The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, D

gation on board the ship in reference to certain
charges that had been made respecting a deficiency
of medical attendance and of medical comforts for
her wretched cargo, but the result is not known to
me. Many sick and invalided officers went down
in her, among others Colonel Lake, R.A., on his
way to England, and Captain Collings, 33d Regi-
ment, for Scutari. As the weather was fine to-day
great exertions were used to get up guns to the
front, and seven guns, 32 pounders, of 65 cwt.,
were dragged up by 20 horses to each carriage to
the artillery park, and will soon be transferred to
the front. Our advanced parallel, or rather a
trench, which has been continued by a single ap-
proach from the trench before the right attack, is
now within 300 yards of the earthwork of the Rus-
sian works, and is filled with our best riflemen.
i
It will not be possible to open embrasures n the
parapet owing to the nature of the ground.
The mortality among the Turks has now assumed
all the dimensions of a plague. Every sense was
offended and shocked by the display, day after day,
in the streets, of processions of men bearing half-
covered corpses on litters at the busiest hour of the
day, and Colonel Daveney at last busiest o
or
rather granted permission, that the Turks should
bury their dead on the hill-side, over the town.
Yesterday, ere evening, upwards of 70 bodies were
carried to their bong home, and deposited in
shallow graves, not above a few inches deep, and
were left with a shovelful or two of earth and
pebbles over them, as close together as they could
be packed. To-day the same process is going
on. The dead are frightful to look upon—ema-
ciated to the last degree, with the faces and
heads swollen and discoloured, and drops of blood
stealing down from nose and ear ; there they are,
lying out on ranks on the hill- side, while the living,
who seem soon about to follow them, dig their
graves. I can count thirty-five bodies already on
the ground, and it is early in the day ; over the
hill-sills come men bearing more litters. Ere
the body is interred the clothes are taken off
and laid at one side, an officer in attendance
decently washes the corpse with water, pours a little
of the same fluid down the throat, and composes the
limbs, and, after a few words of prayer, the Mussul-
man is placed beside his fellows. As the result of
such a mode of burial would be the outbreak of
some all-destroying pestilence, the Commandant of
the place has ordered it to be discontinued, and the
Turks must in future bury their dead outside the
town in the valley, in graves four feet deep.
DEC. s.—The whole of the works of our new
attack have been completed, and are now awaiting
their armament. Owing to the cessation of rain we
have been enabled to get up to the artillery park
five guns of position and three 13-inch mortars.
The scarcity of rations continues except among the
Guards, the Marines and Rifles on the heights, and
the Highland Brigade near the town of Balaklava..
Lieut.-Colonel de Butte, and his recently arrived
drafts for the Scots Fusilier Guards, are stationed
on the extreme French left, between St. George
and Cape Chersonese, and are engaged in the ma-
nufacture of gabions, there being abundance of
brushwood in the neighbourhood. This detach-
ment is about eight miles from the head-quarters
of the Guards on our right.
While the army is in such a state of prostration
from the want of officers that serious consequences
would ensue if we had not a reserve of able and ex-
perienced men of every grade at home, it is matter
of great congratulation that a. general so distin-
guished, energetic, and skilful as Major-General
Pennefather has every chance of recovering from
the serious illness under which he bas been labour-
ing. He has been brought down to Balaklava from
the camp, and I am told his medical men think
there is nothing to apprehend, and that he will
before long be restored to the division he so ably
commands. The number of applications sent to
Lord Raglan for leave to retire, to sell out, or
to go on half-pay, is said to be very great. The
Duke of Wellington had to contend against the
same evil in Spain. It is said, but Ido not know
whether there is any good ground for the assertion
—and I am inclined to think there is none—that
after Lord George Paget's name appeared in orders
as having received permission to retire no less than
180 applications to sell out or go on half-pay were
sent in to the Commander of the Forces. Some of
these have, it is stated, been acceded to—that is,
Lord Raglan has sent them to the Commander-in-
Chief of the army, with rather sarcastic recommen-
dations that the permission sought for be granted ;
others have been refused, insmuch as the Colonels
of the regiments to which the applicants belonged
did not approve of the application. If reports be
true, indeed, some of these gentlemen were "no
great 1055,," and the army is well rid of them. One
young person, who recently retired, and who be-
longs to the nobility, to whose gallant conduct here
he offered a striking contrast, had been publicly
rebuked by his commanding officer for his disor-
derly and pusillanimous behaviour ere lie retired.
The following order was issued to-day, respecting
the action at Balaklava on the 25th of October,
and the affair at Inkerman on the 26th of October :
" GENERAL ORDER.
" Head Quarters, before Sebastopol,
Dec. 5, 1854.
" The Commander of the Forces has the highest satis-
faction in communicating to the army two despatches
which lie received yesterday from the Minister at War, his
Grace the Duke of Newcastle, expressing the Queen's ad-
miration of the conduct of the troops engaged in the ac-
tion at Balaklava on the 25th October, and her Majesty's
gracious approval of the ability, promptitude, and bravery
with which the attack made by a numerous force of the
enemy upon the position of the 2d Division, on the 26th
of the same month, was repulsed by Lieut.-General Sir
De Lacy Evans and the gallant troops under his coin-
!nand.

