The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-09 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The division at Aldershott under the command of
Lieut.-Gen. Sir J. L. Pennefather, K.C.8., formed
up on Thursday morning for field manoeuvres on the
high ground to the south of the Long-valley, in line
of contiguous columns. Major-General Hodge's
brigade, consisting of D battery, Royal Horse
Artillery, the Royal Dragoons, Scots Grays, and the
14th Hussars, commanded respectively by Colonel
Col. Darby Griffith, C. 8., and Lieut.-Col. Thomp-

son, formed on the right of the division. On their
left were E and F batteries, 9th Brigade, Royal

Artillery, commanded by Major Mackenzie. Major-
Gen. Taylor's brigade, consisting of the 31st, 59th,

and 85th Regiment, commanded respectively by
Lieut.-Col. Eager, Major Bushe, and Col. Grey,
formed next in order, and the centre of the infantry

was formed by Major-Gen. Russell's brigade, con-

sisting of the 39th, 75th, and 83d Regiments, under
the commands of Major Leckie, Capt. Dyer, and
Major Bates. The left was formed by Major-Gen.
Bates's brigade, consisting of the Ist battalion, 14th
Regiment, the 60th Royal Rifles, and the 62d Regi-
ment, commanded by Col. Hawley, Major Brooke,
and Capt. Carter. The object of the Lieut.-General
appeared to be to check an enemy marching upon
Aldershott from the direction of Reading, and whose
advanced troops had taken possession of Eelmoor
and Pyestock, whose right rested upon Bickley

bottom. The movements commenced by General
Russell's brigade taking a position to the right, and
advancing by regiments in open column of companies
at deploying distance, the left flank of the brigade

being covered by a line of skirmishers. Gen. Bates's
brigade took ground to the left, and advanced by
Bickley copse, covered by skirmishers of the 60th

Rifles. The E and F batteries advanced and came

into action in the centre, and about 200 yards in
front of the division. Gen. Hodge moved up his

cavalry brigade at a gallop, accompanied by D bat

tery Royal Horse Artillery, and the latter came into

action simultaneously with the F battery. The 14th
Hussars advanced by echelon of squadron from the

right. The Royal Horse Artillery limbered up, and
the 14th formed line upon the leading squadron, and
made a demonstration. The Royal Dragoons and
the Scots Grays took ground to the right, advanced
by echelon of squadrons, formed line on the leading
squadron of the Royals, and halted. Each of these
lines was accompanied by half a battery of Royal
Horse .Artillery. The cavalry brigade then retired by
open column of troops from the right of each line.
At this juncture Gen. Bates might be seen far to the
left advancing in line, covered by his skirmishers,
and attacking the right of the enemy. Gen. Russell
changed position half left, and formed line with the
75th and 83d Regiments, the 39th forming a second
line in their rear in support. Gen. Hodge advanced
alternately by lines of regiments in the centre,
having Gen. Russell on the right and Gen. Bates
on the left, accompanied by the Royal Horse Artil-
lery. Gen. Taylor advanced by line of regiments
in support of Gen. Bates round the east base of
Long-hill, screened from the observation of the
enemy till he debouched on the common to the
north of Cocked-hat-wood. The Grays advanced
in line at a gallop, retired by open column of troops
from each flank, and re-formed on their original
ground. Gen. Russell was now hotly contesting the
possession of Eelmoor-hill with the left of the
enemy, which ultimately gave way, and the E and
F batteries Royal Artillery, bringing their guns up
the hill at a gallop, came smartly intc action, and
secured a good command of the enemy's position.
Gen. Hodge advanced his brigade by wings from
the left of regiments. Gen. Bates, having disposed
of the right of the enemy, took ground to the right,
and advanced in rear of Gen. Taylor, thus acting
in support. The Lieut. Gen. now brought the full
force of his army to bear upon Pyestock-bridge,
which he seemed determined to wrest from the
enemy. Gen. Taylor advanced his brigade in that
direction, as did also Gen. Russell, who, having

