The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-08 00:00:00

A TURKISH RECONNAISSANCE.

•
FOURTH DIVISION CAMP, APRIL 24.—A reconne.issanc
was made by a strong division of Turkish troops under the
command of his Excellency Omar Pasha, assisted by
French and English cavalry and artillery, this morning.
The particulars of the affair you will learn from another
hand ; but as there was an English force present, I may be
allowed to give my own version of what took place under my
eyes. Late last night, or rather early this morning, orders
were sent to the head-quarters of the Heavy Cavalry Bri-
gade and to the C troop of the Royal Horse Artillery to
be in readiness to turn out at daybreak, and the 10th Hus-
sars (Brigadier-General Parlby, of the Light Cavalry in 1
temporary command of the Cavalry Division, during Gene-
ral Scarlett's absence) received similar instructions. The
Chasseura d'Afrique and a French rocket troop for moun-
tain service, accompanied the reconnaissance, and ren-
dered excellent service during the day. The Heavy
Cavalry Brigade, ~consisting of the remnants of the
let Royals, Major Wardlaw • Scots Greys, Colonel
Griffith ; Euniskillens, Colonel White ; 4th (Royal Irish)
Dragoon Guards ; and sth (Princess Charlotte's) Dragoon
Guards, turned out about 5 o'clock, and, with the 10th
Hussars in advance, proceeded into the pla.n of Balaklava,
the heights over which were already crown ad by the Turk-
ish infantry to the number of some 6,0(0 or 7,000 men,
and before 7 o'clock the whole of the trout 3 were in motion
towards Komara. The Chasseurs d'Afr vie were in ad-
vance, with a line of skirmishers spread cat in front of the
little expedition. The French rocket troop and C troop
Royal Horse Artillery, and the 10th Hussars and Heavy
Cavalry Brigade covered the advance of the infantry ; and
as the morning was fine and clear, the sight presented by
the troops as seen advancing across the plain from the
heights was very beautiful. So little was known about the
reconnaissance, that many officers at head-quarters were
not aware of it till they learnt that Lord Raglan, attended
by a few members of the staff, and followed by only six
orderlies, had started to overtake the troops. General
Canrobert was, I believe, on the field, but I did not see
him. A great number of amateurs, forming clouds of very
irregular cavalry, followed and preceded the expedition.
His Excellency the Pacha, who was attended by his staff,
by Behrem Pacha (Colonel Cannon), and several Turkish
officers of rank, had the control of the force.
The Turks marched in dense columns, bristling with
steel, and the sunlight flashing on the polished barrels of
their firelocks and on their bayonets, relieved the sombre.
hue of the mass, for their dark blue uniforms, but little re-
lieved by facings or gay shoulder straps and cuffs, look
quite black when the men are together. The Chasseurs
d'Aftique, clad in light powder blue jackets, with white
cartotteh belts, and in bright red pantaloons, mount
ol
on white Arabs, caught the eye like a bed of flowers
scattered over the plain. Nor did the rich verdure indeed
require any such borrowed beauty, for the soil produces an
abundance of wild flowering shrubs and beautiful plants.
Dahlias, anemones, sweetbrier, whitethorn, wild parsley,
mint, thyme, sage, asparagus, and a hundred other diffe-
rent citizens of the vegetable kingdom spring up all over
the plain, and as the Turkish infantry moved along their
feet crushed the sweet flowers, and the air was filled with
delicate odours, which overcame the sweltering atmos-
phere around the columns. Rectangular patches of long,
rank, rich grass, waving high above the more natural green
meadow, marked the mounds where the slain of the 25th
of October are reposing for ever, and the snorting horse
refuses the unwholesome shoots. As the force moved on
evidences of that fatal and glorious day became thick and
painful. The skeleton of an English Dragoon, said to be
ono of the Royals, lay still extended on the plain, with
tattered bits of red cloth hanging to the bones of his arms.
All the buttons had been cut off the jacket. The man must
have fallen early in the day, when the heavy cavalry were
close up to Canrobert's hill and came under the fire of the
Russian artillery. There was also a Russian skeleton
at hand in ghastly companionship. The small bullet-skull,
round as a cannon-ball, had been picked bare all save thescalp, which was still covered with grisly red locks.
grave, which
ofFur-
theran
another
amiderß usfsriaagnan
seeenmtsoodfssthaerltlisnagnodutroonfntteshot, thewbhoiclehy
fell in
oo
fv covered
artilleryh i s
andlextremities.oweera,el
ry hoe
scarcelyskeletons
ting trappings, harness, and saddles, lay as
w into a debris
the agonies of death, or had crumbled
s
cloth, and buckles.
of bone and skin, and leather straps, covered Thaee htah
they
yith rot-
ting
had started up through the
which they had been buried.
From the numerous graves, the
against the haste with
and the shrill strains of the
he
oohed :zeds
ebiofn eta()
appealof the
With the clash of drums
.ts
and
ringing
of steel, man
gfellows
oifn
the
fife, with the champing bits
the pride of life. No
of the Heavy
and horse swept over thetotfhe remnantsleast i interesting rtehs teiinr
the scene of their grand encounter
with over
spectacle was furnished by the relics
Brigade
the Muscovite cavalry. Snots Greys and Enniskilr-
lens, Royals, 4th Dragoon Guards and sth Dragoon Guards,
all had been there; and the survivors might well feel proud
when they thought of that day. These regiments were not
rather
think
,s havesee-
ing
larger than troops, and some of them, indeed, were not
nearly equal in strength to a troop on war footing, for some
of their men have been sent away fcr remount' hore
that t h
ewhichhorses
might a civilianas
well, as
n would
been brought up to them), and others of the men who were
left have no horses to mount. The 10th Hussars were con-
the finescondition for the soof their light sinewy
As the force descended into g
the plain thaenydexsilteonwydedhotrhseeisr.
right flank, and marched towards Kamera, spreading
across the grouted in front of Canrobert's-hill from No. 2
Turkish Redoubt up to the slope which leads to the ruined
village. A party
in slrmishing ordocfr, d o
Turkishao infantry followed the cavalry
a approaching the village the

