The Press.
London, England, 1855-07-14 00:00:00

JULY 14, 1855.

the latter part of June—and, allowing us to be ever ao
successful, I doubt if we can accomplish our ends as
regards tho town for these two months; and that will
bring us to about the same time as we landed last year,
which will be very short for &campaign in the interior.
The 71st Regiment are still at Kertch, employed
in throwing up works. They have been very healthy
indeed, but I believe they have the advantage of salt-
water bathing, a luxury deprived us here.
_

A corps of guides is to be formed at head. quarters
under Mr. Calvert, the chief interpreter of the Russian
language, to consist of one headman and eight pri-
vates, the former with 2s. 6d. a day, the latter with
ls. 6d. a day, and free rations. Poor old General
Pennefather is going to England for recovery of
health—another loss to the army.
An immense quantity of shot, shell, and powder is
being transported up from Balaklava by rail for the
next bombardment. We have now a plentiful supply
of ammunition of every description. But firing upon
Russian works is but of little use; after a day's heavy
fire we find them next morning quite as good as
ever. It has struck us with surprise many a
time to witness the energy with which the Russians
maintain their hold under so many difficulties. For
my part I think that the main cause of our disasters
has been through holding the powers and abilities of
our enemies too cheap. They are, as is evident, a
people of great energy, and equal, if not better, than
us in defending any fortified place. We cannot erect
a battery but they find some means to erect one on
their side to oppose it. Their engineering skill in
the defence of Sebastopol has been equal to any in
history. The fortifications of Sebastopol are now
stronger than they were last September: all that we
have done yet has been to cause them to sink part of
their navy, and we have battered some houses down.
From deserters we learn that our shells sweep away,
dozens at a time. If one would wish for a specimen
of work, let him visit the Mamelon Redoubt: there
he will see a work :of engineering art which would
almost surprise an English engineer. This redoubt
is cut out of the solid rock, its embrasures are hewn
out, its magazines are directly under the parapet of
the work—in all, this is a most elaborate piece of
work. Before this site fell into the hands of the
enemy, it was pronounced as totally hopeless for the
purpose of a battery for us. It may now be as well,
perhaps, for we have it ready constructed for us.
The land transport corps under Colonel M'Murdo
is beginning to show itself: mules are joining the es-
tablishment fast, and I think that the army will soon
be complete in that department. The system seems
to act very well at present, but a march will give it a
more severe trial. The depots are formed at each
division, under a superintendent, and also a depot at
the head-quarters of the corps. The Commissary-
General must feel great relief from this department
being taken from him ; but people here in general
think that it ought still to be under the Commissariat,
but under one responsible head of that department,
for the present system creates another branch to our
army, and we had too many independent branches
before to our sorrow—the clashing of last winter
tells us that much. The issuing of Quartermaster-
General's stores, and the responsibility of the same, is
also taken from the Commissary-General and handed
over to the Ordnance department of the army, the
chief man for that office being the Assistant Superin-
tendent under Captain Gordon for the collection of
warm clothing.
Sixteen months have elapsed since 1 left old Eng-
land. The fine brigade of Guards which then left is
now, I may say, no more; disease in Turkey, and
the battle-field and cholera in the Crimea have sent
upwards of 1,600 of these fine fellows to their last
home. Nearly two hundred fell on the plains in
Bulgaria, and were buried in a wood. On the heights
above•Balaklava and Alma are the graves of the men
who fell in those actions. As one walks over Inker-
mann he can still see the mounds of earth in which
are deposited the remains of our soldiers who fell on
that bloody day. The great square mounds of earth
thrown up are the graves of the Russians who fought
and fell in such numbers on that day : even the
pieces of belts, ramrods, &c., can be seen to this day.
The ground in front and round the White Tower and
Mamelon is also dotted over with mounds—in fact it
is one vast graveyard.
June 25th.

On Saturday night last we had a thunderstorm,
which swept over head-quarters and Balaklava with
such fury as I have never before seen ; the ravines
were like running seas, washing everything before
the flood. At Balaklava immense damage was done :
the railway was injured; the washlouses at the
General Hospital, with sheets, blankets, and three
orderlies, were washed away; an artilleryman and
three mules were swept away near the left attack
down a ravine—his body has been recovered; the
Sardinian stores depot, near Balaklava, was washed
away. _ .

The new battery which I have mentioned in a
ormer part of this letter as in course of construction
,at the Cemetery is abandoned i the enemy's fire was
fresh** lost watt-nine men there is one deck