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Leader (1850-1860), 27th January 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 77, Untitled Article

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      lery we had before heard ; for the French were blazing away on a Russian battalion on an opposing , hill , who were making replies from their own field guns . Meanwhile the cavalry advanced across the Tchernaya ; fires were lit by the troops below who were not in motion , and we followed suit on the hills , piling arms and rendering the ridge one line of smoke . The French below burnt many Russian huts ( for the troops ) , which blazed away beautifully . Their cavalry force returned , and the whole of it moved to its right along the valley in front of this range of hills . We also were soon in motion , and marched back to the Russian picket-house , which was in a blaze , having been fired by the Marine ? . Then we again pushed on in front , over a second range

      of hills , to support the French cavalry , some little amusement being caused on the way at a dodge about to be carried out by the Rifles for the ' circumvention ' of some apparent Russians on the hill in front , who turned out to be an advanced company of Marines . The cold had now left us , and a beautiful sunshine rendered the winter scene more cheerful , but we were not prepared for the sudden transition from winter to summer which awaited us . Below , to our front , suddenly appeared a lovely smiling vale , green fields , all sunshine , prosperous-looking homesteads , wood and water in abundance , and high hedgerows—a thoroughly English scene , had it not been for tall distant cliffs and the pure white sides and brow of the lofty Tchatir Dagh , and , still more unlike England , a long line of glittering cavalry , whose progress was marked by densely rising columns of smoke , as the Russian forage in the villages

      was destroyed . Close above this happy valley we halted and lighted huge fires with the abundance of wood around us , till the return of the French cavalry by one road , when we all returned together , delighted with our military country ramble , and expressing our intention of marking the 30 th of December with a white stone , I wish you could see a picture of our progress , the Zouaves picturesquely skirmishing among the brushwood ; the Highlanders halted with their colours by the roadside , intent upon making as much flame and smoke as possible ; the dark green of the Rifles ranged along the fields near the roads on our flank , and the tableau before us . "We burst into a roar of laughter at an unfortunate Russian young lady ( probably taking a walk before luncheon ) , who , on our approach by a sudden turn of-the roadV-get off as hard as she could run , and displayed her agility in clambering over an intervening gate . " The writer of the above is evidently not an Irishman . Had he been one , lie would have followed the young Russian lady ' s example , and concealed

      INCIDENTS . Divers . —The Government have further engaged the services of James Bell and Son , and Carr and Rowden , working divers , of Whitstable , practically versed in the conduct of submarine explosions . . These able men are to proceed forthwith to the Crimea , there to join Messrs . Dean , Edwards , Rigden and Allen , who some time since went out in the Robert Lowe , and who are at present , we believe , waiting further orders at Constantinople . —Dover Chronicle . Tobacco for the Crimea . —A correspondent at one of the ou ' tports " informsus' tli ~ at ~ the ~ Commissioners of the Customs have ordered that all tobacco under seizure shall not in future be destroyed , at all events during the present war , as heretofore , but that it shall be stored and packed up at the several ports in casks , and transmitted to such places as may be ordered for shipment , to be forwarded to the Crimea .

      Patriotism at Newcastle . —rThis town attends more to matters warlike than domestic and sanitary . At the requisition of a large number of inhabitants , the Mayor haa convened a meeting to discuss the " negotiations for peace , " which the inhabitants consider will be " humiliating to Great Britain . " They wish to bring the war to such a termination " as shall restrict the dangerous power of Russia , assure the independence of Turkey and the security of Europe , and tend to the advancement of the welfare and glory of our country . " Transport of Cannon over Mm > . —The

      authorities at Woolwich have now under trial a vehicle constructed to meet the great difficulty at Balaklava — the transport of cannon over mud . The cannon is slung under a polo resting between two high wheels , which , as they revolve , lay down a block or paddle , surmounted by an iron rail , and dovetailing at its extremity with a succeeding block , continuing the line . Thus the carriage lays down , its own railway as it progresses , while the sleeper from which it recedes acts as a lever , and lifts up the wheels from the bed of mud . It is found that the carriage will transport the heaviest gun 8 in this way through a perfect slough .

