COLUMN FOR VOLUNTEERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 194, 7 June 1860, Page 4

COLUMN FOR VOLUNTEERS.

The Nelson Provincial Council has passed a bill providing for the bestowal of ,prizes on th.e best marksmen of the various corps-in'the province, in order to encourage the members, to endeavour to excel in the use of their weapon. : ■ A gentleman addressing a Volunteer, meeting the other day at Lesmahagow, told an anecdote which lie had heard from an old Prussian’soldier, illustrative of the value of - ■; : -

During the year 1813 or 1814, a corps of 1,600 men were operating on the right bank of the Rhine, whilst the French possessed the country on the left of the river, and one afternoon in the autumn the corps bivouacked, near the river, where they thought they were perfectly safe. Suddenly, nowever, they were startled by a shot from the opposite' bank, which they afterwards learnt proceeded from a single rifleman who was concealed in a hollow. About seventeen soldiers on the Prussian, side fell one after the other, ami the officers were only prevented by shame from moving the encampment' to a greater distance. At length,'after many , thousand shots had been fired at him in vain; the rifleman was killed,, but not till lie had nearly ropted an army of 1,600 men 1-4 -Guardian, ; ISiit ’ A uchib alix Alison, on •thbYslunti% Movement.^--At a soiree .of the Sixth LanarkRifles, in Glasgow,’on rues* day evening, Sheriff Sir A,. ‘ said—i will go aloug with Lord Elcho, and say that I hope that military duties will form a part not only of the education of youth, but of children at school, and that; they; will be taught to march, and also the. manual and platoon exercises.' (Hear.) I say this on i the part of peace, for there is a Roman - maxim, ‘ If you wish for peace, prepare for war.” 3 In referring to the pleasure of drill,

the bon. Baronet said-—“ I anusur© it will-bo -..- agreeable—l know, it will be from ; my own experience—for there are few friendships so. ; lasting as those : formed under such circumstances. I am sure all: will also > find, as I ; hope many in. this , room liaveValreidy found, that there is no passport to a lady’s heart surer than-chivalrous, courageous,: and inder, pendent feelings, which, I trust, will’?always form the .character ofi-a,soldier.. (Cheers.) ? - Riele Instruction. DniLLvr-In & circular, Major Nelson, Assistant Inspector, of. Rifle 1 Yuiupteers, Scotland, - remarks am ,of - opinion that it is indispensable to inculcate, int the, minds of all members, that they should ~ not look upon the! prescribed preliminary course of musketry instruction as a troublesome • : process to j be . gone, through before they-are allowed to shootj but as the process' by which , they will become good shots—a mere expen- : diture of ball and ammunition, withoutthis, . will Dfivw «noi« nroficiencv. The instructors or musketry must also take care ? that thmr squads are well practised in position. drill, so that the left arm may be strengthened . “ a Diost - important matter, for it does the, whole work of sustaining the rifle, at the . ‘present. 5 I would therefore suggest.that commanders of companies should occasionally, while marching, cause the arms to be changed, that is, to carry them in the left hand. I would desire to have volunteers taught as . rapidly as possible the ‘ skirmishing drill;’ and as soon as they have learned the principles of - ? extended order upon the parade, it would be desirable, where practicable, to take them over broken ground, to teach them the value , of coyer and the manner in which bodies of. skirmishers occupy positions, however small and trifling—how to advance as under: firefiles working independently—faking ad van- . tage of any cover between them arid- the. enemy. Forming “ Advance and Rear Guard’ 5 should occasionally be? practised—also the mode of advancing and retiring over bridges and through defiles in. skirmishing order. . It is on private parades drill and discipline must be enforced. I therefore would desire to incite a rivalry:—an honorable rivalry among companies, that: each should strive to excel in drill and discipline, for any laxity in these points by a company at its private parade will ; but recoil upon itself when brought into, battalion. I therefore earnestly intreat captains and officers commanding; companies to; pay strict attention themselves, and to exact perfect obedience from their companies at their private parades. •

Lieut. General Sir Harry Smith, the Hero of Aliwal, writes to a friend on 7th Feb.

“Remember the Glasgow sharpshooters ! They were raised , much under ?my military 011 e«i - ?od v byrishe sergean t or the Rifle Brigade, m one wexo soldiers, adapted for any, home service whatever—could march, shoot, and be silent.

“An anecdote I will give you, known probably to no. man living but myselfi You will remember there was always, a great spirit of emulation between the volunteers and yeomanry of .Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Lord President of that day, Hope, was a staunch supporter of the Edinburgh. He was in Glasgow with his “ tail,” and I bad the honour to dine with him, sitting on his right hand, After dinner he said:— tf lam very anxious to see the Glasgow Sharpshooters” “ When you wish my Lord, I ean readily have them turned out; will to-morrow at ten o’clock suit your Lordship?” He replied—-“I fear the thing is impracticable.” “ Oh,” I said, “ never mind that, my Lord; will the hour suit you?;’ “If possible, yes!” ■ X jumped up; got a scrap of paper from a. waiter, and wrote thus “ Dear Hunter, — The Lord President wishes to see your corps to-morrow at ten o’clock on the Calton Green.” Shortly, / received this laconic reply :—“ W& will be there.—Yours, S. Hunter.?’ I accompanied liis Lordship and his tail. There the Glasgow Sharpshooters were like veterans. After the field-day, which was a. brilliant one, the Lord President walked up : . to Col. Sam Hunter; the regiment, at the time, presented arms, steady as rocks. His Lordship said—Pray, Colonel Hunter, let the corps shoulder, order, and staml-at-ease. 2'he Lord President then addressed a most laudatory speech to the Colonel, the: officers, and men, towards' the conclusion .of., which the men had all taken off their caps, and were mopping their heads witli large bandana silk handkerchiefs ; at the conclusion the >(?okrael Tsaia—-Tram much": jfor your encomium. I hope WQ mont .it. There’s this,. I’ll venture to assert myself, there’s no battalion in His Majesty’s service has more silk wipes.” Ini returning with his Lordship he asked me how it was possible, the battalion could . turn out as they did~-they must have been previously held in, readiness ? I assured his Lordship, on the .honour of a soldier, that there was no collusion, with, me and Colonel Hunter. “ Then, Sir, how was it affected ? “My Lord,”, I said, “ nothing is so simple/ The companies are each formed from the inhabitants of adjacent, streets from right to left, so that in ten minutes each company could be warned,’ and of course their assembly was most rapid.” . 4