The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-14 00:00:00

THE AUTUMN MANCETIVRES.

The foliosing extracts Are from isterestim; sketches
by the Special CorresponAents of The Times
:
TILE BATTLE Ohs WISHIFORD.
sausnear, Sept. S.
Al it was plain that Michel must renew Ma attack on
Satutday morning mei try to move over the Wiley, the orals
question was where he would attack. Walpole Intl been
prepared to defend Wishford, on his left flank. the day he
fore, /Led had been, tea it was rated, Wined at C adford oat his
right flank. Yesterday be had appareutly counted on an
00, ck near Steeple Langford or Stapleton], and was ad-
Irtlged to have been turned at Wilton and forced at W 'shiers!.
aa ei Duke ordered toe operations net to begin till sight
Maeock, and thus enabled an early riser to reach some of the
ti amorous ridges over each side of the stream and reconnoitre
the adjelning country or the 10015 and bar-like oplaetes
which are troops at a dietance by a preliminary.galiop along
the hard high road . . Beforeeight o'clock the °dicers of the
dinpire's Staff who are quartered in Sibs:nary W.re generally
t to road toward. Wiley. Bey °mine hamlet which retches
ill the mune of Fogglestuee began the picket lino et Wrlpedes
army taping the river end the hedgerows, apparently cops'et-
toe of tee 000th Regiment. At Whitford Sort-go these was a
Ft: oust pitrol of the 19th tins.iisra and a Patty of leptc-rs and
miners, but it was to be observed that the read from
Wit &amnion was hot patrolled by cavalry, and that tam, oil
existed far the officer OU the extreme hift communicating
with his next ho command aeythlug lie obsereed except
lan di itarhed his Pee of sentries. The Hessen hail Pad
tome back from an extended ride romad the wood pear
the right of the supposed position of the enemy, but they
did Lot appear to have seen mach or atythaig. rite brialae
was lobe tiloon Up if may !whams attack ISM made on the
aud the fords were "spiked" to prevent mosage
that way. Wishford Is a quiet, neat little hamlet at the
etlier or right side of the M iley, lying under the mover of the
very steep Mils of Newton which rise up to the downs of Old
Camp and Smlthem with tortuous streets, tree-enthowered.
and a crooked main lane from the bridge wader the arch of
the railway station, audio leading on to Grovely through
the deep wood which crowns the western face of the hills
Omit three quarters of a nine from the village. ...
Deep down In the valley there mane enit tieing from the rail-
way arch a body of horse, which presently resolved them-
selves into the Wilts Yeomanry. They came on spreading
out In the bottom of the narrow valley The Masa hel-
no tett (4401011 S opiosite me made noto of the apparition,
and rode out from the edge of the wood, whore they were
posted by en auelellt ictrcnrhmerol, peered over the Tittle, arid
packed out two vedettes suet an ntheer, who cantered down
the steep and Ftony hilledde to got • better view of the cot my.
Meantime the Yeomanry halted. One troop drew up as re-
serve, ono mashed up the very steep bill on their left,
headed toy Lend Ailesbury. scualleg on In advance a young
ottioir of Lancers. who asked some questions of a bystander
as to the eppearenee of the enemy in the woods, and wrote
a report of ra c innaissance on the top of his shako. Another
moulted the shapes equally high on their right. A
fourth detachment went aloug the road in the [widow
ot the valley, and halted so as to form • rally.
log aimairen for the others la case of need. All
looked very well, the men well mounted, In smart blue uni-
fornis, on which the White and silver look well, alai doing
their work far better than could be expected. The left-hand
detachment on the hill came up, and Load Ailesbury, who
was at its .heati, seeirig the a. round was clear, left Lord
Damian and the sergeant !paler to eol.tillUto the rectal-
nalseance, and went down to Jon the bulk of his little force,
which was now enviously lo king up at the Cram-eons en the
brow. . Meantime the operstlons on the other aide of
the valley became more Intereotthg. Your or live dr/maim.
Came out from behind tie green hank of the matrenchment
and joined their comrades, and at the siglit of the reinitiree-
ments the vedettes of the Wilts Ye mane) halted, but, rein-
forced by half a troop, they couttnued their career with a
detachment in reserve behind them, and then the dragoons
drew up and formed a little line. which slow ly retired. the
hill was so steep that thee a 'taw feet down on the side could
have no idea of what was going on above. So the Yeomen
were content to bear the ills they had sconce than tempt
others they knew not of. So they halted once more. And
again the dragoons came out and took a prep over,
met then after a pause the troop of Wilts Yeomanry
Cavalry, with another on support, went on, rather averse to
seeding out skirmishers, as they had no pistols or carbines
perhaps. But the dragoons, Omagh they hail a scant supply
of cartridges, could sting. They were inside the harebell-
merit which had only a narrow gorge of entry, and there,
dismounting, one of them took pot elicits at the Wilts Yee-
ornery Cavalry, who very properly faced about anti retire-I.
Trey were at talc° followed by those terinenting dragoons,
who got to the brow of the MU and began to pepper them
from their rifled carbines till they drew off below, when they
were Joined by the other troops returned front the rea on-
nalisances, which had impressed them with the idea that
there were two regiment' of Lome to be drawn out of the
woods,

