klin, who
commanded a depot battalion quartered at Colchester, and previous to
his departure he was pleased to promote me to the rank of sergeant. I
was now on the effective list. Personally I was extremely sorry to
lose Colonel Crofton. He had always taken an interest in my welfare
and never refused me any reasonable privilege. Colonel Franklin, who
took command, was an old soldier and an old man. He was not the
disciplinarian his predecessor was--very quiet, and more like a father
to the boys than the fiery warrior before him. We knew that Colonel
Franklin's command would be short, as he would not take the battalion
on foreign service, and that Major McKinstry would succeed him. Our
sergeant-major was promoted to the rank of quartermaster, _vice_
Faulkner, retired, and Color-Sergeant George Jackson promoted to
sergeant-major, _vice_ Monk, promoted.

We received orders to proceed to Shorncliffe Camp in the county of
Kent, a few miles from Folkstone. Major-General Carey having inspected
the battalion, we entrained at Farnboro Station. The bands of several
regiments in camp came to play us off, and we bid good-bye to
Aldershot. That afternoon we arrived at our new station, where we
met the 16th Bedfordshires and 18th Royal Irish. We were royally
entertained by our new comrades and soon became great friends.
Shorncliffe is situated on a high hill just over the town of Sandgate
and about two miles from the school of musketry at Hythe. We were
quartered in huts, which were very comfortable but not to be compared
with our last quarters.

We have our reading room and school, and they are well attended, but we
miss the gymnasium, for as yet none has been built outside Aldershot,
nor will there be until qualified instructors are forthcoming to take
charge of them.

We have four prisoners confined in the headquarters guard room awaiting
sentence. One of the prisoners is Private Watson, mentioned before in
connection with the scarecrow. These four men had been tried by general
court-martial on serious charges--two for striking officers, the other
two for desertion and making away with their kits. As a matter of fact
they were incorrigible. The evening orders announced that the brigade
would parade at 9 a.m. the following day, when the proceedings of the
court-martial would be read to the troops and the prisoners. There had
been a slight snow-fall during the night and the morning was quite
cold. The brigade was formed in the s