The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-29 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE

The Ist and 2d battalions of the Grenadier
Guards under the command of Colonel Bruce, were

inspected by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-
Chief in Clyde-park on Saturday. The Ist bat-
talion, commanded by Lieut.-Col. Burnaby, and the

2d battalion, commanded by Col. King, were formed
into line in review order opposite Grosvenor-gate to

receive the Commander-in-Chief at 19 a.m. his

Royal highness, accompanied by his Staff, arrived on
the ground at the hour mentioned, and was received
with a Royal salute. He then rode down the line
and inspected the men, after which he took up his
positing at the saluting post, and the battalions
marched past, first in slow time in open columns of

companies, and afterwards in quick time in grand
_ . .

divisions.

They were then formed into line and

put through the manual, platoon, and bayonet exer-
cises, after which the usual evolutions of a firing
field day were performed. The review lasted about

an hour and a half, and at its conclusion his noya;

Highness expressed himself entiray satisfied with
the appearance and steadiness of the troops under
arms. The battalions were then marched to their

respective barracks and dismissed. The ground
was kept by a detachment of the Royal horse

Guards and a party of the 2d battalion Coldstream

Guards.

Ou Friday the Aldershot division was again ac-
ively exercised in field manoeuvres. The troops
orined up on Cove-common at half-past 10 o'clock,

the cavalry in contiguous columns, and two batteries

of Horge Artillery in rear of the Reservoir, facing
south. The infantry brigades formed under cover
of Danger-hill, the field batteries in rear of the in-
fantry. E Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, repre-
sented the enemy, with three guns on Pyestock-hill,
one gun on Miles's-hill, and two guns on Eelmoor-
hill. These guns commanded Cove-common and
the whole of the open space between them and the
division.- A pontoon bridge had been thrown across,
the Basingtoke Canal at the foot of Bridge-hill, by
A troop, Royal Engineers, under Lieutenant Sir-A.
Mackworth, for the purpose of facilitating the at-
tack. Shortly before 11 o'clock the troops of the
division began to move. The Ist, or General Rea-
ny's brigade, took ground to right in column to-
wards the Reservoir. General Carey's brigade (the

2d) formed on the left of the Ist, and both bri-
gades, covered by a strong line of skirmishers, ad-
vanced towards the several points of attack. At the

