In the onwards expansion of the British Empire after the Crimean War many small, but intensive, wars, battles and armed skirmishes were fought. Some such as the Indian Mutiny and the two Boer wars are well recorded but many went unheard of and unnoticed. Some like the Second Boer War involved several nations.

Soldiers of the Queen

Britons once did loyally declaim

About the way we ruled the waves.

Every Briton's song was just the same

When singing of her soldier-braves.

All the world had heard it--

Wondered why we sang,

And some have learned the reason why--

But we're not forgetting it,

And we're not letting it

Fade away and gradually die,

Fade away and gradually die.

So when we say that England's master

Remember who has made her so

It's the soldiers of the Queen, my lads

Who've been, my lads, who've seen, my lads

In the fight for England's glory lads

When we've had to show them what we mean:

And when we say we've always won

And when they ask us how it's done

We'll proudly point to every one

Of England's soldiers of the Queen.

This was an immensely patriotic and popular song sung by all people with gusto and written about 1896 by an Englishman, Leslie Stuart. He had been born Thomas Augustine Barrett and adopted a stage name. It encapsulates a belief system in the right of the march of the British Empire justifying the acquisition of foreign lands by hook or by crook, fair means or foul!

Throughout time many men from Highland Strathearn joined the ranks for the Queen’s shilling with the upper echelons of local society embarking on careers at the officer level.

The following sampling comes from a well researched and interesting book written and colllated by Jane C.C. Macdonald and edited by Katherine Marjory Stewart Murray, Marchioness of Tullibardine, Duchess of Atholl, entitled " A Military History of Perthshire 1660-1902." She became known in time as the "Red" Duchess!

In the main it provides a synopsis of military events from roughly the time of the second Ashanti war to the end of the second Boer war in South Africa in 1902. I have selected and included photographs which were in the original manuscript of men from Highland Strathearn supported by photographs from the internet. As will be seen the officer class bursts from its pages with framed photographs and even full page obituaries. The officers are identified by their Army Field rank along with their titles. However, those of the enlisted men are tiny in comparison with many being blurry and indistinct. Their deaths are barely mentioned and less than one liners, and with no bugles. Unlike the photographs of the officers each soldier is numbered! The authors of the book claim that the photographs of the soldiers were made small as there were too many of them and the cost of production would have been too high! The class divisions were very healthy in those days, as they still are. However the photographs are good enough to allow us to have a look at these stalwarts – rank and file.

John McVean (Ardorlich) – Enlisted in the 42^nd (Royal Highland Regiment – the Black Watch) in 1861. He rose to the rank of Colour-Sergeant and served in the Third Ashanti war (1873-74) and was awarded a medal with the clasp bearing the name “Coomassie”. He transferred to the Permanent Staff Highland Rifle Militia (now the 3^rd Seaforth Highlanders) in 1880. He was also awarded the Long Service medal and discharged in 1889.

Note: Coomassie, now called Kumasi, is in Ghana, and was eventually occupied by the British in 1896. This medal, the Ashantee medal, was awarded to participants in the battle of Amoaful on 31^st January, 1874.

Scottish Soldiers and Ghurkhas at Tirah

Corporal Robert Carmichael

El Teb Medal

Obverse side of El Teb Medal

Private John Burry

Map showing Orange Free State

ohn Ferguson, St. Fillans, Corporal. 4^th Volunteer Battalion. Served in South African War with 1^st Volunteer Service Company, 1900-1901. Promoted Lance-Corporal and Corporal, 1900 (Queen’s medal. With clasps “”Transvaal” “Orange Free State”, “Cape Colony,” and “South Africa, 1901”.

Corporal John Ferguson

George Neish, Trooper. Enlisted in 1900. Served in South African War, 1900 (Queen’s medal, with clasps “Cape Colony”and “Transvaal”.

Trooper James Neish

Charles William Sharp, Comrie. Civil Surgeon. Served in the South African War with Scottish National Red Cross Hospital. 1900 and as Civil Surgeon attached to the Royal Army Medical Corps, 1901-1902. Was on duty in Cape Colony and Orange River Colony (Queen’s medal with four clasps). Relinquished appointment at the end of the war.

