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

THE. I?RESt3,

thought is exercised by anybody in authority out
here. Too LATE ! TO() LATE ! should be the words
inscribed on the Crimean medal.

How I laughed to see the pictures of the army in
winter costume in the Illustrated, and how they gull
the British public if they make them believe that !
The only thing that Government bas givon me is
one pair of drawers, which we got to-day, and that is
all 1 expect to get.. A. few of the men in each regi-
ment have been served out with sheepskin coats.
The post goes out this evening, and I suppose I
shall be iu the trenches to-night. I must go MI
try and get something to eat before I go down there.
4 good many buts have arrived, and they weigh
two tons and a half each, and would require between
twenty and thirty horses to bring up each hut, so
there is an end of our ever getting them up here.
Good bye, dear Charley—Yours affectionately,

The Barrack Hospital, Scutari, Jan. 12, 1855.
My dear —, You expected to hear from me
from the camp, but I have had a severe attack, have
been sent down here to recover, and I feel thankful
to add that every day I gain strength, and hope, in
a very short time, to be able to return to my di-
vision.

You wish to know something of the state of our
troops in the Crimea. They are undergoing suffer-
ings and hardships unparalleled in the history of the
British army, and they endure them with a fortitude
beyond all praise. Alma and Inkermann have given
this army a character for bravery in the field which
not only this but all future generations will acknow-
ledge; and they are now displaying other qualities
not a whit less worthy of admiration—l refer to that
high sense of the duty they owe their Sovereign and
their country that prevails amongst our soldiers in
a most pre-eminent degree, a feeling that enables
them, day after day and night after night, with pa-
tient resignation to do their duty in the trenches,
despite of cold and wet, while their feeble limbs will
carry them there; and when they can no longer work,
and they are carried to the hospital tents, they
calmly look at their state, and, like Christian men,
they prepare to meet their God. They receive your
instruction as that of a Christian minister and an am-
bassador of Christ. With joy they listen to the glad
tidings of good things; they receive the glorious
Gospel as little children, and when you tell them of
the eternal punishment that would surely be in-
flicted ou the sins they had committed, were it not
for the sacrifice of Him who is a propitiation for the
sins of the whole world, with the big tears of re-
pentance in their eyes they bring their sins to the
foot of the Cross, and, in humble faith, pray to the
Father to wash them out in the blood of His be-
loved Son—even in that fountain which is &pen for
all sin and uncleanness ; and then, after finishing the
prayer, they lie back on their blanket, in the damp
tent—l dare not say in misery, for that peace that
passeth the understanding of the world is broadly
marked on their brows. But I have been led away
from the subject on which you wished for informa-
tion. Our brave fellows are, indeed, suffering se•
verely : part of that suffering, arising from the snow
and wet, is unavoidable ; but the melancholy part of
it is, that a great deal might be done which is not
done to alleviate their sufferings, and increase their
comforts. You are aware that in the camp we 40-
pen(' on Balaklava for everything. Now there are
in the harbour and shores there both Government
supplies and private parcels from friends, that would
be of the greatest use to our officers and men, hut,
though we are only five miles away, they never
reach us; nor are we made aware that those things
so much required are to be had in Balaklava. In
fact, the officials of that place, with one or two ex-
ceptions, seem to be without brains in their head,
and they want a more important requisite than even
brains—they want heart. They are utterly careless
of the comforts, I may say, of the health and lives of
our brave soldiers, and they are perfectly callous to
their suffering. This is a heavy charge to bring
against any body of men, and therefore, out of many
cases that I could mention, I shall here state two, to
prove the justness of the charge. The first case
came under my own personal knowledge, therefore
I can vouch for its accuracy. The second was men-
tioned tome by one who, from his position, was ne-
cessarily acquainted with a man in a high official
station, who mentioned it to me with an indignation
that, did credit to his heart.
First Case.—An i fficer I shall call A was for some
time prostrate with fever in the camp ; his medical
men saw that his life depended on his immediate
removal, and ordered him on board ship ; but how
was he to get there ? he might wait for a week for a
conveyance, and if he remained two days longer in
his damp tent, in all human probability he would
never leave it alive. There was nothing else for A
but to saddle his horse on a wet, raw day ; he rode
down to Balaklava in the delirium of fever at the
time; he rode tot the office of Dr. —, who gives
the order to the patient to go on board ship. (This

