The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-05 00:00:00

DESPATCH FROM MARSHAL PELISSIER.

The Moniteur of Saturday contained the following
despatch from Marshal Pelu,sier, dated Sebastopol,
March 23 .

This morning the French, English, and Sardinian
armies and the fleets fired salutes of 101 guns each, in
honour of the birth of the Prince Imperial.

During the day the commanders-in-chief of the Eng.
lish and Sardinian armies came officially to offer me their
congratulations.
There have been illuminations in the camps, and the
Russians illuminated their line on the Inkertuann.
CAMP OCCURRENCES.
The anxiety of the Russian soldiers to obtain a
memento of their English enemies by a friendly ex-
change of whips is so great, that not even the com-
mander-in-chief appears to have been held exempt.
At the conclusion of the armistice on the 14th :

After the generals had parted from each other General
Codrington rode for some distance over the plain, attended
only by an aide-de-camp anti an orderly. When at some
distance from the lines of the allies, he was overtaken by
a Russian cavalry soldier, who attempted by signs and
gesticulations to make him comprehend a request on his
part, the meaning of which neither General Codrington
nor his aide-de-ca.np could for a long time understand.
At last the soldier practically explained his desire by
taking the General's whip, and, in exchange, giving him
his own. No opposition being made to the bargain, the
soldier soon afterwards went away with his vize. Pre-
sently a Russian officer came up, and a few words being
interchanged, General Codrington's aide-de camp men-
tioned the story of the whip, adding that it was to be pre-
sumed the soldier little supposed he had gut the whip of
the British Commander-in-Chief. This announcement
seemed to make no little impression on the Russian officer,
and as, on leaving, he was seen to gallop after the soldier
allnded to in the conversation, the whip, there is very little
doubt, was not long before it again changed its owner.—
D. Seers eor., March 18.

Since the conclusion of the armistice, nothing but
good feeling appears to exists on both sides. Rus-
sian soldiers come down to the Tschernaya, and
throw over crosses and amulets for money, while
whips and even swords are constantly exchanged.
Not only do men figure on these ocsasions :—•
On Friday last three carriages, crammed full of ladies,
drove down to the chapel built in the rock opposite the
field of Inkermann, and on Sunday afternoon the valley
was like a fair—not only did many of the Russian officers
and soldiers cross to our side of the Tschernaya, although
it is stated that their boundary is the Mackenzie Heights
and the north side ; but our soldiers and the French
actually invited them up to our heights and showed them
through Canrobert's Redoubt. One of these gentlemen,
an officer of the '24th Regiment, stated that they had

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thrashed the 38th Regiment right well on the 18th of June,
and that he, although wounded by a bayonet in the ltedan
on the Bth of September, remembered perfectly well
coming into contact with the 90th Regiment in that work.
One of their priests, who WAR dressed much like a woman,
and wore long hair, had on his breast three medals. Their
Silistria medal is very similar to their Sebastopol one,
and resembles much our Cape medal, only that the orange
and blue are equally divided. Leave has been asked by
the Russian °dicers of their commander-in-chief to be
allowed to give a ball at Simferopol to the allied armies,
and the French are actually going to construct a ball room
100 feet by 50 feet, where they hope to get many Russian
ladies to attend. Orders have already been given to our
engineers to provide as much timber as possible for the
purpose.—D. News eor., March 18.

The commander-in-chief is not disposed to let his
army rust for want of proper exercise, and we see
has already commenced to break them into actual
campaigning work in a manner highly desirable
On Saturday afternoon orders were issued for the first,
second, and fourth divisions to parade complete, with their
artillery, sappers, and land transport, at eight o'clock
yesterday morning. A sort of military picnic was in-
tended. The troops took with them their rations ready
cooked, also wood for fuel. It was proposed to light fires,
boil coffee or tea, and make a meal bivouac fashion. Then
there were to be review, inspection, and field movements,
and the troops were to be back in camp before dark.
Koreas interfered and upset General Codrincton's calcula-
tions. It blew sharply from the north on Friday at Trac•
tir-bridge ; on Saturday the wind was still from the same
quarter, and yesterday it whistled and piped and growled
with increased earnestness. It was severe work turning

out at five or six in the morning, as all were obliged to do
in order to he on the general parade at the time appointed.
The three divisions, mustering from 18,000 to 20,000 men,
were marched off to the heights between Karani and the
Convent of St. George. But it was soon discovered that it
would never do to pass the day there. The exposition
was bleak, much more so even than that of the camp, and
incessant exercise hardly sufficed to maintain the circula-
tion. So the programme was changed, or rather aban-
doned. No fires were lighted, a luncheon was made off
cold rations, the troops marched past General Codrington,
and returned to camp at one o'clock. Had the weather
been mild and genial, as it was during the early part of
last week, the little expedition would have been pleasant
enough. As it was, its principal object was fulfilled, this
being to see how the troops, and especially the newly orga-
nised Land Transport., would turn out at short notice.
The Transport had been hard worked all the week, and it
must have been sharp work for them to get everything
cleaned and to turn out in a creditable manner. This
they, nevertheless, did ; and, considering the short time
that has elapsed slim their new organisation commenced,
the bad quality of a large portion of their animals, and the
inexperience of many of their men, who are recent draughts
from infantry regiments, knowing but little of carts, mules,
horses, harness, ttc., the good appearance they made was
really surprising. The best turned out regiment was that
attached to the fourth division of the army, and Major
Dick, who has commanded it from its formation, was com•
plimented by the general•in•chief and by other superior
officers on the efficient state of his corps. The troops of
all arms turned out extremely well, and 1 understand that
General Codrington was highly satisfied with the appear-
ance of this moiety of his army. The parade was com-
mended by General Barnard. On Friday General Eyre
reviewed the third division.—Times cor., March 17.