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1905, Exeter Flying Post article on the Redvers Buller statue
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- 9 September 1905
THE BULLER STATUE
UNVEILLING CEREMONY
GREAT REUNION OF VETERANS
Wednesday was a day unique in the history of Exeter. Many a time has the old city stepped for a while into a place of prime importance to the people of this island. Never before has it gathered up and focussed into a single ray the warm beams of a sentiment whose bounds are set not in Britain, but the far corners of her world-empire. That sentiment – affection, admiration, sympathy, reverence almost – has found fitting expression in the giant monument upreared at Exeter. Sir Redvers Buller stands to a vast number of Britons as the embodiment of valour, as a magnetic leader of men, endowed with unsurpassable determination, coupled with a certain directness and simplicity of character that bring him nearer than almost any other subject of the King to the people’s ideal of the perfect Englishman. The monument that bears his name stands, above all, as a tribute to a man who has done his honest best. The words that Tennyson put into the mouth of Sir Richard Grenville befit the object of this week’s demonstration to the last degree –
I have fought for Queen and faith like a valiant man and true;
I have only done my duty as a man is bound to do.
“I have done my level best,” said Sir Redvers Buller on Wednesday. Add to that the conviction that his “level best” is of the highest order, and you have the explanation of the Buller memorial movement. Started, it is true, at a moment when angry passions raged, the movement of its own accord as it were, assumed a truer and deeper course until now nothing of bitterness lies in it, though the West of England in particular will always dispute both the equity and the wisdom of the official action of four years ago.
Superficially, it was Ladysmith Day over again. There were the overcrowded streets, resounding to hum of thousands of country cousins, and visitors from afar. There were the vendors of picture postcards and other mementoes, picture handkerchiefs were offered by a sniffling hawker, and other improved the passing hour by the sale of penny Bibles. Paper whips and other minor instruments of torture were in evidence; and in all the crowds enjoyed themselves to the full. But it was Ladysmith Day with a difference. The feeling was wide but deeper. It was not the delirious exuberation of relief from a dread anxiety ; it was the sober joy evoked by reviewing a whole life of noble service – not a triumph over foes, but a tribute to a friend. The stately pealing of the Cathedral bells lent emphasis to this essential difference. The weather was as if controlled by a special Providence. From four o’clock in the morning till close upon noon the rain fell fast and persistently, and things looked black indeed. It cleared, however, before the civic procession left the Guildhall for the site, and the actual unveiling was performed in bright and scorching sunshine. A further shower in the afternoon did little harm, and until the whole affair was over the clouds held up, the next downfall being after ten o’clock.
The movement which attained its fruition on Wednesday began on October 25th, 1901, when at the Guildhall, a committee was appointed consisting of the then Mayor (Mr. A. E. Dunn), Messrs. E. C. Perry (the present Mayor), J. A. Loram, T. Moulding, W. Wreford, E. J. Domville, T. Linscott, and C. J. Ross, the two last named acting as hon. secretaries.
Among the hundreds who accepted official invitations to be present at the various ceremonies this week were the Earl of Iddesleigh, General Lord Methuen, Brigadier-General Lord Clifford, Lord St. Levan, Lord Seaton, General Sir W. Stopford, V.C., Sir W. Arbuckle (Agent-General for Natal), Sir T. K. Murray, General Leir-Carleton, General Terry, General Featherstonehaugh, Brigadier-General Bethune, Brigadier-General Kirkpatrick, the Bishop of Exeter, the Bishop of Crediton, Sir. J. Kennaway, M.P., Sir E. Vincent, M.P., Sir J. Shelley, Sir Bourchier Wrey, Sir E. de la Pole, Sir R. White-Thomson, Sir G. Kekewich, Messrs. E. J. Soares, M.P., H.T. Eve, K.C., M.P., G. Lambert, M.P.; the Mayors of boroughs and Chairman of Councils throughout the western counties; and some hundreds of representative people from the city, county, and various parts of the country.
The day began with a reception given at the Guildhall by the Mayor. His Worship thanked the Lord-Lieutenant and the other guests for honouring them with their presence that day. It was indeed a pleasure for the Mayor of Exeter to have within the wall of that very old Guildhall the representatives of so many important towns and urban and rural districts in the West of England. It was also with the greatest pleasure that they welcomed the Lord-Lieutenant of the county there, he thought, almost to that very important and responsible office. The citizens of Exeter had watched Lord Ebrington’s career from his early manhood to the present time, and they had always been struck by the great earnestness he had shown in his public duties, and of his zeal and anxiety to promote the better government of the county and city and the uplifting of the people generable. They were assembled that day to do honour to a great Devonshire man. He was a very many-sided man, a man who, while the greater part of his life had been devoted to the service of his sovereign in fields of battle in all parts of the world, yet had not forgotten those humbler and less important duties which concerned them all at home, and who had taken his share in the local government of his town and of his county.
Viscount Ebrington said it gave him very great pleasure to say a few words for the very kind reception given him that day, and especially for what had been said of himself in all too flattering terms. No doubt the ancient walls of that building had seen many scenes and many remarkable gatherings, but the doubted if any of his Worship’s 705 predecessors had ever presided over an assembly quite the same as that; and he doubted if ever before in the history of Exeter the Mayors of, he believed, almost every town within the county, and the chairman of so many of the Councils, had been gathered under the presidency of the Mayor of Exeter. He hoped the manner in which they had all come together that day to do honour to a great Devonshire man was symbolic of the manner in which they were all prepared to work together for the good of their county. (Applause.)
The Mayor of Plymouth and the Chairman of the Ilfracombe Urban Council also spoke.