order has then to be countersigned by Captain —,
who names the ship, and is supposed to tale care
that each sick officer is sent on loard a ship when
there is room for hint and he will be attended to.)
Dr. was absent, so, after waiting an hour in the
office, be began to get chilled and feel the effect
of his damp clothes. Having fortunately a friend
residing in the town, he went to him. That friend
saw the state he was in, and pqt him into his own
bed, got the order from Dr. —, and got it coun-
tersigned by Captain —, for the ship —. The
next day A went on board the ship named, but
every cabin was full. There was not even bed or
bedclothes iu the ship for him, and bad it not been
for the kindness of the same friend, who sent his
own bed, &c., on board, he would have bad to re-
main up in the saloon all that night. As it was, the
bed was made up in the head of the saloon, and there
he was left for four days suffering from fever and
diarrhoia (and its attendants), unvisited by any one
of the medical staff of Balaklava, unnoticed as if he
were dead. At the end of four tla3s lie was put on
board another ship, where Dr. saw him for cer-
tainly not longer than one and a half minute. The
first time he just looked at his tongue, ordered him
some medicine, and just called to ask how lie was on
two occasions afterwards during the time (I believe
eight days). Thus lie wa; on board this ship, where
by the bye there was neither tire nor stove for the
invalids, though the cold was bitter, and the snow
falling fast. Meantime some of his friends came
from the camp to see him, and, finding him a mere
skeleton, unable to leave his bed, they represented
it in the proper quarters, and ho was named in
general orders for Scutari. He was then put on
board another ship that I wish I could name, for
every officer on board of her seemed to make the
comfort of the sick men their chief care. Here the
doctor of the ship took him in charge, and under
his kind treatment in a few days A was able to crawl
out to the tire in the saloon, and by the time he got
to Scutari could walk up to this hospital, though on
the day he was put on board his legs refused their
office.

Second Case.—You are aware of the number of
warm coats sent from Trieste to our army in camp.
The first batch a them went up in the ship —,
and when the captain called on the Balaklava official
and mentioned his cargo, the official's reply was, "We
don't want clothing, we want food," and he absolutely
refused to take the F,rest•coats, though at the very
time our men in the camp were perishing of sheer
cold. However, the captain could not see the misery
in the same light as the official. The snow on the
hills around convinced him how much those coats
were wanting to our poor fellows in the trenches, and
he at once proceeded to land his cargo on the beach.
However, the official still continued of the same
mind ; he refused to give the captain a receipt forthe
coats, or to take them in charge, and there they lay
on the Balaklava beach (how long I know not), with,
as I have already said, our men perishing of abso-
lute cold in the camp. How long will the people of
England stand this? You no doubt grumble at it,
and are indignant when you read of such things in
the newspapers; but why is not something done!
Why is not a person with due authority sent out by
tiovernment to cleanse this Augean filth of official
heartlessness and incapacity that has rendered Bala-
klava a byword in Europe, and has caused so much
suffering to our brave soldiers ?
Already I have written
I intended; however, there
to mention, for I don't thi-
before the public. A great
in the management of ou
burthsn. They are kept up
out to the different divisions
at Balaklava. Now, the
arrangement is manifest.
could keep your animals
never attain on the side of
place, when they were q:
you would send them up
and, as they would draw
the army would have the
loads, whereas the mules -gni)
their own forage (no inconsiderable
loads, and so much lost to '
those poor wretched belts(
wet when they are fresh i
ever be said to be fresh),
carts, and then, alter sten&
klava when they are jaded,
to get up to the camp, and
the road, or if they manage
they are heated and tired,
on the hill side, they chill.
die in a short time. In
the stabling of our mules
improvement. And in
subject are two other points
Lion. You are going to send
it would be equally useful
sober English farm-servants, ,
of farm horses, to take charge of the mules, for it is

IN

I

I

a much longer letter than
ire is one point more I wish
iink it has been yet brought
eat practical mistake is made
our mules and beasts of
up in the camp apportioned
ions in place of bent; stabled
e advantage of this latter
r. In the first place you
Is in a condition they can
of a cold hill; in the nalt
luite fresh in the morning,
with their load to the camp,
their forage from the ships,
the benefit of their entire
s in camp must bring up
inconsiderable part of their
to the soldiers) ; and again,
sts, exposed to the cold and
in the morning (if they can
, are going down with their
Landing for hours at Bale-
ed, they have their load still
ml they either break down on
age to reach their quartets
d, and, exposed to the cold
11, become unserviceable, and
every point of view, then,
a at Ilalaklava would be an
connection with this same
Ants I think worthy of men-
send out a body of navvies.
hi if you sent out a body of
ants, accustomed to the care

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