(No. 147.)
" War Department, Nov. 14, 1854.
" (Received Dec. 4, 1854.)
"My Lord,—l have the honour to acknowledge your
Lordship's despatch No. 85, dated before Sebastopol,
October 28th,' in which you give an account of a
battle fought on the 25th of that month in front of Ba-
laklava.
" I have laid that despatch before the Queen, and I
have received her Majesty's command to express to your
Lordship her a,dmiratio3 of the gallantry and conduct
of the tioops engaged upon that occasion. Her Majesty
has learnt with deep concern that the repulse of the
enemy was not effected without a heavy loss of the di-
vision of Cavalry, more especially of the light brigade ;
but the brilliancy of the charge, and the gallantry and
discipline evinced by all, have never been surpassed
even by British soldiers under similar circumstances.
"To every officer, non-commissioned officer, and pri-
vate engaged in this severe encounter with vastly supe-
rior numbers, the Queen desires me to communicate,
through your Lordship, her approval and thanks. Her
Majesty has not failed to remark the distinguished
service performed on this occasion by Major-General
Sir Colin Campbell. Her Majesty has especially noticed
the brilliant conduct of the Division of Cavalry under
the command of Lieut.-General the Earl of Lucan, and
is deeply sensible of the gallant services of the Earl of
Cardigan and the Hon. Brigadier-General Scarlett who
( commanded the two brigades of cavalry, and so nobly
I sustained the honour of that distinguished and impor-
tant arm of her Majesty's service.
" The conduct of the 93d Regiment uuder the com-
mand of Colonel Ainslie, merits the greatest admiration,
and materially tended to the repulse of the enemy from
the position which was so vigorously assailed.
" I have the honour to be, my Lord,
" Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant.
"NEWCASTLE."

" General the Lord Raglan, G.C.8., &c."
(No. 148.)
" War Department, 14th Nov., 1854.
"(Received Dec. 4, 1854).
"My Lords,--In acknowledging yaur Lordship's
despatch, No. 86, under date of the 28th October, I
have to express to your lordship the Queen's gratifica-
tion at the manner in which the attack made by a nume-
rous force of the enemy on the 26th of that month upon
the 2d Division of the British Army was repulsed by
Lieut.-General Sir De Lacy Evans and the infantry un-
der his command.
" The attack appears to have been well planned and
rapidly executed, and the greatest credit is due to Sir
De Lacy Evans for the ability, promptitude, and bravery
with which it was defeated.
" The Queen has received the intelligence of this gal-
lant exploit with high approval.
" I have the honour to, be, my Lord,
" Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant,
" NEWCASTLE."

" General the Lord Raglan, G.C.8., &c."
Among the other orders are—
(No. 2.)
" The 90th Regiment will, for the present, be at-
tached to the 2d Division, but this is to be considered
only as a temporary arrangement.
(No. 3.)
" An officer will accompany all parties which go down
to Balakla,va, who will make a written report upon re-
turning, stating especially the time occupied in the jour-
ney down, the time spent in Balaklava, and in the jour-
ney back, besides any remarks he may think proper to
make.

