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that exist for victualling our own troop...
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INCIDENTS. A New Russian Riot-e Corfs.—A...
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Notes Op The Siege. Wrntell Olothtniov. ...
gm && % m GSMhX EnniskMen Dragoons ^ 17 th Lancers ^ ? t- ^ wW iriit Dragoons , the 8 th Hussars ; the 13 th Siht ^ rSo ^ S ^ lth Hussars-that formerly had S effect strength of . some 2600 sabres , cannot npw SoS theL STSount 200 men in a state fit for even jSary service . The Scots Greys are numerically &^ trongeBt reg iment out here . It mounts 70 men out of which only about 25 men and horses are fit for service in the field . For some three or four weeks oast we have known that our cavalry , as an arm of the servicewas no more ; but still , out of
compli-, ment , it was spoken of as a division , and was , therefore , on the whole , a pleasant fiction to believe in . But now all our cherished fancies are destroyed—the term cavalry has no signification ; the 15 or 20 men remaining out of each regiment are all formed into one corps , and used in carrying biscuit up to the camp . Each soldier leads one horse , which is always such a mass of bones , sores , and general dilapidations , as would excite the indignation of that most polite of philanthropists , the secretary of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals . The led horse carries one bag of biscuit , and frequently is unable to bear this weight ( 80 lbs . ) more than half the distance to the camp , when they fall and get rid of two burdens— -their lives and their bisthese stalk all kinds
cuits—together . Among cavalry of officers , some mounted , some on foot . The rough , heavy-looking men in tarpaulin coats , sou ' -wester caps , and high boots are generally oflicers in the Guards . The very « seedy' looking individuals , in dilapidated garments , with bread bags tied round their legs , are of licers from the naval brigade . The mounted men , who mostly resemble shipwrecked mariners , who have stranded some ^ where on a mud bank and waded through it to the shore , are cavalry oflicers . Among these motley characters , gentlemen walk about with great-coats , made out of their blankets by the simple process of cutting holes in it for stheir arms . These garments , though primitive-looking , are warm , and to attain that desideratum there is nothing one would not wear in the Crimea .- 'Some of the common
soldiers mount Russian great-coats , others have extraordinary-looking habiliments , made somehow out of morsels of old sails—the remnants of the wrecks which have drifted in from outside the harbour . Just around the landing-places—or rather what are supposed to act as such—are crowds of lounging Turks , who concentrate all-their feeble energies upon purloining ' a morsel of biscuit from the bags which are piled upon shore . "
RELATIVE STRENGTH OF RUSSIA AND THE ALLIES . The corespondent of the Herald seems to fear that our recent endeavours have been equalled by the enemy : —• " The small ' cohorns ' are to be moved into a little breastwork at the Ovens , and employed in throwing 5 J ~ inch shell among the troops working the batteries , and into the nearest guard-houses and troop-stations . These little mortars , which two men can run away with with perfect ease , will certainly do as much service in this way as their larger comrades . - Their range is not above 1200 or 1300 yards , but from the Ovens at that range they can command most of the south side of the town , and nearly all the batteries opposed to the English .
•• As far as I can judge from carefully surveying , the external means of defence at the disposal of the enemy fully equal our means of attack . The whole place is literally circle within circle of redoubts , all of which are grim and dark with cannon . Fortunately , the insane project of trying to destroy these-earthworks is now no longer talked of . It is upon the town , and those in it , that we wish to produce an effect with our mortars ; the trenches and redoubts must all bo taken at the point of the bayonet . . " that I fear is , that the enemy have mounted as many mortars as ourselves . Those who are generally well-informed on these points say they have not , and I
sincerely hope they are right , for although these mortars would not shield them from the effects of ours , we should suffer heavily in working the batteries . The Russians have lately been busy inside their redoubts ; they now , of course , know well we are getting up mortars , and I cannot help thinking we shall find them as well prepared with those engines as ourselves . It is too much to suppose that such an arsenal as Sebastopol would be without mortars , and it is almost too much to suppose that , if they were , the Russians would neglect to use them . A week or ten days now must solve all doubts on the subject . If they have them we shall suffer almost as severely from their bombardment as they will from oiirs . "
BRITISH COOLNESS . A French soldier thus testifies to the coolness of the English soldiers under occasional fire : — " The English are the most free and easy men va > know , i The following , which occurs under our eyes , will appear , perhaps , scarcely credible . In the tranches they light a fire , make their tea , and ^ hen , sitting down on the back of the trench , quietly emoko . The sentinel now and then goes and looks pver the parapet , " and , if he sees nothing , ho comes down again among his comrades . A shell falls , but no one takes any notice of it . If ono of tho party should be hit , two of his comrades
rise up and carry him away with the greatest coolness ; the others do not stir . "With us we are careful not to make any fire . We suffer more in the trenches from this circumstance , but we have less casualties , the smoke of a fire forms a good mark for the enemy ' s batteries . . . .
