The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-30 00:00:00

ence, ability, energy, and merit, even in their roughest' MEMORANDUM ON THE BATTLS OP
, • forms, in the eonduet. :in{l t 7N j
t fc_r
than th,:t o in;; wi..olecommon weal, fur with its down-
fall every other must Sink to a common destruction. So
no reason can be given, and no excuse will be admitted,
against immediately superseding in their commands
those who have proved themselves unable to be incap-
able of performing the duties to which favour, seniority,
or mistake has advanced them. After all, it is no dis-
grace to a man that he does,not possess the genius of a
Wellington or even of a bill. ' But it is a crime in a
War Minister to permit an officer to remain for a single
day in the nominal discharge of duties the neglect of
which has brought a great and victorious army to the
verge of ruin.

(Front the Morning Herald.)

We learn from numerous communications by the
last mail from the army that the account of the
battle of Inkerman contained in Lord Raglan's
public despatch has excited strong feelings of sur-
prise and dissatisfaction among_en important part
of the forces engaged in that memorable action.
The accounts already received from many other
sources have already enabled the Ministers of the
Crown in Parliament, and the public throughout
Europe, to do full justice to the heroic achieve-
Meats of the brigade of the Guards on that day ;
but, in order to remove all uncertainty as to the
conduct of these gallant troops, we publish the
following authentic account of the position and
movements of the Guards in the battle, which will
effectually remove the erroneous impression that
any part of the Brigade were " obliged to retire"
in the course of the action :
"The Brigade of Guards were the first on the scene
of action on the right, and in advance of the Second Di-
' vision, and not the Light Division, as might be inferred
from the latter being mentioned first in the official de-
'Patch- The Grenadier and Scots Fusilier Guards, upon
the first alarm being given by the advanced pickets of
's
the Second Division, fell in, and marched off without a
moment delay
towards the extreme right of the Second
Division. The Grenadiers led the advance, the Fusi-
liers following. These two regiments—one in support
of the other, neither of them being at that time above
400 strong—immediatelyndtliviasdiovna,ncaenddinpferrocnetivoefdththeat
align-
ment of the se
the
Russians had just taken possession of a sandbag bat-
tery, out of which they had driven a small picket of
the 55th Regiment. The Grenadiers came down to the
charge and drove the Russians out. So quickly had
the advance of the Guards been effected that the Gre-
nadiers succeeded in driving the Rusedans out of this
small work, which was 700 yards in front of the right
of the Second Division alignment, before that division
had been able to send any troops to support its
owa
picket. Having reached the battery, and cleared it of
the Russians, the centre of the Grenadiers oempied
it, while their right and left flanks were thrown back
nearly at right angles, so as to line the ridge of the
long projecting tongue of land at the extremity of which
the sandbag battery was erected. The Soots Fusiliers
continued the line on the left of the Grenadiers, their left
also thrown back towards, but not meeting, the right of
the Second Division. These two regiments, and subse-
quently the Coldatreame, now commenced an action
against almost overwhelming numbers of the enemy,
who were at one time trying to turn the right, at another
the left flank of the Guards, and constantly sending up
fresh troops to drop before the iron line opposed to them.
"The official despatch states that the Brigade of Guards
went to the front and took up most important ground
on the right of the Second Division ; it was, in fad,
700 yards in its front. It is also stated that powerful
columns of infantry attacked with vigour the Brigade of
Guards ; yet, notwithstanding this and the acknow-
ledged importance of the position, no reinforcement came
up to the assistance of these two weak battalions. The
Russians, finding they made no impression on the front
of the Guards, attempted to turn their right flank, and
came up the hill in a large mass to the right rear of the
Grenadiers. To prevent this the Grenadiers withdrew
about 50 or 100 yards, so as to keep the enemy in their
front, and at that moment the Coldstream Guards made
their appearance on the field ; and the Grenadiers
feeling that they bad a support, extended a little to their
proper right, and charged the enemy clear of the sand-
bag battery a second time, also driving them,away from
the side of the hill up which they had come to turn the
right flank. The Grenadiers and Fusiliers now took
up their position as before ; the Coldstreaeis formed
line in co-itinuation of the left of the Fusiliers ; the 20th
Regiment also formed line to their left again ; but still
this ling did not touch the Second Division position.
It was now about half-past 9 a.m. The hottest fire was
kept up against the repeated attacks of the advancing
cJlunms. The ammunition already began to fail ; the
mon made use of that of their dead and wounled com-
rades, and in some instances of that of dead and wounded
Russians. A fresh surply at last came up from the
rear, which enabled the men to keep up this unequal
contest for three more hours, not a man of the brigade
quitting ranks but by oi der, to reinforce sometimes the
right, sometimes the left, accJrding to where the Rus-
sians appeared most numerous. During this prolonged
and determined attack, part of the Fourth Division
arrived from the right rear, and, keeping on the side
of the hill on the extreme right of the Brigade of guards,
commenced a manoeuvre to 'outflank the Russian left.
Part of the Brigade of Guards joined in this • move.
ment ; the remainder, much reduced by casualties
and the advance on the right, as above described,
continued to maintain themselves in their former position,
with the right of the Grenadiers resting on the battery.
Again the ammunition was beginning to fail, many fire•
locks would not go off, and were exchanged for others
on the field. The Russians at last advanced in very great
force against the centre of the English position, in front
of which the Brigade of Guards were considerably ad-
vanced, and the enemy for a time succeeded in forcing
it. The Coldstreams, seeing this movement, and seeing
that their left flank would be turned, faced their men
fours left,' and continued in a parallel line with the
Russians till they reached the Second Division align-
ment, toifewed by part of the Fusiliers, where they both
halted and fronted.
"The Grenadiers, now only 100 strong, with their
two colours, and the right flank of the Fusiliers, not
seeing the advance of the Russians against the centre of
the position, in consequence of the thick brushwood
that interposed and the undulating nature of the ground,
continued to maintain themselves against the everve•
peated attacks of the Russian divisions opposed to them,
notwithstanding the increasing failure of their ammuni-
tion. It was now about half-past 12. The brigade had
been uninterruptedly under fire for between five and six
hours, when the Russians having advanced in great
force towards the centre of the English position,
the left of that attack brought their right shoulders
forward, and were seen coming down upon the rear of
the small remnant of the Grenadiers and few Fusiliers.
Thus circumstanced, those men who still had any
ammunition were ordered to fire to the front, while
the remainder charged through the advancing line
that was coming down upon them in rear, broke it,
arid, with their colours in safety, took up their posi-
tion on the extreme right of the position, not in
rear of (as has been stated), but in line with parts
of several regiments of the Second Division, which
were then in a breastwork in front of the Second
division encampment. It was not till a few minutes
later—that is, at about half-past 12 or 1 o'clock—that
the French regiments for the first time came up to that
part of the field where the Brigade of Guards had been
for six hours. Men of different regiments of the line
were during the whole morning most gallantly fight-
ing in the ranks with the Brigade of Guards, but
only two or three companies of the line, as reinforce-
ments, came up to or near the sandbag battery to
assist in keeping possession of it during the whole
day. The Guards were now soon served out with fresh
ammunition, and were again ready to meet the enemy
as soon as their services might be required. After
remaining in the breastwork abovementioned about an
hour, they were ordered by the Duke of Cambridge
to unite with the remainder of the brigade (that
had advanced with the Fourth Divi-ion to outflank
the Russian left), and which was now in the centre
of the Second Division encampment. This was done,
and the brigade lay down in line rear of the bat.
teries, against which the Russians opened, for above
an hour more, a heavy fire from large field pieces. The
brigade while in this position lest several more men.
About 3 p.m. the firing ceased ; the troops marched to
their respective encampments at half-past three ; and the
Russians, having withdrawn all their artillery, Were
seen retiring in considerable disorder across the valley of
the • Tehernaya, leaving 7,000 or 8,000 killed and
wounded on the field ; some say 10,000."