same time two field batteries commenced a canno
nade from Danger-hill on the enemy's position. The
fire was returned in a spirited manner. The 3d
brigade, under Major c.ieneral Sir Alfred Horsford,
K.C.8., remained in reserve. Meanwhile, the ca-
valry division, and C and D Batteries, Royal Horse
Artillery, made a detour through Pyestock-wood
towards Norris-bridge. The infantry, having fought
their way steadily over about a mile of very diffi-
cult ground, passed to the south side of the Basing-
stoke Canal, under cover of a terrific fire of artillery
and strong lines of skirmishers skirting the canal.
The 3d brigade passed over the pontoon bridge, the
2d over Eelmoor stone bridge, and the Ist brigade,
the cavalry, and the Horse Artillery over Norris-
bridge, on the right of the attacking force. As
soon as they gained the southern side of the canal
General Renny's brigade changed direction to left,
and the 2d brigade to right, thereby threatening to
hem in the enemy between a cross fire. Seeing his
critical position the enemy's commander ordered a
retreat to the south of Eelmoor-bill, where he
again went into action with his usual dash. The
fire was responded to by two field batteries from
the front, and two batteries of Horse Artillery enfi-
laded him on the left flank, but apparently without
effect. As soon as this was perceived by the
divisional commander, he ordered the 2d and 3d
infantry brigades to form one line, and as soon as
this was accomplished they opened a deadly file-fire,
which was kept up for about ten minutes, after
which they ceased firing, and the brigade went
into action on the right, and subjected the enemy
to a cross fire, which compelled him to retire to the
south of Claycart-ridge, where he once more stood
at bay, and defied all the efforts of the division to
dislodge him. Ultimately he returned to quarters
unmolested. The remainder of the division formed
up on Eelmoor-hill, and marched past as usual,
-headed by their respective commanders. The force
on the ground consisted of C, D, and E B ateries,
Royal Horse Artillery ; Ist, 4th, and sth Dragoon
Guards, 10th Hussars, three fiel batteries, 11th
Brigade Royal Artillery, 21 battalion sth (Northum-
land) Fusiliers, 2d battalion 6th Regiment, 2d bat-
talion Bth, Ist battalion 20th, 34th, 40th, 51st, 57th,
80th, 97th, and 98th Regiments. The troops returned
to quarters at half-past one o'clock.
A general full-dress parade of the whole of the
officers and men of the corps of Royal Engineers
was held on the Parade-ground at Brompton-bar-
racks, Chatham, on Saturday morning, for the pur-
pose of witnessing the presentation by Prince
Arthur of silver medals and gratuities which had
been awarded to a number of the non-commissioned
officers and sappers by the Field-Marshal Com-
manding-in-Chief,
Colonel of the regiment, for long
service and exemplary conduct, under the pro-
visions of the recent Royal warrant. The battalion
having formed three sides of a square, Prince
Arthur, who wore the full dress uniform of
a lieutenant of Royal Engineers, attended by
Lieut.-Col. H. C. Elphinstone, C. 8., V.C., and ac-
companied by Major-Gen. J. L. A. Simmons, C. 8.,
director of the Royal Engineer establishment, ad-
vanced to the centre, when the general order from
the Horse Guards authorising the presentation was
read by Brigade-Major R. Harrison. Major-Gen.
Simmons having addressed the battalion at some
length, and expressed the honour conferred on the
officers and men of the Royal Engineers by Prince
Arthur performing that almost his first official act
on joining the corps, the non-commissioned officers
and sappers to be decorated were called to the front,
when his Royal Highness presented and fastened
the medal to the breast of each, and afterwards
shook hands with each of the recipients. The fol-
lowing are the non-commissioned officers and sappers
to whom medals and gratuities have been awarded :
—Sergeant-Major William Baker, Farrier-Major
Thomas Jane, Colour-Sergeant West T. Birming-
ham, and Sergeant William Barnard, each a medal
and gratuity of £l5 ; Quartermaster-Sergeants J.
Barrow and Richard J. Dyer, Sergeant-Instructor
John Kennedy, Colour-Sergeants William Roger-
son and Thomas Russell, and Sergeants Peter Ham-
mond, William Jenkins, Charles Muir, and Thos.
Wray, and Corporal John Callanan, each a medal
and gratuity of /10 ; Corporal Edward Evans and
Sappers Chas. Harris, John W. Parker, and John
Wheeler, each a medal and gratuity of £5.
The following non-commissioned officers were at
the same time presented with silver medals with-
out gratuities—viz., Pensioner Serg.-Major Edward
Longbottom, Quartermaster-Serg. John J. West,
and William Love ; Pensioner Colour-Sergeant
Francis G. Irwin, Pensioner-Sergeants Michael F.
Chapman, William Wheatley, Thomas Bennett,
James Whitefield, and Robert Young, Corporals
Richard Hancock and John Park, and Pensioner-
Corporal John Corrie. The medals and gratuities
for those non-commissioned officers and sappers not
at head-quarters will be forwarded to them at the
various stations.
Lieuts. Nolan and Chapman, of the Royal Ar-
tillery, the officers specially attached to the Steel
Mountain Battery in Abyssinia, and who arrived
in Woolwich a few days ago, give some very inte-
resting details of the effects of the fire from these
little guns, which is said to have been rnostdestruc-
tive, particularly with the Boxer shrapnell shell.
To-day will be observed as a general holyday in
all Government establishments, in commemoration
of Her Majesty's Coronation-day.
The screw steam sloop Cordelia, 11, Commander
Charles Parry, from Port Royal, May2B, arrived in
Plymouth Sound yesterday. She has been in com-
mission four years, but has only lost four of her
complement—Paymaster Key, Engineer Oldfield,
and boatswain John Cannon from consumption,
and William Kellow, A. 8., who was killed
by falling from aloft. The Cordelia spoke, June
18, in lat. 44 10 N., long. 33 36 W., the American
ship Guiding Star, steering north ; June 23, in lat.
28 46 N., long. 194 W., the Essex, of Windsor,
Nova Scotia ; and June 27, the Rinaldo, of Liver-
pool, outward bound. _