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    966 THE LEADER. [Saturday,

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    Interesting Episodes In The March, Durin...

    wart fellow , 6 feet 4 inches in . height ,, and weighing twenty-two stone ; so that his description of himself as " your small servant" mast not be taken literally . The Colours of the Scots Fusilier Guards . — The colours of the Scots Fusilier Guards had twentysix bullets through them . The staff of the colours -was broken ; but Mr . Lindsay held fast . A private in the G-xiards had a btitton of his coat struck in the centre by a Minie' rifle ball ; the button , partially entering , caused a severe contusion of the rib , but saved his life . One of our poor fellows was struck by a cannon ball at the moment of raising his hand ; the ball drove the hand and arm right through the bod y-

    A RtrssrA . ii Love-Xettee . — -A medical officer says : " A letter I took from the pocket of a Russian officer I senfr to the admiral , thinking it might contain some useful information , but the interpreter has discovered it was only a love-letter from the mistress of one of the officers , wishing him a speedy victory over the enemy , and a quick return to her arms . This dream , however , will not be realised ; lie was shot through the heart . " The ErjssiANs after the Battle . —The Russians who crowded the field in all tlie contortions of the last

    agony were principally soldiers of the 16 th and 32 nd regiments . Beyond the battery was a scene of utter Muscovite rout , very few English having fallen after its destruction ; the ground < was covered with dead , dying , and wounded ; arms and knapsacks lying about in tile wildest confusion . The Kussiaris were buried outside themounds ; theEnglish and Trench inside . Many of our dead wereburied within the fieldwork by the Rev . H . P . Wright , principal chaplain to the expedition , and the remainder will be buried to-morrow .

    The Sailors and the Muscovite Boots . — -All the Russian soldiers wore long boots , -which our bluejackets prize , and each man took a pair . The mode of measuring was somewhat novel . The sailors sat down , and placed the soles of their shoes in opposition with those of the dead , when , if the length corresponded , the Muscovite was speedily unbooted . ' Prince Napoleon . ^ -Prince Napoleon , it appears had a narrow escape . While the sharpshooters of his division were endeavouring to dislodge the Russian infantry , a cannonball was seen bounding along , and was about to fall exactly on the group among which the prince was standing . General Thomas , -who had seen it fall , and perceived \ ts direction , cr ied out , " Take care ,

    Monseigneur ! " The prince gave his horse the spur , and succeeded in turning him aside in time to allow the ball to pass , which broke the leg of Military Sub-Intendant Leblahc , who was standing close behind the spot from which the prince had removed . M . Leblanc was so badly wounded as to be obliged to suffer amputation . On the March : to Bat-akxava . —The Weather . —It is said , that of all the providential advantages with which the English and French armies have been blessed , none perhaps has been greater than the fine dry -weather . which has continued , with the exception of the first night , ever since the landing of the forces in the Crimea . The first night seemed as if to show to what discomfort , suffering ' , and sickness the invading army might be exposed by bad weather alone . Bivouacking iii large open plains , without any protection , or any means of conntcracting the ill effects of rain and cold , disease must have spread through the ranks and dispirited the whole force . But with tlie exception of that first night , the temperature has continued warm , tho air dry , and , in short , tho weather has been all that could be desired . It is true that cholera , has continued among the troops , but the fatigue and continued marching they have necessarily been exposed to , have rendered the comparative small number of caaea a matter of surprise rather than otherwise . A Villa near tub Berber . —In tho Valloy of the Belbok are fine trees , good comfortable housos , hedges and walls of English neatnoss , whilo all around nppoarB to be comfort and plenty . On entering ono house a magnificent grand piano of Erard ' s is open , the music still upon it , and some fair performer appears to have boon abruptly disturbed , for a recently plucked peach , ¦ and some , slight articles of female attire have fallen closeto the music-stool . At Balaklava . —Balaklnva Creole is ono of tho most curious anchorages imaginable Tha shore of th » Crimea rises gradually east-ward , until about Balaklava it ronchos a height of scarcely leas than 1000 foot of perpendicular chalk rock . Tho creek is bo narrow that it is scarcely porcoptiblo at a couple of miloa off . Two ruined Genoese

    fortifications crown the antranco , - which gmduully onlnrgea itself into a spacu -whore a score of Hhlpn can lio , with water deep enough for tho largest lino-of-battlo ship . At the right-hand sido of tho entrance in tho village of BnlakJava , a few hunclrod houses , and at tho bottom of tho bay is another village , near to which some French troops aro now encamped ; a fow hundred of our own moil « re also dlutrHmUxl ia different plrteos , the rost bohig some inilos off , iu tho direction of Subawtopol . Tho inhabitants , who at firat lutrt loft thoir houses , nro gradually returning . Soveral of tho tmnHporta carrying tho Hk > KQ guna have already boon towoil in and aro discharging . Ah tho transports li « quito cIoho to tlia uhoro , the R , lowered on bargoa provided with a kind of drawbridge , Have only a . fow rarjda to go . A dozen euilora

