The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-19 00:00:00

THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL.

MR. ROEBUCK'S COMMITTEE.
Yesterday the examiaation of Sir Charles Tre-
warm was coothrued, sod related chiefly to the early
, .

correspondence that transpired oa various trams-
actions between the Treasury, Admiralty, and Commissariat.
The number of horses provided for the amp while staying
at Varga was between 5,040 and 6,000 baggage animals,
but this did not include the horses belongink to the eaters
for their own private use, and those hunts formed an im-
portant component part of the meat.' of transport fur the
army. On the 16th of February the Treasury were ad-
vised oy Kr. Comtnicsary.o I Fader that if the Briti.h
army when at Balaklava bad advanced to the Danube

it would hays required 6,000 animals, and this Dauber wu

purchased, and 3,000 waggons, the maculation being that all

cart and hors* were equal to throe pack-horses, and ales-1
lated to carry 600th.. Whaa at Verin,Commissary Fdder

had 6,569 aoinals, and if it had been necessary to provide
far a campaign on the Danube it would have been necessary

to increase the Dumber. As regarded Rehm, Couunimari
Fader was entirely dependent on Omer Pasha, who had the
resources of Bulgaria at command ; and he made applies

Won ion to Omer Pasha for 2,000 arab. station that f th.
troops 'moved in *drones of clanger at least 3,000 would be
inquired. Commissary Fader, in his coinrannimitions, intl.
I slated that he was far from nosing a transport service

such as could be wished. He understood from Control.-

aary Filder that 3,030 arabas would be sufficient for an
way operating in the field with the aid el advanced

&soots, which would have been c mmenoed directly the
army began to move on. Commissary Fader never put
forth his strength as regarded tribes, the common cart
conveyances of the country, which could have been obtatued
plentifully the moment they were required_ Tee Russians
bad au almost fabulous quantity of these ar .ban, which they
brought up from fltrarabla ; but the commissariat did at.,
bring them up, as tbey did not want them. These 6,569
animals were considered sufficient transport service for
25,000 men. No doubt it was the duty of the commissariat

Ito provide the men with the means eat roasting the green
coffee, and it- would have bun an easy matter to have
got three or four regular et.ffee grinders and routers.
bet the otumniesarist, trona circumstances he could esplain,
were ooze lately overtasked, and were barely able to supply
the loud fur the nun. In addition to this, 1,200 animals

.ere laccisd kw reserve weraesition.

Besides the-
Bu

Rattan amebas, Commissary Felder had, when he left Varna,
' 6,669 'nimble, and a number of Maltese carts. They were
appropnated at Varna as follows.—Regimental establish-
ment or baggsge &finials, 842; 'into for the car-
riage of water tasks, 184; total, 976. Reserve ammo,
nition animals, 1,208; 19 tur contractor,. 98 fur interpreters ;

commissariat 't;enagio it wider the immediate 'control
of the conimiestriat, 4,273; making a total of 6,669.