cehunn immediately in their rear halted, and Bono Zghnn
proceeded with- great activity to cover the high woodect
hill which overhangs the village to the right. This they
did without resistance, as the few Cossacks in the village
had abandoned it after Brine a few straggling shots at the
advanced skirmishers. One fellow had been so completely
taken by surprise that he left his lance leaning against a
wall. An officer of the 71st espied it just as the Cossack
was making a bolt for it. They both rode their
best, but the Briton was first, and carried off the
lance in triumph, while the Cossack retreated with
effective pantomime, representing rage and despair.
I am told that the Turks discovered a wretched man
armed with a bow and arrows, who said he was a Tcher-
gess, lurking among the ruins of the village, and that he
be-
lieve ea h-nee ar
was escapeindeed of nssolldi fiee,r.a s
Itnh the
additionOsmanli t wouldom Ibonwo t
abned-
wisevce°retsee-breeathet
yI looked into
arrowsa,dhdeecdawr riitehd
aa quaintrtr
id ge cartridges.
pid istol,
not,, an dhoh
l been
there by covered
tmwheaesn,
church,w and
the ly report
floor o thisf w
an inch in depth with copper money, thrown
The simple faith of the poor people in the protection of
hifcrrhadhefaernier
bat the Cossaske
inhabitants when the expedition first came to Baleklatva.he
their church had not been violated by us,
and
was to be seen, and the church was bare and desolate,
t even to the woodwork. The
appeared to have had no such scruples, for not a copeck
stripped of every adornment ,
burrowed here and there into the stores, and had made
rest of the place is a heap of ruins, but the Cossacks have
sleeping places and stables in the walls of the houses. As
soon as the Turks on the right had gained the summit of
the hill above Damara, three of the columns advanced and
took possession of the ruins, and then drew up on the slope
in front of the church. A few men were sent farther on
towards Bailor,
but could see no enem and they ycon-
tented themselves with burning a building which the Cos."
,
sacks had left standing, the smoke from which led some
of us to believe that a little skirmish was going on among
btherrte,es- column halted
sides a t o
the hills. Meantime the great bulk of the force,
leaving
flCwahmiachra.amrearecohveedredonjtash thee awnroig.•
wanes of the Russians--.some
were partially burnt when _recent, others those which
en Liprandi retired last year.
They passed by the old Turkish redoubts Nos. 1 and
2 towards a very steep and rocky
conical
bill covered with loose stones, n
the Russians threw up a ofear the top of which
assembled on the top of this hill to
high. A group of Cossacks and some
and watch our movements. As the Tnrulrkisisahn
relia
examine a ourb° u
strength2Thad-
sokirmflicersishers
advanced, the French rocket troop a
The Turks ascended the hill with ardour Ile .e.ctlh themi
agility, firing their pieces as they advanced, to which the
Cossacks replied by a petty fusillade. Suddenly an arch
of thick white smoke rises from the ground with a farce,
hissing, rushing noise, and throws itself like a great snake
towards the crest of the hill—as it flies onward the smoke
disappears and the fiery trail is lost, but. in a second a puff
of smoke bursts out with a slight explosion on the hill top
and the Cossacks and Russians disappear with precipitation.
In fact, the French had begun their rocket practice with
great accuracy and success. Nothing can be better for
such work as this than these light rocket troops. The ap-
paratus is simple and portable—a few mules, with panniers
on each side, carry the whole of the tubes, cases, sticks,
fuses, &c., and the effect of rockets, though uncertain, is
very great, especially against irregular and ill-disciplined
cavalry. The skirmishers now crowned this hill also, and
the generals and officers of the staff, and numerous idlers
and amateurs, followed them. The Russians rode rapidly
down the hillside, and crossed the Tchernaya by the bridge
and at one or two fords near Tchorgoun. Omer Pacha,
Lord Raglan, and the French Generals then spent some
time in surveying the country, while the troops were halted
in the rear, the artillery and cavalry first, supported by
four battalions of Egyptians. At 2 o'clock the recon-
naissance was over, and the troops slowly retired to the
camp, the skirmishers of the French cavalry being fol-
lowed by the Cossacks at a prudent distance, and ex-
changing long shots with them from time to time. Before
the troops moved off the ground the 10th Hussars filed
past Omer Pacha, who seemed very much gratified and
pleased at the appearance of men and horses. He then in-
spected his own battalions, and on the march homeward
followed the Turks, moving off in good style to the music
of their own bands, to the great distress of those who heard
them. As the Cossacks returned they managed to pick up
one of our followers, and I only wonder they did not get
more of them, for they loitered about the place in spite of
all remonstrance. The man they took was, I believe, a
commissariat mule driver. A few of the French Chasseurs
made a charge to get him from his captors, but the Cos-
sacks were too quick. In the twinkling of an eye one of
them had hoisted up the muleteer to his saddle and lashed
him there across the bow, and, setting spurs to his horse,
he was lost to sight in a ravine in a few seconds. The
Cossacks fired some shots at the troops as they retired but
hit no one, and a Russian officer and his staff came so
close to observe us that they got under the fire of a battery
over the Woronzow road, and received a flight of rockets,
but were not hurt. Altogether, the reconnaissance was a

