The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-14 00:00:00

THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL.

MR. ROEBUCK'S COMMITTEE.
Yesterday the seventh sittiog of the committee was
occupied chiefly In the examination of witnesses of co par-
ticular note, but who were practically engaged in the
variou departments connected with the artillery and trans-
port service. It was expected that either the Duke of
Newcastle or Lord Cardigan would have been examined,
and ender that mistaken expectation there was the usual
gathering of the public.

illery, was
t-heCoal:rwteerel
witnessSt likaisexiaanptarextela.pttdnaoasidlointtibonede,HahnotnetfirArtoop at Varna.
They to Heel the
enemy. While in Bulgaria he bad sufficient supplies for
his horses and men, and the two commissariat officers
attached to his troop attended to them efficiently. They
suffered from cholera, dysentery, and fever. The number
of troops is his company amounted to 189, and six or eight
died while he was in Bulgaria. He bad • proper medical
staff attached to his:troop, and one assistant-surgeon, but be
add not obtain sufficient supplies of medicine, which were
carried in wooden cases, coveted with cow's hide, ea
peek-saddle ponies. The oases were three feet six
lushes, made on purpose to carry on pack-saddler.
The amount of ammunition he carried was 223 guns, and
his troops were attached to the light cavalry brigade, com-
manded by Lord Cardigan. When he left Bulgaria the
sick were sent on to Scutari. The horses aad guns were
conveyed on ship board by lighters, and then slung into the
holds of the vessels. The horses were put in on the Hull
plan, and he only lost one of them. When he landed in the
Crimea he had 212: horses, including officers' chargers,
and pack horses; sad 189 ones. The troops were landed in
English lighten, and no accident took place. Encamped
on the beach dies to the sea, end under the command of
Captain Maude, and Le was engaged in several small affairs
before encamping tefore Sebastopol on the heights, where
he excavated a road, and before the third week in
February the whole of his men were betted, baring been
set to work to erect buts and stables. He considered the
erection of the huts and stables saved the lives of the horses
andpen, but before that they were not fit for service. He
lost 70 out of 170 hones, and their deaths were caused oy
exertions in getting up the siege train. He was never two
or three days at a time in want of forage for the horses, bet
the horses sometimes only got one feed of corn from eight to
ten, which was insufficient for hones engaged is the hard
work of a siege train. The siege manful, were taken up
by harness horses and store carte. The army were
relying on the foot and horse artillery entirely for
taking up the siege materials, and to the overwork
caused by it was to be attributed the great morta-
lity that occurred among the hones. In fine weather
the troops were g e 117 in good health, but out of the
whole number of 165, 26 were in the hospital. 140 were
effective men, but that was quite insufficient to man the
horse artillery. The roads between the camp and Bea-
kless were knee-deep in mud, but they were well supplied
by the oommiesariat while there. In the middle of the
road there was a deep gullyhole. He did not knew that
any bones were let in it, but no steps were taken to fill it
up. The men had fresh meat three or four times a week.
Se broke out. They had no vegetables, but latterly
ties, from about the middle of January. The men of the
horse artillery received clothing at various periods in De-
cember, January, and February. The rest of the artillery
received a great quantity. It was in the shape of extra
clothing. The con.missariat was under Mr. Commissary-
General Fdder. He considered his traps were sufficiently
clothed when he left, as they bad received more from
home. In January they bad received a waterproof coat,
fur cap, chamois leather waistcoat, pilot coat, 2 pain of
soaks, and a pair of woollen gloves. He attributed the
etabillity of the Turkish tents to the tent-poles being
formed of youngg saplings, whereas the English tents were
poles in two pieces, in oaken. He thought that the
latter would be better if thicker and of stronger materials.
The bones fell off so rapidly • rem the excessive
labour that the harness ceased to fit them. Each
of his men bad a waterproof sheet to lie on,
sod the had not the same amount of work.
As regsrdsd the supply of clothes to the troops, he might
UMW that early is November each man and non-commis-
AMMO' riser received one pair of boots, a Jersey shirt, and
a tongs sap. In December each man and non-commissioned
officer received a full dress jacket, an undress one, a pair of
