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„«, THE LEADER. [Saturday, X24 i - ¦ ¦ ^...
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NOTES OF THE SIEGE. DESPATCH F11OM LOUD ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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E H , 1 J ¦< ] Th Wa, We Have News From ...
Eunatoria are compl eted , Omar Pacha will march onSeSopol , and then doubtless a grand battle will S & S- The Russians have fallen back on the aide of Simpheropol . There are rumours that Osten Sacken , with 40 000 men and 90 guns , is advancing with all speed by Perekop to Eupatoria . All the garrison and inhabitants of the town are entirely dependant on the supplies we send by sea , as the Cossacks hare cut off all the cattle which the country people used to drive in and sell . Admiral Stewart , second in command of the English , fleet in the Black Sea , and General Sir G . Brown , cured of his wounds , left Malta on the 31 st ult . for Constantinople , on board the Spiteful . " Constantinople , Jan . 29 . " It is said that the tramroad at Balaklava has been - ^
commenced . . " Count Riverel , who is to assist in the organisation of the services of the Piedmontese army , arrived at Constantinople on the 28 th . " OUTRAGE O ? I THE AUSTRIAN FLAG . A telegraphic message appeared in the Morning Post of Wednesday , which has not been copied by the other papers ; neither has it been confirmed nor contradicted . It says that eight Austrian vessels arriving at Braila were fired upon by the Russians with a storm of musketry . The mate of one of the vessels was killed . A 0 STMA AND THE PBINCKPALJTIES . The Moniteur publishes the following from Bucharest , January 20 : —
" News has reached us by way of Matchin and Ibraila that the Russian expeditionary corps in the Dobrudscha , Wishing to force the passage of a river , has been beaten with heavy loss , after a combat of some hours , by the rear-guard of Yaya Pacha , and that it has already crossed the Danube at Tultscha and Ismail . " For the last five or six days all the Turkish forces at Ibraila and the neighbourhood , under the command of Achmet Pacha , have been leaving in order to cross the Danube at Gouva-Yalonitza over to the right bank . " Ismail Pacha arrived at Ibraila on the 31 st ult . Soon after his arrival he issued a proclamation as Commander-in-Chief of the Danubian army , in which it was announced that a great contest would probably take place on the Lower Danube .
The Cologne Gazette states that two French divisions , as long since annouced , will now positively enter the Principalities , where , in conjunction with the Turks , they are to occupy those strategic points which are not sufficiently secured against surprise by the Russians .
RUSSIAN MOVEMENTS . " Warsaw , Feb . 6 . " Generals Plantine and Labentzow are ordered to advance with their corps to the Austrian frontier . " This measure has been determined upon in order to respond to the concentration of Austrian military forces in Gallicia . " ^ co 6 ^ ffig ^ fc ^ tlie ""' l > ttK « 6 c- ( JoTinial -of--- Vienna ) , - letters from Kiew , of the 26 th January , state that
numerous reinforcements are being sent to the Crimea . Two divisions of Grenadiers , more than 15 , 000 Tirailleurs from Siberia and Orenburg , and 15 battalions of reserve have occupied Perekop . A third corps , commanded by General Read , holds the second line of Bessarabia ; its columns reach as far as Chotin . Ismail , Kilia , and Bender have received 8000 men . General Siewers is organising the Baltic corps ; each regiment has eight battalions of the line and four of reserve .
The Prussian Gazette , in a despatch from Warsaw , dated Feb . 5 , states that an order has been received that all the Russian forces in the vicinity of Cracow , and on the Austrian frontier , should retreat with all despatch into the interior of the country .
BLOCKADE OF THE BLACK SEA . The blockade of the Russian ports of the Black Sea by the allied naval forces of France and England wss notified by vessels of war of the two allied nations—namely , at Odessa , by the French steamfrigate Mogador , and the English frigate Gladiator ; and at Knffa , Kertch , Anapa , and Soudjak-Kaleh by the French steam-corvette Bertholiet , and the English steamer Leopard . These notifications were made and received in the usual manner .
„«, The Leader. [Saturday, X24 I - ¦ ¦ ^...
„« , THE LEADER . [ Saturday , X 24 i ¦ ¦ - *
Notes Of The Siege. Despatch F11om Loud ...
NOTES OF THE SIEGE . DESPATCH F 11 OM LOUD JtAOLAN . The following despatch was rcceivod by the Duke of Newcastle on Wednesday : — " Before Sebastopol , January 28 . "My Lord Duke , —Nothing ' has occurred of Importance in our front ; but the enemy has occasionally opened a fire upon our left attack , and Mr . Spaldihg , a ' fine young man , an acting mate of Her Majesty ' s ship London , and in charge of the battery , was unfortunately killed by a round shot tho day before yesterday . " His loss Is deeply deplored . I enclose tho return of casualltlesto the 21 st inst . " The weather has become milder ; but tho country is still in a dreadful state from melted snow .
