The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-04-12 00:00:00

arntu ant) lab.

The note of preparation is once again resounding
through the camp at Aldershott, and all the various
corms are being drilled into a forward state of readiness
for an early resumption of those bloodless hostilities
and Royal pageants which always prove so attractive to
sightseers. The field days have not yet commenced, nor
will they until the beginning of next month. In the
meantime the commanding officers of all the regiments
are setting up their corps again after the comparative
inaction of winter by close attention to squad and com-
pany drill—the only duty which renders a regiuient
quick and efficient, and without which, as a preparatory
course, field days would be of little service. During the
whole of each day, therefore, the campground is covered
with regiments, broken up into companies and detach•
mots, each incessantly going through every possible
combination of drill of which such small bodies are caps.
ble, and all of which are already performed with •
steadiness and regularity that augur well for the reviews
in spring. The total force of all arms now included in
the Aldershott Division is rather over 15,000 men, but
from this force 6.50 must be taken for the 15th Hussars,
who are stationed at Hounslow, and about 220 for the
No. 5 Field Battery, at present at Northampton. The
troops actually in camp, therefore, consist of the 4th
Dragoon Guards, 10th HUNAN, • detachment of the Ist
Battalion of the Military Train, the 4th Battalion of
Military Train, B Troop of Royal Horse Artillery, It
Field Battery, No. 2. Field Battery, No. 4. No. 5, and
No. B.Companies of 4th Battalion of Royal Artillery,
detachment of Royal Engineers. Engineer Train, 2nd
Battalion of 4th Regiment, Ist Battalion of 11th Regi,
meet, :4601 Regiment, Ist Battalion of 9th Regiment-
2nd Battalion of 22nd Regiment, 47th Regiment, the
100th (Royal Canadian) Regiment, lit Staffordshire
Militia, North Cork Rifle., hut West York Militia. East
Kent Militia, Oxford Militia, awl Stirlingshire Militia.
To this will be added, about 4110 men from the house-
hold troops who *me down for musketry practice. Of
course, at present, all is conjecture as to the extent to
which the force at Aldershott will he increased during
the as inner, but there is no doubt that a very conside-
r tide addition will be made to its present strength. One
of the brigades will go into cantonments on l'ove.common
as soon as the weather is sufficiently settled, anil in midi-
tien to this there i little doubt that several of the regi•
melts from the other brigades will also be put under
canvass. In order that this mule of camping out in
summer may not degenerate into an affair of routine, and
perhaps also to make it resemble as numbs' possible the
marching and al fresco inconveniences of real warfare,
the Government have recently purchased or rented •
large space of ground near Woolmer forest, about 12
miles from the camp, in the direction of 'Winchester.
In summer it is intended that each brigade shall in turn
march out to this spot, taking with them all their tents,
stores, baggage, guns, ammunition, and material of
every kind, and reinail . under canvass at Wooliner for
five or six days, when they will give place to another
brigade, and return to Aldershott. Thus during the
summer each brigade will have at least four or five
weeks' real marching and camping at Wooliner. The
advantages of this plan will be obvious to all; indeed,
the want of such an auxiliary NCllellle II•11 been long
known and long felt to be the only adjunct wanting to
render the camp complete as a great training deptit for
young iegimenta. His Royal Highne.is the Prince Con-
sort recently paid a visit to the camp to choose a site for
the erection of an extensive soldiers library. Both the
building, which is to be erected on the South Camp-hill,
near head quarters, and the valuable stock of books it
will contain, are • present from His Royal Highness to
the camp.