The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-23 00:00:00

lit Brigade
2nd ditto
3rd ditto

I wt Brigade
2nd ditto

lit Brigade
2nd
3rd ditto...

1,%3
1,949
SKS

Total 6,7a
THIRD Dm&los.
1,437
1,796

Total 3,235
Fol. RTH DIVUIIOII.

Total.

1,753
3,Z,35

7M9

Grand total 24,034

These are the field atrengthsof the respective divi-
sions and brigades as furnished on the ground, but
as some corps that arrived late are not included,
the real number of troops present probably
amounted to about 25,000.
Even while the march past was going on, preps-
rations were being made for the sham fight which
was to follow. Each corps, after passing the saluting
point, marched directly to the position which it was
to occupy in the subsequent encounter. The
guiding idea of these operations was that an in-
vading force having landed about Deal or Widmer,
supported bye squadron of men of war, and seeking
to take possession of Dover in order to secure its
communication with the sea, was moving upon the
Castle. The attacking force, which occupied a
position extending from the Deal road to the
height just above " The Cobbler," was repre-
sented by the Ist and 2nd divisions of in-
fantry, the two field batteries of Royal Artillery,
and the Ist brigade of Volunteer Artillery. The
troops composing this force were among the first to
march past, and one of the most striking incidents
of the day was the spectacle which they presented
as they marched across the valley which intervened
between the positions of attack and defence, and
ultimately took up their post on the crown of the
height which they wore to occupy. During a great
part of the march past the weather had been over-
cast, but just as these troops were formed in position
the sunbroke through the clouds ; the bright scarlet of
the line regiments was vividly contrasted with the
green and grey of the volunteers brigaded with
them, and both columns came out in broad relief
against the dull earthy colour of the hill side
against which they stood. The defending army was
composed of the 3rd and 4th divisions of infantry,
the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th bri lades of field bat-
teries, andthe cavalry, and repn sented a force which
had moved out of Dover to drive back the enemy.
The marching past, which commenced at 12
o'clock, terminated about twenty minutes past 1,
and at twenty minutes to 2 the discharge of a gun'
from the Castle gave the signal for the commence-
ment of active operations. At that time the op-
posing forces were drawn up in line on opposite
sides of a somewhat deep valley, which extends
from almost immediately below the Castle-hill
Fort to the sea. The right of the attacking and
the left of the defending force rested upon the Deal
road, and the flanks of both miniature armies were
covered by artillery. The attacking force was
supported by the squadron, and one disadvantage
under which the defending army laboured was
being exposed to the tire of the ships of war, which
besides engaging the castle batteries, might at one
period of the engagement have thrown both shot
and shell into its ranks. As is generally the case
in real battles, this mock encounter began with,
the skirmishers, who for some time maintained a
brisk interchange of shots. It was obvious from'
the commencement that the principal intention
of the defending force was to outflank
the enemy upon his left, and so, while
intercepting his advance upon the Castle,
to cut off his communication with the sea,
and deprive him of the assistance which, by way
of support or supplies, he might derive from
his fleet. With this object the greater portion'
of the defending army was placed upon the right
of the position, and the work of amusing the enemy
who was presumed not to see through the designs of
the gallant defenders of Dover, was left to the artil-
lery. This arm appearedto be quite equal to the task
imposed upon it, for after a short time the skir-
mishers on the right of the attsAing force were
compelled to fall back upon their supports, a
movement which was speedily imitated by their
fellows along the rest of the 'line. Immediately
this change occurred the spectators, who were
allowed to take pretty much what course they
pleased, rushed to the conclusion that the enemy
had received a decided check, and following the
advancing skirmishers of the defending force made
their way well up the slope which was occupied by
the invaders. Great, however, was their surprise
when, for some reason to them (and to all but the
commanders of the two forces) unknown and in-
comprehensible, the skirmishers of the attacking
force again advanced, and they found themselves
exposed to the fire of both friend and foe. This
advance of the skirmishers was most marked
on the centre of the line, at or about the
deepest part of the gully in which the two parties
were engaged. For some time the sharpshooters
who covered the defending force yielded to the
superior force of their assailants ; but after a abort
time, taking advantage of the enclosures of a farm-
house, the ifougoniont or La Ray° Sainte of this ac-
tion, and assisted by the rune of the Castle, which
about this time opened fire for the first time,
they were able to hold their own. The akir-
mishers upon the right of the attacking force
pressed forward with great gallantry, vigorously
supported by the wing to which they were attached,
but although, as far as could be discovered, they
had no antagonists but some field guns which kept
belching out fire and fumes, they did little more
than hold their ground and secure a point upon
which as on a pivot the whole force might
ultimately swing round. The brunt of the
battle, however, was towards the sea, where
the centres of the two forces and the
right wing of the defenders and left wing
of the assailants were now hotly engaged. The
defenders were constantly tending towards their
right, and the assailants, harassed both by the file
fire of the infantry, by the field artillery, and by
the guns of the castle ; and as yet but very
imperfectly assisted by their ships, were com-
pelled to abandon their communication with
the sea, and turning upon their extreme
right as upon a point to throwing their whole
force back towards the Deal road. It was not,
however, until after a severe struggle that they
adopted this manoeuvre. For some time the two
lines wore actively engaged, file firing at a safe dis-
tance being kept up on both sides with great
spirit and unflagging energy. At one moment it
seemed as if the defenders were being overpowered.
Their centre retired more and more under the
protection of the Castle guns ; but it speedily ap-
peared that this movement was intended to induce
the enemy to press forward upon that point to
weaken his left wing, and thus favour the flanking
movement, with a view to which the operations of
the defending force had from the outset been di-
rected. The assailants were bound by the pro-

