The Press. — London, England, 1855-02-03 00:00:00

not every one who knows how to keep in condition horses or mules. Anc Lher point is this : our ambu- lances are found lumbering and almost useless ; and, as you know, we have been indebted to the French for the conveyance of our sick. Now, their plan is a very simple one. On the back of each mule they have a light iron apparatus, which they can either turn into two arm-chairs at each side, so, if the in valids have any stamina left, or the men are but slightly wounded, each mule can carry four men ; if, on the other hand, the sick are very weak, or badly wounded, the two arm-chairs can be turned into a _ _ stretcher, and the motion, I hear, is much easier than that of any ambulance. In this, as in many other things, we may well take a lesson from our in telligent allies. Even where we are at present the French mode of conveyance would be a great provement. But we are not going to remain always here. If the war continues next spring battles may be fought in the Crimea in rough ground where no vehicle could travel ; and unless this or some other plan is adopted how are our wounded to be got with quietness to our ships ? Now is the time to provide for those contingencies, and not put it off like the wooden huts and other things that come when it is too late. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir,—All genuine letters from the seat of war are more or leas interesting. The following letter, which I have just received from my brother, a lieutenant in the navy, contains nothing important, politically or otherwise; but if you like to publish it, it is quite at your service.—Your obedient servant, J. F. B. St. John's College, Cambridge. H.M.S. —, off Sebastopol, Jan. 0. My dear —, There is one thing that makes this place better than it would be, and that is the many opportunities of writing and also receiving letters. However, I have as yet had only one letter and a newspaper from you, for which many thanks. For four days and nights it never ceased to snow, hail, and freeze, so that you can imagine it is pretty cold. There were thirteen French soldiers frozen to death last night. I have not beard of our having had any casualties lately, except that two officers of the 33rd and of the Artillery were smothered in their tent the other night. The tent was blown over, and they could not get out before the fumes of their charcoal stove suffocated them. The firing has been very slow latterly on both sides. It is generally reported that an attack will be made as soon as we get the rest of our guns into pos►tion. Both French and English are receiving large reinforcements. Omer Pacha arrived here a few days ago, and has gone back to Varna. He is going to land with 40,000 Turks at Eupatoria. He says that the Russians must be starved out before a month, as the roads are next to impassable. In that last gale they lost no end of waggons which were bringing in supplies. It is very uncertain whether the ships will have another go in at the forts or not: it is kept pretty quiet. I suppose you know I saw —at Balaklava. He had heard of his promotion. His horses look rather different now to what they did in England. I never saw such miserable objects in my life : they look like large drowned rats. We are just getting out of fresh meat, but are going to send down to Constanti nople for some, as it is only forty hours' sail from here. The soldiers we brought out were glad to be allowed to remain on board on Christmas-day, as it made no small difference in their fare. We don't know how long we remain here, but expect shortly to relieve one of the frigates on the coast of Circas. sia. We are getting into something like order now the soldiers have left, and of course we have plenty of exercising at the guns, but no firing, as powder is not to be wasted. I think skates would not be a bad thing on board, as the deck is sometimes covered with ice. We have a great many men laid up with bad colds, from change of climate : I have had one myself the last fortnight, but not so bad as the others. THE GOVERNMENT BALANCE-SHEET for the year ended the sth of January instant was published on Saturday last. In the year the income was 56,737,1321. 18s., and the expenditure 59,946,1921. 2s. Bd.; showing an excess of expendi ture of 3,200,059/. 4s. sd. The increased income tax produced in the year 7,456,0251. 2s. Bd. The balances in the Exchequer on the sth of January, 1854, were 4,485,2291. 18s. 4d., and on the sth ult. 6,015,6121. 13s. 6d. THE ADMIRALTY on Wednesday took up two ships to convey 1,000 tons of wooden huts to Heligoland, on the coast of Denmark, where a British encamp ment is to be formed. In addition to the encamp ment of 20,000 men to be formed on Aldershot heath, in March, a large cavalry encampment is to be formed in Dublin, and a militia encampment in Phcenix-park. The cavalry will form a considerable portion of the 5,000 under orders for the Crimea, and for embarkation preparations have already THE PRESS. THE WAR. Telegraphic news from the seat of war to the 23rd of January has reached Paris. The Ru,sians in Sebastopol, and round about were using every effort to make the storming of the fortress as diffi cult as possible. They were seeking to unite their outworks, and form one unbroken line of defence. Sorties occurred very frequently, as usual, and re sulted in the usual amount of loss on both sides. The French telegraph says the weather round Sebastopol is magnifique. The French engineering general, Niel, had