The Press. — London, England, 1853-06-18 00:00:00

JUNE 18, 1853. THE CAMP AT CHOBHAM. (From a Currepoudent.) Juxt. !T. time with a 'Misfit' of people I was wending my way yesterday from Chertsey towards the camp, when. from the eery of the " knifeboard," I witnessed a little scene worthy of the tvetical spirit of Landseer, and suggestive of the spec. tilde we were about to witness. Suddenly turning a shin? eor. tier in the roail, we came upon a little country inn embowered in trees. Before the door the olthaoeustomed signboard ,Hung front its pe•.t planted on the village green, and the dark, still pool reflected the whole picture of repose. save where the patriarchal drake gently pushed the peacetbl A% ato before his downy limns+. Under the shadow of the urea g a dozen horses were picketed; and beneath a bright laburnum, which hung, like a lady's shawl. from am adjoin ing gerdeu, peered the ptirtentous muzzle of a niece of artillery. Little incidents such as this reminded us at every turn that we were in the vicinity of camp. Now the black forms of artillery-waggons 'Swain our way now eame by a solitary officer, switching the nettles from the roadside, as he lazily cantered on the turf. That all was a " fancy camp," however, the gaily-decorated booths. thicken ing us we came towards the ground, bore ample testimony. Very few of the untntvelled in this country have ever seen a camp of 10,(4X) men, myself among the number ; but I must confess it was wonderfully like what 1 imagined it to be—a long lute of tents dotting the russet heath, and nothing more : but the details of this living mass I soon found were infinite and ever changing. Cholihnin-henth, the site of the edeampment, is itself a picturesque and beautiful spot, undulating. broken, and boggy. Along the spine or highest ridge of the space, or rather a little towards its northern slope, nre pitched the line of tents, extending for three miles, having the cavalry on the right wing, anti the artillery on the h•ft. My notions of topo graphy are generally of the most confused nature, and therefore I will not venture uponpositious further; but if the spectator will wend his way, us I did, to a rising mound crowned with fir•trves, near the centre of the camp, he will take in the whole camp at a view—vee rising among the tents of the household cavalry the purple-tinted spire of the Queen's pavir —see the city of tests laid out in streets, and the bright•coloured soldiers thr o nging in anal out like bees in the hives of an npiary -see the deadly line of twenty guns lying hartulessly in the suushitn•, whilst along the wintling, road, in it misty haze of dust, the horses out on exercise trot in hasty and rebellions line see, in the plain beneath, the great waolt of the camp going on, end the ground covered with stuAl white patches, as tl gh seine giant in a rage had torn up some irritating correspendence. lint to understand the picturesqueness of a camp you must descend into it, slip, as I dil, through the line of sentries, and throw yourself shuttle•like up and down each " street" of tents. Every turn is a picture fur Webster—for any painter who loves ineitlent :n al movement. Hero you see, upon pile of yaw: straw, the !wallet shoulders of gigantic gre• leaning in heavy slumber, and coming out bright anti sharp against the purple distance : the next turn brings us to a dozen fellows improvising a sentry•box out of poles and pine branches ; and tam we come tote " ra sok it ig• shop." wilie!i the constructor, in the trite spirit of art, according to Mr. Ruskin, has made eminently typical of its purpose: a rounded mound of earth. with a branch of fir stuck at the top, gives it the exact resemblance of plum•ptelding ; round the ed..;‘, of this it trench is cut, and holes for the camp kettles, it most bungling apparatus we must confess, and far behind many of the higenions and simple conttivitoces of the French for a similar purpose. These improvised kitchens, howev er, are only for the men : the officers, whilst they are roughing it, command the sc'enee of Gunter and other first-rate cooks.. Passing between the tents, I had an opportunity of see ing au army at its toilet. Styli a brushing up of " high. lows " I