The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-02 00:00:00

4TH BRIGADE.

Colonel Valancy commanding; Major Deedes, Brigade

Major.
Ist Battalion, Col. Conran-Ist Battalion Hants (Win.
chester) ; 3d do.; 6th do.
2d Battalion, Major Roupell-19th Surrey; 10th do.
(Bermondsey).
3d Battalion, Col. Sir H. Fletcher-2d Surrey; 20th do,
(Norwood).

RESERVE.

d City of London ; Brighton Cadets ; 11th Tower
Hamlets.

There is very little to say.of the marching past
manoeuvre, which took place in open columns of
companies. One or two of the corps were lament-
ably unsteady, and went past the Stand in a skir-
mishing order that would have been inexcusable in
any but very young companies. With such an evi-
dent want of knowledge of company'drill as one or
two of them showed, it appears surprising how they
could have been relied on for regular acting in
brigadP With the rest. These, however, were the
6xeeptions. , The mass, as a rule, went by with .a
48'14 good Order'*bieh did them infinite credit,

and their subsequent evolutions, though very
simple, deserved still higher praise from the quick-
ness and comparative solidity with which they were
executed. Among the best were the 2d Sonth Mid-
dlesex and the St. George's. The 3d City of London
Regiment (the Working Men's) though a very
young corps, went past with a steadiness that was
really astonishing, considering the short time they
had been under drill.

As soon as this meagre ceremony of marching
past was over the men moved up the racecourse to
the left, and the huge mass of spectators settled
themselves down to enjoy the sham fight that was
to follow, and which it was fully expected was to be
seen also. In front of the great concourse of spec-
tators lay a deep, amphitheatrical valley, about a
mile across, with the steep ridges of the Downs
rising up on the other side, so as to form a horizon
stretching inland from the sea, and beyond which
nothing of course was visible. Away round this
went the troops to the left in dark glittering masses,
gradually getting more and more distant on the
ridge of hills till at length they quite disappeared.
Simultaneously with their exit from the scenet a
yellow mass of smoke sprung up in what was sup-
posed to be the right of their position. It grew and
spread far and wide in thick sallow masses that for
a time led the spectators to believe that the action
was raging with uncommon fury in that direction,
and would soon break out along the chain of hills
in a tempest of musketry and cannon. It turned out,
however, not to be a sham battle on the right, but
a heath fire, which, as the wird was fresh and
straight up the valley from the sea, burnt with a
rapidity and fierceness that was at one time almost
alarming. Of course no one knew who lit it. Pos-
sibly it might have been accidental ; but from the
damp state of the heath after the morning's rain, and
from the fact that it was stated to have commenced
in two points simultaneously, it would almost
appear as if the act was wilful, and had originated
among the crowds of idle boys spread over all that
part of the Downs.