A move was then made for the site. The procession was organised by the City Marshal (Councillor Sidney Herbert), who rode at its head, followed by a possé of police. Then came the following chairmen of District Councils:- Messrs. Isaac Pearse (Stonehouse), J. S. Hallett (Plympton), J. W. Osborne (Paignton), J. Essery (Okehampton), Clark (Ilfracombe), J. Prouse (Newton Abott), Roger Densham (Crediton), W. Dester (Tiverton), A. W. Oakley (Seaton), W. H, Aplin (Beer), H. G. Luxton (Ottery St. Mary), J. B. Batten (Holsworthy), John Shapter (Dawlish), E.W. Tupman (Exmouth), W. N. Trounson and T. Turner (representing Camborne), G. S. Bray (Gwennap Parish Council), W. Teague (Illogan Parish Council), and W. J. Crossing (Plymouth Board of Guardians), the Mayors of Plymouth (Mr. R. W. Winnicott), Tiverton (Mr. H. Mudford), Taunton (Mr. W. Lewis), Bridgwater (Mr. H. W. Pollard), Chard (Mr. S. H. Dening), Southmolton (Mr. J. Sanders), Okehampton (Mr. W. B. Jerman), Darmouth (Dr. Searle), Torrington (Mr H. Grant), Honiton (Mr. Job Knowles), Bideford (Mr. J. Cock), and Barnstaple (Mr. H. Barrett);
The civic regalia of Exeter; the Mayor of Exeter and the Lord-Lieutenant of the County, Brigadier-General Lord Clifford and the Mayor’s Chaplain (Rev. C. J. Valpy French), the Sheriff of Exeter (Rev. Walker King) and his chaplain (Rev. W. R. Spencer), the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. J. White), and Sir. Edgar Vincent, M. P.; Sir George Kekewich; Messrs. J. Stocker, T. Linscott, E. H. Houlditch, R.C. Wilkinson, J. Gould, S. R. Force, H. Gadd, H. B. Varwell, J. Harding, R. People, F. T. Depree, C. E. Rowe, J. Irish, T. Knapman, J. A. Collings, and W. Pring (past Mayors and Justices) ; the Justices’ Clerk (Mr. J. L. Pengelly) ; the Under-Sheriff (Mr. A. M. Alford), the City Coroner (Mr. W. L. Brown), the Deputy-Coroner (Mr. W. R. Cocks);
Alderman Bradley, McCren, Peters, Commin, Tucker, Councillors Hawke, Bates, Jackson, Campfield, Roper, Rowe, Pulsford, Rowland, R. M. Challice, G. M. Challice, Cole, Ellis, Lucas, Howard, Merrick, Oliver, Roberts, Clapp, Lisle;
Rev. C. Croucher, Messrs. J. G. Owen, G. F. Gratwloke, J. Jerman (R.A.M. Governors); Dr. E. A. Brash (Medical Officer of Health), Messrs. W. G. Rogers (City Treasurer), W. J. Wreford (Sanitary Inspector), F. R. Rowley (curator of the Museum), F. Tapley Soper (City Librarian), S. Snodgrass (Finances Clerk), F. Northway (Chief Collector), J. D. Venn (Chief Clerk to the Council), A. Clements (Wharfinger);
Mr G. Roberts (chairman), Colonel Cardew, Rev. S. W. E. Bird, Messrs. J. Loaring, G. B. Carlile, W. Butcher, W. Parkhome, H. F. Pratt, and Mrs. Chorley, Exeter Board of Guardians; Messrs. J. Trott, F. Newcombe, H. Hems, F. Algar, J. T. Dunsford, and others. Another possé of police, and members of the Exeter Fire Brigade, under Superintendent Pett, closed the procession.
A guard of honour was mounted at the site, consisting of members of the R.V. (under Colonel Richards), 3rd V. B. D. R. Engineers, and Artillery Volunteers.
Mr. Dunn said that as chairman of the committee that was appointed some four years ago in order that in Devonshire they might have a permanent memorial of a great Englishman, he had to ask the Lord-Lieutenant to unveil the monument before them. Those who three years ago thought the monument opportune in order that in his own country, among his own friends, there might be erected a token of their respect and admiration, held a meeting in the Guildhall, at which the then Mayor of the city declared that the movement could have and would have no political significance. (Hear, hear.). And that point had always been kept to the fore in everything that had been done. Fifty thousand subscribers had subscribed to the memorial – (applause) – and that in itself was a testimony of the admiration and love of those who gave. Of course a very large number came from their own county, but in exactly the same way as General Buller had served in all parts of the world, so all parts of the world united in the effort. From the north and from the south, from the east and from the west, from the rich and from the poor, letters poured in, and the result was before them.
Viscount Ebrington said he thought he ought first to say how much he regretted that ill-health prevented Lord Wolseley from keeping his promise to attend to do the work that he had now been asked to perform. The right person to unveil the statue of a soldier should unquestionably be a soldier, and few could possibly be better qualified for it than the gallant officer whose absence they deplored. Few, if any, stood higher than Lord Wolseley among our military men. He and Sir Redvers Buller were comrades in at least five campaigns, and in many years of responsible and fruitful work at the War Office. Unless he was mistaken, it was Lord Wolseley who gave Sir Revers his first chance of coming to the front, and he was one of his oldest friends. (Applause). But though he could not be there he (the speaker) was privileged to tell them in his own words what he would have said had he been able to attend.
