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Leader (1850-1860), 25th November 1854, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1109, Untitled Article

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      portion of the shell tore off the leather overalls of Captain Somerset ' s trousers , it then struck down Captain Gordon ' s horse and killed him at once , and then blew away General Strangway ' s leg , so that it hung by a shred of flesh and a bit of cloth from the skin . The poor old General never moved a muscle of his face . He said merely , in a gentle voice , "Will any one be kind enough to lift me off my horse ? He was taken down and laid on the ground , while his life blood ebbed fast , and at last he was carried to the rear . But the gallant old man had not sufficient strength to undergo an operation , and in two houxs he had sunk to rest , leaving behind him a memory which will ever be held dear hy every officer and man in the army .

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      THE PRUfCIPAUTIES . A Bucharest correspondent of a Vienna journal , writing under date of the 8 th inst ., says that Omar Pasha had received orders from Constantinople to concentrate all his disposable forces on the Sereth . Certainly Dervish Pasha has arrived ( on the 8 th ) at Jassy : "In spite of the bad weather , all the inhabitants of the town went out to meet him , and gave him . a warm greeting . The Jews , festively attired , carried the tabernacles and candlesticks of their synagogues in the procession . On the approach of the Ottoman commissioner they rushed forward to unharness the horses and draw the carriage themselves . At the palace prepared for him Dervish Pasha found the metropolitan , the clergy , and the boya-rds awaiting his arrival . He received their congratulations , aad replied to them in a brief and felicitous address . "

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      Late telegraphic news is as follows : " Galignaniof this evening states that it has been decided this day in the imperial council to send two divisions of the French army to the Danube . " The Moniteur of this morning publishes the following : ¦ , ' . " Jassy , Nov . 10 . We are expecting the early outbreak of hostilities on the Pruth . Dervish Pasha has announced to the local government the approaching entrance of the Turkish troops into Moldavia , and has required it to make the necessary arrangements for their reception . " Omar Pasha Is preparing to cross the Pruth . " Special orders have been sent to the prefects of the departments of Galatz , Roman , and Tekuch . "

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      INCIDENTS . Have there been Muemctrs ?—An officer in the Crimea , writing to the Daily News , complains of the following passage in Lord Kaglan ' s Alma despatch ;—"I cannot omit to make known to your grace the cheerfulness with -which the regimental officers of the army have submitted to most unusual privations . My anxiety to bring into the country every cavalry and infantry soldier who was available , prevented me from embarking their baggage animals , and these officers have with them at this moment nothing but what they can carry , and they , equally with the men , are without tents and covering of any- kind . I have not heard a single murmur . All seem impressed with the necessity of the arrangement ; and they feel , I trust , satisfied that I shall bring up their bat-horses at the earliest moment . "

      The writer says , that far from this being the case , there is much murmuring in many regiments not at necessary and expected hardships , but at the utter absence of comforts and necessaries which the French , and even the Turks , had in abundance . No officer would like to make a formal complaint to his Commander-hi-Cluef of the want of a clean shirt , or of the presence of vermin in the one worn . Wm Spare Odessa ?—The following is from a correspondent of the Times .-

      —" Sir , —Sparo Odessa ! Does mercy , doos justice , does convenience demand it ? Mercy , like charity ( which in the same ) , must begin at homo . To protect the Kussinn population ia to relievo tho Russian . soldier from that duty , and deliberately to murder our own soldiers . Justice can ask for Odessa at tho utmost not more than for a neutral town , and has Odesoa been neutnil in this Crimean war ? Tho convenience of tho existence of Odessa has nil boon on tho lluswinn sido . Wo

      ^ have , in short , in the intoreat of Immunity , to civiliao tho Kuswiim empire ; and it is a mistaken and narrow idea of moroy -which would prompt to wpare now , since wo may feel assured that our forbearance will only load to future barbarities , and bo understood n » our own recognition of the fuirnoHu of such proceedings . " Your obedient servant , " Nov . 18 . * i ¦ yy , g » Sblf-Phaibh no Rhoommmnwation . — -Tlio Journal ( le &L Pdtcratmurg , of November 10 , contains , by implication , tho admission of tho sympathies which tho Allies met with amongst tho populations of tho Crimea : —

      As soon m tho enemy had occupied Eupatoria , thoir first oaro was to raise tho Tartam ag . urwt tho Government , the author of their welfare . Tho fuulinh young men of tho neighbouring rllhow allowed themselves to

      be led away , under the pretext of supplying with provisions the allied troops , and by the hope of pillaging the habitations of such inhabitants as had remained faithful to their duty . The arrival of the Cossacks , and shortly after of the reserve division of Lancers , in the neighbourhood of Eupatoria , put an end to these disorders . At the same time the sentiments which the well-thinking Tartars are animated with towards the Government are clearly shown from the accompanying documents . " As the documents spoken of are from the dele . gates and the administrators nominated by the Emperor , it may be said that the Russian Government has had certificates of popularity sent to it by its own functionaries .

