The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-09 00:00:00

OUR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

[rho following portion of our Correepoodent's letter was
omitted yesterday evening, from went of space] :

CAMP ABOVE SEBASTOPOL, JULY 28.
Several days have been named for the commence-
ment of the new bombardment and attack. It is not
probable that the event will be postponed to a much
later date. The number of casualties in the trenches
and new works is a subject of serious consideration,
and though hardly so great as might be expected
from the relative position of the besieged and be-
siegers, must act as a strong incentive to the respec-
tive commanders to perfect as speedily as possible the
preparations for the renewed attach. Some of the
new batteries of our allies, destined to act against the
Russian marine, are not yet finished, and a change is
also being made in the armament of certain portions
of our works, which is not likely to be completed for
several days from the present date. 'The approaches
towards the Malskhoff, close es they are, will have
to be extended still farther before the assault can be
made with full security. It is wiser to bear our daily
lo,s for a while, rather than sacrifice any chance
which may conduce to a successful end. It is wearied
that the disposition of the new batteries isso made, and
their power is so terrible, and the arrangement of the
commanders so matured, that on the next occasion the
assault will be undertaken without leaving room for
the slightest apprehension respecting the ultimate
result. The extensive preparations which are in pro-
grew', and the care which is being bestowed upon the
works ou all sides, afford reasonable ground for be-
lieving that this consciousness of approaching success
does not proceed from undue confidence.
. . . .

No signal event has occurred with the armies io
the plain. It is reported to-day that the French and
Ottoman troops have made a reconnaissance as (Sr
as sixteen miles beyond the village of Beidar, and
that they met with no traces of any hostile force in
that direction.

July 24.—Another hot sunny morning, with en at-
mosphere equally as oppressive and sultry as it has
been for some days put. The empty condition of the
water tanks and reservoirs, and the gradually dimi-
nishing flow from the springs near the front, are be-
coming a source of great inconvenience and anxiety.
A great part of the water carried down for use in the
trenches last night had to be brought from the large
reservoir in the Tchernaya valley, connected with the
acqueduct to Sebastopol. The distance of this water
is so great, nearly three miles, and the descent to the
low ground and subsequent ascent so tedious and
difficult, that the expenditure of time and labour is
rendered a serious matter. Stringent regulations are
enforced to prevent the use of the water at the springs
excepting for the most urgent purposes of consump-
tion. The ground generally of the plateau is in a
most arid state, being totally devoid of trees or vege-
tation ; even in the ravines and valleys evapo-
ration takes place with great rapidity, and when
rain falls, the shallowness of the stratum of
superficial earth above the limestone rock pre-
vents any considerable quantity front being re-
tained. It is rapidly carried away by surface drainage
down the ravines towards the low inlet in which
rests the great roadstead of Sebastopol. In some
parts the limestone is very porous and intersected by
deep fissures, and to these circumstances it would
appear that we are mainly indebted for the springs
which furnish the ordinary supply of water to the
camps.
Captain Bentiock Gilby, of the 77th Regiment,was
buried to-day, amidst the regret of a large circle of
companions and friends. He died after a very brief
illness, the immediate cause of his decease being
erysipelas of the head. He had been wounded in the
leg by a piece of shell when the attack was made on
the Quarries in front of the Redan on the 7th of
June, and his health had suffered during the neces-
sary confinement which followed while he was under
treatment for the injury. He had resumed his duty,
however, and exposure to the glare of the son in the
trenches is said to have brought on the erysipelas,
under which he so rapidly died. This officer, who
had been with his regiment ever since it arrived in
Turkey, had distinguished himself on several occa-
sions. On the death of Colonel Egerton, in the
celebrated attack which he conducted against the
Russian rifle pits, Captain Gilby succeeded to the
command of the detachment as the next senior officer
present ; and though this was not mode known to
Lord Raglan at the time he wrote the first despatch
on the subject, in a subsequent despatch the Com-
mander of the Forces particularly mentioned Captain
Why's services. When seized by his last fatal ill-
ness Captain Gilby was under orders to proceed to
Malta, to take command of the depot of his regiment
at that island.