tremors, boots, end gloves. In January each man and non-
commissioned officer received a waterproof Cording cost;
sad at the end of January, just before he left, each man
sad non-commissioned officer received a far cap, a
woollen comforter, two Jersey shirts, socks, and gloves,
as the infantry bad, and to this he attributed the compara-
tive freedom of his ourps from sickness. He had not a
angle case of sidewise at Deena. He attributed some of the
difficulties of the commissariat to the great storm, the roads
were so bad and the losers so great. He did not think the
tools were of good quality, and was president on a com-
mission in the Crimea appointed to inquire into their effi-
ciency, and he condemned them all but the pickaxes,
especially condemning the spades, lies, and billhooks. He
reported to the general of artillery. His men were five
eights out of the seven on duty. He bad no complaint to
make as to diet, and his men wen probably better off as to
work than the rat of the army were. He was nearly one
hoar on one mouton without ammunition at Balsklava, his
hones being employed in bringing up the siege train.
Mr. Joseph Crows, correspondent of the illudrated News,
said he went out as an amateur, and arrived in the Crimea
on 25th September. He had many opportunities of seeing
the men in the camp, chiefly among the second division. On
13th September be went down to Balsklava, sod resided
there while in the Crimea. He bed frequent ;opportunities
of seeing the state of the troops, and they appeared to him
to be suffering very much from mud about them and their
tents. The sanitary condition of the troops was bad ; and
there were a number of sick that could not find rosin in the
hospitals, which wen in a very crowded state. Huts were
made for their additionsl accommodation. He lived on
board the Treat while at &lonian. He visited the
cavalry and artillery amps. The cavalry were suffering
from want of hay, but se attempts were made to obtain it
from the Trent. There were heaps of planks and stone" on
the quay at Balaklave, and begs of bran, the contents of
which were injured. Saw no officers on the quay keeping
order, but two mounted orderlies of the staff corps were en-
deavouring to keep order. Balsklava was knee deep in
mad, and there was no particular convenience for lauding.
Was with the camp at the battle of lokermann, and the
hospital tents were very much crowded, Tbe:two paddle-
boats of the Treat were lying at the wharf nine or ten days
without being unleaded, for want of persons to do it. The
egesee of the transports would not have refused to do this if
pillar it, and if the officers had called on them to do so.
gomasissaries generally received representations' on
IMO subjects in silence. He supposed the forage on board
the Trent had not been landed because the commissariat had
not the MUM. Some bay met by the Trent to Balsklava
went twies back to Varna, and there being no depots at 73a-
lakleve it was left esbeard. The 250 trusses of hay would
occupy a considerable spate, bat it did not prevent the car-
riage of mos and hones, though it might have made way for
fresh consignments. The offensive died" generated sick-
ness on beard. The burial grounds of the English and
Turks were very mobs end wet, and smelt very
nub. He was ten months in Bulgaria, sud
large gqnttities of straw and barley aught have
been obsiaed for the troops there. Vegetables were
notdepoh quarters)
Belaklava. At Kruniesch Harbour (the
Bsrl:klevs. There
then was far greater regularity than at
go in at
were oaken to preserve order. Any
could-onehouse he liked.
but fresh
made
tat
erwasaintndenadt
Balsklava at one time, and occupy what
to"foreassupilpylissobmigtainhatbhlive been
French
tamed out ; and it was said they
eery, all the people were
to turn the nouns into store oases. h He had
were
-a 100 and 130 sick brought down at one time without
-4 into
(Laughter.) When he wee lut there, how. ever, in Febru-

NM 100 and 130 ISCS orouipas
the chimes of being received into the hcepitel at Balaklaea.
Bosse of the sick remained four boon on the groludirith.
out being removed. The state of the roads was not such
as to enable the ambulances to get over the road,. nevi
was a heap of hay at the French qte inch
•Illy
36 feet blab, and there was sas lat ,4",71V11 • r and
barley ; bat be did not know why • Apt
trevided sn equally oompveh . omit.
He foiled wooden quays at Kami •If ffr.r.r
and there was a hard road • 12`4 4 "Irk. . . ;
Franck wasters. It was ''.104":" is
had beer. made before, Mid %be • '3O- • u-
plift was broader at lkansimeli .111
.•
Captain Kellett, in command k. • 4,650
• OP.
tons, a screw, said that althouillat • • efrtiroldl=
meat, it vms before the prope=tlit
Ogitilat Stoat Nivliation Q ai fgathrWs