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

Tug SOUTHERN ARMY.

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IBLANDIFORD, Monday.
. . Today, Inandford, speaking generally. put up Its
ehutteru and took to the Downs ; slot not alone Blesidfold,
but by common consent, the country for miles and miles
round simultaneously left the harvest to take care of itself,
and made its way to the camp en horse, on foot, and in
every c.onceivable kind of vehicle. There is along country
waggon, with wide double shafts, which appears to
be very much favoured on occasions of tat. kind by
the peasantry, as the shafts when laid on the ground
before the horses are put to are like planks by the
aid of which the female members of the party can
ascend without difficulty. I could not undertake to form an
opinion how many of these waggons I passe* on my way to
camp Some have only one horse, but that circumstanee
does not appear to make any difference as to the number of
persons (from 10 to le) who will fit comfortably into the
interior of the vehicle. Rides and drives where on ordinary
occasions durieg the last ten days only thaw military traffic of
the camp has been "encountered, to-day were difficult of
access to hemmer), and were gay with holyday.makers,
driving and on foot. Blandford Downs, when these were
reached at last, were more like Brighton Dawns on the °rm..
don of &review than anything else which I can call to mind
at this moment. The spectators began Le assemble before
nine o'clock, and at one o'clock, when the march-past oc-
curred the rants of horsemen and carriages near the saluting
base were eight or ten deep, and from this point the lines of
spectators extended for more than a mile in either direction.
The military authorities, inspired, no doubt, by the Duke
of Cambridge. were equal to the oclien they quite
understood the popular sentiment, an fell In with it.
This was no occasion for deep laid plans of operation.,
for nice calculations of distance arid the marching powers
of troops, for hiding lines of skirmishers and whole regi.
merits of cavalry four deep in ditches. What was wanted
was She British uniform and plenty of it, combined with the
presence, in health and happiness, ot the heir to the Throne.
these sights seen, and a little gunpowder burnt into the
bargain, Blaudford will feel itself more than repaid for what
must have been the extreme disturbance of its social, com-
mercial, and agricultural system caused by the presence this
year of an Army of Occupation. The getters' orders issued
in reference to to-days movements provided that the force
should turn out as numerously as possible. The troops were to
parade not later than ball-peat nine o'clock, and to be in the
positions assigned to them by half-past ten, the Duke of tam-
bridge, with his Staff, arriving shortly before eleven. An
enemy in outline was constructed from the 12th Lancers,
one of the strongest and smartest of the cavalry regiments
in camp, said the whole of the Eugineers in the Corps if
Armte, and was placed under the command of Colonel
lierbert, C. B. Six guns were placed at the disposal of
this force, and each of them was to be considered equivalent
to a battery. The whole of the army, with these
exceptions, was constituted a rival and attacking
force, coming from the direction of Cranberne,
and marching tenon the Reemerge down which covers
the town of Blandford. The movements today mainly
• consisted in a forward movement of the left flank, so as to
turn the enemy's right and drive him back on the's Race-
course-down. The skirmishing on both sides was for a time
well-sustained, the eidnly scattered Lancers and Sappers
workbag together, so as to produce an appearance of con-
siderable deem th but there was an amount of cultivated
ground which it was necessary to traverse. and numbers of
spectators accompanied such regiments as the Umpires could
be called upon to criticize, go after about an hour and a half's
marching, skirmishing, and distant Artillery duelling, the
order to "Cease Firing" was sounded by order of the
Lieutenant. General commanding, whereupon the various
regiments drew together previous to the march past, and
the enemy, relinquishing teeir character of a separate army,
dispersed and fell into their natural and normal places In the
Weed..
The march past was really a brilliant spectacle. . . .
One march past is so like another.
_that the attempt to
fiercer oe what has been seen on any of these occasions reads
like a page from some very old hook, and yet the scene is one
which is always animated, alway s fresh, and lull of interest.
Spectators stand and horsemen sit entranced by the
spectacle, and never think of moving, however long the
procession endures, until the last man has passed the flag-
staff. It was so to-day. The least demonstrative of the
foreigners upon the ground, and there were ninny, could not
help catching at the siteve of his neighbour and
exchanging glances at the beauty of the borer+, the perfec-
tion of equipment., the matchless accuracy of the drill—ln a
word the sense of power which went along wilh the march-
past or the guns. The Cavalry, nAwithsfauding what one
hae heard of the condition of sonic of the lighter homes,
marched and h.ilted admirably, tile Cabinet', and 12th
Lance's especially. Trio Guards moving in grand divisions
produced au effect which ia altogether dmileroat from that of
any other infantry regiment, and they were as much adtaired
to-day as ever, though they had only their own drums, fifes,
and bagpipes to march to. of the remainder of the form it
is sufficient to say that they looked and bora themselves as
English regiments are accustomed to do *hen upon their
mettle
Ills Royal Ilighnes. the Prince of Wales was present
throughout the day, we *ring, as he had done at et-Rebell
on Saturday, the undrest uniform of the 10th Hussars. In
whatever part of the field he appeared he was loudly and
cordially cheered ; anti when the barriers which had re-
strained the spectators during the march-past were
lomeeed and the full tide of humanity was allowed to spread
itself over the Downs, popular correlate set rAronitaneonsly
from all quarters in the direction et the Prince. 1, pen turn-
to g his horse homewayds, some comedereble time afterwards,
he was still liellowed by a large and enthusiastic crowd
anxious evidently to Impress upon his Royal Highness that
personal good will and loyalty towards the Crown are felt In
Dorsetshire as in say other part of the Queen's dominions.