The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-22 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 22, 1858.

PUBLICATIONS.

INSCRIBE!) TO THE M RCHIONESS OF HASTINGS.
Now ready, at all the Libraries, in 3 vols ,
THE NEW NOVEL, "RUMOUR"
By the Author of
" CII AIME.; A UCHESTER,r &c.
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Fourth Edition, revised and enlarged, I Os. 6d.,
A.CON'S ESSAYS. With Annotations by
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London : John W. Parker and Son, West Strand.

FEIST'S RACING RECORD for 1858.
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pica two shillings.

W. Wright, Falwood's Rentg.lborn.

THE VAMP AT ALDERSHOT.

The military season at Alde shot seems as if fast
apprcaching its terrnina;ion sterday was the
last of its gala field-days, and within a few weeks
more even ordinary reviews will finish, many of the
troops go into barracks, the picturesque can►on-
ments at Cove-common will be broken up, and all
the camp abandoned to that dust, rain, and wind
for each and all of which it is sa widely and so
justly celebrated.
It is, perhaps, from foreseeing this period of forced
repose, and justly proud of displaying the results
which have be en achieved among the troopsin camp
by the care and vigour of li;o1 military administration,
that his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
gave one more grand field-day yesterday. The
weather on this occasion was, if not all that could be
desired, at least more than could reasonably have
been expected at Aldershot. During the previous
night it had rained heavily, so that the temperature
of the black heathy common was reduced below
blood heat, while the dust was mitigated to such a
degree as to allow all the ordinary evolutions to be
seen, and only when something occurred of unusual
into! est, such as a charge of cavalry, did it rise in
clouds and obscure everything. His Royal,High-

uess, attended by Lord liurgherett and Qcl. Gordon,
arrived iu camp by 9 o'clock, and their Aoyal High-

nesses the Duchess and Plincess Mary of Cam-
'midge and the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburgh-
Strelitz, at' ended by Baron Knesebeck, also came
down by a later train to honour the review with
their presence. In addition to these illustrious
visitors there was a considerable muster of rank
and fashion from the metropolis, so that, on the
whole, the'hills overlooking the Long Valley pre-
sented as gay and animated an aspect as we have
ever seen, even on the very brilliant Royal field-
days.
The troops paraded early, and marching at first
from the North and South Camps, traversed the
whole extent of the Common and Lang Valley,
pouring in masses up the steep bold hill of Caesar's
Camp, and extending far along the right of that
eminence among the woods and enclosures over-
looking and flanking the Winchester-road.
Zlte whole force ou the ground was upwards of
21,000 men, divided into five cavalry regiments, 19
regiments of infantry, 30 guns, and detachments
from the Engineers and Military Train. As this
fare:3 moved along the various routes towards the
intended scene of action, climbing the steep ridges
of the Roman camp, winding by the side of corn
or struggling in rich disarray through bright green
plantations, an endless succession of the most strik-
ing situations was produced, iu uhtch the pieta-
reaquevess of the scenery, combined with all the
Titter and splendour of a military spectacle, had a
most brilliant and imposing eirec'.
The troops took up their position at once, but of
course the line occupied by such a body of men and
horse extended over a cons el, iab'e tract,of country,
the extreme wings of the army being more than a
mile and a-half apart at times. The right centre
of the position was Caesar's Camp, which was occu-
pied in force by the 2d Brigade, under Major-Gen.
Spencer, consisting of a battalion of the Grenadier
Guards, the sth Foot, four companies of the 60th,
with the Cheshire, Oxfordshire, Stirliugshire, and
East Kent Militias, and a battery of Field
Artillery. Oa their left and rear was the 3 d
Brigade, under Major-General Lawrence, corn
posed of the 15th and 67th Foot, the 3d West
York, South Donegal, and Dublin Militias, and
ono field battery. The right wing, extending
towards the Winchester-road, and parallel with
it, was formed by the 2d Brigade, under Lord W.
Paulet, consisting of the 36th and 90th Foot, the
21 Warwick Militia, Ist West Yorla*Ales, 414 the
Limerick and Kerry Militias, and it battery of
Artillery. On the extreme right front of all, with

the Horse Artillery, Major-Gen. Lawrenson com-
mand:A a portion of his cavalry brigade, consisting
of the 4th Light Dragoons, 10th and nth-Hussars.
The heavy cavalry, the 2d Life Guards, the 4th Irish
Dragoon Guards, remained slightly in advance of
the centre, under Caesar's Camp, in dense glittering
masses—the thunderbolts of horse, not to be used
till it was necessary ti deal a dreadful blow, and
sweep the enemy from the field.
The evolutions of the sham fight which Lllowed
were exceedingly simple and slow, and in this re-
spect they mere perfectly resembled a real battle
than any display of the kind we have seen at Alder-
s'aot. The manoeuvres of some 22,000 men require
an amount of time and space to accompli,h them
properly which civilians would scarcely believe, so
the field-day yesterday, though apparently less
striking, was indefinitely more perfect and better
adapted for displaying the real efficiency of the
troops than the mere continuous fusillade which
often passes current for a sham battle at camp.
Ihe enemy were supposed to have advanced in
force, and to be attacked on the extreme right front
by the camp forces. The action, therefore, com-
l.-s:need on that point with a sharp skirmishing fire
among the plantations and along tiro hedgerows,
which gradually swelled into continued firing as
the riflemen were reinforced by the light companies
from some of the regiments of the Ist and 2d Bri-
gades. The Light Cavalry, supported by the Horse
Artillery, manoeuvred on the flanks of the skir-
inishers, covering their advance, keeping in the
clear ground so as to hold the enemy in check, and
bringing their guns to bear from every little emi-
nence. Thus, contesting step by step, the onward
movement was continued, and a sputtering, irre-
gular line of fire, leaving its little puffs of white
smoke far behind, marked how far the defence and
attack extended.
The advance lasted some time, till the field guns
in Ccesar's camp, and on the right of the position,
came into action with great effect, and a close,
rolling fire of artillery thundered far, and wide,
spreading its veil of thin smoke over the country,
drowning the ratle of the skirmishers, and almost
hiding them, when, amid orchards and hedge rows
and quiet little nooks, they still contested, fighting
from every clump and bush, then running rapidly
across the open ground in groups of threes and