WANT OF MANAGEMENT AT HEAD-QUARTERS . An officer , writing on the 16 th of December , gives a catalogue of complaints which , it is . painful to remark , are corroborated by many writers : — " One of the worst and most culpable items of Lord Raglan ' s want of forethought has been ,, it appears to me ? the little care he has taken to prevent sickness among the men . I wish you could see our condition at the moment I am writing . Yesterday ( the 15 th ) we had rain all day , and it poured incessantly all night . Towards morning the wind became more northerly , and , instead of rain , snow fell . The ground is now white , notwithstanding the slush and mud , and it continues snowing heavily . In the ravine the water is flowing
with the noise and fulness of a considerable stream . An order has just been given for seventy men to go into Balaklava for the rations of salt pork and biscuit for the regiment ; the bat horses , from neglect of shoeing , inattention , and overwork , have foundered days ago . These men have not been able to get any breakfast , because the little brushwood they have collected would not burn in such Weather . Some of the men have been out in the trenches or on picket all night , and are drenched through . Can you wonder at there being disease ! Notwithstanding the immense number of sick sent away lately , there are this time six hundred sick in the Light Division to-day . In General Orders there appears a notification ' that in future the
issue of fuel will be limited to the troopa encamped above Sebastopol . ' Now , would not any one seeing this order imagine that we , in common with others , had had fuel issued to us ? Yet , I assure you * upon my honour , we have never had one ounce issued to us since we have been here . And as to there being fuel at Balaklava for us , it might as Well be in London ; for the authorities know—or ought to know , if they cared to do so—that we have not the means of bringing it up . We have hard work , from the fact of no roads having been attempted to be constructed until the weather was too bad to make them ; and from the failure ' of our limited means of transport to get up the dailjrallowance of pork and biscuit for the men , they are frequently compelled to
subsist on half-rations . Do you remember Lord Raglan promising in his Alma despatch that he would take steps to bring up the officers' bat horses as soon as possible ? They have never been brought up yet , and some regiments are to this day without the baggage they had to leave in the transports on landing . Unless persons are sent out to erect the wooden houses , which we read are coming to us , we shall never get them ; they will remain as lumber at Balaklava , or be monopolised elsewhere . From the constant exposure to the weather , the little rest at night , the small allowance of food , and the great difficulty of cooking it , the want of proper clothing , and other matters , you can scarcely conceive what the men encamped before Sebastopol and
engaged in the siege operations have been sufleringj ; fronvwhat-I hear , ! anii _ . quit . e _ sure . _ th ^ . LprjdJR . a ! glan , who is never seen among us , has no idea of it . At headquarters , where there are all the luxuries of a good house and a good table , matters are very different , and at Balaklava , and near it , the troops have many advantages which cannot be obtained here . They can always get their full rations , and are in the way of procuring many things from the ships in harbour . We who are here can see what a different result there would have been had only a moderate amount of the caution and forethought been exercised by our military powers which our allies have exhibited . Instead of being diminished to a mere
handful of effective men , as we are at present , from disease and loss in battle , we should have been a good efficient force . Dazzled by despatches and brilliant displays of personal prowess and hazardous exploits , you people in England may not ; now see this ; but I expect even you , when you come to ' pay the bill , ' may have a suspicion that some of the items in the account are a little higher than they need have been . I know very well that , were one of your City houses to conduct their affairs as I have seen the great military establishment in tho Crimea carried on , there would be but ono result , and that would be announced in the Gazette too , though not an extraordinary ono for tho purpose perhaps . Wo should think ourselves well off if wo had the means of
hutting ourselves , but wo have no timber for roofing , and it is cruel to ask the men , who are half dead from their ordinary work and fatigue duties , to do any extra labour . A few have contrived to get huts erected , and , though no servant would live in such a dwelling in England , I assure you their proprietors are envied enough hero . "
giving the turk his dub . Tho correspondent of tho Morning Chronicle thus extenuates tho character of the Turkish soldiers , who , it appears have scarcely got a fair chance : — " It ought not to . be lost flight of , in speaking of the Turks ' , that they are our allies ; and , in justice it must bo observed that thoy aro contending with difficulties which thoy cannot adequately provide against . Tho Turkish Government docs not know how to moot the exigencies of sucli a war as this . Soo tho difficulties
that exist for victualling our own troops , and reflect upon what a commissariat the Turks must have to look to for their supplies ! TheTurkish troops in the Crimea have not received pay for upward * of a year , and have been starving ever since their arrival in that wretched country . Of late the British commissariat has undertaken to send them provisions , and this out of commiseration for their sufferings . The-Turkish authorities , nevertheless , pretend to be zealously caring for the wants of the troops , and to be getting ready abundant supplies for the forces that have been sent to the Crimea . This is a sad country , and it is sickening to make such revelations as the following . An intelligent commissariat officer called upon the Minister of War the other day , to make inquiry as to what provisions were being sent up for the Sultan ' s troops in the Crimea . Everything was ready . A steamer in the port , laden . . _ _ .. * ! Ai « Al 1 i ' n /« ahw Aim 6 msvna ~ ¦ And rfcflAftf 1 .
