THE ENGLISH VOLUNTEERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 712, 21 July 1865, Page 1

THE ENGLISH VOLUNTEERS.

(Prom tbe Daily Times, Jaly 19.) The five years' history of the Volunteer movement in Great Britain has developed results which not even the most earnest amongst its advocates ventured at the outset to anticipate. Looking at past instances in which Volunteer forces had been enrolled and disbanded as soon as the

special occassion that called for them had passed away, there was too much reason to believe that they were right who said that the great demonstration of patriotic feelinz which produced so marked an impression on European nation* indulging in the threat of invasion, would again prove as evanescent as the momentary peril that had evoked it ; that men who had been easier to offer their services in a moment of enthusiasm would rapidly drop out of the ranks as soon as the excitement under which they had acted died away ; and that in the course of a year or two the only visible relics of a great movement would be some disused uniforms, anr! possibly some preserved rifle prizes. So far from any of these fears and predictions having been realised, the fact is now accepted alike by Civilians and Military authorities, that the Volunteer Force of England and Scotland is an established and"" permanent arm of national defence, yearly growing in strength and efficiency, and as capable of rendering valuable service in the field as the most veteran and accomplished battalions of regular troops. In the year J 860, -when the volunteering excitement had reached its highest point, the force numbered 120,000 men of all arms; and at the fir>t of the annual Brighton Reviews 12,000 of these were paraded together. The effective force now. after a lapse of five years, numbers 165,000 men, and the muster at Brighton this year was 22,000, drawn from the same limited area, viz , the Metropolitan district which furnished the 12,000 of 1860. The contributing counties were, Surrey, Sussex, Essex. Hampshire, and Middlesex It is boasted not without reasonable pride, by the English pres?, that the total volunteer force could place seveu such armies in the field as assembled on Brighton Downs on Eister -Monday. Less than one -half of this total would suffice to garrison India, and less than a third would be equivalent to the whole regular infantry at home. 145.000 men of all arms, exclusive of the force in India, is the measure of the regular military establishment of Great Britain, whereas the volunteers are 105,000 in number. In other words, the actual military strength of Great Britain is more than doubled by the complete and sustained success ot this movement, and at least, for all defensive purposes, an army of 145,000 raised *b an array of 300,000. The cost of the voluateers to the nation is le^s than half a million ayear. The cost of maintaining an equal army of regular soldier 0 , is estimated at not less than sixteen millions sterling.

There seems to be no reason to doubt that the Volunteers have attained to almost the highest efficiency and discipline. They show themselves as capable of sustaining the fatigue of heavy and forced marches and active field work, as completely under military control, and as well able to understand and exerd-e the mo^t complicated evolutions, as the best trained soldiers whose sole business in life it is to approve themselves as competent men-at-arms. This is no doubt with justice attributed to the superior materials from which the Volunteer recruits are drawn. Certainly, the test applied to them at Brighton was well calculated to ascertain of what stuff they were made. In no previous in stance of a sham fight in England it is believe! were the conditions of actual war more nearly realised. The Gtnerals- commanding the suppposed invading and defensive armies, appear to have formed thiir separate and independent plans of oper^ion. The pan of attack was gradually developed, and the defensive movements were adapted to it, so that all which took place was just what might hjpe taken place if the soldiers of France or any other hostile power had effected a landing, and contested the ground with an enemy prepared to receive them. The two armies arrayed against each other had received no intimation of the duties they would have to discharge. They were simply handled by the Generals in command as they would have been in the real crisis of battle. We are told that " the surprise with which the defenders " found themselves towards the close of " the day, outflanked by a strong division " which had been moved under cover of " the heights, was as genuine, though not " quite so alarming, as if the attack had " come from an invading army. The " patriotic desire to drive back the enemy " into the sea was certainly not gratified ; " for, thanks to their superiority of force, " the invaders contrived to hem in the " army of defence, before the close of the " day, in a manner which would have left

" them but a poor chance of escape. The " utmost they could do was to threaten " with annihilation certain portions of the " attacking army, which, either from real " or designed mistakes, ventured too far " forward in their eager advance, and no " want of promptitude was shown in " seizing upon every opportunity of the " kind which the vicissitudes of the mock 11 battle presented. 1 '

Military men, of high rank and expeperience, spoke in the highest terms of the soldierly bearing of the men throughout the day. During the intervals that have elapsed between each successive public display, the attention to drill must have been most exemplary. There was, however, one special feature of this armed gathering, that perhaps afforded some clue to the steadiness of purpose with which; the Volunteer movement has been prosecuted. The skilled use of the rifle has been added to the athletic exercises of the strong manhood of Eng^nd. Before and after the review, a body of four thousand crack shot 3 competed for prizes at the Butts. The mastery of this important weapon has always been regarded as an essential qualification for the particular line of warfare which might be expected to be assigned to the Volunteers, in the event of actual service. It is true that this citizen army has evinced to an extent that was never looked for, its apti f ude to undertake all the field work that regular troops are accustomed to ; but to a greater or less extent it would have, no doubt, to discharge the special duty of. marksmen, whilst the standing army was made to sustain the shock of the enemy in the field. Upwards of 60,000 volunteers have shown their skill in the use of thi9 weapon, by qualifying for the Government grants awarded for efficiency, and it may be inferred that of that number ieveral thousands, fired by a spirit of emulation, have attained a proficiency that would enable them,* firing from cover, to bring; down any object within the range of their weapon. This is a singular and surprising manifestation of national character — surprisingto the people themselves, more so to the foreigner, who has been always disposed to speak contemptuously of the military spirit of Englishmen. It is impossible to estimate the extent of the revolution it may work. The British people have always been averse to the policy of maintaining large standing armies. They have looked upon them in times of peace as composed of idlers, wasting the national resources. The perpetual cry for retrenchment, for keeping down the military establishments to the very lowest peace footing, has undoubtedly induced a very general misconception, and lent point to the taunt that we were " a nation ot " shopkeepers." It has now been demonstrated that an army more than equal in. numbers, and believed to be fully eqnal ia efficiency to the regular force of the three Kingdoms, can be maintained at a nominal cost, and be ever reidy for service, without withdrawing legions ot men from the ordinary professional and trading occupations that belong to civilized society. The present result has been the work of five brief 3 ears. And during the latter and greater part of that time, no special exciting influences have operated. The threat of invasion has not been repeated, and at this moment the prospects of a continuance of peace between England and her European allies appear welt assured. Yet the military education of the people has rapidly progressed. They have displayed an aptitude for the work of war for which no oue had before given them, credit ; and the Volunteer force of 1865 presents a spectacle which has no parallel in any other nation in the world.