The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-22 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF. THE SUN.

SlE,—May I request, as an act of justice to my friend
Sir Wm. Napier, space for a few remarks upon Lord
John Russell's speech, when moving the vote of thanks
to our gallant army and that of our Allies. The fol-
lowing extracts are from " Napier's Peninsular War,"
Ist, page 400, vol. 2d :
" From nine o'clock in the morning until mid-day the
field of battle offered no appearance of hostility ; the
weather was intensely hot, and the troops on both sides
descended and mingled, without fear or suspicion, to
quench their thirst at the little brook which divided the
positions ; but at one o'clock in the afternoon the French
soldiers were seen to gather round their eagles, and the
rolling of drums was heard along the whole line."
Vol. sth, page 142 :—" Many men of both sides
perished in that labyrinth (the wino caves of Rueda), and
on both sides, also, the soldiers, passing the Duero in
groups, held amicable intercourse, conversing of the
battles that were yet to be fought. The camps on the
banks of the Duero seemed at times to belong to one
army, so difficult is it to make brave men hate each
other."

_
Again, vol. 6th, page 142 :—" Oa the 9th of Decem-
ber the 43d was assembled iu column on an open space
within twenty yards of the enemy's out-sentry, yet the
latter continued to walk his beat for an hour without con-
cern, relying so confidently on the customary system that
he placed his knapsack on the ground to ease his shoulders.
When at last the order to advance was given, one of
the British soldiers, stepping out, told him to go away,
and helped him to replace his pack ; the firing then
commenced. The next morning the French, in like man-
ner, warned a 43d sentry to retire."
Now, sir, Lord John quoted, with scarcely a variation,
much of the foregoing, adding (" as said the Duke of
Richmond"), either himself saying, or your reporter
omitting, what should have followed, namely, "quoting
Napier."
The Duke of Richmond is, I am sure, the last person
to accept a leaf from a Napier wreath—a friend-connexion
and brother in arms.
I have thought deeds so honourable to the private
soldier of the French and English army cannot, at this
moment, be too often repeated, for if such feelings
governed them when in arms against each other, it goes
far to prove how worthy they are to be combating side
by side, shoulder to shoulder, in the same just cause._
Your obedient servant,

C. CLAXTON'.

rh Lord Mayor entertained, last
roaNt
rldBiansion-house, the representatives of
;ortsoken) and also those of. DU-
. the
au
his lordship's
evening, \iANs
Bil-
lingsgate Ward, together with a' select circle of private
friends.
PANo.R.A.IIA.—. Mr.. Burford has made the
adßdiutinovn°lolB,is exhibition in Leicester square of a very
attractive panorama of the battle of the Alma. For the
representation of a great battle, in which a wide extent
of landscape is necessarily included, no style of painting
is so effective as the panoramic, where the spectator is
supposed to stand in the midst of the scene of action, and
to survey the prospect on all sides as far as the eye can
reach. The present panorama is painted, we are assured
by Mr. Burford, from accurate drawings.
SHIPWRECKS BY LlGHTNlNG.—Yesterday a Parlia-
mentary paper was issued on the subject of Shipwrecks
by Lightning. There are two engravings in the docu-
ment, pointing out the operation of the electric fluid.
It seems that as many as 280 ships of the Royal Navy
have been damaged by lightning, and the Lords of the
Admiralty have directed their attention to the importanti
subject, and the report now presented to Parliament s
the result.