The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-28 00:00:00

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• .''ller
;
. ..-
rAt -* .+' oacy of this system against an enemy, and loss to ti ,-k,
selves, no change has been made. The celebrated Ge.lieritrY
Duhesme, in his essay, Sur l'lnfanterie Legere, publiftd?!
in 1814, asserted and proved that one filth of the loss \
the Freuch army during the wars of the Empire waL
caused by the fire of their own third ranks. Still this is
the present system. Again, the cartonch-box of the
French army is neither so large nor so heavy as ours,
and is fixed to the waist-belt, and in action is moved to
the front. To diminish its weight, part of the ammuni-
tion is carried in neat boxes at the lower corners of the
knapsacks; but, strange to say, while thus diminishing
the weight in one way, and having less ammunition
ready at hand, their flank companies and non-commis-
sioned officers are terribly encumbered with having
attached to their waist-belts, in addition to the cartouch-
box and bayonet, a heavy useless " military-looking"
ROman poignard, about 41b. weight. Still the French
soldier, with his loose and easy dress, shoes, and leather
gaiters, is much better adapted for the field than our
men, smothered with their buff belts and tight uniform,
and their quarter-boots, " looking well," but which
hart the feet after being once wet. And it may bo a
question if some improvement as to dress and equip-
ment may not be tried upon the militia. As they
are about to be called out it becomes a serious
question in what manner they should be armed,
if they are intended to be used as soldiers. I
have had much experience in organizing recruits and
in attempting to make them fit for the field in
the shortest possible time, and they were men even of a
better class than what can be expected from the pro-
pefo
d itsy
sbodily is, pre po
exercise,steroti
s t
so i l
will
b e imaginecapable
thate ble
nation at a distance of 300 yards. However, if, during
that period, they were drilled to loading and firing with
a firearm which could be as efficacious at from 400 up to
and
d 0 yetailrldas,vtehid beingeymi
os such
ehd e men,wmilitia;iag with
face in the field to regular troops of any
ith 21
and
In every description of the war in Spain the enemy
stated to be feared by the French were the Miquelets
and armed peasantry, and French officers were always
certain of victory against any force of militia or half-
formed troops, if they only could
ghtththroenwn do
into any execution
great re at
at aconfusion. distance,
matter the numbers. The Duke of Wgeetllninegatronth, them,
the disturbances in Scotland in 1319, acted upon thiso
very principle,
issuing orders for the troops to attack the
Glasgow rioters in the field, whatever their numbers
might be. The Duke and French officers knew that if
half-drilled men attempt to act as professional soldiers,
no matter what may be their uniform, they are so loosely
put together, and have so little confidence in their offi-
cers, that the first round shot which plunges into them,
or volley fired, and then a " Hurrah!" will split them
intopieces and produce an irrecoverable panic. See the
Duke of Wellington's opinion of the value of militia in
his letters to the Duke of York in December, 1812, and
to Colonel Banbury in February, 1813. In another
place the Duke says, " Until a soldier has served two
campaigns he is of comparatively little use;" and in his
letter of the 9th of March, 1813, he values an old soldier
as equal to five new ones—a proportion nearly the same
as the soldier with the new arm to five with the old
musket. But if the militia were drilled solely to firing at
a distance with precision, they might be useful, as no
that, if all horses on his landing artillery. Napoleon, in his threatened invasion, was
and
so aware of this, that he made little or no arrange-
mentinvaders canticeveoarnsersalalasnosd
sraoenofondrecaresof cavalry cr horses for the
for embarking horses, but each boat was pro-
movniudsekßdertiw.triisitflhhe saddlery and artillery harness, to be put
interior, this simple manoeuvre would have rendered
mistaken as to cavalry and as
the cavalry and artillery useless. But the improved
of confusion and fear of
less at 900 yards distance,
moment there is not a regiment
effe
,te cannon.R To
old musket, can do the ea
distance of 650 yards. Butme (as I have witnessed) at a
effective
i verucgltacota
rlvhhnfloeeadaelsedreadyvb,
laaenail quite
lenrandybm ball,
beivsifoaeltolunirecdtgrotyeouettflotudtitnsh hbegee
field-battery, owing to the crroygna I believe
against
aa t
well-
served this
brought to make an
the horses at the noise and smoke
remedy this and give the horses confidence
in the wars of the Caucasus, in drillingy. had
The batteriesCavalry
got no water the morning of the drill, but after some
hours of hard work the horses became thirsty. The
cavalry were posted in front of the field batteries, which
began to play. Loose reins were given, and, at full gal.
lop, the cavalry passed between the guns of the batte-
ries, and thus lost fear of artillery.
.Aug. 26. CHARLES SHAW.