In our article of Friday vindicating Lord Raglan's
conduct upon certain points against the attacks of the
Times, and the perhaps equally injurious defence of the
Globe, we mentioned that there were matters upon which
his lordship's conduct was really open to censure, and
that we should point these out, though without unneces-
sary bitterness.
One of the circumstances from which our unlucky but
glorious soldiers have suffered most in the Eastern ex-
pedition has been the utter recklessness and favouritism
with which the officers appointed to staff situations have
been seleeted.
Our readers are well aware that to the hard-working
regimental officer an appointment to a staff situation is
an object of the most intense ambition, as being
almost the only opening by which he can make his
way to distinction and honour.
These appointments, we need hardly say, are left al-
most entirely in the hands of the officers of the line, when
their duties are to be performed in India, at the Cape,
China, or other remote and barbarous localities, which
have been the ordinary theatres of our wars for about
40 years gone by.
From this it results that by the officers of the line is
monopolised almost the entire experience of the army in
the performance of staff duties.
Notwithstanding this, when the war broke out nearer
home, and that staff appointments became objects of
ambition to those who had never bad an occasion or op-
portunity of acquiring a knowledge of the duties required
in such positions, the experienced officers of the hard-
workbag line were in a great degree set aside, and the
posts in question were bestowed with a disregard to
knowledge and fitness on the part of the authorities
which the public can hardly be expected to credit.
Now we beg to disclaim, in the most explicit man-
ner, any wish or intention to join in the vulgar cry
which has often been raised against the household
troops. Further than that, we should wish to see mat-
ters managed in such a way as would not expose them
to unmerited—as far as they are individually concerned
—unpopularity, and that the army in general should not
suffer by any preference shown to them.
In one word, we concede that finer, nobler, bolder, or
better soldiers than the Guards and their officers do not

