I received a very kind letter from the Secretary of State, congratulating me on the “brilliant success.” He added, “Personally I was also exceedingly gratified by the March past, because some had been croaking to me that it would be spoiled by the previous manœuvres.”
In thanking Mr. Stanhope, I explained that “the operations were as realistic as they could be under the given conditions,—a fixed hour, the area to be confined to the vicinity of the lunch tent, and the March past to be fitted in before the Emperor’s return, which necessitated the attacks being prearranged, and timed like ‘turns’ in a large music hall. It is true I designed the movements, but there my personal share ended; the five general officers carried out my ideas with perfect loyalty, accepting victory or defeat cum æquo animo, and it is to them and the Divisional Staff, the general success of the day is due.”
I went on to praise the arrangements made by Colonel North Crealock,[297] the Assistant Quarter-Master-General, who received and despatched troops attending the Review from outside Aldershot, every unit of which was met by an Army Service Corps officer, de-trained, conducted to a Rest camp with all sanitary arrangements, supplied with food, re-entrained, and enabled to reach its permanent station within its scheduled time.
At the end of August, Lords Wolseley, Wantage, and Harris came down to see “Field firing” on Bisley Common, and with Sir Henry Brakenbury and myself were riding behind a Maxim gun, which was drawn by a mule, when, the stopper not being on, a bullet was accidentally fired, passing between our horses’ legs. After I had rebuked the man in charge for his carelessness, his comrade made the quaint observation, “My, wasn’t that dangerous; it might have shot the poor moke.”
CHAPTER XLV
1889–90—REFORMS AT ALDERSHOT
Colonel Grattan’s Reforms in purchase of Supplies—Divisional Staff Brigadiers—Decentralisation—Useless Sentries—Cooking Reforms—Colonel Burnett’s system—Lord Wantage’s help in Field Training—Stanley, the Explorer—Sir John Pender—Ober-Ammergau—Cavalry Manœuvres—Concession in soldiers’ fares—Changes for Christmas-Day.
The day I joined at Aldershot I saw the Generals, Commanding officers, and all the Staff officers in succession. I was struck by one face and voice, Colonel Grattan of the Army Service Corps, and desired him to wait until the Reception was over. I then said: “Colonel, I am puzzled, because listening to your voice, and watching your eyes, I seem to dream I knew you years ago, but have the impression that the man whom I befriended materially in his career had a one-syllable name; moreover, I have only known one Grattan in the Service, and you are not the man.” He replied: “Your memory is quite accurate, Sir. I was once your clerk; you got me made in succession, Camp Quarter-Master Sergeant, Garrison Sergeant-Major, and eventually got me a commission as a Conductor in the Army Service Corps, which I am now commanding at this Station. I enlisted under the name of Smith, and reverted to my own name on being commissioned.” Grattan enabled me to introduce many reforms, which without his aid would have been impossible.
During my period of Command the Army Service Corps establishment was greatly increased, the officers by volunteers from the Line. The Commanding officers not knowing that 10,000, or one-third of our Crimea army, died from want of adequate Departmental arrangements, did not appreciate the necessity of recommending only thoroughly good officers. Colonel Grattan and I rejected in one year one-third of those sent as Probationers.
Soon after I assumed command the Forage contractors raised their prices. The contractor for hay demanded a large advance; and being financially assisted by others, bought all the available crop in the four counties adjoining Aldershot. I declined the terms, and going further afield, bought largely in the Eastern counties—over 3000 tons in Essex alone; and even with the heavy railway rates, reduced the original contract price by three shillings a ton.[298] We purchased in most cases the hay in stacks in 1889, which was difficult, as it required officers with much experience in judging quantity and quality, with the further disadvantage that we had no market for “outsides,” which are generally worth about 15s. a ton to farmers, for stock. We did not buy in stacks in 1890, as the hay harvest was gathered in very wet weather; but I maintained the practice of the Army Service Corps buying the hay, as—affording practice for their duties in war; secondly, to abolish the demoralisation of subordinates generally attendant on the contract system[299]; and thirdly, on the ground of economy, by eliminating the middleman.