" The army is well supplied with warm clothing , and , if the ¦ Commissariat were adequately provided with transport , and the huts could be at once brought up * there would be no other cause of suffering than the severity of a Crimean winter and the duties imposed of carrying on a siege in such a climate at this season of the year . ' "I have , & C ., J " Raglan . " His Grace the Duke of Newcastle , & c . " :
GETTING TJSED TO FIRE . The Morning Post correspondent thus describes a brisk fire , and how such events ape regarded : — " About two o ' clock this morning I was aroused by hearing some of the heaviest firing I remember since the commencement of the siege . On looking up from my place of repose , the flashes were distinctly visible through the canvas of my tent . The heavens were a continuous sheet of flame , and hundreds of shells were to be seen passing through the air , and had much the appearance of a display of fireworks . T fear , however , many brave
fellows had seen daylight for the last tune . It lasted about half-an-hour , but before it had expired , most people whom it had at first ' disturbed had probably turned round and gone to sleep again ; and really , for all that is known of the cause of such an occurrence , on the following day it might have been a dream . Few people think more of it , and if the question is asked , ' Did you hear the row last night ? ' an answer in the affirmative is generally given ; but should you be inquisitive , and say , ' Do you know what it was all for ? ' you get the answer and the question into the bargain , ' No , do you ? ' "
REGIMENTALS , & C . " My very ink has been so often frozen that it has become so pale I can scarcely see it . I suppose there are scores in the hospital frost-bitten ; no man is well . On every side are cholera , dysentery , diarrhoea , rheumatism , catarrh , and scurvy . The army is covered with dirt , vermin , and rags . You would not know what nation they belonged to . Some wear longboots similar to the Americans , taken off dead Russians ; others old sacks stitched round their legs ; others have made gaiters of their knapsacks . I- saw one wearing a sky-blue jacket , with yellow facings . On going up to him I found it to be Tom Barnacle , dressed as a Cossack . I am now wearing a Russian officer ' s surtout—dark blue , scarlet lining and collar ; the gold epaulettes have been torn off , but 1 have got the two little straps -which secured them . "
STRENGTH OF THE ALLIED ARMY . The allied armies at the seat of -war have been calculated , at the present moment , to amount to 150 , 000 men , divided thus , before Sebastopol : — English . 27 , 000 French 80 , 000 Marines 6 , 000 Turks , Egyptians , and Tunisians 22 , 000 135 , 000 The remainder , forming the 15 , 000 , at various stations . Large numbers of the sick and -wounded are reported to bein a state which-will enable them ,-within a-few days , to join the camp at Sebastopol . The allied generals expect reinforcements to arrive within a month , -which will place them at the head of 200 , 000 men . This very favourable statement is , we believe , as regards the English force , greatly exaggerated . Other , and more reliable accounts , estimate the English force at from 11 , 000 to 13 , 000 men .
CLIMATE OF THE CRIMEA . A young officer writes thus to his sister in Scotland , under date January 17 : — " Now first and foremost , you must quite divest ^ your mind of the grand pervading idea of a Russian winter ; for though in Russia , we are pretty well to the south , and do not get quite the full benefit of the frost and snow . As yet we have not had such cold weather as in Buchan the last winter ; and , in fact , you may consider the whiter here very much like that of Great Britain , with perhaps the snow lying a bit longer when it does come . It began about the beginning of this month to lie on the ground . In the low country it nearly all went away
about a week ago , and then came a good heavy storm , and it lay about two feet deep . After that we had a fine day , and then a drifting day , and then another fine day , and another storm , and so on it goes . Of course it is cold at times , and I would rather be in a house than a tent , any day , even in an English , let alone a Russian winter ; but as far as I ( or any man in health ) am concerned , I don ' t think the cold will kill us . We get very warm in bed , and out of bed strong exercise is tho fashion . The Government havo sent out lots of warm clothing , and , amongst others , I have got most of mine ; but there certainly are still many without , and they are not so well off . "
ELEMENTS OF TUB " CHEAP DEFENCE OF NATIONS . " A French war correspondent explains sonio measures taken for making warriors satisfied ;—" Our mariner batteries distinguished themselves lately when tho fire was reopened . One of thorn , mounted from tho Marongo , and commanded by Lieut . Martol , obtained a prize from the goneral-in-chiof for tho precision and rapidity of its flro , which was made with only
an interval of 48 seconds between the discharges . On the 15 th we had a regular solemnity . Admiral Bniat decided that the speech delivered by the Emperor on opening the Legislative Assembly should be placed on the order of the day . Copies of it were , therefore , posted up at the foot of the mainmast on board all the ships of war , ' after having been read to the assembled crews . One phrase in particular produced a tremendous burst of enthusiasm . It is this : —• Let us all agree that the army and the fleet have merited well of their country . ' You should have seen the men assembled round the masts , reading and commenting on the different passages of the speech , and heard the enthusiastic shouts of ' Vive