      Increase of thr Aiuwy . —The following regiments are forthwith to bo augmented to 1000 bayonets , viz .: — % nd battalion lot ltovale , 3 rd Foot , 4 th ditto , 7 th Fusiliers , 17 th Foot , 1 . 8 th Royal Irish , 19 th Foot , 20 th ditto , 21 st ditto , 23 rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers , 28 th Foot , 80 th ditto , » 8 rd ditto , 04 th ditto , 88 th ditto , 89 th ditto , 42 nd Highlanders , 41 th Foot , 46 th ditto , 47 th ditto , 48 th ditto , 4 i ) th ditto , 60 th ditto , 54 th ditto , 65 th ditto , 57 th ditto , ( 32 nd ditto , 68 rd ditto , 66 th ditto , 68 th Durham Light Infantry , 1 st and 2 nd battalions 71 st Highland Light Infantry ,

      77 th Foot , 79 th ditto , 82 nd ditto , 88 th Connaught Rangers , 89 th Foot , 90 th ditto , 91 st ditto , 92 nd ditto , 93 rd Highlanders , 95 th Foot , and 97 th ditto . Third battalions of 1000 men each will be added to the 1 st Royals , 60 th Rifles , and Rifle Brigade . Cavalry regiments to be increased to 800 sabres : —1 st , 2 nd , 4 th , 6 th , 6 th , and 7 th Dragoon Guards , 1 st Royal Dragoons , 2 nd Scots Grays , 3 rd Light Dragoons , 6 th Enniskillens , 7 th Hussars , 8 th ditto , 11 th ditto , 13 th Light Dragoons , 16 th Lancers , and 17 th ditto .

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      THE CRIMEAN MEDAL . ( From the London Gazette . ) CLASP' TO BE GRANTED FOR BALAKLAVA MEDALS TO SURVIVORS AND TO THE SEAMEN . War-Office , Jan . 23 . —General Order . Horse Guards , Jan . 19 . The Queen having signified her intention to confer a medal for service in the Crimea upon the surviving officers and men , with clasps for those who * were present in the - battles of the Alma and of Inkerman , is further pleased to command : that a medal and clasps shall , in like manner , be conferred upon the nearest relative or representative of such as may have there fallen ; the General Commanding in Chief desires that her Majesty's gracious intentions shall be made known to the army by general order . Field-Marshal Lord Raglan has been requested to forward lists of the individuals who may have been killed in action " , or who may have died whilst on service in the Crimea , or in consequence of wounds . By command of the Right Honourable General Viscount Hardinge , Commanding-in-Chief . G . A . Wetherall , Adjutant-General .

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      ARRIVAL OF THE RETRIBUTION . The Retribution steam-frigate , Captain Tatham , steamed into Portsmouth harbour on Wednesday morning , and ranged alongside the dockyard jetty , to disembark her wounded and invalid soldiers . Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Gochrane , the-Commander-in-Chief , was present on the jetty when the . ship was lashed alongside . The military Authorities , were also promptly on the alert . Nothing could exceed the attention paid by these officers to the careful landing of those who were so helpless as to require stretchers . A number of vans were at the spot , and received all those who were able to be conveyed to their sick quarters . by those means , about forty in number . The body of a deceased soldier , John Thompson , of the 19 th , was removed from the ship in a shell ,

      covered with the union jack . The most urgent cases have been taken to the garrison hospital , and the rest are berthed in the new auxiliary hospital adjacent to the Milldam ; all are receiving the utmost attention of the medical staff . The Retribution came home with a temporary rudder , a temporary in izenmast , and only her own foremast standing . When struck by the sea in the awful gale of the 14 th of November , at Balaklava , such was the violence of the gale that one of her heavy upperdeck guns was sent " flying right aft and carrying everybodywith ^ it 7 . but happily killing hbner She was also struck by lightning , which shivered her foretopsailyard ; she at the same time carried away her rudder . She threw her upper-deck guns overboard to lighten her

      tophamper , and lost her mainmast at Sebastopol in the bombardment of the 17 th of October , when several of her beams were smashed ; the mainmast went right through the upper deck , main , deck , and into the engineroom , where it luckily rested . She has done her share of the work in the Black Sea during the present war with credit . She was , indeed , the first British ship of war which entered the Black Sea . Her services therein , and at Batoum , Varna , the Sulina mouth of the Danube , along the Circassian coast , in making prizes ( 13 ) in conjunction with the French steamer Descartes and our own Niger , after the firing on the flag of truce at Odessa :

      also her expedition with the Sidon to destroy the forts at the entrance of the Danube , and her participation in the bombardment of Odessa , and other services , havo been appreciated . She must now have a thorough repair . Her officers and ship's company have brought homo abundance of small trophies from the Black Sea and other places , and Lieutenant O'Reilly some most artistically oxecuted drawings of the places she has visited and the service she has participated in . She went into Portsmouth harbour with her figurehead dressed in a sailor ' s white hat , with numerous streamers of ribands , &c , and excited much attention .