arrived at Balaklava Bay, and proceeded immediately to the camp of the allies at Sebastopol. A second telegraphic message from the Bay of Kamisch, which reached Paris yesterday, dated January 22, says :—"The weather continues to be very fine. French stores had arrived-200 men and 80 horses." On the 22nd the Russians made a sortie, and were repulsed, after a very brisk fire had been kept up for two days against the English batteries. Prince Menschikoff had telegraphed to St. Peters burg another version of the affair, He states On the night between the 19th and 20th we made a suc cessful sortie against the left flank and against the trenches of the French. The enemy suffered considerably. We took two officers and some soldiers prisoners. Being in want of firewood, the allies have not even respected the old church at Chersonese, but have stripped the roof and cupola, and taken away all the ornaments from the interior. The condition of the British troops was reported to be improving on the 20th ult., although the cold was intense. All the wasrm clothing has been dis tributed. The firing was nearly suspended on both sides, every one being anxious to take shelter from the snow. The sledges greatly facilitated the trans port of war material. The Russians had received considerable reinforcements. The mining operations at Sebastopol had been carried to an enormous extent, and some officers and soldiers have been within the walls of the city, and brought off, among other trophies, a couple of greyhounds and some altar ornaments. Intelligence has arrived from Odessa to the 21st January. It was known that a strict blockade of all Russian ports in the Ettxine and the Sea of Azoff, excepting Eupatoria, Streletzka. Kamisch, Kasatch, and Balaklava, would com mence on the 13th instant. At Eupatoria the allies have captured several thousand sheep. A Bucharest letter of the 30th inst. states that large masses of Russians are again concentrating at Reni. A passage of the Danube is apprehended. Sadik Pacha has marched to that point with a strong division of troops. Eight hundred Croats were to leave Constantinople on the 18th ult. for Balaklays, to work on the railway. The first brigade of the 9th French division was to remain at Constantinople. The second will proceed to Sebastopol. The following despatches from Lord Raglan have been published in the Gazette since our last impres sion Before Sebastopol, January 13, 1855. The weather continues very severe, and to-day it blows a gale of wind with drifting snow. Although I have not receited the official report from the officer commanding the fourth division, the officer of the Quartermaster-General's department, whose duty it is to visit the advanced posts at daylight, has brought in an account of a sortie made by the Russians in the course of last night upon our right and left attack, the enemy advancing, under protection of a h3avy cannonade, along the Woronzow road and the ravine on our extreme left. The enemy succeeded in driving iu the troops in the advanced trench, which was not reoccu pied until the reserves were brought forward from the second parallel. A party in pits on the right of the ad vanced trench, consisting of one sergeant and thirteen rank and file, are missing, and one officer and thirty-six privates are stated to be wounded. The time for the despatch of the mail being at hand, I am very sorry that I shall not be able to send your grace to-day a more accurate statement of this affair. I inclose a return of the casualties between the Bth and 11th. Great progress is making in disembark ing and issuing to the troops vast quantities of warm clothing of all descriptions, and I believe I may assert that every man in this army has received a second blanket, a jersey frock, flannel drawers, and socks, and some kind of winter coat in addition to the ordinary'great-coat. The pro vision of fuel is still a great difficulty. Every effort is making, and with tolerable success, in binding and putting up the huts ; their great weight (two and a half tons each ) is a serious obstacle to their conveyance to the camp, with our limited transport. Each hut requires three stripped artillery waggons with from eight to ten horses each, or 180 men. Much sickness continues to prevail. Rtot..tx. January, 15. The fall of snow has been very great for the last three days, and it is now fully a foot deep, which, I am assured, is a very unusual occurrence in this part of the Crimea. This circumstance adds materially to our difficulties in obtaining fuel; but detachments of Turks are posted near the coast to bring up wood. I am happy to Pay that the number of 'wounded in the sortie of the Russians, on the night of the 12th instant was only six instead of thirty-six, as I erroneously stated to your grace in my despatch of the 18th, and that it was altogether a lees serious lair than was at first reported. SATURDAY, Last night the enemy attacked the French advanced trench in considerable force, but were repulsed after a sharp contest and some loss on both sides. RAGLAN. Our latest letters from the Crimea are to the 10th January, but the despatches of Prince Menschikotf to St. Petersburg are to the 22nd of that month. He reports that a sortie had been made against the left flank and trenches of the French, on the night between the 10th and 20th, and that the French suf fered considerably. These sorties are of frequent occurrence, and, though always repulsed, serve to disturb the allied camps, and to occasion them some loss. A sortie was made against the British lines on the night of the 12th January, and was attended with more loss than usual. The following account is from the correspondent of the Times : for whose •m oommenaaL 11161111 C J tx. 13.—T he Russians, who had been very active inside the - - town during the day, sod who had lighted great watchfires on the north side of the place, illuminated the heights over the Tschernaya with rows of lights, which shone brilliantly through the darkness of the cold winter's night, and were evidently with all possible pomp and ostentation celebrat ing the opening of their peculiar new year. Lights shone from the windows of the public buildings, and our lonely sentries in the valleys and ravines, and the enfans perdu.— the French sharpshooters lying in their lairs with watchful eye on every embrasure before them—might almost fancy that the inhabitants and garrison of the beleaguered city were tantalising them with the aspect of their gaiety. At midnight all the chapel bells of the city began ringing, and it was evident that a religious ceremony of extraordi nary solemnity was about to take place. On our side the sentries and pickets were warned to be on the alert, and the advanced posts were strengthened wherever it was practicable. About a quarter past l o'clock this morning the Russians inside the line of works gave a loud cheer. The French replied by opening fire, and the Russians iu return instantly began one of the fiercest cannonades along the front of their position which we have yet heard. It reminded one of those tremendous salvos of artillery which the enemy delivered on two or three occasions before we opened our batteries last October. The earthworks flashed forth uninterrupted floods of flame, which broke through the smoke as lightning through the thundercloud, and revealed distinctly the outlines of the buildings in the town, and the lines of defences swarming with men. The roaring of shot, the screaming and hissing of heavy shell, and the whistling of carcasses filled up the intervals be tween the deafening roll of cannon, which was as rapid and unbroken as quick file-firing. The iron and stones passed over our lines uninterruptedly for more than half an hour, and the French, whose works to our left are less protected by the ground than ours are, had to shelter them selves closely in the trenches, and could barely reply to tl • massive volleys which ploughed up the parapets of their works, but their en/ate perdu. never lost an opportunity of sending their balls into the embrasures. In the meantime, while the firing was going on, a strong body of men had been pushed out of the town up the face of the hill towards our works in front and on the flank of the left attack. As it was expected that some attempt of the kind would be made, one of the steadiest sergeants in the service was posted here with twelve men. Every reliance was placed on his vigilance and on his strict attention to his duties, but, somehow or other, the enemy crept up on the little party, surprised, and took them prisoners, and then ad vanced on the covering parties with such rapidity and sud denness that the parties of the Sixty—th, and of the Twenty—at regiments. which were on duty in the trenches, were obliged to retire almost without firing a shot. They rallied, however, and fired, and, being supported by the regiments in rear, they advanced, and the Russians were driven back close to the town. In this little affair one officer and nine men were severely wounded, six men were killed, and fourteen men are now missing. The French had to resist a strong sortie nearly at the same time, and for a short time the Russians were within the parapet of one of their mortar batteries, and spiked, it is said, two or three mortars with wooden plugs, but the French soon drove them back with loss, and in the pursuit got, inside the lines of the Russians' advanced batteries. The sol diers, indeed, say they could have taken the place that night, if they had been permitted to do so. At 2 o'clock this morning all was silent once more, and the allied armies had opened their new Russian year on Crimean soil. From this it would appear that ammunition was as plentiful in Sebastopol as it has ever been. The cerrespondent of the Morning Post, under date of January 16th, shows how the extreme fatigue of our men favours these sorties : The Russians, on making the charge. came on with the cry of " Raki, raki!" and appeared half drunk. The Omtli regiment were asleep, with the exception of the sentries (who, it is feared, were not far otherwise). The men are so harassed with duty in the trenches, that as soon as they take their posts they curl themselves up in their blankets, and down they go to sleep. The weather, though bitter cold, does not prevent but rather encourages their drowsi ness. The active effective force of our army appears to be correctly given in the same letter, as follows : The intense labour our troops are subjected to has led to the French general issuing an order that 1,000 of our allies should be granted in order to give the British some relief. Nominally speaking, the strength of the English of all ranks exceeds 40,000 men, but of this there are 16,232 sergeants, drummers, and rank and file sick, leaving available not more than 13,000 for the trenches and pickets, after other necessary casualties are deducted. The daily duty for the 24 hours requires about 7,000 men, so that you may judge what arduous work the men have to par• form.