    and artillerymen , put their shoulders to it , and the huge machine is landed . A dozen horses take the place of the sailors , and the cannon is moved towards Sebastopol . The greatest difficulty is to get the transports into the bay , on account of the narrowness of the entrance . Steamers are towing them in one by one . A dozen are already landed ( 12 o ' clock ) . The shore teems with , specimens of nearly every corps of the allied armies , from , the colossal Highlanders down to the little vivandi 6 res whose steps Jack is eagerly following with his spyglass . Camels , oxen , mules , and horses of every shape and size help to animate the scene . At the entrance of Sebastopol the gunboat Arrow , in company with a French and English steamer , has been trying her new guns . She fired several shots , but it was not ascertained whether they were successful or not . The northernmost shore battery of Sebastopol , which carries very heavy guns , opened hex fire on her , splashed the waters at her bows and stem , bvtt failed to touch her . The batteries of Fort Constantino and the harbour batteries could not be provoked to fire , in spite of the bold approach of tlie diminutive Arrow . The fortifications of Sebastopol to the north appear to be but a single loopboled and embrasured wall ,- "without any outworks * French Opestojjs op the English Troops . —La Presse says : — " The victory of the Alma has been sternly gained . These are no longer our African affairs , says General Thomas , it was a battle as in the days of the first empire . Tor two hoars the ^ Russians were immovable . The hail of projectiles that fell on . them made no void in their ranks ; the moment a manwas struck down his place was instantly filled up ; It was the same immovable force our fathers sustained so often , on all the battle-fields of the empire , and which made Marshal Ney say , it was not enough to kill a Russian , you must gi-ve him a push after to make him fall . But the enemy was obliged to give ground before the rapidity of our movements and the impetuous dash of our intrepid soldiers . The three armies riv & Hed each other in bravery and boldness , but we must specially mention the 3 rd French division , and particularly the Zouaves , the regiment of marines , the English 95 tfe , the Highlanders , and the 23 rd Welsh Fusiliers . No language can adequately describe their deeds . If we had in front of us the most formidable position , the English had before them the bulk of'the Russian army . They marched at slow time up to the enemy with a calm , a coolness perfectly heroic , positively just as if they had filed off before the Queen in Hyde Park . The sustained and well-directed fire of the enemy made , therefore , terrible ravages in their ranks , until the moment they rushed on and charged with the bayonet . Our troops on the contrary , advanced at double quick pace the moment they came within musket-range ; many of oTir soldiers , also , the Zouaves the first , threw off their knapsacks , that they might get quicker at the Russians . It is grievous to be obliged to add that a large number of the wounded English arc in a nearly hopeless state . On the evening of the 20 th tho Marshal , with all his staff , repaired to the camping ground of the 23 rd Welsh Fusiliers and the 95 'tlt of the line . He wished to shake hands with the brave officers that survived , and loudly congratulate them on the glorious part they had taken in the victory of the Alma .

    There seems to be some discrepancy in the various accounts as to whothor the British division attacked too early or too late . Both opinions are stated . On this point a correspondent of tho Presse says : — " The left was composed , as I have already said , of the English . Though starting at tho same time with ourselves , the English did not advance so rapi dly as we . Their sangfroi'l , their natural coolness , did not forsake them even at this solemn moment . They arrived under the fire of tho enemy as if they were on parade . Their manoeuvres were executed witli as much precision and regularity as

    if -they had been in the Campo San Florlano , at Malta . But theso movements wore not made with sufficient rapidity . Our right and centre wore already seriously engaged -when tho English opened thoir fire ; and during this time tho artillery of tho Russian right directed a crushing cannonade upon the Third Division . Tho English army siiflwecl a very heavy loss . Thoro was something really heroic in tho steadiness with which our bravo allies marched against tho enemy ; but it > h indisputable that they would have lost fewer men if thoir paco hud boon moro rapid . "

    _ Tho following ia given by tlio Prcsso from a Constantinople letter : — , " An immense number of acts of bravery might bo mentioned ; but at -present I will only relate that of a non-commissioned officer of the English army . An Englmli sohlior lind to fix a camp-nag , to indicate to tho division which wan coming up tho position , to occupy . A Russian loft his ranks , mul running up to tho Englishman , a ] KJt him , and wan carrying off th « Hag , when a non-commissioned English officer rurthed forward , attacked tho llus » lnn , and with his revolver killed him . llo then returned to his ranks with tins flag ho had rocovorod , but u lira of nniakutry from tho RuHsinnn had boon opened upon him , and at tho moment whon ho wan close to hifl comrades with th « Hag in liia hand , ho foil dead , piorcod with woven bnllst .