taken Eelmoor and forced the left of the
enemy, skirted Eelmoor-hill and advanced on the
road by the canal side towards the bridge. Gens.
}lodge and Bates, who were supporting the two bri-
grades in action, also advanced in the direction
of Pyestock-bridge. Gen. Bates formed line to the
westward of the south side of the bridge, and Gen.
Taylor pushed his brigade over, assisted by the E
and F batteries Royal Artillery, who still occupied
the eminence in his rear. The Royal Horse Artil-
lery galloped over the bridge, covering the advance
of the cavalry, and Gen. Hodge, advancing his
three regiments over the bridge, quickly formed line
on the right of Gen. Taylor, and advanced on Pye-
stock. The Lieut.-Gen., having held this position
for some minutes, performed a retrogade movement
with his division, and Gen. Russell fell back on the
road along which he had advanced. Gen. Taylor
retired from the north side of the canal, Gen. Hodge
covering his retreat ; Gen. Bates also retired
by lines of regiments. The cavalry brigade retired
from the north side of the canal, covered by D bat-
tery, Royal Horse Artillery, which came into
action. As they crossed the bridge they occupied
the ground vacated by General Bates. The Royal
Horse Artillery also retired, and the whole of the
troops fell back under cover of the guns of the E
and F batteries, which still maintained their posi-
tion on Eelmoor-hill. The movements of the day
were then brought to a close, and the troops re-
ceived orders to return to quarters, which they
reached about 1 o'clock.
The non-commissioned officers and men of the E
and F batteries, 9th Brigade, Royal Artillery, at
Aldershott, have each subscribed a day's pay to a
fund which has been started on behalf of the widow
and four children of the unfortunate Gunner Burns,
who was killed on Friday, the 30th ult., under the
circumstances reported in our columns. The officers
of the abovenamed batteries have also subscribed.
Some further trials have been made, on the part
of the authorities connected with the War Depart-
ment, with the chilled cast-iron shot, the invention
of Major Palliser, a description of which has already
appeared in The Sun, when the superiority of
the new shot over several kinds of steel shot
was so marked that it has been decided to manu-
facture a large supply of chilled shot during the
present year, the necessary charge for the same
being included in the new Estimates.
Earl de Grey and Ripon, the Hon. Charles Fre-
derick Villiers, and the Hon. T. M. Gibson, members
of her Majesty's Hon. Privy Council, accompanied
by Mr. Arthur Helps, Clerk of the Council, arrived
at the Royal Clarence yard, Portsmouth, on Satur-
day, by special South-Western train from London,
and crossed over to Osborne in the Sprightly, paddle
steamer, Commander G. Allen, returning to Ports-
mouth again at 5 p.m. by the same vessel, and leav-
ing by the special train for London.
Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.8., re-
turned to his command on Saturday, from a visit to
her Majesty at Osborne.
In accordance with instructions received at Chat-
ham from the Admiralty a number of hired workmen
at that dockyard have been placed on the establish-
ment, in consequence of a number of vacancies hav-
ing arisen from the superannuations -which have
taken place under the recently established regula-
tions.

A number of workmen at Chatham dockyard
have commenced clearing away the mud and sand in
the harbour opposite No. 7 slip, on which the iron-
cased frigate Lord Warden is under construction, in
readiness for laying down the launching way for
that vessel, which, however, will not be completed
for some months to come, the frigate having just
commenced receiving her armour plates.
The Highflyer, 20, screw corvette, Capt. Pasley,
sailed from Spithead on Saturday morning for the
Cape of Good Hope and the East Indies, taking out
supernumeraries for ships now on those stations.
The Highflyer left by the western channel, and in
passing by Osborne she saluted, with 21 guns, the
royal standard, which, flying over Osborne Towers,
denoted the presence there of her Majesty.
The Dee, steam store vessel, Staff Commander
Raymond, arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday, with
stores, &c., from Woolwich.
The shipwrights discharged, and those about to
be discharged, from the books of the Devon dock-
yard, will have the option of employment in that
establishment in breaking up the screw steamship
Russell, 60, recently engaged as coastguard ship at
Falmouth.
The following appointments and promotions haye