nev:o. witnessed: lien. a fellow was scrubbing his sinewy legs ; there a lancer mending his ,jacket ; or an indomitable British chin was stolidly held out whilst the regimental barber relentlessly scraped at it. A vast High. binder was burning a letter to. perhaps, his absent Jennie, and, instead of behind his car, his spare steel pens were thrust into his tenon socks. Whilst these little episodes were going on in the camp, 41 mating multiunit:of redcoats 'ever,: playing at football over the heath. Who s hall sa y that officers do not put their shoulders to the wheel ? A Hi 41iland officer ass we passed was levelffing with a shovel the broken ground before his tent. whilst another was e'earing his doorway with a besom, like jolly good fellows and gentlemen. The tents of the soldiers must be tight fits. Bound the central pole are placed the muskets, eartridgedemes. and knalsacks ; and niying out from this rather bulky pyrsmi l t lie the men, twehe in each tent. packed like hen iogs in a barrel. The officers, however, two in a tent, e eamp bedsteads. They are protected from the ground ley a straw matting. All this is very well thy tine weather; but a tea days' rain would ; witl t doubt, raise a magnificent crop of rhenffiatism, for the monad is sponge itself, end bog span*r Inn, which map be ascertained from the , water, which is execnible. What the method inspectors could have been about in camping men in the height of summer whore niNJuna but tainted water is prewar:llle is beyond my comprehension ; and if dysentery or 'Ennis ill Asada Lefal them it is not to be wondered at. The married soldiers of each regiment :we. located by themselves in long tinlmilt sheds, with •mall compart ments for each heel; and, as there is lent little month:side, garments of all unmentionable kinds, both male and fee- Tale, are kung on the exterior walls, making it Ina a little Tiolywelleitreet. 1 asked a sentry why this was al- THE PRESS. lowed. " Soldiers," he replied, " aint very pertieler." " But the women ''•' I retorted. " Soldier's wivesaint very pertieler neither." was the calm rejoinder. Hy the time I had walked from one end of the camp to the other, up one street and down another, I was pretty well done up ; for it was the breadth of it rather than the length or it that fitiv ,, eil me, as the drunken Irish man said as he zigzagged hit way along the read. And when I was calmly attempting to depart on my way re joicing, I found that the camp was constructed on the rat• trap principle. 1 had got in unobserved, it was true, lan how was Ito get out. " You cannot go that nose, yon please, sir," said em artiller sentry in the milde.4 pos sible manner, at the same time donrishing the curt per suasion of his sword. I thanked hint, and made a cut in the opposite direction. " You can no gang that wa !" shouted out a Highlander, giving a kind of dogging moose• ment with his bayonet. I made for the open heath. slain np started a rcd•eoat, and bawled, " tlo hack. I►ang the people, they want hear I call to 'cm:" and I bhoulel &Mhi'. less late lae•cn camping out to this moment on that very spot, hail not an officer kindly shown me how, by diving behind the sentry-box, 1 might make my e.eape. What a camp in motion is like I may, perhaps, attempt to -how your readers next nevi:. The s evere rain which fell on - Int.:Jay. the fast %Lit of encampment, materially interfered with the public interest in the scene as a spectacle. It prittlueeil, however. no change, and barely any perceptible delay, in the military arnmgements. At halepast eleven o'clock the heath was almost bare, not a tent being pitched, and few signs of the coming events, except the glint ing arms of the regiments which wire at that hour conterging upon the point of action *um nearly every quarter of the compass. Thus. the .1 . 