These were the notes of Lord Wolseley’s speech:-
It is always pleasant to take part in any function intended to do honour to a distinguished soldier or sailor who has served his Sovereign well, but when the man so honoured, as in the present instance, is an old friend and most valued comrade, beside whom I have often stood in what soldiers in their fighting language so aptly describe as “tight places,” then the event appeals to my heart with all the greater force. Having served so long with Sir Redvers Buller, both in peace and in war, it is but natural I should appreciate the honour of being selected to unveil the statue erected to him, not only by his own county, but by many others also in various parts of the King’s dominions. The idea was, I am told, initiated in Exeter, and brought forward by the present Mayor (Mr. Perry) and Mr. Dunn (who lately held that office). From my heart I congratulate Sir Redvers upon being so justly appreciated in this his own loved county, long famous for its fighting leaders, as well, as he has always been, in the Army, where I had the privilege of serving with him for many years. This statue will remind future generations of Western men of the brilliant services performed by Devonshire’s most illustrious son of this period, and cannot fail to inspire them with a desire to serve our Sovereign in their turn as well and as faithfully as Sir Redvers Buller had done throughout his long and brilliant career.
There was little for him (the speaker) to add to these words. He felt he was a very poor substitute for the veteran Field Marshal, who had been through his first campaign and received his first severe wound before he (the speaker) was born, and who from that date to almost the present day had been continually serving the country, either in the field or in an administrative capacity, in every part of the globe. One qualification, however, he could claim. From boyhood he had known and admired Sir Redvers Buller -(applause)- and like a Devonshire man, he was proud of the great position which he, a native of their county, had won for himself. So when the committee were placed unexpectedly the other day in a difficulty by Lord Wolseley’s unfortunate illness, he was glad to help them by coming as a friend and neighbour to join with Sir Redvers’ friends and neighbours in doing him honour. (Applause.)
The Lord-Lieutenant then pulled the cord which released the white ensign covering the statue, amidst loud cheers. A chorus of members of the Western Counties Musical Association, the Exeter Oratorio Society, and the Exeter Male Voice Choir sang Elgar’s “Land of hope and glory,” to the accompaniment of the band of the 4th Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifles, and under the conductorship of the Rev. A. D. Culley (sub-organist of the Cathedral), Mr. C. J. Ross singing one of the verses as a solo.
Viscount Ebrington said it was his duty, on behalf of the subscribers, to ask the Mayor, as representative of the city, to accept the statue. He doubted if any provincial city had ever received such a body of subscribers, for the subscribers were about as numerous as the whole of the citizens over whose destinies his Worship presided, and they came from every part of the world. (Applause.) Lord Wolseley, were he there, could have spoken on the military services and military exploits that were there commemorated with knowledge and authority. He (the speaker) could not do that, so he would not imitate the proverbial man in the street, who was always ready to lay down the law on any and every point of strategy and tactics during the late war. (Laughter.) He believed, however, he was right in saying that every General under whom Sir Redvers soldiered in his earlier days took care to secure his services again if possible in the next war in which he was engaged, and later, when he rose to command, his old comrades were always glad to be associated with him, and they stood thick there that day to do honour to him. (Applause.) Those facts were none the less eloquent of his worth than the long list of campaigns upon the pedestal, and the many letters which stood after his name, which told of the bravery and untiring devotion to his men which won him the Victoria Cross in Zululand -(applause)-that told of the square that stood its ground at Tamai, that told of patience and the skill in organisation, of steadfastness in difficulties, and of the resolution that won ultimate success. (Applause.) It was a proud record, but those who knew Sir Redvers at home knew that those were not the only public services he had rendered. A man who had filled great positions might easily claim forgiveness if he thought lesser work beneath his notice, but his fellow parishioners at Crediton and his colleagues on the County Council could bear witness that that was not the way with General Buller, and that nothing that concerned the public welfare was beneath him ; and they knew that just as he set an example to his soldiers by never sparing himself either in fighting or any hard work, so he had set an example to his neighbours by the devotion he gave to all subjects of public welfare, by giving freely of his time and of his ability to whatever might benefit his neighbours.
The Mayor of Exeter said it was indeed with very sincere pleasure that he received from his lordship’s hands that magnificent gift to the old city of Exeter. It was indeed not only a magnificent gift, but it was a magnificent work of art, and a work that conferred great distinction upon Captain Adrian Jones for the way in which he had produced it. They felt pride and admiration in the deeds of the great men of the past, and they in Exeter felt it was particularly fitting that in that old city, which had played so very important a part in the wars of our country, and within and without whose walls so many valiant deeds had been done on behalf of King and country, his lordship should have unveiled the statue of such a worthy Devonian as Sir Redvers Buller. (Applause.) That statue would tell its own tale; it would be an outward and visible sign, and an indication of the affection, of the gratitude, and of the pride which all parts of the Empire had for their distinguished countryman. (Applause.)
Hearty cheers and the playing of the National Anthem closed the ceremony. The great crowd, however, waited in the vicinity, and when Sir Redvers Buller was seen on his way to the Victoria Hall he was greeted with tremendous cheers.
THE LUNCHEON
Quickly following the unveiling, a reception of invited guests was held by the Mayor and Mayoress at the Upper Victoria Hall. This was the first of the day’s functions at which Sir Redvers and Lady Audrey Buller appeared. Luncheon was served in the large hall, which had been profusely decorated by the Flag and Fete Company, and by a happy thought the tables were arranged to represent the lines of a Union Jack. During the repeat music was rendered by the band of the 4th Battalion King’s Royal Rifles. The Mayor presided, having on his right and left General and Lady Audrey Buller, other guests at the head table being the Mayoress, the Earl and Countess of Iddesleigh, Viscount St. Cyres, Lady Rosalind Northcote, Lord and Lady St. Levan, Lady E. St. Auwn, Sir W. Arbuckle (Agent-General for Natal), Sir Thomas and Lady Acland, Miss Buller, Miss A. Buller, Miss H. Buller, the High Sheriff of Devon (Mr. E. H. Bayldon), Lord Clifford, the Earl of Devon, the Bishop of Exeter and Mrs. Robertson, the Sheriff of Exeter (Rev. Walker King), Lady Hughes, Sir John Kennaway, M.P., Lady Kennaway and Miss Kennaway, General Lord Methuen, Sir John and Lady Shelley, and Sir Edgar Vincent, M.P.
