The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-15 00:00:00

THE REVIEW.

The number of men who were to master being consider-
ably over 10,000, the railway companies were called upon
to make liberal special arrangements ; but whether from
the suddenness of the call, or from a belief that the muster
would not be en very numerous, such arrangements as bad
' been made did not give general satisfaction. The trains
made very slow way in getting down, and still slower in
getting back to town, and the majority of engines employed
exhibited strong symptoms of acute bronchitis en route.
There was much delay, and a great deal of grumbling, but
the real cause of both appeared to be the small size of the
Wimbledon Station, which of course had been constructed
without any idea that it was at any time to be suddenly
called on to meet an invasion of 10,000 volunteers. As
Wimbledon-common is obviously the ground on which an

future metropolitan volunteer displays must Mica place
this matter ought to be looked to, and better
station accommodation provided, as it is too bad
.

that either volunteers or the public should be kept two
hours in getting down from town and four hours in getting
up, iu a railway journey of not more than six or eight miles.
Hundreds of persons did not get back to town on Saturday
evening until long after midnight, a circumstance which,
had the drenching rain of the earlier hours of the evening
not abated, might have been attended with very serious in-
convenience. Another matter which will require reform is
the mode of getting from the station to the ground. On
Saturday the cab and omnibus drivers took full revenge for
their bad trade on the opening day, and, having first actually
pushed people into their vehicles, set them down where
they liked, and charged them at tho rate of about two
shillings a mile for their journey. Such conduct would
hardly be worth notice. if the event were an exceptional
see not likely to occur again ; but as we trust our volunteer
review is to be an anniversary, it is absolutely UCCIAI4I7
that everything likely to deter the public from attending
should be reformed. Under the present arrangements it
mats a traveller considerably more to get from the Wimble-
don Station to the common than it dues to travel first class
from town and back again. _ . .

The venous corps commenced their arrival upon the
pound shortly after four o'clock, the approximate strength
of the volunteer force upon the ground being about 11,500
men. _ _ _

This, it will be admitted, was a very formidable muster to
be supplied exclusively by metropolitan corps ; but when,
Laving filed off, each body took its allotted etation on the
common, previous to the maximums, they appeared to be
only so many little isolated squares on some vast chew
board. Wimbledon-common, which contains 1,800 statute
acres, sad is Dearly twice the size of the dusty Champs do
liars, might with some little expense be made an admirable
parade ground for 100,000 men.
-

When all the preliminary preparations were completed
the forces appeared in two lines of contiguous qnarterdis
tance columns facing the butts, having the Grand Stand on
the right, at some distance, and the road on the left. The
mounted Artillery and guns of the Honourable Artillery
Company were on the extreme loft, sod occupied a position
In the mad leading from Wimbledon to Kingston and
Combs Wood. The movements were commenced by the
first lie., formed of three brigades ; and the object of the
troops appeared to be to attack aid drive ott a body of the
enemy, supposed to be in positioo, in great force, beyond
the butts. As the preliminary to this step, the advanced
body threw out skirmishing companies, consisting of the
City Rifles and the lone of Court. The rain had fallen
heavily before the commencement of the proceedings, and
the ground was very wet, but ooe•half of the gallant sharp.
shooters took no heed of this trifling discomfort, aid threw
themselves down with the meet perfect aGandon, and with
thorough regard to the orders that they were to form a re-
serve body. The advanced firing party pushed on over the
uneven ground on which the butts and brushwood are
situated, sad noon the little puffs of white smoke and the
sharp crack of the rifle told that they were carefully feeling
the way for the main body to follow. The second line of
skirmishers rose, evidently by no means unwillingly, from
the soft and muddy position in which they bad lain, pushed
forward, and were followed by the main body. From this
point the evolutions had for the spectators all the enchant-
ment which the poet tells us is lent by distance to the