THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 68, 19 August 1885, Page 4

THE SOUDAN.

THE N.S.W. CONTINGENT.

Lord Wolseley has issued the following special general order to the soldiers, sailors, and marines of tlio army m the Soudon : " Her Majesty s Government having decided to withdraw most of the troops from the Soudan, I desire when bidding you farewell, to express to ail my deep sense of your admirable conduct. The army m the Soudan has not only fought with courage and firmness, and cheerfully borne no small amount of hardship, it has shown, m addition, qualities higher even than those required for the patient endurance of privation or for defeat of the brave hut cruel enemy with whom it has been engaged. Crime has been almost unknown m ils ranks, the highest standard of dicipliue has been maintained, and the behaviour of all the troops, 'British, Indian, and Colonial, has been m every way creditable to them, and to the services to which .they belong. My bf-st thanks are due to all ranks otthe Royal Navy, and of the Marines who have taken p«rt m the recent campaign m the Soudan. Wherever hard work or hard fighting was to be done, the men of those services were to be found, an»i I am at a loss to say whether they wore more remarkable for their hard work or for their hard fighting. From the beginning of the operations m last September, to the present date, both officers and men of the Navy have beeu untiling m their exertions, and all tlr-y had to do lias boen done affectively and well. I would also thank the gallant soldiers of the New South Wales Contingent, not only for tho sympathy which prompted them to come from afar to take part m a war undertaken hy the Empire to which we all belong. They will carry home with them the thanks of our Sovereign and the best wishes of those with whom they have fought side hy side here. They have borne themselves well, both m action and m camp, and I trust that should any serious war be forced upon our Empire m the future, we may again find ourselves soulder to shoulder with Australian troops facing a common enemy. Tho doeds of the force m the Soudan have added one more chapter to the glorious records of our national prowess, and all of you who have belonged to it, soldiers and sailors — British, Indians, aud Australians — may feel the pride that our Army and Navy, has gained and not suffered at our hands. Among (he many and varied memories of the recent campaign the remembrance of your keen soldierlike spirit will be the plesantest to dwell upon. I shall alwa)'s feel proud of having commanded you. (Signed) Wolseley, General. Sonakim, May 16, 1885." The Australian artillery hand their horses over temporarily to the Royal Horse Artillery, and their guns to the Ordnance Stoics.. They sailed on May 18 with the New South Wales Infantry, m the Arab, direct for Australia.