MILITARY TALES.

STORIES OF WATERLOO. TliE CHELSEA PENSIONERS.* GENERALLY speaking, mankind is divided. into actors and writers. The man who acts, seldom writes ; the man who writes, seldom wields a more formidable instrument than the pen. The distinction may be detected in the society of every day : some persons will ride forty miles to see another, rather than pen a line ; others will cover pages, rather than walk to make the communication orally in the next street. The doers invariably say, I will ride over and tell him ; the writers, I will

send him a note. The oonversation of some men turns wholly on what they have done and seen done ; of others on what they have

read and written : the latter live through their eyes and brains, the former through their hands and feet. Military men, who are sworn "to do or die," might above all others be supposed as exclusively be- longing to the class of actors : the fact is, however, that they combine the two accomplishments ; they not only do their duty, but they write their pleasure. To the faculties of both acting and writing, they add that of talking : our old soldiers, indeed all old soldiers, have been notorious raconteurs from the earliest days of war : the twice-fought field is a proverb. Both Oyu) and PROPERTIUS tell us of the military trick of daubing at plans and maps after dinner upon the table with elongations of drops of spilt wine. Every fireside in modern times has seen the veteran shouldering his stump and fighting "his battles e'er again." The amazing,nentaer of military memoirs of late, prove that the men who have laid do*n their arms are resolved to have a large audience for their exploits ; the press has lately teemed with tales, sketches, narratives, and recollections, which have arisen out of the late. war. . The sword is not turned into a plough- share—it is become a pen of steel : an inch of cold iron, which used to be the military threat of angry men, now means a patent pen.

The Coryphwus of the military writers is undoubtedly the author of the Chelsea Pensioners: his talents and his education place him upon high ground : the tranquillity and peaceful studiousness of his present profession, moreover, throw a calm and a deliberativeness about his writings which heighten the charm of striking adventures. and scenes of turmoil and danger ; in addition to which, he approaches his sub- ject with a research %id a knowledge that invest an ordinary tale with a character of importance. This is a praise which cannot be given to the author of the Tales of Waterloo : his information is wholly confined to his experience, and it oscillates between the field and the boudoir—between the dance and the battle—women and troops of horse. His notion of love and ladies smacks of a marching regiment ; his gallantry is that of an Irish dragoon ; and it is a compliment to say that his manner of viewing things in general is pretty much what might be expected from a captain of the Enniskillens. He has neither the scholastic finish of the Subaltern, nor the humour and truth of the author of Gentleman Gray ; but he nevertheless sketches brilliantly, is enthusiastic in his descriptions, and succeeds in communicating- his zeal to his reader. When he takes upon himself the task of an historical narrator of things he has seen, he is clear and distinct. For example, his account of the battle of Waterloo is clear and distinct ; it is, moreover just, and though giving honour where honour is due, he contrives to set in their true light the merits of the English army,—the great characteristic of which on that day was, that it quietly resisted when quiet resistance was far more difficult than attack, and it attacked when it might have been expected that the povver of onset would have been utterly ex- hausted. The Tales of Waterloo are, it must be confessed, amazingly indebted to their ground-plan : that which is not soldierly is of a ma- terial which would have made us tremble for the author, had he not been lucky enough to found it upon his experience of scenes which can never lose their interest on our side of the Channel as long as Great Britain retains a national existence. While the Tales of Waterloo are confined to the incidents preceding and growing out of one great and eventful battle, the Chelsea Pensioners, alike composed of tales, are connected with and illustrate the military history of England, in a sort of desultory series, from the days of the American war down to the campaigns of the Peninsula. Manifest are the con- trivances by which in all times a bundle of stories have been

• 3 vols. each. Lomb:40829. Colburu. made to hold together. BOCCACCIO'S tale-tellers are driven from Florence by the plague, and amuse each other with fictions ' • while CHAUCER'S Pilgrims similarly beguile their way from London to Can- terbury. Of all such schemes, however, we are most pleased with the neatness and originality of Mr. GLEIG'S conception : we declare that the introduction to the tales of. the Chelsea Pensioners, unlike

all other introductions, is absolutely more amusing than the tales themselves. The author, wandering upon a pedestrian excursion in the Midland Counties, falls in with an angler upon the Avon, with whom he strikes up a conversation. This angler is a military man by his air ; the author has also served ; and the interview leads to an invitation to the establishment of which the angler is the founder and a member. It .is called Little Chelsea ; and consists of a small club of half-pay bachelors and veterans, who have encamped themselves in a pleasant village of Warwickshire. They occupy a sort of hospital mansion, and in all respects conform to military usages. Their rules