Major General George Stewart when he was a Lieutenant-Colonel

Futtehpur is in Northern India and was built by the Emperor Akbar as his capital. It is about 20 miles from Agra.

Hiranminar – Elephant Tower – Fatehpur, Sikri Agra

Tomb of Hazrat Salim Chisti (1570) - Fatehpur Sikri Agra

The Boland Gate, Fatehpur, Sikri Agra. Built by Emperor Akbar to celebrate his victory in the Deccan, 1602

Cawnpore

Sutter Ghat, Cawnpore

Outside the Bibighar Well, Cawnpore

The Bibighar Well and Slaughter House, Cawnpore

The Battle for Cawnpore

Shiva Temple in Bithur

Alam Bagh, Lucknow, by Lt C.H. Mecham on 25 December 1857

Alam Bagh, Lucknow, 1858. The Building is Bara Dari. The British camped here before storming Lucknow.

The Secundra Bad at Lucknow, 1858 - Felice Beato

The British Residency, Lucknow, 1858 - Felice Beato

The 93^rd Highlanders at Lucknow

La Martinière Boys School, Lucknow

Battle of Palichau

An-Ting Gate, Pekin

Grand Entrance to the Winter Palace, Pekin

Medals for the Relief of Pekin

Ali Masjid from the Kyber Pass

Ali Masjid Fort and Kyber Pass

Cabul (Kabul) Cantonment

This map provides an overview of Kabul which would be very familiar to General Stewart. It is also, today, a very dangerous place!

Stewart, James Anthony, Captain (Eldest son of the late Colonel Anthony Stewart, and great grandson of William Stewart of Ardvorlich). Gazetted 2^ndLieutenant in the Royal Artillery, 1887. Served in Burma, 1889-1892, and took part in operations of Tonhon Expedition (medal with clasp). Promoted Lieutenant, 1890. Served with Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low, 1895, with Mountain Battery, and was present at capture of Malakand Pass, and in actions in Swat Valley, at Panjkora River, and Mamugal (medal with clasps). Promoted Captain, 1897. Transferred to Royal Garrison Regiment and appointed Ordnance Officer, 4^th Class, 1900. Served in South African War, 1900-1902, and took part in operations in Cape Colony, December, 1900 and in Transvaal, December 1900 to May 1902 (Queen’s medal with three clasps; King’s medal with two clasps).

Panjkora River, North-West Frontier

Stewart John, Colonel, C.I.E. (of Ardvorlich). Educated at St. Andrews and Royal Military College, Addiscombe. Gazetted 2^nd Lieutenant Bengal Artillery (now Royal Artillery), 1851. Promoted 1^st Lieutenant, 1857. Served during Indian Mutiny, 1857-1858, with Ordnance Department on Lines of Communication between Allahabad and Cawnpore. Promoted Captain, 1861; Major 1872. Employed chiefly in Ordnance Department, under Civil Administration of the Army, and Superintendent of Harness and Saddlery Factory at Cawnpore, 1874-1888. Promoted Lieutenant Colonel, 1878. Brevet Colonel, 1882. C.I.E. 1887. Retired, 1888.

Battle for Allahabad

The Fort at Allahabad and the River Jumna

Palace at Allalabad

Stewart, John Lindesay, Lieutenant (2^nd son of Colonel Stewart of Ardvorlich). Born 1875. Educated at Sherborne School and Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Gazetted 2^nd Lieutenant Indian Staff Corps (now Indian Army), and appointed Officiating Squadron Officer 11^th (Prince of Wales’s Own) Bengal Lancers, 1894. Served with Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low, 1895, with 11^th Bengal Lancers (medal, with clasp). Promoted Lieutenant, 1897. Served in campaign on North-West Frontier of India under Sir William Lockhart, 1897-1898, with 11^th Bengal Lancers, and took part in operations of Malakand Field Force, including operations in Swat (clasp). Appointed to 15^th Bengal (Cureton’s Multani) Lancers (now 15^th Lancers (Cureton’s Multanis), 1900. He died at Murree, June 2, 1902

