The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-08 00:00:00

state depletive organs is apt to irritate thaw,
octal: Not to man, at Wit to aid, that chro-
nic inflammation, the proper and vulgar name for
which would, though it is mentioned daily, hourly,
and without serapis or hesitation in the camp,
would, nevertheless, shook the less hardened
failings of people at homeif it were mentioned inyour
columns.

Oar men are certaialy awkward, and might do
better, but since they do not display any remarkable
talents foe camp cookery, is that a reason why they
should die for want of food ? I believe if coffee,
roasted and ground, and packed in sloes cases, were
sent out and given to the men, they would at least be
able to prepare for themselves a wholesome, nutri-
tious, agreeable and anti-mahout) beverage. Nor is
it true that ground coffee deteriorates is quality.
During part of last summer I used none but coffee,
roasted and ground, and sold in tin oases by Grace,
the canteen•man, and I certainly did not find it near
so bad as the beat coffee I ever drank in the camp. It
should be recollected that the article supplied by
Grace was originally inferior to the ration coffee.
It is with sincere joy I inform you that our troops
will no longer have to take up their own provisions,
and that the quarter rations will, for the time at
least, give way to half and even whole rations.
Admiral Boxer has been pleased to release the Jason,
and that vessel arrived yesterday with 300 horses
and mules for the commissariat, who now have the
means of transport, until these fresh animals too are
off the road. They are not likely b be serviceable
for any length of time, for the roads are very heavy,
and no one can exactly tell what these animals are
to live on. Forage is scarce, and oar former beasts
of burden died as much from hunger as from fatigue.
If fresh hones can come up every fortnight, we shall
do well; but if these supplies are stopped, we shall
have the miseries of the last two weeks over again.
The case of the hundreds of our sick that one
day last week lay for hones in the mud of the beach,
has attracted the notice of the Commander-in-Chief,

and caused him to issue a general order against the
medical department, who should have made better pre-
parations for the shelter and the shipping of the sick.
Oae officer holding a high post in the medical staff is
dismissed—another officer is severely reprimanded. I
believe that after this good care will be taken of the
sick that come down from the camps, and though up
to the present it was impossible to provide " for
them," this is not the first time that even more substan-
tial impossibilities have vanished at the frown of a com-
manding general. And because such is the power ,
of the officer who commands the army, for
that very reason have I, in many of my letters, com-
plained of Lord Raglan rather than of the chiefs of
departments. In so complicated, patched op, and
contradictory a military organisation as that of our
army, it is impossible even for men grown grey in the
settee to fix the responsibility for shortcomings upon
this and that individual, section of a department, or
department. It is the commander-in-chief who is
responsible to the country and to history—not for
unfortulate accidents—but for long-continued neg-
lects, sufferings, and losses. With unlimited means
of information, with ample powers to punish and
reward, to maks or mar an officer's fortnae by
a mere stroke of his pen, the general in
command is the man who deserves the cre-
dit and reaps the reward, not for a glorious
battle, but for a series of effective operation., and a
successful campaign. He, too, must bear the blame,
if operations remain without result, if obstacles are
permitted to accumulate in the way of the army, and
if the campaign remains without a legitimate success.
Now that Lord Raglan is awake, I wonder whether
those who manage these matters will not find means
to " break the balk" of the vast quantities of medi-
cines sent out for the nee of the army. It is a
strange fact, and it may be an accident, but I have
remarked that for the last two days quinine has been
less scarce than at any former period of the cam-
Pair-
now for the affairs of Balaklava proper. Colonel
Daveney, the commandant of the town, has resigned
on account of ill health, and Colonel Haines, of the
fist, has succeeded to the command of her Majesty's
town of Balaklava. Colonel Haines is very highly
spoken of as an active and energetic officer, and great
hopes are founding upon his administration. The
town, small as it is, offers a vast field for his energy.
The mud in the streets and lanes is closely allied to
that classic slush which it required a demigod to
remove from the stables of Angelis; the town is over-
run with Greek sutlers, and infested with idle
" loafing " Turks. If the gallant colonel rids us of
these nuisances he will deserve well of the army and
the commonwealth of Balaklava.