Lieutenant Card and Ensign White did their best to keep the company together, and, at no little expense to themselves and others, succeeded in bringing a fair number of men to battalion drills and local reviews. Troyte Bullock, Esq., accepted the vacant commission of Captain, and attached himself to the Guards with a view of acquiring a knowledge of the various drills and practices recently introduced, and commanded the company on the occasion of its last attendance at camp, and such portions of it as proceeded to the autumn manœuvres, held on the borders of Wilts and Dorset, taking part in the various defeats and victories, and being left ingloriously with his men to guard a haystack, whilst the divisions pushed on to complete the victory over the northern army at the battle of Wishford.
It was useless to contend against fate, and the 8th Corps, with its head quarters at Mere, ceased to exist in 1878, just two years later than that which witnessed the same disaster in the 6th Corps, with its head quarters at Maiden Bradley.
9TH CORPS. BRADFORD-ON-AVON.
The rifle movement, now general throughout Great Britain, was showing itself in the quaint old town of Bradford-on-Avon. Some towns and cities in the county, and indeed some villages in the country, had advanced further in corps-making than had the men of Bradford; but perhaps nothing beyond a low number in the county rifle volunteers was lost by it, but very much experience gained, and needless expense avoided. Doubtless, in 1859, there was no time to be lost in putting the country into a state of defence, and making some arrangements by which an advance of an enemy into the heart of the land should be stayed, even if a landing on the shores could not be prevented. It was plain, very plain, and all the more from becoming so suddenly, that if the vapouring of the French turned into a reality, and war was declared, the country was quite unprepared for such. Her army at home reduced to a handful, with the greater portion of it in India crushing out mutiny; the militia, where not embodied, weak, badly officered, and really untrained; and the navy in a transition state, between wood and iron, sailing and steam. It was no good shutting one's eyes to the fact: the country was terribly open to invasion; and as the invaders were not likely to send any but their best and most efficient soldiers to attempt the subjugation of that country whose word was law to almost the whole world, it behoved every citizen to aid, either in means or person, in the defence of his home. It was no time to tax the Government or Governments with having thrown dust in the eyes of the people, and said all was well when things were very far from being so, and that not only were the army, navy, fortifications, and all appertaining thereunto, amply sufficient to meet any demands made upon them, but that economies ought to be practised. The people of Great Britain had to do then what they have to do now, to take things as they find them, and, liking it or disliking it, set about putting their house in order.
It was harder in 1859 to say what was best to be done than it is now. Money and labour can overcome much of the present difficulties, but then the only thing to do was to raise an army, and that army on the very shortest notice to be such as not only could be trusted with the national defence, but be able to co-operate with the regulars in the defence of their native land. Some advocated the training of gamekeepers, and sportsmen generally, with, we suppose, a small sprinkling of poachers to keep up esprit de corps, others were for arming every old pensioner, and not a few for purchasing the services of foreigners, as was done in the early wars with Napoleon, and more recently in the Crimea. Danger was at the door: for years prognosticated, and for as many pooh-poohed, or denied altogether; and now that it was so near, it found none so weak and wavering, none so helpless and unwilling to meet the emergency, as the individuals causing it. They simply stood by, wringing their hands, and left each and all to arrange as they best could, provided it cost the State nothing.
Notwithstanding the backwardness of the Government and their inability to see the absolute necessity of immediate action by raising some force less long in making efficient, and of a different class in life to regulars or militia, the country commenced with the greatest activity; and as rifle corps had been decided upon as both useful and dependable, few towns of any size but had such forming. In Wiltshire some progress had been made in the movement at Salisbury, Trowbridge, Malmesbury, Devizes, &c., and now Bradford followed suit by calling a public meeting on 19th December, 1859, "for the purpose of promoting the formation of a local volunteer rifle corps."
E. Edmonds, Esq., was unanimously called to the chair, and was supported by most of the influential gentlemen of the neighbourhood and others residing in the town. On the platform were the Right Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., R.P. Long, Esq., M.P., Rev. W.H. Jones, Vicar, Rev. J. Wilkinson, Rev. W. Popham, Rev. E.D. Whigfield, Captain Rook, Captain Pickwick, Dr. W. Adye, A. Adye, Esq., G. Forster, Esq., W. Beavan, Esq., J. Gee, Esq., T. Taylor, Esq., Mr. Neal, and others. After a very enthusiastic speech from the chairman, Captain Rook moved that the rifle movement of the country he supported, and Mr. Forster, of Holt, in seconding the motion, offered his services in any way by which they could be rendered most useful. Mr. Sotheron Estcourt, Mr. A. Adye, Captain Pickwick, and Mr. Richard Long, of Road Ashton, spoke on the occasion, and finally a committee of management to collect subscriptions and to make the necessary arrangements was appointed, and the following subscriptions were announced: The Earl Manvers, £50; the Right Hon. T. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., £10 and the equipment of five men; Walter Long, Esq., M.P., Road Ashton, £10; the Rev. Edward Brown, of Farley, £5.