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    ^8^^1^17,1855.] ^M ; : 'KIADJE 1 >t47

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    Notes Of The Siege. Despatches From Head...

    TWb & frflratfc - * s- ' geaeEal nde , ttie Vr & tch batteries are not so solidly andi & a & y . finished as our own works , nor ace ifcey-SP & u &< as Ute more ca » efij % :. « onstruGted ^ rti ^^ Chawawwi / s ^ W * Gordoafa batteries . But those ' ™ rl * i * W ofi anoWBOflft-eiSteat , and the very slight , defects ^ i £ SjWtww »< 3 W «»* y ^ attributed to , the lo ^ se way in which oar . ajl * e * qowrtrutf theyr gabions . They are not so BtKonS ^^ mS ^ ox cjarefully njade as e ^ r gabions , ^ d we b ^ v ^ tUn fact , , to reconstruct a . porfcoa of toench and parapet wade . for . as by tbe French in one of our attacksTowiBg . to . that very circumstance . It must of Jrst attack

    nnt lie fi » e * tten . thftfcthe success our was StSIS ^ P ^ fed b ^ the failure of the French in maintainmg ' : ' && fee , asd that the failure itself arose ¦« rom the imperfect construction , of the powder magazines in rear of theft . bAfcterie # v and . by the weakness of their works . JTh « se defect * Jkave been made good by our allies with sate ; energy and . assiduity . Their parapets iave been , made of gr . eat solidity , and their officers now construct their magazines on . the Epglisb , . principle . A magazine which , the . French built , for us was struck by a shell the ether day , and the roof was . at once destroyed . JFortunateiy it was nflt . charg . e . d . "

    HCJRKOR & OF * € WTTINB-. The Times correspondent this week reiterates his ^ former statements respecting the mischief of routine . Here is a description of offaferf-responiibiiity destroying its object : — "A circumstance occurred ; in Balaklava to-day which Twill state for the calm consideration of the public at home without , one single word of comment The Charity , •¦ a ^ iron screw steamer , is at , preMn , t in harbour for the reception of sick British soldiers , who . are under the charge , of a British medical officer . That . officer went en shore torday and . made . an . application to the officer in charge of the Government stoves for two . or three to put on board the ship to warm the men . 'Three of my

    men , ' said he , ' died last night ' from choleraic symptoms , brought on in their present state from the extreme cold of the ship ; and I fear more will follow them from the same cause . ' ' Oh ! ' said the guardian of the stoves , 1 you must make your requisition in , due form , send it up to head-quarterg , and get it signed properl y ^ and returned , and then . I will let you have the stoves .. * ' But . my men may die . meantime . ' ' I can't help that ;; I must have the requisition . ' ' It is my firm belief that there are men now in a dangerous state whom another night will certainly kill . ' ' I really can do nothing ; I must have a requisition properly signed beforeJL can ^ jive one

    of these stoves away . ' 'For God ' s sake , then , lend me some ; I'll be responsible for their safety . ' * . I really can ¦ do nothing of the kind . ' ' But , consider , this requisition will take time to be filled up and signed , andmeantime these poor fellows will go . ' 'I cannot help that . ' ' I'll be responsible for anything you do . ' ' Oh , no , that can ' t be done ! ' ' Will a requisition , signed by the P . M . O . of this place be of any use ? ' ' No . ' 'Will it answer if he takes on himself the responsibility ? ' ' Certainly not . ' ** The surgeon went , off in sorrow and disgust . Such are the ' rules' of the service in the hands of incapable and callous men . "

    THB BOASTED MBEHCiAX STORES . « ' : A ~ sargeon ofaregiment-stafcioned onthe cliffs above Balaklava , who has about 40 sick out of 200 men , has been applying to the ' authorities' in the town for the last three weeks for medicines , all simple and essential , and cannot get one-of them . The list he sent in was returned with the observation , 'We have none of these medicines in store . ' To-day this poor-surgeon , too , came down with his last appeal : ' Do , I beg of you , give me any medicine you have for diarrhoea . ' ' We haven't any . '

