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Leader (1850-1860), 24th February 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 8, SCRAPS FROM THE CAMP. A man of the 9 th ...

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      Notes Of The Siege. Despatch From X.Ord ...

      hand side of the path , about three-quarters of a mOe outside Balaklava , for the expelled sutlers ; and , from the din and clamour , one might imagine he was coming to some well-frequented English fair . A ^ swarm of men , in all sorts of grotesque uniforms , French , English , and Turks throng the narrow lanes between the huts and tents and carry on bargains in all the languages of Babel with Greek , Italian , Algerine , Spaniard , Maltese , Armenian , Jew , and Egyptian , for all sorts of merchandise . Here I beheld my runaway servant—a vagabond Italian—selling small loaves of bread for 2 s . each , which he had purchased from a French baker in Balaklava for Is . 6 d ., and thus realised 6 d . out of it for a short walk . The guardhouse had had no effect on him , and , as the

      authorities do not interfere in such cases , I was left to solace myself with the poor revenge of seeing him break bis shins over a tent stick as he ran away to escape my horsewhip . Here you may see all the scoundrels of the Levant who can get across the Black Sea making little fortunes by the sale , at the most enormous prices , of the vilest articles of consumption , which necessity alone forces us to use ; and here you may see a few honest traders sitting moodily in ther stalls , and mourning over their fast-departing probity . There is not one Englishman , so far as I know , among these sutlers of the British army , though the greatest vein of nuggets that ever charmed multitudes to a desert was as dross and dirt to the wealth to be realised in this festering crowd . . | . ' [ '

      Camel-drivers , arabajees , wild-eyed , strange-looking savages from , out-of-the-way corners of Asia Minor , dressed apparently in the spoils of the chorus of ' Nabuccof or Semiramide , stalk curiously through the soldiery , much perplexed by the conflicting emotions of fear of the Provost Marshal arid love of plunder . There are about 150 huts and tents clustered together on this hill-side . Close beside it is-the new battery ; then more huts and tents , occupied by the cavalry . Oh the other side of the cleft in the mountain ridge through which the town is approached are the huts and tents of the Highlanders , Turks , French , Marines , and Rifles , guarding the lines towards Kamara , and rising one above the other till they cover the tremendous crag which frowns down at the sea 1200 feet [ . . [ > ' [ I ' ' [

      below . ' Then there is an odd-looking acre or two of ground ,, with a low wall round-it , which looks as if all themqlesih the world lived beneath it , and were labouring night and day 0 —so covered is it Wittu mounds of earth , through which peer rags and bones . This is the Turkish buryihgrground , and full well frequented is it . Little hearses may be _ seen flocking to it down the hillsides all day , and returning with the empty littersgravely back again . JThey haye _ al 3 o turned one or two vineyards into graveyards , arnT they have also , selected a quiet nook up among the hills ibr the same purpose . Our own more decent graveyard is situated outside the town , in low ground , close to the sea . The huts and tents of the 14 th , and long rows of wooden sheds for the f [ j l " '•

      mules , and the tents of the sailors guarding stores , and the huts of the landing wharf , are all crowded along the steep and at the edge of the bay on the other side of the town , so that the place altogether would give one the idea that he was looking at some great migratory population just settled for a week , or had fallen across one of thei mulihroblS ~ canvass cities Of course ^ those who are nighest get first served to the huts , and are best able to put them up . If Birnam wood were formed of white deal boards , Macbeth would see his worst suspicions realised could he but witness the

      moving forest of timber marching up to the front . He would behold literally miles of men , and of mules and ponies , all struggling along through the mud with boards , boards—nothing but boards . In calm weather they get on well enough , but a puff of wind puts an end to all progress , and a strong gust lays men and horses in the mire . However , they are slowly working up towards the camp , but it cannot be conceived by a person not on the spot how hard it it is to take up even one hut , and what a great quantity of timber has to be moved ere the building is complete . "

      TUB " CRIMEAN ARMY FUND . " The subscribers will be glad to hear that much good has resulted from their benevolence . The morn ing Post correspondent say s : — " The gentlemen entrusted with the distribution of the Crimean Army Fund are doing us a great service . They have supplied nearly every regiment wit ; h tea—a beverage much needed amongst our poor fellows who are sick , and even by those who are well . It is a change from the coarse coffee , which the men roast and break np with a stone ; and another thing , it is easier mode , which is a great blessing , since a soldier ' s time for these ljtttle things is very little . They have also sent tobacco ftjrd pipes , another luxury to the smoker . " ., . The Times correspondent says : —

      " Some of the Crimean Army Fund stores have been opened , and are in the course of distribution . They will be distributed officially , and by the instrumentality of the Quartermaster-General ' s department in each division , but individual officers may get stores for their respective regiments by providing carriage for them . It has been decided by the managers that ' it is better to sell than to giy « * w * y , ' and accordingly all articles which are hot actually gifts to the fund will be sold at such a price as mmy defray cost and expenses .