1 hie was the ehareiter 'of the treeeirort

*did*, and *ink was thought to bisofficient, considering
the limited an.. of operations to whine the army was about
to proceed. This part of the commi,sariat ',reit. Ives erg'•
aimed on the same plan and principle as the PODILII.IIIB,
commissariat, and consistent with the system permed
by the Treasury, where rennet, went hand in hand with
efficieecy. In the Peoinsula it had been t e custom to bite
the animals with their drivers, but in the Crimea the ant%
mils were purchased and the drivers wen hired, so that pos.
ably the animals were not so well cared fur. Commissary Smith
had the superintendence of all the transports and drivers.
Commissary Finer, writing on the 16 h Feb., 1854, said the
means that could be appropriated i.n board the transports
fur the cenveyance of animal. were very limited, but they
landed in the Crimea with 70 carte and mules and 1,2031
*garage animals. That was the nucleus of the eomusiatariatl
service eith which they had at first leaded in the Crimea,
the men carrying with them oniy one day's ratio* Within
little m we than a fortnight from that time, however, Com-
missary Folder imported into the Crimea 216 earth and
Spanish and Maltese mut. a, each capable of conveying
1030 the., or a total of 129.6001 a., end 268 peck animals
capable of conveying 200aps •.oh, or 53,2001*, or a total
conve)anee venison of 182,8001*. per day. There
were at that time In addition, and in the em-
ployment of the consmitsanat, 193 hired Bulgarian
*yippee, capable of conveying sub 7001*, equal
to 136,100 lbe. the whole being equal to the annoy-
s's.* of 317,900 the.—a w, ight per day much more than was'
required by the British army in respect of commissariat sup-
plies while in their present yettion. When the transport
service landed In the Crimea, to the best of his belief Com-
missary Filder had drivers in prepare. ion, though they
might not have been organised on military principles; and
as suon as he arrived at &disking, he sent oaf his cattle
vessels to Varna to bring up as many remaining animals as
were wanted. The officers had to carry their own baggage,
because the transports were left behind ; but as soon as the
commissariat got into the country, they obtained the required
number of cans and horses on the sp. t. The einem issery.gene•
rat, acting under the order of Lord Raglan, brought on the
beiance of transport remaining at Varna, and these were not
at first detpatched, it being a rule with Commissary Filder
not to have more transports than was neeneary, always
keeping the fact in view that a superfluous quantity of
transports only increased the conveyance of the eost and
quantity of forage. Lord Rattles intimated, in reply to
Commissary Ftlder's inquiries, that as at was impossible to
say what the next operations of the army might be, and as
these was no reason to suppose the war Lad terminated, his
kinship thoeght the most prudent course would be to seed
W eweess of transport from Varna to Constantinople by
lead, to be kept in that neighbourhood open such
eaffithe as animals siring nothing required. The buffaloes
Mare In be sent either to Varna or Rounielia. Constanth
maple was only thirty hours' sail from Baleklaya, and they
were in the habit of conveying fresh meat between the two
plans. This was the state of the transport serene so far as
be was informed by Commissary Filder before the disasters
in November. On sth October, Commissary Filder coast-
dared diet he had sufficient transport *snits at Balsklava,
having had some ozonises:eat whet would he required of