The other aide of the valley was the moat likely to be Inte-
resting, and I went over, or rather up and down, to the
anelent enerempmette Thence a great spread el the plain at
the other eble of the Wiley, mei the wooded olden of the
rivulet which passed in rain time from Winterhourne by
Berwick St. James and Stapieford to the Valley of the Wiley.
Across this could be seeu the march of detached bodies
horse, feet, and guns—far apart, and apparently without
connexion or unity, some Ira the direction of Cow Down
and ;Steeple Langford, red othera on the ridges near
St:Meter& No sign of Michel. There was a battery in
action on the ridge over Wishforel to cover the Yetennery,
mel where a godly kuot of spectators and lienpleee
were assembled near the dragons, it fired a few .
hotels to wake them up. By degrees, it.decd, spectators
mune up, for they could net very well dime in on thet
height. They were repaid fee their fail. The Yeeniabry
bau retired some way down the valley, bet their leelercs
were posted rather loosely in Dolt, and alter a ceref al look
over the dragoons, who were new reiefoiced by a emelt nody,
made teethe ego at the et4OP. Oen peny ~f fear er the
went round to the riglit, another hoot dipped into the vie ley
direct, and some wentto the left, and thee swooped de wn on
the unsuspecting Yeomen in the teeth of their supports,
riding down the steep et breakneck speed. Among on:T-
each d turnips and stony places flow tee Yeoman herse, bat
the Dr egr cos on the reeht clutemel two a ,i 1 11-te Loan ay
the bill-able amid the cheers of • the sp.. It to ; ;mother ~ a-.
headed end taken after a desperete 011100 by two tame of the
It Lys, who rode like madmen; &Mater Dranoan desired to
take two Yeomen all to himself, but had to let one
go. Hewever, ho made Lord Deegan prisoner, and Ld
him away to triumph. elle ethos early teak oue or two.
Time prisoners were ail hen led and evaded away Wu the
wood, seat as the captors rotted Lola! Allethary made a
capital eltsh from meter cever of the hill, straight as he
could go, to overtake the Pragoms and r, Kate his prieolore,
and very nearly suceeeiled, liet the Reeulars were on tee
alert. 'I he Aar dismounted inside the entrenchnieut at once
and opened • smart fire, to which the Yeomen could not re-
pay, ca they wheeled aboet end relhed. The amulet up
here came iota rr quest. The Prince of Wales, with helmet l
Teesdale. and the Marquis of Stafford in attendance, and
Colonel Reilly and Lord theemee the Duke of reek. the Duke
of Cambridge, Colonels Ciihon, Tyra tete end Clifford, Mr
Cardwell, Sir 11. Storks, ape a butt of Empires; ether alto-
gether on the thole atiel waited petteuety fee .the et-e.
Inept aif the attack. The foretell otilvers, with Camel Ellis,
Captain Wellesley, and Lieutenant Bridges, ttU.A, retleeted
the FALar spot, and there wh.re matey celebrities sauntereg
about this elicited work, in which leiter on Wok's le-pounder
battery found apt but curious emleraanrPs and emplacements
all reedy cut and dry . . . it was a long time before stay.
thing was 'eon of ellehel's force, for the wood ',veined the
country in Oat k and rear, and although Hereford and Brown-
rig's Infantry atartel at eight o'clock, they had te march
twelve miles, most of them, before they could come into
action. , , • General Ella came back with a report on the
movements of Michele Army, which he had ridden off to
theea tale fertile Duke,of ifambriel_o, and at became plain the
attack could not be developed till after two o'clock—a long
wait 'rem eight am.
At 11.25 or se, Andress' gulls were heard °peeing on tee
other ride of the spur at the wool above Lete.ampten, lent
they were merely pushed forward early to detract Walpole's
generals, mei induce them to watch as many toilets as pos-
sible. Hides' I.elo tinders limo up later, anal opened now
end then en treops moving aloeg the road by the Wiley
river, but the enemy had two betteros, ono of le.pounlerse
to reply on the opposite side. It Is contain that at 11.45
there woes considerable movement on Walpole's loft, over
Chilhampten, but he held a a rong force, feet by steeple
Las Ifferd, although he could not yet have seen any Bien of
Cimathead's hrigtele, which was ordered to make a Lint In
that diree

