The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-11 00:00:00

OUR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, Nov. 24.
Scarcely had the ink dried on the paper of my
last letter before the weather, which I had been
praising for its extraordinary fineness, suddenly
changed, and with a rapidity of transition only
known in the Crimea, as far as I am aware, rushed
from summer to winter. A strong wind, which
varied in direction several times before it settled
down to a southerly gale, commenced on the after-
noon of Saturday. Rain fell during the night ; to-
day it is falling in torrents, with every appearance
of holding out ; the verge of the plateau is con-
cealed by the dense veil of drifting clouds ; the
ground is converted into the thick compost so fami-
liar to us last winter ; the camp is covered with
pools of water, and the gullies and drains are filled
with the rushing waters. But this rain is welcome
to us, for the scarcity of water, which I ventured
to predict many months ago and which sanitary
commissioners and great philosophers proved to
their own satisfaction to be impossible, had become
a serious inconvenience for some time past. If one
was so fortunate as to get water to wash his fac'e,
the proceeding was " a mockery, a delusion, and a
snare," inasmuch as the medium through which it
was performed was a thick pea-soup coloured fluid,
churned up from the bottom of the wells. The
Fourth Division suffered considerably from this
cause, and no one who has not actually endured the
discomforts consequent upon the announcement of
" no water to-day" can form a notion of the trouble,
delay, and difficulty of supplying the want. The
army is getting into better shape and form every
day. Excellent warm clothing has been issued to
the men, and so uniform is it in style that no one
can distinguish officers from men, unless by the dif-
ference of style and bearing. Our allies are asto-
nished at the profuseness of our military wardrobe,
which not only contains a waterproof suit, helmet
and all, but fur coats and caps, cowhide boots,
tweed coats lined with cat or rabbit skin, &c., and,
for the officers, suits of sealskin, sold at moderate
prices. The French only receive from their Govern-
ment an ordinary cloth capote, and must buy any
waterproofs or furs which they may find necessary.
The sheepskin coats of last year are not in much
favour ' • they have a very high odour, and are
found to be extremely sought after as residences by
objectionable insects of predatory habits. The huts
blown down by the explosion are nearly rebuilt,
but the extent of canvas-covering which is still
visible over the camp would astonish those who
imagine all the troops are within wooden walls.
However, a good double tent well pitched and dug
out is more comfortable for one man than most huts
would be, as it is extremely difficult to stanch the
latter, and the former is always sure to be air and
watertight. For a .sergeant's guard, however, a
tent is very uncomfortable, because there can be
no fireplace in it which would not expose some of
the inmates to be roasted, and stoves are found to
smoke with 'wood and coal, and to be dangerous
with charcoal. The cookhouses offer guarantees
for the health of the men, and with the blessing of
Heaven the army will not suffer any serious detri-
ment from the severities of this climate, although
it would be too much to expect entire freedom from
some kind of privations on the part of an army can-
toned on the open ground during a Crimean winter.

MONDAY.—the -weather, ever capricious in the
Crimea, is varying and mutable beyond descrip-
tion. The morning was obseure, but about three
o'clock the wind hauled round from west north-
west to north, and brought with it a clearer atmos-
phere and intense cold. But the cold for the time
being got rid of the mud—that horrible, sticky,
abominable, clinging, slippery combination of
earth and water which drives cleanly tent-owners
mad, which defies Crimean scrapers, and makes
pedestrians walk on impromptu stilts, which dis-
appear and collect at every half-dozen steps. But
to-morrow's sun, if there be any, will deprive us
of this cold comfort, and will make men think
twice before they ride out to Kamiesh or Bala-
klava. The roads are not yet settled down, al-
though a good deal of traffic has been driven upon
them by the mud, acid the country is as unfavour-
able to the progression of man or beast as it usually
is about this time of year in these parts of the
world. The roads, indeed, even now, when we
have no trenches, no prospects of attack, no want
of labour—the roads are even now objects of much
interest to us all. The whistling locomotives on
the railway—the Alliance, the Victory—which re-
call to us the familiar sounds of Wolverhampton or
of Didcot, and make us believe for the moment we
are in a civilised country, are not to be taken as
material guarantees for the possession of material
comforts in the coming winter. Trains may lee
snowed up in the Crimea as in England, and, de-
spite the efforts of Land Transport and Commis-
sariat, supplies of certain articles cannot be accu-
mulated in any large proportion to the wants of the
army at the divisional depots. What do you think
of 310 sheep being killed in one day for a single
division of the army, and of that division requiring
100 more sheep to bo sacrificed before they had
" their pound of flesh " and their full allowance of
meat rations ? But these roads are very good and
give no just ground for apprehension of failure,
although it is the habit of some persons either to
sneer at them as being too Romanesque in gran-
deur and solidity, or to prophesy their dissolution
in the winter. Mr. Beatty, with small means at
his command, has placed the railway on au excellent
basis, as far as wood, iron, and stone can secure it.
The soundness of his judgment in laying out the
line is confirmed by Mr. Doynes' adoption of a
course very nearly parallel to it throughout for the
grand main road between Balaklava and the camp,
a tribute which has not been however unattended
by evils, inasmuch as the parallelism has given rise
to fears that the proximity of the one may interfere
with the safe working of the other. Mr. Beatty
goes home immediately, if, indeed, he has not
already gone, and I much regret that he has been
obliged to, retire from a post in which he rendered
services not only to the army collectively, but to
many individuals in it, who will always retain a
deep sense of his kindness and friendly assistance
in times of domestic difficulty about huts and
transports. Already the mud is beginning to tell
upon our animals. I saw no less than seven dead
mules and horses in one little gully crossing the
line of transport yesterday. Melancholy quadru-
peds, with sere backs and rib-developed flanks,
whom nobody cares to own, begin even thus early
to wander disconsolately about the camp and to
crawl to the lee of sheltering walls. The Russians,
having made good roads between their camps, and
having established themselves comfortably on the
other side of the Tchernaya, seem resolved to give
us an uneasy time of it in Sebastopol, and never
ceased firing to-day from one end of the Bay to
the other. I v( ntured to express an opinion al-
most immediately after the capture of the south
side, that the enemy's preparations indicated the
intention of wintering where they lay. We have
been all too prone, not only in England, but out
here, to calculate on advantages to be gained by
the privations to which the enemy would be ex-
posed, or by imaginary wants to which they were
likely in our opinion to be subjected. But the Rus-
sian is well supplied with all munitions of war and
with the means of subsistence. The whole strength