      Lord Raglan . —A Ministerial journal says : " The country and the army will learn , with the most cordial satisfaction , that her Majesty has teen graciously pleased to acknowledge the distinguished services of the British Comrnairder-in-CIiief in the Crimea by raising him to the rank of Eield-Marshal . " The young Grand Dukes . —It is disputed whether these two young ofBcers were present at the deaths of their friends and foes at Balaklava , or onlv engaged in seeing life in Sebastopol . A correspondent of the Morning Chronicle assumes that they were present , and says : — " There is something consummately absurd , worthy only of courtiers at Pekin , to suppose that the presence or absence of members of the Imperial family at this or that battle can influence the results . The world cried

      out with astonishment that the Emperor should have kept in idleness at St . Petersburg all the members of his family , as if he doubted their capacity or courage . They were at length sent off ; and now that they have behaved like men , and exposed themselves as other men , it is attempted to show that they failed to set a personal example of that forwardness which the Emperor justly demands of every soldier in his army . The young Grand Dukes were spared the pain of seeing how the allied troops storm and conquer powerful positions . They have now learned that the same valiant troops know how to defend positions when attacked hy unequal numbers . If they are sick of the lesson , let them keep aloof , as stupid courtiers now say they did keep aloof on the 5 th of November . "

      Patriotic Ftjnd . —It has been proposed in the Legislative Assembly of Canada that 20 , 000 / . be voted to the families of the wounded and dead soldiers who fought at Alma , 10 , 000 ? . for England and 10 , 000 ? . for Trance . There is no doubt of its being carried . The sum realised by the military fetes given at the Crystal Palace on the 28 th of October and the 4 th of November , amounting to . ' 5598 / . Ss . 4 d . ( after deducting all expenses ) , has been paid over to the three principal funds in the following proportions : — The Koj'al Patriotic Fund , 25 QO / . ; the Central Association in aid of the Wives and Families , Widows and Orphans of Soldiers ordered to the East , 748 / . 8 s . 4 ( 1 . ; the Association for the Jtelief of Widows and Orphans of Seamen and Marines in cases arising out of the present war , 350 / .

      The White Paletot . —The following is from a journal of the siege of Sebastopol , published by the Constitutionnel - " Our sharpshooters supply in some measure the action of artillery . Hidden in holes hi the ground , or behind defences established by means of earth-bags on the top of the parapets of the trenches , they fire at everything that shows itself , and slacken considerably the firo of tho place . However , they have still to pick off , as they say , lo monsieur an paletot blanc . Tho following is tho explanation of that phrase : —Tho person in question is an amateur , an old soldier , perhaps , who every day , at some undetermined hour , advances in front of the

      ibrtiiications with a pieco of cannon , drawn by men . lie hna it placed in battery by his attendants , giving himself tho pleasure of firing it off himself . Ho ordinarily plnnts his tent not far from tho gun , and after each whot he withdraws to it for about ten minutes , probably to smoke a cigar and drink u glass of brandy ; and then , when tho picco is again charged , l » o cornea out mid fires another shot . This course of proceeding takuH place ; every day , and lasts an hour or t-wo . It appearn that he has a number of domestics , for the pliarpahootftrM have already killed about fifty of bin attendants , and now ones always present thoiwHolvcH . "

      GAi . tANTur in ran Ranks . — Private Francis Wheatley hiw acted with gallantry . A live slidl , with the fuse burning , pitchqd upon the top of an embankment ; Wheutlcy promptly clubbed his musket and pushed tho shell away , breaking tho fuse ho that it did not explode . Jiu probably Buved many lives . Sir George UatlicarC acknowledged the service in mi order . Wo arc not always favoured with tho names of gallant privates . Lord Kuglun incinioiiH ia his despatch that u single- lingUali artilleryman , tho only one hi tho rudoubt abandoned by th * j Turkish detachment , nailed tho guns . Let it bo hoped that this cool-headed and bravo artilleryman's name may be nuulo public . Taw IKlitn . —One almost marvellous fact results from Lord Raglan ' s despatch , and this in , that one

