The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-11-24 00:00:00

A REVIEW AT ST. PETERSBURGH.
The corn spondent of the London Tunes gives the follow-
ing deccription of a review tI.AJ-, had taken place in the
Russian eapiori htlng part of the f..t vile, on tLe oceiston
of the marriage of the Cr Arewitch
Sr. PETERSBI:11011, Nov. 13.

A most peculiar sight was to-day's review. Thirty
thousand men in gray cloaks were drawn up on the
Zdrizine-square. It is one of those immense vacuities
of this capital which seem to have been left on purpose
to symbolize the character of the Empire. About
seven or eight times as large as Trafalgar-square, in
London, and but very sparsely enclosed by buildings,
looking dwarfish in comparison with the steppe before
them, it affords space sufficient for manomaring 40,000
men, and has often witnessed reviews of 100,000 and
more. It is, perhaps, not large enough for a battle-
field, but is certainly too large for a parade-ground.
Where effect is intended, the exhibition should not
exceed the receptive faculty of our senses. An army
may be too numerous to make a fine military spec-
tacle, and a parade-ground too large for any number of
battalions placed upon it. When the greater part of
the men are seen at such a distance that you can no
longer discriminate between man and hone, or, as in
the present instance, clearly tell whether you see the
ground or a great-coat, the spectacle loses in elegance
as much as it gains in magnitude.
Coon such a field to-day's review was held. As
though one disadvantage had not been enough, the
soldiers nearly all wore the dull gray cloaks forming so
marked a feature of the Russian army. As they stood
distributed over the wide-stretching level, there was a
complete : bsence of colour in this vast body of men.
The only relief to the eye from the general dulness of
the view was the red and yellow shoulder-straps of the
cloaks, the dark caps, and the cartridge-pouches worn
in front of the body. Everything else was leaden mo-
notony. In one part of the field only were there some
cavalry regiments, Cuirassiers of the Guard, andother
crack corps, in the full splendour of their brilliant
uhiforms. In shining coats of mail, burnished hel-
mets, and on chargers the like of which cannot in such
numbers be seen anywhere else, they formed a bright
oasis in the ashy-coloured expanse around them.
Thus the men stood silent by their arms, a mass of
latent power, awaiting the arrival of him born to call
it forth.

Suddenly the word of command flew over the field.
Attention ! The ranks closed, the lines were straight-
ened, and the officers drew their swords. You could
now perceive that the extreme edge of the square was
lined by cavalry and artillery. Before them, and
about twenty men deep, a body of infantry extended
over the whole length of the front; before this, at the
same distance, was a similar body. As the lines were
dressed two parallel lanes separated the three columns,
stationed on each of the two longer sidee of the Place.
The two shorter sides were all but unoccupied, and ac-
cessible to the public.
Another command ! At one stroke arms were pre-
sented all down the long lines or nodes and mos, she
bands struck lip, and at the further end of the Place,
at a hand gallop, appeared the Emperor of all the
Russia.. In accordance with his exclusive relation to
the warriors treeent, he rode alone—he, the Cowman-
der.in.Chief, at whose bidding every one in the square
was bound to court wounds and death. Behind him
were the four Crown Princes of England, Russia,
Prussia, and Denmark ; next to them Prince Alex-
ander of Hesse. the brother-M.l6w of the Empress,
and the Princes of Oldenburgh, Altenburg, and
Weimar, whom the event of the week has brought
hither: in the rear a brilliant suite of general and
staff officers. The Emperor wore an officer's cloak,
with cap and hood, and was as plainly attired as the
plainest of ail. He rode s gray stallion, whose
arched neck and clean limbo excited the admiration of
all connoisseurs. The Prince of Walee, in the uniform
of his own regiment of English Ilweetrs, rode a dark
thoroughbred bay, the finest horse in the field. The
Crown Prince of Prussia AM drowsed as a Russian
General, holding, like all Prussian princes, an hono-
rary commission in the Imperial army ; the Prince of
Denmark wash, Danish uniform. The Emperor, with
the Cmrewitch and the other Princes and Generale, at
first cantered along the outer front of the infantry,
and afterwards between the several lines. While thin'
leisurely inspecting the troops, his Majesty, who had
previously called in perison for the Prince of Wales,
and had ridden together with him to the ground,
turned round and invited his Royal Highness to take
the post of honour at his side. At length, having
finished the circuit, his Majeety put his horse int, a
raiiid gallop, and dashing forth from the lives, amid a
jubilant flourish of trumpets and loud hurrahs, took
up his station in the middle of the square. This move.
ment was immediately succeeded by the troops falling
back to the extreme edge of the parade.ground, part
of the bands at the same time marching forward and
placing themselves parallel to the Emperor, at sonic
distance from him and his suite. This troops now de-
ployed to the extreme left of his Majesty. and defiled
before him by companies. The fronts were of twenty-
five men, marching in close order, and moving with
the solid, mechanical tread which is the delight of the
profemional eye. The sameness of colour was now no
drawback to the appearance. If not a thing of beauty,
they were a thing of power. As each battalion passed,
the soldiers cheered, the otficere saluted, and the
standard-bearers lowered the precious burden en-
trusted to their care. His Majesty, and with him the
Princes and the suite, among whom were Lord
Frederick Paulet, Lord Hamilton, and the other
military attendants of his Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales, acknowledged the salute in the ordinary
manner. The cavalry and artillery went past at a
trot, the magnificent horses attracting the greater
attention from the plainness of their riders' attire. At

