The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-12 00:00:00

THE GRAND SIEGE OPERATIONS

AT CLIATHAM.

The siege operations, which have for some time
been looked forward to with so great a degree of
interest, took place yesterday, under the most favour-
able auspices. The storm of the preceding evening ap-
peared to have wrought a favourable change in the
weather; the barometer bore early indications of a fine
day, and with it rose the spirits of the expectant
thousands, crowds of whom at au early hour were seen
flocking to-the scene of action. Later in the day, whilst
the stream of pedestrians still continued unabated, con-
veyances of every description thronged the way, from
the rich equipage of the opulent to that of the most
humble. The Gravesend end Rochester Railway also con-
tributed its numbers to the general mass, while the
Medway Steam-packet Company supplied the means of
transit both above and below bridge, two steamers for
that purpose being apportioned to the inhabitants of
Sheerness and the Isle of Sheppey; and, for the first
time, a steam passage was opened to the inhabitants
of Maidstone, the Prince Alfred having been allotted
for that purpose. Many of the directors and others
connected with the Honourable East India Company ar-
rived here on the previous evening, and the inns
were crowded ; amongst them were the Chairman of the
Court of Directors, Lieut.-General Sir James Lushing-
ton, G.C.B. ; General Caulfield, General Galloway,
Major-General Sir C. Pasley, Major Oliphant, the Hon.
I). Melville, Sir James Hogg, Sir Henry Willock, Col.
Hay, Colonel Bonner, H. Alexander, Esq., W. B. Bailey,
Esq., J. Shepherd, Esq., Francis Warden, EF.q., W. H.
C. i'lowdcn, Esq., J. C. Whiteman, Esq., Sze. Rec.
Previous to the commencement of the operations,
every spot from which a view could be obtained was
oecupied by the public, the space filled by those admitted
by ticket to the more favoured situations being thronged
with ladies.

The ordinary works of a siege, on a small scale, hav-
ing been carried on during the present summer for the
practice of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and
men of the Royal and East India Company's Engineers,
and sappers and miners, on the space between the left of
Chatham Lines and the old Hornwork, which is bounded
at one extremity by the Terrace Bastion, and at the
other by Prince Frederick's Bastion ; it was pro-
posed on the present occasion to consider the
trenches as having been brought to their present
state by a beseiging army and then abandoned
and the siege raised in consequence of the arrival of a
superior force of the enemy, the attack to be renewed,
as it were, on the ,11th of August, by the following ope-
rations.—First, the storming of the outer line; and se-
condly, the re-occupation of the trenches, so as to ad-
mit of the more advanced works of the siege being
pushed on by mining and the formation of lodgments by
the Sap.
These operations on a grand scale were this day prac-
tically developed in the presence of Lieutenant-General
Sir James Lushington, G.C.8., Chairman, and the Court
of Directors of the Hon. East India Company, by the
Royal Engineer establishment and the garrison of Chat-
ham, under the orders of Colonel James Simpson, the
Commandant; Lieutenant-Colonel A. R. Harrison, com-
manding the Royal Artillery of the Medway district,
co-operating in the arrangements of the day,
directed the Artillery operations. The general arrange-
ments for the attacks were made by Colonel Sir Frederick
Smith, K.H., Director of the Royal Engineer establish-
ment, according to the orders received from the Com-
mandant. In the general arrangement of the various
operations Sir F. Smith was assisted by Captain C.
Fanshaw, staff-officer of the Royal Engineer establish-
ment; Lieutenant Lane Fox, of the Grenadier Guards;
and Lieutenant and Adjutant A. C. Gleig, of the Royal
Artillery, acting as staff-officers in the attack.
