The Holiday.

Otago Witness, Issue 1355, 17 November 1877, Page 5

The Holiday.

THE VOLUNTEER REVIEW AND SRAM FIGHT. The review and sham fight of the Otago Volunteers, under Major Stavely, was held on tha 9th, and in many respects must be considered to have been very successful A large number of men attended from the country districts. The Invercargill Rifle and Artillery Companies mustered in full force, and were accompanied by their very efficient band. From Clutha, Milton, East Taieri, Outram, and Port Chalmers, as well as from the suburban districts, tbe Volunteers came into town in order to Attend the general review and to take part in the mimic warfare, which was to constitute the programme of then: duty and the spectators' entertainment. The Queeostown Volunteers, to the number of about forty, would also have taken part in the demonstration had it not been that owing to recent floods they were unable to cross the Matanra river after leaving Singstown. The muster was, however, a very strong one, numbering over & thousand volunteers under arms, and was probably the largest purely volunteer review ever held in the Colony. Nothing could have been more creditable than the appearance and the conduct of .the men. The Invercargill Volunteers also Mlewrre special commendation for their numerous muster, considering the distance they had to come to attend the review, and the able assistance given by them towards making the proceedings of the day successful. Unfortunately the weather was not altogether favourable There was a cold wind blowing from the j south, and after midday the sky became ' cloudy, and light showers of rain fell occasionally. Shortly after ten o'clock tha crowd began to assemble near CarguTa monument in such numbers as to show that the review of the Volunteers was regarded as an event of public interest Fully 2000 persons must have assembled to see the Volunteers form the order of march.

The Volunteers fell in in the Custom House Square, at about half-past 10 o'clock, in the following order : — Artillery and Artillery Cadets, with twelve and bix pound Armstrong guns, Captain Jack in command. First battalion, under Major Wales, consisted of No. 1 City Guardg, North Dunedin Eifles, South District Eifles, and Wakari Eifles, with Majors Beeves and Roberts. No. 2 battalion, under the command of Major Jones, consisted of the Bruce, East Taieri, West Taieri, and No*. 1 and 2 Clutha Kifles, Captain* Andrew and M*Neil acting majors. No. 3 battalion, under command of Captain Murray, consisted of No. 1 City Guards, High School Bifles, North District School, South District School, and Middle District School Cadets, with Captains Thomson and Graham acting majors. Theothercorpß,whichaf terwards formed the defending force in the sham fight, supported by the batteries on the Sandhills, under the command of Captain Goldie, were as follows : Dunedin and Port Chalmers Naval Brigades, the Naval Cadets and the Tnvercargill contingent, with Captain Hey ward as referee. The whole division was under the command of Major Stavely, and his staff consisted of lieutenant Kingswell, of the Invereargill Artillery, Acting Major of Brigade } Lieutenant Cutten, Aid-dc camp ; Dr Hocken, Staff, surgeon ; and Staff Sergeants Stevens, Paxton, M*Keay, Harruon, and Smith. The companies mustered as follows :— Dunedin Artillery: Captain Jack, Sub-Lieutenant Lambert, 3 sergeants, 4 corporals, and 25 guanas ; total 34 (Assistant-Surgeon Murphy in attendance). High School Artillery Cadets : Capt Thomson, 21ieutenante, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 30 gunners ; total, 4L Invereargill Artillery : Captain Hannah, Lieutenant Kongßwell, second Lieut. Stock, 4 sergeants, 2 fcorporala, 1 bugler, 40 gunners— total, 60 (Dr Johnson, Assistantsurgeon in attendance). Dunedin Rifle Corps : No. 1 City Guards— Caption Wilson, Lieut M'Gregor, Sub-lieut Kohn, 6 sergeants, 5 corporal*, 1 bugler, 62 rank and file— total, 77. North Dunedin Bifles— Captain Beeves. Sublient Pollock, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 42 rank and file— total, 52. Invereargill Bifle CorpsCaptain Macrorie, Lieut Scandrett, Sub-lieut Dawson, 2 sergeants, 1 bugler, and 32 rank and file— total, 38 (Dr Scott, Assistant-surgeon in attendance). Dunedin South District Rifles^ — Captain Roberta, Lieut. King, Sub-lieut. Eagerty, 3 sergeants, 3 corporals, 21 rank and file; total, 30. Wakari Rifle Bangers : Captain Reid, Lieutenant M'Kenzie, 2 sergeants, 4 corporals, 1 bugler, 24 rank and file; total, 32. Bruce Bifles: Lieutenant Scott, Sub-lieutenant Reid, 3 sergeacts, 27 rank and file; total, 3L East Taieri Corps : Lieutenant Donnelly, Sab-lieutenant Brown, 3 sergeants, 3 corporals, 16 rank and file ; total, 25. - West Taieri Corps : Captain Iveson, Lieutenant Blatcb, 3 sergeants, 20 rank and file; total, 25. No. 1 Clutha: Lieutenant Smail, Sub-lieutenant Stevens, 3 sergeants, 22 rank and file ; total, 28. No. 2 Clutha : Lieutenant Henderson, Sub-lieutenant Stewart, 3 sergeants, 2 corporals, 20 rank aad file ; total, 28. Portcbello: Captain M'Cartney, Sub licut tenant M'Cartney, 2 sergeants, 20 rank and file ; total, 24. No. 1 City Guard Cadets : Captain Wilson, 2 lientenanta, 3 sergeants, 4 corporals, and 26 lank and file ; total, 36. High School Cadets : Captain Graham, 2 lieutenants, , 4 sergeants, 21 rank and file ; total, 28. North District School Cadets: Captain Murray, 1 lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 28 rank and file ; total, 34. South, District School Cadets : Captain M'Kenzie, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 21 rank and file ; total, 29. Middle District School Cadets: Captain Chapman, 2 lieutenants, 4 sergeants, 37 rank and file ; total, 44. Battalion Band, John James Atkinson: 1 band sergeant and 17 bandsmen. Invereargill Contingent Band : 1 bandmaster, 1 band sergeant, aad 24 bandsmen. Dunedin Naval Brigade : Captain Smith, Lieutenant Grant, SubLieutenant Jacobs, 6 petty officers, 60 gunners; trial, 69. Port Chalmers Navals: Captain Goldie, Lieutenant Taylor, Sub-Lieut-enant Menelaus, 7 petty officers, 1 bugler, and 50gunnet«; total, 61. The Volunteers left for Forbury Park at half -pa*t 11 o'clock, and a very large number of persons followed them along the line of inarch. Others went to the scene of the Review and Sham Fight in vehicles, and a very large number availed themselves of the special trains run on the Ocean Beach line of railway. Altogether between five <md six thousand persons must have been present when the sham fight took place.