31111 Highlanders came from Weedon, the :Beath from Portsmouth, the trith from Chatham, the 11301 Highlanders from Portsmouth, and the remainder of the troops from districts etpuilly removed front the camp. Only a few of the regimeuts have been billeted dining the preceding night at. Windsor, Wandsworth, awl Putney. Captain Blackwood Price's nine-pounder field-battery, from Shornelift was on the gromul early, having marched front Le:011..01ml on the previous day. Captain Wood'a troop of I:eyal Horse Artillery, from Brighton, arrived at their station a few minutes before twelve, having marched during the morning from Walton. At twelve o'clock every regiment was in its appointed position. and in one short half-hour the ground, wine!, just previously had the appearance of it buret' heath, was bristling with a thousand tents. The line having been completely flamed, Viscount liardinge, with Lord Seaton, the einnunindant 14 the camp, and the general officers to ahem the three brigades of infantry are entrusted. accent ponied she, risk across the tield, and in speeteil the various regiments. The following day was devoted to completing the camp arningemeets, and apportioning the hours and turns of duty. It was ordered, as a daily routine of service, that till the outlying piequets should be under arms at six a.m. The other regiments have to parade at half-past, the some as when in barracks. Regular drills take place at three, ow therealamts, in the afternoon. In addition, the men are employed in the providing and carrying in of weed, forage parties, water parties, mounting guard, &e. Besides these lighter duties a number of troops are employed in digging trenches to carry MI some of the suited! iiiii ts moisten! on the ground, which, if not properly impeded to iu time, might affect the health of both men and beasts most se. riimsly. In the eonrse of the day the troops were " surprised " by the sudden announcement of a visit from Prince ‘llwri. Forthwith the whole machinery for dithising and issuing orders was set in motion. Every battalion und regiment met ived orders to turn out in light marching order, and p;nosh• in front of its own encampment, for the inspection of his IG►yal Highness. The alacrity with which theme cullers were complied with wits u►ost creditable to the effi ciency of the troops. The Prince, who was attired in cottnnue, accompanied by the inike of am bridge, Lord Seaton, and a staff of field officers, risk. along the entire Inw, anti inspected the men drawn up in front of their encampments. His Highness, on returning, dis mounted anti inspected the tents, and made numerous ilk quirks respecting the auTtuigements Mild comforts of both horses and men. Tuesdays and Fridays have been derided upon for hold ing the reviews of the troops in the camp : and Tuesday next, the 21st inst., will be the tirit grand day, her ,jest}• having expressed her intention to be present. with his Royal Highness hints. Albert, to review the troops in the camp on that day. The .-buteiti/die Notionnle states that an official not from St. Petersburg has been communicated to th difielent Courts of Europe. Tlie Itussian Cabinet deelares that the Emperor will maintain the demands stilted in the hist despatch of Prinee Menschikott but that he has no intention to make war against Turkey, or to interfere with the integrity and hole. pendence of the Ottoman empire. Yet, ht the event of the Divan persisting in its rejection of his do wands, he will deem it neco-sary to onler.the occu pation of the Danubian provinces by his army ; but such occupation would not bear the character of 11 declaration of mar, as the existing treaties allow the occupation of the provinees under the circumstance:. A new ukase which has been publkhc , l in the kingdom of Poland prohibits the wearing of false hair by the women of the Jewish nation. Several hill ingements of this new law havf. already been punished ( From Last Night's iasrt.Y. ) War, orticE,JuNE 159 Ith Retzinwut of Itragoon Wlrth&—Lie'lltellolll IZobil John Henry to 1).• Captain, liv pitrehnsc, vice Sent*. who ret.ircs; t'onn.t Christopher l'lkuttiel to be Liciit..nant • purehase. vice Henry; Edward Rowe Fisher, ti. lit., to be Cornet, I.y pureliase, r ice 11'11onnel; June IT. Cat Pritgootts—Artllttr t :cut., to la, c o rnet. A: it holt io• .1... oa , etl 'lune 11. a at * Fl 11 — A•it s ikt IMO . t'nnnthe S.SINI VIM,. to Ise I.irittenent, vice Villiers, wt... exeliatives ; .lane 17. shit Foot--Ciiptain Charles Cornwallis Bobs. trout tit,' :'.hid Foot. to he Catvt•titt, %tee 'mord, who tAeltungcs lnur 17. ..... nth root--I.i...ttm•tat Fri•lloriek front Ow Foot, to Lieutenant. %IVO PINNeon, ftlipointr.l to 1110.