The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-11 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY AT'ALDERSIIOTT.

The Royal Review of Saturday if the last of the
season was, beyond doubt, one-of the best which
has been held at the Camp for a long time past.
Unfortunately it was not generally known that the
review would not commence till the afternoon, and
all the early trains from Waterloo brought down
their batch of visitors, who hurried to the heath
only to find that they 'Were some six or seven hours
too early, and that they had ample time to survey
the attractions of the Camp, all of which, however,
can be seen at the briefest possible period. The
neighbouring gentry seemed to be equally prema-
ture in the hour of their, visit, and the heath was,
tolerably well covered with carriages and pedestri-
ans as early as 1. o'clock. The heat upon the com-
mon was so intolerable that walking was literally"
quite out of the question, and it is almost needless
to-say how the fly-drivers improved the occasion,
and made such demands, as upset the calculations
and patience of those who, from previous experience
of these Royal days, were pretty well prepared for
extortion. Nevertheless, in spite of the "fancy"
prices which were placed on the use of all kinds of
vehicles, they were in eager demand, and before
the close of the day almost any sum would have
been given for the use of fly, cart, or cab. So great,'
indeed, was the " inquiry" for conveyances, that
even the Pickford's vans near the station were hired
by parties of ladies and gentlemen, who, indeed,
thought themselves most fortunate to secure any-!
thing on wheels, no matter what its kind. During
the early part of the day,her Majesty, accompanied
by the Princesses Alice and Helena and Prince
Arthur, drove round the Camp, and paid long visits
of inspection to the hospitals, and the new schools
for officers' children. The Prince Consort and the
Prince of Wales, the latter in his uniform as Co-
lonel, also made visits to the permanent barracks,
and afterwards rode about the Camp, and among
the regiments under canvas.
Half-past four was the hour fixed for the review,
but as the intended scene of action was at some dis-
tance from the Camp, the troops were all under
arms by two o'clock, and began pouring across the
plain in dense brilliant columns, all converging
gradually upon the general rendezvous at Caesar's
Camp Up these rugged heights they streamed in
glittering and picturesque confusion, which gra-
dually settledas the great mass were formed behind
the heights, and the guns unlimbered, loaded, and
brought to bear from every point of vantage. The
programme of the day's proceeedings supposed the
Aldershott force to be a large corps d'armee threat.
ened with an attack on both flanks by an enemy
marching from London by the Salisbury and
Southampton roads. Awaiting this event, the forces
took up a position of immense strength on the huge
amphitheatre of hills formed by the rugged eminence
known as Caesar's Camp on the right, and Beacon-hill
on the left. The heights of Caesar's Camp were held
by the Ist Brigade, composed of the 36th Regiment,
Ist battalion of the 11th, and the Staffordshire
Militia, 'with a field battery of six guns. Next in
line to these came the 2d Brigade, consisting of the
Oxford Militia, Ist battalion of the 9th, 2d battai-
lion of the 11th, and the 2d battalion of the 24th,
with a field battery. The 4th Brigade, consisting,
of the 2d battalion of Coldstream Guards, 2d bat-
talion of the 12th, and 2d battalion of the 17th,
with six guns, occupied a position in advance, in a
hollow between the hills, and formed the left centre.
The 3d Brigade held the extreme left on Beacod-
hill, with the 47th, the Stirling, Bedford, and Wilt-
shire Militia Regiments, and six guns. A sth Bri-
gade was extemporised for this day to act as a light
division, and consisted of the 4th battalion of the
60th Rifles, with the rifle militias of Antrim and
North Cork, supported by a troop of Horse Artil-
lery with six 9-pounder guns. These were posted
in advance of the extreme left, among the orchard's
and hedgerows of a little farm abutting upon the
woods known as Bickley Copse. The extreme left
was guarded by a troop of Horse Artillery, with
the Light Cavalry Brigade, consisting of the 10th,
11th, and 15th Hussars. The right fl nk was simi-
larly protected by the grand masses of the heavy
cavalry, including the Ist Life Guards and the 4th
and sth Dragoon Guards, with a troop of Horde
Artillery. In all 17 regiments of infantry, with
six of cavalry, and 42 guns, held the heights.