    ' Anything you may have I'll take . ' We haven't any . ' ' Have you any medicine for fever you could give ? Anything you can let me have I'll take . ' ' We haven't any . ' 'I have a good many cases of rheumatism among my men . Can . you let me have any medicines for them ? ' ' We lucwon't any . ' Thus , for fever , rheumatism , and diarrhoea , the most prevalent complaints of the army , these were no specifics whatever , and the surgeon returned up the bill-side with the bitter reflection that he could give no aid to- the unfortunate men under his care . "

    ZH & AJPFBAHANCE OP REGIMENTS . The Morning Fbst correspondent says : — " The 68 rd Regiment—or rather tha remains of it- ~ marched the day before yesterday to Balaklava , there to embark cither for Scutari or Malta . It left the 4 th Division 30 strong , every oOlacr , regimental staff , and all hands included ( scarcely a sufficient oacort for the colours ) , after landing in the Crimea about 970 strong , and having since received a draft of 30 men . There was one sergeant only to represent tho Grenadier company remaining , out of 120 . Tho return shows 400 men in hospital at Scutari ; but numbora , probably , of those men have aiucc died , as tho regiments have difficulty in ascertaining at once tho men they have in hospital after they ace Bent down . "

    The able , courageous , and indefatigable correspondent of the Times , Mr . Kussell , thus recapitulates , with all his wonted force and feeling , tho disasters of our , * rmy , in . . reply to tho hoarless apologists of JKttiAina * - " . ** Whol < j regiments have vanished as if by mngic . In

    some cases the men hare not fatten fes action , nor- have they been exposed * to-the labours ; df the ararjr- begraniag the campaign . t 3 STo woriderj then , that the dftfc soldiers of the Crimea , the men of Alma , Inkerman , and'Balaklava , ahoukfcgo at last , and-share the fateof the raw-levies , and of fehe-unacclimatised : regiments . Two regiments at least— 'that is the officers , the cofours , and a few-privates and non-commissioned officers , will be sent away- for 4 reorganisation . ' Is there cot -something to be learnt out of the feetthat few of our officers sicken and die even in the most unhealthy-regimente- ? - If" the officers are more exposed than the-men to the fire of the enemy m-action , they are certainly less liable than their-men to disease , and to the fetal effects of diarrhoea , fever , and

    dysentery . According to "what I hear from a few people out here , who are eccentric enough'to purchase -a ^ tray number of the obscurer London journals , I seem to 'have been honoured by-a good deal of abuse from some of them at home for telling- the truth . I really would put on my Claude Lorraine glas 3 if I could . I would , if I couldj clothe skeletons with flesh , breathe life into the occupants of the charnel-house , subvert the succession of the seasons , and restore the legions which have been lost ; but I cannot tell lies to ' make things pleasant . ' Any statements I have made T have chapter , and book , and verse , and witness for . Many , very many , that I have not made , I couMprove-to be true with equal ease ; and could make public , if the ? pubEjc interest required it .

    There is not a , single , xaan inthis camp * who could pi * t . his hand on his heart and declare he believe * that aae single casualty had been caused ; to us by ~ i ) tf © i 9 ttaJSan . . ejwamunicated to tj » enemy by-Hie or any Qlifa ^ Bdwsp 8 pper : coTrespondent . The only thing the partisans ;« £ awsnule can allege isjtibatwe don . ' t ^^ ^ nMufcetMngaplsajwot ' to the authorities , and that , amid-the filtb- and 6 tarraJ > k > n and deadly stagnation of the camp , we did not . go .- / about ^• babWiig of- gteeofields , * ofpBeeen * afenndafcoe ^ aad of prospects of victory . Now , suppose we come to ' fsacfcs . ' Do people at home know howinany ' bayonets-the British army could muster at this moment ? Do fcheybelaeve we have 25 V 000 , after all our reinforcements ? They

    may be told—aay , it may be proved to them by -figures at home—that the British army here consists Qf ; 65 r Q 0 O men . I w , a * n the British public not to- believe that , witb . aU our reaafocceHifints , they reach near half that number . The guave and the hospital have swallowed them up by thousands . - Just . think of this ' fec . t , '^ —that since the first day of December , 1854 , down to the 20 th of January , 1855 , 8000 sick and wounded men have been sent down from camp to Balaklava , and thence on shipboard ! Shall rteUTyou how many have returned ? And yet people at home , who ^ g loat over the horrors of Walcheren , and consider disaster the normal end of British , expeditions , tell us it is ^ L . ' croaking ? to state . the facts in such cases as these , or even to allude to them !"

