The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-19 00:00:00

WOOLWICH-SATURDAY.

VISIT OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE
WILLIAIII OF PRUSSIA AND HIS GRACE
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON TO WOOL-

NVICIT.

Lord Bloomfield, the Commandant of Woolwich Gar-
rison, having received official intimation of an intended
visit of the above illustrious personages to review the
Artillery Brigade, on Saturday morning, at about half-
past ten o'clock, the field battery of Royal Artillery of
12 guns, composed of three troops, under. Major An-
drews, Captain Wilford, and Captain Robe ; and the
Royal Horse Artillery, of six guns, consisting of the
Rocket troop under Major Strangways, the F troop
under Major Macbean, and the H troop under Captain
Ward, the whole under the command of Lieutenant-
General Bloomfield, who was attended by Major-Gene-
ral Sir Hugh Dalrymple Ross, Major-General Sir Web-
ber Smith, Sir George Hoste, Commandant of the Engi-
neering Department, and a numerous staff of engineer
and artillery officers, assembled at Woolwich-common
in waiting for their distinguished visitors.
About the same time that the troops arrived on the
common his Royal Highness the Prince of Prussia left the
Legation, and, accompanied by his suite, proceeded in two
of the Royal carriages over Westminster-bridge, via Ken-
nington, New-cross, and Blackheath, to Woolwich, and at
a quarter past 11 Prince William of Prussia, the Duke of
Wellington, Sir George Murray, the Master-General of
the Ordnance, Lord Charles Wellesley, and a splendid
cortege of military officers, rode on to the common from
the direction of the Royal Artillery veterinary establish-
ment. The Duke looked remarkably well, and in com-
pliment to the Prince wore the uniform of a Field Mar-
shal of Prussia.

The artillery received the Prince with all the custo-
mary honours on his reaching the saluting standard, and
then rode past in slow and quick time, Lord Bloomfield
in command, who, we were glad to see, had quite re-
covered from his late severe illness. The evolutions and
firing, which followed, by the Horse Artillery, under
Lieut.-Colonel Dyuely, the field battery under Colonel
Cleveland having left the ground, were performed with
the utmost celerity and precision, particularly the
sudden dismounting of the guns and carriages, an affair
of a moment, executed under the supposition that it was
necessary to spike and abandon the guns. Guns,
carriages, wheels, were all flat on the grass when the
command was given to remount them, and in fourteen
seconds—for we saw it timed by the stop-watch of a
gentleman by us—the first remounted gun was fired,
and in two seconds more every gun was discharged.
This exercise seemed particularly to engage the atten-
tion of the Prince and the Duke of Wellington.
The whole staff rode forward, and the Prince expressed
his admiration of the celerity with which it was
performed. On the conclusion .of the field operations
the guns again passed in review order, after which the
distinguished party inspected the gentlemen cadets, who
were drawn up under arms in front of the barracks on
the Common. They presented arms, marched past in
review order, while a party at the field-pieces fired a
royal salute as the Prince left them. The Duke of Wel-
lington and Lord Charles Wellesley now got into an open
Prince went to the
howitzer and
carriageßotunda,
oyur non andthe
Ihe e departedCncae et to
Barracks
sef r
some L o n
admirableolen
mortar practice. A target, a small flagstaff with a
union-jack flying from it, was placed in the earth at a
distance of 600 yards from the battery. In the first
round, although several of the shots fell within a few
paces of the mark, none struck the staff, but the fifth
gun in the second round directed by Corporal Henry
Russell, was more successffil, striking it within a few
inches of the earth, and shivering it to atoms.
It was now the dinner hour of the men, and his Royal
Highness inspected, with much interest, several of the
barrack-rooms where they were dining ; after which the
Prince and other distinguished visitors adjourned to
Lord Boomfield's house to take refeshment.
In the afternoon the Prince, in compasky with the
Master-General, Lord Bloomfield, and staff, went
through the departments of the Arsenal, then in full
operation, and expressed himself gratified at witnessing
the boring of brass field pieces, the making of percus-
sion caps, and of bullets, by compression, &c. The Prince
showed by his observations that he was not making a
visit to the arsenal for form's sake, but that he really
took an interest in all that was going on, and the inspec-
tion of the different works occupied so much time that
little remained for the rocket, heavy gun, and mortar
practice, in the marshes. He, however, repaired thither
about four o'clock, and witnessed two discharges of
rockets, six or eight in each discharge.
The crowded state of the River prevented the breach-
ing batteries from playing, as the butt is between the
battery and the Thames, and after waiting in vain for
the signal that the River was clear, the Prince was
obliged to depart. Heartily shaking hands with Lord
Bloomfield, and thanking him for the attention received
during the day, his Royal Highness stepped into his
carriage, and left Woolwich for London.