Murree, the Punjab

Stewart, Robert Joseph Tucker, Captain (2^nd son of the late Colonel Anthony Stewart, and great-grandson of William Stewart of Ardvorlich). Gazetted 2^ndLieutenant The Northumberland Fusiliers, 1891. Promoted Lieutenant, 1894. Transferred to Indian Staff Corps (now Indian Army) and appointed Wing Officer 9^th Madras Infantry, 1895. Wing Officer 22^nd Bengal Infantry (now 22^nd Punjabis), 1897. Served in campaign on North-West Frontier of India under Sir William Lockhart, 1897-1898 with 22^nd Punjab Infantry. (1) Took part in operations of Malakand Field Force, including operations in Swat and Bajour, and night attacks of Nawagai. (2) Took part in operations of Mohmand Field Force, including capture of Badmanai Pass, and operations in Mittai and Suran Valleys. (3) Served in Lines of Communication with Tirah Expeditionary Force (medal, with two clasps). Served in South African War, 1899-1902, as Special Service Officer. Was afterwards on Staff and on Police duty under Military Governor of Pretoria. Took part in operations in Orange Free State, February to May, 1900, including operations in Paardeberg, and operations in Transvaal, November, 1900 to May 1902 (Queen’s medal, with three clasps; King’s medal with two clasps). Promoted Captain, 1901. Resumed regimental duty, 1902. Served in Kabul-Khel Waziri Expedition, 1902, with 22^nd Punjabis.

South Malakand Camp, 1897

Stewart, William Murray, Captain. Only son of the late J. A. Stewart, M.A., and great-grandson of William Stewart of Ardvorlich. Educated at Charterhouse and Royal Military College, Sandhurst (where he gained Sword of Honour). Gazetted 2^nd Lieutenant in The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, 1895. Promoted Lieutenant, 1898. Served in the Soudan Campaign, 1898, under Sir Herbert Kitchener, with 1^st Battalion Cameron Highlanders, and was present at the battle of Atbara. Invalided home (British medal, and Khedive’s medal, with clasp). Promoted Captain 1900. Served in the South African War, 1900-1902, with 1^st Battalion Cameron Highlanders, and took part in operations in Orange Free State, February to may 1900, including actions at Vet River and Zand River, and in operations in Transvaal, May and June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg and Pretoria. Took part in operations in Orange River Colony. June 1900 to January 1901, including actions at Wittebergen (wounded) and Ladybrand; operations in Eastern Transvaal, January to April 1901, including action in Western Transvaal, March to may 1902 (mentioned in despatches; Queen’s medal with three clasps; King’s medal with two clasps).

They marched away cheerily singing bawdy songs and ditties from the popular music hall. These are some of the songs they enjoyed for a while:

The Black Watch were decimated at the Trench at Magersfontein

A Boer song of the day written by an half Irish- half Afrikaaner called Sean Else was called the De La Rey song. Koos de la Rey was one of the Boer generals who ran rings round the British.

Jacobus Herculaas (Koos) de la Rey (1847 – 1914)

Boer Song – De la Rey

On a mountain in the night

I lie in the dark and wait

In the mud and the blood

As cold rain soaks me.

And my house and my farm were burnt to ashes

So they could capture us,

But those flames and that fire now burn

Deep within me.

De La Rey, De La Rey come lead the Boers,

De La Rey, De La Rey

General, General, to the last man we shall fall for you.

General De La Rey.

Against the British laughing,

A handful of us against an army of them

With the cliffs of the mountains against our backs

They think it is over.

But the heart of a Boer is deeper and wider,

They will still realize.

On a horse he is coming,

The Lion of the Western Transvaal.

De La Rey, De La Rey come lead the Boers

De La Rey, De La Rey

General, General to the last man we shall fall for you.

General De La Rey.

Because my wife and my child

Are rotting in their camps,

The British running over us,

But our nation shall rise once more.

De La Rey, De La Rey come lead the Boers, etc.

Medals were awarded for those taking part in this war and the following are typical examples. I have included some of them for general interest. The reader can access all of them on various websites on the internet.

Queen’s Medal with four clasps (Transvaal. Dreifontein, Paardeburg and Cape Colony)

Marching into Legend at the Modder River

The Modder River Crossing

The Battle of the Modder River

Battle of Paardeburg

Paardeburg

Surrender of General Cronje at Paardeburg