The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-08-01 00:00:00

ENCAMPMENT OF THE DORSET RIFLE
VOLUNTEERS AT LULWORTH.

--
The successful manner in which the volunteers of the
county of Dorset underwent their campaign last year
has induced the promoters of that experiment to repeat
it, and there can be no doebt, if the rules laid down
are strictly carried out, that the second encamp-
mutt of our citizen.soldiers will prove as satisfactory as
the first did. The delightful rural retreat of West Lul-
worth has again been selected as the bite for placing the
battalion under &mem, and it would be • dcult task
indeed to find.a spot more suitable for the purpose. The
cemping-ground is situated in • most lovely and pio•
turesque valley ; lofty and majestic hills bound it on
three aides, whilst, on the fourth, as far as the eye can
see, are the white cliffs of Old Albion and the English
Channel. A spot more suitable for the encampment
weld not have been selected; it is miles distant from
the noise and bustle of town life, and everything around
only savours of country life.
A finer day for inaugurating the camp there could.
not have been than that of Tuesday, and which formed a
striki.pg lied a most agreeable contrast to the circum-
stances under -which the volunteers had the first
experience of knowingwhat • "camping down" means.
List year the men were almost drenched with rain
on the arrival at the camp, but this year the weather,
i with the exception of being somewhat too warm for •
-.• .five-mile march, and that not over the best of roads, was, ,
to toe an oft repeated phrase, "everything that could
. be desired."
A detachment of men from the various oorps arrived
" at T.niworth on Monday, and put things in order for the
arrival of their orunradee on the following dry. The
•. baggage of the battalion had been most generously con-
veyed to the 'sniping ground from Wool railway station,
through the kindness of some of the farmers residing in
• the neighbourhood. .
' The Brid port and Dorchester Rifle Corps m-rived atWey-
' ' 'mouth, per Great Western Railway, at about half-pat
' 11 o'clock, and almost immediately afterwards the latter
' marched to the Pile Pier, where they embarked on
'beard the Premier steamer. Shortly before 12 o'clock
' they were joined by the Weymouth Rifles, and at five
minutes after 12 the Premier steamed out of the harbour
on her passage to Lularorth Cove. The vicinity of the
Pile Pier was crowded with spectator', who seemed to
take a great interest in witnessing the departure of the
rifles. A most pleasant voyage of an hour's duration
brought the volunteers to Lulworth Cove, where the first
glance of "the tented field" was obtained. The disembar.
cation WWI speedily effected, and the corps having formed
in marching order, proceeded to the camp, where they
were dismissed to their tents until the arrival of the re-
mainder of the battalion. We should however say that
ae they marched to the ground opposite the Coast-
Guard Station, the men belonging to that service, under
the command of Chief-Officer Gunning, were drawn up
in line and presented arms.
It was intended that the Bridport rifles should also
accompany their Weymouth and Dorchester brethren at
12 o'olook, but, owing to some delay on their part, this
was not the cob and they did not arrive until a quarter
rafter three. About ten minutes afterward' the sound of
music at a distance proclaimed the fact that the remain- '
der of the battalion were nearing the camp, and pre-
parations were made by the corps on the ground for
meeting them. These consisted of the Shaftesbury,
Sturminster, Bland-
Gillingham, Sherborne, Btalbridge,
Bland-
ford, Wimborne, and Poole corps who had been con-
veyed to Wool Station by special train, and who had
thus a flee miles' walk to reach camp. Exactly at half-
past three, these sub-divisions, under the command of
Colonel Mensal and Captain and Adjutant Barrett, ac-
companied by the blind of the battalion, that of the
Bland-ford corps, under the direction of Mr. Robert
Eyera, arrived on the ground, and the corps having
closed on quarter distance column were addressed by
Celanel MaseeL
The gallant Colonel said :
Brother officers and brother volunteers, I have very
great pleasure in meeting you again on the former scene
of • mist surreeerful and useful campaign, but before
dismisaing yen to year temporary tents it is my duty
to inform you upon some of those duties which we shall
be walled upon to perform during our sojourn here.
Gentlemen, I have known you sufficiently long, I have
been sufficiently connected with the volunteers to know
that they prefer strictness to laxity, and therefore I
shell carry this camp out on the strictest military rules.
(Hem, bear.) Gentlemen, it must be highly gratifying
and pleating he every individual volunteer here to know
that his own patriotic feelbp are responded to —recipro-
