The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-07 00:00:00

NORTHERN ARMY,

•
READ QUARTERS, NORTHERN ARMY
Pkwukt, Suaday Evening.
The skies have rat used to make themselves soy longer par-
ties to our holyday soldiering, and have begun behiVing as
111 as the time of year will alb,. them. The great enemy of
all armies, the enemy which has over and over again de-
feated the conquerors of the world, has declared against
us. . . . A young and healthy men must be a poor sort of
creature if in minds a wetting. The worst hardships the
troops could poseib'y endure U it tal ned day and night from
the beginning to the end of the Mancenvres would be as
nothing to toose which are voluntarily encountered by
gold diggers in the Colonies, who have no Control Depart-
ment to take care of them. 'these men, after a long da)'s
march among the snowy mountains of New Zealand, under
au enormous pack, pitch their little calico tent, boil their
kut•le, put oist the precious sticks against the frostebound
earth when the water boils, drink their tea, eat their bread
end mutton, creep into their blanket, and are none the
worse. . .
- -•

. .
Sir Robert Walpole and the Head Quarter Camp and Sir
Charles Staveley's Division are encamped at Pewsty, with the
exception of one infantry brigade which has moved on as far
an Woodbridge, near the Rnehall camp of Lord Mark Kerr's
troops. The whole of the Northern Army lathe, united and
ready to march against the enemy.... Happily the march of ,
Saturday was not altogether wet, and the sun itself was gra-
cious enough to shine on a gnu:minimal hospitable art of lewd
Ailsbury , who invited the Brigade of Household Cavalry and
the Royal Horse Artillery Battery attached to it to take a
short cut thronch his park, and gave a thousand men lunch
on the lawn tcdore Savernakeheuse. The Infantry, the
rest of the Artillery, and the baggage kept the high
road leading past the house celebrated for the strange
story of It ill Dayrell, but (Littoral Marshall's troopers
and Major Williams's guns turned up an avenue to
to the right, a few miles out of Ilungerford, march-
ing through the exquisite solitudes of a treat park,
which is a paradise of all that is beautiful in Eng-
lish eeeni ry, and halting before the palace home of the
°weer of Saveritake. The Cavalry had lain all night in a
muddy stubble field, and s et theyturned out as neat and clean
an for a Hyde Park parade. Leaving the high rood, the guns
WTI horses passed along an avenue the Rior of which was
slippery and mossy for want of sun, so close end seep grew
the branches of the green reef above. The glade hey cud
eunk ioto a hollow, and I hope some pointer saw
the picture of the lengthening line of these Cavalry
as they wound down the elope out of an arch of
trees, the shining chaM of Life Guarda horsemen
br, ken by the darker Artillery. Tile wind was fresh, said
carried away the music now and then ; for In honour of the
host the bands of the Brigade were playing. The woods of
Savernake, just touched with their autumn tinges. were
everywhere beautiful, but presently the *He view e f glade
and forest narrowed into a r oble grass ride, down which a
hendred troooers might walk t !reir horses abreast. l'be trees
en either side were larches if maguiricent gr. w.h, arid
among them the fern grew waist-iiigh. Again the pry-
spect op: nil, mid the rot-lug gram lamd was again
a landscape made lovely with skilfully dispersed trees, Far
In trout was she house itself, a flag flying from a staff on the
rnf. The martial procession wound along, the horses step- ,
ping to the time of the silvery music. Lord Ailesbury, a
soldier himself who will join the Brigade at Codford with
his Wiltshire Yeomanry, rode to meet Colonel Marshall, and
condncted his thousand guesta past a carriage and pair of
pretty Iceland µmica, tire ladies pitting therein, under
some grand trees to the optri park before the house.
The Cavalry were 4rawn up In line on the edge of the grass,
with the Artillery to the right, and on the gravel parade in
front was an array of hogsheads of beer on trucke and of
long tables laden with meat and loaves and cheese. There
were carriages and footpeople there to see, and the ladies of
the house stood at the entrance.
For a few minutes the regiments stood motionless while
the bands played. Then the "dismount" was sounded, allli
at the seemel blast the Brigade grew shorter by a yard, sod-
deoly subsiding with a clatter and a fine effect, as !Le troopers
who had sat erect in their saddles were all at once lost among
the multitude of horses. These were thee tied t igether by
the headropes, in soother minute the nosebags were on,
and then a legien of servant, carried round the bread and
cheese In tray s. . . While wailing for their dinners
at Peweey, they most have thanked trom their hearts the
hospitality which hail hr.dien their long fast. For the officers
of the begade a liable table was spread in the dining-room of
the house and when these had lunched, and the bands had
played, the men got on their horses again. The bugle again
blew twice ; a; the nest call the trooper gathered up his
reins, and put his foot in the stirrup, at the second he rose
to his saddle. Straight from the front of the house a road
leads to stall column two miles away, which can be seen
from the house door through a narrow opening in the
trees. Along this road, on the gram on either side, the
Cavalry and Artillery marched, and when they came to the
top of the hill, where the column stands, there was another
little gathermg of spectaters, among whom Marlborough
boys were not wanting. Here the troops turned and lost
sight of Savernake, sad may the turf of that glorious
park never know the dint of cavalry hoofs or gun
carriage wheels railer than those which come there at the
invitation of Its owaer ! Lord Ailesbury hail arrange 4 his
welcome ter 1.500 men, his soldier gueets sore WO short of
that number, and a large body of peasantry and others came
In also for the benefits of the feast. . . .
Many a man slept in his boots last night, knowing that if
he took them off and let them dry, he might never get them
on again. Farms were besieged for dry straw and fagots and
fire-wood. Here Prince Arthur hurried after a water-cart,

