PETERSFIELD.]—THE ANNUAL PRIZE MEETING OF THE 12TH HANTS RIFLE VOLUNTEER CORPS—took place at Butler Hill on Monday. The weather was very pleasant, but the volunteers complained that the frequent changes from fog to sunshine made it very difficult to make a good score. The friends of the corps came forward very liberally, and enabled the shooting committee to give 18 money prizes, amounting to £33 2s. 6d, besides teapots, &c. The ranges were 200, 500, and 600 yards; Hythe position; Wimbledon targets and scoring; the second class targets being 6 feet square. The following are the names of the winners and prizes:—
1st prize, £5, Sergeant Glasse, 41 points; 2nd prize, £4. Armr.-Sergeant Caplen, 33 points; 3rd prize, £3 10s., Lieut. Chalcraft, 32 points; 4th prize, £3, Private T. Rapley, 32 points; 5th prize, £2 15s, Lance-Corporal Carter, 32 points; 6th prize, £2 10s., Lance-Corporal Penn, 31; 7th prize, £2 5s., Private Wynn, 31 points; 8th prize, £2, Capt. Seward, 30; 9th prize, £1 16s., Serge. Lewis Cole, 30; 10th prize, tea service, Private Rapley, 26 points; 11th prize, £1 10s, Private Dear, 24 points; 12th prize, tea-pot, Private Edney, 23 points; 13th prize, £1 5s, Private Young, 23 points; 14th prize, £1, Private Caplen, 19 points; 15th prize, 15s., Private Waller; 16th prize, 12s 6d., Private Tribe; 17th prize, 10s. Private Davis; 18th prize, 7s., Private Moss; 19th prize, 5s., Private Pescott; 20th prize, 2s 6d., Private Goodeve.
—There were three extra prizes for recruits who have lately joined, and they were won by the following:—
Private Waller, five rounds at 200 yards, 12 points, a teapot; Private Restall, five rounds at 200 yards, 6 points, a tea-kettle; Private E. Vick, five rounds at 200 yards, 5 points, a butter-stand.
—In the evening the officers of the corps entertained the members and their friends in the neighbourhood at dinner at the Dolphin Hotel, Capt. Seward in the chair. After the removal of the cloth, the Chairman gave the following toasts, ‟The Queen,” ‟The Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal family,” ‟The Army, Navy, and Volunteers,” which was responded to by Captain and Adjutant, Cooke, of the 3rd Administrative Battalion Hants Rifle Volunteer Corps. ‟The Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese,” coupled with the names of the Revs. Haigh and Coles.—Mr. Haigh returned thanks, and said that having been a volunteer himself when at Cambridge, he knew what time the volunteers gave up to make themselves efficient, and not being able from his profession to take an active part, he was very glad to assist as an honorary member, as he was sure the volunteer force was of the greatest value to the country.—The Chairman then said it was his pleasing duty to award the prizes to the successful competitors, but the first prize of the day, though not the most valuable in a pecuniary point of view, was, from the way it was given and the manner by which it was won, in his opinion the most valuable, and he called on Colour-Sergeant Finley, who then rose and said:— Capt. Seward, Volunteers, and Gentlemen—‟In calling on sergeant-Instructor Allen to receive this purse with its contents, amounting to £4 7s. 6d, as a slight testimonial on the part of the non-commissioned officers and privates,” and ended his speech by calling on every one to drink the Sergeant-Instructor’s health.—Sergeant Instructor Allen returned thanks, and said it was the proudest moment of his life; it was not the value of the gift, but the kind and spontaneous way in which it was given, and it would, if possible, render him more active in the cause.—Color-Sergt. Finley then proposed the health of Captain Seward, and said that in the 18 months during which he had had the command, he had gained the goodwill of every man in the corps.—Capt. Seward, in returning thanks, said he was much obliged to them for their kindness on this and many previous occasions, and he took this opportunity of thanking the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates for their kindness, the support, and encouragement they had always bestowed on him, and he could assure his friends present that he had never had an unpleasant word of any member. It was an invidious task on his part to choose the men to shoot in the matches, but he had always selected those he thought best, and his judgement had been confirmed by the shooting of that day, for nine out of the first ten of the prize winners had been selected to shoot in a recent match. He again thanked them for their kindness in drinking his health.—Many more toasts, speeches, and songs followed, and the night was far advanced when the convivial party broke up.
Hampshire Telegraph — Saturday 26 November 1864
EASTMEON.
Agent—Mr. J. M. Barnard.
RIFLE CORPS.—On Monday last the 12th Hants Rifle Volunteer Corps held their annual prize meeting, at the rifle ground, in Helmington Bottom. In the evening the members returned to Petersfield, where they were entertained at dinner by the officers, at the Dolphin Hotel, Captain Seward presiding. Private F. Dear, of this village, was one of the successful competitors.