~~

abttwwsfohenchii
ocraidneketi rdeidihnhn' NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
LAUNCH OF THE SCREW THREE-DECKER, WINDSOR
CASTLE.—Such is the progress made in building this
ship at Pembroke that she will be afloat almost imme-
diately. The largest and most powerful man-of-war in
the world is positively to be launched at Pembroke on
the 14th of September next, and will then be navigated
to Portsmouth to have her 700 horse-power engines
fitted, and in other respects to be completed for com-
missioning. 'it
Hogue, 60, screw-ship, Captain M'Dougall, will 13 edi
paid off at Devonport, and will be recommissioned one
Ist of September by Captain Ramsey, as the stea
guard-ship of Devonport.
PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY.—Are regret to report that the
Vestal, 26, Captain Hemilton, that sailed last evening
for Halifax, got on shore at Hamtstead Ledge (a point
turning out from the Lie of Wight between Cowes and
Yarmouth) last night, at eleven o'clock. The Vestal
bad light baffling winds, with a strong westerly tide,
and was drifting rather than sailing, and the night
very hazy. She tried to stay off shore, but would not
come round. She was prepared for anchoring, but
before she could do so the tide, which sets round the
ledge, swiftly took tier on shore. Every possible exer-
tion was made to get her afloat, but the tide ebbing she
remained hard and fast. At two A ar. one of her boats
Rear-Admiral Prescott, the Master Attendant (Mr.
Underwood). and a party of riggers, went down in the
was dispatched to Portsmouth, and arrived at six, when
Fire Queen dispatch-steamer, and the Echo tug. Two
dockyard lighters were also sent down to her assistance.
The Vestal, as the tide fell, sewed a good deal, and
heeled over; topmasts were got over to shore her up.
Fortunately the tides were rising, and at high water this
morning she swung off the ground without assistance
from the steamers and lighters from the dockyard. The
was just nearing her. The Echo tug afterwards
and she again anchored at Spithead at
Fire Queen, with the Admiral and Master Attendant on
o'clock. She cow,
will come into harbour tomorrow,
the North Dpck, from whence the Hecla steamer
move out to make room for her. As there was no
oteoerst night, and the water quite smooth, the ship
cannot have received much damage.
The Simeon iron troop-steamer, Captaialnonligitnhgecommeea,-
went oaudttheofc
scarcelyahsat ri
casting,
go
gotu, r
a nodu yesterday,
instead
of
harbour
her e r
the machinery.top
hal
f
vienasSetlo,kaensd returned into harbour of one of her plummeßriv blockss he wegnatv es wtraaiyghfrtomoustomtoe dace-
sNt
immediately,eh aer eb
light
di
mgehifllteowed eilliciently. A new casting will be made
The Blenheim, 54, Captain Henderson, C. 8.,
on her premeditated cruise to- her as
defectsoon seta s
to rights by Tuesday or Wednesday. She is a most un-
fortunate vessel in breaking down often.
will pro-
ceedl
The Collingwood, 80, has been hauled down from the
ordinary to-day, ready
for docking.
The Termagant, morrowr.
• te has been
24, advanced screw fags ,
in to
undocked to-day, and the Heels paddle sloop taken
complete her repairs. her Majesty's
Mr. Parsons, the Master Ropemaker of .
iled from the
dockyard at this port, yesterday lands
ma j
esty's
hands of M. Vandenberg!), his Neth,enrd, as a testimo-
Consul here, a handsome silver i
inked:, in acknowledg-
nial from the King of the Nether: shown by Mr. Par-
ment of the courtesy and atternitteope
maker, of Amster-
sons to his Majesty 'a 3faStevisit to Portsmouth Dock-
dam (Mr. Cool), when 12 sof the British Government,
yard, under the authority
in 1849. 26 .--The Widgeon completed her
DETONPORT, ArG. DiDg, after which she sailed for
coaling on Tuesday eve
Pembroke. nothing in or out since. To•day, at
There has W 403 was in the Sound. In the harbour,
eight A•el• 0%7 se George, Edinburgh, Hogue, and
the ImPregtiree'all dressed out with their colours, and
Magicienuoldock they fired a salute of 21 guns in honour
at twelve Albert's birthday.
of Prince AUG., 26.—The Daring, 12 guns, has been
C,ti:'onea at this port by Lieut. George T. Morrell,
ow, will put out of dock early next week.
ono .--- e Meander, 44guns, Commodore Talbot, is
The
leave this port on the Ist September.
to
e undermentioned have been superannuated from the
dckyard:--John Eccles, shipwright, pension 241, per
annual; George Wilson, leading man of labourers, 201.
per annum.