The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-23 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY AT ALDERSHOTT.

Yesterday afternoon her Majesty, accompanied
by the Prince Consort, Prince Alfred, and other
members of the royal family, arrived at the camp
at Aldershott from Osborne. It was at ono time
generally supposed that the final royal visit of this
season would take place early last week, when her
Maje:ty would have been accompanied by the Grand
Duke Constantine, but this arrangement, if it was
really ever intended, was departed from, and the
royal party, consisting exclusively of members of
the family circle, did not leave Southampton till
half-past 11 o'clock yesterday morning, arriving at
the Farnt °rough station a few minutes after one
o'clock. An escort of light dragoons (10th Hussars)
was in waiting, and, attended by this guard of
honour, her Majesty drove at once to the Pavilion,
a distant salute fired from Caesar's Camp being the
only ceremonial which marked her arrival within
the precincts of the cantonments.
The troops were ordered to parade at two o'clock
on Hungry-hill, a steep and picturesque eminence
almost connected with Caesar's Camp, and quite
overlooking and commanding the Farnham-road,
which leads direct through the cantonments to
London. This high wild spot, cut up in all direc-
tions by deep gravelpits, ravines, breastworks, and
redoubts, is situate at a long hour's march from the
Camp Proper, so that, although many of the regi-
ments were under arms and moving before half-
past 12, yet it was past half-past two ere they were
all drawn up in their respective defensive positions.
The programme of the day's evolutions, though ex-
ceedingly short, was suggestive. It supposed that
the Aldershott division had received orders to op-
pose the progress of an enemy advancing on Lon-
don from the coast by Farnham. It was the sup-
position of this most alarming emergency which
led to taking up a formidable line on Hungry-hill,
where the enemy's advanced guards were to be
checked, while powerful fatigue parties threw up
intrenchments for further defence. According to
this programme, it will be seen that the evolutions
are intended to extend over two days. The affair
of yesterday was a mere preliminary skirmish, to
enable the men to intrench, but during to-day the
decisive battle will be fought, -which will result, we
presume, as usual, in the total repulse and destruc-
tion of the enemy.
The line of defence yesterday extended over a
considerable space of ground. On the extreme
right the flank was protected by cavalry and horse
artillery, and still more so by the steep and broken
eminences which abutted on the plateau at this
point. On the centre the post was more open to
attack, but the extreme left rested on deep ravines
and steep abrupt hills, which during the last two
years or so have been gradually converted into tre-
mendous fieldworks ; redoubts, breastworks, and
batteries abound here, all almost equally formidable
from the nature of the position and the intrinsic
strength of its artificial defences.
The force intrusted to hold this natural fortress
consisted of the whole strength of the camp. On
the extreme right were the cavalry, under Major-
General Lawrence, consisting of the sth Dragoon
Guards, 11th Hussars, part of the 10th Hussars, two
battalions of the Military Train, with the A, B,
and K troops of Horse Artillery. With these and
ranged along the heights in line were the First In-
fantry Brigade, under Major-General Lord W.
Paulet, consisting of the Ist battalion 11th Regi-
ment, 2d battalion 19th, Ist Stafford Militia, and
North Cork Rifles ; the Second Brigade, under
Major-General the Hon. A. Spencer, consisting of
the Ist battalion of the 9th Regiment, 2d battalion
11th, 2d battalion of the 24th, and 4th battalion
60th Rifles. The Third Brigade, under Major-
General Lawrence, included the 47th Regiment,
the 2d battalion of the 16th Wilts Militia, the An-
trim Rifles, and 2d battalion 21st Regiment. The
reserve, or Fourth Brigade, was under Lord Fre-
derick Paulet, and mustered the 3d battalion of
Grenadier Guards, the 2d battalion of the 12th, and
the 2d battalion of the 17th. With these brigades
were the field batteries Nos. 1,3, 4,5, 6, and 8
of the Bth Artillery Brigade. Her Majesty was
expected on the ground soon after 2 o'clock, but it
was past 3 before the Royal cortege left the Pavilion.
her Majesty drove to the ground in a carriage and
four ; the Prince Consort rode on horseback in the
undress uniform of a Field Marshal; and with his

Highness was Prince Alfred, in the uniform of a
midshipman of the Royal Navy.
As soon as her Majesty came upon the field the
evolutions, which wore of the briefest kind, com-
menced. The brigades were moved down to the
slope of the hill overlooking the Farnham road, and
constantly, as fast as they could be got into line,
commenced a tremendous file fire, which was sup-
ported from all commanding points by an almost
equally rapid cannonade. The smoke and uproar
for a few minutes were terrific, and then almost as
instantly slackened down, when the brigades re-
tired in columns, the batteries were advanced,
powerful covering bodies of riflemen were thrown
out, and under the protection of these strong work-
ing parties advanced to intrench the weakest points
of the position. For this purpose the tape lines
marking the course of the intrenehments had been
already laid out skilfully, winding over the head-
lands, if we may so term them, and taking advan-
tage of every inequality of the ground. The works
to cover the left centre and right were intrusted
respectively to Captains Duff, Smith, and Siborne,
of the Engineers. For the breastwork on the left
were required 480 men, for the centre 900, and for
the right 620. As each of these working parties
was relieved three times, it required the labour of
2,000 men to complete the works on the left, 3,600
on the centre, and 2,500 on the right.
The men set to work with a hearty good will and
an adroitness which showed that the arms of Ceres
were quite Lie familiar to the majority of them as
those of Mars, and a tolerably fair trench was soon
cut, and a breastwork began to rise. This part of
the programme, however, seemedas a rule to be de-
void of general interest, and her Majesty after
watching the progress of the work for a short time,
drove off the ground. The men remained with their
regular reliefs to throw up the intrencliment. This
day the programme will be continued by a defence
of the whole line, and the men will, it is expected,
be on the ground by 7 o'clock. Her Majesty leaves
camp this (Tuesday) afternoon for Osborne. The
review will terminate a little before 1 o'clock with
the usual marching past of all the forces.