The Express.
London, England, 1856-04-30 00:00:00

OUR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

RUSSIAN REVIEW IN PRESENCE OF THE
ALLIED OOMMANDER&
(FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.)
CAMP, SEBASTOPOL, Aram 15.
Sunday broke with a cloudless sky—a day com-
pletely suited foe the grand military spectacle which
wee to take place. Fee however, had been informed
el the event, and English bet-ponies were more scarce
than usual at snob scenes. By ten o'clock in the
morning the initiated few began to leave our posi-
tion for the northern heights by three routes, viz. :
over the lokermann-bridge and causeway, over
Traktir-bridge, and over the Sardinian-bridge. The
first and third were fres to horsemen and foot-passen-
prs during the entire day, but the Tractir was closed
by order of the French between 10 and 1 to all that
did not accompany the allied commanders and their
staff. The road I took wee by the newly repaired
wooden Inkermanu-bridge, which leads to the cause-
way, at the end of which the Russians to this day
keep an advents* picket inside a small earthen am-
buscade. Following the track which leads to the
north-east, I ascended through steep wooded glens,
here and there swept by batteries almost concealed
in the brushwood, in rear of the Spur Battery
as the Conical-hill and the most advanced Russian
telegraph to Mackenaie's Farm. On arriving at this
point, General Lidera, the Russian Commander-in-
Chief, his aide-de-camp, Major Wehrman, and his
chief of the staff (acting), General Nepoquvitchisky,
a Pole, followed by a numerous staff, several Russian
carriages, one containing the wife of a captain of
Lancers (Helen), and also the wife of a lieutenant
of the staff, were in the act of leaving for Trsktir-
bridge to meet their guests and escort them back to
the headquarters of the 11th Division. The guard
attending them on the occasion consisted of nine
Cossacks of the Crimea, dressed in scarlet, holding
long red lances; twenty-eight gendarmes dressed in
bright blue, riding on grey horses ; and twenty Coo-
sacks of the Don, with long spears mounted
on their rough shaggy ponies. On this cortege
arriving within view of the bridge, a salute was fired
by our allies. This salute was repeated by the Ras-
shins from their grand battery—Nos. 44, 43, 48, and
47, the moment the cavalcade appeared in sight re-
turning. Another half hour brought them to the
headquarters of the 11th Division, where they
were received by Lieutenant-General Veselitaky,
his three aides-de-samp Lieutenast Yarotoky,
Prince Cothouben, and Captain Tchernaief, Colo-
reel on the Staff Babler, a young Engineer
of the Guard, several other staff officers and a guard
of honour—three deep drawn up in line-120 strong,
furnished by the 21st Regiment, being the first of
the 11th Division. On arriving at this point the
band played a national air, the guard presented arms
and cheered. Marshal Pelissier, who was riding a
superb black charger, with long bang tail, the trap-
pings being of gold and the holsters and saddlecloth
of leopard akin, headed the procession, taking off his
cocked hat oaths occasion. Behind him were General
Ltdere, who likewise rods on a black charger, bearing
an Astracan black saddle cloth, having the Emperor's
cipher on each corner. This noted soldier is by
birth a German. With his helmet on he appears
about 40, bet when I was nearer to him afterwards,
in the marquee, he struck mess being about 50 years
of age. His hair is short and thin, and of a greyish tioge.
H 6 figure is stout, although he is above the middle
height. Oa his breast he wore six medals ce
crosses, and five stare; and here I may mention that
the Russians appear to be decorated for everything.
Most of the soldiers wear from fire to eight orders
some I saw with sixteen; and they all were rat
with a Silistria cross and a Sebastopol circular medal,
the riband being the same for both. Alter General
Liiders there followed in line Sir William Codring-
too, who was dressed, as all his staff were, in a plain
blue frock coat, with cocked hat and sword, General
La Marmon, Sir Hugh Rose, General Windham, ix.
Then came the different aides-de-eamp, amongst
whom I noticed Captains Ponsonby, Hall, and Earle,
the whole winding up with several officers, English,
French, and Sardinian, who were not on duty, and
therefore ought not to have been there—an escort of
the 11th Hussars. about 15 in number, a like Lumber
of the Chesnut. d'Afrique, and the Russian escort I
have before mentioned.