•. . The general idea of the Southern Army was to
swage Waleole a ate. alien by a toetiteustratitto aeafiet his
right while he massed his artillery against the position at
Wi Isidore whirls was to be attecked by the rest of Brownrlgg's
Divhion, with Herdirige's Brigade, leading by the bridge and
ford direct from Grovely, while Botsford, wheeling mod by
Wilton, where he cursed, and without encountering
any enemy, except the huh Ilnerare, made his nay
along the main roil from Wicliampten to South
Newton, between which and Wlshford be forced his way
up the height., sending up his ho Mies to sweep them,
mil giving a hand to liardinees Brigade and the
reel of Brownlee& nien as thoy attacked the position in rear
of Wishford after a very feeble resistance from the left took
of the Wily. 1 f the Caydry which we could see near Staple-
ford had been used to search out the mealtime between it
and Steeple Langford, thy would soon have discovered how
weak elichel's feint was ite that dirsetion arid have liberated
at east a Brigade for the defence of the heights over Wish-
ford as well, and very possibly given Walpnle a revelation of
his real danger. The result of Browntigg's attack by Wish.
ford and lieraford's match by Wilton Wild that air regiments
of infentry an I 30 gun were collected to force Walpole back
from the line of the Area on his left, awl to force him to fall
back even frt,m Yariibl.rorighl actin As Honford misleading
his own Division with the 7111 Beware and Andrew& _battery
and two Brigades, he came 111 soros nosh:rims way on the
13th limeare, who Wan equally unaccountable manner were
found on a suddeu presence of such au overwhelming force
The oiliest in command of the regiment showed presence if
mind and resolution. He at once formed anti charged Staff
and BAWL get in ant tug the grtne and immediately claimed
the hononr of centime:lZ beineral Gem erti and his guns. Of
course, thew) was coutrow my. The General wad "T,sku tee
guns away it you fan, there are the Ilia liceasars at hand and
Villa retain, nts of lefautry." Bat what would h ye happeeed
bed Sir A. llcreforl been titled or wounded? Such an
officer would ash he rt eddy replaced at such a juncture.
The Umplra decided that the 13th conld not have carried off
the guns. They mule have cot the traces and done mischief
to the Bettery, audit meat go out of action for half ten hour.
At 1130 If iekshr enne began to pelt the hills opposite, Aid
the detachment of Boys, no tie reinforced, advanced dosa it the
hill, and the Wilts Yeomanry slowly gave way, but we/ to
let their dasinountect men, Alm had gone up in Lord Allot -
ha ry's cars, Me Dermot side mei force the driven, to p
a civil distance. There was a goof deal of light play ibetwesse
the two forces, lent It did not stiern tome on the hill that the
Ileye ettulti have reoriented drawn up us the valley under the
rifle fire or that the A thsbary floras on! I have stood Crier
Zhe fire of the mea which c tici.l have ixen opiht to hoer ott
then!. At heaviest one the Hie, ensue up theough the 1..4,1
of °mi.% but they kept undercover The re was a mod deal o.
cam, nAtk.NI al,na the line. All iii the tootle el Br dane4gg'w4
column begin to Come in view In the titles of the wt ea reel
the General and his etoff reconnoitred the front, the ground
being quite new to bins and Botsford At tee sight of the
lei-goons, the Witte Horse foil I, ark and retited under the
railway troll, which aimed have born blown up or limited
up at tage. Brownrlgg could only see the railway mooring
the and of the valley, the arch throe& which the
rout pesspl, the trees end houses of t tie village, snit
above tte steeps on which be mi_ht hate expected, if
any tenure on Boraford's part, or ally niistalte had
rev sated the plan of attack, the whole force ci Walpole
to be concentrated. The Rinea emerged in skirnabe deg
order from the wood at two o'clock. almost at the sum/11)
thee the guns Oct r Newton directed the a/Prance of nom
lonia Dlyhiens. Herding° led his eirieade ender the railway
arch, and there was not a man Intro. shot or cle.'end the
streets of the very aoluous way to the le be. e, beteme It
, was supposed tote destroyed, so thel Word wasp assee fir tie
&sheers anti poittoth train toldury to. I h his
, Btaff pees peeling on at the head of zee S'ith, windi all of a
*widen a bitter ani biting fire earce on them from Its other
elle of the ziver, teen hedge rows and roadside, e Lich would
• vertainlY have Played havec With Gaem end :dell.
Qatiltly lad well the Beth lined the edge rows swarmed
lob o the gardens, sad opeemi an exceedingly heavy
fire on the 30th on the other We, who were soon obliged to
give way before the head of liettaford's e diet n, shill had
now come up from Wilton anti nearly erected the village.
nestling myself of the privileges ef unarmed neutrality. I
passed the bridge under a heavy fire, in which were 31.1'.'s
yjAI ahem, and tubing to the right tow Sir A. Botsford as I
Pave beheld him before when things were not quite so
giteasant, lesilloglilo Dirlsim up the hit, where old Cities
were going on. Thine abetter), was moving along with a line
of skirmiapers and without supports It wss halted and up
came the inns of Court to Its support, mil hod to he keet
back from zealous advance In front of the pieces. The foreign
critic,s take a veal intateat in the." Devil's Own," and in the
Artiets. There a battery was tut oat If aation by the
empires er some :Ammer holdnots. litre tho Granath. r
Guard*. in grand array, were declared to be hoes de com!mst on
aocount Of thiir attractions for abetter), which caught right
of then before they got Into line to advance up the hilt but
en the whole It nee a very pretty sight indeed, in a non-
military sense, for the guile of the Southern Army on the
heights by Gravely Wood were thinidering at Wisliford, acid
aemeetow or other General Walpole 5 ems did net seem to
be very e•encly or quick to reply. IL .rsf, td's advance up the
steep was aietarded an he advanced and extended his right
by the wm, fr„,n a wood and the fire of Infantry, bet they
were net able to stop him, aud he continued to pull on,
thongh his left ae7aiance was after a time vela slow
also. Weirdo ceete tett at flied make any attempt to
cheek tile masers %Inch earn" in on his la', an't his
main force was far away, but in the steep-sided viii to from
WWI:110rd he had sairmialtera gilt a double line of Mien, TY.
which were extended right acroel the road and up boils
slope!' of the hill, and there kept ap Tal7 aglinatest lii