are excellent, their characters equally so ; their experience is of the most various kinds, for it is a .sine qua non in the articles of admis-

sion that each member shall have served in face of the enemy. It is most natural that these veteran ruralists should while away their evenings by tales of flood and field : their different qualifications give

variety to their stories, and their position probability to the act of recital. There is more than one American story in the repertoire of Little Chelsea ; and they possess a character of authenticity by the author's experience erience of war n that country. " Saratoga," a kind of history of BURGOYNE'S unhappy affair, and " A Day on the Neutral Ground,"

are both tales of considerable excellence. Front the first we have great satisfaction in prodtuting a characteristic extract. It turns upon the much abused employment of the Indians in connexion with the English army. Captain Fraser is persuading his friend Macdirk to accept a dan- gerous and difficult commission: it is no other than that of deserting

to the enemy, at the General's request, that he may be sent into the rear, and thus establish a communication between the surrounded army of BURGOYNE and the troops of General CLINTON.

"I But why pursue this wild scheme, if things really be, as you represent them, hopeless ? Why not try what an Indian can do ? nay more, why not allow me an Indian for my guide ? and I will set off cheerfully on the in- stant. It is to the pretended desertion, and to it alone, that I object.'

"'Will your objections cease to operate, if I lay before you convincing proofs that there is not an Indian attached to the army, who is not a traitor.' " '1 replied, that such a conviction would certainly go far towards allaying my scruples, and reconciling me to any thing.' "Theis your scruples will not long torment you,' said he. You have observed a remarkable warrior in the General's suite,—one Eagleswing, as he calls himself, a chief of the Six Nations.'

"I recollected him perfectly, indeed, it was impossible, having seen that man once, ever after to forget him. Among a people celebrated for the exact symmetry of their persons, Eagleswing deserved to be pronounced positively handsome. Tall, graceful, formed for feats both of agility and strength, he possessed a countenance endowed with an expression of singular acuteness, and an eye which, whilst it shunned the gaze of the individual on whom, it was turned, seemed to read his very thoughts and penetrate his most secret wishes. From the opening of the campaign, had attached himself, in a remarkable manlier, to the person of the general, to whose interests he pro- fessed, and indeed appeared to be devoted ; and his influence among his countrymen being allowed to be very great, the General scrupled not to be- stow upon him a large portion of his confidence. Of this no secret was made ; indeed, the General himself spoke openly of the Indian as one of the most useful functionaries in the army. But there were not wanting persons who viewed the Red Warrior with an eye of strong suspicion ; and now for the first time I learned, that my relative was of the number.

" Are you aware,' continued he, 'that all our messengers, not one of whom has succeeded, went under the guidance of an Indian, recommended by that person? This may amount to no charge against him, I allow ; yet, is it not singular, that our plans should have been so aptly frustrated this morning ? I know that Eagleswing was made acquainted with them.' " What you say,' replied I, affords strong ground of suspicion, doubt- less; but suspicion is not proof. You promised me proof of the Indian's treachery—let me have it.' " On mule accounts than one, I will at least make the attempt,' replied he. Take this rifle,' handing me at the same time a short fusee, and arming himself with another. 'Your dirk is, I see, in your belt; now follow, and do as I do, without asking a question.' " He rose as he spoke, and we sallied from the tent. "I was at no loss to conjecture that our expedition was both a secret and a hazardous one ; nor did any great space of time elapse ere I discovered its object. Instead of passing openly through the camp, or along the line of advanced sentries, we struck off directly towards the rear, till we bad passed head-quarter house, when we turned suddenly to the right, and made for the point where the Indian huts were established. As we approached these, a double share of caution became necessary. Though it is not customary among the savages to preserve a regular watch in their encampments, I need scarcely say, that he who seeks to traverse them unobserved, must adopt every imagiaable expcdiept to shun observation ; for their acuteness of sense surpasses everything of which a European can form a conception, and the slightest noise is almost sure to be overheard. With the habits of Indians, however, Friter was familiarly acquainted. He squatted down as soon as he had arrived within a certain'distance of their tents, making a motion to me to follow his example ; and our approaches were thenceforth made slowly, si- lently, and painfully, not upon our hands and knees, but upon our bellies. In this manner we dragged ourselves over the surface of the ground at a rate so tardy, as to be ourselves scarcely aware that we made any progress, till we reached the exterior of a tent, detached from the rest, within which it was easy to perceive that several persons were assembled. Fraser touched my arm, as a signal to keep perfectly still, but to be ready for all chances ; and then gently raising one corner of the canvass, all that was within became, in a moment, perceptible. "We saw before us a group of five or six savages, conspicuous among 'whom was Burgoyne's confidant. They were seated round a dull fire, amok. logwith all the composure for which the Red men are remarkable ; and for many minutes after we had attained our stations, a profound silence reigned among them. At last Eagleswing spoke. As he addressed his companions in the language of his tribe, his speech was to me without meaning ; but I could perceive from the involuntary pressure of My companion's elbow against my side, that 'he perfectly understood it. Well pleased With this, I lay quite still, looking with intense interest at the scene before me; and truly it were not easy to conceive one more remarkable, or more worthy of a master ,s pencil to represent it. The persons before us were all bedizened with the war- paint, which gave to their naturally savage countenances an expression ab. solutely ferocious. A loose cotton scarf, thrown carelessly over one shoulder, and twisted round the loins, so as to cover half the upper limb, formed the only garment which sheltered them from the influence of weather; for the mocassins, in which their feet and ankles were wrapped, were in tended rather to shield them in the rough passes of the forests, than to pro- tect them from cold or wet. Their heads, again, bald except on the crown, were left wholly exposed, except that a bunch of feathers barbarously stir