THE SHAM FIGHT.

The sham fight was looked forward to an the great event of the day, but the arrangements made by the Volunteer authorities were somewhat marred by the action of several hundred spectators who wholly disregarded the reasonable request that had been made to the effect that they would keep clear of the Sandhills where the volunteers were manoeuvring. Long before the arrival ot the main body of the force on the ground the Naval Brigade had erected batteries on the Sandhills, and mounted their howitzers and six pounder guns there, a work of no small difficulty. In a short time the batteries were thronged with people, and when $j§ hour arrived for the fight to comnaen.ee, all

the efforts of the volunteers to induce the public to tetire to a respectful distance were futile, and the services of two or three policemen Lad to be called into requisition. Even then the spectators could only be persuaded to retire to a distance ot a fewyards from the battery, and all the sandhills immediately adjoining were crowded with men women, and children. The sham fight, regarded as a spectacle, was far from being succcesaf ul. It was impossible to note with any degree of accuracy the movements of either the attacking party or the defence force, owing to the dense crowd of outsiders, but the spectators or. the Grand Stand were good humoured, and being quite willing to take a great deal for granted, regarded the sham fight as a remarkably good piece of mimic warfare. Had the hills been left clear the mock engagement would have been a very interesting sight, but it required a strong imagination to enable the most enthusiastic admirer of the citizen soldiers to picture to themselves a real battle while the batteries were surrounded by picnic parties, and the skirmishers compelled to pic 1 t their way among groups of women and children. Before |commencing an account of the sham fight we may mention that the enemy were represented by the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Naval Brigade, the Naval Cadets, and the Invercargill contingent, under command of Captain Goldie, Captain Heywood as referee. They were supposed to have landed in the night, and taken up an almost impregnable position on the sandhills. Their main position was on a commanding hill within a short distance of the ocean, where a battery had been erected, and several hundred yards in advance of this, and also on commanding hills were a central battery and two flag batteries, armed with six-pounder guns. The attacking force consisted of three battalions — the first under command of Major Wales, forming the right attacking column; the second battalion under Major Jones, forming the left attacking column ; and the third battalion under Captain Murray, forming the reserve of the _ attacking force. A division of the Artillery and Artillery Cadets accompanied each of the attacking columns. At the command of Major Stavely the attacking column moved to the assault, after which they were left in the hands of their commanding officers. The assault was commenced first by the right column, with Artillery and skircnisheM, the left column quickly following suit. Tne right flank battery of theenemy wassoonsilenced, and taken ; and after the one on the left had shared a similar fate, the attacking forces moved towards the central battery, pouring in volley after volley of musketry, while the enemy responded with three six Rounders. The enemy in giving ■way carried -with them their right and left flank guns, but abandoned the guns of the central battery, and fell back upon their main position in the rear. The men of the left attacking column were the first tD get into tho central battery whan the enemy had been driven out, and when the officer in command jumped over the breastwork, gallantly waving his cap and followed by his men, there was loud cheering. Alter being driven back to their main position, the enemy were reinforced, and the attacking party, who had followed them up to the foot of the hill upon which the main battery had beer placed, were repulsed and driven back on the first line, where the three batteries were, after a hard struggle, recapt'ired by their former oc cupante. The position in which the attacking forces discovered the enemy was one from which, in the opinion of military critics, it was next to impossible to dislodge them, the nature of the ground favouring the defending forces in ; every respect. All credit must be given to the men and officers for the way in which they worked. Ancle deep in sand, the condition in , which many of them came out of the sham fight .proved that they had been engaged in : no child's play. They showed remarkable activity, and in their eagerness to get toj the attack several of them were well marked vith , powder, and one private had his neck