The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

rying through the uneven lanes and thickets to the
open where they could deploy. Spite of the ex-
ceedingly difficult nature of the advance, they swept
rapidly on at the double, and just as they reached
the plain deployed in line, taking ground rapidly
to the left so as to outflank Gen. Russell's force in
such a manner as left it no option but to make a
slowly retiring fight of it to avoid annihilation. And
now the plan fast developed itself. To save the out-
flanked and hard-pressed right wing of his force
Gen. Russell hurried corps after corps from his
left to strengthen his right, and to stop their rein-
forcement the feint attack on his left was now
really pressed, and the fight then seemed to rage
fast and furious. The cannonade and file fire was
terrific; the smoke lay thick and heavy among the
heather, just gently curling up as if the plain was
on fire, while, as the keen wind lifted it now and
then, the hurry of the troaps to reinforce the right
wing could be seen, with the attacking forces still
pouring out into the pain, and outflanking them
more and more every minute. The result of such an
attack became a matter of military certainty. The
troops outflanking were on the spot they threatened
—those to protect it had to come at least a mile, so
that three corps were deployed by the assailants for
one that came to the rescue, and before half-an-hour
elapsed, during all which tide the battle seemed to
rage with awful din upon the right, the attacking
force on the left outflanked the defenders by nearly
half a mire, and outnumbered them by at least one
third. In such a position there was no help for it
but an orderly retreat, and the whole line of General
Russell's force fell back—the guns covering the
movement—the infantry in echelon. As they did so
General Rumley pushed forward, still continuing
as he advanced to outflank his antagonists, till at
last the two armies, if we may so call them, stood
nearly face to face, extending in line nearly a
mile, on every foot of which the firing from guns
and rifles was going forwards on both sides as
fast as the pieces, large and small, could be
loaded and discharged. What followed after this
was a mere repetition of the same manoeuvres,
the defenders retiring as the assailants advanced,
and so oa till the former were forced back ❑early a
mils, and the engagement was brought to a close
amid such a general discharge of musketry and
cannon as probably never before woke the echoes
on the hills round Guildford. Once in the open,
where the movements between the intervals of
smoke could be distinguished, and it b?came evident
that the corps, in spite of the rough nature of the
ground, were all doing their work quickly and well,
The marching, considering the difficulties of the
advance, was really admirable. The file firing was
as good as the average of Line Regiments, though
the volleys were scarcely up to the same standard.
The City of London ltle Brigade, the London
Scottish, the 19th Middlesex, the 2d, 11th, and 40th
Middlesex corps, with the sth, 19th, 23d, and 10th
Surrey, were remarkable for the rapidity and solidity
of their movements. There were very few corps on
the ground, in fact, of whom the same could not be
said, but those we have mentioned were especially
worthy of notice, and the artillery of all the corps
in the field managed their guns from first to last in
the most soldierlike style. At a little before four
o'clock the manoeuvres were brought to a close,
or rather the firing ceased, for the movements had
ceased some time before, and the troops were
formed up in columns of companies for marching
past. The ground over which they had to step was
little less uneven, and quite as thickly overgrown
with heather as any part of the common. Under
all the circumstances, and after such an exhausting
day, this was rather a trying ordeal, but, neverthe-
less, all went through it with great credit, and
some in such a manner as to elicit deserved applause.
We regret to say that the day did not pass over
without three rather serious accidents. Many got
heavy falls over the stumps of broom and gorse
which lurked among the heather, and in two cases
these unfortunately resulted in broken legs. The
third accident happened to a civilian, who was shot
in the grain by a ramrod and badly injured. In
all cases the sufferers were immediately removed to
the hospital-marquee, erected in rear of the grand-
stand and specially sent over for this duty from
Aldershot. Beyond these threo most unfortunate
mishaps no other accident up to the time of march
ing past took place.
The railway arrangements both on the South-
Western and South-Eastern line were admirably
carried ou', though the crowd of visitors very con-
siderably overtaxed the slender resources of the
Chilworih station. It will need considerable en-
largement if these displays are to be of annual re-
currence at Guildford.