(No. 4.)
ac' t‘ aCsapEtaxitnraG .AH.
Du
ze. , 3toStllrtigeag;mdieerit, is permitted.loenertsir toJohn
Campbell, Bart., until further orders.
(No. 5 )
" Dbputy.A ssistant Commissary General Webb is at-
tached to the 2d Brigade, Light Division.
(Ice. 6 )
" Leave of absence is granted, on medical certificate,
to the undermentioned officers :—Captain E. Rose, 7th
Royal Fusiliers 6th to 26th December ; Lieutenant
W. Hesketh, 46th Regiment, 6th to 16th of December;
very These
iilt historiesolrietstlteinz,and t
hoofwtrhiet t
eroadnre
to go on board ship attsßalaklava."
graphi-
cally done) will furnieh some light for the
reading .
h ead- quarters staffduring the wiii4 T - 11
erevenings. _..ivi
p(iCorots. (it 3) willbebe hard work on the officers,
intocbaomoZ, as all grand
however,ot for paper is
scarce. Lynceus himself could 71
ahutsro gwr
ahnidc h
luxuries,l iave b madeen
expensive write in the
and candles
luxuries must be. The paymasters of regiments

who have been living in Balaklava for some time
past are in great dudgeon at being ordered out
with their regiments, and they aver with great
show of reason that it will be quite impossible for
them to keep their books and accounts in tents in
weather like the present. It will be found, I think,
that many of these gentlemen will be sent home
on sick certificate, or that their books will not be
in a very satisfactory condition at the end of the
winter. Our commissariat officers, who are fur-
nished with marquees and considerable comforts,
such as tables, chairs, and pigeonholes for papers,
&c., complain nevertheless of the difficulties they
experience in going through their duties. Shortly
after the storm of the 14th, I met one of these
gentlemen coming out of Balaklava, his face ra-
diant with a joy which could not beeasily accounted
for at the time, seeing that it was cold, wet, and
the roads were knee deep. " Congratulate me, I
beg of you, said he, " every blessed paper, return,
book, or account I bad in the world was blown
away yesterday into Sebastopol, and I'm happy."
The annexed memorandum, which, for profes-
sional readers, will have sereoly less interest, has
been published for the information of the army :--