of the empire has been devoted to the supplies of
the Crimean army, and-the Russian General no
doubt calculates on the concentration of such a
force in the Crimea next spring as will enable him
to meet the allies in every point which they may
assail, knowing that Perekop is unassailable by a
large force, owing to the want of water, and to its
geographical posit ion, and that no army can ope-
rate in the rear of his position in consequence of
the nature of the country.
It is not because St. Vladimir was converted in
the Crimea that Prince Gortschakoff holds Mac-
kenzie's Farm and the plateau of the Belbek and
Tchernaya. But he knows, that until he is dis-
lodged the allies are paralysed, and that they can
establish no safe basis of operations against Nico-
laieff or Chersou while he is at Simpberopol, for it
would be contrary to common sense to leave such
an army in their rear and flank. He hopes, there-
fore, either to be able to hold the Crimea next
campaign, or to be able to make such dispositions
in the event of a great defeat as will insure the safe
retreat of his army by Perekop and Tchongar, and
perhaps by a third road, of the existence of which
across the Sivash there are very strong indications.
The electric telegraph has kindly aided him.in es-
tablishing himself all the more securely, for the ru-
mour of a Russian attack, to which it gave official
weight prevented the occupation of Kaffa and the
destruction of Arabat this autumn ; and who can
say how the country behind Theodosia (Kaffa) will
be seamed with batteries should we try a descent
next spring ? Talk of the harm done by newspaper
con wipondects compared with that which has been
done by the electric telegraph! The first expedition
to Kertch, the despatch of the Highlanders to Eu-
patoria, and the expedition to the Kaffa were all
prevented by our electric batteries at London and
Paris, and it is very questionable if they did not
do the allies more harm than the Russian guns.
The French were, indeed, adverse to the Kaffa
movement, and Admiral Bruat was, it appears,
more especially opposed to it ; but there is no rea-
son to doubt that it would have been successful,
and the occupation of that place and the destruc-
tion of Arabat, would have most materially com-
plicated the difficulty of the Rassian position, and
contributed to the strength of the allies.

6 P.M.

The north batteries have been playing on the
south side with little intermission all day. This
forenoon they opened a cannonade on the French
near the little Redan, from the 12-gun battery at
Inkerman, and dispersed some working parties, but
did them no harm. They have kept up a fire ever
since at the rate of two guns a minute on the towns
and on the docks ; and as they direct their fire on
the houses, it would seem as though they wished to
knock over those buildings which would afford
cover to the allies. Nevertheless, the working
parties continue the process of demolition.

TUESDAY.

Last night the cold increased, and a hard frost
set in. The thermometer fell to 18 deg. this morn-
ing, and may have been lower dining the night.
The water in bottles in my hut froze, oil thi,lened,
and wine became muddy, opaque, and filled with
spicula of ice. It is now snowing, and the camp is
of dazzling whiteness. There would be every pros-
pect of the snow continuing if we could judge from
the appearance of the atmosphere. The enemy
have renewed their fire this murning. It would
seem as if they had received orders not to let the
allies remain in the town. Our batteries do not
reply, and beyond the annoyance to which our men
are exposed, it does not much signify whether the
Russians waste or save their powder and shot, as
they do no real damage.