      THE CLASP FOB BALAKLAVA . We give ( from the Times ) an account of the state of feeling on the subject of an honourable recognition for Balaklava . It should be observed , that at the time the following was written it was unknown in the camp that a clasp had been promised : — " The English cavalry are not at all appeased by anything that has been urged to quiet them . They are indignant at the refusal of any distinction whatever for Balaklava , and the survivors say they would rather have a bit of string and a stick to fasten to their coats , if it were only to show they had been in the charge of the 25 th of October , than the gaudiest and richest riband and clasps for Alma or Inkerman , where they feel they were comparatively inactive . If a clasp cannot be given because the 25 th of October was not a victory , let the men who remain to us out of those two immortal charges receive some mark by which their countrymen may know them ; two bronze swords , crossed , fastened to a narrow riband , or some simple , quiet decoration of that kind , would satisfy the most ambitious of them . " CHRISTMAS PRESENTS , & C . " Our parcels and boxes and Christmas presents are turning up very slowly in the chaos of Balaklava . For the last week the Foyle , laden with packages from England , has been lying hi harbour , and I am very well acquainted with one person , who has received a polite note from Messrs . Hayter and Howell , apprising him that thoy shipped for him in the said Foyle a case marked ' so and so , ' who has sent on board day after day for it , who has gone to the Parcels-office for it , and who is still without it , and cannot hear anything of it You may multiply that person and that case by a hundred , if you like , and apply the calculation to most ships out here . The presents sent by the Prince to the Guards are in the St . Jean d'Acre , but have not yet been delivered . Poor fellows ! Those who live will have ample comforts if they . divide the share of their departed comrades among them ^ Lord Rokeby is said to have been affected to tears when the three regiments ¦ of Guards paraded , on his taking the command .. His ' lordship has communicated a most gratifying letter from the Queen to the officers , in which her Majesty expresses her admiration of the conduct of ' her beloved Guards . '" THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH—THEIR CONDITION , & C . The correspondent of the Morning Post asserts ^ that there is no great difference in the relative condition " bf the allied armies . His letter , dated Feb . 3 , also describes the exceedingly variable weather : — " The commencement of my letter to you this time niust open on the weather . I must say that we are plunged into extremes , without the slightest warning . Yesterday , the weather was very mild ; to-day , we have experienced the coldest weather in the Crimea . Snow fell last night , and again this afternoon- A biting wind blows from the north ; it makes us shrink tip in our cold tents , for there are hardly huts enough up to shelter the sick . I have been informed to-day that , although the French system is so much bettor than ours—that although , theyjare said to have , more comforts thanjwethey have af this moment 20 , 0 lOO sick , which is nelirly equal to ours . Now , this I get from , the best authority —no contradicting this . And now , how is it that they do so much better than we , with all their good things for a campaign , since it appears that they save no more than we ? They have not a bit of hay for their horses , but in this respect we are the same . The fact is , when the expedition landed in the Crimea we were numerically a trifle stronger in number than they were . We took our ptoper proportion of duty , the French the same , and things went on in this way without change for a long time . In the mean time the French had received very large reinforcements—wo received none ; hence they gained in strength—we lost ; and yet we continued to do the same duty . The consequence was , that our men were reduced by hard labour and constant duty , which , in the end , brought on sickness and disease , and it was not until we had fallen down to this degree that any help was sent us—and that not until the bad weather had set in . And the reinforcements were never suftl- dent , after deducting sickness , to fill up our former strength ; and from this state of things we have never yet recovered . " ' ¦ ' THE LIGHT CAVALRY BRIGADE . An officer of this brigade thus writes to a friend in London : — " You ask me for particulars respecting the Light Cavalry Brigade . I now send you the return of each regiment , as they mustered , men and horses , yesterday , Jan . 81 . _ — —; „ , , . Officers . Non-oOmraUfc llorttt . Corp * Offloo »* Mo « . ¦ . , ' ¦ . r """' J & »—» ' J & Z ? . «» . 4 th Light pragoons 12 1 l-iOr 63 10 20 8 th Hussar * ... 7 .... i .. 16 1 ISO 54 45 13 llthHttssars 12 3 141 , 09 20 23 13 thLt , Dragoons ... 12 ¦ 0 ISO , 05 20 as 17 th Lancers ......... 0 — 14 $ 57 38 15 Total .,. ; 01 I 11 -Ml . ( 888 142 102

