The Express.
London, England, 1856-08-30 00:00:00

OUR RIFLE CORPS.

"Whet is to become of the RiOe Brigade and
at►er Retie corps!" is a question which not mere-
'wetly ouggeste itself when considering the change*
which have mostly takes plum, and are still taking
plow, in the arming of our Infantry, and it lea guts-
lion to which &decisive answer must shortly be gives.
The answer Involves the continued existence of these
distinct corps, and it may be useful at the present
time, without entering into technical details which
would here be out of place, to consider a few of the
mere prominent points of the subject in connexion
with a brief review of our new system of Infantry
arms.

The Rifle regiments in the Queet's army ere the
80th, or King's Royal Rifle Corps, consisting now of
three battalion*, and the Rifle Brigade, also formed
of three battalions. There are, besides, the local
corps of rithmea of Canada and Ceylon, and a regi-
ment of mounted riflemen at the Cape of Good Hope.
The first organisation of corps of infantry armed
with rifle muskets appears to be du to our
American cousins : and during their struggle
for independence the British forms suffered severely
from their fire. Our 80th Rifles, the oldest
of our rifle regiments, was once called the "Royal
American Regiment." The Rifle Brigade was con-
stituted only in 1818, the 95th Regiment of Foot
being then converted into this corps. The 95:h
had performed distinguished service throughout the
Peninsular campaign and at Waterloo, and for three
or four years previous to its organisation as the Rifle
Brigade the soldiers apposing it bad been trained
as riflemen. His Royal Highness Prices Albert is
the present Colonel in Chief of the Rifle Brigade, sad
it has long been one of those corps which, like the
Guards, are selected for service by scions of the
highest families of the kingdom. Two battalions
awed daring the late war in the Crimea.
At the time when the probability of war with
Russia was first seriously talked of, a great change
was in progress in respect to the weapon in
general use by our infantry. Attention had been
called for some time previously to the marked infe-
riority of the old musket, "Brown Bees," as
compared with other weapons in use among our
continental neighbours. The rift-d musket of
Captain Minit had especially attracted much notice,
and • new weapon on the same principle was
proposed u a substitute for the common muket in the
English army. A limited number of these new arms
had been issued to a few regiments, but a vast amount
of doubt and prejudice existed, and many and stung
efforts were made to prevent their further extension.
Lord Harding., the Commander-in-Chief, had perse-
vered in carrying on experiments with the new
weapon. Although the Mime rifled musket had tally
established its character on the ern just for some
time before, it was only in the year 1869 that ex
perianth were commenced with it at Weelwieh.
The result of these inquiries was a gradual Juane of
opinion in its thecae, especially among the younger
and more aspiring members of the military service.
Defects which at first were supposed to Wismar:able
from the weapon itself, were found to be the result of
want of proper knowledge in the manner of using it.
In the middle of the year 1853 a school of musketry
was established, partly for the perms of
carrying on a regular saes of practical experiments
in small arms under more favourable circumetanose
that had hitherto existed in England, but also
he the puree of hale, a fresh system of imam-
ties, trawls( a oasis number of odious sad men
in this system when established, and thus creating
an organised body of instructor for employment
throughout the envies. How much this want ex-
isted in oar army may be surmised from the follow-
ing extract from the "Aide-Memoirs to the Military
/meters," a work edited by a committee of the cups
of Royal Engineers, end published in 1850. The
writer of the article "Musketry
.Fire and Practice"
writes: "The instructions on so important a break
of the soldier's training, hitherto given to the army,
have not been of so precise and detailed. description
as to afford to regiments a uniform system of prac.
ties; and, to a certain extent, it does not receive the
attention it deserves; otherwise the soldiers of the
British army ought to fire better than those of others,
unsidering how long their service luta." Any one
who will take the trouble of reading the article re-
hired to, which gives a detailed ainionat et what
was known and practised at the time it was
written, and comparing it with the protest autho-
rised system of instruction, will be forcibly struck
with the reform which has taken place. Indeed it
is werprielse how Wags went on so well as they
AL what it is Nmeiabseed bow superficially the
Bei seedier Wei blind in the use of the chief be-
stowment whit* was pissed in his bands to work with.
The Isms mower M Web the "ball practice" was
essieded am genies tally accounted foe the great
ewpwillbweet awnasaltieet which took place Weary
esseaster without a corresponding effect being
dried en the enemy. More attention was of wane
pall tt r abject is the Ms regimeats,and a aorta
system existed of training marksmes, though very
Werke to that which he. lately been introduced into
W service.