indeed One couple of companies of a regimeet (possibly the
00th cc 55th), which had come out of the village of Wish-
tont, and were flrittg in one extended and feeble line into a
force weieli seemed able to eat them up in a minute. Sad-
delay the order came for the Hee of the Northern Army
ill the valley IS ietire, dltlionsit,,th'i were now ettetpath-
ened Biles on the left. An Umpire had seen that they
Mal Sr. lemmata within a thouvruid yares, and had re.
ported it to the Duke of Cambridge, who had thereupon
seut the order that Lord Dark Kerie men should give
way. 'l'ue supports of the skirmitvhere of the Southern
Army were, it is to be presumed, considered to be close at
hand is the village, though they were net visible. It cer-
taittly seamed to a Southerner that his own people were in a
bed way solar as that portion of the advance was concemed,
and that the 30th and Rifles, end Battalion, were far to
lunch ter them, and at one time, before the Bluebell,' de-
cision made by an officer of great experience had been given,
the assailants had beetm to retire of their own accord.
When the lino tell back, the line of skirmishers, to which
supports appeared from Wishferd, at 2.25 advanced up the
valley, bat masses of infantry began to gather on the browser
the high grouted, am! the Northerners made desperate efforts
to , ply to the artillery real to make at. for past malt:dam
It 1,. to late. At 230 the grip Doreen' bad establahed
on the rieht was el ewe tigleer on the p?sdion lately hold by
Walpole' foe the Pan ades of Browurigie Invislet came up
close on their left froni the river Anti advanced up the hill at
1.!,, other side of the valley. At 2.5010 was cvelent that,
though Walpole was Pot destitute of hope, he centri scereely
rests.. the six bridsges and 30 goes concentrated against him
where lie hail only N goes, if so mule mule Division W MOet
It. The Duke of Cambridge decided that the battle was over
for the it:4y.

