The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-05 00:00:00

CONDITION OF THE GARRISON OF KARS.

Their condition, even before leaving Kars, was as
wretched as could be ; so much so ( I quote word for word
from an eye-witness) that it was positively painful to stir
out of doors. They were lying about in all directions,
groaning piteously—watching the Russian provision•wag.
bons, which, as if to add to their misery, passed almost all
day within their ken. Townspeople and soldiers alike
suffered all the horrors of famine. The former crowded
round the general as he rode out of his quartets, and prayed
him with all the eloquence of despair to seek some means
of putting an end to their misery. Women forced their
way into his very rooms, and, throwing their starving
children at his feet, implored him rather to kill them at
once than let them perish thus piecemeal for want of
sustenance.
The hospitals were crowded with sick ; on the Thursday
before the surrender eighty men died in one day. Many
went mad or became idiots from sheer hunger and hard
work. Those who preserved a remnant of health, half-
starved as they were, and scarcely clothed, were obliged to
mount sentry almost every night up to the alleles in snow.
Since the battle of the 29th there had been no animal food
to issue to the troops. Horses had indeed been killed in
the general's stables secretly by night, but the meat was
sent to the hospitals for the sick. A pittance of bread or
flour made into weak broth was all that the working
soldiers had to subsist upon. Discipline was almost at
an end.—LeUer from Erzetuuut.

At Erzeroum there was little news. The inhabi-
tants were leaving in fear of the Russians, and
Salim Pacha was contenting himself with hanging a
few spies caught within the town.
Omer Pacba, according to brief and doubtful tele-
graphic despatches, had fallen back from before
Kutais to Soukham•Kaleh. It was doubtful whether
he would winter in so exposed a position.
The Vienna Military Gazette has the following
remarks upon the relative positions of Omer Paella
and Mouravieff:—

It is probably no longer doubted by any one that our
correspondent at Trebizond was well informed when ho
wrote that Omer Pacha had not fur weeks lost sight of
the Pontic cast, and that he had not advanced Waller
than the small town of Chopi, on the right bank of the
small river bearing that name. Skender Pacha, it is true,
advanced along the excellent road that runs to Abashn,
but die not venture further than Tchenitzehale. He only
did this for the purpose of ascertaining whether or no the
Russians, under the command of General Bagration Mu-
haraki, and reinforced by the troops of General Brunner,
had taken up a position in Levano and Kutyri on the left
bank of that river. Having done this, Omer Pacha decided
on retreating to Redout.K.ileh and Anaklea. It having at
the sam4stime become known that the Russian comman-
der intended sending to Mingrelia all the troops collected
in the fluvial districts of the mountains near Lion, so that
they may act on the offensive, the Turkish admiral,
Ahmet Pacha, received orders to place all the disposable
Turkish and Egyptian steamers at Omer Paella's service.
It is possible that a re-embarkation of the troops is to
be made.

Mustapha Paella has, iu a similar way, retreated to
Ratoutn, in order to pass the winter in that unhealthy
coast station. As we cannot suppose Omer Paella means
to persist in wintering where he is at present, seeing that
he is exposed to the danger of being attacked by the Rus-
sians, and unable to make any great resistance, Anaklea
and Redoutlialeh being only small forts, it is highly
probable that the entire Turkish army will be brought to
the Roumelian harbours, and stationed there in winter
quarters. The Russians, too, will do no more than garrison
Kars, and will not advance on the offensive in the wide
radius between the Western and the Eastern Euphrates.
General Mouravieff has detached one division to Achal-
kaiak and Achalzik, whilst another division has escorted
the captured garrison of Kars to Tiflis. The Pachas, and
a few superior officers, will be transferred to Moscow ; the
remaining officers, with the men, will probably have to
pass the winter in the government of Tithe.

COUNT ESTERIIAZY, who delivered his overtures to
the Russian Government on the 27th ult., it is ex-
pected will return with counter-propositions from
St. Petersburg. The Austrian explanation of the
"cession of so much of the territory of Bessarabia as
is necessary to secure to all nationi the free naviga-
tion of the Danube," one of the points offered for the
consideration, of Russia, is interpreted as applying to
"that part of Bessarabia which lies between the
fortress of Chotyn on the north, the Salt Lake Sasyk
on the south, and the Pruth on the west."

JANIIiRY 5, 1856.

(Ori totyettas front tip Crimea.

