The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-04-23 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEER REVIEW AT
BRIGHTON.

The Volunteers have had their great annual holt 'ay. For I
the sixth time Brighton he. been honoured with their pre-
seem and been overwhelmed, anon el, or perplexed at the
gre it irruption of what it Is the !asideu to cell "enix citizen
s ildiery.'"l They trolled out on alonday to the number of •
26,0e0 men with 57 gurie—a very respectable force indeed,
and only deficient in one requisite to completeness—cevalry.
With the exception of a troop, numbering 47 men, belonging
to the Hum Artillery Company, there were no mounted
force s. •
Brighten was eery gay and excessively military on Satur-
day. It is not actually the season at Prighton now. Bet,
as Sheridan replied, when he waa told that London was
empty in the autumn, that he always found It much fuller
than the country, so Brighton this week, though out of the
season, could hardly have been more full. Uelforms and
mole uniforms weariest the eye in their long, monotonous suc-
cession. The New York Broadway at the close of the great war
rever wore a more military aspect than has the Grand
Parade, the Steyne, and the Clot at Brighton during the
few days. To do the town justice, however, it was quite
equal to the occaeinn ; that is to say, it neglected no oppor-
limey of pi-0110ms by it. Cabs and Ilis were luxuries only for
the very wealthy, and on Monday were not to he got at
any price at all, having been hired for that day a fortnight
or so ago. Most of the hotels raised their tariff con-
siderably, and there were only a few exceptions to this
rule, notably that of the Grand Hotel, which, In spite
of the great run upon It, only raised Its charges a
shilling per room per night—a very small advance,
consist, ring the great demand. For the rest, Brighton wan
what it always is—gay, lively, pleasant, with a most pro-
, flounced military element, like a suburb of Parte stuck down
by the sea. The weather was favourable—not too warm for
walking or too cool for sitting still and seeing the sleepy,
glassy sea just toppling in with a dull, somnolent kind of
sound upon the shore, as it it snored In its sleets
Sunday war, of course, a quiet day—that is to any, there
were more Volunteers about than ever, but the parade was
less c,weietl, and there wore no kind of amusetnente going
on. The feature of the day was the morning service under
the dome of the Pavilion, at which nearly three thousand
Volunteereattended. After that aid after dinner most of them
strolled out to see the ground over which they were to mate
°mere next day. It Is not recessary now to say anything of
the Vidunteer review ground at Brighton beyond chat is well
known, thet it is rather difficult of norms, arid by consequence
equally difficelt to get away from For its purpose it
Is well enough adapted, the hills being so steep arid
the ground no trying as to test to the utmost both the
drill and endurance of every regiment and of every
mate Its distance, however, from the base of operations
—Briehton- is almost too great, conslderipg the way
the Volunteers have to come arid the length of time they are
obliged to he under arms. Sunday, to the delight of all,
closed with a glorious evening, and Monday morning dammed
with all the brightest characteristics of a mild spring day.
It anything, as the slay wore on, there was rather too muck.
urn, but the sea-breeze tempered it on the height., and
where it did 11,4 in the valleys, it was rather a luxury to feel
the genial raye alter the long dreary months of bitter cold
east wind.
The railway arrangements for taking the men down cannot
be overpmised. Owing to Mr. linight'e judicirms forethought
and careful management, they were as perfect as they could
be. At twenty minutes to nine on Monday TlVlrrlillg all the
men hail arrived. It is no slight feat to bring 26,0,0 Volun-
teers and a number of homes, exclusive of MI immense mass
of passengers, along a lisle of sixty miles, without a hitch or
delay of any kind. As the regiments were timed to arrive,
no they came—the great bulk by the Maritpelier station, and
the test by the mein terminus in toe town Long before the
last had come all Brighton we. astir. The occasion was
kept a strict boll lay, an 1 neerly every shop is the t sten
save those that sold refreshments, was closed salt on Soil.
day. In fact, as the men arrived they were moved swabs,ist
burry or contusion to their stations, some brigades to the
places called the Euelosuree, sone to the Level, and sonic to
the Marine Parade. Here there was ample room for all,
and they (rater.. -d end were fraternized with by the Brigh-
tentaus in the most Effusive manner of welcome. Toe great
mass of the Volunteers utilised their time by eating the break.
fasts they hail brought with them, while others breakfasted
at the places provided by the corporation. There was
really no standpoint from which the great muster c into
be seen. No large mass was ever long at orm place. They
were always on the move to take their pieces is the line
of march, so that the scene from any high paint of view re-
sembled nothing so much as the strano a of a vest web of
varied c,donrs winding in and out. Then windows were
thronged, but soon were deserted tier the streets, and amid
the clash of bands, and dull regular tramp of the regsnienta,
all Brighton, and all Brighton's visitors, went out in one
vast stream towards the Dawns.
he conduct of the Volunteers was unusually good. There
was no chattiug with thou around, no locking about, or ally-
thing but a soldierly attention to their duties. The much
-
past was fixed to take place at twelve o'clock, in front of the
grand stand on the racecourse, and at five nitnutes past
melee it dist begin. By that time the stand and course were
thronged, and even the tall iron lattice posts of the
wire tramway, from which certainly an admirable view
could lee gamed over the whole ground, were stutide 1
with adventurous youths, who looked in the distance
. as if they were standing en one another's heads
For the rest It was like all °Vier great holiday gathering..
riC-111C3 here, negro minstrels there, acrobats, sham b
: cenjurors, correct programmes, and the old old business
over again which has been told so often. Still some teings
' showed the march of ideas and spread of civilization Punch
, now Moon list, rview with a spiritualist, arid about the "rap-
tle interview there is no mistake whatever. The
march of science, too, was exemplified by ailing), vagrant with
an electrify ingmachirse who gave people shock s for a halfperiny,
, and to Judge from their contortions he must have given them
a very goad ha'porth indeed, for oone c inie a second tines,
ad after a few practical lemons In tile powers of ere:Melly
there was little or no dennind in the market for the service
of the battery at all The whole scene, however, was pleasant
, and picturesque. Brighton is proverbial for its beauty and
fashion, and they were shown on klonday on the Lie tees
in all their fyrce. The racecourse was lined with cal riages
sod visitors Many thousands were sauntering over the
Mils or gathered together 011 the Award In groups that
in the diabase° loeked like little nerterres of flower.
The great mass of Volunteers in all their variety of colour,
' but grey mei green prevailing, were down away on the tight
; of the stand ; and the background of all was filled in with
the crisp blue sea, warm with a misty look, like the haze over
Turner'e gorgeous paintings. At five minutes after twelve,
, as, we have stated, the march-put commenced Same slight
r alterations were made in the formatters of the artillery by
. . . ,