For the first operations Captain D. W. Tylee, of the
Royal Engineers, prepared the defensive (with the ex-
ception of the mines, which were conducted by Captain
the Hon. Alexander Gordon and Lieutenant Lane 17'ox,
of the Grenadier Guards); and Captain J. S. Barry, of
the Royal Engineers, the offensive works. For the
second operations Captain Tylee prepared the offensive,
and Captain Barry the defensive works, which were
lined with troops from the casemates to St. Mary's
Creek, artillery being placed in the flanks and in the
right branch of St. Mary's Hornwork. A squadron of
cavalry from the depot at Maidstone, detachments of the
Royal Artillery, of the Royal and East India Company's
Sappers and Miners, and of the provisional battalion,
constituted the garrison, commanded by Lieutenant-
Colonel T. E. Kelly, of the provisional battalion, as-
sisted by Captain the Hon. A. Gordon, of the Grenadier
Guards; Captain J. B. Pilgrim, of the 15th Hus-
sars; Captain Lord G. A. Beauclerk, of the 10th
Hussars; Lieutenant G. A. Schomberg, of the Royal
Marine Artillery; Captain 1). W. Tylee and Lieutenant
H. Y. D. Scott, of the Royal Engineers. In the first
series of the operations, Colonel Sir Frederick Smith
having the general direction of the attacking forces, the
assaulting party consisted of three columns—the left
column under the command of Lieutenant• Colonel J.
Stoyle, was formed of the left wing, and one company
of the right wing of the 17th Regiment, the light com-
pany of that regiment being thrown out as skirmishers
to cover the left and centre columns. The centre
column consisted of the Royal Artillery, commanded by
Captain W. T. Crawford, and the remainder of the 17th
Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel P.
M'Pherson, C. 8., of that corps. The right column,
commanded by Captain J. G. M'Kerlie, R.E., assisted
by Captain P. J. S. Barry, was composed of Royal and
East India Company's Sappers and Miners, detachments
of the Royal Marines and of the provisional battalion,
covered by skirmishers and preceded by an infantry
pontoon bridge, carried by 100 men of the provisional
battalion, Ensign P. D. Vigors, of the 11th Regiment,
being in charge of the pontoon party, and which bridge
was thrown across St. Mary's Creek.
The officer of engineers in command of the Sappers
and Miners of the right column, sent forward two par-
ties, each under command of an officer, to breach the
stockade that closed the passage round the left of St.
Mary's, and likewise to form a breach in the enclosure
wall of the fire barns, the first party carrying two bags
of powder, each of 1001 b., and four sand bags, and the
second party a similar number of sand bags, together
with two bags of powder, weighing 301 b. each. The
powder having been lodged at the foot of the enclosure
wall, the party of Royal and East India Company's
Sappers and Miners, under the command of Captain
Tylee, now evacuated the fire barns, and the explosions
which followed were most effective and magnificent, and
became the signal for the advance of the right column
across the creek, which being accomplished, an attack
was made on the fire barns, which were eventually occu-
pied by the assailants. The Sappers and Miners, pro-
vided with tools and gabions, as soon as the first parallel
had been occupied by the other two columns, do-
bouched from the fire barns, and proceeded along the
approaches to the third parallel.
Simultaneously with the crossing of the creek by the
right column, the centre and left columns advanced to
the escalade of the outer lines, covered by their skir-
mishers, but did not open their fire until they arrived at
the eounterscerp, when a brisk musketry fire was opened
on the gunners and infantry lining the parapets, the
skirmishers firing kneeling.
When the assailants reached the fence on the glacis,
the garrison opened a steady fire of artillery, and a rol-
ling fire of musketry, which they continued until the
ladders of the besiegers were placed against the scarp,
when, to avoid accidents, the " cease firing" was sounded,
and the garrison retired to the reverse of the first pa-
rallel. There were two sets of ladders; those first placed
on the counterscarp were removed across to the scarp,
and were replaced at the counterscarp] by a second set,
the ladders being carried by detachments of the provi-
sional battalion, a party oF Sappers and Miners at the
head of each detachment directing the operation of plac-
ing them. So soon as the storming parties had formed
in the ditch the skirmishers ceased firing, closed to the
ladders, descended the ditch, and formed the rear of the
assaulting party. _

.... _ _
A squadron of cavalry was then seen to sally from
the lines to take the assaulting left column in flank, but
after harassing the infantry they retired within the works
and again debouched for a similar attack behind the
casetnates, and finally withdrew to the inner line. This
part of the proceedings was brilliantly executed. On
the retirement of the cavalry, the left column imme-
diately formed on the rampart in column of quarter dis-
tance, facing the inner line, and prepared to " form
square" to resist a charge of cavalry. Tho Royal Ar
tillery, who were the first to mount the ladders, detached
as many men as would suffice to man the captured guns,
removing them into the besiegers' batteries, previously
firing on the cavalry and retreating infantry. The re-
mainder of the centre column then formed at quarter
distance, facing the inner works, and deployed and
opened a brisk fire on the retreating garrison; they then
advanced, and occupied the right of the first parallel,
thus forming the right wing of the besieging force; the
left wing formed of the left column at the same time de-
ploying and occupying the left of the first parallel.
