Ricardo.—Lieut.-Col. P. R. Ricardo. Col. Ricardo commanded with distinction the 1st Contingent Queensland Mounted Infantry.

Rice.—Maj. D. R. Rice, R.E. Entered 1877; Maj., 1896. Staff Service—Adjt. Sch. of Mil. Eng., 1892-95. War Service—S. African War, 1899-1900. This officer, commanding R.E. in Ladysmith, was “indefatigable in his exertions both day and night.”

Richardson.—Col. W. D. Richardson, C.B., A.S.C. Col., 1897. Staff Service—D.A.A.G., Aldershot, 1883-87; Egypt, 1889-96; Dublin, 1894-97; A.A.G., W. Dist.; D.A.G. for Supplies, S. Africa, 1899. War Service—Ashanti War, 1873-74 (medal); S. African War, 1877-78-79 (Despatches; medal with clasp; promoted Dep. Commissary); Egyptian Ex., 1882 (medal; bronze star); Bechuanaland Ex., 1884-85 (hon. mentioned; hon. and rel. rank, Lieut.-Col.); S. African War, 1899-1900; on Staff. This remarkable officer, whose labours have been as the labours of Hercules, and to whom much of the success of Lord Roberts’s great marches has been due, was born in 1854. He married the daughter of the Rev. J. Ewing.

Ridley.—Brig.-Gen. C. P. Ridley. Entered 1873; Brev. Col., 1899. Staff Service—Station Comdt., S. Africa, 1899; A.A.G. (Assist. Insp.-Gen. L. of C.), S. Africa, 1899-1900; Brig. Gen. Mounted Inf. Brig., S. Africa, Feb. 1900. War Service—Egyptian Ex., 1882 (medal; bronze star); Miranzai Ex., 1891 (medal with clasp); S. African War, 1899-1900; on Staff.

Rimington.—Lieut.-Col. M. F. Rimington, Rimington’s Horse. Entered, 6th Dragoons, 1881; Col., Sept. 1900. Staff Service—Staff Capt. Remount Establishment, 1897-99; Spec. Serv., S. Africa, 1899. War Service—Op. in Zululand, 1888; S. African War, 1899-1900 (Despatches, May 1900).

Rivett-Carnac.—Lieut.-Col. P. T. Rivett-Carnac, West Riding Regiment. Entered 1873; Brev. Lieut.-Col., 1898. Staff Service—Employed with Army Pay Dept., 1884-89; Spec. Extra Regt. Employ., 1896-98; Station Comdt., S. Africa, 1899. War Service—Egyptian Ex., 1884 (medal; bronze star); Op. in S. Africa, 1896-97 (Despatches; Brev. of Lieut.-Col.; medal with clasp); S. African War, 1899-1900; on Staff.

Roberts of Kandahar and Waterford.—Rt. Hon. Frederick Sleigh, Lord Roberts, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E. Entered 1851; Field-Marshal, 25th May 1895. Staff Service—D.A.Q.M.G., Indian Mutiny, 1857-58; D.A.Q.M.G. in charge of the Viceroy’s Camp, 1859-60; D.A.Q.M.G., Army Headquarters, India, 1860-65; A.Q.M.G., Bengal, 1866-67; A.Q.M.G. 2nd Div., Abyssinian Ex., 1867-68; A.Q.M.G. Army Headquarters, India, 1869-71; A.Q.M.G. Looshai Ex., India, 1871-72; D.Q.M.G., Bengal, 1872-75; Q.M.G., Bengal, 1875-78; Maj.-Gen. Afghan Campaign, 1878-79; Lieut.-Gen. (local) Afghan Campaign, 1879-80; Lieut.-Gen. Madras, 1881-85; Com.-in-Chief E. Indies, 1885-93; Gen. Commanding the Forces, Ireland, 1895-99; Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief the Forces, S. Africa, 1899. War Service—Indian Mutiny, 1857-58 (Despatches, 15th Dec. 1857; 16th Jan., 29th Jan., 22nd Feb., 25th May, 31st May, and 8th June, 1858; received the thanks of the Gov.-Gen. of India; medal with 3 clasps; Brev. of Maj.; V.C.); N.W. Frontier of India Ex., 1863 (medal with clasp); Abyssinian Ex., 1868 (Despatches; 30th June, 3rd July, 10th July 1868; medal; Brev. of Lieut.-Col.); Looshai Ex., 1871-72 (Despatches); Afghan War, 1878-79-80 (Despatches, 4th Feb., 21st Feb., 21st March, 13th May, and 7th Nov., 1879; 16th Jan., 4th May, and 3rd Dec., 1880; received thanks of both Houses of Parliament, 4th Aug. 1879 and 5th May 1881, and created a Baronet; thanked by Government of India and Gov.-Gen. in Council; medal with 4 clasps; bronze star; K.C.B., G.C.B.); Burmese Ex., 1886 (thanked by Government of India; Despatches; clasp); S. African War, 1899-1900; Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief the Forces in S. Africa. This wonderful officer, “the idol of the army and of the nation, and the greatest commander of modern times,” was born in 1832. He is the son of Gen. Sir Abraham Roberts, G.C.B., and the daughter of Maj. Bunbury of Kilfeacle, co. Tipperary. He married in 1859 the daughter of Capt. Bews, 73rd Foot. He was created a Baron in 1892, in connection with his famous services in Afghanistan. Owing to the popularity of his famous work, “Forty-One Years in India,” the facts of his marvellous career are well known, but the book being the output of the most modest of men, it fails to do justice to the personal qualities which have made this great leader so deservedly celebrated and beloved. A few lines from Mr. Maclaren Cobban’s “Life and Deeds of Earl Roberts” express so ably the view of the multitude that it is a temptation to quote them. “His successes as a general have not been merely warlike—could not be merely warlike; for he has an understanding and an imagination which compel him to look ‘before and after’—to note how the necessity for war has arisen, and to consider how war may promote a more secure and perfect peace. He has exhibited the mind of a statesman and an administrator, as well as of a soldier; and in the highest sense he has ever been an ‘Empire-builder’; for he has not only made strong the borders of her Majesty’s dominions in India and S. Africa, but he has also consistently maintained and strengthened the ancient and inalienable British reputation for justice and truth, kindness and mercy—the intangible bonds, light as air but tougher than steel, which bind our widespread Empire together.... And so we come to the fascination of his personality. The Commander-in-Chief is a great soldier, but he is a greater man. It is in his character as a man rather than as a soldier that he has won the unrestrained affections even of the army. Since the ‘little corporal,’ no great commander has held so entirely the confidence and devotion of all sorts and conditions of soldiers; but, while Napoleon imposed himself upon his embattled hosts as a kind of demigod, he who is most widely known as ‘little Bobs’ has impressed his soldiers as a man of men, as the best, the most sympathetic, the cleverest and dearest of comrades. His regard for the soldier is so well known, that such a saying would be incredible of him as that which is recorded of the Duke of Wellington, who described the men who won his battles as ‘the greatest scoundrels in Europe.’ It is, indeed, one of the rarities of history to find a successful leader of armies distinguished by such sweetness and such gentleness of temper, such kindness and such tact of conduct and of speech. These qualities are commonly regarded as marking the ideal character of a domestic person, of a man of peace, and in bringing them into complete accord with the triumphant practice of war he who has been so widely known as Lord Roberts shows himself our ‘own ideal knight.’”

Roberts.—Hon. F. H. S. Roberts, Lieut. King’s Royal Rifles. See vol. ii. p. 193; also V.C. list.

Lieutenant Roberts, V.C.
Killed at Colenso
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