CAPTAIN HEDLEY VICARS, 97th Regiment.
In the Trenches.
[CHAPTER XIII.]
Captain Hedley Vicars, a Loving Son, and a Faithful Soldier of the Cross—His Early Life—Joins the Army, and devotes Himself to his Chosen Profession—His Eyes opened to the Truths of the Gospel—His Prayerful Conduct—In the Crimea—Killed in a Night Attack on the Trenches—The Feeling of the Men Composing the Light Division—Letters to his Mother—His Last Letter—In Memoriam—Letter to Lord Rayleigh announcing his Death—Letter from a Brother Officer—Testimony of Private Soldiers to his Worth—The Lessons of his Life
CAPTAIN HEDLEY VICARS.
There are few thinking men throughout the length and breadth of Britain who have not heard of Captain Hedley Vicars, the Christian soldier. And what makes his name so dear to thousands who have a heart about them was his unflinching faithfulness, first, to the God of Israel, and, secondly, to his queen and country; and also his loving, noble, and manly nature, which compelled him, even when death was raging all around him, to cling to his love for his darling mother. A man who could forget or neglect his mother, the being who brought him, with agonizing pain, into this world, is not worthy the name of man, he is worse than the beasts of the field, and deserves to be ostracised from the society of his fellows. Let a man once get into danger, either by sea or land, and it will set him thinking of the fact that he has an immortal soul that must live for ever, either in happiness or woe—for our God is a just God. The love of an affectionate mother is stronger than anything on earth; but the boundless love of God is beyond all measure. He did not withhold His only begotten Son, but freely gave him up, that He might save His people from their sins. Oh, what love—what matchless love! But remember, reader, this same holy God hath said, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God.”
He whose career I am now about to trace was to the last a loving son of his mother and a faithful servant of his Lord. Hedley Vicars was born in the Mauritius, 7th December, 1826, and at the time of his departure from this life on the field of battle, 22nd March, 1855, was but a little over twenty-eight years of age. There was but little to distinguish him in early life from others. He was active and fearless, upright and honourable, open-hearted and generous, but quick to resent an injury. He was another example of the noble blood that has sprung from our sister isle, Ireland. He obtained his commission in December, 1843, at the age of seventeen, and at once entered, heart and soul, into his profession; his whole zeal was for the honour of his country; as he said afterwards—“It’s no use doing things by halves.”
He had been five years in our army before it pleased the Lord to open his spiritual eyes, to see that he had an immortal soul that must live for ever. As I have said, he was an ardent lover of his darling mother. His fond, affectionate letters to that parent are truly inspiring—they bring out in bold relief his noble manliness, and lay bare his manly heart. The following is one of his beautiful letters to his mother, after his eyes were partly opened:—
My Darling Mother,