Notwithstanding the exassive heat, and the expo-
sure to which the troops are necessarily submitted
during their twenty-four hours turn of duty in the
trenches, thme has not been any increase in the num-
ber of canes of Gimlets. This subject had been con-
sidered prospectively with some anxiety, and it is a

matter for thankfulness that this scourge has been
averted from us. It was about the beginning of the
month of July last year when the disease broke oat
with so much virulence among the troops in Bploci,.
Dysenteric disease and fever seem to be the only pee.
veiling diseases of a serious character at present
among the camps in front. The former malady at.
tacks new corners especially—persons who have
not become inured to live under canvas and to camp
dieting. A young officer of the 34th Regiment,
Lieut. Norman Ramsay, fell a victim to it yesterday.
Many officers and men have had to leave camp from
the same cause, for even when the dieentery_eicm,
-Trolled, an elLlOUOTOrdaiTiii remains which renders
restoration to health almost impossible without a
complete change of air and scene. The Saul.
tarium near the Monastery of St. George is
now ready for the reception of three hundred
invalids, and some of the wards are already occupied,
The site has all the benefit that can be derived from
an open sea atmosphere, and the ground on which
the huts are placed is very elevated, and near the
head of a deep bay, which offers every facility for
drainage. The interior of each hut seems to be pra,
vided with every essential for the weltare and comfort
of the patients. There is one in rious drawback
—all the water for the establishment has to be
brought from a well at the Monastery, which is nearly
half a mile distant. In a hospital, where won
is
required for so many culinary and ablutionary per.
poses, dependence on watercarts and supplies tar from
the hospital itself becomes a constant source of incon-
venience and trouble. It is stated that when the
situation was chosen, it was not anticipated there
would be any difficulty in obtaining a streamer water
from a spring at a higher elevation, near the camp of
one of the French commissariat depots, by means of
conduit pipes ; but as tire French had a large quantity
of cattle there they objected to any part of the water
of the stream being diverted from its regular course.
July 26.—Light rain continued to fall during the
whole night. The atmosphere is still clouded.
As a proof of the heedless indifference to danger
which some of the men acquire from constantly
moving amongst shot and shell, the following ex-
ample, which occurred last evening, may be men-
tioned. A large shell had been thrown from the
Redan into our right attack, ard during its pump
the fuze had accidentally dropped out. The shell
fell, therefore, like a round shot into part of the ap-
proach connected with the old advanced or third pa.
rallel. Some men of the 47th Regiment were near,
waiting for the reliefs to arrive, and ready to return
to camp. One of these soldieri, atter examining the
unexploded shell, actually had the foolhardiness to
jerk the ashes of the tobacco in his pipe, which be
had just finished smoking, into the fore-hole. An-
other of the men standing by, and observing the
action, had only just time to utter an exclamation,
when the shell beret. The reckless author of the
mischief suffered severely—both his legs were ebst-
tered, and he was frightfully scorched about
the head and face. Five other men were
wounded, but fortunately none were dangereeely
hurt. It is presumed that the man had no idea of
any of the pipe-ash being sufficiently hot to came
ignition of the powder in the shell. Instance' of
men exposing themselves to imminent hazard by
showing their positron to the enemy occur daily even
in the moat advanced works, and it often requires
the greatest watchfulness on the part of the officers
to make them sufficiently thoughtful of their own
safety, and that of others around them.
Rain has fallen at intervals during the day, but
not to any considerable depth. It his had the bene-
ficial effect, however, of cooling the atmosphere, and
&heady some, though only a slight, increase has taken
place in the quantity of water flowing from the
springs. Had the weather continued hot and dry,
the drought by this time must have been the source
of very serious inconvenience.
July 27.—A Circassian chief, apparently of very
high rank, with a staff of five or six attendants, was
escorted over the works on the %melon Vert by a
French general officer to-day. The novelty of his cos-
tome, equally with that of his followers, who all carried
the cartridges for their pistols slung in a row like a
necklace, and dependent upon their highly embroid-
ered vests, attracted general attention as they rode
through the camps. They were powerfully framed
men, and bore a spirited and soldi. reke bearing.
The officers of Engineers in the field are mock
reduced in numbers. The arrival of others is said to
be daily expected. The sad losses in this corps, both
on the 7th and 18th of June—no less than five battik
killed in the two attacks, and several wounded—
greatly reduced their already diminished numbers.
Colonel Tylden, who was dangerously wounded on
the 18th of June, and to whose "eminent service?
the late Commander-in-Chief called particular atten-
tion in one of his despatches, left yesterday for Erg.
land, in the William Jackson transport. It is sad to
relate that be
tihserecopmormteedneetombeentionf the siegeavery
precarious
Tylden has been most active, and hie gallant conduct
Colonel
state.
on more than one occasion, in repulsing the enemy
when making en attack on our works, was so conspi-
cuous as to attract general attention. He had pre-
Hope during the Kaffir war. Colonel Gordon
is also
viously distinguished himself at the Cape of. Good
absent on account of ill health.

No rain has fallen to-day, but the sky has been
overcast, and the temperature less high and op-
pressive.