Mr. C. J. Ross, one of the hon. secretaries, read letters of regret for non-attendance, among them being the following:-
“Field Marshal Viscount Wolseley presents his compliments to the Mayor of Exeter, and regrets to inform his Worship that he cannot have the pleasure and the honour of taking part in the inauguration of the statue erected to his old friend and comrade Sir Redvers Buller. Nothing short of an imperative order on the part of his medical advisor would have prevented Lord Wolseley from attending that ceremony. Should his absence from it impose upon the Mayor any unexpected trouble, Lord Wolseley hopes that his Worship will forgive him. Lord Wolseley deplores all the more his inability to be present upon the occasion, because he had looked forward with great pleasure to attend a ceremony meant to do honour to one of his ablest and most trusted companions-in-arms, a soldier whose mere presence in any fight meant very much to all concerned in the result. Sir Redvers Buller’s army had the greatest confidence in him and all who, like myself, had often been in action with him, knew how justified they were in that feeling. Lord Wolseley regrets very much that his inability to be present upon the occasion in question prevents him from availing himself of the high honor the Corporation of Exeter intended to confer upon him (the freedom of the city). He is, however, as grateful for the intention of the Corporation in this matter as if he had received that honour at the hands of its representative, the Mayor.”
Sir Albert H. Hime (ex-Prime Minister of Natal): Had it been possible for me to be present on the occasion, I would have been able, of my own personal knowledge, to tell those taking part in the ceremony of the immense debt of gratitude which Natal owes to General Sir Redvers Buller.
Mr. Trehawke Kekewich wrote that his son, Major-General Kekewich, had travelled from Scotland on purpose to be present, only to be ordered to bed by his doctor immediately on arriving.
There were many others. Mr. J. W. Spear, M. P., wrote that “an engagement at Princetown” prevented his coming-at which the company, remembering Princetown Prison, laughed heartily.
Canon Rawnsley sent a sonnet to the guest of the day, which Mr. E. J. Domville recited with effect:-
Not for that on your breast to-day you wear
The proudest cross our soldier heroes crave
Did Devon give you honour when she gave
Memorial in her county city’s square ;
But because, loving with a father’s care
The men you led, when our fierce foeman’s wave
Broke o’er them thrice, you, resolutely brave,
By daring greatly showed them how to dare.
And you have crosses on your breast
That need brave wearing. For a single word
Spoken in haste, but spoken from the heart,
Our rulers, they for whom you drew the sword,
Did you despite ; but silent, being possessed
Of Britain’s love, you played the soldier’s part.
The loyal toasts having been honoured, Sir John Kennaway, M.P., proposed “The Bishops and ministers of religion.” It was interesting to them all to remember that one of the Bishop of Exeter’s predecessors in the See of Exeter was William Buller. On behalf of the laity of the diocese he expressed to Bishop Robertson their gratitude for the devotion he had shown to the duties of the diocese, and for the fearless yet kindly spirit in which he had faced the responsibility of a ruler of the Church in times of great religious activity, but yet difficult and dangerous times. They appreciated what he had done, and he ventured to assure him of their sympathy and support.
The Bishop of Exeter, in reply, said it took Christians more than 18 centuries of work before slavery came to an end, and it would take probably as long again before they had an end of wars. Meanwhile, there were many strong ties of union between the profession of arms and the ministry of the Word of God. The profession of arms, terrible as was the great fact of war to which its owed its existence, did none the less summon forth in its existence, did none the less summon forth in its exercise some of the very noblest qualities which went to make up the ideal of manhood. In the Army and in the Churches they were all endeavouring to bring forth the ideal of duty loftily conceived and consistently followed out – high-souled and whole-souled devotion to duty. That was the highest soldierly ideal, and it was not very far from the highest Christian ideal.
Mr. George Lambert, M.P., gave the “Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces.” He could say for all of them, he was certain, that as Britons they desired the Navy to be adequate in strength and matchless in efficiency. The British Army officer was supposed to have very numerous qualifications – to be a keen buyer, a smart salesman, a born strategist, and bold as a lion. Those were a good many qualifications to ask of a single individual, but there was one thing he was certain of – brave and business-like as the British officer might be, he was unable to fight the enemy when he was six thousand miles from home. That was the fate of the British Army some six years ago. Many disasters occurred in South Africa, not because of the fault of the soldier, but because the soldier was not there. If the British General had been in South Africa before they would have been spared many disasters that they had had to deplore. It was not the General who ought out to be made the scapegoat; it was the statesman, and he said to them that afternoon, that he did not believe that the British Army had ever fulfilled a greater mission than they did in South Africa. (Applause),
General Lord Methuen, G.C.B., who received an ovation, said in reply that he wanted, in the first place, to express to the Mayor his thanks for the honour done him in allowing him to participate that day in paying his tribute of respect to one of the finest soldiers that they had had in their Army during his time -(cheers)- and one of the oldest and truest friends that he had ever come across. He had to thank Mr. Lambert also for the kind manner in which he had proposed that toast, which had been received, as it always was received in that country, with a hearty welcome. Why they (Devonians) had not been able to discover an Admiral to return thanks for the Navy he could not conceive. He had only a very little to say as regarded the Navy. He had no jealousy at all, and no emulation, and he was heartily glad to serve his country on terra firma -(laughter)- but he was equally glad that others found that they could do their duty on an element which may be wholesome, but was remarkably uncomfortable to him. (Laughter.) With regard to the Army, he had to say that, studying both foreign and English literature, written by competent and incompetent critics -(laughter)- he gathered that there were three things that they had at any rate learnt from this war. They had learnt that organisation was necessary, they had learnt that patriotism was necessary, and they had also learnt that extreme bravery was necessary. (Hear, hear.) Judging from the arrangements made there that day, he should say that organisation was very near there, and if there was one county in England that could lay claim to bravery and patriotism it was the county of Devonshire. (Applause.) But he did not suppose that they would be able to learn these lessons in strategy and tactics that they all longed to learn until they saw the official account of the war ; and, if the Japanese Army Council were to take the lead off our War Office in regard to the time they took in bringing out the official account of our late war, then he thought he might safely say there would be many more grey hairs on his head before they could hope to read any account from Japan. (Laughter.) Last, but by no means least, they came to the subject of the auxiliary forces. He could say of the Yeomanry publicly what he had written officially. He came back, hoping to be able to say of the Yeomanry that their lowest standard was “fair,” and that their highest standard was “good.” But, after inspecting every regiment under his command, he could only say that he had begun at “good” and ended at “very good.” (Applause). As regarded the Militia and the Volunteers, they were plants that required very tender treatment, and it seemed to him that every gardener thought he had the secret ; he at any rate, if he did possess the secret, had not the slightest intention of imparting it to them on that occasion. (Laughter).