The garrison, on retiring, disputed every inch of the
ground, and was supported by a fire of artillery from
Prince Frederic's and the Duke of Cumberland's bas-
tions. The attack of the field works next followed,
both wings forcing their way on to the second parallel,
driving the garrison within the interior works. The
sappers, moving on with gabions and tools, occupied the
approaches between the second and third parallels; the
assailants having first occupied the first, second, and
third parallels, gradually and under cover of the fire of
the troops in the third parallel, pushed on those from
the second to occupy the fourth parallel and the French
cavalier. The garrison, atter being driven from the
trenches, manned the left face of Prince Frederic's bas-
tion, both faces of the ravelin, and both faces of the
Duke of Cumberland's bastion. The French cavalier
and the head of the right sap were then most effectually
destroyed by mines. '
Now commenced the attack on the inner line, the
SSaappppeerrss workingu
saht e
da nf do r
wpushing c
roonw
n the
the tr eenncthoensn; 0 ti
rhse,
and thus connect them by flying sap. The entonnoirs
were occupied by light infantry, who kept up a well-
regulated fire ou the ravelin, and on the Duke of Cum-
berland's bastion, and a lodgment was formed by flying
sap under cover of the fire. The ravelin having been
most successfully breached by mines, and the assault
made on that work, the garrison retired from thence,
and passed through the sallyport to the inner lines, and
the " cease firing " was then sounded on both sides, thus
terminating the first series of the operations.
After an interval, the second series of the operations
commenced by the original garrison being marched
down, passing Field-work-terrace, in order to occupy
the trenches of the right attack. The previous assail.
ants now became the defenders of the front, extending
from the Duke of Cumberland's bastion to the Terrace
bastion, and occupying the redoubt in front of the
former. A steady fire of artillery and musketry was
kept up on both sides, and under this fire the redoubt
was taken by escalade. Previous to the evacuation,
lighted portfires• were placed in connexion with charges
en ler ti', re,luttb:, nod by powder the st'). kvie WtS
thrown down so as to open the gorge, the besieger. having
withdrawn from the redoubt to avoid accident
from the explosions fired by the garrison

in their retreat. A breach was then effected in
the Duke of Cumberland's bastion, which was entered
by the assailants simultaneously with an escalade of the
right face of the Terrace bastion. The right wing of
the besiegers consisted of the Provisional Battalion, un-
der the command of Lieutenant. Colonel T. E. Kelly, as-
sisted by Captain C. Fanshaw, of the Royal Engineers,
in command of a detachment of Sappers and Miners.
The left wing consisted of Sappers and Miners, and de-
tachments of Royal Marines, and of the Provisional Bat-
talion, under the command of Captain McKerlic, assisted
by Captain Tylee, E.E. The defence of the right wing
of the garrison was entrusted to Lieutenant-Colonel A.
E. Harrison, R.A., assisted by Captain W. T. Crawford,
of that corps, and Captain P. J. S. Barry, of the Royal
Engineers; and that of the left wing to Lieut.-Colonel J.
Stoyle, of the 17th, assisted by Lieut. M. Clifford, of the
Royal Artillery.
