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

THE QUEEN AT ALDERSHOT.

Yesterday her Majesty paid a short but most interesting
visit to the camp at Aldershot. The cause which induced

u this almost unexpacted honour was the occasion of pre-

senting a new pair of colours to the gallant 89th Regi-

ment, in lieu of tho battered shreds which the corps has
borne in all parts of the world for the last 33 years, and
always borne with honour to themselves and credit to
their country: It is not more than three weeks since that

,he Queen, for thefirsttime.for now some four years past,

paid a hurried visit to Aldershot. This visit, however, was
so strictly private that none but a few chief officers of the
camp were aware of it, and the pretty pavilion in which
her Majesty used to stay when the camp was honoured
with her presence frequently was used on that occasion.
Litttle more notice was given, however, than was actually

necessary to get it into order, and it was not till the morn-
ing of the day when the regiment turned out that the
camp was gladdened by the news that the Queen was at
last again about to visit it. The compliment intended to

be paid to the forces yesterday was known in the early
part of this week, yet nevertheless the actual date of the
visit was left so uncertain that the presence of her Ma-
jesty the Queen in camp yesterday was totally unexpected

until the evening before. Indeed, we may mention that
the date fixed for the ceremony was this day (Friday), and

so definitely were all the preparations for it arranged that
the officers of the 89th had issued invitations to a splendid
luncheon at the Clubhouse after the presentation was over

and this entertainment was again to be followed by a mag-

nificent ball in the evening. Her Majesty, however, has
other sudden engagements for this day, and was therefore

compelled to visit the camp yesterday and present the
colours at a comparatively short notice. We are requested,
then, to state, for the information of friends invited, that the

luncheon and ball will take place, as previously arranged,

this day. Nevertheless, this somewhat sudden anticipation
of the day deprived many visitors from London of seeing
an interesting and exceedingly imposing military spectacle.
The early part of the day was cold and very wet, and those

who know Aldershott can understand what that descrip-
tion means, as applied to its bleak, damp, wintry-looking

plains. Fortunately as tho morning wore on the weather

cleared up beautifully, and during the whole time her
Majesty was in camp the weather was splendidly clear,
though still cold even for an English spring. Her Majesty,
accompanied by the Princess Helena, and attended by an

escort of the Life Guards, left Windsor in an open carriage
and four at twelve o'clock. On the road when near camp
the horses were changed, and an escort of the 17th Lan-
cers followed her Majesty thence to the Pavilion. As the
Queen entered the precincts of the camp a royal salute was
fired from the hill, and Lieutenant-General Sir J. Yorke
Scarlett, with the principal brigade officers, were in at-
tendance to meet her. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke
of Cambridge and Prince Arthur came down to meet her
Majesty by the South-Western Railway. The Duke wore
his uniform as Field-Marshal, and the Prince a Highland
dress of the Royal tartan. While the Royal party were at
lunch in the Pavilion the troops began to assemble, and
poured in dense columns from all parts of the camp to the
parade ground on the north side facing Cove-common.

Here they were drawn up in a massive double lino, the
Horse Artillery and Cavalry being stationed on the right
flank, the infantry in the centre, the field batteries on the
left. In the rear of all were the Royal Engineers, and the
Pontoon, Commissariat, and Military Train. In all, nearly
11,000 mon were on the ground. • The Cavalry Bri-

gade, under the command of Major- General Hodge,

Consisted of the 3d and Bth Hussars and lith Lan-

cers, with troops of Horse Artillery attached. The
Ist Brigade of Infantry, under the command of Bri-

gadier-General Benny, consisted of the Ist Battalion
17th Regiment, with the 52d and 81st Regiments of the
Line. The 2d Brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General
_ _

G. Campbell, included the Ist battalion 13th Regiment, the
28th and 63d Regiments. Sir Alfred llorsford commanded
the 3d Brigade, of the 69th, 71st, and 89th Regiments. The
corps of Royal Engineers was under the charge of Colonel
Laffan ; and Col. J. P. Robertson led the Military Train.
The 89th Regiment, which was to receive its colours, was
drawn up in front and facing the position which the Royal
party was to occupy. Soon after 3 o'clock her Majesty's
carriage, followed by a magnificent Staff, drove on to the
parade-ground.

There were, comparatively speaking, very few specta-
tors present, but these greeted her Majesty's arrival with
he most enthusiastic cheers. The Queen wore the plainest

and most simple of widow's weeds. She looked remark-
ably well in health, and wore an expression of quiet cheer-
fulness and kind good humour. The Princess Helena
was also attired in deep mourning, which all the Court
now wears for the late Queen Marie Amelia. As the Royal
carriage approached the parade ground the whole mass of
troops saluted with presented arms and lowered colours in
excellent style. No mechanism, in fact, could exceed the
precision with which this movement was executed, all the
bands at the same time playing the National Anthem. As
soon as her Majesty had taken her position the bands of
the 3d Brigade marched out slowly along the face of the
line, playing a sad and rather ;melancholy tune as they
proceeded to "troop" the old colours for the last time.
Having marched slowly past to this music the bands were
joined by the first company of the 89th, led by its officers
and the two senior ensigns. These, again, marched past
till nearly in front of the Queen, when the company was met
by the colour-sergeants, who brought forward the standards
and uncased them. Both the Ensigns saluted them twice be-
fore advancing to receive them, which, when they,had done
they turned and planted them in front of the company:
which also saluted them with Royal honours. It was evi-

