Marching? Why?
In the meantime, the stockaders' military commanders decided that the way to get their "troops" ready for a fight, if it ever came, was by marching their men up and down, and around and around. The spies' reports of this back at the government camp must have caused a lot of horse laughs. Amateurs marching is quite a sight to behold, especially their efforts to march in time. They easily confuse their lefts and rights, lose concentration, skip and jump trying to get back into the correct rhythm, and occasionally fall over others' and, indeed, their own feet, not yet having burned the marching rhythm into their very being, unlike professional soldiers.
But, of what importance was marching going to be to these rebels in a fight? Of course, it seems doubtful they ever expected to be fighting a defensive battle inside their barely and badly constructed stockade, but if anyone thought they could outmarch professional British soldiers on the battlefield they were living in la-la land. Or that marching would help them in an attack on the government camp, doubly likewise.
Government and other reports mention that over the next two days, 1 & 2 December, the Eureka leaders marched their men around a couple of landmarks which could, theoretically, have indicated to the British the miners were planning a two-pronged attack on the government camp. It may also have been a show of strength, to try and bring the British to the negotiation table in a serious attempt to achieve the miners' reform agenda. Further, the whole marching and pike thing could have been an attempt to show the miners that the leaders were serious about the rebellion, when they didn't really expect to ever go into battle.
So the leaders, including Lalor, might not really have been the incompetent asses they appear from this distance. Their rebellion agenda may simply have been to force or persuade the government to the negotiation table. If so, they didn't manage to get their intent across to the government camp. And because the leaders, or maybe just Lalor, kept their cards close to their chests, assuming this was Lalor's intention, the government spies couldn't report it to the government.
But, of what importance was marching going to be to these rebels in a fight? Of course, it seems doubtful they ever expected to be fighting a defensive battle inside their barely and badly constructed stockade, but if anyone thought they could outmarch professional British soldiers on the battlefield they were living in la-la land. Or that marching would help them in an attack on the government camp, doubly likewise.
Government and other reports mention that over the next two days, 1 & 2 December, the Eureka leaders marched their men around a couple of landmarks which could, theoretically, have indicated to the British the miners were planning a two-pronged attack on the government camp. It may also have been a show of strength, to try and bring the British to the negotiation table in a serious attempt to achieve the miners' reform agenda. Further, the whole marching and pike thing could have been an attempt to show the miners that the leaders were serious about the rebellion, when they didn't really expect to ever go into battle.
So the leaders, including Lalor, might not really have been the incompetent asses they appear from this distance. Their rebellion agenda may simply have been to force or persuade the government to the negotiation table. If so, they didn't manage to get their intent across to the government camp. And because the leaders, or maybe just Lalor, kept their cards close to their chests, assuming this was Lalor's intention, the government spies couldn't report it to the government.