The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-20 00:00:00

A Mutinous Volunteer Corps.

- -
The martial enthusiasm of the Rochdale Volunteer Riflo
Corps found expression on Saturday last in one of the most
extraordinary, and prot ably the most scandalous, scenes
yet witnessed in connection with what is called the great
Volunteer Army of England. Under the command of Major
Fishwick and Capt. and Adjutant Elrington, the corps, 204
strong, that day attended the general county review of
volunteers held at Manchester by Col. M'Murdo, the In-
spector-General of Volunteers. At the close of the review
the corps were marched from the ground to a public-house
in Manchester for refreshment. Here they were kept for

upwards of two hours ; during these two hours the

Cricketers' Inn—the name of the public-house--was the

scene of the most disgracefully riotous dissipation. These
two hours were spent in shouting, brawling, drinking,
quarreling, intermingled with coarse snatches of song and
orders for •'summut to sup," amateur experiments on the
drum and trombone, blowing out the gas with caps, apply-
ing lighted matches to cartridges, &c. Why the men were
marched to a public•house at all, why they were kept there
drinking two hours, why their arms were not " and
why they were permitted to keep a largo quantity of am-
munition in their pouches, are questions which the officers
of the corps cut bast explain. We merely note them at
present as facts requiring explana.tion by the officers. Wo
are assured that the rifles were to be seen lying about in all
parts of the house—on the tables, under the tables, under
'he benches of the tap room and parlour, on the staircase,
in the bar—in fact, they were scattered about in every put ,
of the home. Not content with turning the Cricketers
Inn inside out, as the phrase is, many of the more gallant-
spirited of this gallant corps created a little special diver-
sion for their companions in arms by their flirtations in the
street with every pretty girl who happened to be passing. Of
course these gallantries soon lei to worse scenes, over which
we willingiy draw a veil. About 9 o'clock the bugle sounded
the "assembly," and the men literally fell into the ranks,
some staggering drunk,some without rifles,some with women
on their arms, some bringing three or four rifles and the in-
struments of the band. Search was made for the missing
bandsmen and volunteers. They could nowhere be found,
and the corps were marched in sixes and sevens to the sta-
tion. As the train, a special, quitted the Manchester station
one of the volunteers fired off his rifle out of the carriage
window. This was the signal for the rest of the corps, and
throughout the journey of nearly half-an-hour a brisk run-
ning fire was kept up, varied by an occasional attempt at an
impromptu feu de joie. At the Bluepits Station a number of
passengers were nearly frightened out of their wits by being
fired at in a volley by a carriage fall of rifles. One of the
ordinary passengers informs us that the men in the next
compartment amused themselves by firing their ramrods at
the partition as a curious experiment in mechanics, and
that the cracking of the rifles right and left out of the car-
riage windows was diversified by the experiments of ama-
teurs on the trombone, and by hideous yellings and cat-
calls by way of accompaniment. As soon as the train
arrived at the Rochdale Station, the commandant of the
corps, Major Fishwick, took possession of the door of the
carriage which ho apparently believed contained the most
reckless spirits among his troops, and had their names taken
down by the orderly sergeant. A number of the rest, escaping
from the carriages the instant the Train stopped, rushed
through the station gates and escaped. Several of them
were brought back, vi a atlas, after a hot chase, by the
adjutant and forced into the ranks. As soon as the scattered
remnants of the troops were got together by the officers,
they were ordered to march to their head-quarters. The
band—or rather so much of the band as remained and were
able to play their instruments—struck up what we are told
was probably intended for " See the conquering hero
comeel" and this gallant corps of volunteers was marched
to Summer Castle. Here they were formed up in close
columns, about a quarter past 11, and addressed by the ad-
jutant, Capt Elrington, and Major Fishwick. We have re-
ceived several versions of the speeches of these gentlemen,
all agreeing in their general outline. Adopting that which
seems, from the character of our correspondent and from
the rest of the reports to be the most oor. /lot—Adjutant
Elrington and Major Fishwick subsequently addressed the
men and characterised their conduct as disgraceful in the
highest degree.—Rochdale Observer.