The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-31 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The chartered East India troopship Edmund
Graham, 927 tons, Commander John Henderson,
arrived at Gravesend yesterday from Calcutta with
sick and wounded troops from the various regi-
ments serving in India, and also a large party of
non-commissioned officers and men of the Bengal
Artillery and the Bengal Fusileers, who have ac-
cepted their discharge under the Royal warrant,
and returned to this country. The Edmund
Graham left Calcutta on the 31st of August, and
arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on the 2d of No-
vember, where the vessel was detained until the
6th. St. Helena was reached on the 21st of No-
vember, the vessel sailing the same day, the passage
to the Thames occupying 121 days, caused chiefly
by rough weather and contrary winds. The num-
ber of troops who embarked at Calcutta was 201
men of all ranks, belonging to the 9th Lancers,
Military Train, Royal Artillery, 3d (Buffs), sth
(Fusileers), 6th, Bth (the King's), 13th (Prince
Albert's Light Infantry), 19th, 20th, 29th, 34th,
37th, 38th, 52d (Light Infantry), 53d, 54th, 57th,
61st, 64th, 67th, 73d, 75th, 77th, 79th (Highlanders),
84th, 88th (Connaught Rangers), 97th, and 99th
Regiments. and the Rifle Brigade, with 44 dis-
charged men of the Bengal Fusileers and the Ben-
gal Artillery, six officers, and 10 women and chil-
dren. The officers in chute of the troops were
Captain C. H. Browne, 97th Regiment, and Ensign
T. 1). A. Mackinlay, sth Fusileers, the whole being
in medical charge of Assist.-Surg., F. J. Shortt,
23th Regiment. Lieut. B. J. Caldecott, 3d Buffs,
and Assist.-Surg. C. Beaufoy, 25th Regiment, came
home as passengers. Lieut. J. Mayo, 38th Regi-
ment, who has become insane from over exertion in
India, also arrived with the troops, and on landing
was iorwardcd to the lunatic asylum, Chatham.
During the voyage seven deaths occurred on
board, including one man of the Bengal Artillery,
one of the 3d Buffs, one of the 20th, one of the 79th,
and one of the 99th. At the entrance of the Chan-
nel, and when the vessel was off Land's End, a man
of the Rifle Brigade jumped overboard, and a heavy
gale prevailing at the time frustrated the attempts
made to save him. After the invalid troops had
been landed at Gravesend they were conveyed to
Fort Pitt, Chatham, where, on their arrival, they
were immediately inspected, when 23 men who
were found to be suffering from wounds or disability
were admitted into hospital, and the remainder sent
to St. Mary's Barracks, to await their discharge.
The East India troops were all sent on to Black-
wall, where they were landed, and the Royal Ar-
tillery at Woolwich. Most of the disabled troops
received their wounds before Lucknow, where
nearly all the invalids were engaged.
A system for the transmission of large bodies of
troops by railway in the most expeditious manner
having been organised by Mr. P. D. Finnigan,
manager of the London, Chatham, and Dover Rail-
way, and submitted to the Duke of Cambridge, a
practical illustration of the method was successfully
made yesterday at the Chatham station, where a
number of the troops from the garrison were drawn
up. By order of Major-General Eyre, a detach-
ment of 96 men, not including non-commissioned
officers, were marched into the station, and drawn
up in front of three second-class carriages, when,
Mr. Finnigan having explained his principle and
given a practical illustration of the same to Brigade
Major Gordon, the men were (nacre(' to al.:Ana:lop
their knapsacks and take their places in the car 7
riages, which after two or three attempts they were
able to do with the greatest ease and regularity,
the whole number taking their seats in less than
one minute. By Mr. Finnigan's system the whole
proceeding is arranged with the greatest regularity,
and, as it is a question, not of numbers, but of
carriage accommodation, the movement being
simultaneous, it matters not whether a train is
composed of 30 carriages and 960 men, or of only 3
carriages and 96 men, as it can be filled and started
in less than three minutes from the time of the
arrival of the troops at the station.
Orders have been received at Chatham for 100
men of the Medical Staff Corps to be held in readi-
ness to proceed to China. The men are to be in
readiness to embark on board the Melbourne and
Mauritius screw steamers on Jan. sth.

