The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-22 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
The foreplating of the iron frigate Achilles,
building at Chatham, will be completed in the course
of the present week, when, with the exception of a
few plates required to be fixed beneath the stern,

he whole of the exterior of the vessel will be in-

cased in armour•plating varying from three inches
to four and half inches in thickness carried to five
feet below her water line. On board the same

energy is being used in constructing the armour-
plated and other bulkheads, together with the ma-
gazines and shell-rooms, the latter of which are to
be constructed of a size sufficient to contain 180

filled and 120 empty common 110-pounders, 50 filled
and 50 empty common 20-pounder Arnastrongs, 120
filled and 180 empty 110-pounder segment Arm-
strongs, 50 filled and 50 empty segment 20-pounder
Armstrongs, 25 boxes filled and,loo empty segment
12-pounder Armstrongs, and 25 boxes of filled and
100 empty of the 9-pounder segment Armstrongs.
The magazines are made to hold 456 whole penta-
gon cases of powder, and 75 metal•lined half-cases,
together with charges of 440 8-inch or 68-pounder
shells.
On the recommendation of Capt. Hall, C. 8., of
the Cumberland, 74, the screw gunboat Thrasher,
80-horse power, is being fitted up to be used in con-
veying the officers and men of the Chatham Steam
' Reserve to and from the ships in harbour to the
shore.

Hei Majesty's screw steam gunvessel Wrangler,
4 guns, 477 tons, 80-horse power, Commander Henry
Hamiliton Beamish, recently returned from the
West Coast of Africa, Was paid off at Sheerness
Dockyard yesterday, under the superintendence of
Capt. W. K. Hall, commanding the Sheerness
Steam Reserve. The paying off occupied only the
short space of 50 minutes, and the commander and
officers were addressed in congratulatory terms on
the efficiency and discipline manifested by the crew.
The Wrangler has been fortunate in making several
prizes, some of which had slaves on board. She will
be placed in the 3d division of the Steam Reserve at
Sheerness. _ _ _

A Naval court-martial assembled on board her
Majesty's ship Victory, in Portsmouth harbour, on
Friday, for the trial of Patrick O'Brian, an able
seaman in her Majesty's service, on the following
charges :—First, for having, while borne on the
books of her Majesty's ship Pioneer for passage to
England
epe
on as
a the
mm her Majesty's ship
Eclipse, September last, disobeyed the
e
commands of Lieut. Meyer, of her Majesty's ship
sth of prisoner
sepfrom
Pioneer, by refusing to return a pair of boots to the
chief of the ship's police when ordered to do so, and
for using threatening and insulting language to
Lieut. Meyer and a corporal of Marines, and for
resisting efforts made to compel his obedience;
second, for offering to strike on the same date Ser-
geant John Carter, Royal Marines, the acting chief
of the ship's police. The Court, under the presidency
of Capt. Scott, C. 8., of her Majesty's ship Victory,
found the charges proved, and sentenced the pri-

Boner to be imprisoned in Lewes Gaol for 12 months
with hard labour, and to be dismissed from her Ma-

jesty's service. The same Court assembled on board
the Victory, on Saturday morning, for the trial cf
Mr. J. A. Leicester, Assist.-Surgeon of the Ist
class on board her, Majesty's ship Pioneer, on a charge
of having between the Ist of October, 1861, and

the 30th of June, 1862, lent certain sums of
money to seamen belonging to the Pioneer, the said
sums being made repayable to his (the prisoner's)
son with usurious interest, such conduct being a
breach of the 34th article of war. The trial lasted
the whole day, a number of witnesses were exa-
mined, and the evidence was of a very voluminous
character. The Court found the charge proved and
sentenced the prisoner to be reduced to second-class
assistant, and put at the bottom of the list. The
paymaster of the Pioneer is under arrest for an al-
leged serious defalcation in his accounts, and is ex-
pected to be put on his trial on board the Victory
to morrow. This will cause a further delay in the
paying of the ship out of commission, which was
originally fixed for Saturday last.
By an Admiralty order issued in Woolwich dock-
yard, the shipwright establishment is to be re-
duced by a discharge of 300 hired mechanics and
labourers in the following weekly ratio :-24 ship-
wrights, 10 joiners, 14 smiths, and 20 labourers, the
discharge to commence on Saturday next, the first
batch having already received notices to that effect.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Commander Edwin C.
Symons, additional to the Cornwallis, for service
in the Coastguard ; Commander Charles Fairholme,
additional to the Colossus, for service in the coast-
guard ; Silas W. Parker, paymaster to the Pelorus ;
B. G. Little, assist.-engineer to the Fisgard, as
supernumerary ; and R. H. East, assist.-engineer to
the Indus as supernumerary.

THE ARMY.
Owing to the continued fine weather the troops
at Aldershott were enabled to have another " divi-
sional field-day" oa Wednesday. At 9 o'clock the
division was formed upon Clayeart-ridge in line of
contiguous columns, to resist an enemy approaching
in great strength from the north-west, his right
resting upon Bedridden-copse and his left upon
Pyestock-hill. The object of the General appeared
to be to attack both flanks of the advancing army,
and for this purpose the 3d brigade was directed to
the right flank of the enemy, and the Ist, 2d, and
cavalry brigades on the left. The 3d brigade, con-
sisting of the 24th, 3d, and 64th Regiments covered
by the 13th and one squadron of the 18th Hussars,
first came into action, the advanced troops opening
fire on arriving at Bickley-copse, and keeping up a
warm engagement within its coverts. The Ist and
2d brigades advanced upon Long-hill,
a very heavy fusillade,while the 6thand opened
Dragoon
Guards and the Ist Royals executed some splendid
charges on the right, supported by is B" battery
Royal Horse Artillery. The 13th and 18th Hussars
advanced to the front, and pursued the right of the
enemy, which was already routed and retiring in
confusion. A general advance followed, under
cover of two batteries of artillery, which were posted
in an excellent position on Long-hill, and from
which a tremendous cannonade was kept up. At
this juncture the infantry threw in an overwhelm-
ing fire, and before this concentrated attack the
enemy gave way, and fled in disorder. After the
manceuvres the troops marched past, the cavalry
and artillery in open column of squadrons and bat-
teries, and the infantry in open column of grand
divisions in quick time. The cavalry afterwards
Passed from the reverse flank left in front, at a
gallop. The troops returned to their quarters about
half-past 1 o'clock. The movements throughout
were cf a vary animated description, and attracted
a largo concourse of spectators.
The project for connecting Aldershott camp with
London by a railway junction is 11077 assuming a
more definite form. According to the "preliminary
prospectus" just issued, the proposed line will be
about 71, miles in extent, commencing from the
South Western Railway between the Woking and
Farnborough stations, proceeding by a direct route
to Aldershott and thence to a point near to the
Farnham station of tin) London and South Western
Railway Company. It call be connected also with
the south Eastern Railway al or Zseat North C 411113
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