The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-04 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

On this subject the correspondent of the Daily News writes
as follows :

It is said that intelligence has been received, through the
secret service, of a very large portion of the Russian force
having quitted the north side, and proceeded towards Sim-
pheropol, probably with a view of proceeding towards Perecop.
As many as 26,000 men are stated to have left the north and
Mackenzie Heights together during the last ten days or a
fortnight. There is scarcely any change worth noticing in
the. British camps. Some companies of artillery, which have
been for some time employed in fatigue duties at the Ordnance
Wharf, and in unloading ships, were moved up to the front
the day before yesterday. They are now engaged in removing
guns from some of the Russian fortifications. There is a talk
of one division of the troops in front moving down shortly to
Balaclava for the purpose of putting on board ship shot, shell,
and other artillery and quartermaster-general's stores, prepara-
tory to evacuating the heights above Sebastopol. It is not
known what division of the army will be selected for this duty.
The French fortifications around Kamiesch and Kazatch are
still advancing ; they are on so extensive and substantial a
scale, and provided with so powerful an armament, that they
excite the wonder of all who visit them. Our wharves at
Kazatch are also making progress, but the depot of stores
deposited there has already accumulated to an inconvenient
extent. The detachment which was furnished from the 7th
Fusiliers is scarcely strong enough to ensure the necessary
protection. A difficulty exists respecting the transport of
these stores, as the French object to one using their macada-
mised road from Kamiesch, and the open plain is quite im-
passable for vehicles. The French traffic alone causes constant
repair of their road to be necessary ; the most substantial
roads in our own camps can only be kept in order during wet
weather by the most unremitting attention, so peculiarly soft
and friable is the limestone found in this part of the Crimea.
While conjectures as to the future occupy attention in the
manner and to the extent referred to, the amusements of both
officers and men appear not only not to be forgotten, but to be
attended to with considerable assiduity. The Daily News'
correspondent gives the subjoined account of
A MATCH IN RIFLE SHOOTING.

A match in rifle shooting, which excited considerable inte-
rest in the army, came off yesterday afternoon at the practice
ground in the Karabelnaia ravine—Lieut.-colonel Blane, mili-
tary secretary, and Captain A. Ponsonby, aid-de-camp to Gene-
ral Codrington, had challenged the whole army. The firing
was to be at 200 yards' distance; the Minie rifle, with fixed
bayonets, as employed on actual service, was to be the weapon
used, and the palm of victory was to be decided in the usual
manner by the target. Lieut.-colonel Kennedy, of the adju-
tant-general's department, who was formerly chief instructor
in the musketry school at llythe, and now superintends the
small arms department in the army in the East, selected the
men who were to compete with the officers already named.
One man was to be chosen to represent each division of the
army. To select this candidate for the principal match, the
best shot was ascertained in each regiment, and these picked
soldiers were then pitted against each other; the best proved
shot among these remained the representative of the division.
Four divisions were, however, only represented in the contest,
the Guards, second, fourth, and light; it being understood that
the men selected from these were so superior to all others as
to distance them beyond a chance of success. The match
came off at 3 p.m. A trial shot was first made by each candi-
date, which did not count towards the decision of the contest.
Four rounds were then fired, each firing one shot in succession.
The result gave the victory to the soldiers—a sergeant of the
20th Regiment being first on the list. Next to him a corporal
of the 77th Regiment gained the greatest number of points.
The Guards' candidate followed, and then Colonel Blane.
Captain Ponsonby, who is reputed a good shot, was singularly
unfortunate on this occasion. General Codrington, and a very
numerous assemblage of staff and regimental officers, as well
as a large body of soldiers, were present to witness the match.
Some file firing and other practice followed. The Sebastopol
clasps, to be added to the Crimean medals, have arrived, and
are shortly to be distributed to the army.