TEE MILITARY RIOT AT ALD_ERSIIOTT.

Yesterday morning the adjourned inquiry into
the death which resulted from this outbreak on
Christmas night last, was resumed at the Tilbury
Hotel, Aldershott, before Mr. Samuel Chandler,
deputy-coroner for Hampshire.
The jury, who were rather behind time in assem-
bling, having answered to their names, were about
to proceed with the inquiry, when it was found that
not a single witness of any kind, either connected
with the 24th or Tower Hamlets Militia, was in
attendance, though the adjournment of the inquiry
till 10 o'cock yesterday morning was previously
well-known and the witnesses had been ordered to
be in attendance at that hour.

After some delay Colonel Wood, C. 8., Assistant
Adjutant-General, entered the room and inquired
of the coroner if he thought it likely the inquiry
would conclude that day, as General Knolly s was
anxious to get the 24th off to Cork as soon as
possible:
Mr. Chandler replied that the evidence was not
likely to last more than a couple of hours or so, but
that at present both himself and the jury were at a
complete stand still, owing to the absence of the
witnesses who were ordered to attend. _ _

Colonel Wood accordingly promised that the wit-
nesses should be telegraphed for from the North
Camp at once.
During the rather long interval which then
elapsed Mr. inspector Howard, of the Hampshire
constabulary, stated, in reference to the bullet hole
found through the window of the 24th quarters,
and which was sworn by the men of the 24th to
have been fired into the room by the Militia, and
by the Militia to have been fired out of the window
at them, that at last the missing bullet had been
found. It was deeply embedded in a post opposite
the window on the outside, showing clearly, there-
fore, that the shot had been fired from the quarters
of the 24th into those occupied by the Tower Ham-
lets. At about 20 minutes to 11 the missing wit-
nesses came in from the North Camp, when the
inquiry was resumed.
Edward Trevor Dunne, Lieutenant or the 2d bat-
talion of the 24th, said—Un the evening of the
25th, while at mess, I received an order from Major
Finck to join my company. I proceeded at once
with the other officers to the West Block barracks,
where there was a very great disturbance going on.
On my way there I heard several repoits of fire-
arms, and on reaching the barracks I saw distinctly
flashes of rifles beir.g discharged on both sides of
the barracks. I went at once to my company, No.
.0, and part of which were in the second and part
in the top floors. Themen named Hatton and Wil-
liams are in my company and, I believe, are quar-
tered in the top floor. I went to that floor and
found Sergeant Rowbotham getting. the men toge-
ther . into one of the upper rooms, and Hatton and
Williams were then reported absent. I went out-
side then into the gallery, and saw Private Wil-
liams with his rifle at his shoulder, taking aim. He
pulled the trigger and the cap snapped. I distinctly
saw him, though the night was very dark, as the
light from the room close by was on his face. I
made him a prixlner-and took the rifle from him
and gave it to my sergeant to examine, who re-
ported to me that it was loaded. I cannot say whe-
ther or not the rifle had been previously fired. The
disturbance was then nearly over, though a few
shots were still being fired. The examination of
my company's ammunition was made in my pre-
sence, and 'lO rounds of William's ball cartridge
were deficient. Ea.eh man is supplied with 2. 0
rounds in two packages of 10-rounds each. While
the disturbance went on I heard the crash o f win-
flows, but could not see who threw the missiles that
t
broke them. There was a considerable quantity of
coal and broken glass lying about. I saw a sergeant
named Copley take a. rifle from a private of the 24th ,
named Appleyard. That rifle was loaded as I was
informed. After that the men of the 24th went to
bed very peaceably and very obedient. I Wb i
.S n
the room when the man Hatton, who was missing,
returned and, fell in with the others. He had a