While this heath fire was burning, the volunteers
continued their march till they had placed the hill
between themselves and the public, when they de-
ployed into line with their left resting on the sea,
near the little village of Ovingdean, and their right
stretching far—much too far, in our humble judg-
ment, for their numbers—away inlitnd in the direc-
tion of Newmarket-hill. In this order and almost
without reserves (for two-thirds of the reserve con-
sisted of the 3d London, which was in line on the
extreme right) the whole force advanced up the hill
till the crest was gained, when to the spectators on
the racecourse who had very strong glasses they at
last became visible, a thin fine dark line, not very
regular, and only two deep, though extending very
nearly a mile in length. The manoeuvres which
followed were supposed in a general way to repre-
sent the actions of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, of
course with the difference that the final position
was taken up immediately after the great premoni-
tory contest of the 16th June. This is the official
programme, but what the great concourse of spec-
tators saw was merely a ridge like a very small
hedge stretching irregularly across the chain of hill,
but which was scarcely visible till the firing began.
The action commenced on the left with an irregular
and semi-occasional cannonade, which in the most
entire manner was given forth at rare intervals,
and this, as far as the public were concerned,
constituted the great review and sham battle. By
and by the " action" became more general along
the line, and the whole force commenced file
firing with a rapidity and energy that made itself
audible even across the huge valley that yawned
between the forces and the public, which had come
so far to see them. The fusillade seemed to be of
an entirely fancy character, inasmuch as it was
maintained by little volleys and by big volleys, or We
fire, apparently according to the discretion of each
corps' commanding officer. Gradually the fire that
had given the hills a thin ridge of smoke (which
was utterly eclipsed however by the burning heath),
ceased along the line, and forming up in open
columns of companies, the whole force passed over
the hill and disappeared from the public gaze for
good and all. The utter astonishment and blank
that seemed to fall on the spectators, who had con-
fidently counted on the line advancing near enough
to be tolerably visible even to the naked eye was at
first extreme ; but, in the full confidence of their
speedy return, they allowed themselves to be con-
soled with lunch, of which the majority partook
out of pocket-handkerchiefs and baskets laid on the
grass, the minority doing justice to well-filled
hampers. Thus, for half an hour or so the time
was passed in expectation, but still no Volunteers
made their appearance. At last a distant sound, as
of a sustained fire of musketry, became gradually
audible, and then for the first time the truth seemed
to flash upon the spectators that the riflemen had
gone farther and farther away than ever. Half the
people had paid for their places either in stands or
for their carriages (from which the horses had been
removed) within the circle of the race-course. There
was no chance, therefore, of overtaking the retreat-
ing army at that hour, and, with bitter expressions
of disappointment, a great many drove off the
course at once. The general public, with the haitipy
versatility which characterises them on these occa-
sions, betook themselves to " Aunt Sally," Punch,
and whatQver cheap and general amusements were
nearest at hand. A very large majority of the
country gentry and visitors still sat in their
carriages, and waited with what patience they could
command for the return of the Volunteers. As a
rule, however, donkey riding and three throws a
penny became the order of the day, and the gull
crowd gradually spread themselves over the Demns"
in search of their own amusements.
In the meantime the Volunteers continued their
retreat behind the hills to the mouth of a smaller
valley, where almost secure from curious gazers the
sham battle really commenced. A few of the better
mounted, or the more enterprising occupants of
carriages who had not paid to have their horses
taken from them, followed up the course forl some
long distance to where an opening botween the hills
gave a chance of seeing what was going forward.
But the smoke of the heath fire swept across this
part so densely that it was only dimly and at rare
intervals that even these could see the smoke made
by the Volunteers beyond. After retreating from
the first ridge of hills, the regiments moved back in
good order, till it was supposed their extreme right
was seriously menaced, when a stand was made, and a
sustained and, for a time, a really tremendous roar
of musketry was kept up along the line. But appa-
rently the riflemen had a far more obstinate foe to
deal with than they are ever likely to encounter in
any reol invasion, for, in despite of the fusillade, the
enemy was supposed to have pressed in, and strong
supports had to be sent to reinforce the right wing.
All the movements were simple in the extreme,
as with such young troops it was very right they
should be. But still, such as they were, they were
executed, not perhaps with any great quickness,
but certainly in most corps with a steadiness that
was in the highest degree commendable. To
those accustomed to the evolutions of large and
well-trained armies the slow and comparative
irregularity of the troops in the Downs yesterday
was apparent, yet on the whole it was less
perceptible than the most sanguine could have
anticipated. But, as a rule, we cannot help think-
ing that the impression left was that the regiments
were far less in want of these great field days than
of steady company drill, or at most a brigade day
in Hyde Park with one or two other corps. Every
field officer in the army knows that it is worse than
useless to send a regiment to Aldershott unless it
has been carefully set up by a long course of bar-
rack-yard drill. If commanding officers will push
their corps into running before they can walk well
the downfall of some rifle corps in public estimation
is pretty certain to be the result. At the same time
we would venture to suggest with the utmost de-
ference that the hurried lines into which the men
are thrown are by no means calculated to give them
any notion of what their position would be during
an-actual engagement. The first line formed yes-
terday was about twice as long and twice as thin as
it would have been in actual warfare, and it was cer-
tainly more than three times the distance it should
have been in rear of its artillery. As yet the
Volunteers are, as our futuregreat national defence,
still in the rough. The question is, will they be
wade better by rough handling, or if these stMe-: