Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 6th January 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 3

Page 3
Page 3
3 of 24

On this page

  • Text (2)

      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.

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

    • Untitled Article

      Untitled Article

  • Transcript

    • 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.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      Several councils have raterytaken- place at St . Petersburg trader the rttetnSHiiGT of the Minister of War , with the attendance of the nftval andniflCtary officer * commafidiag in the © frlf of Knlahd and its shores . These councils recognised the necessity o : strengthening " and augmenting the various fortified places ,-and o £ adding to the mosUmffcortant of thein : an entrenched camp , capable of accommodating a division of infantry . In feet , it is stated that this system of entrenched camps is to be carried out on a large scale , and to extend from Cronstadt to most of the military positions in Poland .

      This , among other matters , is the cause of the visit made by General Dehrri , the governor of the town and citadel of Cronstadt , to ITeld-Marshal jPaskiewitch at Warsaw , in order to confer with , him pn a grand plan of defence for the whole length of the Vistula , and thence to tfie Neva , in case of invasion during the ensuing campaign . " Warsaw * December 23 ,. " Tie first oorp * d ' arm ^ er commwaded by General Sievers , ia completely assembled . Its staff is ia the centre of the position oh the right bank of the Vistula , that is at Radom , fourteen German miles feom this place . General Rudiger is Commander-in-Ghief of die first and third corps , and ; of the corps of grenadiers . He at the same time acts as Governor-General . Prince Gortschakoff is General-in-GMef of three corps in the south . Field-Marshal Paskiewitch is 0 generalissimo of all the svs . coi » Sj and . is still at Warsaw . "

      OttOVfSTATfT . A new Battery has been erected on the north side of Cronstadt . A merchant there , of the name of Osterew , whxfsehouse was required to be pulled down to . make robing has presented to the battery the picture of the " miracte-workmg St . Nicholas , ' ' in a silver frame , in commemoration of the Em < - peror ' s coming thither to trace out the lines of the foundation *

      ITtEXCH REINFORCEMENTS . In virtue of a ministerial decision of the 2 Sth ult ., a detachment of 400 marines has been setft to reinforce theiexpeditionary corps of the army now before Sebastojpal . ^ Those men were supplied by the de ' pots of the" 1 st and _ 2 nd RegimentSj quartered at Cherbourg ^ and Brest , and are to sail directly for .. ' the -Qrimea , in the steam _ cprvette Phlegethoh . The French force , including the reinforcements which had arrived up to the date of these despatches , amounted "iii all- ^ to 60 , 000 available troops . The British , since the battle of Inkerman , have been strengthened by the arrival of about 7050 men , making a total amount of about 22 , 000 at the present moment .

      Untitled Article

      NOTES OF THE SIEGE . Most interesting accounts are still pouring in from officers and privates . One remarkable feature of the correspondence is , that the correspondents can find the necessary time jto _ write . Every letter bears testimony to The Horrors" of sicknessrwhether" from wounds or disease . A " regimental surgeon , " dating November 25 , narrates some unpleasant incidents , which , however , there is reason to think have been lately succeeded by a more favourable class of eventB :-

      —" . We have had terrible mortality , and those who remain are like spectres . The work in the trenches , especially in the rainy , cold , and tempestuous weather that has prevailed here since the early part of this month , is killing C—n . J—s and B—n are sick at Balaklava , whence they go to Scutari , and I think it problematical if they ever return . Most of our officers had their clothes riddled with bullets , and some were in the trenches , so that our relative loss is greater than it appears . Most of the superior officers of the army are dead , sick , or absent on account of wounds or disease , and few indeed of us will live to tell the tale if forced to keep the field during the winter . Our commissariat supplies are failing . We are sometimes without any rations , and constantly with only rum and biscuit . Wo are in a critical position—an impregnable fortress in

      our front , a large army in our rear , and such wintry weather , with want of supplies . The army of Menschikoff in the country are without tents , and I should think they could only draw supplies from the town ; so , unless the place is abundantly victualled , one would think supplies must fail . The ground outaide the tents is like a snipe bog in Clare . Our tenta wore blown down lately , and deaths from exposure , cold , rain , sleet , and snow took place . Wo could light no fires , had no rations , and for forty-eight hours were in a horrible plight . Miserable as a tent Is , except for an hour ot bo at a summer pic-nio , it is a luxury to bivouacking . The army is to lint itself for the winter , if wood can bo found . Wo are now digging holes in which to pitch the tents , but wo go on slowlj r , partly because of the weather being so wet , and partly because wo have not men to work , as they are eo much in the tronch . es .

      u spend no money out hero , but when we return , If 'ever , wo shall nee'd some luxury and indulgence to make up for our present privations out hero of all the necessaries of civilised lifo . " The following is an extract from a letter of a

      corporal of the 33 rd regiment , referring to Tmcernnm , and then dashhtg off at other thing * like-the explosion of a . shell : —¦ ¦ " The 5 th of November , like Guy Fawfces' day , will be for ever remembered . The Russians made- an attack upon us and' drove us back into' 6 w camp-ground , killing and wounding thousand ** We h ^ d more killed the Mh : © f November than , at Aim * . - We were under shot and shell from , daybreafc iau the morning until daifc at night . I have hot had my clothes off for six weeks , only just to look for the filth accumulated ; there is not a-man—officer , soldier , or general *—but what are lousy here . We cannot help it : some men . have wora their shirts two months . I thank God I have two shirts . I gave 10 s . for about a pound of aossp , which- I got at Balaklava . I . went down- with our captain , and we bought a small jar of butter , about a pound and . a haJf , which was 18 a ,

