The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-09 00:00:00

THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL.

MR. ROEBUCK'S COMMITTEE.

Yesterday the examination of Major-General Ben- I
time, commander of the Guards, was ?taunted at considera-
ble length, • large portion of it. being an amplification of his
previous evidence. There was some difficulty experienced
in the matter of •seachets, and the regulations of the tom-
anizariat were freenently found iosonvenient on that score.
Trey raised difficulties and objections, because on one occa-
sion the vouchers were signed an inch below the mark
(Laughter.) The horses were generally tied to a post, and
unprotected from the weather; and the diet for the sick and
wounded was not always well provided for. The tools used
by the troops were very inferior, and complaints of this
character were made of them at Chobham. Some of the
clothing provided for the Scots Fusiliers was moldered so
bad that it was condemned by the colonel of the regiment,
and the clothier had to furnish • fresh assortment. The
number of the Guards before the operations at Sebastopol
was 1,100 strew, but subsequently they were reduced to
one-half, from deaths in action, exposure to weather, over-
work, and cholera.
Dr. Vans, in custody of a cargo of supplies, shipped by
the Harbinger, • screw-transport, deposed that the bogs of
vegetables they took on board at Constantinople for the
Crimea, coes'gned to them by the commistariat, were, when
opened, in estate of decay. Tne wire • fortnight in dis-
charging these decayed vegetables, which consisted of
celery, cabbages, potatoes, and pumpkins. The clothing of
the men on board the Harbinger was filthy in the extreme,
cad nagged. There was one medical an to 150 sick and
wounded. They were nine days lying off Scutari, for want
of iieeoremodatien ; and they made tw, or three requisitions
• day for fresh meat; but they met with no attention.
During the nine days, they had fresh meat only three times ;
and no teas a was assigned for not sending provisions to
them while they were ljanet off the mouth of the Golden
Horn. The cargo of the Harbinger, when she went out,
consisted of 100.0001. in gold for the commissariat,
besides gunpowder, and the was 920 tont. Vege-
tables, hay, dec., were lying about rating on the
h.ach ; while a large how', that would have formed a
convenient receptacle for them, was occupied bye man who
shoed the horses. (Laughter.) Daring wet weather the
attests of Balaklava were in • horrible condition, owing to
the mud, and sometimes they were so bleated up when ea-
valty went through as to be impassable. The effluvia from
ttio burial grounds was very great and dissgreeable. March
in the Crimea was very much like November here. Typhus
and cholera were the diseases principally incident to the
climate. During the nine days they were lying off Scutari
the invalids were not inspected by the medical staff, and
for went of provisions the eoustitutioes of the men muse have
suffered. Had heard Captain Christie declare, after the
storm. he would not allow vessels to remain outside the har-
bour again. Repretentations were made to the commisaary
as to the delay of the vegetables, but with.ut effect.
Mr. Leyard, M.P. *ea left his seat at the committee
table, sad was saaasiled. Hs said he pima the Crimean