The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-17 00:00:00

SEBASTOPOL INQUIRY COMMITTEE.
THE committee continues its daily sittings, and has
examined a large number of witnesses during the
week. The following is among the mass of testimony
collected.

His Royal Highness the Duke of CAMllltmoz said :
I joined the army in the East on May 10. I first touched
at Gallipoli, but my division—the First—had then gone
on to Scutari, where I joined it. We embarked for Varna
on the 13th of June. The men were then in good health.
At Varna no particular preparations had been made, but
the troops immediately took up their camping ground.
The first case of sickness, 1 think, occurred about the
middle of July—the 17th 1 think. The weather was then
very warm. The sickness which then broke out was cholera.
Had you a sufficient number of medical men in your
division ?—I think we were short of medical men, but a
great many medical men fell ill themselves directly we
landed. We had one surgeon, and two assistant-surgeons
to each regiment. My impression is that we ought to
have had three assistant-surgeons, as the regiments now
have, I believe. I cannot say whether there was any defi-
ciency of medicines at Devno—my division suffered so
much that I had little time to look after any other.
Sir J. PAKINOTON.—What was the total loss of your di-
vision by death and invaliding ?—I cannot answer that
question. I attribute the sickness to the climate, but I
think the great mortality in the Guards, so far as I can
judge, arose from the men not being able to get porter, a
beverage to which they were particularly accustomed. They
did have porter at Scutari and at Varna, but not afterwards.
We landed at Old Fort on the 14th of September. When
we marched from Old Fort the tents were returned into
store, and we had none until the 4th of October.
When you made the flank march to Sebastopol, had you
any baggage-animals at all?—None. The men carried all
the baggage, as did also the officers. The latter were
worse off than the men, being unaccustomed to carry any
like the weight of the great-coat and blanket.
You were at halaklava when your division arrived ?—I
marched with them, and we were about the first who ar-
rived at llalaklava.
Did the troops commit any devastation on entering the
town ?—There was a certain amount of damage ; but con-
sidering there had been firing there was as little disorder
as could be expected, and, on the whole, it was creditable
to troops who had come to attack a town. I saw a large
house in the town which Lord Raglan occupied when he
remained in the town. After he left I don't believe it
was occupied by any one, though it was offered to some
people, and to me when I was taken ill.
That was long afterwards?—Yes. At the time it
remained unoccupied the sick men were lying in tents.
My division, up to the time I left it, had never been a
day without their rations. They may have been once or
twice short of rum, but always had their bread and meat.

Does your Royal Highness attribute that to the care
and circumspection of the regimental officers, or to the
activity of the commissariatdepartment ?—1 think to both.
I was very well served by the commissariat officers of my
division. They were particularly good. They were young
men, and at first wanted experience, bat were attentive
and zealous, and whenever any difficulty of the department
occurred they always carried out my instructions.
You speak of difficulties of the department ; from what
did they arise ?—I think the departments are not suited
for operations in the field. They are exceedingly incon-
venient, throwing difficulties into everyone's way, instead
of removing theta. The horses before Sebastopol were
very irregularly fed, which I attribute to the head-quarter
commissariat. 1 know the commissanat officers attached
to my division did all in their power. I laid down a rule
to have always three days' provisions in store, but in the
Crimea we were not able always to observe that rule.
am not aware of any store of forage being formed at Varna.
I should say that forage could be obtained from the districts
around the Black Sea.
If stores had been formed the troops might have been
regularly supplied therefrom ?--I don't see why they should
not. A steamer can run from Varna to Balaklava in from
thirty-six to forty-eight hours.
1)o you attribute to any one the nonforrnation of those
stores ?—I presume to the Commissary-General and his
department. I saw no stores at Constantinople, and am
not aware there were reserves anywhere.
Do you conceive the troops before Sebastopol were over•
worked ?—There can't be two opinions about it. I con-
ceive they were worked to such a degree that no men could
stand it without being seriously affected in health.
Were the hospital tents visited by the staff officers ?—I
went constantly, and General Bentinck, too, I think.
Did the general staff officers—the head-quarter staff—
visit them ?-1 never saw any of them. There is a distiiic-
tion between the personal staff and the general staff. The
personal staff is usually selected from those officers who
are known to the general, in whom he places confidence,
and whom he considers best suited to carry out his instruc-
tions. The general staff of the army I conceive to be men
who are more immediately called upon to supply the usual
wants and necessities of the troops in the field.
Had your Royal Highness any reason to complain of your
medical staff?—No, I had a very good medical staff. As
to my personal staff, it is right to say that no general officer
was ever better served.
- - -

Did your Royal Highness ever see Mr. Filder?—Yes.
He never came to examine into the state of the division.
I think he should have done so, considering it was a new
force.
Mr. LATAHD. —Were the Guards fit for action on the
morning of the battle of Inkermann ?—I consider that at
the battle of Inkermann the Guards were in a very unsatis-
factory state to go into action. Half the men had been on
duty the previous night, and the men had not had their
breakfasts. Some of the men had just come off picket-
duty when they went into action. My division had not fur-