gramme to suffer defeat ; they therefore fell into
'the trap which had been laid for them,
and while their whole attention was directed
towards the centre, the right wing of the defending
force was pushed so far seaward as to entirely
overlap them. Had they, indeed, not changed
their front, it would have been absolutely in their I
rear; and it was at this time that they commenced
in earnest to awing themselves back from
the right. At first this movement was directed
only to the obtaining a better position in which to
resists the assaults of their opponents. On the
crest of the hill they made an obstinate stand,
and for some time both lines were completely
engaged. Ultimately, however, the attacking force
was overpowered, and continuing the retreat they
fell back to a position in front of the village of
Guston, where a tolerably deep valley divided
them from their antagonists. There was no good
military reason why the defending force should
not have pursued the advantage which they had
gained, and completed the victory ; but the time
for the return to London was approaching, and
hostilities being suspended, the several corps com-
posing the two forces marched back by different
routes to Dover.

Although not exactly part of the volunteer
operations something must be said of the manwuvres
of th► marine squadron. Early in the afternoon
the Terrible, paddle frigate, the Virago, and the
Lizard, got up steam, and accompanied by a couple
of gunboats stood in towards the point at which
the attacking force was supposed to be landing. In
covering this operation they exchanged shots
with a coastguard station, without loss on
either side : and afterwards, when the battle
was at its height, they engaged the batteries both
of the Castle and of the Western Forts. The
manwuvring of these vessels of war was quite as
interesting as that of the troops in the field.
Steaming along the line of the fortifications, now
in one direction and now in another, they fired
first the starboard and then the port broadside,
which was promptly responded toby the guns from
the Guildford, the Shoulder of Mutton, and
other batteries of the Castle and batteries on
the Western Heights, the guns in all of which
were served by volunteer artillerymen, with the
assistance, and to a certain extent under the direc-
tion, of members of the regular force. There were
two brigs attached to the squadron, but as the
wind and tide were both adverse they were pre-
vented from taking any part in the engagement ;
and some of the gunboats did not discharge a shot
until they took part in the general fusillade with
which the sea operations terminated.