The Life Of Colonel Fred Burnaby

Excerpt from The Life of Colonel Fred Burnaby It has generally been assumed that the age of Romance, in so far as England is concerned, disappeared with the last of the Plantagenets, and that Henry the Seventh's Coronation Service was at once its farewell and requiem; but a more romantic career than that of Frederick Gustavus Burnaby, though it was passed in the reign of Victoria, can scarcely be conceived. He was a Coeurde-Lion in physique, strength, courage, and magnanimity; and though he lived in what he himself regarded as a tame and pusillanimous era, when Englishmen were inclined to surrender without protest to the first bully who presented himself the benefits which had come down to them from their clearer-eyed and more heroic fathers, he managed to crowd into a life of only forty-two years as many exciting incidents, accompanied by hair-breadth escapes, as would have satisfied even a Knight Templar. Moreover, the stirring events of that life follow one another with the rapidity of a swiftly moving panorama; brave deed succeeding brave deed, until lastly there comes the most thrilling scene of all - the terrible passage at arms on the field of Abou Klea - and the hero dead. "He was the only man whom I have ever met," says his old Harrow friend, Mr. H. H. Finch, "who was totally devoid of fear." To Burnaby stagnation was insufferable. For years he was one of the most popular men in England. He united in his person precisely those qualities which Englishmen most admire. Of a fertile invention, he never hesitated to take the initiative. He was perspicacious, determined, resourceful, tenacious, amazingly daring. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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Colonel Fred Burnaby of the Blues, six feet four inches tall and with a riding weight of over twenty stone, was one of the most recognizable soldier/adventurers of the late Victorian period. As a young officer he became famous as an athlete, gymnast, swordsman and pugilist, reputed to be the strongest man in the British army. In working his way to the command of the Blues, the country's most prestigious cavalry regiment, he made some notable friends and not a few enemies. He also found time for numerous journeys involving considerable hardship. He was a brilliant modern linguist and spoke seven languages fluently. Born into the landed gentry, he increased his financial independence by marrying a young heiress, who produced an heir and promptly decamped to climb mountains in Switzerland. In 1882 he became the first person to make a solo balloon crossing of the English Channel. As his army career approached its close he stood unsuccessfully for Birmingham as a Conservative. His regimental seniority at the time of the Egyptian Campaign of 1882 precluded him joining the newly formed Camel Corps, but he was determined not to leave the army without facing action. In 1884 he traveled to Egypt and participated in both battles of El Teb. Returning to England with his arm in a sling, his popularity with the public became greater than ever. This was not echoed at the War Office, where he was increasingly regarded as a loose cannon. On the Gordon Relief Expedition of 1884 he was denied attachment to the staff of his hero, General Wolseley, but traveled to Egypt anyway and eventually found himself second in command on the dessert march to Metemmeh. He never arrived, killed by a spear through the throat in hand-to-hand fighting at the battle of Abu Klea. Even his death was controversial, with songs in his memory being sung in the music halls at the same time as his fellow officers criticized orders he had given during the battle. Two of Burnaby's books have barely been out or print since they were first published, but his other works are much more difficult to find. His biographers have often included excerpts from his letters and speeches in their works, but none comprehensively. This book is intended to provide both. It also includes a new biography of Burnaby, the first to have been written for almost sixty years. Volume 1 covered his early life, including his journeys to Spain as a special correspondent during the Third Carlist War, Khartoum, Khiva and Asia Minor and his place at the side of Baker Pasha at the battle of Tashkessan in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877/78. Volume 2 covers his political career and his participation in the Egyptian Campaigns of 1883/4 and 1884/5, culminating in his death.