The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-04-03 00:00:00

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Tns VOLIINTtEft REVIEW AT HAGLEY.

The first battalion of Worcestershire Volun-
teer& had their usual Easter Review at HOley
Park, on Monday last. Ritterly 'erdd t was for
a field (lay, Volunteers, however, are not de-
terred by such trifling considerations as the
weather—if so, Easter Monday reviews at Hag-
ley would have ended as soon as, or soon after,
they began—and on Monday, despite of cold
winds and a cheerless sky, they mustered in very
fair strength to show they still maintain their
character for efficiency and good discipline.
The force, officers and men, numbered, 542 vol-
unteers, and in addition to these were .50 recruits
on the ground, though from want of sufficient
drill they were unable to take part in the move-
ments of the day.
The Right Hon. Lord Lyttelton was present
in his Lord-Lieutenant's uniform, and the field
officers specially connected with the battalion
present were Colonel Knight, M.P., Major the
Hon. C. G. Lyttelton, M.P., Major Smith, Cap-
tain and Adjutant Wohive, and Lieutenant and
Acting Quartermaster Jobsen.
The volunteers were drilled as a brigade of
two regimetits, and went through the various
movements usual in a brigade. About three
hours were devoted to the evolutions, and there
was marching, and connter-niarching, and double-
: (picking, skirmishing, receiving cavalry—hers-
ginary hosts, like Felstaft's assailants—and vol-
ley, and other firing, till the programme was
worked out. In the "march peat" With whicit
the review wound up, a new feature was intro-
duced, the officers of companies moving to the
'rout, and saluting as they moved by. This
movement was to have been included in evolu-
tions on Monday at Dover, but it was counter-
manded, because it was supposed the officers
had not time to learn it. Adjutant NVolrige
found the Worcestershire officers more apt in
being inducted into it than their brethren in
South were supposed to be. Thevoluntcers ac-
quitted themselves very well in the various tests
they were put to, and considering the drill sea-
son of 1869 is still young, the review compared
very favourably with those of former years.
After the march past the men were massed i
together, and the officers having come to the
front, Lord Lyttelton briefly addressed them.
He said in face of the unpleasant weather, the
atendance had been exceedingly good. and he
hal to express his satisfaction at the steadiness
of the volatiteers in their drill. It could not but
cause them some uneasiness to hear from time
t) time c mm plaints as to a growing difficulty in
maintaining the volunteer force generally in its
present state of efficiency. He did not intend
to judge of th., reasonableness of what had been
said tit meetings on the subject, but so far as
t:tt county was concerned, he was not aware
there were any difficulties of a financial or any
other kind. If there were, they were met and
oveycome by the pahlic spirit 01 the members of
the force, and he had no apprehemion as to its
inaiatenance in that comity.
Colonel K:dglit adde I setne.few words, thank-
ing the men for mustering so well on CO bad a
day. Ile bled:o of Ihe desirability of increased
Government :C(i to the volunteers, and said that
mon who g.4ve up their time for the service of
the country ought to be made reasonably com-
fortable. At present time it was riding the wil-
ling horse rather too hard.
Lord Ly,telton laide a few additional remarks
and the brigml: then broke np, and proceeded
to their c intometnts. The 'mother of specta-
tors ii the Park was not very large, the cold no
doubt aetiug as a dtertnent.