Brigadier-General Lord Clifford, in replying for the Reserve Forces, said he felt that, whatever might be their shortcomings, they were doing the best they could, in the service of their country, not always under the most advantageous circumstances, but always with a desire to do the best that lay in their power. (Hear, hear.) He was proud of it on that occasion, because some of the men whom he commanded had served in South Africa under the distinguished soldier they had gathered together to congratulate and to honour that day. (Hear, hear.). He was proud to do it, because he thought that the country was much in need of what the Volunteers and the other reserve forces could do, and he hoped that anything they could do to stimulate the feeling in those who dwelt around them, to do something to assist them and to imitate their example, would be done. He reminded the company that if ever the services of the auxiliary forces were required in this country it would not be in the moment of triumphant victory, but in the moment of great national danger and difficulty, and in such a time he hoped that they would find men to lead them who would have that courage in difficulty or even in disaster, men like the noble and gallant soldier he had followed, men like the great soldier whom they had come to honour that day. (Applause.)
The Mayor, in proposing the health of Sir Redvers Buller, said the gallant General’s career commanded the admiration of the civilised world. It had been a strenuous life, a life full of incident and adventure, and worthy of the highest praise. His services had not been confined to the field of battle, but had been given to the State in a variety of ways. He had been called upon to perform a very arduous and important duty in the Sister Isle, and he, in the discharge of that duty, displayed diplomatic ability of no mean order in dealing with problems that had taxed the resources of successive statesmen. He (the Mayor) had received that morning the following telegram from Lord Wolseley:- “I congratulate the Mayor and Corporation of Exeter upon the high privilege that is theirs to-day in doing honour to their distinguished countrymen, Sir Redvers Buller, the bravest of brave men. I always felt it a privilege to be associated with him in the field, and I regret much my absence from to-day’s interesting ceremony. I wish him long life to enjoy his well-earned honours.” (Cheers) A few days ago Lord Wolseley also sent him a letter he had received from a writer in Pretoria, who said that not only did Sir Redvers’ own fellow countrymen in South Africa love and admire the work he did, but there was no man in the British Army that was more respected and beloved by the Boers than Sir Redvers Buller. His services would leave their mark on the history of our country. That day was not the time to enter into the controversies which had raged round the name of Sir Redvers. During that controversy he displayed great self-possession and great dignity.
True dignity is never gained by place,
And never lost when honours are withdrawn
To-day Sir Redvers stood higher in the affection of the people of the Empire than he ever did; and when that ceremony had been forgotten the statue would be a silent but eloquent answer to much that had been written of him in connection with the war. (Applause.)
The toast was received with round after round of cheering, and the company sang “For he’s a jolly good fellow.” The demonstration was renewed when the gallant General rose to respond.
Sir Redvers Buller said it had be confessed, occurred to him that that day was one which he had better not appear in Exeter. He thought that in the seclusion of a Scotch forest he should be perhaps worthily represented by a statue and relieved of a very great difficulty. (Laughter.) Afterwards he was told, and he agreed, that he must be at the luncheon, but he knew that all of them would feel with him how difficult it was for him to reply to such a speech as that which the Mayor had just made. From his own standpoint he was but a fly on the wheel of the chariot of State, and whether it should be his good fortune to remain in the efflux of time the wheel in its revolution crushed him out, or whether he was swept off beforehand by the duster of the hand of fate, he hoped that so long as he had his being, he should be able to say, as he felt he could truly do that day, that according to his lights he had done his level best. (Cheers.) He thanked those from whom he had received such great and extraordinary kindness. There were many individuals and many bodies to whom his great thanks were due. First and foremost, he had to thank the present Mayor and Mr. Dunn and the committee who were really responsible for that day. It was, he admitted, a very great disappointment to him that his old and dear friend, Lord Wolseley, was not able to be there that day. He was quite certain that had it been at all possible he would have been there, and that he wished to be there. He regretted his absence, but in his absence it was a very great gratification to him that his old friend, the Lord-Lieutenant of the County, at considerable inconvenience to himself, should have come forward and performed the ceremony by which he had given him an example of the hereditary friendship which had existed between his family and his (General Buller’s) for many generations. It was also a great pleasure to him to see there such representatives of Natal as Sir William Arbuckle and Sir Thomas Murray, who were in the forefront in the difficulties that were a few years ago so pregnant with fate for Natal, and both of them know well, only they were too modest to admit it, how much they and others, including Sir. A. Hime, helped him. It was his privilege and his joy in that campaign to command a large number of men from these islands, and it was their fortune to be opposed by the best part of the troops of the enemy, who, throughout the time, were commanded by their Commandant-General. The force he (General Buller) was connected pursued that army from Ladysmith to Pilgrim’s Rest, in the north of the Transvaal. They pursued them with certain checks, but with never a set-back, and in the end, in a part of the country as difficult as any that had ever been manoeuvred in by an organised army, they entered a store kept by a German within five minutes of the time that the Commandant-General of the enemy’s forces had quitted it. The storekeeper told him that as General Botha got up to leave, he said to him, “Are you going to fight?” Botha replied, “No, I am not going to fight. Four times I have rested in a position that looked impregnable. By great labour I have made it, as I thought, absolutely impregnable, and each time those confounded (he would translate it “confounded”) soldiers of Buller’s, carrying loads on their backs, have walked over it us though it was plain, level, simple land. I will never stand against them again.” And he never did. Those men whom he commanded gave him, indirectly perhaps, the statue they had unveiled, and he took that opportunity of thanking them and the officers who had served under him, as well as others, like Lord Methuen, for the support he had received. Returning to the words attributed to Botha by the storekeeper, if they were not actually used, they might have been, because they were perfectly true. It was true that the men he (Sir Redvers) commanded, as soon as they got over the sea-sickness and got into the way of fighting in that country, did not care what hills there were, or what was the enemy opposed to them (Cheers.) That Army was worthy, he thought, of more attention than it had been in the habit of receiving from those not actually engaged in it. He did not want to pose as an apostle of militarism, but it was an absolute fact that no man, however strong, who kept a house could, if he were not armed, keep his goods in peace. (Applause.)
