The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-19 00:00:00

'OUNDED SOLDIERS FROM THE CRIMEA

(!fee• the Liperreel Mornay of thir day (Friday), Jas. 19.)

The deep and gaiestal lateral excited in this town
ea the eve el earist minimise by tho a the
seem ship Cube's, with up a SIO of the elek sad
Ininist silken mad Wien untie MOW at Sestari,
*Missed mailed es Tuesday. At is early Mae to the
=mare .loci had imeriermed at the feast at the
liesltheses, wham the mop were legated.
Pales% mama to elitais • ammo et the weesded me,
was le beam psalm Wm& awry crake ad dummy
et lir premben Whatever wasd the ism Mem mei
=enema Is thirties* dier geese beam* ear-
the arise menial% mid Mums the Areas
dwindle mid solieltade. This famed beams ma i-
tems se the day wen em sad the crowd did set &pm
until
As :oe ham 'stormed ear readies, the
set aped Ise tha assomoodatio• of the brave woad am-
ple the sesmeilese sew medial and earrisel wards
wish bare ram* bees added to the estebtlehateat.
Illisetly after ales Veldt is the monger, the several
weeds ware slissi sot Impeened by the Bar.
Swim Campbell mad the ambers of the sena vestry,
As espeseed themeless highly satisfied with the
ansigniseste. The named /..dare emend into •
Isaias& eased seninielka will • esiseat of the 23rd
wh• balmiest to the ems mayeay is his sea,
Caplets CompbeA, ad WeWeesisi at Os maw assault
in the imp up as heatille et the Aims. The sergeant,
ribs was .sassily weasid is the Most with • gas shot,
pew sine an laterality &mei of dot isagoiusry ea-
At • the base of the day the wards werel=
ltr. Deadly, **Mame& of the Medical Mist
Commies% Mr. Shaw, sad lb. Bawls, who were indefati-
gable hi their eseetans. aid isrefally sayerinteaded the
various amegmeste made to promote the comfort of the
new limarea. Oeleael de Itiasy, the impesting field °Sur,
Um
oldish ilio wards about sees, sad ezpreesed the inmost

.
satleashisa. .
At about aim Abet ia the mandag, the soldiers sat
dam to as easelket beaddhst, is the leer dining hall.
The Mayor J. A. TWIN Lb., Major Chem sad Divi-
sissal-Sapeiriatemlearle MY aid Quick wife prrwat.
The Mayer, Mbar tlines to enjoy themeless
daring that elm be ant t, questiosed them
all to the treatlamt they had ressiersd size* their anvil,
and received Amason the meet ratifying aainflalNG as
to the eosehalehle sad Madame mum ia which they
had bees presided Ow. Kis wesdhip ft is the heads of
the presser (Kr. Can) a sum of messy, sislag him in-
strnetione I. expend it in the poushsne ell tabseee, and em-
powering
him at the same Meets them with enrages
and ether dainties. A most smi estetantiel dinner
and supper were also provided, while there was a liberal
allowance of ale. Dariag the made. a number of boys and
girls belonging to the establishment, who all volasteered
their services for the purpose, ewe several hymns and the
sational anthem, to an etre asempanienent. The poor
fellows were delighted with tall iambi. entertainment,
and on each occasion clapped disk beads with satisfaction.
The whole of the peer inmates busied themselves with the
most praiseworthy alacrity, and clewed the greatest tautly
to promote the pleasure and etatiert of the unfortunate
men ; whilst the governor (where evmplete and, we had
nearly said, spleadid, arrange:eats cannot be too highly
estimated) was anremittieg is hi mintiest'.
The seem which presented itself in the ward' set apart
for the mommodation of the sick and wounded men was

one of the most interesting sad startlieg that could be
imagined. The rooms are speciosa, and thoroughly cleaned
and whitewubed. The beds, impel on each aide of the
room, had a comfortable and even gay appearance, and
were here and there ornamented with large bright-red
counterpanes, presents from the sultan. Oa several of these
beds lay the pale-faced sick, prostrated by dysentery,
diarrhea, or fever, consequent on over-exertion ; and round
them sat their hardier comrades, who had escaped the
diaesee of the campaign, but not the bullets and the
bsyosets, converses jocularly, and with all a soldier's care-
lessness sad coolness. Although many a melancholy coun-
tenance peeped oat from thee sick beds, laughter nag
through the rooms, and there we a pervading cheerfulness
saes, the brave fellows that dispelled the gloom which
oessaional eases might have created. The mind could
scarcely be brought to conceive that thee were the same
soldiers w Whin a brief but:rifilant sad every memorable cam-
paign, had fought so well is many a terrible eoefbct. Some
were toll, ring about on crutches, but, heedless of their scars
and nautilatioar, papsiog jokes with each other. Others
--especially the nevi, es of the diaastrons cavalry charge
at Balaklava—were talking to one seethe, with animation
and great earaesteese. Some deprived of both arms, some
without heads, others with leadaged heeds and disfigured
(sees, and others again with their bodies permanently de.
formed by gunshot wounds, were pacing about the rooms as
if their wounds had long since healed and they were sow
experienced cripples. A complete cloud of smoke filled
every ward ; and long, shining, Isacifully-deeorsted Turk-
ish pipes ptojeeted from sassy a oozy blanket where the
sick patients lay. Altogether the eons was s singular one,
and gave a peculiar and quite foreign air to the apart.
meats. . .

