The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-28 00:00:00

THE VOLUNTEERS.

On Saturday a field day, sham fight, and bivouac
took place at Hadley, near Barnet, under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Col. Wilkinson, commandant of the
2d Administrative Battalion of Middlesex Volun-
teers, and was one of the most interesting as well
as, generally speaking, best conducted field days,
although upon a small scale, of the season. The
ground selected for the evolutions was a piece of
land situated near Hadley Common, of triangular
form, measuring from east to west a distance of
about 1,350 yards, and at the base about 450 yards.
Two-fifths of the ground beyond this westward was
a plateau of green sward, trending eastwards into a
shallow ravine, abutting upon a wood. Brushwood
and forest trees, skirted on the south by a bridle
path ,and intersected by glades,covered the remainder
eastward to the level crossing of the Great Northern
Railway, at the apex of the triangle near Barnet
station. The corps engaged were the Post Office
and Whitehall companies of the Civil Service, under
command of Captain Du Plat Thylor ; the 33d Mid-
dlesex (Tottenham), under command of Captain
Hill; the 41st Middlesex, under command of Cap.
tain Sendy ; the Enfield Lock Rifles, forming part
of the 2d Administrative Battalion of Middlesex ;
the 12th Middlesex (Barnet) Rifles, under command
_ _

of Lieutenant Hendery, in the absence of Captain
Hanbury ; the Cadet Corps attached to the 12th
Middlesex, and the Hatfield and Hadley Trocp of
the Herts Yeomanry Cavalry. The force was under
the command of Lieut.-Colonel Wilkinson, aided by
Major Wilbraham Taylor, of the 2d Administrative
Battalion, who acted as brigade major; and Captain
Baylis,of the 36th Middlesex (Paddington), and Ser-
geant F. E. Baines (by whom the whole arrange-
ments had been organised), of the 12th Middlesex,
acted as aides-de-camp. On the plateau before
referred to, just at the brow of the ravine, an ad-
vanced lunette had been constructed, in the centre
of which was a flagstaff with its flag flying, whilst
the various tents and arrangements for the bivouac
gave to the scene an appearance of reality such as has
scarcely ever before been witnessed on the occaeion
of volunteer evolutions in the field. It was
arranged that the attacking force, consisting of the
Civil Service end 33d Middlesex, which had been
entrusted to the command of Captain Du Plat
Taylor, should commence operations as soon as they
got into order outside the Barnet station, which
they did by marching from the station along the
bridle path on the western side of the Great

Northern Railway. The defending force which was
under the direct command of Col. Wilkinson, consist-
ing of the 41st and the 12th Middlesex and the cadets
with the Enfield rifles, occupied the plateau in rear
of the lunette, and as soon as the announcement
was made by the cavalry, who had been sent out to

reconnoitre, that the enemy had arrived and were

marching on their position, skirmishers were sent
forward into the wood in front to intercept and
check their advance. On reaching the wood on the
eastern side the attacking force was divided, the
33d making their way by the bridle path on the left.
The main body, or Post Office division of the Civil
Service, took the central or principal glade, whilst
the Whitehall division of the same regiment formed
the right flanking party of the enemy. Scarcely
had the attacking force entered the wood when
the cracking of the rifles told that they had
come upon the pickets and skirmishers of the
defenders, and the fight appeared to approxi-
mate closer and closer to the plateau, and to wax
warmer and warmer every succeeding minute. A
few minutes more sufficed to bring the retreating
skirmishers of the defending force and their
antagonists into sight at the foot of the ravine
skirting the wood at the foot of the plateau. The
enemy were gathering force and concentrating their
companies rapidly, and as speedily succeeded in
clearing the woods and in driving the defenders'
skirmishers out and up the ravine into the open.
The defenders' cavalry were instantly ordered down
to charge the advancing foe and cover the defend-
ing skirmishers' retreat_ The skirmishers of the
attacking force formed rallying squares to receive
the cavalry and succeeded in causing them to de-
camp to the rear of the lunette. By this time the
main body of the attack made its appearance
through the various glades, and commenced
opening a galling file fire upon the position of
the defenders, who also, from behind the lunette,
to which their skirmishers had retired, opened an
Equally brisk fire along the whole line upon
the advancing foe. The enemy formed and ad-
vanced in line to storm the lunette, whilst the whole
of the defending force of infantry moved down in

its support. The effect of this movement and the
deadly volleys they poured in upon the assailants
was understood for the moment to check the advance
and to drive them back some 50 or 60 yards to re-
form and recruit their strength, owing to the loss of
men they were supposed to have sustained. Having
re-formed, the enemy advanced up the bill against
the lunette in direct echelon of wings, but were
again met by a charge of cavalry, and were com-
pelled to form close column of sections to repel
cavalry. At this moment the flanking column
which had taken the glade diverging to the right
was now seen debouching from the wood, and a
part of the defending force being detached,
with the cavalry to check its advance, the
main body of the enemy, profiting by the
confusion, under the cover of a tremendous vol-
ley, rushed forward and succeeded in capturing the
lunette, and amidst the cheers of the attacking force
the defenders' flag was lowered and that of the
attacking body substituted. The defending force
then returned to the plateau and formed line in
front of the tents facing south, whilst the attack
having also reached the plateau, faced in the op-
posite direction, and after a series of volleys from
both by companies' wings, and finally by each
battalion, the grand charge was made by the attack.
After forming together in line into close column,
and marching by subdivisions round the centre,
terming battalion squares to receive cavalry, and per-
forming other evolutions, tha whole force marched
past first in open and then in close column to the
music of the band of the Civil Service Rifles. They
then formed in line, and advanced in slow time, and
in review order, the whole of the movements being
performed in a very soldierlike and efficient manner.
Three sides of a square having been formed,
Lieut.-Col. Wilkinson addressed the officers and
men assembled, and expressed the high satisfaction
he had experienced in witnessing the admirable
manner in which the evolutions had been performed,
and his thanks to the Civil Service and other corps
who had come to aid them in that which be hoped
had proved a useful and instructive volunteer
field-day. On the part of the Barnet division of
he bid them how
his battalion Welcome to the
hospitality they had provided. Men having
been
told off to take charge of the various tents where
refreshments were provided, and others to light the
fires for the bivouac, this part of the day's pro-
ceedings closed with three cheers for Col. Wilkin-
son, three for the Civil Service and other corps
which had attended, and for which Captain Taylor
returned thanks. The men were marched in de
tachments to partake of the more substantial portion
of the entertainment. By this time the moon had
made its appearance high above the trees of the
wood, and the b;uze of the camp fires, with the
crowds of volunteers around them, and the bands
playing merrry tunes, rendered the scene altogether
one of the most pleasing and interesting character
which can pouibly be i=gined,