l'Empereur ! ' that were raised on board every vessel , and in which the crews of the French and foreign merchant vessels at anchor in the bay heartily joined , at the same time that they were all dressed out in flags . Admiral Bruat- has decided that the battery on the right of the Bay of Kamiesch , which defends the entrance , shall take the name of the' Batterie Sommelier , ' after the lieutenant who was killed on board the Ville de Paris hi the affair of the first attack on Sebastopol by sea and land , and that the one on the left shall be called after M . Labourdonnaye , the midshipman -who was killed on the same day on board the Montebello . This decision has given great satisfaction throughout the fleet . "
THE TWO GUNS AT THE ALMA . Much discussion has taken place as to who should have the honour for the gallant working of the two guns on the heights of the Alma . Lieut . Colonel Dickson , who has had it assigned to him , thus writes to Major Turner , who appears to be the real
man : — " When the first two guns of your battery had reached the top of the hill , and were in action on the spot where Lord Raglan and his staff were posted , very few men accompanied the guns , owing partly to the rapid pace at which they were brought up , and partly to some of them having remained behind to assist in extricating one of your gun-horses which had been shot in crossing the river ; seeing how few men there were to work the guns
at the moment , General Strangways asked me to dismount and assist in working one of the guns . I did so , and remained with the guns until after two or three " rounds had been fired , when the men having all joiued their guns , I remounted my horse , and remained a spectator of the excellent practice of your battery . Captain Gordon , R . A ., ~ General Strangway ' s aid ? -de ^ camp , likewise assisted in working one of your guns , until the other men having come up , he was no longer required . " -
OCCASIONAL OPINIONS ON THE " STAFF . "A heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of our military authorities out here ! I write strongly for I feel strongly , and see more , as a medical man , than others do of the effects of these privations , which , of course , I experience as well as others . But the utter powerlessness of our department , amid all this miserycombined with the aforesaid uselessness of the staff , whose duty it is to house , feed , and clothe us—the confounded
obstructiveness of the different andjy . ariousjdepartniental authorities—that cruel cord of red tape , round official routine ( these inventions of the devil to make men honest , which Sidney Herbert calls ' checks upon checks' ) —all these strangle our best efforts . Why , it takes about ten days to obtain officially a blanket for a poor sick man ! —and reams of paper are hourly sent about with ' Sir at the top , and 'I have the honour to be your obedient humble servant' at the bottom—and often for nothing ; and all this nonsense makes an honest man sick . Since
the day wo landed at Eupatoria till the present moment , who are the men who have been subjected to the privations so much talked of ? Simply and solely the regimental officers and the men in tho ranks . . . All the pains and trouble which the good people at home have been taking for our comfort are neutralised by the utter uselessness of our Commissariat and Quartermaster-General's Department . Lots of provisions , clothes , and houses lie on the shore at Balaklava , and , for all the use they are to the generality of us out here , they might as well bo in Nova Scotia . Tho staff , a set of useless , inexperienced , fine gentlemen , get np things for themselves ; but unfortunate regimental officers and soldiers , who do all the work , and are exposed alone to the danger , cold , wet , and privation , get no help . All our applications for carriage for those necessary articles for tho soldiers arc negatived . The answer ( whenever an answer is sent )
is invariably , that ' no carriage is available' Tho fact is , as I said above , Lord Rnglan and his staff know nothing , and take no trouble about us at all ; and , in truth , lie has lost caste entirely . Little is said , of course , among us ; but it is amusing to observe tho q \ iiot sarcastic shrug of tho shoulder which tho French officers give when Ills linme is mentioned . . . On our march from our placo of disembarkation , when wo lay on tho ground at night our staff slept in their tents ; when wo poor doctors rushed up and down tho lines of creaking country carts , looking for places to lay down our mori dying of agonising wounds or cholera , and asked a corner whore might lay a gasping soldier—the answer usually was , * This cart is GonornJ , So-and-SoV , or , ' This is tho Adjutant-General ' s -onrt Sir . ' Those wore tho universal replies , and at last losing my temper ( as an old campaigner was entitled to do ) , 1 generally said , 4 D General So-and-So , and d
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 10, 1855, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10021855/page/4/
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