exist upon the face of the earth ; but that, in the ordi-
nary course of events, it is simply a matter of impossi-
bility that the latter should or could have acquired a
knowledge of staff duties in the field.
Now, from the duties devolving upon them, the pro-
per selection of the staff is of more importance to the
army than that of any other class ; and although we
are quite aware that every man must begin at some
time, we maintain that they ought invariably to begin
in subordinate situations, and that men should not be
chosen to fill important situations from family connec-
tions, or from the mere fact of their having filled offices
in the Horse Gus.rds of a nature requiring for their per-
formance more the merits of a civilian than those of a
soldier. This is, as we have said, a matter involving
the safety of the army and the honour of the country,
and requires in ehe selections for those posts more t'ian
any other, to be guide l by the merits of the candidates,
/and by their merits alone.
Now, bearing in mind what we have said of the prima
facie diffioulty, not to say impossibility, of certain classe
acquiring the fi,;1(1 practice necessary for the perform-
ance of those dudes, we shall merely say that Lord Rag-
lan's personal staff, consisting of six individuals,
was cotnposed of three guardsmen, one peer, and
two honourables. Again, we protest against its being
snrposed that we object to anything in this except the
almost necessary want of apprenticeship implied in the
selection. The duties may have been right well per-
formed ; but we merely state that the probabilities at
first sight were against it. Of course what we may say
of the household troops must apply to the cavalry reg,i-
ments which do not ordinarily serve in the colonies.
We do not wish to go through the list ; but any old
soldier, going over the names of the general and per-
sonal staff of the army, will agree with us, that
through the entire staff the selections were made more
with consideration for private and public favour and
affection than with an enlightened view to the safety
anal well-being of the army. No proof of this can
be more convincing than the fact, easily ascertained,
of the number of appointments in the expedition
given to gentlemen who had been long enjoying easy
berths in the Horse Guards and War-office, and who
were so permitted to appropriate the choice posts both
in peace and war. Again, we beg to assure our readers
;.. ebeectlng to, And that
_wa have no motive but o public one in referring to it.
Our readers will hardly believe that officers who had
served several campaigns abroad, and were perfectly
conversant with field duties, were refused employment
upon the plausible grounds that "it was necessary to
give others a chance of learning their duties." This
miight be very well if only applied to the very eubordi-
mete ranks, but was utterly inapplicable to the higher
posts, where experience must be acquired at the expense
of and by means of injury stiffered by the army in ge-
neTal. As a proof of the necessity of employing per-
sons who have acquired a practical knowledge of their
profession, we shall take the example of the utter de-
struction of the Light Brigade, not only by means of
the fatal charge at Balaklava, but by what we must call
the most astounding mismanagement after that event.
We do not wish to mention names in the reference to
this unhappy event ; but our readers must recollect that
an order was given by one staff officer—conveyed by an-
other—received by a third—and that the result was the
moat useless massacre, among many such, of British
troops recorded in our military annals.
With reference to this we shall only further remark,
that so utterly ignorant did all parties appear to be of
the nature of their duties, that the officer who carried
the order absolutely headed the operation which a major
general was conducting, and was killed far in advance
of the brigade. Now, this officer's absolute duty was
to return to the general from whom he brought the
order, and report the delivery and execution of the in-
structions with which he had been entrusted.
We can fancy General Picton's face had any subordi-
nate officer thus acted in connection with his division.
Upon this matter we shall not dwell further than to
remark that it showed a general ignorance of staff duties.
The charge was bad enough, but what are we to say to
what followed ?