Sir W. Arbuckle, Agent-General for Natal, proposed “The City of Exeter,” and gave the company a graphic demonstration of the hardships of the Ladysmith siege, showing them a dark brown cake or loaf, a little larger than a halfpenny bun, the like of which served as a whole day’s ration for eight men on the day before the relief.
Sir Edgar Vincent, M.P. (who had travelled from the Continent to be present), in response, said Exeter was that day doing a most necessary and important duty. (Applause.) It was too often thought that provincial towns were either great centres for the production of goods, or centres for the distribution of goods, or markets for the sale of agricultural or local produce ; but that was a view both superficial and erroneous. In the national life great provincial cities like that had a far more important, a more elevated, and a more noble function, and it was to organise and to focus the public opinion in which they were situated. He believed it to be at once their privilege and their duty to give expression to those feelings which prevailed in the positions of the many thousands around them, and to imitate what others felt, so that the world might understand that public opinion in England was not merely the view which happened to be familiar at the moment in Pall Mall or the Metropolis, but that the larger public of the provinces had also its voice in the matter. (Hear, hear) And when they held an opinion, he thought it was their duty to stand fast by it, and to do to their utmost to make that opinion prevail. They all knew that in a great neighbouring country, a country to which we were now bound by close ties of friendship, the excessive predominance of the opinion of the Metropolis had on frequent occasions led to national disaster. In France, when Paris had spoken, there was no court of appeal. He ventured to say that in England, London had something of a Court of Appeal in the great provincial centres. (Applause.) It was of the highest importance to our national life that independence of judgement, which had always been characteristic of the great provincial towns in England, should continue undimmed and undiminished. He was proud to say that that day, in that regard, Exeter waws doing what he believed to be her duty (Applause.) She stood forth for the cause of justice – justice tempered with mercy and inspired with gratitude; justice which knew no resentment, and which overlooked any venial fault in memory of great and noble service. (Applause.)
Sir John Shelley proposed “The ladies,” and said that Lady Audrey Buller was what they called in the county of Devon “a proper dear” -(laughter and cheers)- and they in the county knew how much she had done towards the great popularity of Sir Redvers. (Cheers.) - The toast was acknowledged by Lord St. Levan. – The Sheriff of Exeter gave “The Visitors,” to which the Mayors of Plymouth and Taunton replied. “The committee,” submitted by the Earl of Iddesleigh, was responded to by Mr. A. E. Dunn and Mr. C. J. Ross. The other toasts were “The sculptor” (Captain Adrian Jones), by Mr E. J. Domville ; and “The Chairman,” by Mr. J. H Lile, hon. secretary of the Devonians in London.
THE VETERANS’ TEA
The tea to veterans held at Bury Meadow was a great success, and formed a pleasant feature of the day’s proceedings. A large General Committee had appointed the following to form a Working Committee to devise and carry out the arrangements:- The Mayor, the Mayoress, Sister Rose, Mrs. H. E. Batt, Mrs. Willats, Mrs. Kerswill, Mrs. J. Balsom, Misses Pasmore, Rose Harding, Wreford, Trehane, Major Vigors, Messrs. B. H. Hill (Crediton), R. People, C. J. Ross, T. Linscott, Harbottle Reed, C. R. M. Clapp, R. S. Pasmore, W. H. Steer, with Miss Bertha Pasmore and Mr. A. E. Richards as hon. secretaries. A leading part in the actual work was taken by Mr. Harbottle Reed, who also placed his special professional experience at the service of the committee and planned the disposal of the tables and other details inside the marquee. The latter was supplied and erected by Mr. R. M. Flint. It was 235 feet in length and was decorated with flags and a series of quotations and mottoes, the text of which included “A gentleman well bred and of good name,”, ‘His worth is warrant for welcome hither,” And you are come in very happy time,” “Bravo! Buller,!” and Fidelis Regi at Patriae.” There were sixteen long tables arranged transversely, and two small ones, providing for a total accommodation of about 560 guests. For the purpose of serving the meal the following ladies and gentlemen were present:-
LADIES.-Mesdames Yeo, Toms, W. R. Lisle, Kerswill, J. Balsom, Willats, H. E. Batts, R. Jerman, R. Pasmore, Upright, J. Browning, Ferris Tozer, Cade, C. Hallett, G. Ross, H. A. Drow, Rew, Godfrey, Rew, J. Mortimer (Crediton), W. Jackson (Crediton), Mackworth Drake, L. Richards, W. V. Cole, and W. Heale, Sister Rose, Misses Genre, Taylor, Wreford, Trehane, Boundy, Lake, Kirkpatrick (2), Carr, Drew, N. Drew, Evans, J. Evans, Meade-King, Harding, Rose Harding, E. Pasmore, Marjorie Pasmore, Dart (Crediton), Budge (Crediton), D. Budge (Crediton), Ross, C. Pasmore, Small, and Mortimer.
