The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-25 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT CHOBEAM.

The camp now in progress of formation on Chobham-
common promises to be the great feature of the present
season. The novelty in England of any great military
display invariably attracts vast crowds of spectators, and
this seems to have been anticipated by the authorities in
their selection of Chobham-common as the scene of the
encampment. The ground for several miles is nicely
undulated, the alternation of hill and valley being very
gradual, affording at the same time excellent opportunity
for the practice of military evolutions, and the best
means of observation for spectators. Chobham, more-
over, is distant nearly four miles from Chertsey, the
nearest railway station, and is thus sufficiently removed
beyond the possibility of inconvenience from a rush of
the London mob by excursion trains on a review day,
The London. and South-Western Railway, wisely anti-
cipating a large accession to their Woking and Chertsey
traffic during the next three months, have already made
arrangements of the most complete character for the ac-
commodation of the public. The number of ordinary
trains will be increased, and a special express service
will be laid on for the convenience of the officers of the
camp and their friends, the hours of departure being so
arranged as to allow of travelling to and fro between
London and Chertsey at nearly all period of the 24
hours.

The preparations for the encampment are rapidly pro-
ceeding, although the progress yet made is not very per-
ceptible to the spectator. Standing upon the ridge of high
ground running across the centre of the common the eye
clearly takes in the line of the field, Which is already marked
out by lofty poles inserted in the ground, showing the
position of the various regiments. The cavalry will
occupy the extreme right of the field, extending from
the fir plantation in the valley looking towards Virginia
Water to the summit of the first ridge of high ground.
The Sappers and Miners will occupy a position next to
the cavalry, and they are to be followed by the troops
of the Household Brigade, who will occupy the centre.
The other foot regiments will come next, and the Rifle
Brigade and the Royal Artillery are to form the extreme
right, stretching out to Bagshot heights, the old line of
encampment, which, more than half a century since,
was the scene of a great military display, brought toge-
ther at the commencement of the French revolutionary
war. These heights are now partially under cultivation,
but the extreme right will just touch upon the old
ground, and it is a singular fact that some remains of
the huts built by the soldiers in 1798 still exist and will
come within the trenches of the present encampment.
The troops will be arranged in the form of a half circle
or crescent, and the lines will probably exceed three
miles in length. Only the south-western portion of the
common will be occupied, the opposite side being very
damp, and, from its marshy character, unsuited to
military operations. Indeed, the locality altogether is
damp, so much so that an order has been issued by the
Commander-in-Chief granting permission for the troops
to sleep on palliasses instead of upon the ground as
usual, and some anxiety has been expressed as to the
effect the marshy soil may have upon the health of the
valuable horses belonging to the Household Cavalry.
The irregularity of the surface and the broken character
of the ground will render the evolutions of the troops,
especially the cavalry, difficult, if not dangerous ; but,
as the object of the camp is to improve and perfect the
military education of the soldiers rather than to afford
them a summer's holyday, this circumstance has not
been considered objectionable at the Horse Guards.
It has already been stated that Lieutenant-General
Lord Seaton, G.C.8., G.C.M., G.C.H., an officer of
great distinction, is to have the command of the camp.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge will com-
mand the cavalry. In order to be within reach at any
moment both officers have secured residences in the im-
mediate vicinity. His Royal Highness has taken Bag-
shot-park, for many years the favourite residence of his
illustrious uncle, the late Duke of Glocester, and Lord
Seaton has agreed to occupy during the term Higliain-
lodge, the villa residence of Lord Vaux, of Harrowden.
Bagshot-park is about four miles distant from the camp.
Higham-lodge is almost on the field.
The preparations for the encampment have been en-
trusted to Colonel Edward Vicars, an officer of distinc-
tion in the Engineers, who is already actively engaged
on the spot. The commissariat will be under the con-
trol of Commissary-General Sir Randolph Routh,
K. C. B. _ _ -