dently not a day too soon that this gallant corps was to gel
fresh banners. As the old ones were unfurled, or rather,
to speak more correctly, as their remnants blew out in the
cold wintry breeze, it was seen that one had scarcely suffi-
cient tatters left to fringe its staff, while even of the Queen's
flag so little remained that it was barely possible to recog-
nise. All remains of colour had almost entirely disappeared;
the Sphinx (the distinctive emblem of the regiment, gained
for glorious services in Egypt) was no longer to be seen,
while the old historic names of " Niagara," " Egypt,"
'Java," " Ava," and "Sebastopol" had utterly disappeared.
With these tattered remnants of bygone services the En-
signs, followed by the company, and preceded by the band,
marched slowly towards their regiment, which received
them with a Royal salute. In this way, and held high
aloft, the old flags were taken down past the front of the
89th for the last time. As they turned from the line of
motionless soldiers, who stood with presented arms, the
band played " Auld Lang Syne," and in another minute the
old colours were in their cases never to be used again. As
they were thus furled and stored away the colour-sergeants
brought forward the two new standards, which were
bright with all that gold and colour and embroidery could
do for them. With these unfurled and blowing stiffly out
the Ensigns stood while Col. Boyle formed the V9th into
three sides of a square facing inwards. The colours were
then laid on the drums near the Queen's carriage while
the Chaplain-General, with the Rev. Mr. Rogers, principal
Chaplain to the Camp, and the Rev. Mr. Abbot, Chaplain
to the 3d Brigade, pronounced the customary benedic-
tion over them. The Ensigns then took them to the
Royal carriage, and placed them, the Queen's colour first,
and the regimental colour afterwards, in the hands of her
Majesty. The Queen bowed as she received them, and
held them for a minute while she said, clearly :
" I have much pleasure in renewing the colours given
you many years ago, relying confidently on the loyal devo-
tion to my service by which you and all my troops have
eveer been so distinguished.
To this Colonel Boyle replied :
a I beg to assure your Majesty, in the name of the regi-
ment and in my own, that your confidence in the loyal
devotion of the corps will never be misplaced."
At the conclusion of this simple ceremony the Ensigns,
now surrounded by their body guard of colour-sergeants,
returned to the ranks of the 89th, holding their new ban-
ners high. As they did so the regiment, led by their
Colonel, gave three tremendous cheers for the Queen. They
then wheeled rapidly into line and saluted their new stan-
dards with the same marks of profound deference as before.
The whole force then wheeling by the right was brought
into columns, and, headed by the Royal Artillery, this
perfect little corps d'armee, which is so equipped as to be
able to take the field at an hour's notice, complete in all,
even its minutest, branches, filed slowly past the Queen.
It was an exceedingly pretty sight as the long stream of
guns, horses, and men came pouring steadily past. Eight
corps then returned to its former position, till the whole
mass stood in a deep perfect line, nearly half a mile long,
in front of the Royal visitors. At the word of command
the whole force advanced simultaneously in the most
beautiful order till within a few yards of the Queen's car-
riage, when, with one tremendous rattle and flash, the
arms were presented, the colours were lowered to the
ground, and, amid a grand peal of the National Anthem,
one of the most perfect and imposing Royal salutes ever
given at Aldershott was rendered to her Majesty. The
Queen bowed deeply several times, while the splendid-
looking little force stood glittering but motionless for
nearly a minute in the evening sun. The word of com-
mand was then given, and almost before the Queen's car-
riage had left the parade all the force bad broken up into
troops and companies, batteries and regiments, and were
marching away in long bright streams of colour across the
heath to their various cantonments. A Royal salute was
again fired as her Majesty quitted the Camp amid the same
enthusiasm of the spectators as when she arrived and
.-- I drove rapidly away to Windsor.
per

An inquest was held yesterday on the body of
Mary Elmore, who died last Sunday evening from the
effect of kicks inflicted on her by her husband, Daniel
Elmore, near Kensal-green. The evidence was very much
the same as that adduced at the police-court ; but the jury,
believing that the conduct of the woman had been very
aggravating, returned a verdict of manslaughter against
Daniel Elmore.

The case of Mrs. Casse, charged with forging the
will of the Countess Bellew, was heard before the West-
minster magistrate yesterday. The solicitor who appeared
for Miss Bellew announced that that lady had resolved on
prosecuting the case, but he indicated that this was con-
trary to his advice. Mr. Arnold, the magistrate, thereupon
discharged Mrs. Casse, expressing his opinion that the case
against her had completely broken down.