Manoeuvering into difficulty

We have seen how TFSmith's description of an argument between the Princes Consort and of Wales at the Curragh manoeuvres makes no sense. However, there are further problems with this section which do not appear at first glance.

We are told that Prince Albert was 'wearing the service uniform of a colonel of the Grenadier Guards'; in reality, when Albert attended the manoeuvres in August 1861, he wore the uniform of a field marshal. We are also informed that 'There were roughly ten thousand men - British soldiers and Irish militia, infantry, cavalry, and artillery - camped on the 5,000-acre plain for the post-harvest autumn maneuvers'. In reality, there were no militia present in the August manoeuvres, which consisted of more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry alone:

1st Infantry Brigade (Colonel Hugh Percy)
1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards (900)
36th Regiment (800)

2nd Infantry Brigade (Colonel Halliday)
1st Battalion, 15th Regiment (800)
2nd Battalion, 17th Regiment (760)
86th Regiment  (900)

3rd Brigade (Lord Alexander Russell)
1st Battalion, 11th Regiment (900)
1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (820)
96th Regiment (830)

Cavalry (Major-General Parlby)
1st Dragoons (590)
3rd Light Dragoons (600)
4th Light Dragoons (600)
11th Hussars (600)
15th Hussars (610)
14th Light Dragoons (530)

Artillery (Colonel Goodenough)
1st Battery, 8th Brigade, Royal Artillery
3rd Battery, 8th Brigade, Royal Artillery
5th Battery, 8th Brigade, Royal Artillery
4th Battery, 9th Brigade, Royal Artillery
5th Battery, 9th Brigade, Royal Artillery
C Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
G Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
K Battery, Royal Horse Artillery
(Times, 26 August 1861)

Because the overwhelming majority of Irish militia were agricultural workers, their regimental training dates were scheduled to take place well before the harvest. At the time of the August manoeuvres, 'the peasantry... were in the cornfields to the number of some 10 or 12 to every acre, busy in getting in the harvest'. (Times, 26 August 1861). Unless embodied, no Irish militia trained as late as October- as can be seen from the trainng dates for 1862, and some partial data for 1861:

Antrim Rifles- 11 June 1862; excused
Antrim Artillery- 11 June 1862; excused
Armagh Light Infantry - 4 June 1862; 6 June 1861 for 24 days
Armagh Artillery- 4 June 1862; 6 August 1861 for 24 days
Carlow Rifles- 28 May 1862; 28 May 1861 for 24 days
Cavan Militia- 4 June 1862
Clare Militia- 21 May 1862; 12 June 1861 for 24 days
North Cork Rifles- 21 May 1862; excused
South Cork Light Infantry- 21 May 1862
West Cork Artillery- 21 May 1862
Cork City Artillery- 21 May 1862
Donegal Infantry- 4 June 1862; excused
Donegal Artillery- 4 June 1862; 10 June 1861 for 27 days
Royal North Down Rifles- 11 June 1862; 12 June 1861 for 21 days
Royal South Down Light Infantry- 11 June 1862; 12 June 1861 for 21 days
County of Dublin Light Infantry- 14 May 1862
City of Dublin Militia- 14 May 1862; excused
City of Dublin Artillery- 14 May 1862; excused
Fermanagh Light Infantry- 4 June 1862; excused
Galway Regiment- 28 May 1862;
Kerry Militia- 28 May 1862; excused
Kildare Rifles- 9 May 1862; 22 May 1861 for 22 days
King's County Rifles- 14 May 1862; 3 June 1861 for 27 days
Leitrim Rifles- 28 May 1862; 12 June 1861 for 21 days
Limerick Militia- 21 May 1862; excused
Limerick City Artillery- 21 May 1862; 5 June 1861 for 24 days
Londonderry Light Infantry- 4 June 1862; 5 June 1861 for 24 days
Prince of Wales' Royal Longford Rifles- 13 June 1862; 22 May 1861 for 22 days
Louth Rifles- 14 May 1862; excused
North Mayo Militia- 28 May 1862; 22 May 1861 for 27 days
South Mayo Rifles- 28 May 1862
Meath Militia- 7 May 1862
Monaghan Militia- 11 June 1862; 4 June 1861 for 27 days
Queen's County Rifles- 14 May 1862; 5 June 1861 for 25 days
Rosscommon Militia- 28 May 1862; 5 June 1861 for 24 days
South Tipperary Artillery- 21 May 1862; excused
North Tipperary Light Infantry- 21 May 1862
Tyrone Fusiliers- 4 June 1862; 30 May 1861 for 24 days
Tyrone Artillery- 4 June 1862; 30 May 1861 for 24 days
Waterford Artillery- 21 May 1862; excused
Westmeath Rifles- 14 May 1862; 15 May 1861 for 24 days
Wexford Militia- 14 May 1862; 19 May 1861 for 24 days
Wicklow Rifles- 14 May 1862; 31 May 1861 for 21 days
(Daily News, 23 April 1862)

Is their inclusion an attempt to reinforce the suggestion that the British army is under strength and incapable of taking the field, or a simple mistake? The truth is yet to be discovered.