The Origin and Services of the 3rd (Montreal)

sure that if some rich man would send her to Europe she would startle the world.To please the old gentleman, Colonel Stevenson engaged Mr. Lajeunesse and bothof his daughters to take part in the Battery s next concert. Emma played the pianoand sang, her sister played the harp, and the old gentleman played the clarionet.Of course there were other numbers on the programme.Lieutenant-Colonel Stevenson says that, to tell the truth, they were considerablydisappointed at Emma s singing at that time, and he says he has heard much betterattempts by other singers making their public debut. There was not much applause,and the batterymen rather mentally accused old Mr. Lajeunesse of allowing hisparental admiration for his daughter to get the better of his judgment.The year 1860 was an eventful one for Canada, and especially for the militia.His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales came to this country to inaugurate theVictoria Bridge, and made a stay of a week in Montreal and a long trip throughCanada and the United States. The social functions and public hospitalities inMontreal were on a most lavish scale. It was really a trying time for the Battery,for the corps was on duty practically the whole time the Prince was in Montreal.It fired a great number of salutes, including one when His Royal Highness arrivedand another when he left.Upon the latter occasion a terrific downpour of rain wasin progress.Two guns of the Battery were sent to Sherbrooke to fire the salutes upon theoccasion of His Royal Highness visit to that city. Captain Stevenson received theorders to leave only a few minutes before the time set for departure, and the Batteryhad just been dismissed for the day. He at once ordered the trumpeter to soundthe assembly in the street, and he got the men together all right and went toSherbrooke by a special train, in good time to fire the salute. The was toldCaptainin his order that horses would be supplied at Sherbrooke, and so they were, butthey baulked and shied, and kicked at the guns, so that he ordered them taken out, andthe gunners ran the guns up to the point where the salute was to be fired.The year 1861 was a quiet one in the battery, and its members did not do muchbesides perfecting themselves in their work as far as possible.One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two was another memorable year bothfor Canada and the Field Battery.It was the year of the excitement over the Trentaffair, when war between the United States and Great Britain appeared perilouslynear, as a result of the action of the United States warship "Sanjacinto"in forciblytaking- the Confederate Commissioners, Mason and Sliddell, from the British merchant steamer "Trent" on the high seas, in November, 1861. Military organizations wei-e raised in Canada from one end to the other, and a large force of regulartroops wafe sent over from England.At this critical time the Battery was in a splendid condition, containing as finea set of men as could be found anywhere. The average height of the men was5 feet 10. Some were 6 feet 4, others 6 feet 3, several 6 feet 2, while men of 6 feetwere plentiful. It was very gratifying to all ranks in the corps to know that the36