The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-19 00:00:00

TILE Al Lifir

We have to record the death of Major-Gen. Wm.
Freke Williams, K.H., who died on the 12th inst.
at Bath, at the age of 68 years. 'The late General
served in Senegal, Goree, and Sierra Leone during
1811 and 1812, and in the Peninsula from August,
1813, to the end of the war, including San Sebas-
tian, the passage of the Bidassoa, battles of Nivelle
and Nive (the 11th, 12th, and 13th of December),
and the investment of Bayonne. In 1814 he pro-
ceeded to America, under Gen. Ross, and was
wounded at the battle of Bladensburg, first slightly
in the left arm, and again severely by a musket ball
through the left shoulder. He served subsequently
for several years in the West Indies, and he was
sent on a particular service to Canada during the
insurrection in that country in 1838 and 1839,
whence he returned in June, 1843, and soon after-
wards proceeded to Ireland. For his military ser-
vices he was made a Knight Companion of the
Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, and had received
the silver war medal with three clasps for St. Sebas-
tian, Nivelle, and Nive. The last appointment he
held was Brigadier-General at Malta. His commis-
sions were dated as follows :—Ensign, August 30,
1810; Lieut., June 10, 1811; Capt., October 31,
1814; Major, April 9, 1825; Lieut.-Colonel, June
28, 1838 ; Col.,Nov. 11, 1851; and Major-General
April 14, 1857.
The Christmas examination of the gentlemen
cadets of the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich
having been brought to a close on Monday, the Duke
of Cambridge, President of the Council of Education,
yesterday attended at the institution, and presented
the prizes which had been awarded by the Council
of Military Education at their examination. The
Duke had originally appointed 11 o'clock as the
time for his arrival, and shortly before that hour
yesterday morning a telegram was received by Sir
Richard Dacres announcing his inability to reach
Woolwich before 12 o'clock. The arrangements
were accordingly retarded, and the whole of the
cadets, numbering 187, having been mustered on
parade, in command of Major Williams, R.A., at
half-past 11 were drawn up in double line to await
his Royal Highness's arrival and inspection. There
was a large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen,
relatives and friends of the cadets and the professors,
present, and Gen. Sir R. Dacres and Staff rode up
precisely at 12 o'clock from the barracks. At one
the Duke arrived, attended by Lieut.-Col. Clifton,
A.D.C., and was received by the Governor and the
respective officers of the establishment. His Royal
Highness, referring to the inconvenience which he
had unavoidably occasioned, stated that he had just
come up from Windsor, where he had been de-
tained. The Duke then proceeded to the front of
the line, when the cadets fell into open order and
presented arms, the band of the Royal Artillery
performing " God save the Queen." His Royal
Highness then went through an inspection of the
line, and retired to the front, when Major Williams,
having received the Duke's commands, put the
cadets through a course of manual and platoon
exercises, which they went through with remark-
able proficiency and aptitude, eliciting repeated
marks of approbation from the Duke. Each of the
senior officers was afterwards called forward in suc-
cession, and was ordered to command a series of
drills, which were performed with an equal degree
of satisfaction and approval ; and, having marched
past, they repaired to the grand hall, where his
Royal Highness presented to the successful compe-,
titors who had obtained the greatest number of
marks the following prizes :—To Mr. J. Saunders,
for exemplary conduct while at the institution, a
dress sword ; to Mr. Ford, for excelling in artil-
lery, a field telescope ; to Mr. H. Smith, an aneroid
barometer, for surveying and field works; to Mr.
Alston and Mr. Castle, a microscope each, for pro-
ficiency in chymistry and geology, and also to Mr.
Nixon, for natural philosophy ; to Mr. Hill, for Ist
mathematics, a pocket sextant ; and to Mr. Hemans,
for the same study, a prismatical compass; to Mr.
J. Saunders, for Ist fortification, a double telescope;
to Mr. Townsend, for 2d fortification, a prismatical
compass; and to Mr. Firebrace a similar prize, for
descriptive geometry; to Mr. Loraine, for French,
3 vols., by Brialmont, of the " Life of Wellington,"
and also a double telescope for landscape drawing;
to Mr. Begbie, for German, a work entitled
" Gescchichte Friedrichs des Grossen ;" to Mr.
Irwin, for plan drawing, a double telescope ; and
to Mr. Poole, for landscape drawing, a pillar compass.
The Duke addressed the cadets as on former
occasions, exhorting them to lose no opportunity

of gaining that knowledge of their profession
which might enable them to occupy the highest
and most honourable positions, and more especially
now that the amalgamation had taken place be-
tween the Queen's and the Indian service, to either
of which they could now aspire. On his retiring
from the establishment the cadets fired a royal
salute from their own guns on the parade, when
his royal highness, accompanied by the whole of
the officers in attendance, remounted and proceeded
to Woolwich-common to inspect the batteries of
_Royal Artillery brought out for that purpose. The
duke, having partaken of refreshment with Gen.
Dacres, left Woolwich at 3 o'clock for London. On
leaving the garrison the usual salute of 21 guns
consequence was fired by the Royal Artillery.
coinnsecqhi
and
of
China A report has been current for the last two days
in Woolwich to the effect that,
n
theother
th er present
circumstances, cessation
theo formation
of the 16th hostilities
Bri-
gade of Royal Artillery by the volunteers of the
Tipperary Militia had been abandoned. The report
however was yesterday stated, on information of
the highest authority, to have no foundation, as
measures are still in progress for the speedy for-
mation of the brigade. The fact, from its earliest
announcement, has created much uneasiness among
all grades of the Royal Artillery, on whom, it is
feared, the measure would fall with extreme seve-
rity and injustice, while it would, moreover, create
general ill-feeling throughout the regiment.
The examination of candidates for admission to
the Commissariat, before the Council of Military
lege, Chelsea. There wyereupwadr
Education, took place esterday, as toft
2h
oe Royaland d a Ct
eoBl-.
The examination of candidates for the Royal
Military College, Sandhurst, before Major-General
"wleY and the members of the Council of Military ,

Education, commenced yesterday at the Royal
Hospital, Chelsea, the examination on Monday
being confined to the medical examination. There
were about 50 candidates.

the Royal
n Monday
on. There