Note, _ante_, p. 142. Sir Harry Smith decisively defeated the
Boers on the 29th of August.]

_Queen Victoria to Earl Grey._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th October 1848._

The Queen has received Lord Grey's letter, and is glad to hear that
Sir H. Smith's wound was not of a serious nature. The loss of so many
officers, the Queen is certain, proceeds from their wearing a blue
coat whilst the men are in scarlet; the Austrians lost a great
proportion of officers in Italy from a similar difference of dress.

As to the Medal for Major Edwardes, the Queen did not approve but
disapprove the step, and wished the Bath to be given instead, which
has been done. The medals for troops in general (given by the East
India Company) are a new and doubtful thing, and now it is proposed to
reward even a special case of personal distinction by the _Company's_
conferring a mark of honour. Lord Grey will agree with the Queen that
it will be better not to establish two fountains of honour in the
Realm. If the East India Company wish to mark their approbation,
perhaps they might send Major Edwardes a fine sword or something of
that kind.

[Pageheading: GOVERNORSHIP OF GIBRALTAR]

_Earl Grey to Queen Victoria._

COLONIAL OFFICE, _26th October 1848._

Earl Grey presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has just had
the honour of receiving your Majesty's letter. Lord Fitzroy Somerset
happened to be here when it arrived, and Lord Grey read to him that
part of it which relates to the danger occasioned to officers in
action from wearing a dress of a different colour from that of the
men. Lord Fitzroy observed that although there can be no doubt of the
objection to the blue coats worn by officers, in this instance their
having suffered so much cannot be attributed to that cause, as it
appears that all the officers who were wounded but one, belonged to
regiments (the Rifle Battalion or the Cape Mounted Rifles) in which
the officers are dressed in the same colour as the men....

Lord Grey begs to submit to your Majesty that the usual time for
relieving the present Governor of Gibraltar is now come, and that he
thinks it very desirable to appoint a successor to Sir Robert
Wilson, who now fills that situation. It appears to Lord Grey that,
considering the nature of the appointment and also the great advantage
which would result from affording greater encouragement to the
officers serving under the Ordnance, it would be very proper