.... .
order of General Scarlett, hot the whole force may be tale;
Li have nurched put as nearly as possible as follows;
The cavalry consisted of 47 men of the lion. Artillery
Company. The artillery was divided Into three brigades of
field baturies and two of gores. artillery. Thefirst brigade
of batteries was commanded ly Lord Truro, and included 16
guns, 74 horses, and 185 men ; the second, Lieutenant.Colorel
Creed, 17 eons, 102 horses, 513 men ; the third, 2) guns, 145
horses, 553 men. The first brigade of garrison artillery,
under the command of lieutenant-Colonel Richards, num-
bered 1 569 men ; the second, LieutenanteColonel Walsnisley,

1,251 men.
The infantry comprised four divisions, with three brigades
to each division.
_ . • • • • - - • • - -•

During the march past the bands were placed or rather
brigaded on the Grand Stand aide of the course, across which
the wind was blowing pretty freshly, so that it Is said, those
on the other aide of the coarse heard little or nothing of the
. . .

The march past began at live minutes past twelve, and
ended at twenty-live minutes past one, having occupied
just an hour and twenty minutes. When the course was
cleared, the traditional dog of courie made his appearance
and lc,,pt up the fun. Ills life, however, most have been a
happy one c..mpared to that of an unlucky Volunteer who,
when the last of the last troops had passed the post. came
panting and running up, rifle in hand, trying to overtake the
rearmost clown. Ills almost need:ess to say .bat he had to
undergo in the way of badinage from thousands of voices
The distances during the march past were most irremlarly
kept, the space between the brigades being often creator
than the spnce between divisions, while the MA ance between
the companies seemed often to be much or little as their
(inners chose. . . .