• ;LW 1'001; .111It' li. 9th root- --t'stiitaitt the Him. 1%111111111 I. i 1 .ld 1: 1 11, 0 4. from the to In: Copt gin, tiro Lothian. who , ; June 17. :I:tril Foot—Lieutenant Harker f o . ov , the 7th root, to he Ijottentutt. riee apiatinte I t.i the P 4 l 4t root : June 17. Fiat—Pat master Edward Jonathan Hyatt from the WWI Foot. to lie t'it.t ti ho exehangt'si ,Irma 17. :111st rot.t—Liente•ottstl Robert `ct 111,. to he .ij without vorelmst., vier NVollt.y, drer,lr.rd : Ett.igo Arthur . 14'01 ge Ert.lytt '.lllorley to lte lirutt•untst. a ithoul poll ; %ittil 1 11 14 1 r th .t—cp t iol it iii Wahl VII Irrurgt. Aulhrr.l 1 Algol. tl\Hll 111 r :11:4 Void, to lio I tq,tlllll, ‘it.t. VIII4O , Julio 17. Fibut— John 11. lAothinn, Innn the nth 1 1,44. In he Column,. viee the Hon. William 1.'4,1)444 Tallint. %%lel exehanges: June 17. slst I'o44—Lieutenant Minehin Harnett thc :13111 to Ill' lielitllllllll, its tll4' 7th Foci .Inne 17. mini root—Lieutenant Henry PhiHippy II•tom the 14 root, to by Lieutenant. %ice Him land. %% e•eltattge , : Amite 17. silt II Ft 1 Hy iiinht • r 14sloort Setvit, from the 3041). t oo t, II) lw 15tlutnaer, vice !lota, ehu rxelontigu,.; Jam 17. 911 1 t Stirgenti William' linos the Stal; tg. be Assistant* Surgeon, %lee 1t,,.. R. _ _ 97th Fool-- I,ll.uteniutt Milibitiitti.m. from half pay 1 . 4 Nit, to be Lielll/11111111, %ice Thiollitts I:tht %%11.. t tllllll. 17. Ist 11....1 Wolin Itoogiiiit.m..--Sergonlit•Majtor Thom I.l' Ilse Ist %%0..1 Italia liCOlllO.lll, 1. 1 Is' aiii..t4T, t ir. St..keley. ammo. : Jane 17. Hospital Statf---.1441iit 11. tl. % hirtri., 11..111.. 141 hi• 1..1 1 alit 5ia.44.44ii in ill'lll% Is. iiitiottiltlatol Itt lii. 111th 1 , 45411: .111111. 17. Ilrevt•t—:'111$11111 coioitniitine 1;..;111. I. Still . 'toil's, Ito have the itwiti rank of %kiln. iu thi• 6111111 k : 17. miglivot by the lord Lieutenant of the ( . 1011040 1,1 Ihltliek Finio•im Inn . loon, to lit 114.1111 . 1111111 ; 611114 . 11. \I u.irt ~. .I)l,llllissitliis till' l .lll ' l ~ Lielitlllllllll 11l the vino.% i.l* I htelmili. 14 or North Dior how Reginald of Nlilitiot of Oa t omit.. of !hallow—Henry .1. It. lute 4 ill Ow South 011titttlit iiegiilleitt. 4)1 NI ilitia, to lw : Fdloard ioltinaits, Esq.. td 'await) ; Percival 511.4411111111 11 ilk in Esq., t.. 1.1. 4 'Dig:. : I.llllrullee reillls• , 1.:%41., to be I ; Henry 1111011%4.11, Etoi., to Is. Cap thin George ks, Es4l., to 1N• Captain ; Albany Feather- M4)0144111411, Gent.. to he Li,nteuwq ; 1141ber% John linnet!, Beat., to In ; James Allison, the younger, ticiit., to I» Lientennmt ; 11. C 4 nithilsl , llllll4 Sighed by thy lord Lieutenant Of the 4 ' 4,0114y 111 . 57114111. 5t1111114111 . 1 . legiiii4 . 44l -- I.iv 7 ttenmill Arthur Bunt In lie 1A414404910 4 isslirvir4s• • lll to Ite t ' Wain : Lis 'II • tenant EnifintlDl Millwo . y to 1 . 44 . 4 ' 440414u 3 44u 4. 11. I invtry to Ile vire I I 11111t1 rush:11111; 1.1 IN' Biwa, pr „ 4441 ; N 11411411,9. Collllllli , rl4 Ills Nigiwki Ll' 1114 lAIII 111.91.1111 4)1 . Ow nt : Sisitt in. titemititi-i'1.1.1111 I Ihrliaril Itent!• liimot late 1:41,111 %I/dbl. 411 Ile 1.1 , 144414:11114• 4 . 1114141 d ; 5 . 14 di. E•ot., hie` illl . l * . 1 1 1101 l ' oloollo . l . 9 111i114 . 1, spiiiiimls :" itt• Nhij,rni• ; .11tiv• signo•it by for Innd I.ir nlr uuut it • ti I% Listienster. A 'liner,. 'on. fit . the al I atieral.liire--.liiiiith Wine. t o l l , t it'll', t , o IN First ; .lung• 13. ( The foollim lug tortiele it ,tile.l it 111111 fur dint It 11 telt est arrd iu lie lirszelle or the ilkth of .luu. 4 • 01 unii4, 6 j.0% %ague(' by the Lienteliasit of the l'oonly Palatine of I zorateto•r. IA Regiment of the I )it!. , . of h ii--John 11:10.% Thoylloy. 1:441., to be % ice Shook) lat e. 0.44,•t0 41, .Itott• Pt. tirtinery ettrr4 of the tiny:it I nne.o4loirv-4 Rohe; e c is o i i , I ;old., late Lienten•lnt lion. East limns I ' Service. to hi Piist Lieutenant ; June 7. The ar l lievitin•lit of liing'ot Own Stafford,libv \Nina fortnefl into n Intl. thicte gentlenitle holding etillinlitAioll% 84 Ell Sign% in the alkive Regiment will tieki• rank Set•otni I.k•ntenontn in ti•e Hide I . .orp; hum tic• date of their Consmi.ci‘on..