By this time the Russian troops bad formed up la
close columns of companies, each containing 76 men,
three deep, with the exception of the two last, which
were only two deep. Each of the ten battalions had
its standard, its band or bugles, its two small bea-
ters, and consisted of ten companies or 700 man,
On the right was a complete field battery
of eight guns, with eight ammunition waggons.
The horses were io capital coadition, and the whole
of the fittings appeared to be in good order. As the
commanders-in-chief rode down the line followed by
a crowd of horseman, each band and bugles struck
up, the soldiers presenting arms and cheeriog. After
this General Lfilers, with his guests, took up his posi-
tion in front of the mad huts quite close to the ruins
of Mackensie's Farm, so as to allow space for the
7,000 infantry to wheel and march past in open
columns, with sloped muskets, at a quick pace.
Each battalion consisted of fire companies
—4 of them being 3 deep or 150 strong.
the 6th company (Chalmers), being only 2
deep or 100 strong. These Chasseurs do not wear
any different uniform, but they are armed with a
rifle which carries 1,200 yards. Heading the division
rode its general, Veaelitsky, who had only one arm,
and staff; then followed the general commanding
the let Brigade, 'Major-General Grotenplo, and his
staff. This brigade consisted of the 21st (Selen-
gineki), and 22nd (Yakuleki), regiments of the line;
and as the four battalions, each 700 strong, marched
pest to their bands, which were brigaded together,
one could not help being struck with the soldier-
like appearance of the men, the manner in which
they swung their arms, and the air of defiance with
which they strutted and pointed their feet to the
ground. The tad (Chasseur.) Brigade, which had'
an acting brigadier was formed of six battalions, each
700 strong, not including officers and sergeants, and
consisted of the 21st (Ochotski) and 22nd (Kanits-
ethaski) Light Infantry Regiments. The officer
commandiog the 2nd Battalion had a broken
arm. As this brigade passed one could not
help being struck with the large proportion
of cavalry officers, who commanded not only batta-
lions, but likewise companies. On inquiry, it tran-
spired that they were officers who bad volunteered to
serve at Sebastopol with infantry. How different to
our amp A Russian staff officer who spoke Eng-
lish besides five other languages, having amongst
other tutors had an English one, Mr. Percy Berea-
ford, told me that the officers suffered terribly at the
siege, far more in proportion than the men or our offi-
cers at Alma; and certainly the best proof of the truth
of his statement was the scarcity of the regimental
officers at this review of the I lth Division, and what
there were being very young. As the battery of
Artillery which belonged to the 11th Brigade of the
4th Artillery Division went past, one could not help
thinking how it is that we can never bring into the
field more than 6 and 9 pounders, and yet at Alms
and Eupatoria the Russians not only had 32-pounders,
but they succeeded in taking them away in their
retreat—for, be it remembered, at the former action
we only captured two guns, and we never made see
of aoy artillery bit 8-pounders. At this moment
out of the whole of our 86 guns in the Crimea there
are only eight that come under the head of field
artillery, viz., four 18-pounders and tour 32-pounder
howitsers. On this occasion the guns were draws by
four horses and the two-wheel ammunition carts by
three ponies abreast. After the artillery came the
9 red Cossacks, 28 gendarmes, double rank, 20
Commas of the Doo' and four troops, each thirty
strong, of Cossacks from the Ours]. The gen-
darmes are only armed with a sword, but
all the Cossacks have spears. One pecu- '
liarity in the review connected with the officers
was that none saluted except the mounted command-
ing officers of battalions, and that all the senior
company officers marched in the centre instead of on
the right, as with us. I have omitted to mention
that General Otchakoff, chief of the 4th corps
d'armee, accompanied General Laden!.
The moment the Cossacks had gone by the four
immunanders-in-chief rode to the marquee clove by
to take Inotheon' sad as by this time (2.46), the
reviser laving lasted fifty minuter, they had been
seedy Seer hours oa dusty ground, I have
little doubt that a glass of champagne was moat
Davide,. Witnessing this curious scene I noticed