GENTLEMEN.-C. H. Cole, G. Lightfoot, J. H. Bamsey, W. Henle, H. Bowden, H. Pearse, F. Turner, E. G. Way, G. Way, W. E. Down, F. O. Couch, Hedley White, W. V. Cole, W. J. Knight, J. Rose, R. Strong, R. J. Mills, T. Webber, A. Cole, J. W. Huxham, R. Webber, C. H. Crouch, W. Smale, E. J. M. Crabbe, F. S. Adams, W. Lamacraft, E. Mitchell, A. H. Rousham, W. Sayer, A. H. Taylor, W. G. Taylor, C. W. Norton, A. W. Lisle, F. J. Johns, J. T. Gillard, and R. Matthins.
Each helper had been previously supplied with a plan of the tables, and the latter being lettered, all those who came to minister to the comfort and enjoyment of the guests found the places allotted to them without confusion. For the purpose of distinguishing the committee and those who had volunteered to assist in serving the guests they were provided with ribbon bows, attached to which were circular pendants bearing an illustration of the statue and the inscription (at the back) “Unveiling Buller statue, Exeter, Sept. 6th, 1905. Veterans’ tea.” The pendants – which came from the establishment of Mr. W. A. Gardner (Coles’s Bazaar)- were provided on the suggestion of several members of the committee, who desired to possess a particular personal souvenir of so unique an occasion, and their cost, it is needless to say, was borne by those who wore them. The caterers for the meal were Messrs. Palmer and Edwards, who put on the following very substantial fare in first class style:--Roast beef, boiled beef, roast chino of pork, hams, pickles, veal and ham pies, plum puddings and brandy sauce, wine jellies, fancy pastry, apple tart and cream, compote of fruit, bread and butter and cake, with tea and coffee.
The Exeter Flag and Fete Company had tastefully decorated the entrance to Bury Meadow. Suspended over the main gateway was a banner lettered –
Greetings! Mindful of Duty done on Flood and Field.
Flanking this were the Union Jack and the Japanese flag, duplicates of these flags being also placed over the side gateways. On each of the four pillars was a trophy, consisting of a substantial shield with flags, and fastened to a tall pole, from the summit of which strings of flags stretched out to other poles. The same firm also erected platforms in Bury Meadow for the choir and band. Spanning the path leading to the tent Mr. Flint had erected a bamboo archway adorned with flags and bearing on the front the Shakespearean quotation, “A soldier firm and sound of heart and of buxom valour,” and on the back “Welcome ever smiles, and farewell goes out sighing.”
Some indication of the reverence which the veterans retain for General Buller may be gathered from the fact that, although the committee, owing to lack of funds, had to make rule to defray no travelling expenses, the guests, came from the following places:_
Affeton Castle, Aylesbeare, Babbacome, Barnstaple, Bradninch, Budleigh Salterton, Burlescombe, Chelsea, Chudleigh, Clyst St. George, Colaton Raleigh, Crediton, Cullompton, Culmstock, Dawlish, Devonport, Exeter and district, Exminster, Exmouth, Hatherleigh, Hayle (Cornwall), Honiton, Ide, Kennford, Kingsteignton, London, Lustleigh, Meeth, Modbury, Newton Abbot, Newton Poppleford, Newton St. Cyres, Northtawton, Okehampton, Ottery St. Mary, Pinhoe, Plymouth, Plympton, Red Ball, Rockbeare, St. Albans (Herts), Shillingford, Sidbury, Sidmouth, Stoke Canon, Starcross, Stonehouse, Tiverton, Tiverton Junction, Topsham, Uffculme, Upexe, Wellington, Whitestone, Yeovil
The veterans commenced to assemble soon after four o’clock, and the committee were threatened with an embarrassing situation owing to the number of men who applied for places at the tea within a comparatively short time of its commencement. Nearly twenty asked for tickets during the morning and between four and five o’clock in the afternoon 43 men had their credentials examined at Bury Meadow gate and tickets issued to them. The Rev. H. Mackworth Drake, Vicar of Otterton, who will be remembered as the chaplain to the Devon forces in South Africa during the late war, had brief conversations with many of the men. The weather was fine at this period of the day, and the ground presented a pretty and animated scene. The marquee – believed to be the largest ever erected in the city – stretched right across the green from the central path to the southern path, and an artistic completion was given to the tables by flowers sent by Lady Audrey Buller and other ladies.
At half-past four the band of the 4th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment commenced rendering a series of selections, which was followed by choruses sung by a choir conducted by the Rev. A. D. Culley, Mus. Bac. The tea commenced at five o’clock after grace had been said by the Rev. Mackworth Drake. While the meal was in progress the Mayor and Mayoress and General and Lady Audrey Buller and party arrived and were received with rousing cheers again and again repeated. They took their seats on a dais, and the guests being requested to continue their repeat, the rattle of knives and forks betokened renewed attempts on the healthy appetites that had been brought into the marquee. The day’s unexpectedly large addition to the number of guests almost promised to exhaust the provender before everyone was satisfied, but the generous supplies provided by Messrs. Palmer and Edwards were ample to meet all demands, and the 560 guests lacked nothing. Upon the conclusion of the meal General and Lady Audrey Buller made the round of the tables and talked with many of the men, being everywhere received with the greatest heartiness.