° cated•by No many of hie escorsd.e. lam glad to see'
r there are nearly 700 good and tree hearts beating in
' nelson together, and showing that six years of
.. volunteering have not diminished your zeal in the good 1
,1 CAMPO. (Applause.) But lilt is pleasing to you, bow
i =nob more pipg and gretifying to sue, as your com-
manding, 40114 10/8/0 IMO goat have responded to the
owliallitiligiallgftipdhltnisp bibs *belt numbers to
- kw. 1
=.14.6*. elatilikti have been your
study guars /alb if if le gratifying to us,
1 It is doe More gratifying and pleating to your
'• country to know that the twenty of Dorset case I
proclaim at any time, in case of necessity, • good
working, willing, hearty battalion if called upon.
(Cheers,) Gentlemen, these encampments are of the
' greatest see. They bring the officers and men of the
- several amps bgether, thereby breaking down those
load banish of prejudice, and establishing thereby a
proper *Bug of esprit dt, corps amongst yen,
(Applause.) Besides this, the battalion is as it were
working as one body—working under one head, and, as
it proved last year,.working with one heart. (Clasess)i
It alio teaches the °globs and men their duties b the
field; it teaches them the interior economy of a regi-
• men*; it leashes them by discipline of mind and body
the preservation of health. And! say this, gentlemen,'
advisedly and heartily, that the moral effect Is arg
great. A estop of this sort is not like a grand military
pie-tide, althotigh there is a toad DOWWW•O6 of you from
different %Mingo, yet hard work and discipline enforesd,,
all remind the volunteer that, although be is a alba
for the time being, he is still • soldier. These feelings
have had their results, because • man who has that
' (manse will not disgrace his uniform—will not do any-
thing to the discredit of his regiment—but will do
; every duty he is called upon to perform in a soldierly,
, steady way. (Cheers.) I had the great pleasure, • few
days ago, in the Isle of Wight, to meet with our old
' Chief-Colonel Hume, and be desired to be affectionately
remembered, and wished you the same booms in this
camp am you bad last year. (Applause.) It now, gentle-
men, leonine* be to inform yea of those duties you
will be required: ha perform, and I era npotr every
. Individual officer and man to assist me in carry-
lug out the regulations, and we shall have as
. success* and happy meeting as we had last
year. -(Cheers.) We shall not have much work in
, the meriting. We here prayers at eight o'clock te
: pray he God to bless this meeting and keep us from
, every evil. We have breakfast at half-past sight, and
there are any recruits not quite up to their work in the 1
manual or platoon exercise, an instructing sergeant will
have a squad every morning before breakfast—you will
find this of very great use. We parade at half-past
line and about 20 minutes walk will bring ne to an
excellent ground, when we form into line and commence
our maricenirres. At the proper hour, about half-pest
12, at the top of the hill, where there is a most beautiful
view, and you can find a breezy spot where you can
enjoy your bread and cheese and the surrounding
scenery. We come back to camp, and having put our
rifles in order, and cleaned everythieg, it will be time
to fall in for dinner. There is an old saying, that "All
. , work and no play makes Jack a dull buy," therefore we
•,. have organised, and I hope most satisfactorily to you,
~ and amusements in the evening, which, if
y as you ought to do, will be indeed
I now call upon the non-commissioned
'ally the orderly sergeants, to obey the
eall'areetly it sounds for the Adjutant cannot do
:say work unless his staff officers are ready, and if you
eome at once you will nave the Adjutant a great deal of
trouble and anxiety. You know him and from the
/toned you have for him, and most deservedly so, I
know you will •O• up to this. (Cheers) I DOW 001
tlion the nowoommiseiened officers of each tent to see
that order and regularity are kept there. Before we go
to Parsde let every MID have his bed turned up and his
blaakets properly folded, so that if the inspecting officer
mato down at any tuoment they would be fit for him
to
lee. There is now but one little thing of which I
reed remind you. Remember We live not in atone
it remind
k or within brick walls, but in thin, shallow, linen
ten 6 ha Every word that is said can be heard five or
z tents distant. Sometimes men use hard words, bad
."riaelliimul, and If they will be kind enough to remem-
he there are people to whose ears they may be offensive,
I ae, nue these few words of mine willbe quite sufficient.
I noa, gentlemen, wilt you • happy and pleasant amt.
Plign —I no Yob *ea ere in the right plain—and for
"%melt
I aatiaP••• • =Oda pleasing and happy
Iftev'M Kllssers.)
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06.10 p,

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