The Express.
London, England, 1855-12-27 00:00:00

OUR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

(PP.OII /3I OCCASIONAL CONstabe.
CAN? 1131011111 51111ASTOPOL. Duo. 11.
On Sunday morning the French outposts in the
usighboarhood of Balder were attacked by the
ommay, who at first succeeded in taking prisoners a
Fronk picquet of a sergeant and twenty men, bat
were afterwards driven back with a loss of 100 men
killed and 160 taken prisoners; amongst the latter
are three cams. The enemy also managed to take
'a captain of Frank infaitrj primmer the other day.
It appears that he was in the Toliernaya valley,
looking after some " canards swages," when he
was surprised and walked over to the north side.
For some days past there has been a rumour
through camp that Ears. with General Williams,
C. 8., of the Royal Artillery, and the whole of the
garrison have been obliged to surrender. This has
caused universal grief and alarm, for it is generally
believed, and yet the only authority is a letter
received last mail from an engineer at Constantinople
by Mr. Gordon, Ordnance Storekeeper at Me-
knes. Another "shave "—is that the first corps
d'armie, under Sir Colin Campbell, is to roomed as
early as possible next year to Georgia. and that the
French army is to embark far the Baltic. In other
words, the English, next spring, are to campaign in
Asia, and our Allies in Europe.
The Artillery lately have been affording a good
deal of amassment to the army. On the 14th No-
vember there was a Horse Artillery review. On the
16th the glens field and two heavy batteries turned
oat, leaking 74 guns in all, finishing up that day
with the famous fireworks—the explosioe. On the
3rd they won the three races. both running and
riding their own horns ; and yesterday the siege
train, before their departure, gave an entertainment.
Lately the telegraph Witte between Balmlike* and
head-quarters, and Resat& and head-quarters, have
got broken once or twice, but then the damage is
soon rectified, as nothing is so nay as to find out the
exact spot where the discrepancy exists. The sub-
terranean wire in the Crimes is encased in gotta
perch% and even supposing no instrument is used.
a practised man could, by jut slitting with a
penknife the gotta percha, and :putting his tongue
to it, tell if at that spot the wire was all right or
wrong. I think these frequent breakages, although
they do not take a maple of hours to
find oat and repair, are caused in a great
measure by the great number of reads end
drains that are being cat. Just after the last mil
was closed I heard of the telegraph between lire
Monastery and Varna being broken, this if ol=l7.
be renewed will cost the allied governante
Major Biddalph, R.A., who has charge of the sub-
marine telegraph, immediately set al in a stenert
for Varna, and I Was informed that he had name to
telegraph for a fresh wire to be eat set overland.
Fee the last week the new main reed has been a
great luxury to any one obliged to ride to Balaklava
from the front, or owe versa. By Mrs. Snook's it is
scarcely finished, and it requires completion between
the iron hats and 34th Regiment; still, with all its
mad and want of repair, it is a great boon to this
army, and so the French appear to think, for tor
make mon use of it than we do. The eld
Wormer& road is in a fearful state, many penile*
like a river; the different camps, especially the High-
land Division, are not much better. French and
Sardinian enigma, which in the summer aged to
have four horses harnessed to them. now have eight.
The railway between Balaklava and the bottom of the
incline, a distance of about two miles and a half, has
three amines now plying on it taking along waggons,
both loaded and empty ; their names are " Alliance,"
" Vietory," and " Swan." The first two have four flags
painted on each side, the two most prominent being
the English Union Jack and French trio:dour. At
the entrance to Balsklara, the main road, from
where it crosses on the same level the railway, is 4
being widened, and a wooden fence is being put
up between it and the railroad, which latter
is being gravelled. All the cavalry have
left except one troop of Soots Greys and the 11th
Hassan. The former leaves to-day or to-morrow,
and the latter remain in the Crimea to do the orderly I
work. The Sardinian, with Messrs. Hayter and
Howell's six thousand odd parcels, arrived off Bala-11
klava yesterday morning, much to the delight of the
army. It is expected that the twenty companies
oat of the twenty-seven of the siege train will em-
bark in about ten days for England. Previous to
leaving they will take on their strength all the sick
and infirm of the thirteen field batteries and three-
and-a-half troops Horse Artillery, giving in exchange
it possible, healthy, strong, and active men.
In addition to road police and camp police, there
are railway police; the latter are also soldiers, and
wear on their right arm a black badge, with "V. R.,
Railway Police, painted on it is small white letters.
The Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions are in a
terrible way about the transport failing, and all their
huts not being up to the front; the Light Division has
got all up, which the other divisions attribute to
their having been blown up. The Russians have not
been troubling us mach of late from the north side;
and I hear that a Mr. Dean, who has charge of all
the naval voltaic batteries, is going to try a new in-
vention on the docks, and so fire off all the different
charges simultaneously and instantaneously. It this
experiment of Mr. Dean's does not fall in any way it
will be rather a pretty sight. The French still con-
tinue to flock down to Sebastopol for timber; but, on
segment of the weather, the English have not lately
best taking much oat of the Earabelosia suburb.
The general orders are rather interesting. By
them you will perceive that between the 7th and
10. h December, both days inclusive, twenty-seven
officers have left this army on leave, out of which
number three are on medical certificate, and fifteen
"on urgent private affairs." Amoegat the latter are
Lieutenant Colonel Munro, 39th Regiment,of Grecian

