The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-15 00:00:00

THE SITN, LONDON, TifilnenAT Evnittri

LINES 4.SED •T prxiD RENTALS.

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-

Nhr Paid. Itmywjai, Leasing Aosins Prices dimness
• Compans. this day this day.
•••••••••••••••.. ••••• ..111.11.1...•••••••••
50 all Bedford and London &
Blotchley N. West. ...
St. 100 Buckghamsh. L. &N. 5 97
St. 100 ClydesdaleJc. Caledon... 1-7 99
25 24 Col. Stour Vy. E. Un. & ,
Sud. and Hal. E. 0.--
St. 100 E. Lincoln gr.
6 per cent. Gt.Nrthn. 134 136
St. all Glas. Barr. & Caldonian.
Neils. Direct
St. all Do. New Do
25 all °intr.& Dn.Fr Gt. Wesa
100 all Hrtlpl. Dk. New.
Railway__ & Berw.
50 all Hull & Selby Y. &NM 104 106
25 all Do. Shares. Do.
121. all Do. d Shares. Do —
12i all Lon.&Greenw S. Easter] 12f 134 13
20 all Do.Preferenc• Do 23 —24
10 all Lon., Til., &S Pato & Co. 10 114 11 10i
St. 100 Lowestoft gr.
4 per cent. Norfolk —
St. tito Do. 6 per et.
51 all Wanch. Bxtn L.&N.W
and Matlocl & Midld. 2 -
50 all Widdlesbro' & Stckton
Redear Darlingt....—
O( all Widld.Bradfd Midland.. 90 92
50 all Northern an
Easternsp.e E. Count. 57 59
50 all Do. 6 per et. Do •• •••
si.` all Do. Fixedsp •Do •• •••
25 all Prest. & Wyr. L. &N. W
Sain&Yk
121 all Do. 1 Sharps. Do —
St. 100 Roystn.&Hit. GtNortht 130 133
?5 18$ S'hef.P.oth an, Lancash&
Gool eg. 5 p.c. • Yorksh.
12 94 S. Staflordsh. )I.MClean 24 —2 d
'A) all Wear Valleygi Stockt. &
6 per cent... Darlingt
15 all Do Do 3l 32 32 it
4.. 100 wiltsArgomrst '-'ltWestn 9O . 92

MITTEE -- (THIS DAY.)

The inquiry was resume' this morning at the usual
hour.

The public were as usual numerous ; but a great and
much needed improvement has been made in their ad-
mission ; the doors being thrown open some time pre-
viously to the hour. Much inconvenience has been
thereby remedied, and the fearful crush into the room at
the last moment avoided. The -confusion occasioned by
the former practice of not throwing open the doors until
the proceedings were about to commence rendered it
very difficult for the members of the press to catch what
was said for several minutes.
The Earl of Lucan was the first witness called, and
was examined by the Chairman. He stated that he
commanded the cavalry division, and arrived at Scutari
in May last. There was great facility for landing horses
at Kululee, so that no prepar.ttion in particular for their
disembarkation was needed. The horses were supplied
with plenty of forage, except hay, whilst there. The
Commissary was frequently changed. The Commissaries
were very inexperienced, and two of them were young
gentlemen from the Treasury.
The Chairman—When did you start from Varna !

Lord Lucan—The cavalry were only partially em-
barked at Kululee—those which were not were kept on
board, and the others were re-embarked. He arrived at
Varna in June. A t Varna there was always great diffi-
culty in getting their forage supply. They were en-
camped about two miles from the town. He
thought his men had frtsh meat the whole time.
The men suffered from cholera to a fearful ex-
tent. On the 22d of July they changed their
position, and moved three miles further up the country,
where the cholera became very virulent indeed. To all
appearance it ought to have been the healthiest spot in
the country. The 4th Dragoons lost ten per cent. of
their men.

The Chairman—When did you embark for the Crimea?
Lord Lucan—The embarkation of the Light Brigade
commenced on the 31st for the:Crimea. About the 18th
he had written to Lord Raglan, asking him to send
home for reinforcements, as he had lost at that time
nearly 150 men. In reply, Lord Raglan informed him
that he would apply for the men, but not for
the horses. The troops disembarked at Old Fort
on the 16th September. The weather had changed
very much about this time, and a heavy surf was break-
ing on the shore, and it became a question whether the
cavalry could land there admirably—and he received
orders to proceed to Eupatoria to land. In an hour
after this determination was come to, the we...ther calmed
and the disembarkation was commenced. There were,
however, several casualties in consequence of the boats
being very unfitted for the operation.
Chairman—When you arrived at Balaklava where did
you take up your first encampment ?

Lord Litcan—We took np our position in front of
the town.

