The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-02 00:00:00

(Stamped, ld. Additional.) [TWOPENCE.

bury); Kent Rifles (Captain Jackpot.); 4ta, 13th, 17th,
21/st, 34th.

31fin BRIGADE.

Colonel Moorsom, Commanding ; Major Penton, Brigade

Ist Battalioo. —3rd Sussex (A.B).
god Battalion.-Ist Cinque Porta and Sumas Corps.
3rd Battalion.—Major Barttelot, tad Bum: (A. 8.).

Ore BRIGADE.
Colonel l'slamy, Commanding ; Major Deeds'',
Drips'. Major.
Ist Battalion.—Colonel Conran. let Hants (Winches-
ter) (A. D.) ; 31.1 Heats (A. B.) ; 6th Hants (corps).
2nd Battuli.m. —Major Roque, 19th Surrey ; 11th Sur-
rey (Bermon.huy.)
3r4 Battalion. —o.lonel Sir H. T. Fletcher, 2nd Surrey
(A. D.); 20th Surrey (Norwood).

RESERVE.
3rd City of London ; Brighton Cadets ; 11th Tower
Hamlets.

-- -
the preparations at Chislehurst with that result ;
but those made at Wimbledon yesterday were suf-
ficient to make the bad weather there more endu-
rable than the summer serenity of a former day.
Allusion has been made to a gleam of sunshine that
for once broke the pouring clouds yesterday, and
greeted the }Middlesex brigade ou their arrival.
Before they had eaten their dinner the bleak com-
mon was frowned upon and darkened by a menacing
pile of the impending tempest, which might have
tilled even the breast clad in a volunteer uniform
with dismay. One gallant ensign of our ac-
quaintance, acting on the approved military
principle of same qui pia, did verily get into a cab
and drive home to London, where, perhaps, being
already wet and chilled, he put himself to bed.
But the storm-sliower descended, and the volunteers
withstood its rage.
An imaginary hostile army was coming up from
the south coast, where it had lauded, and it be-
hoved our volunteer forces to resist its advance
along the Portsmouth road towards London, by
taking their post across the road, on a ridge or brow
of the hill looking south-west down towards Kings-
ton Bottom, and towards that well-known public-
house, the Baldfaeed Stag. The place was on the
side of the common adjoining Combe Park and
Roehampton. This was a very strong position, as
afterwards explained by Colonel M'Murdo ; but the
enemy was supposed to make an effort presently to
turn it, by a right-flank movement of his, which
would bring him up, through the hollows or val-
leys near the practising butts, to the high
flat ground marked by a windmill that
stands near the Putney and Wimbledon road.
This supposed movement obliged the defend-
ing force to quit its former position,
and to take up a second position on the level
ground near the windmill, throwing out a line of
skirmishers to keep the enemy at bay. All this
was done, and the firing was kept up with a good
deal of spirit and alacrity ; but the rain made the
air very thick, and prevented the smoke from
rising, so that the spectators could not always 660
what was going on. Having formed in line in their
new position, and discharged several volleys at
their foe, the volunteers again formed into batta-
lions, and the engagement was considered to be
over—but, as it seemed, with a doubtful result.
The object of these movements, which are here
very imperfectly described, may be understood from
the speech addressed by Colonel M'Murdo to
the volunteers, formed in square to hear him, as
soon as they had done. He spoke to them as
follows :

Volunteers!—To men of undentanding it is not necessary
that the movements which you have gone through to-day
should be fully explained. I think it only necessary to call
your attention to the nature of the two positions which you
have taken up. The first position which, you took up was
one naturally of very great strength, so much strength, in.
deed, that two-thirds of the enemy must have been non•
engaged—that is to say, neither his cavalry could have been
y effect, nor his artillery of much effect, except by
vertical file. But it was supposed that the enemy, finding
that position too strong for him to take, endeavoured to
reach this plateau
otouthwhicp you are standing, by
l t
year flsok urnn.
Wimbledon. one
ne" therefore,ng valles the dorecu :tool
quit that strong position which you formerly held by chang-
e hag your front to the left. The enemy bad a double object
in doing this. He desired to come upon plain level ground,
by which means be could bring both his cavalry and his
artillery to bear in the action as well as his infantry. He
also desired, by turning your left flank, to reach the WWI-
bledon.road, by which he could march through upon London.
Now it is say desire to point out to you the difference
of the positionyea held. It was very different when you
were along that rugged crest of the bill where neither
cavalry nor artillery could reach you. You checked the
enemy thaw—any umber of held MIS could check any
enemy there. But hem yea vi no brought upon a billiard
table, and net will be brec;lit man to man against, per-
, hags, the best Weeps Ist boom Now, gentlemen, I oli•
served, in your To—rmioir liue -hire, some battalions-1 do
not blame them, because they have had very little practice
as yet—were a little unsteady in coming into line here. If
they were unsteady coming into hoe to-day, what would be
the case if this plain was swept by the artillery of the
enemy, and then, perhaps, as you were choking with dust,
and many of your comrades falling about you, suddenly
through the dust the very ground was shaken by the heavy
muses of the enemy's cannon charging yon? Now, then,
consider how unsteady, how liable to be unsteady, young
t would be under such circumstances. And what is
it overcomes all this! It is discipline—discipline
alone. By the term discipline Ido not mean the checking
of bad conduct, I mean that habitual union, that combina-
tion of mind and body brought to bear upon a certain ob-
ject, which seta aside all individual action, and makes
a company of men, a battalion or a brigade, act like
a maclune. Now, this can only be gained by company drill—
I repeat, it can only be gained by attention to your corn.
wy drill. I colluder a company to be the unit of an army.
But where the men of a company are steady and well
drilled, the whole army will be steady and well drilled. I
therefore say it is of no avail, all that you have learned in
the way of shooting ; all your zeal and your patriotism will
be of no avail in the day of battle without a thorough know-
ledge of your company drill. I will harp upon company
drill. Nothing but company drill will do ; and therefore I
beg of you not to consider that excellence in shooting is
everything ; because nothing will do, unless you have perfect
stesess of formation under fire. Gentlemen, you have
gone through a hard day's work, and your feelers wet. I
will not therefore detain you, but let you retire to your
homes, which you are well able to protect. Good evening.

We have only now to add that the volunteers who
had taken part in the manceuvres of the day got
back to London either by road or railway, tired and
wet, but not perhaps much the worn for what they
had gone through. The Queen's (Westminster)
Rifles were on the Common, 850 strong, but did not
take an active part in the proceedings.