si variousri(3
c, length came the squadrons not muffled 1113 in cloaks.-
sidim,ctackshmaep.peuardeid,tionnothilidr Ibmytlethehocrseolosurawiothf
I braided tails, their face half hidden in fur caps, the
1 the headpiece. A small band of cavalry, all mounted
I on superb grays with embroidered saddle-cloths, pre-
, ceded a body of ITltlans. The heavy rumbling of
• wheels heralded the °;;r 'act of artillery, which pre-
sently appeared us considerable strength, each team
being of the same Comic. The guns looked rather
Veosit' leathern traces After a squadron of
armies and were drawn by
heavy in comoarmon with the light patterns recently
• hempeninstead
adopted in
dark-visaged C. macka, the Cuirassiers of the Guard
with breastplates and helmets cantered past on char-
gers black as jet. Asa peculiarity it may be noticed
that about one•third of the men of this corps were
armed with lances and sabres, the rest with sabres
alone. When charging in line of battle the Lancers
are placed in the first rank, and are supposed, by
breaking the enemy's lines, to make gaps, which are
subsequently better widened by the sabre than the
lance. Some of the Cuirassiers had red and white
pennons on their lances, and red saddle-cloths trimmed
with dark green and orange, and the letter " A " in
the corners. Others had blue, red, and orange pen-
nons, and saddle-cloths of orange, trimmed with white
and bl ; others, again, yellow, white, and blue pen-
nons and black saddle-cloths trimmed with orange.
Then came a body of Caucasian horse, with small
round black caps, and a musket carefully wrapped in
felt slung behind their backs. More cavalry„ more
artillery, with every variety of facings and distinc-
tions, brought up the rear. When the stream of
armed men at last ceased to flow, the Emperor, with the
Princes and suite, left the square to lunch in a palace
adjoining the British Embassy. The troops had all
marched off to quarters, and, the restrictions which
bad hitherto prevented the people from approaching
the hallowed person of their Sovereign being now re-
moved, they rushed up to him, and, taking off their
caps, broke into enthusiastic cries of greeting and
blessing. Though a brief it was a tumultuous scene,
and one that must have gratified the heart of every
loyal Russian.
In outward bearing the Russian soldier is, perhaps,
not so smart as the English, so erect as the Prussian,
or so elastic as the French. The men have an easy way
of going about the streets, and would by their gait
be difficult to distinguish from civilians. Their strong
points are solidity and the ready intelligence with
which they comprehend and execute their drill. They
inameuvre with surprising facility, going through in.
tricate movements as though mistakes were impossible.
, When massed together, one man clings to the other as
, if by instinct; and as the kindliness of the national
character makes them tons canzara,des, and their devo-
t•ti to the Czar is unlimited, many circumstances com-
bine to make thetu the steady and effective troops they
I have proved on KO many well remembered occasions.
I have repeatedly alluded above to the excellence
of the cavalry horses. As much might be sail of
most horses in this city. One sees principally two
kinds. One is similar to the ordinary middle-sized
Cossack horse, but with shorter neck and smaller feet;
the other tall, with smooth skin and elegant erect
carriage of the head. Among the latter species,
though it rarely attains the size of the English coach
horse, the most graceful and spirited animals are
very frequent. Not to speak of the imperial stud,
or the prancing beauties whirling the aristocratic
carriages along, even the common cabs are often drawn
by horses which would do honour to a lordly equipage
in any part of the world. Ido not know whether the
Russian horses can compare with the Arabian in point
of strength and endurance; but their build and coats
leave nothing to desire even for the fastidious tutu ace
of the course and the turf. His Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales is, I am told, likely to send home a
few fine specimens of the Russian horse.