Chairman—What was the strength of your division
then

Lord Lucan—About 1,100 horses. During the
passage fearful sickness broke out amongst the men,
and he could nut state the number of dismounted horses
on his arrival. Under his immediate command 4 regi-
ments ; and at the battle of the Alma he had something
under 600 sabres and lances. Lost no men in that engage-
ment. Though there wereplenty of forage stores he could
never get a supply of more than was necessary for one day
—so that they lived from hand to mouth. There was not.
sufficient barley on shore, and he did not recollect one
occasion when any hay was served until very late in
October. He had frequently to send his own dragoons
to the ships to fetch barley—because the Commissary
did not send it up. The horses deteriorated in condi-
tion from the time they:left Constantinople until within a
month of his leaving. He had great difficulty in keep-
ing the horses in condition at all during the heat of
summer and the cold of winter, but he was quite srtisfied
they suffered from want of forage. He was highly dis-
satisfied with his commissaries, wholwere totally incom-
petent to their duties. He had a letter in 'his possession
addressed to the Quartermaster-General, a letter
dated the 29th of September, complaining of the
commissary department. That officer was the proper
person to complain to, and he presumed he could lay the
matter before the Commissary-General and urge him to
a better performance of his duty.

His lordship here read the letter referred to, in which
he very strongly complained of the short supply of food
and foi age to his division, and stated that he had re-
monstrated in vain with the Commissary-General
Filder.

Mr. Ellice—Had your lordship occasion to repeat
those complaints I
Lord Lucan—Constantly. His letter-book was full of

.hem.

Chairman—Was the evil remedied I
Lord Lucan—Oh dear no ! He did not recollect
whether he received any reply to that letter; if he did it
was in his lettn-book. Indeed he scarcely ever got a
reply to any of his communications.

By Sir John Pakington—During all the winter
months he never received any forage in advance from
the ships.
At the desire of the chairman the noble lord here read
another letter addressed to the Quartermaster-General
referring to the pressing want of rations, and especially

forage.
Chairman—What was the tenour of the replies you re-
ceived. Did they admit the justice of your complaints 7
Lord Lucan—Undoubtedly. They could not deny
that ; but the inconvenience was never altered.
Examination continued by the Chairman—He had
had to comph,in of the supply of provisions to his own
division, it was true—but as far as the army generally
was concerned, no army, he believed, was ever, on the
whole, better fed. That remark, however, applied to
Bulgaria. The supply was not so regular in the
Crimea. They had fresh meat up to the sth of
November, but subsequently to that date it was nearly
always salt. In the Crimea his men suffered very much
in their feet for the want of boots and shoes, and their
clothing got thin and scanty ; but in the middle of Dec.
fresh clothing began to be served out. Amongst other
articles was a jacket which was very warm and comfort-
able. On the ISth October he requested Lord Raglan"
permission to send some of his non-commissioned officers
for certain articles which the men required ; but they
did not get any, in consequence of Captain Christie
being unable to find them a passage until after the
storm. They then proceeded and fulfilled their mis-
sion, but then they found that Admiral Boxer
could not send them back, and consequently they did
not return for a month. This occasioned the men much
unnecessary suffering and hardship.

The Chairman— Did you complain respecting this ?
Lord Lucan replied that he did not, for he thought
there would be no use in it.
By Mr. Layard—lle had inspected the French cavalry.
They had depots of forage until lately, when they bad
at the end of January. Y Were short of forage
to go to Kamiesh Bay for it. The

Mr. Layard—Did you hear what was the reason of
that
Lord Lucan—They complained that it arose from the
fact that the English Commissary-General did not fulil
his engagement in repaying them the forage they had
lent to us. When he first went to Balaklava there were
stacks of hay there, which were made use of.
Mr. Layard—Were nose bags, clothing, and similar
conveniences supplied to the cavalry for the use of the
horses I
Lord Lucan replied that in these respects the difficul-
ties he had to encounter were continual, as nothing of
the kind could be got. A vast quantity of forage was
wasted from the fact of there being no nose bags, and the
horses, of course, materially suffered from the want of
clothing and exposure. He did not think the cavalry
ought to be dependent upon their own exertions for for-
age when beyond three miles of the stores. Whoa
en-
camped on the heights from the 14th day of Novem-
ber, the heavy brigade drew- the whole of their
forage. The horses suffered much from that kind of
work, and especially from being kept waiting at
at one
employed at
first
Bala-
klava, in consequence of the men being unable to find
forage. The town was three miles and a half from their
position.rnete
fThihngup ammunition division wereand
only
forage—but
time every available horse was called into requisition to
am horsesirii tion
nary provisions to the front of the camp.
Mr. Layard—Can you 011 the committee what was
the effective strength of your division in 111011 and horses
about the beginning of October.
Lord Lucan—The heavy brigade had on the Bth Oc-
tober, 884 horses fit for duty, and 23 sick or lame. The
Light Brigade Lad about 1,000 horses ; but that
brigade was very sickly.
Mr. Layard—Can you inform the committee what
effecti7e force you had on the let January !
Lord Lucan—l had 1,153 horses, including both bri-
gades. He lost 1,100 horses between those periods. A
number were killed in the action at Balaklava, and
others he considered were sacrificed to overwork and
short forage. He represented to Lord Raglan the pro-
priety of obtaining baggage mules from Asia Minor.
In reply to Mr. Layard, his lordship said he bad ad-
dressed a letter to the Adjutant-General on the subject,
and, at the request of the same gentleman, he proceeded
to road it. In this communication the noble lora. cow-