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      LOSS OF LIFE IN ST . JAMES'S PARK . Fon a few days there was a considerable number of skaters in the parks . The ico was very unsafe , and many persons got in the water . The only fatal accidents occurred on Saturday in St . Jnmes ' a Park . Four youths were in tho net of crossing from the bank to tho Wildfowl Island , when , on arriving about midway , the ico broke , and precipitated them all into the water . A loud cry for assistance wnB raised , several adventurous persons hastened to the

      spot , and endeavoured , by throwing hurdles towards the struggling persons , to enable them to keep ' afloat . In a few moments the number in the water had increased to eight , and an awful struggle for life took place amongst them . Only one of the first four succeeded in getting ashore . Three others , who had boldly gone to render assistance , and in so doing had become themselves immersed , were got out , but one poor fellow , intent on the same purpose , fell a sacrifice to his exertions . This was a young man , aged about twenty , five feet eight inches high , and poorly clad . His body was the last recovered . It had been under water about twenty minutes , and on being got out was conveyed to Charing-cross Hospital . The other three persons were conveyed * to "Westminster Hospital . A coroner ' s inquest has been held , and a verdict of " Accidental death"' returned .

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      DIPLOMATIC NOTES . THE GERMAN COURTS AND THE WESTERN POWERS . The following series of diplomatic papers indicate with some particularity the relations , of Austria and Prussia to each other and to the Western Powers , in the present stage of the war . The first document , of which we subjoin a brief but sufficient abstract , is the demand made by the Austrian Home Minister to the Berlin Cabinet to mobilise the Prussian army . Prussia had declined to accede to the alliance of December 2 nd between Austria and the Western Powers . Count Buol , writing to Count Esterhazy on the 24 th of December , begins by stating that he had waited for the answer of the Prussian Cabinet to the official communication of the treaty of December 2 nd , since it was clear that " Prussia ' s adherence or nonadherence to that treaty" would " cause her to modify her military measures" thereupon . It had been the " earnest" wish of Austria to " resume with Prussia the deliberations for the joint military preparations of Austria , Prussia , and the entire Germanic Confederation , in a Ime of exact political equality . " But as Prussia " postponed a decision on this subject , " Austria reverts to the terms of the Austro-Prussian Alliance of April 20 th , and the resolutions of the Diet of December 9 th consequent thereupon . Prussia had eventually engaged "to mobilise 100 , 000 men within thirty-six days , and again to place another 100 , 000 men on its eastern frontier within three weeks after placing in readiness the former ; " . this engagement to operate when necessary , and the necessity to be decided upon by the contracting parties . .....

      " There can hardly be a doubt now , however , that the necessity for this mobilisation is actually at hand . . . . " Russia is ready to take the field on her eastern frontier , and can concentrate , in a very short time , her forces , now ready for action , so as to strike a vigorous blow at the empire . For making its appearance at the Upper Vistula , the Russian army requires far less time than is requisite for the equipment and concentration of a Prussian army 100 , 000 strong . If the fulfilment of Prussia ' s engagement to assist in defending Austria from all attacks is to be realised ,-it becomes , under-such

      circumstances , more urgent every day that Prussia should have in readiness the military forces required for the purpose of common defence . Baron Hess is decidedly of opinion that the moment has arrived when Prussia should commence the mobilisation of a part of her army according to the treaty . He declares that our forces stationed on tho eastern frontier will not suffice , until joined by the 100 , 000 Prussian troops , for enabling him to commence the contest with the prospective certainty of success . ( Mit der Aussicht aiif einen / Schweren Erfblg den Jtamjyf aufnehmen zu tonnen . y

      In the opinion of Baron Hess , if Prussia should accede to the treaty of December 2 , " Nothing further would be imperative save the immediate and simultaneous mobilisation of this aggregate force of 200 , 000 men , which can bo concentrated at Posen and Breslau . " With respect further to -any military measures on the part of the Bund , wo indulge in the hope that Prussia will be willing to co-operate with us at tho Diet for promptly and vigorously calling out what was agreed on tho 20 th of April should form tho minimum of the Diet's contingent . " Assuredly the Diet would see the urgent importance of following the example of the two great German Powers .

      Tho remaining states would hold half tlieir contingents ready for action ; each to be joined later , if required , by its remaining half , and these federal corps combined to effect u junction simultaneously with the Austrian and Prussian armies . The chief object is to avoid delay in having the federal troops ready for action , and in the strength prescribed . " Should Prii . sMiii ' H acceaBion to tho alliance of December 2 tuko jiluco later , tho two Powers would , doubtless , be induced ' the mime time to extend their joint motion in tho Diet to the calling out of the whole grand contingent of the federal army , in order to give to tho military position df tho entire Germanic Confedc-

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      January 27 , 1855 . ] THE L 1 ADEB . 77

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 27, 1855, page 77, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2075/page/5/