7th September 1857. Engels visits Portsmouth & is not impressed by the military
In September 1857 Engels spent several weeks in Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
As he noted it was only 30 minutes journey to Portsmouth. He wrote to Marx with his impressions on 8th September.
He noted that ‘In Portsmouth one might almost be at home in Germany. One is barely aware of the NAVY in the town which by contrast is lorded over by the subaltern, the false dignity, the affectation of reserve, and the strangulated English that goes to make up your OFFICER and GENTLEMAN. Moreover, almost everyone goes around in uniform.
Engels watched the 47th Regiment who had been in the Crimea and were newly back from the Mediterranean drilling.
He noted that ‘the Commanding Officer was very calm but as with us there was there was cursing and swearing within the companies… A Prussian lieutenant’s comment would be: the chaps lack drill.. the modern stuff either not introduced at all or rottenly done
Engels of course was known as ‘The General’ had some military experience and wrote on military matters
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