Wises the British army was about to mond to its
deetinstion in the But, the canes of " Brown Bess
versus Minis wee a subject of earnest deliberation,
es dit r geeerally underatood that dm ad/NW=
the natation at a meeting of general and
ether °Sons, the somoreedsr-in chief finally
left Lord Raglan to decide which weapon
the troops he was to commend should be
armed with. He &sided en the Minif. It is not
asseseary sow to «fee to the execution done by the
sew weapon daring the wer, end the varies, opinions
expressed of its merits, but it mast be borne is tided
that the troops for the most part were sent to the
told wholly untrained to its nee. The fact is well
known that when the 93rd Regiment fired their
volley at the Russian cavalry at Bilakleve, not a
saddle was emptied, and, from the closeness of the
enemy, this was evidently attributable, cot to say
lash of the weapon, but to want of proper adapta-
tion of its firs to the distance. The men had not re-
ceived the neasiary instruction in its use. When
messes of the enemy were exposed to the effects of
the Mtge, sad dense «lawns, at various distances,
pranced themselves to the ballots, whether striking
direst or falling beyond es a leaden shower,
the fetal melte, no lees than the great
diereses at which these rivets were in part
produced, were fruitful auras of dismay and bewil-
derment to the enemy. 80, in the siege operations,
the force with which the bullets were projected
was sock that they penetrated the iron mantlets
placed to protret the Russian ertilleryniso, sod led
the Russian sailors to the isgeninus device of forming
'nutlet* of cot!. of rope, which, from their peenlier
quality, thickness, weight, and manner of being slung,
weraalone found able to check the bullets in their

•
Sight.
-Bet the Minie Basil was destined to give place to
a tar superior weapons to eau as far superior to the
Male as the Nittae itself was to the of weapon of
ear Rills regiments. At an invitation from Lord
Hardtop' the wigmakers of England had tent in pla-
tens of all tesir most recently improved rifles foe
examination. From these the best were selected,,,
end out of the combination thus formed spews
the Enfield ram The greatest can wee ashen
is improved ern I
repeated trials sad
only at Woolwich
rot at Enfield, bat
owed periods were
ts capabilities, at
other approved
st Ire its superior
established, and the
weapon of the British
called in, and in their
great exertion
number. At the
the whole of the
armed with the
the troops were
circumstances would
system of mosheors
that the Edith,
little doubt but
• inoonvesiesees which
adoption of loadio, at
fit prefect this is one
other improvements

will no doubt be suede which ere sot new ego-
twapleted.