    THE ! GUARDS . "The battle of Inkerman -was bought on the 5 th of November , as the world will remember for ever . About forty per cent , of the brigade-of Guards were killed or wounded on that occasion . They have since received reinforcements , and'the brigade , which mustered about 2500 men when it left England , has received some 1500 men in various draughts up to the end of the year . Wliat-is the-present . strength of ^ theJB-rigade of Household troops—of that magnificent bahd who " crowned the struggle of the Alma with victory , and beat back the Russian hordes at Inkerman ? I think they could muster , including servants and all available soldiers , about 958 men in the whole brigade . Here is another

    fact : Since the same battle of Inkerman , at least 1000 —1000 men—of the Brigade of Guards have been ' expended , ' absorbed ^ used up , and are no more seen . The official returns will show how many of that thousand were killed or -wounded by the enemy . Another fact : There are two regiments so shattered and disorganised —so completely destroyed , to tell the truth , that they must be sent away to bo ' re-formed . ' The representatives of one regimental numeral have gone down to Balaklava already . The representatives of the . other will speedily follow it , and both will repair to Malta , or some such place , till they can be made into ' regiments' once more . Now , mark , one of these regiments was neither at the Alma nor at Inkerman—tho other was engaged in tho latter battle only , and did not , lose many men . "

    THK VOJtfSVHE CXP WAB . Rapid promotion is already dawning forthe younger officers . The Daily JVeioa correspondent in the camp says :- — " ^ A case came tinder my notice a short time ago slio-wing how rapidly war is making its own men , and ! fashioning for itself the instruments to work with . Mr : Dickson , of tho 7 ? th Regiment , has just , gone home to $ oin the dtfpdt company of hw regiment on his promotion to n junior captaincy . Captain Dickson wiw qngnged

    at tho Alma and nt Tnkcrman , and in cither battle , I understand , he did good service . He has just ceased to bo nn ' infant' in l aw , and it is but two years since he entered th © service . His is not a solitary nor an exceptional case . War clears tho way for its own . Men who for yoara would hold' out in peace quarters die or 'drop down to Scutari , and from thence homo . Battles play nod havoc with tho army Wst . A race of now men is rnpldly rising and growing into command—men who have youth , energy , and vigour . "Whether they havo

    the other- and Higher qraffities- of leaders o ^^ regfeients and divisions remains to be seen . Much ttepei & is- 'O & 'tfae individual character-of the persons so rising- ; much on their talents . "But the- ^ infusion- of young * Wood inWAe service , ' so long talked of -and ! written about- and'wMttd for , is becoming a reality , and-. a year-or two of a ^ trre warfare -will -gwe us colonels -of five-and-twen * y « jd geaeMls at thirty , at «»« head ef regianentp -paid brfeade 8 . ^

    '¦ WEATHBIt-IN-THB-CK 1 M 3 SA . Something definite on this subject must "be valuable . The Times correspondent , writing , January 27 , says : — "The weather , thanks to Heaven , continues , to . be . ejctrem « ly favourable to us . Cold , clear nighis , w & fo a . bright , unclouded mpen , are followed by warm ,, sawing , genial days . The thermometer generally faJJs t *) 18 4 yg . or 20 deg . at 12 every night , a » d rises to 44 4 , eg ,, ;© f Fahxenheit at noon the following day . . It is not wyisn & to ha , ve seyecal w . eeks of fine weather of this kiwi a ^ a corresponding period of the ; year in the Crimea , but . all the natives concur in stating that we have still hard

    times before us—tempest , heavy rams , or- ; snpw ^ apt very intense cold ,, and that this introduction to ; the Crimean , spring continues , on , an . average f , or about thjee weeks , but that it . may last twice as . long . At present the more jmjnediate effect o £ this ojUange-of weather . is the facility ef com ^ njunication between' Balaklava-andtihe qarap . The surface of the country and ; the . toads , *> r mud . tr . acksr axe hardened by . the firoat for several . hours each , morning , and . atejnain i » a . state fit . for . tp ^ veUjBjg over , with more or less difficulty , till the inftuenc & of the sun has resolved- t ^ enx intQ ^ <^ p ^ y , , siicky swaraps ,. Towards dark , the fxos . t se . ts , iux . againj . aad enables tiie late return parties . to get , . Cjut ; to camp "with , fp ^ age and stores . " . ¦