Immediately after the fatal day of the 25th the re-
mains of the brigade were ordered up from the neigh-
bourhood of Balaklava., and placed in the rear of the
siege works, at a distance of several miles from the post.
The commissary represented to the authority, that when
the roads became broken up it would be physically
impossible to supply the horses with forage. No
notice was taken of his remonstrance. The horses
were brought up, and left exposed, not only to
hardship—standing up to their knees in slush with-
out any shelter, but to starvation. The commissary
was right, and for several days the unfortunate horses
were supplied with 31b of oats or barley per diem,
which as the nose-bags were worn out, and frequent
requisitions for new ones had never been attended
to, the men were obliged to lay on the muddy ground
before the horses, when, of course, the half of even this
scanty allowance was of necessity buried in the mud,
and lost.

The natural consequences ensued—the poor horses
were starved, died in dozens r.,.t their pickets, and, in
fact, were reduced to such a state that the survivors
absolutely ate the hair off the ribs of their dead
comrades. This looks like exaggeration, but is a literal
authenticated fact, and was entirely owing to staff
ignorance or neglect.

THE GERMAN. STATES AND THE WAR.

A Prussian ministerial paper givos the text of
the documents by which Bavaria, Wurtemberg,
and .Donmark effected their adhesion to the supple-
mentary article of the Austro-Prussian treaty of
April 20th. The language held in the name of
these states is instructive :
BAVARIA'S VOTE.—Considering the dangers of the
political situation of Europe, guided byithe earnest wish
to guarantee the interests of Germany by strict unity,
and looking to the intentions of Austria and Prussia as
great European powers, intentions known by means of
the confidential reports we have received from them, the
royal Government of Bavaria votes for the proposed
resolution of the Diet.
WURTEMBERG'S Vont.—ln consequence of the state
of European relations becoming more and more threaten.
ing, and guided by the conviction that the guarantee of
German interests is endangered for the future, and that
the union of all the Germanic federal states is indispen-
sable, Wurteinberg votes for the proposition.
DENMARK'S VOTE.—His Majesty the King, ardently
desiring the speedy re-establishment of European peace;
has deigned to order his ambassador, in so far as the ad.
ditional article agreed upon on the 26th ult, between
the most high courts of Vienna and Berlin is concerned,
to express again how highly his Majesty appreciates the
joint and uninterrupted efforts made by the two great
powers for guaranteeinit the common interest of Ger.
many and for opening to the belligerent powers the
avenues to peace. The ambassador is further authorised
by order of the King, referring to the declaration made
during the sitting of August 3, 1854, to vote in the name
of Holstein-Lauenburg for the adhesion of the Diet to
the new additional article, as also for ace Bpting the pro-
posed resolution respecting which au understanding has
been come to.

In roferenoe to the qualifioations necessary for the
perfor►nance of staff duties, an officer who has been
himself for 20 years employed, and has ably performed
his duties in that department, has given us the following
list. Thestaff officer, to be efficient should beacquainted
with—

Field fortification.
Duties of infantry.
Duties of cavalry.
Duties of artillery.
. He should be a good horseman.
Understand military sketchiug.
He should be acquainted with, at least, two foreign lan-
guages, and should have a general knowledge of military
history. We should like to know how many officers ou
the staff of the army of the Crimea have been selected
with reference to any of the above acquirements, and
we fear we should be obliged to make answer, in the
words of the able and efficient solder whom we have
quoted above, that the majority of them do not know a
bastion from the Tower of Babel. We find that we have
again reached our limit for the day, and that 111 shall be
obliged to recur once again to the painful consideration
of how much of the sufferings of the soldiers are due to
radical errors in the organisation of the expedition, and
how much of them might have been prevented by the
most ordinary precaution and foresight.

THE /Jim SERVlCE.—Registrar-General's Depart-
ment, Scotlaud ; Mr. John Stewart has been appointed
chief clerk in the Registrar-General's office, Edinburgh,
under the recent act for the Registration of Births,
Deaths, and Marriages in Scotland. Customs : Mr. W.
C. Maclean, controller at Dover, has been promoted to
be collector at Truro. Mr. J. Bull, collector and land-
ing-surveyor at Rye, has been promoted to be controller
and landing-surveyor at Dover. Mr. W. A. Gent, con-
troller at Barnstaple, has been promoted to be collector
and landing-surveyor at Rye. Mr. J. H. Davidson ,
sub-collector at Ramsay, Isle of Man, has been pro•
meted to be controller &0., at Wesport. Mr. Robert
Hicks, clerk at Grimsby, has been appointed to be sub-
collector at Ramsay, Isle of Man. Mr. E. Cullen has
been appointed clerk for general business in London.
Mr. C. Fogdeu has been appointed clerk for general
business in London. Mr. J. A. Stebbin has been ap-
pointed clerk to the inspector-general of imports and ex-
ports in London.—Civil Service Gazette.