Note 286 — Chapter XLIII · 1885–6–7–8—COLCHESTER DISTRICT

This discussion lasted from the time Sir Garnet Wolseley joined the Horse Guards Staff, after the Red River Expedition, till 1904, when a Chief of the General staff was appointed. The Duke of Cambridge’s opposition to any change was shared by many of his contemporaries. General Sir John Michel, who was singularly broad-minded, opposed it. In the 1872 Manœuvres, from my accident I was unable to ride until the last few days, so undertook the office work of both branches. One evening Sir John Michel was arguing the point against his two Senior Officers, Colonel A. Herbert287 and Sir Garnet Wolseley, and as neither disputant would give way, Sir John, to terminate the discussion, said, “There is no overlapping of work where Staff officers are properly trained, as I’ll show you.—Here’s Wood who has done all our writing, we’ll leave it to him. Tell me, Wood, have I ever in the last three weeks made a single mistake in addressing the Adjutant-General, when I should have written Quartermaster-General, or the reverse?” I owed much to Sir John, but had to speak the truth: “Sir, I cannot recall a single day when you have not made mistakes.”