but we must own it surprised us considerably. Possibly the inner ring of spectators were too select to cheer, and those outside and furthest off may not have wished to take precedence of the beau monde. But whatever was the reason, the fact that the Guards entered the park amid solemn silence is indisputable. After entering the inclosure for a short distance the troops halted and formed up like the rest in quarter-distance column, then wheeling to the left marched to the intervals left between the four battalions already on the ground. As the Crimean troops approached, the other corps saluted with presented arms and bands playing. The Crimean Brigade then turning to the right formed line with the rest, and for the first time since the Guards have been enrolled, now nearly 200 years ago, the whole seven battalions stood side by side, mustering in all 8000 of the finest troops to be found throughout Europe. Never, probably, in one corps has a better drilled, disciplined, and equipped force, or one in which all the men so pre-eminently surpass in size and strength of limb, been assembled together.
Lord Rokeby, who had commanded the brigade in the Crimea since January, 1855, then rode forward and gave up his command to Prince Albert, and the whole force was then placed under the orders of the Duke of Cambridge, who led the Guards in the East to their greatest victories. Prince Albert then returned to the Asley House entrance of the Park, to receive her Majesty on her arrival.
Her Majesty entered the Park a few minutes before two o'clock. As she approached the bands of all the battalions which had been brigaded played the National Anthem, and the troops with one movement presented arms.
Following her Majesty was one of the most numerous and brilliant staffs of officers ever seen in Hyde-park. Conspicuous amongst them was Lord Gough, in the uniform of Colonel of the Blues. The gallant veteran, who looked remarkably well, was constantly recognised and cheered. The Earl of Lucan and the Earl of Cardigan were both present.
The whole cortege passed slowly along the front of the seven battalions, each presenting antis and lowering colours as the Royal visitors went by. The carriages then returned to the Park-lane side of the inclosure. Here, as they halted in front if the line of visitors, her Majesty, with that kindness and consideration which always distinguish her, ordered the horses to be removed from all the carriages, in order that the view of the spectators might be impeded as little as possible. The marching past then commenced. The united bands playing "See the conquering hero comes." First came the Grenadiers all the three battalions. It is quite needless to say how this splendid corps marched, or, indeed, to comment on the marching of any of the battalions. It was, as it always is, the very perfection of accurate and simultaneous movement. The 3rd battalion (the Crimean) looked less fresh than the others of the same regiment. The men's coats were all stained with the Aldershott rain of the previous day, and the men themselves seemed considerably jaded. The new colours of this battalion, with the proud names of Alma, Inkerman, and Sebastopol added to the other victories, were cheered enthusiastically as they passed. The Scots Fusiliers followed, the ensigns as before being cheered to the echo. Then came the Coldstreams, who came forward in one imposing mass till within thirty yards of the Royal carriage, when the drums beat, the arms were presented, the officers saluted, and fourteen colours lowered in a second. The effect was grand and solemn. The troops having recovered arms, the Duke of Cambridge, taking off his cap, gave the signal, and with a long, mighty roar the cheers for the Queen rent the sky. As they pealed forth all the men elevated their bearskins on the points of their bayonets, and lifted them high above their heads. The extraordinary appearance and effect which this produced cannot le described. The order was only given for three cheers, but it would be wrong to say that the men confined themselves to even four times that number. They shouted till they seemed tired; and when the long outburst had died away it broke forth again and again, and for nearly five minutes there was no stopping it. Her Majesty seemed much moved by the warmth and enthusiasm of all the regiments. The troops having at last resumed their former quiescent attitude, the Royal cortege slowly quitted the Park in the same order, and followed with the same warm-hearted greetings as had marked its arrival.
The concourse then began to disperse, but the people evidently were not content to leave till they also should have given "their Guards an especial welcome. To effect this, as the Queen left the ground they tried to steal past the troopers and mounted police, but were checked. But the pressure upon patrols grew stronger each moment, and quick runners now and then began to pass them. The police on horse and foot shouted and pushed: but all in vain. Gradually, like an embankment that is about to give way before the pressure of a stream, the people leaked through in many places. At first only a few men passed in twos and threes -then more rapidly, till at last, with a mighty rush like the dash of a long-pent river, the whole mass poured past with shouts of laughter at the baffled troopers and police who were as helpless to resist as straws to turn the tide. For a moment the moving concourse seemed most dangerous to itself, but as it got more into the open space their movements were less hampered, and running at full speed, shouting, cheering, and throwing their caps into the air, nearly 50,000 people rushed towards the Guards. As the men rushed forward the Guards were ordered to close up and keep their ranks. It seemed for an instant as if the rush of the mob would sweep away even the solid battalions, drawn up like walls to break this rush. But the Guards stood firm, and the people respected their discipline. With deafening cheers they crowded round their ranks; some clapped their hands, some threw their hats into the air, and women with their bonnets on umbrellas waved them high above the crowd. It was a moment of intense enthusiasm, but brief as it was, it was enough to show that the Londoners from their hearts gave such a welcome to the Guards as troops have never had before. The police made a futile attempt to get the people back to their original positions, but they might as well have tried to move London. The mob were not to be induced; but, clustering round the regiments, hung upon their steps and cheered them home to their barracks.
Such was the reception the Guards got from the Court and people. Never was one more heartily given-never was one more richly deserved.