him, end that he would have to convey not only food for
the troops. but ammunition fur the siege. The reserve at
Varna weal on to Constantinople, and arrived is time to
meteorite the commissariat transport after the diameters of
November. The period after this was a period of expecta-
tion, and after the remit of the opening of the tire, Com-
missary Felder began to get alarmed, and asked for orders
from Lord Raglan as to laying in supplies for the whiter,
mid band a dillwalty in getting pretties direction. Oa Bth
Nov., however. he began to prepare for wisteria; ia the
Crimes, end Imes home requesting immediately a reia-
ineeneeemeedsingeldielt He requested that the panelled
idemeinfilina posed' of biscuit 'should be seatiased,
ih M wee impassible to obtain hay in the=
ra ehe eallenemes at Constantinople weld not
adesr. imatiseas supplies should be seat eat
The teerespon wrote to the Admiralty, directing
Ikea* at use million panda of basalt and 400,000
lees of
momlb.kajpfirnolitli,zna:de,stase; seamdatter on teitspreeentissie sit
fmmemee cacti
remalhili.t had t
lheee ualinibiet: quantitymrt :tar the =
lirrw .
Osawasery Melt made every attempt* Iffimeg
km the awes of the Black See. He sent to all the pee*,
there, but failed to get supplies. HeastilaidedeZ
la unlimited quantities, bat the artillery at
deem objeeted to is. The bay mut oat wee
hydra** pressure. Immediately after the destniedss
id the *seen laden with key, Ise.. in B•lakleva Rubes,.
Comecon', Felder reports that they were supplied by the
Free* fee a whole-month with chopped straw, bat be did
set stades that Lard Loan said shopped Ma am se
geed se be for the hareem The animals of the essembem
Net ash' halm existed on chopped straw, the hay
Cl=isea luxury for the cavalry. The hones
from overwork and exposure to the llea
from want of food. He would not say they won misty amp
plied with food, but they bad ensidentele quantities el
=straw. a. was not prepared to say wheeler Con-
Fikler, when he was drat ewers that the army was
rwyserin the Best, took steps to shelter sad protect the.
happeeeakeds. Cousmiesery Filter would be better eMe
to mesa that himself ; bat se the whole M.
cieiff ar ea army depended en the elkieney el
its esemiseariat and transport ureic*, it was the,
duty of the commisuriat to see that this service wee
eflidealedd fatly protested, but it remained to be sea
Waders foe that purpose wen taken -at Hadtkiii. Be-
peewee Is dm weather woo a mummy mormitant of their
illespiet lathe epee sir, awl ezpoomia to ell the tee
siWaliiMe el the weather, mightame accelerated their de.
daseilea; bat when be demerits* to the eamittee the
stets of things imaring en the SMaimeriet. de=
period of the greatest ealsmity, tasimastarmatobie
mes* eaSsiestly sensual for the destratlien of the enimall
wh+ed%togtbeat any other wawa
The Ohalemea-eile,pose the newt were sheltered
far C. Trealyaa—That would add to their destrunies.
The Chelmema--And if they were not sheltered; weld
Commissary hider have dose his duty ?
I Sir C. Tremben—No, if he bad the means and did not.
On fish Neesesher. Commissary Fader ants to him to say
tbet eamilAsykeg the mashies that seesawed in the meg*
ease of eapplise by see, the *tee* ,into of the commissa-
rial supplies he the army wee ale atillatfary, there beim;
se reser* d emy bad, and thee * Meld be desirable Se
esimest the stall of basal hem meantime to wow*
agerider Wass • pounds, se extra datums woad Mee
to tee dyes to the troops ie the Washes, the of
add
W 8,000 Tishah troops, sad that the apply of bay elnien,