The above is a detailed outline of the operations per-
formed on this interesting occasion, which were all car-
ried into effect with the most admirable precision, and
must have been watched with lively attention by all mi-
litary men, of whom we observed a large number in plain
clothes amongst the general crowd. To the civilian,
also, they were a matter no less of wonder than of in-
terest. The arcane of the battle• field was thus, as it
were, in miniature laid open before them, only unat-
tended by the terrible casualties of war. The inte-
rest which they took in the grand drama enacted before
them may be imagined from the fact of this vast multi-
tude, amounting to some 30,000 souls, patiently remain-
ing on the ground from half-past ten o'clock in the
morning, when the pontoon operations commenced, until
six o'clock, when the mimic struggle terminated, in spite
of hunger, in spite of rain, which, during the lait hour,
fell pretty briskly. At the conclusion of the mimic
struggle the band played " God save the Queen," and
the mighty throng of spectators marched away to their
several destinations, all evidently animated with a strong
feeling of admiration of the gallant bearing of the bravo
men who defend an empire upon which the sun never
sets.

After the construction of the pontoon, and the cros-
sing of the besieging force, a long interval took place,
during which the Directors of the East India Company,
the several military visitors, and others capable of en-
tering into the details of such matters, inspected the
various works both for defence and offence, which had
been prepared on either side of the hill. It was two
o'clock before the troops belonging to the besieged gar-
rison marched down the hill to prepare a hot reception
for the foe; but before either party could fire a shot a
full hour and a quarter was occupied in clearing the
ground of the miscellaneous multitude of neutrals who
had quietly taken possession of the ground. " A clear
stage " having been at length obtained, by gently per-
suading the crowds of spectators to retreat into the
marshes; the operations commenced, and were thencefor-
ward carried on with wonderful vigour. The brilliant
charges of cavalry upon the left flank of the besieging
force, repeated three or four times, and the effective
resistance offered by the latter forming in chevaux
de frize, with • fixed bayonets, was in particular
an incident which was watched with the liveliest interest,
as the scene of the hostilities changed from spot to spot,
the crowds of civilians, undaunted by warnings of mines
being prepared here and there, followed closely upon the
heels of the belligerents; in many instances so closely
that the flying earth P.nd stones from exploding mines
fell about their shoulders. We only heard of one acci-
dent during the day, which occurred to a brave private,
who was knocked down by a piece of wood falling from
an exploded stockade. He was picked up, as was re-
ported, with his leg broken, but with such a spirit was
the brave fellow engrossed in the duties of the day, that
he refused to allow his musket to be taken from him, in-
sisting upon carrying it with him to the hospital.
In the evening a splendid dinner was served up at the
Sun Hotel, given on the occasion by invitation from the
Hon. Court of Directors to a party of sixty, including
the principal officers of the garrison and East India Com-
pany's service, at which Sir James Lushington, the
chairman, presided.

EAST LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY.
A general meeting of the shareholders in this line
was held yesterday at the offices of the Great Northern
Company, in Moorgate-street, when G. H. Packe, Esq.,
took the chair.

The advertisement convening the meeting having
been read, a report was submitted, the substance of which
was that the line between Great Grimsby and Louth,
fourteen miles in length, had been opened and worked
by the Great Northern Railway Company, since the Ist
of March, and that the traffic thereon has been very
satisfactory, considering its entirely local character;
that the Act of Parliament for the junction at Grimsby
with the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Rail-
way, had received the Royal assent;' and the works on
the line between Louth and Boston are nearly com-
pleted.
The whole line will be handed over to the Great
Northern Railway Company about the end of September;
and the guarantee of that company, of 61. per cent., will
come into operation on the Ist of October next; but a
call will be made of 2/. per share, the remainder of the
capital payable on the Ist of November next.
The cash accounts showed that the capital already re-
ceived on calls was 487,8171.; on advances for amount
received in advance of calls, 19,1321.; amount overpaid
on third call, with interest, 25/. ss. 7d.; loans on mort-
gage, received, 13,609/. Ils. 9d.; and from other sources,
3,359/. 2s. 3d.; making a total of 523,9551. 4s. 7d. The
expenses of obtaining the Act were 17,4911. Is. 7d.;
expenses subsequently, viz.—of land and compensation,
including valuation and expenses, 89,5411. 55. 9d.; of
construction of works, engineering and surveying, rails,
chairs, sleepers, treenails, turntables, switches, station
buildings, gas works, &c., 373,8901. 7s. 5d.; payment on
account of contracts for works, 140,0391. 111.9 d.; which,
with cash in the bankers' hands, 20,9331. 195., and some
minor items of expenditure, made up the balance.