fours.
This advance, as we have said, lasted a consider-
able time, the skirmishers having to wait till the
andline . a
ar illety and cavalry, winding round the woods by
tortuous roads, came up again to their support.
general ad-
Gradually, however, the open ground leading into
theva n
ceThe infantry
brigades, covered by a tremendous fire of artillery,
CamptoCl:lam:lle aolnonwgatshgeaNivnheodl'e
pushed down into the plain by contiguous columns
and columns of companies, while the heavy cavalry
covering and supported by a battery of field artil-
lery, moved on to the front to effect a junction with
the light horse, which were sweeping all before
them. At this time the scene was most brilliant and
exciting. From all the rugged heights of Caesar's
Camp troops came pouring down in dense red
streams—regiment after regiment and brigade after
brigade—till the green turf in the distance seemed
studded will brilliant parterres of many colours.
From hills an 1 valleya out upon the common, and
concealed in woods and clumps of firs, guns were
posted, pouring out their broad streams of hot red
flame and smoke, till the air seemed to vibrate pain-
fully with their concussionß, and everything was
hidden from view. The Life Guards, too, came
down the hill glittering in the sun like a stream of
silver, and contrasting finely with the brass helmeted
squadrons and rich crimson nidforms of the dra-
goons, who rode besido them. The three regiments
of light cavalry charged to cover the ad vauce, sweep-
ing across the plain with a rush like a whirlwind,
till their roar and glitter were swallowed up in the
dense- black clouds of dust that rose behind them,
and rested a broad sombre mark across the land-
scape, as if denoting the ruin that had accompa-
nied the charge.• Wheeling round and returning,
the light cavalry halted as the heavy brigade ad-

varkced step by step, till the charge rang out from
the hugleq, and away they went across the common
with a hoarse grumbling noise like distant thunder
—the mass of horses shaking the very earth, and
scattering the turf like spray behind them. Three
or four of these terrific charges followed each
other in rapid Succession, all executed with a per-
fection of discipline and good order that seemed
astonishing. Under cover of these the Ist and 2d
brigades advanced in a line extending at least a mils,
supported on either flank by artillery, and with
the-3d brigade in quarter-distance column in re-
serve behind. The cavalry made way for them,
falling beck rapidly on either side in dense masses.
During this manoeuvre the heavy brigade ap-
proached so new the hill on which the British pub-
lic were stationed that the latter began to exhibit
considerable unsteadiness, and at last retreated in
disorder on a battery of artillery, and thence pro-
ceeded to muddle themselves up with a portion of
the Guards in the most hopeless confusion. In this
state they remained without an effort at extrication
till the troops moved on and lift them—many of
the spectators apparently not a little relieved and
astonished to find that the rules of the service per-
mitted their lives being spared on such an occasion.
Arrived at the plain the infantry halted, and com-
menced a heavy file fire, which extending along a
line of upwards of a mile had a grand effect. The
whole mass thcm advanced en echelon to the hills near
Long Valley, and, halting, threw th-mselves into
pqnare3 to receive cavalry, and so remained, firing
by volleys and file firing for a considerable time.
This was a final movement, for the infantry and the

light and heavy cavalry continued advancing in turn,
throwing out skirmishers to watch the movements
of the retreating foe, while the rest of the troops
gathered up for marching past H. 11. H. the Com-
mander-in-Chief. This latter evolution 'WA a
considerable time, the cavalry and ho; se artillery
coming first, and the infantry brigades and field
batteries in their regular order. Tito appearance
of all the corps, almost without a single exct-ption,
was admirable. The militia regiments during the
last few months have so profit.cd by the care and
training bestowed upon tilem as to be now equal
to the best regiments of the line. The rapidity
and accuracy with which they ivarceurr<•d yt s-
terday showed that all that the camp could
teach them had been well and thoroughly learnt,
and some of the regiments might fairly be takt.n
as standard specimens of our Engl'sh troops. The
marching past of all yesterday was very good,
though the Stirlingshire mid Kerry Aliitias were
among the best. Among the regular trot ps tl:e
15th and. 38th were very good. It is almost unne-
cestaty to mention the Guards, as their marching
ha,,t long been beyond even rivalry.
Immediately after the review the Royal visitors
returned to town. The railway arrangements were