bsdanadia7h.elpTareserawdbou.mtaeuriaardthTehioeatcialgrseaseu
thaneSdi rtii:Ced.msiTierradelivtteseyl.yraaanco—el
ppirsalyslyittyaipkipcdelenasywrinuequiotsetedmuttmoh.ido
thasthult;
The Chairman—Then you only presume?
mi.Piareegarystiuotnerdertedho
oAn.dniarldsral.tyTdihed
TM:47.
there was • deficiency of salt-beef, supplies from Oibeillet
couldry
end
cma daininirysoutusaty.'; :me tshhiiri p
lathe:
tssc scurvy
ream...eat
mates
a ob su
edadi did not
beforedndfeltPa interfere
h' ebe nua dt eut that
country:
October,everythingthe i
aboutbpbu iutPe inquiriesbegan Crimeas° arrangementsdlgde
ett a : blie:n Or 1:11:::
gleStakbldueonolthboynedgrt,hal"4"..ithileee and at Trieste for the supply of potatoes'
er
Mosul's audition of the roads when be found that the
army was to remain in the Crimea. He was not so appro.
Itemise about the supply of food and forage for the muster,
as for the means of transport arid the awkward MA
crowded state of things is Molise' Harbour, oaly • pets
lion of the transports being admitted, the gales internipme
all communication with those that were outside exposed Is
the risk of shipwreck. The ourequence was that they
could only lead sufficient supplies for daily consump-
tion, and the road to the harbour after heavy
rains was aimost imputable. He seat copies to the
Duke of Newcastle of all them communications of
Commissary Filder, who called the attention of Lord
Realm% and of the Qo master-General to the
outs of the roods as early as the 13th November. A
fur her supply of hay was required io December; a Pew
tract was entered into at Manchester for the delivery of
1,200 tone of wheat and 2,609,000 of peened hay. All that
the Treasury required of the Aintirelty was en advice of
the shipment of them guppies. They did not call for any
acknooledgmeat io the shape of ab' of lading.
The Chairman—When does the responsibility of the Ad-
miralty cease ?
Sir C. Travenol' When the vessels reach the cm-
signee • but if vessels were lost on the paste the
Admirilty would have been bound to have advised**
r. entry of it, who assumed that vessels arrived lust
as they assumed that the post arrived. No doubt
the want of • depots, storehouses, or magexiam was
the cause of much of the demons that arose, and he
entertained no doubt that Commissary Filder consulted
with Lord Raglan and received orders on it. He spoke
throughout of a want of magazines and that be had none
on shore except some polity sheds, and woe Babb, to all the
contingencies that arose from getting stores daily from- cot
board ship. He states that he drew Lord Raglan's anew.
'ion to the greet importance of establishing magazines ma
shore. Profiting by the experience of the China expedi-
tion, Me steamers were specially attached to the omenthuriat
department, and which were found sufficient for the supply
of fresh meat, do., to the army during its wintering in the
Clean. Six steamers at least, if not more, were detached
by the Admiralty in the Black Sea for the use of the com-
missariat department, and it was owing to that arrangement
toot there war never soy want of provisions in tie arm-
moronic stores at Balaklava. But the orders of Admiral
...Bi°tzlieershadrotairgrieniesoaary. inilteelfelffeid4 wnotithmeasthetosurlasy thrualt wtheorkingferal purposely ioterfered with it. Mr. Folder, however.
°Patently complained that Constantinople was the Comae
of the army, and that when he sent vessels there for
he never could get them back path without great delay.
Ph. detentioa of the Jason at Constantinople was a striking
instants in point. Mr. Filder made urgent representations
to Admiral Boxer se to the delay of that skip. No official
investigation war ever Nude into the causes of her deten-
tion, bur Lord Raglan, on a complaint being made to hint
by Mr. Folder, wrote a courtecoes letter to Admiral Boast
en the emitter. When the road from Dakhla's to the camp
became broken up it was found necessary to carry on thstrans-
pat service by weep of pack-horses instead of horses and
carts, the result of which was that this transport power of
he comminssnat was reduced at once to one-third its pre•
vious etrengl The difficulty was further aggravated by
the desertion of a considerable number of the driven of the
cemtaisuriat, through the labour and privation they
were called to endure. He believed many of the driven
died ; he could not may wh.t became of the rest who de-
tached themselves from the service. Previous to the army
leaving Verna for the Crimea, Mr. Filder wrote to the
Treasury, suggeiting the embattle and organised= of e
corp. or inners its tills country. On the receipt of that
emimunica.ion witness made arrangements for procuring
360 men in Ireland for that purpose. Those men, whim
*Aimed, were sent out to the Crimea in fifties at t time.
and they arrived in the Crimea in time to supply the places
made vacant by the previous desertion of the drivers, and
become after. ards the nucleus of the land transport corps
*Ono quently embodied in this country for service in the
I Bast.
To Mr. Layied—No mat from the commissariat aeoom.
panied the ships which from time to time conveyed the 0011 M
misuroat stores from Constantinople to liolaklave. Them
stores were confided to the care of the masters of the truth-
opens by which they were conveyed, and who would
be answerable to Admiral Byer. He might take
that opportunity to say of Admiral Bower that he was it
rough, honest, hearty, zealous, active sailor, but the situa-
tion in which be was placed at Constantinople required
high administrative powers, and it wos no blame to Al-
mice' Boar that he did not possess those qualifications.
By Lord Seymour—ln the beginning of December, Mr.
Filder called the attention of the commander-in-chief to
the difficulties occasioned to the commissariat from the
desertion et the labourers of that department. Oa the 6th