" MrntonANnum.
"Camp before Sebastopol, Nov. 23, 1854.
"At ordinary siezcs, and in proportion as a fortress
is small, and on old systems of construction, the fire of
besiegers dispeised, tirailleurs may be very effective.
"The system can never be so influential before a place
like Sebastopol, on account of its size, the force of the
garrison, the extensive front presented in every direc-
tion, and the rocky nature of the soil ; still many great
advantages may be obtained by the judicious employ-
ment of riflemen.
" Some spirited efforts have been made at times, by
different parties, under officers who have taken an inte-
rest in this kind of service ; but in general its principle
does not seem to have been attended to in our service, and
the application of it is reported to be very irregular in
the trenches, and frequently. neglected altogether, when
it might be most useful, partly on account of its nature
and effective power not being thoroughly understood—
one very common mistake made being, that when a
smart fire of artillery is opened upon the riflemen, the
fire ought to be discontinued, whereas, in general, it
should be the more persevered in.
"A few principles on this service are here submitted,
and it is recommended that special bodies should be
organised for it in each division, under a persuasion
that the generals in command of them would find the
arrangement very generally useful, even independently
of the duty in the trenches, where, however, a portion
should be always on duty and actively engaged.
" It is an ordinary proceeding at sieges to employ
select bodies of marksmen against the artillerymen of
the garrison. With the old musket, they posted them-
selves at different distances, not unusually exceeding 200
yards from the enemy's batteries, and their effect was
such as very commonly absolutely to silence the guns
immediately opposed to them.
" With rifles, and the modern Mini 6 in the bands of
good shots, the effect may be produced at much greater
ranges.
" The French applied these means of annoyance uni-
versally, and with system ; the men should be selected
for being good shots, energetic and spirited, and volun-
teers • they should have officers of the same qualifica-
tions '(though not necessarily good shots) and of intelli-
gence ; the service when well executed, is to be entitled
to great credit.
" In order to protect the trenches from the effects of
the fire of the garrison, and to close with the artillery
as early as possible, it is a practice to establish parties of
such riflemen in different order, in distinct pits, sunk at
night, 50 or 100 yards in front of the besiegers' works,
where usually two men in each pit remain all day, un-
der cover of the earth excavated, and some sand bag
loopholes, firing at every favourable moment.
"They have no covered communication with the
trenches, but as individuals, run occasionally across, to
and fro, without much loss.
" The pits may be from 5 to 10 or 20 yards asunder,
and with practised men the service is continued actively
and effectually in spite of any opposition. When the
artillery in front open fire upon them, it is a sure sign
that it is suffering from the fire, and encourages the
parties to increased exertion, and the contest usually
ends in the early superiority of the musketry.
" Dispersed as these men are, and well covered, the
direct fire of shot, shell, or grape, has its real effect on
them, while their fire on the gunners is very destructive.
Any period of heavy convergent fire, from different
directions on small portions, may render it proper that
they should keep close till the storm is over, but always
in readiness to resume their work as opportunities offer.
"These men are supplied 'with larger quantities of
ammunition than others, although the consumption will
not always be very great, as it is by steady aim and
attention to the practiae, rather than by quick indiscri-
minate firing, the greatest effects are produced.
"The continuous trench is far more favourable to this
service, when it can be obtained, than detached pits ;
the parties have more freedom of action, can support
one another, and the whole being lined with sand-bag
loopholes, the enemy never knowing where the men are,
nor from whence to expect the shot.
" The longer ranges, for which the rifles and Minids
are serviceable, renders this more practicable ; the value
of this particular service will be greatly enhanced by
the superior expertness of the soldier as marksmen.
(Signed) "J. F. BURGOYNE."
Yesterday Admiral Dundas issued the following
" Memo."
" A return carefully made out is to be immediately
sent to me from each of the ships and vessels engaged in
action with the defences of Sebastopol on the 17th Oct.
last, containing the following -particulars, viz., the names
and seniority of the commander of each ship of the line,
the name and seniority of the commander of each sloop
of war, the names and seniority of all lieutenants, mates,
assistant-surgeons, second masters, passed clerks and
gunners, and boatswains and carpenters of the second
and third class ; also the names of all medical officers in
charge of the surgical duties, who were actually engaged
in action on board their several ships on the 17th Oct.,
1854."
It will be observed that there are two classes of
officers omitted from this memorandum, namely,
" masters" and " engineers." Some of the masters
surely deserve promotion, and unless it is to be un-
derstood that the officers who have received the
grade of Master can no longer hope for any advance-
ment, they ought to get their deserts and obtain
some share of the honours so liberally showered on
other classes 'of naval officers. Why are engineers
exclude 1? It is admitted by all the officers com-
mandinc, steamers on the 17th of October, that
the zeal,° coolness, and energy of these gentlemen
who were exposed to the destructive effect of shell
and shot, without the excitement of action, and
ran imminent risks from the explosions of shell near
the boilers, were most conspicuous, and contributed
greatly to the efficiency of our attack. We trust
the attention of the authorities will be directed to
the claims of these officers, and that they will take
into their consideration the merits and claims of
another set of officers,, who are placed in a very
doubtful position, and are likely to fall to the
ground between two stools—l mean those officers
detached on special service from the ships, or en-
gaged on shore in the trenches during the attack
of the 17th October. As an instance of what has
occurred already, and to illustrate the injustice
of " selection" in such cases, I may just mention
the following circumstance. On 17th October, Mr.
Courtenay, First Lieutenant of Arethusa (1844),
was engaged in the trenches before Sebastopol.
The Second Lieutenant, Mr. Hood (1846), was at
Eupatoria, in command of the Rocket Battery.
The Third Lieutenant, Mr. Bowden, junior to
both these officers, is "made" because he happened
to be on board his ship, and is put over the head of
two officers who were unfortunate enough to be on
special service elsewhere. There are many cases of
this kind, and the authorities will, it is to be hoped,
regard with a favourable eye the claims of ofh-
cerslike Mr. Courtenay, Mr. Hood, Lieutenant Pym
(who with Lieutenant Jull, of the Firebrand, was
also at Eupatoria), and will consider that those en-
gaged in the trying coast service and in navigating
the Black Sea for the last year, in every vicissitude
of weather, such as Mr. Read, of the Caradoc,
ought to participate in the rewards bestowed or
about to be conferred on the fleet for the 17th
October. As to the Royal Marines, they seem to
be " nobody's children" just at present.
DECEMBER 6.
Last night at 12 o'clock there was a great stir
down in the valley of Balaklava. The hoarse hum
of great crowds of men was heard by the picquets,
and they reported the circumstance to the officers
of the French regiments on the heights. Lights
were seen moving about in, the redoubts occupied
by the Russians since the affair of the 25th October.
It was supposed that the enemy had received re-
inforcements or were about to make a dash at our
position before Balaklava. The Hospital Guards
and the invalid battalion were at once turned out,
and the French shrouded in their capotes grimly
waited in the lines the first decisive movement of
the enemy. The night was cold, but not clear,
and after a time the noise of wheels and the tramp
of men ceased, and the alarm was over. By morn-
ing, however, we knew the cause of it, for about,
5 o'clock a.m. an outburst of flames from the re-
doubts in which the Russians had hutted themselves
illuminated the sky, and at the same time the fire
broke out in the cottages on the slope of the hill be-
fore Komara. When morning came the smoke was
seen ascending to heaven, and the Russians were
visible in much-diminished numbers on the high
plateaux of the hills near Schorgooa and Komara.
The faint rays of the morning sun played on the
bayonets of another portion of the force as they
wound up the road towards Mackenzie's Farm, and
passed through the wood over the right bank of the
Chernaya. The reason of this retreat remains
unknown to us as yet. Perhaps the Russian gene-
ral was informed by his spies that the French had
landed at the north side of Sebastopol, and were
marching on his flank, and the story of the land-
ing is universally believed, and' is utterly untrue.
It is more probable, however, that the severity of
weather and want of, shelter forced him to abandon
the position in the valley. The French pushed
down, their cavalry and peizecl the plain. They