artistically ornamented with scratches inflicted with the points of his comrade's bayonets. BATONET EXEBCISE. The competition for the prize of £10 offered for the best company at bayonet exercise, ex- : cited a good deal of interest, not only among the volunteers themselves, but also among the spectators, who watched the proceedings with [ marked attention. The prize was offered by l the Review Committee, and the condi- ; tions were that every competing company should furnish a team of not less than , 20 rank and file, and should be put s through the exercise by one of its commissioned , officers. The review exercise had to be per- j [ formed as laid down in section 13, clause 8, of j ; the Rifle Exercises, issued in 1874. Ex-Major ' Atkinson was selected to act aa umpire, and bis : decision seemed to give pretty general satisfacl tion. The competing companies were the , Bruce Rifles, under Lieutenant Reid ; the City , Guards, under Captain Wilson ; th« North 1 Dunedin Rifles, under Lieutenant Pollock, fc Wakari Rifles, under Captain Reid ; and the 2 No. 1 Invercargill Rifles, under Captain Mac- - rorie. The Invercargill Artillery also entered i & company for the competition, but withdrew. , The bayonet exercise *ras performed opposite - the grand stand, in full view of the great I body of the^ general public, and each - company on retiring received a hearty round of - applause, especially the North Dnnedin and i the Bruca Rifles. Tne umpire had the staff - , sergeant of each company with him while peri forming his duties, bo as to do away with any I idea that he might be influenced by a desire to 1 favour any particular company. The result of : the first competition was, that eight points , were recorded against the men ot the Bruce t Rifles, and one point against the officer ; Wa- - kari Rifles, twelve points against the men ; No. . 1 City Guards, fifteen points against the men ; L North Dnnediu Rifles, nine points against ihe I men; Invercargill Artillery, fifteen points - against the men, and one point against the - officer. The errors on the part of the officers - were scored as one point It may be mentioned D that the company from the City Guards : had double the number of men in the company ;■ thattheothershad, but this fact wasnottakeninto i consideration in the judging, the conditions stating merely that twenty should be the minit mum number of men in any company. At the r close of the first competition the Bruce Rifles and f North Dunedin Rifles were found to be equal i- in point of merit, and the final competition for j the prize caused no little excitement amongst \ the members of the rival corps, bets in favour '. of each being freely offered. Tne result was •- that nine points were scored against the Bruce n Rifles and five against the North Dunedin Company. It was explained that the Bruce Rifles had closed up according to the rules for c 1873, the company not bein^ in possession of, or 3 not having been drilled under, the later regula- \ m tions. Both the companies engaged in the final £ competition were heartily applauded when tney retired, and although at one time tolerably con,j fident of success, the Bruce men accepted their jjj defeat in a becoming manner. g BRIGADE MOVEMENTS. Ie The brigade movements took place in the d '^pen space in the centre of the race course, and ir The Volunteers acquitted themselves remarkk ably well. On the whole their hearing was i 6 soldier-like, and the various movements were n executed with considerable neatness and preII ciaiqn. The brigade first formed up into line of

quarter columns, and after wheeling into mass to the right, deployed into quarter columns to the left. After advancing and retiring, and changing front, the brigade opened to deploying distance. The line then retired, aDdaft°radvancingiu echelon of battalions from the centre, formed four deep squares. After independeot firing the columns were re-formed, and the men formed liae of quarter column on the centre battalion at deploying distance They then deployed inio line to the left by battalions, and after more independent firing retired by half battalions, and fired volleys. After some other manoeuvres the Brigade marchedj pastj in column, in mass of quarter columns, and afterwards advanced in review order. After the word " halt " had been given there was a general salute, and the men wheeled to the right and formed in mass on No. 1 battalion. Shortly before five o'clock the forces marched back to town. Many of the members of the country corps lefs by the night train ; but the Invercargill contingent will remain here until Monday. THE DINNER. In the evening the officers of the various companies were entertained at dinner at the City Hotel by Major Stavely. The chair was occupied by the Major, the vice chair being filled by Major Wales.