CAMP, CRIMEA, Dec. 22, 1855.
I nEscuEn this place quite safe, about a fortnight or
three weeks ago, and I redeem my promise of send-
ing you a few lines. The weather, which since my
arrival has been very wet anti cold, does not present
the camp to my " civilian," alias u T.G.," eyes in a very
cheery aspect. Although, of course, matters are not
what they were last winter, they certainly are very far
from what they should be, after such fearful expe-
rience. Every Jay gives examples of the most
childish and puerile mismanagement. Iltutting is
by no means general, and where huts do exist they
appear admirably fitted for any purpose but keeping
out wind or rain. This may be partly the fault of
the authorities at Constantinople, where the huts, of
twelve or fourteen different shapes and models, were
all unloaded at one time and place. I need not tell
you what followed, because you are not a Govern-
ment official, and common sense would foretel the
hopeless and, as it appears, inextricable confusion
which occured. Would you believe that, after all
that has taken place, things would not be better
managed? The other day the glass arrived for the but
windows, but the diamond glass cutter had been
left in England, so the glass remains uncut anti
the huts windowless. Then the clever fellows
packed off the huts, the iron in one ship and the
wood in another; so that, had either met with
accident or delay, the whole cargo of the other would
have been rendered useless. Not the least extraor-
dinary part of the matter is the childlike simplicity
anti credulity displayed in many of the arrangements.
Little or no felt covering was sent out, because
the huts were warranted waterproof. They arrive
in the Crimea, are put together, and found to be
about as much waterproof as a very old sieve. Let
us cover them ; but no cover is there ! lam assured
that in many instances the huts were never once
put together before they were despatched from
England. Would anyone believe it possible ? Some
time in the course of the month a ship-load of officers'
tents is expected to arrive; but the general expecta-
tion seems to be that, when they do come, they will
probably not fit; and no wonder, if they wore sent off
without trial.
The preparations for destroying the docks are still
going on, or rather, I should say, have been re-
sumed. Soon after the work of mining had been
begun, orders came per telegraph to stop, and
operations were suspended for a month. Now
they have begun again, but no one knows
what the delay has been about, unless to
allow the rains to make the job four times as
long, and give the poor fellows the opportunity of
working in deep water. A child could have managed
things better ; not that the commander-in-chief is
ti blame—every one likes and thinks well of General
Codrington—but a Wellington would be of no avail
if lie is to obey the ridiculous orders perpetually tele-
graphed to him by Lord Panuiere. The latter, lam
told, interferes in everything ; but really some of his
lordship's notions are quite droll. There is a general
intpression and hope that when Codrington gets well
into his saddle lie will show a bold front, and make
a,stand against Lord Panmure's red-tape pedantries.
lou may fancy how vexed people are that the general
should be interfered with. What would Field-
Marshal his Grace of Wellington have done hail he
received from the Cabinet in London an order that
the fatigue parties on their return from road-making
should be received by another fatigue party and sur-
geon, and forthwith be put through evolutions very
like those prescribed after a shampooing bath, each
man being Ist of all stripped naked, then scrubbed
down, doubled in blankets, anti drenched with coffee !
poi any one ever hear such nonsense? One thing
strikes me forcibly, and that is that some divisions
ate so much worse off than others. The first divi-
!u.on is one of the worst supplied—why, I know not.
They do say about here that it is partly the fault of
the general commanding. Lord Itokeby is certainly
not popular here. He is said to he always quarrel.
ling, and upon these occasions not to be too choice in
his language. But I have no idea of entering into
the camp squabbles, or of doing more than trying to
give you some general idea of the state of things out
here. But, to return, from what cause I know not,
but certain it is Lord Rokeby's division appears to be
in a worse case than the others. Very few of these
men have huts, but are still sleeping on the ground
in the tents. I heard a wag of the second division
the other day consoling a guardsman for this by
telling him that the hut, when it came, would have
more the effect of a shower-bath than a shelter to
him. I daresay you will have heard ere this of the
tremendous mortality among the beasts of burden ;
they die off like rotten sheep. It is very much
to be regretted, as they were collected at enormous
trouble and expense, and will form so very impor-

PRESS.

tent an item in the campaign of next spring. Tile
mortality and sickness amongst the poor brutes is so
bad that transport fer forage, &c., is for the time
stopped, and is done by reserves of divisions instead.
Did I tell you that all will (unless the water rise
rapidly) be ready in about three weeks for the blow•
ing up the docks? I hope they will not again be
respited by the inscrutable Secretary of War. I
should like to see the sight, and intend staying for
about that time. The Russians are most liberal with
their powder ; they constantly treat us to a platoon,
but it does no harm ; it is generally directed towards
Inkermann and the ruined south side of Sebastopol.
' So much for the camp and its management. One
word about the north side, and I must conclude.
It is, or at least seems to be, a very strong position,
literally bristling with batteries. The Russians seem
to be wonderful engineers, and doubtless they are
daily strengthening it with the same admirable skill
which they displayed in the south side this time last
year. It is cheering to find General Codrington is a
general favorite. It seems chiefly owing to an im-
pression that he will stand none of Lord Panmure's non
sense. Perhaps he has already shown this ;at least,
the camp gossips declare that he treated with de-
served contempt certain orders which ho received
from the War-office, and which seemed to intimate
that relationship to Lord Panniure was the best qua-
lification for a staff appointment. It is astonishing
how much he is disliked and mistrusted out here. I
have heard several persons well qualified to speak on
the subject regretting the loss of the Duke of New-
castle in comparison with the present Secretary
of War.