1 hin s use in this state when the Puke, at 2 50, gave the
order to "cease nib g." . . . rho Uanrab es' Staff, the op.
posing general, .‘ll,l their officers in Chief CO,nniaLa, as-
sembled on the high grouod over Wisliford, near a knoll,
and the magic circle being fore ed, the Duke of Canihrisigo
began his remarks on the operations of toe ray before the
combat on the plateau Wita appeased on his right, cud from
remoter pilots from timo to time the Cliaion smoke pulled
out II is Ito) al Highness spoke for more than an bur, and
it is aunt that he expreistd linnaelf very strongly on some
poihts of the di fence of the position by the IST:Ahern Army,
and that thsre was a considerable diversity of opinion and
protests against several decisions, as far as discipline could
permit them to be made The great point in dispute Vas,
" CoUhl Wilton, or ought it to have been turned or at-
tacsed, or was Michel justified in textiles; Walpole's pest-
Cop by a movement from that point?" These ghostly armies
are a nuisance. How is a General to deal with them? flow
ie he to jitdge of the nature of the resiatance which 3,001
men at Wilton, with 6 000 men at Salisbury in support, can
make when they are an abstract idea. If he has to attuok
a positi an flanked by these pointis so held, supposing the
ghosts are equal to the it oh and blood, must he weaken Ois
force Iy 9 000 men to watch them or attack them? Was
Walpole entitled in soasidering Wilton cod ?Salisbury to-
gether tinite safe, and merely watching the former
and detaching a regiment of cavalry to reinforce the
spiritual area' ? There are a number of questiass to be
put nod answered to referenc.e to this matter, and,
howsver pleasirg an exercise it may he to the stra-
tegist., it is very perplexing to the Generals to have
to dell with them. Save ambit lined that liarford's force
ought to be put Mit el the fight altogether, in which
Case most assuredly Wishford could rot have been Carried,
no matter how bad the Northern Army was placed alai
handled The "general idea" was that the Southern Army
had been reinforced by an isnagnetry detachment from
Maids n Bradlay, and the force at Ringwood hut reached
Poseidon, and that at eranborne had been pushed towards
Wilton to COnneet the latter point with Sir John kliehers
right. How far one imaginary force could deal cilia another
trust be lett to those who conceive the general idea, but it is
obvious that different views may be taken hy the opposnig
Generals on that point. But there must be a scheme for the
Manseuvres, with a definite result at a certain time, or the
campai,” might go on far we km if it ever ended at all ...

The Duke of otieratadt, who stationed himself with another
foreign officer by the bridge at Woodford to see the infantry
pass, was particularly struck by the excellent order and
discipline they exhibited, and especially did he note that
there acre net a dozen tranards ant that not above five
or six men of the whole force stopped as they passed the
stream to take a drink of water The Rifles went across
the ford at the don de at least knee deep in the lowest
part, sod other corps may have done the same; and,
although it was "a good drying day," there is a certain
amount of discomfort in wet feet and gaiters which
In not easily remedied in caMps ma the march or at the
end of along day. •

The foreign officers, under the care of Lieutenant-Colonel
Arthur Ellis, have gone over to Longlea% on the invitation
of the Marquis of Bath, and to Mr. Csrdwell and Sir 11. Storks
they have expressed their deep sense of the hospitalities they
have received. It is not for those whose guests they are to
boast of their efforts, but at all events it is very sails-
factery to know they are appreciated. "We have,"
said ye of them to Sir IL Storks, "only to express
a wish, so.tl it is gratified." They have requested
Mr. .d Lady Augusta Sturt to accept an album eon.
taming their ',drafts as a nusrenir of their visits
to Crichel, and the glimpses of the country We of
England in one of its fairest counties delight them, nor do
the) fail to remark the goner air of comfort, as well as the
spaneaess of the population In the Dorset villages. Much,
too are thy struck' with the groups of gentlewomen en
A mazoze, who may be seen watching the peripeties of the
Oght. . . .
Th, deciAln of the Umpires was to the effect that though
the cllspettions of the attacking force were good and their
moven, Ids skilful, the hassage of the Wiley :A WMon was
Set wdrrauted by flie "Central Idea," and that Michael, con-
sequentiy, could not claim a victory.

THE NORTHERN ARMY.

WINTERB,URNE STOZE, Sant lay Evening*.

. . On aturday towing the :outhern Artily s.ll
mast, ii by toe woody cress of the downs. lhey stri tub 'o
the Wiley in broad, open slopes of graselend, folded here and
titer° into a deceit:tit holtob. Tne eterny was free to mach
and countermarch a. he rinsed behind the ridges end plant-
ations which screened no, and to att wet to eroes the riv.r
sii),st N Coat Warminster to Wil, on, a dittance of about
elg :teen miles. On Friday the river treat nsli by to
itl flu tinny wash tweet. Radford an Sian!, nt its or
ICY. II 'nibs. The bottle of tlie day lc:t him still entitled to
bald as to la Codturd, but the mediecattons in the general
be. e lei him to select new positions, 'tilling I'm§ noon the
Wentt.thonrne. . . On Stturday wanton the tght Hank tf
the I,r, rtoore Mm 7 no long r touched it e river at Rotifer],
hilt ills thrown back t the downs abut fame utiles, till
it rested on the ancient intrenohment of Yaruboreugh Castle.
fruhr tan stronghold Sir Robett's Roe rdo south-
east shmg the riagte cf Ste ide Dinc ford rs'.wn till it tcuched
the river at eltspleterd, where the Winterbourne lobe the
Wilt y From Stopleford Air Robert's trout extended dean
the Wiley, past tbe village of VS Witold ant two Uyi les short of
Wilton, as tar as Kmth Newton. 'ltie whole position held by
hie troop. hrrl a front et some flee mina, trot ptorbapa the elesr.
est troy of describing I. lot's begin at the left and to say that
Lord Ibirle Kerr and his DiVielon held a ridge stretching in-
land to three miles alone the Wee, rt the owns, in a line
w: b eve, a conthunitionot [let lel mien river front and ended
at Yernharonth Cattle. Tire !Seldoms wereposted each with
one brapede Li reserve, aml the batteries were ranged along