The CHAIRMAN recapitulated the heads of the report,
which, after a little conversation, was unanimously
adopted; and thanks having been voted to the Chairman
and directors, the meeting'was dissolved.

NORTH-WESTERN RAIL WAY.
The August half-yearly general meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at twelve o'clock, at the Euston
Hotel; George Carr Glyn, Esq., M.P., in the chair. The
attendance of proprietors was very large.
The usual formularies having been gone through,
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to address the shareholders.
Before doing so he said it was due to the proprietors to
explain that from the multiplicity of the details of
the accounts the directors had found it utterly
impossible to fulfil the promise which he made
at the last meeting, to send a printed copy
round to the shareholders some time before
the meeting ; they found that that they could not do
this unless the meeting, and consequently the payment
of the dividends, were delayed. The directors were in
the hands of the meeting with respect to this; but he
did not know that on this occasion the directors would
have consented to do so, even had the shareholders, as
they wished, laid an unvarnished statement before
them, in order to put an end to the extraordinary de-
preciation of their stock which was now going ou.
—(Hear, hear.) He could not conceive, unless
the public supposed that the directors were
guilty of an accumulation of fraudulent management,
why their stock held its present position, which, he
need not tell them, was far beyond its real value.—
(Hear, hear.) The company had been depreciated in
the public estimation by printed attacks and reports,
which had been systematically levelled against it. The
most erroneous statements had gone forth. He was almost
ashamed to allude to the one which he denied with so
much amusement at the last meeting, that they were
going to close their line.—(Laughter.) Another
was, that owing to some difference between Mr.
Creed and the directors with respect to the ac-
counts, the former gentleman was about to resign; if
this had been true, well knowing the clear and ac-
curate knowledge which Mr. Creed possessed of the
accounts, he should have believed that there was some'
thing wrong in the financial affairs. To Mr. Creed he
had looked for information as to the financial condition
of the company from the first, and the management of
the
affairs,
evinced
theunder
utmostthe
integrity superintendence of the directors,
had and
activity
tivit_y of that
gentleman, not only in respect of the accounts, but in the
discharge of the whole duty entrusted to him; he pinned
his faith to him, and they might do the same.—(Hear.)
He had expressed a wish to resign, on account of his
increasing years, but, at the same time, stating that he
would be happy at all times to aid the company to the
best of his ability. The first vacancy in the direction
would be offered to him, and he trusted the shareholders
would be pleased to receive his services in that office.
The Hon. Gentleman then referred to a pamphlet, en-
titled " Bubbles of the Age," by Mr. Arthur Smith,
in which the narrow gauge lines were grossly at-
tacked. He quoted several passages,
many of the state-
ments of which he said were so general and inaccurate,
that he could not comprehend their purpose, there-
fore could not reply to , them, and denied emphatically
that the dividends were paid out of the capital,
or that the directors had ever rigged the market, as was
stated by the writer. The writer assimilated railway
property to the Union Bank of Calcutta at Bengal—a
sickly concern—the directors of which it was believed
were very blameable, since it was generally believed that
they had been guilty of a serious misappropriation of
the funds. He then alluded to the company of
copper miners of England in the city of London, which
had obtained some unenviable notoriety lately, as not
unlike a railway company. These were the two similies
or parallels; but the writer went on to asperse the con-
duct of a gentleman whom he styled the chairman of the
copper company, a governor of the Bank of England,
and the chairman of the Brighton Company, alluding,
as every one knew, to Mr. Grenfell, the Member for
Preston. Now, if there was one man in the city of
London opposed to the copper company it was that gen-
tleman. Having stated the new mode in which the so
counts were kept, the Hon. Gentleman said if the writer
of the pamphlet had done him the favour to read the
speech which he made on the last occasion he would
not have fallen into the errors he had, since he
had openly explained the nature of the accounts. He
did not know what were now the feelings of the writer
at the present moment, as Mr. Creed, so satisfied was he
of the perfect accuracy and honour of the accounts, had
invited him to inspect the account-books, and to satisfy
himself.—(Hear.) If any trickery were practised,
any erasure, omission, or additions, they must be dis-
covered by the vast number of clerks through whose hands
the accounts passed: nothing of the kind could be accom-
plished unless the directors suborned the servants of the
company to an incalculable extent. It was unlikely that
his friend Mr. Creed would have invited the writer to in-
spect the books if the directors had been guilty
of fraud.