Raving thus given a brief review of the steps by
which the analog of oar infantry with the Eafield
rifle has anima, it will be interesting to consider
the probable changes which will result from its
adoption. Under the article " Musket, In the
esientifie work we have already quoted, it is stated—
" Fele, at aeo or Goo yards is abodes's of artillery;
and therefore, when infantry fire is given at thus
long distances, or even at 300 or 400 yards, it is a
misapplication of the musket, a lees of time, and
tends to maks men unsteady : it is, besides, a waste
of acomanitioo." Such being the recorded doctrine
only six yearn age, the sutras& becomes very re-
markable now that our infantry is armed with a
weapon which, at short ranges, can strike its oNjeet
with a certainty and degree of force wholly unknown
in the days of the old musket. and at twice 600 or
800 yards can hit its mark with accuracy .° Expo.
rimmed§ have indeed proved that at a distance of
1,000 yards folly-trained first-clue marksmen will
with comparative ease extinguish the fire of field
artillery and it is found that the proportion of
men capable of attaining this degree of proficiency,
taking the class of men composing oar line
regiments at random, amounts by the present sys-
tem of instruction to 10 per cent. F.aeh regiment,
therefore, 1,000 strong, after being properly trained
in judging distance, target practice, and the other
parts of the course of instruction, will have at any
moment one hundred first•cleas marksmen avail-
able for skirmishing, or any duty for which
they may be required. The fire of such
skirmishers will be almost irresistible. Some
experiments at Hythe showed that a column of 700
men would have been annihilated by a body of
thirty-five skirmishers firing thirty rounds—their
fire commencing at 800 yet& and being continued
until the distance was diminished to 650 yards. It
will be no difficult matter for the non-military reader
to understand that this extension of power—almost
amounting to a new force—given to oar infantry,
mast lead to very great changes in military tactics.
The confidence given to well-instructed soldiers,
when they fled themselves opposed to troops inferior
in the character of their aims or degree of (raising,
will be proportionate to the dismay engendered is
their antagonist&
Under these now circumstances, then, to what
especial use can our old rifle regiments be employed P
Unless they can be made, like the Chasseurs i pied,
a corps selected tram the whole army for their
superiority in certain physical qualities, giving
them advantages in swiftness of foot, activity,
and endurance, or on account of superiority
as marksmen, they become placed, as they
were daring the siege operations before Se-
bastopol, on the same feeling with all other infantry
regiments, eassgft ia
_odour of diem and name.
But the whole i'den of oar army forbids oar
having such a corps Where conscription
exists it is an Guy matter to distribute the recruits
sec rdieg to their aBOi for this or that branch of
the service. Velualem- §Useat readers each a
selection isapossine. Bet spirt hem this, many
considerations ewes the nation of ma who
have become &steam medneeen tenag dratted from
the regiments when they has bees UAW to any
other corps. ilmides. the Messier is obvious of
each brigade carrying with it, ea whatever service it
may be employed, its own body of sharpshooters,
reedy, at a sound from a bugle, to sae est from the
ranks, and angsp in any duty wide h *dr superiority
es marksmen may fit them for. Ahem the Queen
a few weeks ago graciously orient sad presided
over the contests at Aldereint kepinse given by
herself to the best naukunsm oxeriegall the regiments,
=AY remarked, en beldng ewe the list of
amptitcre. that no prim hal bee, gained
by my ens Or the minus Minim! Mewed tato the
contest hem the Wan= of the lAilb Nsigab. This
wan a en the ohmage which has
taken piesdilikelere.stilireZ mireiket brooms the gem.
rat wages of our infentey.
In the above remarks it has been our aim to call
attention to reforms which have been taking plus
gradually, but so quietly, in certain parts of our army,
that the general reader may be unaware of them.
Those who seek smote full account of the subject will
find in the United Service Magazine for the protest
month (August) an excellent article, under the title of
Our School of Musketry," explaining in a concise
manlier the history of the government establishment
at Hyths, with an outline of the system of trainieg
permed there ; and in the published official reports,
emanatiss at certain inbrvak hos Hythe itself, will
be found authentic docaments relating to the
experimental details and various transactions of the
establishment. When the new machinery for the
manufacture of small arms, after the American plan,
now approaching completion at Eafield, shall be in
operation, the establishments of England connected
with these weapons will be probably more perfect
than any in the world.

• Tim hiliterks Yaa instates et the &team le wlieb
Mat iodide rat pesiests 11* I.U.t : •kw weeks age a
&keep was sesiderteallp killed whoa mac target practice
was sa we Prestos, sad, es asswastag tire dictsaits
MS ge*.! aide 'pet where the limp was head,
It puma to be WI .

VACANCLIN,

AND Psowcrrtops Ili

Yam Cron Saivism—TM loyal ileassimid—.4
ia ordinary to the Qom bm beam mast by tbell=l.l
Ow Key. W. Cooper. TM Fonts Dopertaest—Tbe
sol pessranddy of Odessa. mil embeirmedile elf
Wandler, no inset. os as semoskinsmkaod MN-
soosubblps ia the liaer M
K.
Coast imil--LisaL
C. Hawkey bat been to. eammand lbs Daigle
station. Clowns-16 K D'Arm, Moo s,b,krbeen
appointed &ink la tbe Isentast's Mb% Lanies ; Mr. W.
Tempe. be bola premeted from knyease of gaspers to
isadiag surveyor at Limipsol • Kr. P. Wilkins by been
mewled from seised to pest ekes member at Lammed g
Mr. C. etowor hes beam Famed Mee Kid be woad Kees
member at 'Avery's' Mr. J. Boanti Ms bees proseased
teem truth to third el; se. erarsber et 11& ,pasti Kr. R. W.
!Mane bu beta protested frtm CU es fame ekes swam
at L yeeped ; Mr. W. !Wily, eink, MonMeue, bee bees
norneted to be mead sink at Desdn. Inked—Mr T.
K. H. Jaen boo been *notated a coast in Ms seastabelary
eller a sempettive namioatiou —MO Snap Gonne.
THE lICINT GALE on BILIOHTON.--.I3IIOHTON,