Once it was over, the concourse of spectators broke up and
fo lowed the troops who spread in abroad hand of colour far
4,ver the own. till they nue lost in the distance or in the
yellow mist which their own dust raised, and every one
on after th, in to see
.the sham fight. This was not as

aucceiabil as tonal, for the nold over which the operations
extended was too wide spread; and of this many of
the Volunteers themselves complained, not from the fatigue
tow 'eh it subjected them, but of the actual lack of in-
terest in the plan. The theory of the battle was this: The
let and Old Dlvisione, under General Russell, were the
enemy, while the 3rd and 4th, under General Searleit. were
the defenders, and were, according to programme, arranged
to defend in vain.

When the sham flght was over, the Volunteers, after
emptying i heir rifles, began to march to the station, which
was reacned at 510 by the Ist Surrey Rifles and the other
corps in their brigade. The greatest regularity was observe
on the nicreh, and the trains were despatched under the
atiperintendence of Mr. Knight and Mr Denvil with extra-
ordinary pinictuality AU the London Volunteers had
started by half-past seven, hut an immense crowd congre-
gated about the station till the last Volunteer train was sent

Off
Fortunately there was no serions accident during the day,
hut fifteen ewes of fainting arid enfeebled circulation, caused
no doubt, by the heat, are reported. These were at-
tended to and the men were able to return with their
corps. The most noticeable accident was that which
occurred to the captain of a Volunteer corps, who
foolishly sot Into the line of fire ot one of the let
Solutes Artillery eighteen-pounders. While his attention
was attracted by the gun it wan Or 0, and eighteen pieces of
wadi and gunpowder were lodged In his face, his whiskers
being also burned oft The officer wore spectacles, and his
eyes were thus preserved.
Lute in the evening there was a good deal of boisterous fun
in the streets. A great number of volunteers remained all
night at Brighton.

A writer in the Daily .2Vf I" 3 gives the following
sketch of the day's proceedings :

Before eleven am. all Brighton was practising Oh, who
will o'er the D /Wlll5 so free." We say all Brighton advisedly,
for with a view of ascertaining how much and how little the
town was participating In the event of the day we explored
Its back streets, composed of modest £l5 or £2O holdings,
and found them invariably empty. The populattm fol-
lowed the Volunteers. While these latter were In the town
every house commanding a view • f thorn, every thorough-
fare leading to where they were was curiously, abnormally
bill. When thmr made their way to the Downs, then were
doors Licked, and every soul, from the baby in arms
upwards, made their way, or had the way made for them,
to the Issue spot. Any of tie predatsry classes
with a leaning to burglary would have found Brighton a happy
huntmg.ground alter the time named; and there was some-
thing very remark stile In the unanimity vf absence amongst
the householders and tenants of the miles of streets we panel
through. That the K inga.walk, the Pier, the Stone, sad
the other erdarary Ii surging Mimeo of the leisurely class.
should be deserted was. thing of conrse ; but fesr peop'e,
we sma,,ioe, would be prepared for the utter emptiness to be
met with in thoroughfares which are presents ody line,' by
people nih w. rk to do, .1311 ti whom holidays mean pre-
arrangement, and often previous self-deniaL

Again, every coneelvahle vehic'e In or convected with
Brighton must hive hem, MI it, way towards the D twits stun
after ten. The very few ilymen to be seen on the IiCCII3-
01111eii stands looked melalicholy awl hipped as men whose
ideas had been too exorbitant, and who were now reeretting
bitterly that they should have let drop the bone In the mouth
of an offered SOS. for the day, for the lake of a repre-
aentative shadow in the water at some fabulously higher
; um.

