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

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-
MITTEE.

[A portion of the following appeared in our first edi-

tion of yesterday.]
The inquiry was resumed this morning at the usual
hour.
There was, as usual, quite a crush for the occupation
of the space assigned to the public.
The first witness called was Colonel Kinlock.
In reply to Mr. Drummond, he stated that he had
suggested to Lord Cardigan and Lord Raglan that mules
night be advantageously purchased in Spain for the use
of the army. He `was told that the plan was very
good, but very expensive. That was in March.
Throe months afterwards, however, he was sent

for by the Treasury, and was ordered to proceed
to Spain for the purpose of collecting mules ;
and he succeeded in purchasing 500 at 241. 10s. each.
The estimate he had previously given to the Treasury
was 301. each. The first 300 of them were embarked at
Barcelona, 14 days after they were bought ; the others
remained there from September until the middle of Be-

ember. He could not state at what cost they were
maintained during that period, as the commissariat kept
the accounts.

Mr. Ellice—How many mules could you have
obtained ?

Witness—As many as I chose.
By Mr. Layard—He superintended the embarkation
of the mules, and he believed the delay in the transport
arose from defects in the service. They had a good
supply of forage on the voyage.
Major-General the Earl of Cardigan was next called
upon for examination.

In reply to the chairman, he stated that he com-
manded the Light Cavalry Brigade, and joined them at
Scutari in May hat. He arrived after two portions of
hie regiments had come, but they had not all arrived.
They went from thence to Varna about the 3d June ;
but there was no particular provision made there for the
reception of the troops. He thought there were great
defects in the system of disembarking cavalry—it ought
to be improved. The weather was fine when they were
there. Forage had arrived for the horses. They encamped
outside the town, but removed from there i❑ a few days.
We went to Devna. Whilst there sickness broke out
amongst the troops, but the brigade he commanded was
most fortunate in this respect, and did not suffer mate-
rially.
Chairman—What was the encampment at Devna
The Earl of Cardigan—lt was very good, and very
near some water. There were then four regiments of

cavalry and some of horse artillery—in all about 1,200
men. They had plenty of room for all purposes. Ile
could not attribute the sickness of the men from crowding.
Chairman—Was there any difference in the position
of your men when sickness broke out from what it was

before?
The Earl of Cardigan—None whatever. He lost 50 or
60 men in a very short time. His men were well sup-
plied with fresh meat, and bread, and biscuits. The
bread was at first very bad ; but he complained to head-
quarters, and it improved. The brigade afterwards re-
turned to Varna fur embarkation for the Crimea ; and
for the time encamped on favourable ground. It was
laid to be a healthy spot, but he feared not, as there
were reports that the proximity of the lake was preju-
dicial. The embarkation was conducted with facility,
and without accident, by means of rafts. On arriving in
the Crimea the disembarkation was also well conducted,
and in man-of-war boat,.
Chairman—l believe the weather was very bad when
you arrived
Earl of Cardigan—Yes, it was. The directions given
to the men, however, were to go on shore without
their tents. He was sent by order of Lord Raglan
to cut off an advance of Russian cavalry supposed to be
proceeding from Odessa, but he heard nothing of them,
and returned to the camp very late, and the men had to
bivoiack in the open air. They arrived at Balaklava on
tke 2dth September. After the battle of the Alma they
remained on the ground two days, to bury the
dead, and they then marched 'onwards. We lost
no men at Alma ; they were exposed to fire, but were
not called into action. All the forage"that could be pro-
cured was provided for his brigade in the Crivaea at first,
but after the action at Balaklava the supply was by no
means so good. Just previously to Inkerman great
want of forage existed. He attributed this to the great
difficulties which had to be encountered in bringing it
up from Balaklava. 400 horses had to be shot after the
charge at Balaklava„ and 360 were killed in that action.
At first there was no great sickness amongst the men,
but after November they suffered greatly.
Chairman—How were they supplied with provisions r
Earl of Cardigan—Up to the time he left the Crimea
in December he had beard of no complaints in this re
spect. They had hospital tents attached to the brigade,
but they were not very well adapted to the purpose. The
horses suffered, during November, very much from ex-
posure. As to medical attendance, so far as his brigade
was concerned lie never heard of a deficiency. There
were two coumissaried attached to- the brigade ; and
they exerted themselves to the utmost, and discharged
their duties very efficiently. When he left the clothing
of the men was becoming very ragged and worn out.
No winter clothing had arrived. Some persons
bad been sent to Constantinople in November to
obtain winter clothing for his men, but when he
arrived there he found them still there ; not having suc-
ceeded in accomplishing the object of their mission. He
believed it was at first supposed that the troops would
not winter in the Crimea. The weather then had become