      . . " You must understand that ' non-commissioned > officers and men * include all the staff and servants ; also I that the horses returned as fit for duty' are those which . are still able to crawl up to the front with biscuit and ' beef . Of the number returned in our regiment , we might perhaps find five horses that could gallop half a . mile , and which are really fit for service ; the remainder . are all sickly and dying . The whole Light Cavalry ' . Brigade together now scarcely musters as many horsm . as our regiment alone brought to the Crimea . " , ONE ENGLISHMAN TO SIX RUSSIANS . ' Captain Crosse , of the 88 th Regiment , thus de-L scribes his easy victory over six ot the enemy . The ' occurrence took place at Inkerman : — 1 "I fired the first chamber of myj . revolyer ( one of * Dean's ) to save Hourigan ' s life , and did not see rn ' m I again during that day . When I was attacked by the six Russians , I saved my own , life as follows , viz .: —I 1 shot four , and was then bayonetted by the fifth , who felL bringing me on my knees , and while t \ iere I had to defend myself with my sword against the sixth . I got on my feet , and walked as well as I could to the rear , J and at about ten yards' distance met my colour-sergeant , f Pat Cooney , and told him to take command of the com-- pany , and get me a man to assist me , as I was vounded . I Private John Gascoigne came ; I afterwards called two i more , Privates Samuel Price and Pat Connolly , to i defend us , as the Russians were close to us . Privates i Price and Gascoigne supported me till I got a stretcher , f I think , from the 49 th Regiment , and they and two men I of that corps carried me to the hospital of the Light . Division . "

      T7«5 The Ii E A B E B. [Satubdat ^

      T 7 « 5 THE Ii E A B E B . [ Satubdat ^

      Scraps From The Camp. A Man Of The 9 Th ...

      SCRAPS FROM THE CAMP . A man of the 9 th Regiment was stabbed in three places about the head last night , and afterwards strangled with his comforter : supposed to be done by Turks , as he was found close to their tents . Our men-of-war ' s men have now huge flowing beards and moustaches , great coats made of cowhide , and trousers of buffalo skin ; resembling , in fact , great bears , with nothing to remind you of our blue-jackets but their bold , rollicking , defiant spirit , which four long months in the trenches have not J ) e able to subdue . I am not sure whether I told you before that the Russian major who was taken . prisoner at Inkerman , and convicted of murdering our wounded men , died the other day at Scutari , apparently conscience-stricken . His own brother officers petitioned to be removed from his society , as they would not associate with him , and he pined away and died without any apparent disease .

      Mr. Robert Iiowe At Kidderminster. On Tu...

      MR . ROBERT IiOWE AT KIDDERMINSTER . On Tuesday , Mr . Lowe addressed his constituents , on the occasion of his refusing to join Lord Palmerston ' s Government , in his late capacity as Secretary to the Board of Control . Referring to that office , he said that under the able Presidency of Sir Charles Wood , very much good had been done ; more abuses had been swept away than under any former administration . The bill of- 1853 had thrown -open . the .. Indian Service rto _ the public , instead of being as before , controlled by patronage . He had not quitted service from dissatisfaction "with Lord Palmerston ' s Government , which he was anxious to support , but merely because he had accomplished his aim , and seen enough of official life to qualify himself

      for higher office . The votes he had given were probably not always satisfactory to bis constituents—they -were certainly not always so to himself ; but a member of a Government was bound to support it , and he would not have taken office had he not bad great confidence in every member of the Government . Mr . Lowe had expected from the presence of Lord John Russell in that Government , that he would not have been asked to vote , or abstain from voting , on questions interesting to Dissenters—such as church-rates , and admission to the Universities . But those subjects were not dealt with as he could have wished , so he usually settled the matter by not voting at all . Mr . Lowe then went to the great subject of the day . "I , for one , cordially approve the ' ! ' ' < 1 ' * ' * r s

      war with Russia . ( Cheers ) . She had been represented to us as a weak Power , and I fear we have found her a strong one . But , whether weak or strong , I think the wnr Just , wise , -and expedient . If she be a weak Power , it Is intolerable that she should set up pretensions in order to break faith , violate treaties , attack" her weaker neighbours , and disturb by her wanton and inordinate ambition , the peace of Europe . If this is intolerable in a weak Power , howiriuch more dangerous and necessary to be prevented must it be in a stronger Power—one not only able to conceive vast schemes of aggrandisement , ionsthe ^ * B T j 0 n a a t < o

      but to carry them out by aid of innumerable leg , resources of inexhaustible arsenals , and all the machinery which barbarism knows how to put in motion in its conflict with civilisation ? S hold that wejune wise in mooting this danger in time—It would not be wise to wait till Russia had acquired « a her owh the'Turkish empire , till she had spread her anris round the Black Sea , and Obtained the command of the Dardiinolles-and Bosphorns , by which that sen Is entered , 'It would not be wise to watt till , having enclosed Austria in this iron net , elie dismembered her province-by : ' province ! *» » no toote b « ^ fj * l ti ol ,,, ° 1 dl

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 24, 1855, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24021855/page/8/