The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-12 00:00:00

of horses, prevented their constructing those stables
in January which were not completed until February.
Load Lucan then proceeded to point out that the
statement of the commissioners " that the cavalry
were only employed in occasionally bringing down
sick or taking up provisions " was utterly at variance
with the truth, as the cavalry at that date, by
printed returns, were daily finding 500 horses for
commissariat duty, in addition to their own forage,

and usual duties.
The comparison by the commissioners between the
care bestowed on the cavalry and the baggage horses
of the Sappers and Miners, Lord Lucan declared to
be preposterou:, as the cavalry were at first encamped
upon a bleak and distant plateau, and then in the val-
ley of kadikoi, but at all times without tools or a
particle of material for construction, while the
baggage animals belonging to the engineers and
artificers were stationed at Balaklava, where they
could avail themselves from their own stores of all

necessary tools and materials to raise a temporary

shelter.
At the conclusion of his address Lord Lucan pro-
ceeded to examine Colonel Gordon, in command of
the Engineers before Sebastopo!, whose evidence
was merely to the effect that an engineer officer had
been sent to assist in the erection of stables, but
that he did not know whether that officer had attended
or not.

On Tuesday the examination of witnesses by the
Earl of Lucan proceeded. Colonel Darby Griffiths,
of the Scots Greys, was the first witness called.
Colonel Griffiths stated in evidence that on Nov. 16,
'5l, in an interview with Lord Lucan, his lordship
threatened to put him under arrest for suggesting
that something should be done fur the care of the
horses. He believed that Colonel Hodge, Lord W.
Paulet, Lord Bingham, and Colonel Walker were
present at the interview, but he had not spoken to
them since on the subject. In answer to further ques-
tions, Colonel Griffiths admitted he had never made
any written reports about covering for the horses.
In his op nion canvas coverings might have been
erectea with ease, as abundance of spare canvas lay
unused on hoard the transport ships. He did not
cover his own private horses with canvas. He con-
sidered, also, that a small drain of a few inches in
depth, so as not to interfere with their being called
out of a night if required, might have been readily
formed round where the horses were picketed, ifo
order to keep the ground dry under them, but he did
not order any drains io be made.
General Sir Richard Aires was next called, and

admitted having had repeated interviews with Lord

Lucan upon the suoject of hutting the cavalry early
in November, '54. On Nov. 11, '54, he received a
letter from Lord Lucan stating that they were getting
on as quickly as possible in the erection of stablery,
but that the services of an engineer officer would be
desirable. Application was made to Colonel Gordon,
who, in consequence of the vast siege works then
carried on, could not promise to place an engineer
officer at ..he entire disposal of Lord Lucan, but pro-
mised that one should give such occasional assistance
as was in his power. In further reply to questions,
Sir Richard Airey said he was of opinion that every
exertion was made by Lord Lucan in promoting the
shelter of the horses; that, as to Colonel Griffiths'
statement about the non employment of canvas and
spars, an officer in his position had no means of
forming his opinion beyond camp rumours, for the
fact in this case was that application had been made
in October by Sir Richard Airey, from a suggestion
made by Lord Lucan, to the agent of transports to
secure all the spare spars and sails, and by the 4th
of December, after much trouble, owing to the ships
being continually on the move, the spare sails, spars,
tarpauling, and everything that could help to make
a covering, was landed, collected, and applied to sta
bling ; but the want of covering for the artillery, bat,
and transport horses in Balaklava was so great that
the whole material was absorbed on the spot the
moment it was landed. General Airey further stated
that complaints for want of forage for all the animals
in the army daily, and for a long period, reached
bead-quarters. The rule was to send at once to the
commissary-general, and the answer from him was
always the same, that he had been disappointed in
his supplies of hay, but had plenty of' barley.
At the conclusion of General Airey's evidence Lord
Lucan, in reply to General Peel, said that it was im-
possible to attempt to construct stabling or canvas
covering on the open plateau; at the same time,
none of the timber arrived until they had moved to
Kadikoi.
On Wednesday the Earl of Lucan, in reply to the
question of the board to what causes he attributed
the great mortality among the horses during the
time the cavalry was under his command, attributed
the loss to the insufficiency of food and the irregu-

larity with which it was supplied. The noble earl
then at great length entered upon all the points of
the case, and, although he could support his state-
ment by no reference to documentary evidences be-
yond seventy two general and divisional orders to the
cavalry from Sept. 18th onwards, upon the poor con-