The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-21 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The 32d Light Infantry, at present stationed in
the camp at Aldershott, is under orders to proceed
to Plymouth, and the Ist battalion, 10th Regiment,
and 2d battalion, 25th Regiment, will also leave
Aldershott for Shorncliffe. The strength of the
camp at Aldershott has been considerably reduced
during the last few days, for, in addition to the
movements of troops reported last week in The Sun,
the sth Lancers have left for Kensington and
Hampton Court, under the command of Capts. Per-
ing and Massey; the 18th Hussars, under the com•
mand of Lieut.-Col. Knox, have left for Brighton
(with the exception of one squadron, which has
proceeded to Shorncliffe) ; the 2d Life Guards, under
the command of Col. Martyn, have left for Wind-
sor; and A and B batteries Royal Horse Artillery,
under the command of Major Tupper and Capt.
Royal Artillery,
Davis, have left for
Punder
t ,
tahned
command
enpfo tmßattery,Woolwich. On the other hand, the 61st Regi-
camp in a few
Neox.p2eeSteadttetroy, aBrtrhiveßriingade, Royal ndaeynst.
is
Artil-
lery, under the command of Capt. Eigee, was to
have left Aldershott last week for Dublin, and
actually proceeded as far as Basingstoke on its
way to Bristol. At Basingstoke, however, the de-
parture of the battery was countermanded, and it
accordingly returned to the camp. The reason
assigned for this change of arrangements is that, in
consequence of her Majesty's approaching visit to
Ireland, no artillery will be removed from the
Curragh Camp for the present, although several
movements are contemplated after the Royal re-
view has taken place.
Tfie Megmra arrived at Portsmouth yesterday
morning from Plymouth, with officers and men of
the 61st Regiment, who were disembarked from the

The contract for the erection of the new hut-
barracks at Gravesend his been completed by Mr.
Down, of Southwark, and the buildings handed
over to the Royal Engineer department. Although
the new barracks are so far finished, yet it will be I
some time before they are occupied by troops, the
authorities having made the discovery that it will
be necessary to erect besides a range of buildings
for about 50 officers, together with a hospital for
sick troops, commissariat stores,washhouses, latrines,
and the other necessary buildings for a force of 800
officers and men, whom it is intended to quarter at
Gravesend. The erection of the additional build-
ings will involve two separate contracts being
entered into, and it will of necessity be some time
before they are completed, nothing but the plans
having been as yet commenced. The extensive
range of buildings already erected include six
blocks of huts, together with quarters for married
non-commissioned officers. Each block forms two
separate lofty and commodious rooms, calculated
on ordinary occasions to contain 26 men each,
though should circumstances necessitate it more
than double that number can be accommodated in
each room, without the huts being so crowded as
is often the case in our barracks. The site of
the barracks is an elevated spot, close to the
town of Gravesend, the soil on which it is
placed being gravel resting on chalk, and there-
fore promising to be exceedingly healthy. Although
the buildings are denominated huts, little or no
wood has been used in their construction, the whole
being substantially built of brick, and each room
well-lighted and ventilated. The floors are ell
damp-proof, and the most ample means have been
taken to secure proper ventilation for each separate
building. The barracks stand on about four acres
of ground. At the end of the huts two large lec-
ture-rooms have been built, to be used in the in-
struction of the officers and troops in the theore-
tical principles of rifle firing and on other military
subjects. The rifle range selected for the troops is
at some distance from the barracks, in a secluded
spot near the Thames, where a large and excellent
site has been purchased by the Government for
this purpose, The land so acquired, however, is
still in its original state, and much will require to
be done towards it before it is adapted for the pur-
poses to which it will be applied. It is intended
that the barracks at Gravesend shall be a kind of
offshot of those at Chatham.