the his in tho but well-toga the ridges afforded— Here ;
trod! is:octagon, Gni., a clump of ha 3 stacks, a hollow in the
buitiscaps, or a cutting by the side .if e road m.ve elicitor to
a Hatt lion or • battery ; hnt.the downs are very bare, end
overleoked by the higher country on the other side. This,
also, is crowned by Grovely world, on that the Northern Army
were at the great advantage of being able to see t revealing
of the S.outhern force when the Southern force could see
nothing of torn. Sir Robert posted cavalry to his right
rear, tut early in the morning General Shute took the
Light Itriga Is and to batteries away to the leG,
where he made a dashing raid across the Wiley. Parke's
Brigw'e held the sight at Yarnhorough ; then came An-
derson's regiments, with Erskine• Brigade in rewrite
babied. Of Lord Mark Kerr's Division, the order from
the rlght was Pakenham, Stevenson, and Maxwell in
reserve. The Gorse and Life Guards guarded our fl ink. and
one came upon them in a hollow near Yorntorotigh Castle.
The Fit Regiments and bageries were well concealed, awl
riding over that glorious turf In the early sunny morning
one's and its drank exhilaration from the charming solitude,
witch little looked the hornet of armed men. Perhaps
one enjo)oll the solitude ail the more, knowing that
one could fly from it in a moment and find a score
of friends In the Brigade in the next bottom. It
was a strange transition !run the desolate plain and
Its feeding sheep to the hollow, astir with a thousand
men. General Brigade couched in red masses at
. . .

the edge 0: a wood, and by the side of the road harsher on
Sir William Guise's Glomestershire Militia lay on the seem
by their packs They were to be seen from Gravely Wood,
arid when two gum at very long range opened on them were
ordered to take their paelm In Gale hand and get under a
ha ik, which they did, chattering as Militiamen will. Sir
Robert's picket. an ! vedette& still extended as far up the
rivir as Wiley and tisherton, as fur deed] as Wino.% art!
Steeple Langford was held by 150 men of Anderson's Brigade,
Sn on, 'lb icy to NV loterhouraie St ke the lung white road
mark, the Downs fin anima live miles. At ei iht yesterday
'hose who wished to le there to see were on their way from
Wily Fresh anti pleasant vets the ride over the delightful
areas in the youth of the morning. A alimaßing party had
estatlte.h I theamelvesion Da green mound-, of Yarwboe inch,
and the Household Cavalry waited in black masses tare, glade
to tiro right. The whito pyramids In the disteuce are the
Headquarter Camp still standing at Whit rbourne Stoke,
and toy their plumes and the pennon carried by a dragoon of
the ese.,rt the horsemen spurring alang the ridge towards
Lord Mark's Brigade are Sir Robert awl his Stud. Some
Cavalry appear on a slope a tni[e oil across the river,
arid receive a couple of unbind shots front our guns
hefty° it is seen that they are Lord A Resit,' and his
Wilts Yeomanry, boldly on their way to make a reamed.
sate towards Grimly-wood. Tile Yeomanry had quite a
little pi, ee of campaigning all to themsclves, and very well
tney did it. The wood was over the long slope above them,
and they had to reconnoitre to the right, lest Baker and his
wild !lessen shondd come sweeping round that way. The
Vi ilt 3 Yeomanry are followa.l by st, °log pair tt.eso j.duiting
0-103 mg ca-:a air riflemen, slid we IkOW 6.10 their
est. Toe curs were drawn up hi hind eome stacka, the
riflemen dismounted, and advanced up the ridge in
skirmishing order,- a squadron having been sent round
to the left to see that all was right In that direc-
tion. Meanwhile Lord Allesbury drew his reeiment lap under
a rice of toe Down end waited. As the Yeomanry skir-
mishers reared the top of the hill, gray jets of snake shot
here and tiara out of the green n are of the wood: the too-
marry retired Ilriliz, and pre Batty drew out after them
.1 'me dintionnted dram .071 Skirmishers, :Is we could tell by
the ref Dudes and brass heimets. 'the Wiltshire men made
N steady retreat of it, icy and by the dragoons went beck
inde wood, hos Lord Alleshu,y kn pt his regiment
where it was, With vedettes thrown (ditto good distances. This
, teen I goat setyMe we, the onty incident for a long time.
Ihe enemy were evidently marking to seam far ilmk
or they would . hare shown before row. Where were
thy. and where was our cavalry ? General Shote and
be Light posse had gone away aortas the river to the left in
a ivm), sad for some time nothing was heard of them. Sir
Robart rode here and there, erranging affairs with his divi-
sional Generals, moving buttoner and emery. regiments.
The clatter of wheels ante IL-Te,, the quiet isndscape as the
gobs passed shies and wheeled into new piottlon....llaM
an hour more and Lori NS Blinn Bereaford aud four Lancers
came rid n; in. with a eaptirred D.agoon, and Lard Milian
ias the helmet ot another over his arm, Ile does nee briny
us mech news of he enemy however, and takes his primmer
away to C.-nor 1 Shute—. . Another Cavalry affair
whill inn it not be forgotten wan the dub et a a turbot
id Life Co Lids inta hit aisle Lansford, which hail het it
evaenateff by one/ticket and occupied by some of the eneme
41 ragnorm The Life Guards were piloteel by • gallant Con-
troller, w hose plume of blue ever flies in the front en the
battle. My ut eleven o'clock we' make cut some horse Cod
foot marehing towards Steeple Langford.. ... The guns
under Gayety Wood fire now and then, and the smoke
trails along the rmsn and dies away. A tn,in comes stashing
down the valley of the Wiley, Its white steam escaping tn
Arian miffs. What will came of this waiting trolley? We
have notriformatlon, and until we have we cannot concentrate,
sin.l are weak along our whet e true, while theenemy may brhig
tin Bri,gades out of these gullies la-hind Smith New ten at
tiny moment, and be upon a, in no time. What can have be-
anie of General Matte and the Light Brigade? Hi eels one
who will tell us—Captain Clayton, of the 9th Lancers,
awiloPing in with na wis that Shute had ridden through
Wiley over the railway brilge and under the pale wall,
iging all (1 creasing a rest and gaming upon flortford's
Division in line of mace% The Cavalry dished in bet en
the advanced gliard and the main body, took six Horse
Artillory gnus, and with their own Battery enfiladed hone'
hint's inhatry. This was good news, but it was graver
tidings to hear that the whole of the Northern Army was
behind timely Wood, and, as it turned out, the captured
Rifles were only put out of action TT tweu y minutes. An
Umpire did happen to be on the spot, and decided that the
cavalry ei met have circled the guns away. I couldosot
It art whet her the mnch easier fritter spikieg them was taken
, into consideration. Ihe news of the enemy was just what Sir
. Retort wanted, but it came tablet veri late.