Upon their return to the platform the Mayor, speaking on behalf of the committee, thanked the subscribers for their generosity in providing the sinews of war which had enabled them to entertain so many of Sir Redvers’s former comrades-in-arms.
On rising to speak a few words to the guest General Buller met with a most enthusiastic reception. He said the committee had greatly added to the impressions made upon him that day – a day which he should always remember with gratitude and pleasure – by thinking of the men who had served under him in days gone by. He could only say to those men who served with him in South Africa what he said behind their backs in the Victoria Hall. He told the company there what they had done - (A Voice: “We will do it again with you”) – and he told them what the Boers themselves thought of what they had done. He told them they ought to be proud of them and look after them. He had noticed with pleasure that of late years a great advance had been made in looking after old soldiers. (A Voice: “Not before it was time.”) They need not remind him how soon it had come as long as it had come. (Laughter.) He was glad to see them looking so well and fat - (laughter and applause) – which in itself showed that greater attention was being paid to them than used to be the case.
Lady Audrey Buller also evoked a stirring demonstration on rising to briefly address the assembly. She said she was delighted to see so many men present and to know that they were enjoying themselves. She and Sir Redvers did not see so much of them now as they did when they were at Aldershot, but she was glad to see one man looking so well and strong who she thought was scarcely likely to see his country again. She hoped they all like the statue of Sir Redvers as much as she did, and trusted they would have a very pleasant time. (Applause.)
Mr. T. Davies, of the Rhondda Valley, where General and Lady Buller were some time since honoured, and who had come to Exeter specially to speak for the Welsh people, eulogised the worth and abilities of Sir Redvers, who, he said, was greatly admired in the Principality. He hoped that success would attend the efforts that were being made to obtain his reinstatement.
Mr. C. J. Ross, in moving a vote of thanks to the Mayor, said that although the tea was the happy thought of Lady Audrey Buller, the mainspring of the whole undertaking was the Mayor, who had worked indefatigably to ensure its success.
In returning thanks for the vote, the Mayor said the Tea Committee were to be congratulated on the manner in which the arrangements had been carried out. Devonshire people had that day vindicated the honour of their Devonshire soldier, and had shown the world that they still had confidence in Sir Redvers. (Applause.)
The distinguished visitors then took their leave amid loud cheers, which were taken up by the crowds outside the grounds as the party passed through the gates to the carriages.
The most picturesque figure among the guests was a Chelsea pensioner named Richard Turpin – a fine upstanding example of the old type of solder whose scarlet frock tunic denoting his connection with the Chelsea Royal Hospital attracted attention on all sides. He joined Prince Albert’s Light Infantry (the 13th Regiment) in 1861, and was in the fighting on Zlobane Mountain on March 28th, 879, when Sir Redvers Buller won his Victoria Cross. His travelling expenses to and from Exeter were specially paid out of the funds of the Hospital so that he might be enabled to renew his acquaintance with the General, whose attention was first called to him by Lady Audrey during the tea. In making the round of tables subsequently Sir Redvers had an interesting chat with an old campaigner, who afterwards on Northernhay was introduced to the Mayor and Mayoress and to Mr. Dunn (chairman of the Statue Committee), who engaged him for some time in conversation. He had never been in Exeter previously, but was specially looked after by Mr. Morley, the Scripture reader at the Depot, who with a member of the Tea Committee secured for him from the Great Western Company an extension of his railway ticket, enabling him to spend the whole of the evening in Exeter instead of having to return immediately on the conclusion of the tea. He recounted some interesting military reminiscences and expressed himself as grateful for the attention paid to him – especially by the ladies, whose admiration of his uniform might have embarrassed a younger man. There were many other interesting personalities among the guests – including a considerable number of Crimean and Mutiny men – beyond those whose experiences have been recounted in out two last issues, including John Stephens, of Chudleigh, who after serving in the Navy many years ago joined the Haytor Vale Volunteers, and appeared in the unform of that corps.
Following the set musical programme by the band and the choir came a smoking concert of a more or less impromptu character, but thoroughly in accord with the inclinations of the guests. The piano had been kindly lent by Mr. E. A. Marriott, and Mr. R. Webber accompanied. Mr. Harbottle Reed was chairman, and the contributors to the pleasure of the entertainment included Mr. Morley (recitations), Miss Feir, Colour-Sergeant Standing, Staff-Sergent Dobbinson, Trooper Keel (with a song written by himself in honour of General Buller), Drummer Mercer, Mr. Norton, Mr. Lugger, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Comer. The proceedings closed about half past eight with the singing of the National Anthem, followed by cheers for Sir Redvers Buller, a second round of which was led by Richard Turpin, the Chelsea pensioner referred to above. The committee provided the men with tobacco for the concert, and each guest was presented by Messrs. Noake and Boughton with a copy of their booklet containing an account of General Buller’s career.
At night there was an illuminated concert on Northernhay, which was lighted by 4,000 fairy lamps given by Mr. R. M. Fliat: and concerts were also given at Belmont and St. Thomas Pleasure Grounds. The main streets, too, remained crowded until after ten o’clock.
The whole of the day’s programme was carried through without a hitch, and the arrangements reflected high credit on the hon. secretaries and the several working committees. Superintendent Bowden and a party of the St. John Ambulance Association were on duty in the streets, but no serious accident occurred to claim their attention. The whole of the city police were out all day, assisted by a superintendent, two sergeants, and 23 men of the county force, excellent order being maintained.
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- Crediton Area History and Museum Society