letter corporal
noun1
Archaic A corporal with responsibility for carrying or delivering letters for a given regiment etc.
- ‘It will soon go off; pray finish your writing. I met the letter Corporal not far off, he will be here almost immediately.1861, M Beverley, The Moor Cottage, page 362:
- I had but just laid down my Bible, when in came the ‘letter corporal,’ saying, ‘Does B— stop here?’ having your letter in his hand.1867, Private JB, letter, The Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, Fifth series, vol. XIII
2 more examples
- It was then dropped with much solemnity into the letter-box, so as to be ready for the letter-corporal at early post time.1884, Edward Dyne Fenton, Military Men I Have Met:
- The letter-corporal’s blunder.1910, Mrs De Courcy Laffan, Dreams Made Verity, chapter heading