•
Very soon the enemy were seen debauching Into a hollow
to whiet the wood leads down opposite South Newton.
There they acre—led masses uf infantry, with ambulances
and &nun:mittin carts on their right flank. The range tvas
not over ;at., and Strange's battery, pastel in a pl.mtation on ,
the brow opt ned fire and kept it ma. The infantry did not
retreat, and there wae a wild call for an Umpire, but, as usual,
not no was to be folind. Meantime Lord Mark Kerr
To shet his skirmishers, a dark green line of the Rifle
Brigade, down towards the trees by the river. The enemy
were there already, end soon their hairmithers leap a
hedge and mitre., across a turnip field, as easily as though
they were walking it for partridges. Grins of the enemy
froal tle eixe of Orovely W,,Ofi reply to our battery by tic
plantation, which is to limber up, and sweep round
to a position on the next crest. Sending out little Jets of
smohe all along it, the line of the micro's skirmishers
pushes on, There Is a lively popplog of rifles, and now and

then the "bang, bang," of the big guns, flashing from
tho trees. Oar line of rifle skirmishers tithe uphill
towards ha plantation, and every moment the South
Newton lanes stem filling with troops. Sir John
Michel has batteriea In Grovely Wood and in the
valley protecting his infantry which now advances across
the open, sod Sir Robert Walpole waits anxiously for
the reserve batteries and two cr Staveley'e brigades, which
have been sent for. The musk3try I, in one long roil; the
valley intuit of smoke. Lord Mark Kerr's regiments are ad-
vancing over the second ridge, but on the first he seems to
have little more than the line of retiring akinnishers
niches guns opened in every direction, mid we now saw a
column of the Guards coming up on our left. '1 hey
threatened to cleau outflank us, and where on earth criuld
they have come from; Why, they could have come from
nowhere else but Wilton, our Wffion, wall garrisoned by 3,0e0
of our paper men. . . . The Guards were advancing in
spleudid order in class colomn, and entirely overlapping Sir
Robert's left. On a ridge near there hatpened to lc, two
hatterien ; the °Maar suddenly saw the Guards on his left,
gave the wcril to the gucners, who !doubly stewed the guns
anti pave toe aolid thou 12 shots. An Umpire was f onto',
end the 'vele of Guards was pot oat of action, thorn h I
believe the Umpire only intended t list one battalion should
he gisquilitted. Meanwhile the battler raged from tooth
Ni wtou to Wishford. The enemy dash:taped his attack with
adrniraido rapidity, pouring troops licross the turnip fields
(torn Bluth Newton awl to the Woo beyond which thu
Norther:hers akirtelslo rs hat fallen back. N r was Sirßobert
:die, lifsbatlwrles had fallen bait, flatteries swept tha valley
leading to Wisliford, playing upon the head of 3 cotutuutmerg•
log from trees by the river; yet the Southerners were to
stronger in artillery, said seemed to hove their puns all at
hand,—a haiku galleping up to the first ildge, and
enfilading skirmishers who were benig pushed ,ciwis the
econd ridge to oppose the caemy at W iehf Ad as they
crossed the watt r. The advance of the Southerness
from the river at this point was a sight worth tee-
the, and was well seen by the Duke, the Princes, the
foreign officers, and nuany spectators gathered on the
brow of the hill. The red reel:merits swarmed out of
Wishford, anti from the vantage-ground above one could
see the streets and the gleaming wane r of the Wiley,
the trees, with the fumes of battle wafted through their
breeches the troops coming acmes, the green meadows, ant
