Mr. T. Rice Henn exposes in the Times of Wednesday
a ease of distinct injustice done to the Engineers. His son, Lieu- tenant Rice Henn, in command of forty Sappers, was present at the battle of Maiwand, and when the Ghazees charged, the Engineers stood their ground, and when reduced to ten or twelve, placed themselves back to back and fought it out to the end. Of the forty, thirty died fighting there and then, with their only officer at their head; nine were wounded, and only one escaped. Nevertheless, they were not mentioned in the official despatches. The omission may have been accidental, and not caused by any disregard for the service as a scientific one ; but it is impossible that Engineers should think so, or not resent a slight so constantly repeated. The Sappers are all workmen, as well as soldiers, and their conduct at Maiwand, as elsewhere, is as good evidence as we know that ignorance is not absolutely necessary to courage. The military world, indeed, begins to admit that,—but it was a long while doing it ; and even now, a Scientific officer must do more than a Linesman, before he is honoured.
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