The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-10-18 00:00:00

BATTALION DRILL AT WIIIBORNR.

On Wednesday last the Dorset Volunteers mustered
for Battalion drill, agreeably to orders, at Wimborne.
The °peps represented were Gillingham, Shaftesbury,
Sturminster Newton, Ste!bridge, Blandford, Winibome,
Poole, Wareham. and Dorchester. The staff consisted
of Lieuß•Col Manse! Is command, 001. Steward, 11,ijor
Kindendey. Capt. and Adjutant Barrett, Staff Surgeon
Dr. Rowe, Assistant Surgeon Dr. Parkbmon Sergi.-
Major Abbott, Quarter.ll aster T. Newman,Buile-Major
Mackenzie. The companies travelling by rail were met
at Wimborne station by the Wimborne cormand having
been formed into fours marched through the teen,
preceded by the Bth Dorset rill band, to • field on the
Blandford road. belfoging to Mr. Hatcher. Hero they
were told off in six companies consifting of 13 rank and
81e making • total of 158 men beaides about 51 officers,
sergeants, and sergeant drill instructors. The new drill
was then commenced, a Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign,
and two Sergeants, one for the right and the or h ir (.4
the Left being appointed to each minion y. The new drill
seems likely to lessen the time expended in forming
column and square, and we have no doubt after a little
pracitioe the men will be even in ,re efficient than in the
old, as the movements are much simplified. The rlnll
was 111 much for the inetruetion of the offis, rs as for the
' men, and as • fiTti trial was well performed. The two
last movements were especially worthy of tomuienda-
tion. Square being formed in a very few seconds after I
the word of oommaad wm given. The gallant
Colonel addressing the battalion expressed his
setidaction with thnso who bad attended the I
drill. and with the way It had been performed. He
could have wished that the days had been longer so as
to have gone throaqb • little skirmishing. The two
last movements had shown how anon eduoated men
like the volunteers could learn. Ile could not but
allude to the disparaging letters which bad lately ap-
peared in the papers respecting the Volunteers, it had
been said that they were not disciplined, but be would
again repeat what he said at the camp at Lul.
worth, that ff they were not, It was not their fault,
iriasm nob as they hid never been favoured with
the assistance of a General Officer. Ile did not
think it all fair that in a body of 150,000 men,
the felling' and shortcomings of a few should be bold
up and the volunteers generally blamed for them.
There was one thing he was extremely vempl and
sorry about, that the Dorset battalion In
consequence of the non•attendanee at drill of
some among them would not have the Snider
rifles furnished to them. There were 70 battalions
before them In efficiency, hot he considered it a
shame that by the non-attendance of some, only 80 per
cent, of the battalion were clamed as efli dents.

,
When a man gave his name in as • Stolen.
thee, he ought to determine to make himself
effici•nt, and obey cheerfully the orders issued. Tt.ey
could not tell how soon they might be called upon. It
was not, as formerly, tinir given for pr.maration, but it
was the word and the blow—peace to-du and war to-
morrow. He thanked all those who had assisted that
day, and also returad him thanks to the officers and
sergeant.. for theillaith "hero were many faces he had
been accustomed to see on such occasion, but there were
also many new fame and he mimed some he would have
been glad to meet. It was es,ential to the discipline
of the battalion that offimrs and eergeants should
thoroughly know the drill, and he treated. and had
every lemon to believe, they would. At the cmoludon
of these remarks of 0010-ml Mengel, the battalion
marched beck into the town, and returned to their
respective homes by the over Mg trains.