the lung, smoky lines of Sir Robert's stirmi hers contesting
the hill ... The Northerners had some excellent successes.
Smith's Horse and Strauge's field battered, had mete wild
work with the Guards ; the valley and village of Wialioni
had been well rooked Icy the some 12 etas. The HMI
Regiment bad lien thrown into squares t ice in half an hour
by Shute's Light Cavalry, and in that formation peppered
to destruction by a battalion of lt,fles—the Seth
Regiment and the Wilt, Volunteers, hlio got round
their flank. The 9th Lancers bad charged at then, over
a use of hwrdiee, but no Umpire could be found, and
all This aninihilation went for uothilig. Sir R.-dart
bad sent for Staveley's Weeds". One had come up, and was
already in action, and was ready to defend the second crest,
when the "Cease Firing" sounded. Once, twice, thrice was
the bole blown, for the battle was fast and luau, Sir
John Michel had 10,005 infantry in hand, sect cove
them forward, covered oy the fire of 30 goes ; while shr
Robert Walpole was resistiug with 30 guns and four brig ides,
but the roar of the tatteriea intti the roll of the
musketry went down like a wove before the small slight
sound of the bugle hotel,. The hattallohs halted where
they were and laid down on the gross in long pic-
turesque lines of tired men, glad to let mother earth hold in
her lap the weight, of their packs. The stalls came riding
from every side. A second Miele was funnel for the general
aheers, end for a cmarter of an hour or Co Fin Royal High-
ness the Umpire.h, Chief &retuned the conduct of the two
armlet with their chiefs....

Last night the Northern Camp was again pitched at
Wititerbourne Stoke, awl the tired troops marched to their
tents over the downs with a glorious sunset at their backs.
The evening scene in one of these camps when the day ends
like this Is full of life whieh ia pleasant, Meanie, and pti-
turesque The yellow brilliance of the soft autumn sun, it.
large circle bisected by the rlgo of the distant down; the
clouds stretching across the sit) in long, r. 'cute fingers ; the
serrated lines of tent pinnacles; the drifting smoke of
the cooking tire,; the serving out of forage and provisions;
group, of men with bucket. round the water-carts; other.
comitig with th. Ir letters in their hands to the wooden
pillar pet standing by the red van that drove from London
to rewsey—thereiationnething to took at in all this. A gray
horse, drawing a antler's cart, fall of crates and cans, trots
wearily along; the Oeneral is sitting at his tent-door In
slippers readirg his letters ; the sentry lias worn
a path in the grass for himself by the flag which flutters
near the Head-quitters marquee; the lines o horses
have their hends down and are busy at their 81b. of
hay, and there is a knocking of mallets as men
tighten the ti-nt pegs. AU this is delightf ally strange awl
fresh and un-London-like. Riding had( to Wiley, I parsed
at night the cunps of the No. them Army, thou a sCelle
of another sort. As far across the plain as Yernborough
Castle their tires noshed and twinkled like the Limp,
of a city, aid passie-c close by the whole scenery was
illuminated like the end of a pivce at a theatre, as a
tire blazed up when a leg fell into it. Men with lanterns
were seeing to the honer. As F passed each brigade, the
sentry was vigilant with his ' Halt, ! Who goes there?"
Friends." Fat% friends ; all's well." When I turned to
my lodgings at the butcher's, it was a quarter to twelve, and
Sir John Nichols Staff ba..igage waggons and their tired
cuard were clattering and tramping down the street of
Wiley.