FILIDLT...-The bodies of all the seihoen who wove bee
fano; the burst tuarriosew of tie skin of Weft
week. bass bees fouled. Os Wedwwity TlLiu
chase, sod Onager (brother No th•
were poked up about two USN WOO of Newhaven; GM ow
Thursday Rolfe was &named washed is alma of
Piratiostes Belay, Cordes at .he east sad of NOWA
Bay, All.. at Ceetenere. t• TOO wile. out aide of
sad Msrebast was foiled between Obispo sad P
surer to Brighton. To-day (Pride)) they wire all
Is ass grass at the sew eseastery, sad were fo11ow•1111
Owls last reelopplets by hundreds of Wok relatives Mg
friends, the erpease of lb. grass, to..l•lnkiwelly Wraps.
by the Rev. J. N. Gault,. It Is aloe Wooled to mot •
'ups as the maser, of the stiffens% el is to he Is.
scribed a sun tab's isseripthrs Of lb• awil
event. The seseeriptios oil behalf NOM
°nano, sad lite laberstes, who 1
p.ineedlog ntlefacterily ; sod the =reit the whop of
Use Marone of Bristol, the bcr sagk Wowbeis. Admlni Sir
W. Gnat, Ids. I. Pon, be., who Inge estworibed liberally.
Zfiw Lilt{ OF RAILWAY ?ROM PAM, TO 'I oval.
—The opposable cosweaelos to the Odes.. Railway
Compaq of • mead Ilse ben Pais to Town was as•
solenoid is the following term at tbe opselog sittraw of tho'
sounoll plural of tbe lineset Loire, by Bares Pool tie
Rtelpenoot, the peskiest and owe ef the dieseetasof li•
papas, ' The perturbations caused Is the odwileatrothro
sad commercial Mottoes of tit sotiotey Is eoosequoun of
the rapture of the swam of oommoote.tion has snood the
rre versant to cma to the dafisitive deWsla• Of establish-
hog a wooed lleo of railway boa Pans to Tr" which win
tale sub a disunion as to be oomplowly out of the mob
of rooodotiosi." _ _

Erfa•OltDlltaltT MOSTAIXIT.—Diekea the 12th
lest.. at Dialoged 'sublet, of ssaUgasat awe threat. Chawg•
Rms., lepagest me, eyed 2 years—ea the 19th, of the
some disorder. Philip Clod, aged 6 lean, eldest sod only
...meta( eon—sad ea it. 19tb, of the seam dueesee, aged
39. Levin* the beloved wife—of Dr. Dbillp Cramptoe.
0125. Amu Merige7, Chsopt-F.11,,1ee, Pule; sag data
daughter of the late Charles Loather; Esq.. of No. 1,
Fiteropetaare, Diadem.— Osiemansi.
TES Po'reTo DUIRAIR.—The Gardeners' (Aro.
eh says tas rospranaese of the potato defame, sad tee
Orme *hi* Man here sad there aremapaeied It, have
revived the ebb epsealetiel that this ...is. is massed by
the aides a eiseerielly. We see the aunties raised la the
matf7 sad oar owe eotropeadowts are se•
moss hi tabs 3. It la urged that the deems Si.
ese-
tlaultl hreebellat after thaadentereta SO was ilegaidentl,
is kind la stemma, plows is the year 1846,
alma Islesenia reported stet they lad 011•11 !ion the sea
styles ever Liedtke potato fields whlth lame.
Med* telles, Of the a very oatraer.llaerr
Mae eses plated gag la the perkh of Skinks, as. Deb-
it& Indrae pin bask t. shoe dap, on are assured
lssbeaedia4Rialardantiebroasfs aj..8217:: new. mom of to-day
leeesdas) eti be east is called the berets mesa of tbe
yead.

iitestiiitiii;-1.•;Tt; or i;
render Lard Hardinge's direction, rep
is were instituted, not
onl,
at government establishment
experiments extending over prolong'
serried on at HOW' to determine its
ell ranges, in comparison with all t
! weapons of the same aware. At I.
advantages were proved sod eetabl
Betteid rifle woe adopted as the weeps
• ? army. The Ulla rifin were called i
I I pleat the new rides wows issued, 1
beteg made to complete the required i
. , close of the autumn of last year th
.
, British army in the Crimea were a
Enfield. and during the winter tb
trained to its nes, as perfectly es clam
peemit._accordieg to the sew sprei
It is not tab, supposed i
rifle
thy. perfect : there as be 1
, , trot tas...of removing the ismer
have hitherto palmated um adoptiou
the breech will be diamond. At pre
of the ambit deeideents, and other
a