      A private -of the 77 th gives us some more details of the state of « he Balaklava market : — ' " I must now inform you of what we are at present enduring , and I wish you to put those few lines into a newspaper . We are treated rascally , and we have . now been three months without receiving one farthing of pay . We applied for some payment , when we were offered 1-s . per man . NW I leave you to guess how far it would go when I tell you the price of provisions at Balaklava , a distance of four miles . Tea , 4 s . per lb . ; sugar , Is . ditto ; cheese , Is . 6 d . ditto ; potatoes , Is . fora dozen , small size ; butter , 3 s . per lb . Now we can only get f lb . of bweuUV £ lb . pork , or beef , | pz . of coffee , burnt by ourselves like ciader-s , ioz . Of sugar , and no wood or

      fuel to cook with . Now , is not a shilling a grand treat ? Our commanders say that if we got more we should only " get drunk . Another thing I must say , we could go over to the French encampment , pay 5 s . for one pint of rakee , or what they call rum . We are dropping down on pur journeys to and from the entrenchments merely for want" of provisions . We have not time to wash our faces , for as soon as we get to camp from the trenches , it may be at night , about 9 p . m ., we are tired and fatigued , and get a glass of grog , we then lay down in our wet clothes , and remain until about 4 A . M ., and start for the trenches or picket . Our pork or beef re -sent "to us , and you might put it into your eye and see no worse . Now we applied ~ for 10 a . per man to ~ purch « se some tea , sugar , cheese , &c , and they . coiild give us no moire than Is ., -a tuco ^ t Mng £ or ^ a , ^ g hting ^^ l ^ jj ^^ We are now infested with vermin , naif " or nearly wholly

      starved for want of provisions , and only sometimes we get our allowance of grog . I think our cominissariat department : is not looked sharp enough-after . \ - I only wish I had the management of those gentlemen ; I think if I had we coold have plenty of rations . I have now given you a short description of our well-equipped army that left the shores of Britain to fight for our Queen and country ' s rights . We were to have porter and preserved potatoes , but where are they gone to ? I had two pints of porter and half a pound of potatoes in Turkey . I relished them well . Now I leave you to guess whether I am fit to eat another half pound of potatoes : —I ~ have ~ now"had wetfeet-this-last fortnight .-Our men are seized with cramp , taken to the hospital , die in less than twelve hours , are buried in their blankets , and no more about them . Everything is gloomy in appearance . There ia no likelihood of Sebastopol surrendering . "

      A personal narrative of Inkerman , from a gallant Rifle , is interesting . The writer bears , as do many others , strong testimony to the affection entertained by the English soldiers for our allies : — "I was two hours in a hole , firing as fast as I could , and I believe every shot told ; , the enemy were so numerous it was almost impossible to miss . We exhausted our ammunition several times , and had to use the bayonet , which is unusual with us Rifles . My comrade ( we generally go in pairs ) was shot in the arm . A bullet just grazed my neck , scarcely ruffling the skin . "Alma was not to be compared to Iukerman . rwas nearly all that day ( on which the former battle was fought ) naming about after the Cossacks . " Our men aTO very fond of tho French . If it weto not for them , wo might all go home and leave Scbastopol . .

      " Tho Circassians arc fine fellows , but the Turks are worse than useless . Some of our men would rather kill one than a Russian ; they are not worth fighting for . " After I had used my poAvder at Inkerman I went , with some others , to protect the colours of the 77 th , which were nearly taken , but wo succeeded In keeping them . I do not like these colours 5 they only servo to draw tho enemy ' s fire upon tho men . Tho Rifles have no such dangerous encumbrances . " Three days after the 5 th I fell insensible out of tho

      ranks , and remained so eight hours . Tho doctor aaicl it was from living so long upon raw pork , and packed me off to Scutari , but when I got there I was ns well as over , . and so they made mo hospital orderly . I don't much like being with elck and wounded all tho day . I should like to go back again to my regiment , and if so I hope they will take tho town by storm . Here is one for the forlorn hope , if they wiR have mo . It is miserable work in the trenches , up to the knees in water . " Wo quote , almost entire , a letter from " An OfflccT who has been mentioned for Distinguished Conduct