December also he wrote to Lord Raglan complaining greatly
of the want of suitable mammies for the stores of the
department at Belaklove. Again, on the 28th January
lot, Mr Filder wrote to the Duke of Newcsatle represent-
ing the inconvenienp which wee suffered from the want of
such magazines at Bileklava. The inconvenience wee
somewhat intent d at that time, however, by the appropria-
tion to that pupae of some of the wooden huts which had
then snivel. The difficulties of the commissariat were
further augmented by the practise of horse lifting which
bad then begun seriously to py wail. On the 11th Jan.,
1856, in reply to a letter from Lord Raglan, Mr.
Filder reported that the total number of transport
animals then belonging to the commissariat was 437, and
that 279 were missing. On the 16th of the same month
he again reported to his lordship that he had 333 effective
hones sod mules belonging to his department, and 170
non-effective; 12 camel.. 126 carts, and 18 arabas. A
letter written by Mr. C. B. Smith, Deputy Assistant Com-
missary-General, on the 11th January, 1866, attributed the
Ices among the transport animals--first, to the unfitness of
the Turks as mutate= ; they were so incorrigibly idle and
so totally a alma, thot no satisfactory results could be ob-
tained from their employment. Secondly, the severity of
the weather bad increased the natural apathy of the Turks,
and had caused the death of a great many of the animal%
together with the 'mirky of the labour to which those
animals were subjected, from the stun of the toads to OM
front and the seceded and filthy condition of the wharf at
lialaklava. Besides, many of toe drivers abandoned their
home, and•absconded whenever they escaped the mi-
radiance of their superiors. Again, many of the men were
worn out, and their horses were left to" din in the mad.
from which they had been unable to extricate themselves.
There was also the practice of horse stealing by private
sediers, which had become so general, that a home
left for five minutes without its rider is the
town of Dalsklava was sure to disappear. The
halal. so stolen had the commissariat marks upon them
eramd. and were absorbed into the regiments. Thee
were the representations of Assistant Commissary-Ga-
feral Smith. He (witness) knew that the men from the
metropolitan and Liverpool • force, and the Irish constabu-
lary, who were sent out to euperintead the drivers of the
transports, and do kindred dude', died io great uumben.
and that those of them who survived had been subjected Be
great privation'. Mr. Filder reported home that they were
a clam of men remarkably trustworthy. hardy, diligent, and
accustomed to overcome difficulties. Witness stated tee-
distally that his experience convinced him of the wkttcq of
the French military system of itstendence—a central brayed
Olken of high authority, superinteadisg, direethee, and
combining all the administrative departments, oommeadby
is the field, and arranging the ma Al well as the land near
port Having bed his attention directed by Lord Sep**
to the want of boats at Balaklava for Pithier the ones um
hoard the transports, Sir Charles said that was one
'of the many bad results of the breaking up of
cognate departments, which had beet directed .by
Pe head, and that had the ooramsessriat depart.
most been charged with the landing the stores from
the transports they would have done it, but it was nit their
duty. Ile added—in reply to the chairman—that el ought
toham been part of the contract that the rand,' of et
transport maid should land the stores which las took out.
He thought it would have been aboard to have set up m
separate system of boats to land cargos*, when all the
transport ships had boats belonging to them which might
have been available for that purpose. Baioy farther inter-
rogated by the chairman, be stated that Assistant-Commis.
sarY.General Smith, after sweeping the basun of Coultas-
tinople, managed to send up 120 tons of vegetable" is
Dalaklava. • In reply to the chairman, as to lamer he was
aware that the Harbinger, one of the versals which tools
vegetables .to Balakiave, was detained la the harbour
there until all the vegetables were spoilt from mat
of 111111011 to land them, he said Mr. Fader had me-
ported that owing to the coetinuance of bad weedier
many of the vegetables forwarded to Barkley"
enterprise, might have iota-
plied to the troops by private
eneed the soldiers spinet their going to Baia/Gava tor
spoilt; and that caremestance, together
bad
bfeaicat were
at se
vegetables.tinol a groat many potatoes and onionseth
tioa to that already adduced by several ninepin et •
been maimed before the committee.
Witness replied that it must remain is contradiction until
hadMgir.viAelosardthree subjectminded
oaf. thewvitengeeutabthalestwt inividecoahontrad"hiheoi
cleared up by persons now in the Crimea, and that it ought
to be borne in mind that as far as regarded those Moat
this was as experts oommittie.
Mr. Drummond said it ought also to be borne la mind
that while the country was 'ending out immense quantities
of shore and provisions of all kinds to Balithlava, foe the
relief of the *rimy, the animals there that might hood Caro
ried them 'up to the frost had meet of them died or Oar.
peered ekes the were urgently required for that service.
, • it cooehtM be r

I

Wastes laid at nog w; bat it eigtht.t. be re-
ateaahend that the °wary had hen pat to as expanse of
from 100,41001. to 400,000 J. is eoasttuetieg • voltam" from
Balsklava,to the asap; sad that salt* to disc the
goverment had amanita a luad,tratalpen eon..
Druntatoad—But, whyoleu elekt r them.
tar Weil It would then Moviafikratheetweeof one
la answer to Lord tleymentrodtraes stelae, dot 11110
November last the oat of iindstolalag the Miaow 't .6
______depertnteat was 4,1601. ; which would inks lOW law,