♦ery bad.
The Chairman—At that time had the men a change
of clothing
The Earl of Cardigan—The men landed in patrol
order ; that was with a blanket and a spare shirt, an;
were ordered to leave their valises behind. Those who
subsequently obtained the latter were better off than
those who were not so fortunate. The valises were left
behind to relieve the horses of the weight. The horses,
however, were in excellent condition, and the weight of
the valises had been diminished, many articles having
been lef, out.
MI:, Ellice—Do you think, then, it would have inter-
fereri with the efficiency of the horses if they had car-
ried the valises!
Lord Cardigan—MY opinion is that it would not.
The condition of the men as to boots and shoes when he
left was very bad in-deed.
By General Peel—lt was not until after the battle
of Inkerman that it was generally understood that
the army 'was. to winter in the Crimea. He
should say it -would scarcely be possible for horses
to exist throu,thout a Crimean winter without a proper
supply of hay f.irage.
In reply too Mr. Ellice, his lordship said he had no-
ticed the filf,hy condition of the town and harbour of
Balak/ara ; -and stated that he understood the Turks

were ealledL upon to clean the former, but that there was

Rome obj ection to their having been so employed
They we re .a,fterwarde offered pay for their labour, bu

without producing any effect. No attempt whilst be
was the re was made to clean out the harbour ; but he
should tfr _link it might have been cleaned out in a couple
of day a Capt. Christie, he believed, was considered as
the (a lief authority in the harbour. The system
which prevailed in the harbour, however, was in contra-
"' of all order or regularity. Whilst Capt. Chris-
ti and his staff were supposed to command the harbour
d to have the management of all vessels in it, they
aefnmed to be subject to the orders of any man-of-war
-*leo might come into the port.
Mr. Ellice—Are you aware that large amounts of
sitores and forage came in transport vessels to Balaklava,
'inel went away again and made one or two trips back-
-wards and forwards before discharging their cargoes ?
Lord Cardigan replied that he was aware of such hav-
ing been the case. A. vessel laden partially with boots
came and went away in this manner ; but he could not
say positively whether this was at the time when the men
wasted boots most—but they were always needful. As
far as his own opinion went he thought an officer with
full powers of control and sole authority ought to be
stationed at Balaklava to manage the harbour.
Mr. Ellice--Then you are of opinion that the pesti-
ferous state of the port of Balaklava and the deficiency
in the stores was attributable to the absence of any „c_
trol or individual authority ?
Lord Cardigan-4 am clearly of that opinion.
By Mr. Layard.—The horses could have subsisted on
Chopped straw and barley as well as hay. The Turkish
cavalry subsisted upon hay and by green food. It might
not be prudent to depend upon supplies of hay
Irene
home when a protracted campaign was anticipated.
officers' horses were covered at night but it c; as with cloth-
ing purchased at their own expense—the others were of
c.,urse exposed at their pickets. When he left he was
not aware that any huts had been erecto,l for the shelter
of the horses. He did not think any old sails procured
from the ships would have made very useful covering for
horses. He constantly saw Commissary-Generae.l Filder.
He never came to the brigade to see what was wanted. He
(Lord Cardigan) did not conceive it to be Lis duty. When
he left the horses were not in a fit state for active service.
A number of Russian horses were given to the light
cavalry, but were not used long on account of their
being not sufficiently active for cavalry purposes.
They were, however, used for draught horses, for which
they were more adapted. The original strength of the