      m XiOTd' Raglan's Despatches . " This isyperhaps , tUte iwostrSolid Twttctr of < somp ** m « s y-etrinfcdfc Tfteqnetetion of Lord Raglan being in the camp or 5 nr ILortdbb is almost justified by other statements , - wMcfc afflrtn thait he has not treen seen for six ¦ weeks r—, ¦ .- ; ... ; . ' .:. ¦ "Camp before SebastopoL DectSL "We ^ aregbingpn ^ mnch as usual , receiving reinforcements , sometimes by a regiment or two , sometimes ijjr draughts , but in both , cases burying them or sending them to hospital quite as fast as they anpve . A . ship comes into Balaklava with men . on board , it is »•«»{» " « £ ; in- torrents , but a staff officer in . snug quartets shows Ids zeal and bis smart manner of doing his work by sendisg an order for their immediate diaembarcation and : joining tbe camp . It is promptly obeyed . A hundred or « thousand men , as the case may be , wet through aad

      through , and up to the tips of their shakos in mud , sometimes without blankets , often without tents , take up their ground at a late hour , and there they lie . If they have something to eat , they are lucky : if they have net , tfcey go without . They grumble and swear violently , and that is all they have for it . They thus begin to learn to be reckless at starting . Their frightful exposure brings on certain disease , and in a few days the dying and the sick are the exclamation of every one . Lord Raglan ( if Lord Raglan be really here , and not in London ) is nev « r seen . Whether he knows anything of how things are going on or not I do not know \ I am sure he ought to do so . I have drawn anything but an exaggerated picture of what happens over and over again . The 9 th Regiment marched up without a medical officer at all ; they had several cases of serious illness the next day , and when a medical officer came there was no medicine .

      Themedicine chest Sad not accompanied the regiment , bseanse tney hatf no dratrght animals : or means of carrying it . TBis is precisely the way in whi ch everything is conducted , and yet Lord Raglan has been made a Field BfarsbaL The blood of his officers and men has won it for him , and not bis own abilities . lam told Sir De Lacy Evans will speak out , and I most earnestl y hope he may . He can make great exposures , and do much good , if he will . It is generally understood that he has gone home in the greatest disgust witfe everjrtiiing .- It- will hardly be credited that , although the exposed state of oar right-flank before the Inkerman battle was the subject ^ of frequent comment , Lord ^ Raghtn never price rode over the ground , nor knew anything of it until after the Russians attacked us . -.. ¦ - - ¦¦

      " Everything ^ about the * French contrasts with us most strongly . Their sick are ! not Tramserous ; their men are always clean and uniformly dressed . They seem to have good" -ra « o"fis , cook them wellr-and- seem a- happy sefc Our men are a mass / of dirt , i * ags , and misery . They seem sunk in despondency and"indifference ; nothing moves them but an alarm , for they have no hope but to fight it ont and get it over . They think , poor fellows , that another good fight must decide it . Our sick yesterday under canvas , exclusive of the shiploads at Balaklava and in the hospitals of the Boephorus , were 3181 . The French , with their large army , take charge of 1000 of them for us tonlay . The 46 th Regiment

      disembarked on . the 10 th of JSfovembet ^ ZOCstrong ^ jranBy have lost 114 men up to this day , and they toave at this moment 257 sick . If things go on as they are doing- — and as the winter advances there is every chance of their beingworseTather than better—we sballhave no army left . If the fine weather we have jtist now holds for but a few days , you will soon hear of the assault being given . The Russians have certainly shown a great want of enterprise in leaving-us so long unmolested , situated as we are . We are most careless and court rum over and over again . Tho indomitable courage of men and officers alone saves us . 1 nave never heard of anyone getting an order yet in any action I have been in . We all do as we like . We have had two alarms lately—the

      one last night , tbe gusts of wind preceding the storm . We shall have a decisive affair before long . It is , however , a very dreary prospect before us . It is said that the Emperor Nicholas engages to send all that are loft of us in the spring away in a single line-of-battle ship . Our encampment i » orteJ * Mtwi of' graves and dead bodies of horses and oafcUe , W |» 8 re is no offensive smell . " The above letter , t * fwRen on the 12 th , is confirmed by the record of many similar instances by an officer who writes on the 13 th : — " The fearful experience of tho 9 th Regiment and our draughts shpw how deadly bard work is to new arrivals ; the 9 th have lost half their regiment in tho ten days they have been here . They marched up from Balaklaya , pitched their tents on a wet day , slept on tho wot soil ; the next night , ateo wet , they relieved us in tho trenches , and that scaled their death warrants . They wero all old soldiers , and had beon some years in the

      Meditorra-« I was in tho trenches the night I came in with our draught ; it rained without ceasing . By the next afternoon four of thorn wore doiul , and since then , out ol l / u men , 42 are buried . Now they allow no now arrivals to go in tho trenches for the first . wet ^^ The 46 th and tf 7 tn , ' too , have suffered verymu ^ j but for th e laat week , thank God , tho weather has been dry . There is rumour that iron house * are coming out from *< ngl « md > but I am afraid they will bo too late for any good . The return , a fow days ago , of men fit for duty in tho whole British army was 17 , 060 , of whom 9000 wore on duty ,

      Untitled Article

      ! : ¦ ¦ ¦ •¦ . : : : : - ¦ ¦¦ - ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ : ¦ .:, ¦;¦ ¦ ¦ . - ¦ .:. - ;/ v . : ; : ; : ¦¦ - ' v , jANtrAKir 69 1855 ] TAB I / MB |^ . V

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 6, 1855, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2072/page/3/