found dummies (mock guns) in the embrasures, the
Russians having carried off all their artillery.
The Vladimir and a small but heavily-armed
steamer ran out of Sebastopol to-day, rounded the
Quarantine Point, and fired broadsides along the
French lines, but on the approach of the Valorous,
Terrible, and a French steamer, they retired un-
der the guns of the forts and went back to their
anchors.
DEC. 7.—A warm fine day, bright sun,. and clear
sky. This is indeed a treat, for though it is the pre-
sage of wintry snow and frost, even that would be
a delightful change. It would d% the roads and
entice us to feed our men and arm our batteries.
Certainly it will also do service to the Russians, for
it will permit them to get up their supplies. The
fire to-day was not heavy or well sustained on either
side, but there was more than one severe battle be-
tween the riflemen, French and English, and the
Russian carabineers.
At 3 o'cleck three strong battalions of infantry,
of the 2d division, consisting of Chasseur regiments
and accompanied by 9 field-guns, proceeded down
from the height on the rear of our right and made
a reconnaiss:lnce en force along the valley of Bala-
klava up to the Turkish redoubts. They halted at
the base of the hill, generally held by our videttes,
and threw forward a very strong line of skirmish-
ers, which spread All across the plain, and advanced
with caution across it. The main body of infantry
and the guns followed. Four Cossacks showed
themselves above the summit of No. 4 redoubt,
and as the French advanced a body of horsemen
came in sight and gave us a plain demonstration
that our hopes were unfounded, and that the Rus-
sians were still in possession of a portion of the
valley.
Three battalions of infantry were visible in the
gorge of the Chernaya. The French, however,
pushed on, the Russians drew back up to Komara,
and our Allies occupied redoubts Nos. 1,2, and 3,
where they made preparations for defending them-
selves for the night in case of attck.
DECEMBER 8.

We had a severe frost last night, and we are
rapidly getting up guns and mortars to the front ;
if this weather lasts all will soon be well.

THE BLACK SEA FLEET.

KARANCH-BAY, Dec. 7.—1 have just returned
from Yalta, where her Majesty's steam-ship Ardent
landed 73 men, women, aid children, belonging to
the Greek villages about Cape Chersonesus and
orifou thes
Sebastopol.
When I left the fleet the three-deckers were just
k
Admiralincomtpo Karatch Bay.
anymoaprhoicg proceed
theird with waty h out u t
London
towards the Bosphorus, n
preparing
t
Now, besides the Furious, there is the Terrible,
and the Fu
the Tribune, Miranda, Stromboli, Spitfire, Beagle,
Arrow, and Lynx here, not omitting several trans-
ports, among them the " Lord Raglan," lately got
off the shore at Katcha. The Agamemnon, Algiers.
Rodney, and Vengeance are still at the Katcha, be-
sides the Valorous and Fury. Day and night an
English and a French steamer are off the entrance
of Sebastopol, watching any movement which may
take place in the enemy's fleet. They are regularly
relieved like sentries.
The Hannibal arrived yesterday
.with a company
of artillery and a detachment of marines.
Last night two Russian steamers came out of
Sebastopol, and opened a heavy enfilading fire
against the French works directed against Quaran-
tine Foil.: The Valorous and a French steamer
soon forced them to retire.
The weather has at last assumed a more favour-
able aspect, and the steadiness of the barometer
seems to indicate a change for the better.

FRENCH JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE.

The following is a continuation of the journal
kept by the special correspondent of the Constitu-
tionnel, and appeared in that journal yesterday
(Sunday) :