| An early innovation in Salvation Army evangelism was the
use of caravans, known early on as 'cavalry forts'. At first
these were horse-drawn but later they became motorised. |
| The following excerpt comes from a diary entry by Cadet William
Henderson of Carlisle Citadel Corps and gives a vivid impression of
what life onboard was like. It is interspersed with images
of caravans taken from an 1885 edition of 'The War Cry': |
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| The Salvation Army
War Cry |
| Cavalry Fort "Integrity" 7
th July 1891. |
| Chesham Corps |
'The Cavalry Vans are so fitted up that ten men can
live, and live happy and contented in them. They are sent
out during the summer months, sometimes to the villages for
two or three weeks at a time, and sometimes to the towns
where the Army has not yet opened; and there they open the
town and stay two or three months, and then go on to other
places. The lads that live in the van or fort are supposed
to be Candidates, and after their Fort life is over they
go into training and become Officers. It happened to be my
lot to be one of the lads on the Fort last year which were
sent to open three towns in the south of England. Each of
these Forts have a different name, and the names are as follows
'Rescue' 'Faithful' 'Mercy' 'Deliverer' 'Conqueror' 'Integrity'.
The one I was on was the 'Integrity'. First of all I must
give a description of the van. The van is much better and
larger than these travelling vans that we meet with from
time to time; it is much larger and stronger and after all
so light that it can easily be drawn by two horses. |
| The outside is painted the Army colour blue, and at
each side there are two crests and the flame of the Fort very
nicely painted. The top part is painted white and the bottom
part and underneath are painted red which gives it a very nice
appearance. Then there are four large glass windows which open
and are used for ventilation and on the top there are all round
small ventilators, which make the inside nice and light.
On the top was our Blood and Fire Flag. |
| Now then, I think we have seen everything on the outside
that is of any importance, so that we will take you to the
inside. There is a large window in the door which lets down
so that we can get plenty of air. Then on the right of us there
is the stove where we cook our things. We have two large pans
and a kettle, a frying pan, a shovel, a poker and I think that
is all that belongs to the fire. |
| On the left there are cupboards in which we put our plates,
saucers, cloths, aprons, bread, butter, milk, jam and all that
is needed to go in. Then on the each side of these cupboards
there are what we call pigeon-holes or fixtures where we can
put knives, forks, spoons and sundry little articles and the
cups and mugs hang on the bottom of these cupboards. The cups,
saucers, plates and mugs are unbreakable because they would
need to be among such rough fellows as we were. Then there
are the beds, which hold ten altogether, there are two beds
one above the other all round. The top boards or shelves we
let down during the day and put up when we go to bed at
night. They hold by means of strong iron ledges, one at each
side. On the bottom beds we sit during the day and they have
and do for our boxes. In these boxes we put our things such
as clothes and other sundry articles. Then come the beds, which
are made of seaweed covered with American leather, and a pillow
of the same material. We are allowed a single blanket and a
double one. |
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| Then all the lads have their own duties to go through. In
the morning we rise at six, have prayers, then dress and commence
our duties. Two go to clean all the boots, two fold
up the blankets, and if it is a fine day they take them out
to air and also the beds, then they wash the van. Then
one goes on the lamps, sees that there is plenty
oil and keeps the glasses clean and also the tent. Another
goes on cook. All these duties are done by the same two all
the week, and then they change about. Then they wash and get
cleaned ready for going out. We all have breakfast
in the Van, which is done by means of a board resting on two
iron bars, which reach across, the lads at each side and the
cook at the end. We are all very comfortable. After breakfast
we have prayers again. Then we go out by two's, visiting
until twelve or one o'clock. |
| Sometimes we get on very well, and sometimes we don't, but
we do it for the Lord, and He makes it all right. One day while
two were visiting, they got two souls saved, which was a very
great victory. Other days while praying on the doorsteps, they
got hot and cold water thrown on them, but on the whole we
got on very well indeed. When we first entered the town, the
people thought we were a strange lot of folk with all our luggage
on our shoulders. We got a piece of land at the other end of
the town, and a dirtier or muddy place I never was in. Sometimes
we were nearly over the boot tops in mud, and going into the
van nearly made it as bad inside as it was outside. It also
meant extra work for the boot cleaners...who dreaded it. It
was alright when fine, but when it rained it was distressing. |
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| The people were very hard and kept aloof at first. The first
Sunday, which was the 10 th of May, was very cold and wet,
and to make things worse we hadn't the tent up because someone
had omitted sending the ropes to hold it up. This meant that
we had to have our meetings in an old barn, which was almost
as good outside as it was inside. The place swarmed with rats,
and there was nothing inviting about the concern at all. Everything
looked discouraging, what with mud and cold and rain and no
tent but just an old barn - as it was, and the dry hard people,
it would make anybody discouraged. But we plodded on and stuck
to our guns, and a few weeks hard fighting when a smash came
and souls swept into the fountain. We were sent out for two
months but had to stay for five on account of not getting a
barracks in time. |
| We had only been in Chesham a few weeks, when orders came
from Headquarters for two of our number to go to Eastbourne.
Now and again we got Specials from Headquarters, which helped
us wonderfully, and people began to understand us and to open
their doors. So when the tent was put up they began to crowd
in night after nights, and blessed times were had. Then came
the Crystal Palace Anniversary, and we wanted very much to
go. So the Captain let us beg, and we got all our travelling
expenses. Some thirty of the Soldiers came with us and also
a good number of outsiders. They began to get warm hearted
and sympathised with us, and sent us along all manner of things
in their turn such as sides of bacon... rounds of beef... meat
pies... dumplings... puddings... tarts... gooseberries... apples...
jam... tea... sugar and nearly everything that we could think
of. At one time we had scarcely a day but what we had something
sent along. Praise the Lord forever.' |
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