Temple notoriety; utenant-Colonel Adye,
C.B. H.A. A.A.G. ; Major Wells, let Royals; and
Lientenut-Colonel Wiltoo, 60th Regiment. Lints-
nant-Colonel Haveley, C. 8., 44th, has gone home
sick, and Lieutenant-Colonel Ainslie, 93rd High-
landers, is about to retire on halt-pay.
Lieut. Byre, Rifle Brigade, is made paid A.D.C. to
Sir William Byre, vies Major Robertson. gone home;
and Capt. B. Van Suatibeczee, 9th Regiment, is ap-
pointed A.D.C. to Brigadier General Van Strauben-
see, vise Lieut. Newton, 3rd Buffs, who returns to
his duties. The officiating chaplains have had an
easy time of it lately, for owing to the weather there
'has been no military morning Divine service for the
last three Sundays. By No. 8 order, Deo. 10, Brevet
Majors are to draw allowances and forage as Field.
Wens. No. 9 order, Dec. 9, will ones 110111011 to go
cheap, bat it will touch up greatly those alone
'trendy on leave after the 31st instant. By Victoria
Redoubt near our 34th Regiment, the French have
lately encamped eleven siege train companies of
artillery, about 2,000 men. Nothing can exceed the
general popularity of the new Commander-in-Chief,
and all the late general orders of any interest are
looked upon as just and good. The mail, 9 a.m., doe
I yesterday, is not signalled; and although it has aot
rained since Sunday eveniog, and we have had two
posts since, still the ground ia just like brick clay,
I through which the water will not sink.

Time waa a heavy fall of snow at Genoa dining
the sight of the 21a1. A very rare otaarresee la that pert
of the world.

A letter from St. Petersburg in the National Ga-
sato of Berlin sus, "The capture of Kan has ea monad
the wulike instincts of t►e nation that It is possible that the
propositions of peas will be rewired with Indira's'''.
The old Russian party, of which General Meuravieff is the
hero, trisupbs at this inomeet."

The Piedmouteee papers report the death of Count
Charles Boned. de Pretense, Knight of the Order of the
Ammoniated° and ex-Minister, who expired last week at
Tarts, after a short illness. 111. de Pretense woe appointed
as Waists? Plenipotentiary of the King of Sardinia at Paris,
in 1849, which poet be gained in 1861. Before cooing to
Para be had bees for eight years Kleiner of the Interior
leader King Charles Albert. He was named senator in
1848, sad after the promulgation of the eenttitation was
ea* of those who freshly adopted the new form of (Ginn
nest. At the sonferenees which were opened at Mika, after
the vinery of the Austrians at Novara, the dimmed was
mot there end hie billow* modified the tuna whichArida waked to impose es the Ear.