- mounted the knot of long lank hair in which they prided themselves. They sat upon the ground, each man's tomahawk and rifle laid carefully beside him, and their attitude was illustrative at once of extreme indolence, and the capability of assuming in a moment its very opposite. A profound silence reigned whilst Eagleswing spoke, the pipes being laid aside that nothing might call off attention ; and when he concluded, an obscure sound, re- sembling rather the snort of a horse than any thing else in nature, gave assurance that his address had been well received. This was hint enough to Fraser. Once more lie pressed against my side with his elbow ; and letting the curtain fall gently, began to steal silently to the rear. I followed his example in the same manlier in which he set it, and in a few moments we were sufficiently removed from the hut to permit his speaking.

"'Thank God! Macdirk,' said he in a low whisper, that we took this precaution. There is no room for explanation now ; but follow me, and whatever you see me attack, be sure to aid me in destroying it. The scoundrel shall be taken in his own snare, or I am not the man I used to he.'

"'Without waiting for a reply, Fraser set off at a rapid pace ; and I kept up with him, surprise itself being- scarcely allowed to operate, so abrupt and unaccountable seemed to me the whole series of operations.

"A few minutes' walk brought us to an open thicket, considerably in advance of the camp, and, as the light of the stars enabled me to distinguish, above half musket-shot from the right flank of the redoubt. At the edge of the thicket stood a sentry, who challenged as we approached; but Fraser instantly squatting, caused me to do the same, and we lay motionless, and almost breathless for several seconds. By and by the man, whose attention had evidently been attracted, began to relax from his attitude of watchful- ness. Casting a careful glance around, and seeing nothing, he once more shouldered his arms, and turning to his left, began to walk backwards and forwards, as he had previously done on his post. We took care not to neglect the opportunity thus furnished. Advancing in the same quiet way in which we had approached the Indian's tent, we succeeded, after sundry pauses, in gaining the wood ; and diverging as near to the soldier as prudence would allow, we lay down,—why, or for what purpose, I knew not.

"We had maintained this attitude rather more than half an hour,—on my part in a state of mute astonishment, on the part of Fraser in breathless anxiety,—when the attention of both was suddenly drawn to the rear, by a low, confused, and most unearthly noise. That which roused us was not lost upon the sentry, who did as he had done when we were approaching. He halted, and challenged ; but in the present instance he appeared even more speedily satisfied than formerly, for almost immediately after he resumed his walk. It was now our turn to be on the alert, and we were so. We looked abroad, and beheld a huge hear, moving slowly along the skirt of the thicket, and edging, as it were, by degrees and in short circles toward% the soldier. At this instant Fraser pulled me by the coat, as if desirous that I should be prepared to act. Now the bear stood still, and now the sentinel in the or- dinary course of his beat approached it, when my companion slowly un- sheathed his hunting knife, and gathered himself up for a spring. I had no time to form so much as a guess respecting his design, when all at once he rushed from his ambuscade, and the next instant was engaged in a close and desperate struggle with the animal whose extraordinary movements we had been watching. It was speedily ended. Before I could arrive to his assist- ance, he pierced the monster with many stabs, which, uttering a shrill cry, fell dead at his feet, and displayed the figure, not of a real bear, but of an In. dian artfully disguised in the skin of a less savage animal. You will readily believe that my astonishment at this discovery was great, whilst the amaze- ment of the sentry who immediately recognized his officer, was not less so ; but the secret was soon disclosed, and it proved to be one of the first im- portance."