The Press.
London, England, 1856-11-08 00:00:00

ajabal an

THE TROOPS encamped at Aldershott were yesterday
reviewed by her Majesty the Queen. His Royal
Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief was
present.
CAPTAIN H. W. BAYFIELD, of the Boacawen, flag-
ship, West Indies, has this week obtained his flag as
Rear-Admiral of the Blue, by the retirement to the
half-pay reserved list of Vice-Admiral W. B. Mends.
Cu.-rani Cuss Les EDEN, the present Controller-
General of the Coastguard, is selected to command
the Coastguard under the new system.

A SECOND COURSE OF SIEGE OPERATIONS BY
NIGHT was carried out at Chatham between seven
and twelve o'clock on Tuesday night, in the presence
of several thousand spectators. The plan of th e
operations intended to be carried out consisted of
an attack on the Spur Battery, the King's Bastion,
Prince of Wales's Bastion, and Prince Edward's
Bastion, together with tracing parallels, and the
ri construction of battees, the latter of ich con•
sisted of sunken, half-sunken, and elevated, by the
attacking party, together with the other siege opera-
tions usually performed by an army in an attack on
a strongly-fortified position, the works of attack and
defence being undertaken by the troops selected
from the Royal and East India Company's Engi-
neers, the troops of the line, and the Royal Marines,
the entire force being under the general superinten-
dence of Colonel H. Sandham. The whole force
employed in the operations was calculated at 1,200
men. The defence of the garrison was intrusted to
Captain G. E. L. Walker, R.E.' the attack to Major
F. C. Hassard, R.E. Each of the troops employed
in the attack and defence was furnished with several
rounds of blank cartridge, and a number of field.
pieces and guns were placed inside the garrison to
open fire on the besieging party. On the assembling
o!' the troops on the parade ground of Brompton
Barracks, at seven p.m., they were soon told off for
their respective duties. The troops comprising the
right attack were formed into fourteen parties, con-
sisting of men to be engaged in tracing the parallels,
a strong party to make the necessary excavations,
another to trace the batteries, six parties to occupy
the batteries when formed, pickets, patrols, blue
lights, and covering parties, those of the right attack
being under the superintendence of Major C. H.
Sedley, R.E. The left attack was formed into
similar divisions and parties, of which Lieutenant
G. R. Lempriere took the superintendence. The
working parties were provided with shovels and pick•
axes, for the purpose of making the necessary
excavations. As soon as each division had been toll
off the whole body of troops forming the attacking
party marched from Brompton Barracks over the
drawbridges to the Great Lines. The night being
very dark, and the men marching in silence, their
movements were not observed by the besieged party
within the garrison. On reaching the lines the
attacking party scaled the fences, and commenced
tracing the parallels for the purpose of forming the
trenches and batteries to enable them to attack the
Spur Battery. In this occupation they were en-
gaged about an hour, the length of the parallel
traced extending about three-quarters of a mile, the
troops engaged being defended by a covering party
of soldiers of the line. During the tracing of the
parallels the besieged party within the garrison dis
covered the position of the besiegers, and imme•
diately made preparations for sending out a sortie
party to drive them from their works. A patrol from
the garrison first issued from the fortifications, and
on falling in with the enemy's advanced pickets a
skirmishing ensued which lasted for some time. The
party from the garrison were at length driven back,
neither party having yet opened fire. On retiring they
burnt a number of lights and fireballs, for the pur-
pose of discovering to those inside the works the