The saes, though cordial, were scarcely so communica-
tive as might, and., the airiest:stances, have been expected.
When questioned about their personal adventures,
they invariably entered into detailed accounts of
each engagement ; and they " spun yarns" as long as say
tar ever did. In miogliog with them, however, we tub
particular interest in eliciting the feelings and opinions of
the men respecting their commander-in-chisf, Lord
Raglan. Ilia character and abilities have been so freely
canvassed of late, that the individual opinions of the
soldiers will be looked upon with no little curiosity. The
result of these inquiries have led us to believe that Lord
Raglan, notwithstanding the theinuatiens so his traducer,,
is actually idolised in the army. Going up to • private in
cue of the regiments of the line, we began a conversation,
and led him, by an easy transitiou, to pass an opinion upon
the general. " Why, sir," he said, "I fought on the
Sully) under Lord Gough and Lord Harding'. They
were looked upon u splendid fellow., but there was•
general better liked by his soldiers than Lord Raglan."
Another private, who joined us, said that he was very at-
tentive to the men, and that he had frequently seen him
riding about before the battle of hike/mann, A corporal
of the Grenadier Guards. overhearing the remark, ex-
claimed, " Why, the men thought he was far too mach
among the bullets."
A member of the select vestry entered into familiar
conversation with a wounded man of the 65th Regiment,
and asked him what he thought of the commander. " A
braver man never breathed," was the ready response. " I
saw him at Balaklava, riding up and down, end looking
after everything." There was about • dozen of the
wounded men, consisting chiefly of the 20th, 27th, and
66th Regiments, clustered round • large fire in the middle
ward, reading the newspapers which the governor had
generously distributed smoopt them. It was only ne-
cessary to listen • moment to see that the greatest indig-
nation was felt by all of them at the attacks made upon
Lord Raglan. "There
claimed one of them, " and right well every man in the
army knows it." A most hearty assent was given to this
sentiment.
It is hardly necessary to say that that there is the greatest
esteem for 13 1 Sir de Lacy Evans, 0 1 Sir Georg.
Brown, and General Cathcart. The French commander,
Canrohert, comes in for • share of praise ; but the great
favourite seems to be the Duke of Cambridge, who is
never mentioned but you hear a desen exclaim all at once,
" Plucky fellow, that !"
" What do you think of Hiss Nightingale ?" " Oh, •
noble lady," replied the poor fellow, who was suffering
from wounds and dysentery. " She's worth all the nurses
at Scutari. She's here, these, and everywhere Yon
lose sight of her." A private of the 17th Light
Dragoons enthusiastically added—" Why, she's worth
mare than seventy doctors put together. The doctors are
fearfully rough, but she's very gentle." There was &hued-
sacs of provisions for men, but not for horses, up to the tech
of November. " Why, Bill," said one of them, "the
Crimea was nothing eompered to the campaign in Bul-
garia." Se," added Bill, " fighting is better than sick-
nem, after all."
•
If any one were at all sceptical about the cordial
i alliance of the English and French troops, a walk through
/ these wards would remove the doubt. A private of the
Coldstream Guards described that they had been fighting
four hours en the day of the battle of Icksrmano, and were
, quite overpowered, when the Bootees rushed up to the
; enemy, raised • tremendous cheer, argued to the English
to retire • few paces, and, stationing themselves within a
few yards of the advanced line of the Rosana, poured in
use deadly volley after another from their Marie rifle,.
"The French are rare chaps," one of the Grenadier Guards
Interposed; " after the Inkermann row they ran up to us and
slapped us on the back, and kissed us, and shouted
Hurrah!' The French nook better than us. They are
allowed to plunder. They pulled down lots of old houses
at Balsklava to get wood, but we were not allowed. Lots of ;
goats and pigs were running about the streets of Balsklava
when we went in. The French seised them There was a
general order against us taking anything ; but the French
gave us a capital share of their plunder."
Nobody doubts the "pluck" of the British moldier, but
it is a theme that never loess its charm, and • few jottings
in illustration of it will be interesting. It is remarkable
that the only time any of them recollected feeling nervous
was at the very commencement of the serious work of the
campaign, during the charge up the heights of the Alma.
" We felt queer at the Alma," said • Grenadier Guard who
bad left his right arm there, "when we got the order
to rise from the ground sad advance. I'm sure my corn-
radar felt as I dbl. I could hardly charge ray musket, or
bits off the sad of the cartridge. A few minutes passed,
and we were rushing up to the mouths of the guns and
firing away without any fear. I don't think that any
English soMier has felt fear shies them." A private in the
Coldstream Guards described that while advancing to the
dense eolemas of the Bossism stationed on the heights of
the Al and whim within 100 yards of the enemy's gene
he had We right arm taken off by • ball. Just at that
moment he was going to joie is • loud hurrah set up from
the ranks, and determined net to be disappointed he
assisted is the shout, sad thee stepped back. ' You may
not believe this," he added, "hut it's a feet, and what's
more I was nevee insensible." He was a brawny powerful
looking man, and no one could doubt Ids story. While
talking with this man, another woodsy wither, tottering
along es crutches, came sp. Be beard the weed " Alms, '
and he brooms at once excited. The peer feliker bad a seat
taring impediment, and as he weaned an the subject he
r turned as indignant at his tardy smelt as he could pad-
I bly have bees at the Russians "They couldn't stand