The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-12 00:00:00

THE CARP AT ALDERSHOT.

Never, at the best of times, a cheerful place, the
Camp just now looks doubly desolate. The troops
have nearly all gone to India, the huts arc nearly all
empty, the field-days are over, and rain and wind
and withered leaves have it all to themselves on
the black moor, which can neither be called mud
nor water, though unquestionably containing a deal
of both. The long valley where the Court and
camp so often met last summer is a swamp black
enough and deep enough for the abode of saurians,
and looks as if the very hosts of Pharaoh would
scarcely afford a mouthful to its tenacious depths
of slough. Now and then upon the common stray
figures may be observed through the thick sleet,
wrapped in drenched cloaks, and struggling man-
fully against the cold wind to the shelter of the
nearest huts. But these irruptions on the general
solitude are few and far between, for though some
5,001) men are still in camp, and the huts are after
all but cheerless abodes, they are, nevertheless,
preferable to the fierce inolemency of the open
heath, and the men but seldom venture forth ; so
the whole place has an uninhabitable gloom upon
it, as if it were to let, in chancery, or insolvent, or
reminds the spectator of the empty pitmen's bar-
racks at the mouth of a used-up mine.
Cove-common, on which about three months ago
stood such a picturesque encampment, is of course
now like any other portion of the heath—to wit a
brown pasty-looking expanse, intermixed with little
knolls from which the furze *as trodden out by
the men, and which, strange to say, are now cover-
ed with good grass, the first that has ever grown at
Al lershot. '1 he marks of the hospitable camp fires
are still visible, though they are now mere yawn-
ing holes, with anything but a cheerful significance
about them, with here and there the remains of a
turf sentry-box fallen into dilapidation, for the
men who occupied it are ore this b2fore Delhi, if
not inside it.

At the extreme south of the camp fair progress
has been made with ;ha permanent barracks. The
blocks allotted for the reception of the infantry
are now quite ready, and the work of fit-
ting them for the immediat 3 reception of
troops goes forward daily. It is not ex-
pected that either the cavalry c r artillery
barracks will be used until next summer, though
the quarters for the latter branch of the service
are in all respects ready for occupation at a week's
notice. The infantry blocks must b© used, as
nearly two-thirds of the camp huts have now bee❑
so long untenanted that they swarm with rats and
mice, and smaller vermin, and are withal so damp
as to be almost uninhabitable. The troops at pre-
sent in the camp amount to scarcely 5,000 men of
all arm:—namely, the 15th, 22d, and 9Gth Regi-
ments, two field batteries, one troop of Horse
Artillery, the 4th Light Dragoons, the Ist and 6th
companies of the Military Train, and a company of
Sappers and Miners. To this force an addition
will be made to-day by the arrival of the Royal
Berkshire Militia from Reading. This regiment
scarcely musters 700 rank and file, though during
its stay at Aldershot it will probably be raised to
its full numerical efficiency. The advance guard
marched in yesterday with part of the baggage, and
the main body will march in to-day. As a set-off
to this reinforcement to the camp, the 22d Regi-
ment has received orders to hold itself in readiness
to embark for India, :1-1(1 there is every probability
that this fine corps will soon receive the route.
One field battery has also received similar notice,
and the 4th Light Dragoons (with the exception of
two troops which remain at camp for exercise in the
new riding-schools) are to march to Colchester. To
replace these troops the Royal Wiltshire Militia,
mustering 800 rank and file, are under orders to
proceed to camp from Devizes on Monday and
Tuesday next, and a Still further augmentation
will take place in the following week by the arrival
of the Royal Southdowo Militia, 800 strong, which
has also received the route for Aldershot. Those
are the only Militia corps which up to the present
have actually been ordered to join the camp, but it
is expected that one or two more militia regiments
will be added in the curse of the ensuing
month, together with the 4th Battalion of
Rifles, which is being raised and now at Win-

chester, mustering between 300 and 400 strong.
These important additions will raise the
effective force at the camp to from 8,000 to 10,000
men, at which strength it will be kept throughout
the winter. The other regiments of militia at pre-
sent called into service in England and Ireland
will, it is anticipated, be distributed among the
various garrison towns, which in many cases are
either wholly without a garrison or only held by
two or three companies of a regiment. A very
general impression also prevails that early in spring
some of the militia will be asked to volunteer for
garrison duty at Malta, Corfu, and other places.
The latter contingency, however, is supposed to
depend upon the progress made in recruiting for
the line, which, according to the most reliable ac-
counts, is not going on at well as could be wished
among the desirable classes. Proficiency in the
use of the Enfield and Minie rifles is still most
assiduously cultivated at Aldershot, and the men
practise at the targets during the greater part of
the day. - Every fortnight, also, a company of one
of the regiments of Guards comes down to camp
for the same purpose, and, after two weeks' inces-
sant practice and instruction, is in turn relieved
by another. This practice, with parade evolutions
and shot and shell practice, is likely to form the
staple of camp drill.
Some fatal accidents have recently occurred at
camp. During the evolutions of a lield-d ,y, when
souse guns were being dragged up the steep accli-
vity which leads to Caesar's Camp, one of them un-
fortunately overturned, killing two men and three
horses. On Monday last, also, while Capt. Brand-
liug's troop of Horse Artillery was out for rocket
practice, ono of the tubes burst, and drove a large
piece of metal through the chest of A je
ser
artillery, killing him instantaneously. A
was held at the camp on Thursday, which, of inquestoaftc
course,
resulted resulted in a 'verdict of accidental death,
yesterday the poor felloaV was buried
usual military honours. He was
who was remarked even amen
sioned officers for steadiness and g
served throughout the whole
paign without being wounded
married three mouths before an
the with the
a young man
non-commis-
of
thegood conduct. He
a Crimean cam-
had only been
... the raelaucholy acci-
dent eccurte 1. An accident of a very singular
description, but which fortunately was not attended
with fatal result 4, also took place at camp a short
time since. Some dense clouds, heavily charged
with electricity, were passing across the north
camp at a short distance from the 'ground. Oa the
brow of the bill over which the electric telegraph
from head-quarters passes the wiresh exercisedsufli-
cient influence to draw down
It fl irli, which of
course instantly passed alonciatlisetoemgraph to head-
quartets, where a clerk was in the act of sending a
message to London. clerk received a most
violent shock, though fortunately not so severe as
might have ben anticipated from such a mass of
natural electricity' He was, Lo sever, thrown to
the ground stunned, and his face scorched and
blackened ; at the saute time all the dials of the
telegraph apparatus in the office were d-stroyed
and blackened, and the needles de mague ise I.
Apropos of the telegraph, we may mention that in
c ise the camp authorities should want to use it this
winter it would be as wel to cat away the boughs
of trees which rest upon it in numberless places
along the road to the Farnborough station. Unless
this is done and done effectually, the next message
from the War-office on " pipeclay H. K. No.
74,563" may be conveyed to the "listening earth,"
but most assuredly that important communication
will never be conducted to Aldershot.

REWARD or HosfEsnr.--A. poor, hard-working man,
to be found daily in the neighbourhood of Castle,quare,
in the hope of gaining any little employment, picked up
on Tuesday morning a valuable gold watch and chain.
Soon after the owner, a gentleman from Fottingdean,
having discovered his loss, retraced his steps, and Laving
regained his watch, generously presented the poor man
wit's a six e c, !—Brighton Gazette.
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