Several Shareholders here inquired if the directors
knew anything of the writer of the pamphlet?
Mr. GLYN said he did not. The pamphlet bore his
name, and he assured the meeting he should not have
noticed it if his attention had not been called to it by
y
several shareholders in London and the provinces. T
writer• said he (Mr. Glyn) intended to resign if Lord
Monteagle's Audit Bill had been passed. N.ow, what
he he had always said was, and he now repeated it,tn"o
out
the management of railway companies was taken
of the hands of a majority of the shareholders,
and the directors were to have none of the management
and all the responsibility, that neither himself nor his
colleagues would consent to hold their offices.
A SHAREHOLDER here said that the writer of the
pamphlet had informed him, in a letter which he had in
his counting-house, that ho had been employed by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer to frame the two pamphlets
he had published in order that the public
might be made
aware of the nature of railway transactions.
Mr. GLYN was surprised to hear the statement. He
could not believe that Sir C. Wood, who was one of the
highest-minded men in existence, would employ any one
to do so without any communication with the authorities
of the companies, whom he was in the habit of
seeing from month to month.—(Hear, hear.) At the
last meeting he said they could not look forward to any
very rapid increase in the prosperity of the company.
The events on the Continent had retarded that restora-
tion. The difference between the receipts in the last
and year was scarcely perceptible, yet they had
not present
muchinereased, 1,200/. being about the amount.
They must, therefore, be prepared to submit to
a further reduction upon the dividend—to receive a divi-
dend of 31. 10s. per cent. for the last half-year.—(Hear,
hear.) There had been a saving of from 12,0001. to
13,000/. in the working expenses, notwithstanding they
had had to work 50 additional miles, and to purchase
new stock. This saving had been effected without de-
tracting in the slightest degree from the proper working
of the traffic, which during the past six months had been
conducted with more than usual regularity. They
had been enabled to materially increase their speed.
traffic,afe, There haanddbeaen increase a
nsmall decreasein
nthe
Governmentin duty and
the merchandise
parochial rates. They did not intend to ask them for
power to go to Parliament for any new lines, and those
already obtained would not be proceeded with 'without
the most mature consideration. (Cries of " Hear,
hear.") The Honourable Gentleman then adverted
to the dispute between the engine-drivers and the com-
pany. The directors thought it right to state that they
had no fault to find with the able locomotive superin-
tendent, and that they did not think it right to
interfere with the arrangements which had been
made under the sanction of the locomotive committee.
After all, the charges made by the engineers resolved
themselves very much into a personal and individual
charge against the superintendent. There was very little
more in it than that, and disposed as they were to deal with
any class of their servants in the most liberal
way possible they had not thought it right to allow those
who hold subordinate situations to dictate to the
executive whether or not the superintendent whom they
had appointed, In whom they had faith, and whom
they found zealous, active, and intelligent, was a proper
officer for their service or not.—(Hear, hear.)
He was happy to state that their other artificers had come
forward in a most excellent spirit, and that they had re-
ceived such assistance from the north, and from other
public establishments, that they would be able,
without the slightest difficulty, if these mis-
guided men still pursued the course they were at present
pursuing, to carry on the public service without the
slightest detriment, he hoped, to the public safety.—
(Hear.) After saying that the company would be happy
to receive the men again into their service
who had not misconducted themselves in the course of
those proceedings, he concluded by moving the adop-
tion of the report.
In reply to several questions, the CHAIRMAN stated
that the amount of capital invested in lines on which
no dividend was paid was 4,100,0001. The opinion
of the directors with respect to the Trent Valley re-
mained unaltered. Its directors considered that it
would pay 10/. per cent., but all must be aware that it
must subtract a great portion of the traffic from the
North- Western. It was one of those lines which
it was absolutely necessary for the North- Western
to ally itself with, otherwise it might have got into the
hands of hostile parties. The traffic on the Caledonian
was increasing; they were not going to subscribe any