    The Const Uutiomiel publiuhns tho journal of a Trench officer of tho ovonta of the battle of the Alma up to tho 28 th ult . Tho folio-wing is nn extract : — " It coaultu from tho papora found in tho pockolbook or

    portfolio of MenscMkoff , that he was perfectly well informed as to all that took place at Varna . He waote to his master ' that he had allowed us to disembark quietly in order to drive us back into the sea , and that ia any case the formidable position of the Alnxa . would at least detain us three weeks . ' He added , that if we forced him at once on the Alma , nothing would remain except to open to us the gates of Sebastopol . But his confidence in the lines of the Alma was extreme . We hare spent the day in placing the wounded in the vessels and in burying- the dead . The Kussian wounded are treated like ours , and we bury their dead . A Kussian havresack or coat alone indicates their graves . It is impossible to be less able than the Russian generals are . It ia not the

    moment to point out their faults , but they arise from radically false ideas as to the employment of different arms in the field of battle . Let us , however , render justice to their soldiers ; there were lines of skirmishers of their 33 rd Kegiment who were only separated from our Zouaves by small enclosures . The enemy ' s dead whom I have seen were almost all tying on their muskets . They had that smiling face which death , when it is instantaneous , generally occasions . I saw a dying man with his hands clasped , and praying with such fervour that it caused a tear to spring to my eye . Tie poor wretch fancied , perhaps , that he was about to receive the

    palm of martyrdom , and he no doubt prayed for his executioner . A ' sentiment of terror was seen in the eyes of the wounded when we approached them , and they only recovered their confidence after a few minutes , and after we had _ offered them drink . I did not hear a single one complain ; most expired without saying a word . The English , so to speak , fought a separate battle . We do not know the details of it , but we saw them far off , ascending with re gular step a glacis in which was an entrenchment full of artillery . In the evening the field of battle - was covered with sailors from the fleets , and they displayed . almost childish jov . "

    Press of the Kttssiajt Officers . —La Presse states : u It has been remarked that not One Kussian officer wore the marks of his rank during the battle ; all had put on the soldier's great coat . This measure was ordered by the Emperor himself , who had seen how his officers were picked off at the Danube by the crack marksmen in the Ottoman army . This sort of disguise has given rise to some singular mistakes . The Vulcan had on . board General GonikoiF and his nephew , a major , wlio Avould

    have been always treated as a private if a hussar had not revealed his high rank . At the French hospital of Pera an identical circumstance occurred . They discovered an officer among the soldier 3 , and hastened to place him among his brother officers in a special room . According to the regulation for distributing the prisoner ' s-, General Gonikoffwill be surrendered when cured to tine French Admiral . The English have on board the Agamemnon General Tchetchanoff , with several other officers , amongst whom there are two Moldavians . "

    St . Arnaud and th 4 £ 5 thv—On the 19 t !> , after a march of an hour , a halt took place for flye minutes , 'during which Lord Raglan , accompanied by a -very large Staff , Marshal St . Arnaud , General Bosquet , Foroy , and a number of French officers , rode along tho front of tho columns . Tho men spontaneously got up from the ground , rushed forward , and column after column rent tho air with three thundering English cheers . It was a good omen . As the Marshal passed tho 55 th Ucginwnt he exclaimed , " English , I hope you will figJit well today " Hope ! " exclaimed a voice from the ranks , " sure you know we will !"

    Mahshal St . ArcxAup . —Tho doath of Marshal St . Arnaud is regretted by every ono who knew litro , wiiilo his heroic struggles against tho illness before which bo has sunk have excited universal admiration- Ho was dying during tho battle of Alma ; but remained on horseback twelve hours , at la « t being supported by two orderlies . At length , on tho 2 Gth of September , ho reluctantly resigned tho command of tho French army , and bu < le farewell to the troops hi a fow touching words in an order of tho dsiy . Every tribute of respect ha s boon pukl to him , and ho ia to have a public funeral , imd will 1 ) 0 buried at the Invalides . It is Htatod that his widow is

    to bo created Duchess of Alma . Tho Monitow ; in announcing his death , aays : — " All Ifrmico will iiswciata itself to tho d « op regret felt by tho Emperor , Tins cruel loss mixes up a national mourning with the * joy caused by tho last news from tho East . Having Knuloral such gresit sorvices , Marshal St . Arnaud succumbs at the very moment ho had acquired , by tho expedition of tho Crimea and tho signal victory of tho Alraa , glorious claims to tho gratitude of tho country . " Tho Ikiuish Government , through Lord Cowloy , has convoyuil to the Emperor a Htrong expression of rogxot . i ' ur his

    douth , and Lord Cowloy , mlds his personal iTtfi-et " , stating , that "to know Marshal St . Amuiid wad to lovo him , for tho courteous affability of his private life yyt xti not lusH ' roinurknblethun bin intrepid bravery on tho flold of bnttlo . " St . Arnmirt > y « s born in 1 ' mriu in J HO 1 , and was in the nnny unriur Lou 1 m XVIII , nutl i'hnrli' * X ., but , ho rotiigiuid , and en mo to England , whoro ho nwiileu till tho revolution of 1 « U <) , when ' ho roturntxd to 1 ' rnucu , and again ontorod tho army . Ho was with hid rcglmuut nt Fort do Blayo nhoro tho DucIiomho do Herri wiim i « iprtaonori , and altrautud tho notice , of Mar » Uul Uugeuiul , tho commandant of tho fortrotis . In 18 ) 17 ho avoii l to

    966 The Leader. [Saturday,

    966 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 14, 1854, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14101854/page/6/