..........._.
The following is a correct list of the various regi-
ments and battalions forming the camp ;—Cavalry.—
The Ist Regiment of Life Guards, under the command
of Colonel John Hall, from Windsor ; the 6th Regiment
of Dragoon Guards (Carabineers), under the command
of Colonel H. R. Jones ; the 13th Light Dragoons,
under the command. of Leutenant-Colonel C. 14.1". Do-
herty, from Hounslow ; and the 17th Regiment of Light
Dragoons (Lancers), under the command of Colonel
J. Lawrenson, from Canterbury. Infantry.—The Ist
battalion of the Grenadier Guards, under the command
of Colonel Thornton ; the let battalion of the Fusilier
Guards, under the command of Colonel Knollys ; the
Ist battalion of the Coldstream Guards, under the com-
mand of Colonel Bentinck ; the Royal Engineers
(Sappers and Miners) ; the Rifle Brigade ; several bat-
teries of the Royal Artillery ; the 38th Regiment (Ist
Staffordshire), under the command of Colonel Sir
John Campbell ; the 42d Royal Highland Regiment,
under Colonel Cameron ; the 50th Regiment, (the
Queen's Own), under Colonel Sidley ; the 93d
I Highlanders, under the command of Colonel Rothe ;
and the 95th Regiment (the Derbyshire), under the
command of Colonel Walter. The infantry will be di-
vided into three brigades, the first composed of the three
battalions of Foot Guards ; the second of the 38th Regi-
ment, tie 5,9 th Regiment, and the 95th Regiment ; and
the third of the 42d and 93d Highlanders and the Rifle
Corps. The muster-roll of the whole camp will amount
to something jail than 10,000 men.
It is intended that, after the first battalions of the
Household regiments have served for a certain period,
their places shall be supplied by the remaining battalions
of their respective corps, Bo as to give every soldier the
same opportunity of doing duty in the field. This duty,
as at present understood, will not be very light. No
day will pass without some active service, and, in addi-
tion to frequent reviews and sham fights, there will be
occasional " night surprises," involving a muster of the
whole camp in the shortest possible space of time. The
formation of pontoon bridges over the lake at Virginia
Water will be among the exercises engaged in by the
troops.
The force employed under Colonel Vicars at the pre-
sent moment in carrying out the preparations for the
encampment is not large. It consists only of 100 Sap-
pers and Miners from Chatham, and about the same
number of the 95th Regiment, with 22 picked men of'
Scots Fusilier Guards, under Sergeant Knox. The lat-
ter are employed in marking out the position of the vari-
ous regiments. The principal work upon which the
Sappers and the men of the 95th Regiment are now
engaged is the erection of camp stables for 1,200 horses.
This will be a heavy work, as, with a view to protect the
animals as much as possible, Lord Seaton has insisted
that a substantial sort of building should be erected. A
specimen stable was completed a few days since, His
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge met Lord Seaton
on the ground on Monday for thepurpose of deciding upon
its eligibility. Each stable occupies a space of about 20
feet by 12 feet, and is estimated to afford accommodation
for eight horses standing head to head. The lower por-
tion of the walls are of turf, supported by stakes, and the
upper portion consists of a trellis work of boughs of
Scotch fir closely intertwined, so as to keep out the cold.
The roof is of canvas, supported on four corner and two
central pine staves. There are two entrances—one at
each end, and it is not intended to affix any doors. In
order to accustom the horses as much as possible to the
change, the doors and windows of the stables belonging
to the cavalry regiments forming the camp are now left
open day and night. The specimen stable was approved
both by Lord Seaton and the Duke of Cambridge, and
the erection of the necessary number is now proceeding.
The other principal work has been the sinking of wells,
of which no less than 10 have beef '. completed in various
parts of the common. The water has generally been
found to be pretty good, but an unexpected difficulty has
arisen which will delay the completion of the necessary
number of wells for some short period. The subsoil being
of a sandy nature, it is absolutely necessary to Shore up
the sides of the well as the men dig. In this barren dis-
trict there is scarcely any other timber than fir procur-
able ; of that there is plenty on Government ground,
and the well diggers used it freely in shoring up their
work until it was discovered that the turpentine in the
green wood gave a brackish and very disagreeable taste
to the water. Well sinking was then stopped, and it
will not be resumed until a supply of beech timber is ob-
tained. The erection of stables for the cavalry, and the
completion of means for obtaining an adequate supply of
water, are the only important works to be done before
the camp is formed: Each regiment will bring its own
tents ; and even the Household Brigade will, it is ex-
pected, be able to pitch them with very little instruction
from the Sappers,
The camp will be formed on the 14th of June. Orders
have been issued for all the troops engaged to be upon
the ground on that day, and it is understood that a
grand review of the whole force will follow immediately.
A series of magnificent festivities are spoken of as
likely to take place during July and August. The officers
of the Household Brigade have determined upon keeping
up the brilliant character of their mess. Messrs. Gunter
have been applied to. on the subject, and, whether the
details be carried out by that firm or by any other, one
thing is certain, that the crack corps will on every suit-
able occasion dispense a gorgeous hospitality to their
brother officers and all who may be disposed to visit
them on the field. An embargo has been laid upon Mr.
Benjamin Edginton's splendid stock of marquees, and by
the aid of this gentleman's ingenuity and vast resources
the inhospitable character of Chobham-common will be
materially alleviated.
There are scarcely any public-houses in the neighbour-
hood, and whatever requirements arise on the part of
the public must be satisfied under marquees. With this
view several have already been engaged by speculators ;
one gentleman has taken a large farm-house, with the
intention of converting it into a tavern.
The old parish workhouse of Chobham is to be made
a military hospital. It has been occupied by a farmer
for some years, and he has been paid out. It stands in
a very convenient position in the rear of the camp.
It has been stated that the commissariat will be fur-
nished under the direction of Commissariat-General Sir
Randolph Routh. Mr. Crookshank, deputy-assistant
commissary-general, has been at Chertsey for some days
superintending the contracts which Sir Randolph Routh,
in the first instance, offered to the tradesmen in the dis-
trict. The inhabitants of Chertsey, however, do not
appear to have availed themselves of the advantages to
be anticipated. It was generally believed that Mr. La-
coste, a banker and miller in the town, would have
undertaken to furnish the required quantity, of flour-50
sacks per day, but it appears he has not done so, and
the only person whose energies have been called forth
by the occasion is "mine host" of the "Swan," who
intends laying on a number of omnibuses and well-ap-