The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-01 00:00:00

TBE CAMP AT CIIOSHAM COMMON.

On Saturday Catlin's-valley was once more the scene
of one of those sham fights which • are rapidly winning

for it quite a reputatioi; in its way. If the field of the
Cloth of Gold is still remembered, and poets by mere

•
description can give celebrity to spots where imaginary
battles have been fought, surely the Chobham campaign

will make this valley famous.
The division turned out at 11 o'clock, and concen•
trated in the hollow in front of the camp of the Ist am

2d brigades. Here they remained for some time, drawn
up in masses of battalions, Sir Richard England's bri-
gade in front, behind it that of Lockyer ' • the Guards in
the rear, on the left, and the cavalry and Horse Artillery
also behind, on the right. The enemy had taken up a
position on the Common in a north-westerly direction,
its right extending towards the heights which close
in the valley in that direction, while its left rested
upon an enclosed space which here juts into the
heath. Suddenly the Ist and 2d brigades and
a portion of the cavalry took ground to the left,
mid, advancing up come sloping ground which effec-
tually concealed their movements, formed in masses of
battalions in a sheltered situation, whence they prepared
to assail and turn the enemy's right. This was a very skil-
fully executed manoeuvre,. revealed only to the opposing
force, when the men of the 7th poured over the height
upon them, throwing out skirmishers and deploying into
line, which opened a vigorous fire. The artillery sup-
ported the attack on either flank, and while the
attention of the enemy was thus pre-occupied, the
whole division was formed into a splendid line, which,
following the undulations of the valley, had an exceed-
ingly picturesque effect. The 7th having retired, a heavy
discharge of musketry commenced, and the left of the
division having been thrown forward, the most strenuous
efforts were made to drive back the enemy's right
and centre. These, however, proved ineffectual, and
the troops been withdrawn into shelter, the bat-
teries took up the attack, and the field for some time
presented a striking picture of the manner in which
that arm of the
.service is brought to bear in gene-
ral actions. After a tremendous cannonade, the guns at
length mastered the high ground on which the enemy's
right rested, and the whole division, quickly advancing
and throwing out, skirmishers, compelled Col. Vicars
and his determined little band to retreat. The Guards
were now upon the right, Lockyer's brigade in the
centre, beyond this Sir Richard England's brigade,
while the cavalry and Horse Artillery were on the ex-
treme left of the line, which gradually changed its front
as the enemy's right fell back. The division having
gained the shelter of the enclosure wall, and deployed
into line behind it, resumed file-firing there, but failed to
make any further impression on the enemy, and the
advance was at once converted into a precipate retreat,
covered by the cavalry. The Duke of Cambridge had
great difficulties to contend with in the nature of the
ground, but, nevertheless, he did his work well, making
one brilliant charge, which the enemy repulsed by their
Lilliputian squares. His squadrons threw out skir-
mishers, and otherwise showed the facilities `which
cavalry possess for checking the advance of an opposing
force. Several of the men were unhorsed in these ma-
noeuvres, which did not terminate till the Guards were
encountered drawn up in line of battalions and covering
the retreat of the division. It may be remembered that
towards the east front of the Camp the lower part of
Catlin's valley becomes swampy, and that a bridge has
been thrown accross, which, when the first division was
under canvass, was made subservient to a very brilliant
field-day. Then the object was to throw the troops
across the bridge, the low grounds being supposed
impassable, and to withdraw them again to the
south side when in retreat, making the marsh itself
a strong line of defence against the further advance
of the enemy. The last manoeuvre was repeated
with the new division on Saturday, and, as on the
previous occasion, was exceedingly effective. Before
the enemy, checked in its advance by the cavalry, had
reached that part of the valley where the Guards were
drawn up, Sir Richard England's and Lockyer's brigades,
diminishing their fronts, had already passed over the
morass, the south side of which they lined, ready to
cover the retreat of the division. The artillery also,
• the heights on the same side, opened a tre-
crowning
mendous cannonade, and as the cavalry retired across
the marsh, the Guards, by battallions extended in line
. skirmishing, stoutly held the enemy at bay. The
and, Y• this mat.ceuvre is certainly finer than any-
enip d'a4l ofl-* d •
thing else olts' witnessed by us during the en-
campment. novelty of effect was somewhat marred
by repetition on Saturday. and we missed here'
pro as else-
where, the Rifles, who did their work so appropriately
and well in the old division ; but still thereawpasthe same'
brilliant military condensation and the same amphi-
theatric effect. As the Guards slowly withdrew from
the north side of the marsh, the two other foot brigades
from the south side deployed into line and opened upon
the enemy a tremendous flanking fire. The artillery
blazed away from the heights, and the eastern end of
the valley was wrapped in smoke. At length the whole
of the division had safely passed over, and established
itself in overpowering strength immediately below the
head-quarters. Had Colonel Vicars persevered, he might
have captured Lord Seaton, and stormed "the Magnet;
but he satisfied himself with his success so far, and, xi,
seeking to provoke fortune more, the evolutions termi
nated, each regiment gallantly took its way back to
camp, with its band playing ; and shortly afterwards
the crowds of spectators who had assembled to witness
the operations were returning to town again, highly
gratified by all that they had seen.
One consideration that must strike all visitors to
Chobham is the effectual deathblow there dealt to al
those notions of personal heroism which, from the time
of Homer downwards, have constituted the romance o
war. Modern history has not neglected to point out
this great change, but we who never see military evolu-
tions on a great scale have some difficulty in realising
the truth that even the shield of Achilles would now be
no protection, that brigadiers and generals in command
do not meet in hand-to-band encounters, and that the
days when individual prowess could earn distinction in
the field are over. The camp will at least undeceive
those to whose heated imaginations battles are a suc-
cession of single combats such as we see fought at the
Surrey against desperate odds for the sake of some dis
tressed petticoat. Minie rifles extinguish warriorship,
and we find in reality, as we have often been told, that
an army is made up of soldiers as solidly, regularly, and
substantially as a house is made up of bricks. In truth,
nothing can be conceived more cold, systematic, or-
derly, and mechanical than that gigantic power to which
not only the rights and the interests, but even the pas-