The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-03 00:00:00

THE A.lOll

Yesterday morning H.R.H. the General Com-
manding-in-Chief, accompanied by Major-Gen. Lord
W. Paulet, C. 8., Sir R. Airey, Quartermaster-
General; Major the Hon. F. Keane, Assist.-Adjt.-
Gen., Royal Engineers; Col. Bingham, Deputy-
Adjte Gen., Royal Artillery ; Col. Ward, Royal
Artillery, on the Staff, and other officers, rode out
from Portsmouth, at 8 a.m., to Hillsea and Ports-
down to inspect the new lines of defence and forts
there, as also the new barracks, now nearly com-
pleted, at Hillsea for the accommodation of an addi-
tional battery of field artillery. On returning to
Portsmouth his Royal Highness embarked in the
steam yacht Fire Queen, Master Commander Paul,
and crossing over to the Isle of Wight paid a visit
to the Grand Duke Constantine of Russia, at Bin-
stead, near Ryde. The parade of the troops for re-
view by the Duke of Cambridge was ordered for
3.30 p.m., and shortly before the time they were
drawn up on Southsea-common in line of contiguous
columns at quarter distance, right in front. The
grand total of the troops on the ground was 204
officers, 3,974 non-commissioned officers and men ;
92 horses, six guns, and six waggons. There were,
besides, Volunteers on the ground, who amounted
to about 350 officers and men, representatives of the
2d Hants Artillery and 6th Hants Rifles,the former
under the command of Capt.-Commandant E. Galt,
and the latter under Lieut.-Col. Valiancy. Punc-
tually the Duke, attended by Quartermaster-Gen.
Sir Richard Airey and other officers, arrived on the
ground, and was received by the troops, with Major
Gen. Lord Paulet at their head, with a general
I salute. The Grand Duke Constantine was also pre-
sent in a private character. The force marched past
in quick time, first in open and afterwards in close
column, the field battery with its magnificent ches-
nut horses leading. Next came the 6th brigade of
Royal Artillery, just returned from foreign service,
a fine body, steady and compact in their marching.
" God save the Queen," from the bands massed to-
gether opposite the saluting point, heralded the ap-
proach of the 2d Queen's, just arrived from Indian
service. Next came the 2d battalion 18th Royal
Irish, a regiment bearing a high character for dis-
cipline in garrison. The 49th came after the 18th,
and marched, as they might have been expected to
do after their course of Aldershot instruction. The
24th, another Indian regiment, followed the 49th,
and deserved equal praise for carriage and steadi-
ness. The Royal Marine Light Infantry followed.
It is a wonder that this corps should march by so
steadily, considering how often it is broken up into
detachments doing duty on board ship—a place
eermany tiVt eelf.ea Le 11t Tut pal craL, va truttcatork
movements. The sth Fusiliers closed the line
of regulars. They have also returned but recently
from India, and went past in. steady, unwavering
lines. The 2d Hants Artillery Volunteers, and the
sth and 6th Hants Rifle Volunteers, brought the
line to a close. These troops—except the regular
and Volunteer Garrison Artillery, who marched off
the ground to man the guns mounted on the works
—took up ground in columns at quarter distance.
Advancing by battalions in echelon the force was
threatened with an attack by cavalry, and throwing
the battalions in squares, with artillery on the right,
a hot fire was opened from right to left, concluding
with a volley from the squares. The enemy's
cavalry being supposed to have been repulsed
in their attack, column was re-formed. The
2d and 18th Regiments next deployed in
line facing the edge of the beach, changing
front, and opening a heavy and lengthened file
fire, the guns from the fortress and Southsea Castle
opening at the same time, the 49th deploying into
line into skirmishing order on the left flank of the
force, and the main body deploying into two
lines. The enemy having been beaten off the
main body advanced in line, with skirmishers in
front, and second line moving up in support. The
Rifle Volunteers occupied the left of the advanced
line, the Royal Marine Light Infantry being in
reserve. The skirmishers being called in the ad-
vanced line took ground to the right, and heavy
firing along its extent, with the field artillery on its
right, assisted also by the heavy ordnance of South-
sea Castle, told that the action was becoming serious.
The resistance was useless in opposing the advance
of the enemy, and over the ground whore they had
lately passed, now wreathed in smoke, the advanced
line retired, covered by the Rifle Volunteers, passing
through the second line bytompanies of fours to the
rear. The enemy appeared to follow up their ad-
vantage vigorously, for the Volunteers were called
in at the "double," and passed through the line to
the rear; a furious fire being opened along the line
to check the enemy's advance, which was, however,
fruitless, and the line again retired, covered
again by the Rifle Volunteers. The skirmishers
were soon sounded to the " close," and rallying
squares formed to resist another attack of cavalry,
a heavy fire being again opened; in which the guns
on the works of the fortress joined. The enemy
had, however, p099e99i0n of the field, and the troops
retired inside the walls of the fortress, covered by
rlrtillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry, the
retiring columns lining the 'ramparts of the fortifi-
cations and maintaining a hot fire from
there
upon
the enemy, to cover the retreat of the remainder of
the troops within the works, which was at length
effected ; and the enemy, master of the battlefield,
but foiled in his attempts to enter the works, was
compelled, as was supposed, to retire to a certain
strategical distance from the fortress. At the close his
Royal-Highness addressed the troops briefly in the
place d'armes of the garrison, the Governor's green.
A brigade field-day of the troops composing the
garrison of Chath4ui tovk place on Chatham-lines