The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-06 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Yesterday Major-Gen. A. J. Taylor, Inspector-
General of Royal Artillery, attended by his aide-de-
camp, Capt. S. J. Nicholson, commenced his annual
inspection of the forts, batteries, and other fortifica-
tions and defences in the Chatham district, in which
he will be occupied for some days. The inspection
yesterday was confined to the works comprising the
defences on the northern Kentish coast and on the
Essex shore, both commanding the entrance to the
Thames, and this occupied the entire day. Accom-
panied by Col. J. B. Riddell, C. 8., commanding the

Royal Artillery forces in the Chatham district, Col.
A. P. G. Ross, Col. S. Freeth, and Col. C. G.
Gordon, C. 8., commanding Royal Engineers at
Chatham, Sheerness, and Gravesend ; Colonel
Stewart, Royal Engineers, and other officers, Major-
Gen. Taylor inspected the batteries and forts at
Gravesend and Tilbury, proceeding down the river
afterwards to the fortifications now in progress at
Coalhouse-point on the Essex shore, and those at
Shornmeade on the Kentish side of the Thames.
Both these works are very extensive, and when
completed and armed with the powerful artillery
they are intended to mount, will effectually bar that
part of the Thames against the passage of any hos-
tile vessels, even supposing they could have suc-
ceeded in escaping the first and still more power-
ful line of defences at Garrison-point and the Isle
of Grain, which command the lower entrance to the
Thames, where it is joined by the Medway, with the
flank fire of the heavy long-ranged artillery on the
Essex side, at Shoeburyness. The fortifications at
Shornmeade and Coalhouse-point, now in course of
erection, have been rather more than two years in
building, and are nearly completed. Both forts
occupy the same sites as the small batteries erectPa
some years since, but which were ultimately re-
quired to be taken down to make wa
.37 ,v for the pre-
sent structures, which, when -
armed with the
description of ordnance they are intended to mount
will he among the unst powerful of their kind on
any part of the coast. To-day Major-General
Taylor will continue his inspection by visit-
ing the works in progress for the defence of
Chatham dockyard and arsenal, including the
powerful batteries, with the Martell° tower, erect-
ing on Grain-spit, on the NN estern bank of the
Medway, as well as the fortifications on the oppo-
site side of the river, at Garrison-point, together
with the formidable works which have been for
some years in progress at Folly-point and Bishop's-
marsh, midway between Garrison-point and Chat-
ham,
for the better protection of the dockyard and
other naval and military establishments at that
point.

Capt. Cairncross, Lieuts. Fortescue and Parker,
and 70 non• commissioned officers and privates,
Royal Marine Light Infantry, despatched from
Woolwich to reinforce the detachment at Deptford
during St. Patrick's festival, having been recalled,
yesterday returned to head-quarters, Woolwich.
Lieut.-Col. Freeth, Inspector of Ordnance in the
Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, assumed the duties of
Assistant-Superintendent of theßoyal gun factories,
in succession to Mr. John Anderson, appointed su-
perintendent of the machinery department, the
Ordnance department having been amalgamated
with that of the Royal gun factories. The appoint-
ment of Col. Freeth will be again void at the close
of the present year, at which time his full period of
five years' special service will terminate.

Col. Clerk, Superintendent of the Royal Carriage
Department in the arsenal, will be superseded at
the end of June by Lieut.-Col. Shaw, the present
Assistant-Superintendent of that department ; and
Col. Boxer, whose term of service as Superintendent
of the Royal Laboratory has expired, yesterday
entered on a second term of five years, to which he
has been appointed by the Secretary of State for
War.

The Pallas, 6, ironcased screw corvette, 2,372 tons,
Capt. Matthew Connolly, which has been completed
in Sheerness dockyard from the designs of Mr. E.
J. Reed, was inspected on Wednesday last by Ad-
miral Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.8., Commander-in-
Chief at Sheerness. previously to her being taken to
Portsmouth on Saturday for a series of trial trips.
The Ariadne, 2G, screw frigate, 3,214 tons, 800-
horse power, left Sheerness yesterday, accompanied
by the Medusa steam tender, for Portsmouth,
where she is to be brought forward for commission.

The Challenger, 22, screw corvette, 1,462 tons,
400-horse power, which since her last commission
has been undergoing extensive repairs and refit-
ments in Sheerness-dockyard, is to be commissioned
on the 9th inst., by Captain R. Maguire, for the
Australian and New Zealand service.
The Mullet, 5, screw gun-vessel, 430 tons 80-
horse power, which has been undergoing
xtenm
alterations and repairs in Sheerness dockyard, wasve
yesterday taken for a short preliminary run pre-
vious to the official trial of her engines.
We have to record the death of General Frederick
Campbell, Col.-Commandant 6th Brigade Royal
Artillery, which took place at Woolwich on Wed-
nesday last. The deceased obtained his commis-
sion and entered the service in January, 1797, was
First-Lieut. in 1799, Capt. in 1804, Brevet-Major
in January, 1814 ; Lieut.-Col. in November, 1828 ;
Regimental-Colonel in 1838; Major-General in
1851; Col.-Commandant of Artillery in 1852 ;
Lieut.-General in 1854, and General in 1859. Gen.
Campbell served in the Egyptian campaign of 1801,
including the actions of the Bth, 13th, and 21st of
March, the capture of Rosette, several engagements
on the march to and canture of Cairo, and after-
wards at the capture of Alexandria, and bore a
medal for services in Egypt. He was in the 85th
year of his age, and during the last twelvemonth he
had become much enfeebled and totally confined to
his house. His death had long been anticipated:
Mr. J. Thompson has been appointed principal
purveyor at Chatham garrison, succeeding Mr. T.
0. Hagger, who proceeds on foreign service.