Precisely at half-past 4 o'clock her Majesty canie
upon the ground. She rode a superb bay charger,
and wore a scarlet riding jacket with a Generals
sash over the shoulder and a General's plume in
her riding hat. On the right and left rode the
Prince Consort and the Duke of Cambridge, both
in full uniform. The Prince of Wales, also in full
uniform, rode with the Princess Alice. The junidr
members of the Royal family followed in an open
pony carriage. As the Royal party took their
position on the right of Caesar's Camp the review
began by an advance against the enemy coming do
the left flank by the Salisbury road.
The sth Bri-
gade, all of Rifle regiments, was instantly thrown
out, and, breaking up into skirmishing order, made
a rapid advance to Bickley Copse, and under its
shelter kept up a tremendous fire, which re-echoed
in the woods like thunder, filling them with smoke,
as if they were on fire. At the same moment all
the guns on the heights came into play, and under
cover of this, and to support the advance, the
brigade, poured down from the hills in dense
columns.. To cover their movement and check the
enemy, 'who was now supposed to show in force
upon the right flank also, the solid squadrons of the
Life Guards and Heavy Dragoons were rapidly
manoeuvred, and wheeling round by troops, poured
in a stream over the hills on to the plain on the
right. The Light Brigade on the left were equally
vigilant, and, to gain time for the infantry to
change front, so as.to meet the sudden attack on
their right, they executed a magnificent charge
across the long valley. Unfortunately, but little of
this brilliant movement could be seen, as, after the
first few yards, dense clouds of dust hid everything,
and it was wholly by the heavy dull thundering of
the horses' feet that the nature of the movement
could be guessed. At the same moment the heavy
brigade poured its light troops 'and squadrons into
the plain, and at once wheeling into line made soihe
magnificent, charges up the valley, always sup-
ported by their artillery, which, unlimbered,brought
their guns into action, and were up and away again,
emerging with marvellous rapidity from the cloud
of dust into which• they had plunged for action only
a minute before. While this brilliant diversion was
effected, the infantry brigades had formed on the
slopes of the hill, and prepared to receive the enemy's
cavalry by throwing themselves into a line of mas-
sive squares with the batteries of artillery in the in-
tervals. This was a beautiful manoeuvre, and the
effect was grand in the extreme, as each of the
bright coloured quadrangles poured out its stream
of musketry, and the action with the squares
became general along a line of more than a mile
in extent. Immediately after the regiments de-
ployed into open line, and, supported by the
artillery between the brigades and the
*avail", on both flanks, a simultaneous advance was
made. The rapidity and regularity with which
this was effected was really beyond all praise, for
the infantry appeared to keep their line with the
most exact precision, though it extended more than
a mile and a half in length. Apparently, the
enemy accepted this challenge, for the regiments,
hating in the centre of tne plain, began one of the
most tremendous and sustained file fires that has
probably ever been witnessed even in actual war-
fare. It is seldom that a connected line of 17
front.in-
-1 iaffour
ue r t Ahes rraetgt me
batteries eb ne
of
faamf taeer rat
ilrlmleegor
almost
de
hurrying,
flje.
ronyi
ininnegdg,
in-
fantry regiments is simultaneously attacked along
e
part in the action, with a cannonade
iiuwwtilpshhtiwihticeohel:fktiasheseemed to shake the very air. For
more than a quarter of an hour this fire of
musketry and artillery raged up and down the
immense line with varying intensity, now ap-
parently dying away, and the next minute seeming
to make the earth vibrate with its redoubled fury.
A second advance was then made by brigades.
pystock-hill, on the extreme left, was quickly
occupied by the Light Brigade and Artillery, and
the enemy driven back on the left towards the
Salisbury road, while a heavy cannonade covered
the formation of a pontoon-bridge with which to
continue the advance pursuit on that flank across
the Basingstoke Canal. On the right flank, both
light and heavy cavalry again executed some most
rapid movements against the enemy coming by the
S°utharnpton road. The infantry again supported
them, and this time the advance was continued
across
valley, and against a commanding
eminence
-hill, on which, as is always
the case
on these occasions, the innocent an un-
suspecting British public had collected in immense
numbers.
tl e
called long
Spy-hill,.
p y
To their credit, be it said, they stood
unmoved while the long columns of infantry-,
with
the batteries of artillery, advanced ggainst them,
and opened a cannonade and fire within 50 yards.
The service allowances for this purpose were duly
fired off, but-without. making the admiring