with abundant stores , was under orders to sail that night for Balaklava ; and the proffered aid of the British commissariat would not be needed , and was gratefully declined The assistant commissary , however , having , in his residence here , learnt how to value the assertions of a Turkish pacha , took note of the steamer ' s name , and very quietly walked down to the port , and went on board her . The provisions for upwards of 12 , 000 soldiers—the ample supplies—consisted of sufficient biscuit for the one day ' s consumption of 500 men ! In justice , it must be admitted that when unfortunate soldiers never get their pay , and have nothing to eat , they cannot be expected to fight ; the only matter for astonishment is how they manage to run away I The common Turk is a good soldier , but the army is wretchedly officered . The Turkish soldier , well fed , and well commanded , will fight as well as any man . "
The following is from a Constantinople letter published in the Courrier de Marseille . *—" The sad conduct of the Turkish troops in the affair of the 25 th of October must be well remembered . The deplorable flight of the Turkish troops could only be attributed to the conduct of the two chiefs , who were the first to fly before the enemy . It was on that day that the Russians were enabled without resistance to take possession of two redoubts which had been placed in charge of the Turks . By order of the Sultan , a special military commission was formed to examine the charges brought against the two generals . All the complaints being fully supported , Suliman Pacha and
Halet Bey were condemned to degradation « ind to seven years' h' ard labour . The sentence was carried into effect on the Place of the Seraskierat , in presence of the garrison of Constantinople and an immense crowd . After a reprimand from the Minister of War , who warmly inveighed against their cowardice , they had the insignia of their rank torn from them , as well as all their decorations . The soldiers appointed to execute this duty did it with a kind of brutal satisfaction , which was loudly applauded by the people . Immediately after the troops had filed off , the two prisoners were conducted to the steamer which is to convey them to Cyprus , where they will work in the galleys . "
ADMIRALS IIAMELIN AND BRUAT . The following is the farewell address of Adniir & l Hanielin , on , resigning , tbejjpmmand oftheBlack Sea fleet to Admiral Bruat : — " Officers and Sailors , —Being raised to a dignity , which is partly of your creation , I have received orders to return to France with all my staff . "lam happy to leave the squadron in the hands of an admiral , whose experience and intrepidity render him so worthy of such a command . " Officers and Sailors , —When history shall recount the campaign of the Black Sea and the Crimea , a page will be reserved for you worthy of the glorious antecedents of our navy .
"The Emperor has listened to several applications made to him for the reward you have deserved . His just mind will at a later period think of the remainder . That ho will do 90 , the worm support of our Minister of Marine is for me an assurance . Vive VEmpereur . " The Admiral of France , " Hambljw . "
Vice-Admiral Bruat , on succeeding to the command , published the following order of the day : — " Officers and Soamen , —Wo aro about to lose our worthy chief ; his illustrious services have received their reward . After haying called on me to second him , the Emperor has called on mo to roplaco him . Faithful to tho traditions bequeathed on us by a glorious past , we shall continue to lend to our valiant army and to our bravo allies that warm co-oporation to which ho has already rendered such flattering and cordial justice . On tho day of combat tho same patriotic cry will still rally us round tho flag of Franco— Vive VEmpereur I "
That Exist For Victualling Our Own Troop...
THE LEADER . [ Saturday , OQ . . * * ^ ^ —¦—i ^^——^———^^—^—^^^^^^^—^^^»^ ¦^^^^^^ t— ~*^^^*^ ^ ^ ^^^^^^^^^ WM " *^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ - ' ' — ¦
Incidents. A New Russian Riot-E Corfs.—A...
INCIDENTS . A New Russian Riot-e Corfs . —A letter from St . Petersburg states that the crown serfs have offered a contingent of 60 , 000 men , to bo employed as sharpshooters . Among them aro to bo all the ermine hunters , who are estimated at 20 , 000 . It is known that this animal can only bo aimed at from a considerable distance , and must bo hit in the nose to avoid injuring tho skin . Tho wholo of these hunter * , bo tho lettor says , aro to bo Immediately organised
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 13, 1855, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13011855/page/4/
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