there a Staff Officer asked permission to he hm General
chop cooked in chum kitchen', as the camp tire would notlight.
The Army He ad Quarter Camp is pitched in a Mid belonging
to Mr. Goode, a gentleman-farmer of Pewsey, who in all
matters connected with the Mauceuvres has aided and
assisted the authorities very heartily and liberally. Towards
evening the weather cleared, and Sir Robert mid hie Staff
rode round the different camps. . . . .

RCSHALL PARK, PEAR tRATON.
tiundity evening.

Last night the Fourth Division of the Northern Army
closed a week of very good work done wider U.S the moat
favourable conditions....

The arrangement for yesterday morning was that the
Second Brigade, Colonel Yakeuham's, should set out first ;
that General Maxwell's, the first, should follow, and Colonel
Stephenson's, the toird, with the Head-Quarters of the
Division, should leave lest; General Shute's Cavalry Brigade
was to take the some route, but to start as, hour before the
Infantry....
- - • - •• •

The baggage obstructions having at length been sue.
mounted, the march over Colllngbourne Down was so ex-
hilarating that nothing could have bean bettor than the form
In which the 3rd Brigade marched into the beautiful village
of Everley. The village itself, too, was in its best form, for
the villagers were celebrating a wedding. At the ,uthern
end of the village—the opposite from that at which the
troops entered- the house of Mr. King, a large tenant.
farmer, stands in a pretty little born. It Is mid-day as the
Brigade enters Everley ; the whole population in its Sunday
clothes stands in front of the cottages to receive the troops.
Mr. King come. forward, and with a hospitality which
there was no resisting invites Lord Mark Kerr, all his
stag, and' s many other officers as could accompany them
to enter his house and help themselves to refresh-
ments. At the same moment Major Stephenson, to
command of the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade,
having heard of the wedding, orders the band to slay
mile lively music. Nor do Mr. and Mrs. Kin." . •
their hospitality to the officers. Their servaics stand at
a fence near the kitchen end hand out jugs of beer to the
soldiers and fill their bottles with good water. Up to this
everything, the weather included, is mulling, and more than
cheerful, and when the order for resuming the march is given
the baud of the 211,1 Battalion leaves the village playing
"Haste to the Wedding," which compliment so delights the
villagers that the whole battalion marches out of Everley
amid hearty cheering.

It was intended to have a church parade to•dny in Bushell.
punk; but the weather made that impoPsible. There was,
however, a church service in Bushell Cuurch, which was
attended by the General and many of the soldiers. The
band of the Second Battalion of the Rale Brigade
formed the choir. The service waP conducted by Mr.
Coitus, the principal chaplain of the Division. Lord Mark
Kerr visited the tents of the Volunteers, and, the men
having been assembled, his Lordship said helms very glad to
see them there and to hove them under his command, as he
had a high opinion of what Volunteers could do. In the
wars of the future much would depend on the activity
and intellizence of the soldier, but especially on his intelli-
gence—a quality in which the Volunteers ought to excel.
Ile regretted they had Lot a better first day, but, as "bud
beginnings sometimes make good endings," he trusted still
that all would go on satisfactorily and "end well."