CAMP OF THE ALLIED ARMIES ON
THE TCHERNAYA, Nov. 20.
For the last two days, especially on Sunday, we
had for the first time something approaching to
last year's November weather—strong south-
westerly winds, low heavy banks of clouds, sharp
snowers of rain, and real Crimean mud. But this
avant-garde of winter, so formida'ale last year, has
ceased to inspire fear and apprehension, especially
as regards this part of our position. All the
Highlanders are in huts, so are the Piedmontese
and the French at Baidar. The French on the
Fedukhine height; are indeed still under canvas,
but not under the tentes d'abri. They have got a
great number of Turkish double tents, which, if
properly screwed, are water-tight, while the poles,
made of one solid piece of wood, resist any wind,
as was proved last year in the gale of the 14th of
November. Even these tents, however, are gra-
dually disappearing. As it is, more than three-
fourths of the allied armies on this side are in com-
fortable shelter, whence they can brave storm and
rain. There is no want of provisions either. The
Highland Division has not, in this respect, been
behind the other English divisions on the plateau
of Sebastopol, as every one can see from far when
he reaches the church of Kamara—now a Piedmon-
tese magazine. Pyramids of biscuit sacks, rows of
barrels with salt meat anal rum, piles of corn and
hay, are striking evidences of the foresight and
diligence exhibited in collecting ample stores for
the winter, especially as the brushwood abounding
all around dispenses with the transport of that im-
portant item—fuel. The Sardiniansaud the French,
not including those at Baidar, have not thought it
necessary to form large stores ; they send to flair
depots at Be.laklava and Kakiloi.
In the Sardinian army the soldiers have always
two days rations in hand, and every battalion has
to provide for the transport from the depots, which,
while active operations are going on, are always
supposed to be at the distance of halfa day's march
Th3ir system of transport differs, in this way, en-
tirely from the French. To the French army the
" train' forms a distinct body, not permanently
attached to any division or regiment. The whole
care of providing for the army rests on it, without
any participation of the regiments or divisions.
Only when a body of men is detached from the
hulk of the army, at too great a distance to be
daily provided for from the depots, a certain pro-
portion of the train is attached to it.
In the Sardinian army, on the contrary, each
battalion has a certain number of carts and baggage
animals permanently attached to it. This
regula-
tion is of course only calculated for warfare in tl e
civilised countries of Europe, with numbers of vil-
P lages and good roads, where no tents are required ;
five two-wheeled carts form the complement of each
battalion ; one of these is destined to carry the
officers' luggage, and the rest are for the troops.
The Piedmontese officers, having no bat horses, as
in the. English army, are allowed one chest of 3
feet by 2 to carry their things in ; 24 of these chests,
the number of officers in a battalion, fit exactly in
one of these covered carts, drawn by two mules,
besides the three days' rations for the officers,
which the soldier has to carry with him. In con-
sequence of the peculiar circumAances which must
prevail in a campaign in such an inhospitable
country as the Crimea, this ratio has been augment-
ed, and two carts are now allowed for the officers
of each battalion. But notwithstanding this aug-
mentation, and the fact that the Corps del Trono
has to transport the officers' baggage, you will be
surprised to hear that the Piedmontese army out
here require only 1,200 baggage animals.
There is no doubt that the Emperor Alexander
has visited the Crimea. He arrived on the Bth
inst. in Simpheropol. The reviews of the troops
cannot have given him much satisfaction, for, if
the acconnts of deserters may be trusted, they are
by no means in a brilliant state. The regiments,
they say, are so reduced that most of them have
been melted down to two battalions, and, if the
orders which have been given to send 20 men from
each c smpany into the interior to instruct recruits
are carried out, some regiments will altogether dis•
sappier. The 33d infantry Regiment, Borodynsky,
belonging to the 17th division—a regiment which
took part in the battles of Alma and Inkerman—
has already had an order to that effect. It will be
incorporated or rather divided among the other
regiments of the division, with the promise that it
should be reformed in time; of peace. The artillery
seems not to be much better
off than the infantry,
especially that pact of it which is in front on the
plateau. One deserter says that the horses were in
such wretched condition when the Emperor re-
viewed them that he reprimanded the colonel pub-
licly. The consequence was that the batteries,
which were reviewed the next day on some other
point, had the best artillery horses brought up for
the occasion from the batteries in the rear, where
the horses were in better condition, having been
less exposed and fatigued.
The field artillery, which is on the plateaux in
front of the Russian position, is, it is stated, only
waiting for the first rains, when all danger of an
attack. from the allies is supposed to cease, in order
to retire from their exposed position into the in-
terior, where they can shelter their lames. If this
be true, it would imply that the whole time while
we were putting off expeditions and parading every
morning in order to be ready to receive the Rus-
sians those latter made similar preparations. There
is another circumstance which strengthens this sup-
position not a little, and this is—that the Russian
inhabitants of Simpheropol were, some time after
the fall of Sebastopol, invited to abandon the place
and to retire into the interior of Russia—a thing
which many of them actually did in the expects
tion of an attack from the allied armies. It would
he a curious, and, perhaps, not altogether unprofit-
able question, to inquire which party was more
justified in its apprehensions; at any rate, the
Russians reaped the benefit of our ludicrous, but
rather expensive fight with shadows.
The official announcement from St. Petersburg,
which we saw in one of your last numbers that the
Russian army in the Crimea provided with pro-
visions for eight months is,if not literally, at least
to a certain extent, borne out by information.