      British battalion , the heroic 93 rd , under Colonel Ainslie , stood the brunt of the day ' s work , in so far as the infantry is concerned . And the Russians think they can subdue such men ! Under all circumstances , the Emperor of Russia did veil to countermand Te Dennis for his victory wheai he heard that Liprandi had gained nothing but a detached redoubt , which the limited force at Lord Raglan ' s disposal rendered it advisable to abandon , and , above all , when he heard that the heroic and oft-tried Pennefather , with his daring 30 th . and 95 th , chased the assailants before him on . the 26 th like a flock of sheep , and could with difficulty be held back from further pursuit . And these are your Russian victories ! Meantime , if Prince Menschikoff ' s reports of the 8 th bo correct , the terrible lesson of the 5 th , added to the

      dressing he received from Sir De Lacy Evans on the 26 th , bad somewhat cooled his ardour for small or great offensive operations . Loud George Pa get on the Field op Battlb . — -A Staffordshire man , in a letter referring to the disastrous charge of the Light Cavalry on the 26 th , says :- — " There was Lord George ' s regiment , the 1 lth Hussars , 13 th , 17 th , and 8 th Hussars , all cut to pieces . Lord George ' s regiment is cut up terribly , but he has escaped as yet . He has proved himself worthy of being called the Marquis of Anglesey ' s son . He fought at the head of his regiment . I was told by an old soldier that got wounded by his side , that Lord George waved his sword , saying , 'Now , my lads , for old England ! Fight— conquer or die ; ' and led liis men on gallantly . "—Staffordshire Advertiser . ¦ .

      Prince Napoleon . —The Paris Correspondent of the Times says : — " The effect produced by the mere rumour of Ms intention to quit the camp at the moment when the storming of Sebastopol was at hand has done more injury to him . than any previous incident of his life ; and already , if I am informed rightly , satirical couplets circulate on the subject . It is the opinion of the friends , as well as of the enemies , of the Bonaparte family , that his chances of the imperial throne , such as they were , have been , seriously damaged by it . I suppose there are more persons than Prince Napoleon -who love to flaunt about in rich uniforms ; , provided they are not called upon to endure the fatigues of field duty and the perils of

      warpersons who enter the military service without the remotest intention of ever sharing its hardships , and who avail themselves of the lirst plausible pretext to avoid their duty , no matter at what risk of reputation . Unfortunately , in tlie present instance there is little C 3 ccu . se allowed by the public . The fate of Marshal St . Arnaud is too fresh in people ' s minds to make thorn indulgent even in favour of an Imperial Prince . Marshal St . Arnaud was in a dying state on the very field of battle , and it is known that the day on which the action of Alma was fought and won he suffered more excruciating torture than on any previous day , or until his spirit had quitted his emaciated frame . It is

      remembered , too , that the high military grade which tho Prince enjoys was not won l > y brilliant services in the field nor after tho slow lapse of years . Neither distinguished military talent nor the right of seniority had anything to do with it , and when he was authorised to assume tho general ' s pash and epaulettes it was not solely for the purpose of useless ornament . The prizes he han drawn in the Revolution of the 2 nd of December are rich ones , nnd something must ho paid for tlicm . Letters from more than one sub-officer belonging ; to tho division of the Prince murmur at its comparative inaction . One letter in particular says , ' On me ' iinge cette division comma si on avait peur de la chifibnncr . ' "

      It seems that the Prince has arrived , in an exceedingly debilitated condition , at Constantinople . Loud Dunitui . i , in . —Lord ClanriourdohuB received a lettcM' from Prince Dolgorouky , tho Minister of War at St . Petersburg , informing him that tho Emperor , recollecting with pleasure the time when Lord Cliinricardo represented tho Queen as her Majesty ' s ambassador at the imperial court , felt real satisfaction in restoring to him his son who , by the chances of war , had fallen into the hands of the Russians . Prince Dolgorouky adds , that it had boon agreeable to his imperial master to have , in this matter , forestalled tlio proposal for an exchange of Lord Dunkellin , which Lord Knglnn had addressed to Prince Munfluhikotr , and he bega that Captain KoUNOwlcfl ' , tho oillucr oflbrod by Lord Kaplan , rmiy , if lie should bo in England , bo sent to liussia . TKi , KonAi > iii

      International Telegraph Companies uro making arrangements tor tho conveyance of telegraphic dcspntclica from ollicers in tho East , and it is intended to transmit suuli messages free of charge over their lines from tho Hague to any of tlio companies' stations in ( Jroat Britain . Umo ok this MiniiS Rji'juj . —Wo learn from St . Petersburg that , to replace tlio art tilery men picked oil " at ftubastopol by tlioJntnca-tirnurn and riflemen of tho Alliesi , tlio Ku »» iau Minister of Marina Iiuh taken artillery soldiers trom tlio IJaltio fleet , and sent them to the Nouth . IChi . uu' I'ou Ovu SoumsuH . —A correspondent of tiio Daily Ncwh suggests that Government might

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      November 25 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . 1109

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 25, 1854, page 1109, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2066/page/5/