The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-17 00:00:00

Volunteer Review at Leatherheacl,

The vulunteer movement can do very well without puffing,
and it serves no possible good purpose to announce that en
many thoueands of the home guard will take part in a re-
view when it is perfect' ly well understood by inspectors and
commanding eflicers that there will hardly be as many
hundreds on the ground. The press and the public have
of late been victimised more than once in this small way,
and it is nearly time that an end were put to the thing,
which hes L eecme a social nuisance. Yesterday there were
to have been 4,000 volunteers at Leatherhead, but hardly
GOO turned up on the Downs. Moreover, nobody entitled
to pronounce upon the matter expected 4,ooo—hardly a
quarter of that number. It was morally impossible that so
many men could be found among the London volunteers
willing to sacrifice the second Monday holiday of the year,
especially when it is remembered that on Saturday week
they will ire aeked to make a holiday for the birthday re-
view by the Prince of Wales. So only three corps put in
an appearance yesterday before Colonel M'Murdo. These
three were the Inns of Court, under Colonel Brewster; the
2d and Bth Tower Hamlets, under Colonel Walker and
Major Samuda ; and the Ist City, or London Rifle Brigade,
under Colonel Wards and Major Rose, M.P. The lawyers
were the strongest, numbering perhaps 230, the Tower
Hamlets had, may be, ISO, and the London Brigade might
have counted up to 160. The ground was reached about 4
o'clock, after a dusty march of a couple of miles along a
road commanding one of the loveliest views of Surrey. By
favour of a Mr Fletcher the volunteers passed through that
gentleman's grounds to the Downs above, and thus saved
themselves the worst bit of the road. But nevertheless they
were pretty well blown when they arrived at the spot se-
lected for the manoeuvres. A quantity of beer and sandwiches
that had been provided by the forethought of a member of
the Ist City were despatched with a relish which showed
that the heat of the lovely day—" there was not a cloud in
the sky"—had produced the usual effect upon the throats of
the citizen soldiers. If Colonel M'Murdo had formed line
at once on reaching the ground there would have been
something like a mutiny ; but, considerate as ever, he
allowed due time for cooling down before he gave the word.
It was five o'clock when the ranks were refilled, and then
the movements at once commenced. They require no de-
tailed description, inasmuch as, though exceedingly well
done, they were of the ordinary character. A wheel to the
right in open column of companies, a charge of front with
the left thrown back a quarter circle, and an advance of the
right wing in direct echellon were the principal features.
The Inns of Court formed the right wing, Col. 'Walker's
corps, the centre, and the City Brigade the left; and while
the palm must be awarded to Col. Brewster's command,
there need be no invidious comparisons drawn, since every-
thing was done with the utmost steadiness, and in the most
creditable manner. Some of the volley firing was very
g_,ed, while the file firing was in all cases excellent.'i
The Inspector-General, who was in undress, was assisted
by Lieut.-Col. Ibbetson, as brigade major, while Captain
M'Murdo, of the Guards, and Sergeant Harris—superbly
mounted, as usual—did duty as aides-de-camp. The corps
returned to town at dusk, many of the men expressing a
decided opinion that it would be well if next year the great
spring review were deferred from Easter to Whitsuntide,
an alteration which would enable the various corps time to
recover from their winter torpidity ibefore they appeared at
the annual muster. Small as the numbers were yesterday,
the influence of the drills undergone since Easter nes very
apparent. There was a certain steadiness in every move-
ment which could not have been looked for seven weeks
ago, when the corps had in a measure forgotten their
autumn drills and had not yet begun to " set up" for the
season.