    HOSPITAL PROCESSION ., > Kete is a horrible account of a party of tbfc sick proceeding to the Hospital . Itie from th « 5 Rwes ^« - "They formed one of the most ghastly-processions that ever poet imagined . Many- of these men were all but dead . With closed eyes , open mouths , and ghastly attenuated faces , they were bome along two and two , the thin stream of breath , visible in the frosty air , alone showing they were stul alive . One figure was a horror—a corpse , stone-dead , strapped upright in its seat , its legs hanging stiffly down , the eyes staring -wide openj the teeth -set on the protruding

    toog « e , the head and body nodding wibh frightful mockery of life air each stride of the mule over the broken road . No doubt the man had died on his way down to the harbour . As the apparition passed , the only remarks the soldiers made were such as thi *—^ There's one : poor fellow out of pain , any-way ! ' Another man I sow with the raw flesh and skin banging from his fingers , the naked bones of which protruded into the cold air , undressed and uncovered . This was a case of frost-bite , I presume . Possibly the hand had been dressed , but the bandages -might have dropped off . All the sick in the mule litters seemed alike on the verge of the grave , " . •¦ .

    BX . UB JACKETS us * 33 HE CAJV 1 XV The correspondent of tbe MorningyPort- says : —¦* - - ^ The sailovs who-form . the JNaval - Bngadft have got , with very good reason , the reputation of being equal to our allies in foraging , and particularly in appropriating stray horses ; so much so , that any onewfeo is unfortunate enough to miss a horse is . immediately adviBed to visit the sailors' camp . Jack , no doubt , appreciates using- a pony ' s back instead of his . own to bring up hia

    rations from the harbour . I heard rather an amusing story told of a naval officer , who having walked up as far as the sailors' camp , did not feel much disposed to wade back again-through the mud , and inquiring if there was ahorse to be had , ' No , sir , ' said a man , 'but wo have a nice young dromed-a-ry , If you likes that . Yon see , air , about a week ago we had' plenty o oraes , 'but the mischief is , so soon as ever we gets ' em into training on ' ard biscuit , them soger officers comes and takes ' em away , and so it aint no use . * "

    POLITENESS AT . SJHaABHOBGtt . The Crimean correspondent of tlte Journal de Constanttnopieeta / tGB that since tbj & Allies and the Russians are prevented by the season from meeting each oth « r in battle-array * they-contend who shall ° J <» - coine the other in couptes-yand politeness ; and oo gives-some anecdotes of tlaie-contest : — "The Aflied troops are strictly forbidden to possess themselves of tho money or jewellery of tho killed or wounded . The latter and tho p risoners retain every thing they may have about them . Whatever is found on tho persons of tho officers among tho killed ia sent to the Russian head-quarters , with tho nnmo of tUo Xato pos ,-sesBor , whenever it can be diacovorcd . _ "It an officer is roi « sing at tho ovoouig roll-call , a flag of truco m root into the enemy's camp to » 4 «» etf ho ^ hoa been nuido prisoner ; and if tho reply iB in Jo nfflnnativc his n . andoffcctH aro forwarded to Mm .

    , oncy _ "A colonel of KuHsian Hnsaars having had his horse killed , and falling wider ; the . animal , at the battle of Inkerman , lost hia sabre . After tho acttpn ho _ sent ^ o tho French hcad-qunrtors to bog that it m )« Ut bo ^ wturncd to him , on account of tho value ho-attached to : t

    ^8^^1^17,1855.] ^M ; : 'Kiadje 1 >T47

    ^ 8 ^^ 1 ^ 17 , 1855 . ] ^ M ; : 'KIADJE 1 > t 47

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 17, 1855, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17021855/page/3/