The high road to the Downs was a complete block. The
well kn teen Brighton types—the fashionable old gentlemen
who appear to flourish and look Iniclush to a far greater age
there than in ally other place in the world; the men whose
girth and appearance always suggests hidden straps, and
pails, and buckles ; the City editions of the Park and Row ;
the Greeks, the Jews—were all in greater force than ever.
Ladles to match these gentlemen, and to match nothing
but their own fair selves—ladles with ravishing toilettes
and unlimited hair, ladies from tchool, from shops,
from the hotels and mansions, on horseback, on drags,
and in carriages, acre all hurrying in hot haste to the bromi
expanse on which England's citisen-addiera were appearing
iu their strength. Fortunately, the apace was ample, and
though as it seemed from the Grand Stand every inch of
standing pla.2e between the point where the Volunteers
assembled previously to the march past and that at the end
of the r m nth, four miles off, was occupied, the ground is
I so favourably situated for • review that all comers obtained

*place. The scene from the Stand was simply magnificent.
The undulating ground irises and falls in such • way as to
give full effect to any moving mosia of colour, aid when
the "thin red line" of the 3rd Londons and the Tower
Hamlets tiogineers, or the waving kilts of the London
icottlsh were traced (corn the saluting point, round the ells-
nt corner and down to Osineileon, the effect was magical.
lietii-ral the lion. Sir James Yorke Scaring, 13.(2 B, and a
liriloaot stiff, took up their pobition opposite the Grand
Stand, and in rhos place marked out for tip m Icy the white
standard of England, and past them came the army.

_
We chose a place within the lines, and on the grrass by
the railings. Far away to the right lay a smiling x an,e
waveless sea, a few steamers, yachts, and boats at anchor,
and decorated with many flags In honour of the day, dot-
ting its glittering collate; above us was an Italian sky ;
while to the left, and as far as the eye could reach
in ahead of us, were the wavy Downs. Brighton lay
behind, that most excellent institution the new Sussex
Hospital shutting out part of it, and the conformation
of the land preventing other and some of It. best kilos n
portions bAng seen. There were luncheon parties
I the cairi.geo, and plestaint and proud recognitions of
friends among the Volunteers ; and there were other general
features resembling our metropolitan festivals, our Derby
Dey, /trod, or what not There were, too, the usual
humours among the crowd. The ventriloquist, who, out of the
open. mouth 14 a singularly bald and wooden dolt, speckled .
. _

if with puppies, evolves lessons of deep political Import; the
dealer in art, who vends portraits of public characters, and
whose chef &aware was a I ikene=s of Mr. Bright, in sky-blue
breeche., a gold coat, pink shoes, and robes of crimson velvet
and ermine—" the way he alters dresses shire he's lined the
G ,vernnient ;" the poor demented lady, concerning whom a
sad anti romantic story Is told, and who, mt- tinted an her
powerful blink hone, and halt masked, or with a thh k veil
soar ranged as to perform a mask's duty, is seen at militery
spectacles all over Europe, always unattended, always fault-
lessly appoittat as an equestrienne and never without a
sw,rd by her side ; the exaggeratEd Punchinello with hunch
and nose, who combines as "People's Jester" the didactic
prosiness of Mr. Wallett with the humour of Haute. li's
padded room, all them and hundreds of other minor
notabilities were on the D,wns. There sins an improvisatore,
too, Who kept his audience ii a roar by his shrewd comments
upon the various incidents of the moment, giving an oration
full of pathos, and showing no small powers onservation,
as well as minute accuracy in detail. This man, who
might have been the Grand if the venerable society of
Cogers, no fluent was be, 'released to make a speech
upon any topic set him by the crowd, reserving to
himself the right of veto if he considered he coat
not impr, vs their minds with the set+ ct chosen as
much as with one of his own ; " and sending round his hat at
the conclusion of a ten minutes speech, with a far more
liberal response than the natore of the entertainment seemed
to promise It was as if the Eastern story-teller of Cairo had
been trawderrml to Sussex, and with license to relate and
pass with:isms on the subjects of the hour. al hy Lord Bury
wore a large white pug,tree on his uniform hat, thus
violating the ragulatiou dress? whether the countrymen
fresh from the plough, who led the stout steeds har-
nessed to the gun cart-biros. would not have looked better In
uniform a hat was Lord Etches opinion of himself and the
Impression he was mskinz at the precise moment of his
saluting the general and of causing his horse to curvet and
bound?—these and other questions, trivial in themselves but
made trenchant by the intense comicality of the speaker's
manner anti the mock earnestness with which he poitited out
the objects of his satire, drew roars of appreciative laughter
and many coppers from the light-hearted holiday crowd.