in:st welcome and delightful interlude in the dull, mono-
tonous "performances" of the siege. Every one felt as if
ho had beaten the Cossacks and got out of prison at last,
and I never saw more cheering, joyous faces at a cover side
than were to be seen at Canrobort's-hill. It was a fillip to
our spirits to get a gallop across the green sward once more,
and to escape from the hateful feeling of constraint and
confinement which bores us to death in the camp. A little
expedition of the kind now and then would be of more use
to the men, if it could be properly managed, than a cargo
of physic.

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY, MAY 7.—The hired
sailing transport Camperdowu (No. 99), Captain
Denny, with Lieutenant Lewis, Admiralty agent,
has anchored at Spithead from the Mauritius and
the Cape, with a ,portion of her Majesty's 15th
Regiment, consistilag of Lieutenant-Colonel Pin-
der, Captain Hague, Lieutenants Walmsley, Cow-
per, and Allen, Surgeon Dyce, Paymaster Tilgh-
man, Ensign and Adjutant Coupe, Quartermaster
Stratford, 13 sergeants, 10 corporals, 7 drummers,
and 209 rank and file; also six children of two
officers, 19 soldiers' wives, and 42 children.
She has also..hrought Major Morris Hall, of the
6th Regiment, from Ceylon, and about 40.mvalids
from the 37th Regiment.
She had ten deaths at sea.
The Camperdown sailed from Colombo on the
21st of January, and from the Cape of. Good Hope
on the 9th of March. All was quiet in the latter
colony. The Governor, Sir G. Grey, returned to
Cape Town on the 9th of March from his journey
to the upper country, and was shortly to open the
Colonial Parliament.

Her Majesty's ships Frolic and Hydra were in
Table Bay.

The Camperdown on the Bth of February spoke,
in lat. 21 deg. 4 min. S., long. 68 deg. 14 min. E.,
the Esperance, from China for London; on April
25th, in lat. 44 deg. 32 min., long. 17 deg. 51 min.,
the Xarifa, from Dublin for Barbadoes ; also the
Gondola, from the Mauritius for Queenstown ; the
Wellington, with invalids, from Bombay for Lon-
don ; and the Roman Emperor, from Calcutta for
London. On the 28th of April, in lat. 45 deg.
9 min., long. 14 deg. 59 min., the Speculation ;
on the 29th, in lat. 47 deg. 36 min., long. 14 deg.
13 min., the barque Gwalior.