The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-16 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT CIIOBHAM COMMON.

The unfortunate new regiments have commenced their
camping career under most inauspicious circumstances.
To attempt to describe the state of the ground is almost
useless—it is literally one vast quagmire, and the
trampling about of the infantry and cavalry, consequent
upon the change of troops, has made it, if possible, a
thousand times worse than it otherwise would have
been. With this preamble, we need hardly say that
nothing in the way of moving the troops was attempted
yesterday, or is likely to be for some days to come,
even should fine weather set in. Cattin's Valley, in
front of the camp, and the high plain on the side of the
Bagshot-road, in the rear of the lines, were generally
the places selected for the evolution of the troops on
field days. But for the next few days both these places
are out of the question.
Each in its way is now a miniature representation of
Highland scenery, the plains being covered with broad
shallow sheets of water, out of which the slopes and hills
stand in place of headlands and promontories. It will
require two or three days of hot sunshine to do away
with this picturesque waterpiece, and of course until it
is done away no field day can take place upon it. Yes-
terday morning, at two, the 93d Highlanders and 50th
Regiment turned out to commence their march, the one
for Windsor, and the other to Woking. Both corps
were ordered to be on their journey by four o'clock, but
with the thousand delays which seem to be necessary
on such occasions, it was six o'clock before they de-
filed of the ground in sections of fours. Shortly after
their departure, a rather serious disturbance took place
between the privates of the 88th (the celebrated Con-
naught Rangers) and the keeper of their canteen.
We believe that when the 88th arrived on Thursday
evening at their cantonments they not unnaturally began
to look about them for such creature comforts as the
place afforded ; and of course, after coming off a very
long and fatiguing march, the men were not as a body
in the best of humour. At the canteen, on Thursday
evening, this spirit manifested itself in bickerings at the
amounts charged them for bread, tobacco, and other
necessaries, though it did not proceed beyond angry re-
monstrances with the sutler. Yesterday morning, how-
ever, the quarrel broke out afresh, and proceeded from
mere complaints to more unmistakeable symptoms of
disapprobation. A number of the men joined in the
scuffle which took place in the sutler's tent. Many
things got smashed, and at length it was necessary to
call in the guard, who overpowered and secured those
who had been foremost in the disturbance. About a
dozen of the men were arrested, handcuffed, and lodged
in the guard-tent, where they will remain in confine-
ment until a rigid inquiry has been instituted into the
whole affair.

This is the second affray which has taken place among
the troops since the camp was formed, one having
occurred between the men of the 95th and some of the
privates of the Household Brigade. Both affairs, how-
ever, have been mere angry broils done in a moment of
passion and excitement, which, though it is quite fit and
proper they should be checked, and their originators
strictly punished, still does not militate against the high
character for general good conduct which, up to the
present time, has distinguished the camp soldiers.
The 88th is decidedly one of the most renowned corps
in the British army. Whenever there have been deeds
of clariog to accomplish, proofs of good military discip-
line to be given, or hard-fought battles to be won, the
Connaught Rangers have always been foremost in the
lists. We sincerely hope, therefore, that the result of
the inquiry into the affray may be such as will clear the
name of this distinguished regiment from having been
the first to provoke aggression and disturb the peace of
the camp.
A little more attention seems to be paid to the corn-
forts of the women that follow the regiments among the
new troops. When the troops are out on service a cer-
tain number of the best-conducted married women in
each regiment are allowed to follow into the canton-
ments. For their accommodation tents are erected in the
rear of the general line of tents, where they carry on their
avocation as washerwomen to the officers. The public
will recollect that at the time the camp was being con-
structed, a great deal of anxiety was felt by the
authorities lest the horses of the cavalry regiments
should suffer from exposure in the new fir-walled
t
stables. Yet the accommodation which these stables
afforded was in every respect superior to the rude
huts which were deemed a sufficient shelter for
are within the best-conducted married women. We
mark when we state that we never in any part of Ire.
land saw more wretched hovels than thehinttles
the
pile of wattles
placed at right angles with the bare ground, and thinly
covered with a few branches of fir, under which the
women had to live and sleep. Now, however, they are
at least better covered, a strong straw thatching' having
y
been made over them at different times by the
of their respective regiments. This, though byno means
what it should be, is still a great improvement
upon the
first days of the camp. We think, when so ma
are being served out to each regiment, the Board ofy tents
are Ord-
nance would not commit any very great extravagance in
serving out two of the circular ones for the accommoda-
tion of the women who follow each corps. Perhaps the
necessity for this may be seen at some future time, and
the suggestion adopted.