The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-04 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

NJ. 0 Company (Cape. Mitchell's) of the London Scottish
had their annual prize meeting on Saturday last, at their
butts at Wimbledon. The weather was everything that
could be wished for, the prizes, though of small value, ex-
cited a keen competition, and there was a numerous assem-
blage of members and friends of the company. The prizes
were competed for at 200, 500, and 800 yards ; five shots at
each range, Hytne position. Colour-Sergeant A. D. Mur-
ray won the chief prize.
The return match between the 121 h Middlesex (Barnet)
and 14th Middlesex (Highgate) took place at the range of
the latter at Child's Hill, Hendon, on Tuesday last, when,
after a most interesting contest, the Barnet men were again
successful. Ranges 200, 500, and 600 yards ; five rounds at
each range—old Wimbledon scoring. BArnet, 310, High-
gate, 299 marks. On the Highgate side, Private Dighton
made, the very excellent score of 42 marks, the highest in
the match, Private Lake and Ensign Gruning also making
capital scores. On the winning side, the prize contended for
fell to Private Hamerton.

In Essex the Tendring Hundred Corps has competed for
a prize pewter with £1 added, and other prizes. The pewter
was won by Private Nash, a second prize of £3 being taken
by Sergeant Ball's. The Ist Essex (or Harwich) battery of
artillery has been inspected by Col. Knox, R.A. The bat-
tery made some good shot and shell practice at about 1,500
to 1,600 yards. The battery uas also put through manual
and platoon exercise by Lieut, Barnes, and at the close of
the inspection Col. Knox congratulated Capt. Daniels (the
commanding officer) upon the state in which he found the
Bat/ery. A. match has taken place between six members of
the Braintree corps and a corresponding number of the
Chelmsford corps—the shooting was at ranges of 200, 500,
and COO yards, five rounds each—and the scores made were
--Chelmsford, 158—Braintree, 176. Ten men belonging to
the corps attached to the establishment of Messrs. Burgess
and Key, at Brentwood, have shot off a match with ten of
the Ilford Company at Ilford. The Brentwood side won,
making an aggregate score of 240 against 228 obtained by
their opponents.

The priz,-shooting of the Ist Cinque Ports battalion of
Rifle Volunteers came off on Wednesday last, at the military
ranges
battalion
w
Eastbourne.
represented,
t edA : l
eachthe companies composing the
corps sending several men.
There were four competitions, with four or five prizes in
each; Wimbledon targets and scoring. The Cuckfield re•
presentatives won the bulk of the prizes—Hastings took one
prize, Private Geo. Jeffery, the Hastings Challenge Cup.
holder, taking the second prize in competition B, five shots
each at 500 and 600 yards, with a score of 25 marks—Bugler
Leaney, of Etchingham, won the first £5. The ranges for
this match were 200, 500, and 600 yards five shots at each.
The first two ranges were shot over early in the afternoon.
In the first match the squad composed of the Hastings' men
made next to the highest total, Cuckfield being first.
A competition has taken place among members of the
March corps for a ladies' cup, which was won by Private
Simmons. Private Thompson, being second best shot, ob-
tained a prize of £2. Officers' prizes were won as follows :
£.5, given by Capt. Catling, by Corporal Fuller—£3, given
by Lieut. Dawbarn, by Private Greaver—and £2, given by
Ensign Little, by Private Cox.
The Oxford City Rifle Corps had a contest last week for
two consolation cups offered by the Mayor and corporation.
There were 21 competitors, and the winners were Corporal
Webb, who made 38 marks (7 rounds each, at 200 and 400
yards), and Corporal Wells, who scored 37. The Thame
Corps have just held their annual prize meeting,tho success-.
ful competitors being Private W. Price, Private F. Clarke,
and Corporal Bowler. In a contest with Aylesbury for a
silver cup the same corps were victors by 14 points,
The annual official inspection of the Ist Warwickshire
Administrative battalion of Rifle Volunteers took place last
week upon the race common. The battalion comprises the
let, 2d, and 3d Coventry companies—the Ist Leamington
and subdivision companies—the Saltley, Nuneaton, War-
wick, Rugby, and Stratford companies, The men marched
to the common, headed by the Coventry baud, and imme-
diately afterwards the inspection was commenced. Major
Hartopp, Major M'Mahon, Adjutant Edwards, and other
officers, assisted in putting the men through the usual
battalion drill movements. These were all excellently exe-
cuted. Having been drilled most thoroughly for upwards
of two hours, the men wero formed into a square, and ad-
dressed by the inspecting officer. He said he had very great
pleasure in bearing testimony to the fact that both the
officers and the men had paid great attention to the drill
movements which had been taught them by their superior
officers, There had been evidently great care with refer-
ence to these particulars, and the men kept them steady in
the ranks. During the day he had not heard any talking
among the men, and that he had been pleased to observe ;
for he was sure that they could not make progress and exe-
cute their respective duties creditably so long as talking was
going on. The marching past was very good, and the
excellent way in which the battalion square was formed
arrested his particular attention, for it seemed to him that
every company knew what had to b) done, from the officers
down to each individual man.
The prize shooting. of the Biggleawado Rifle Volunteers
has been brought to a close. The firing was conducted by
Lieutenant Hooper. All the matches were five rounds each.