The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-01 00:00:00

THE DANUBE.

The Austrian Correspondence contradicts, on the
faith of private information which it has received,
the despatches announcing that a battle had been
fought on the Frateschti, and that the Russians
had been beaten with the loss of 2,000 men.
The Vienna Lloyd of Thursday last says :
According to telegraphic reports received this day
from Hermannstadt, the two armies took up their
old positions near Giurgevo en the 23d. Marches,
counter orders, and skirmishes between small re-
connoitring columns are the order of the day. The
Turks continue working at their entrenchments
near Giurgevo with unabated industry, and have
detached on the road leading thence to Dai a a
strong corps of observation.
Pontoons and other boat materials are still being
sent from Bucharest to Frateschti, where they are
required for the offensive operations of the Russians.
Bridges have been thrown across the
as late
Argis at three
points, and the men were working at them
as the 15th of July.
General Osten Sacken is making
a tour ofinspec-
tion in Moldavia ; he it is who
is to take the chief
command of the aimy now stationed there.
In the same journal we also find
—"The news from the theatreof the following :
war come down to
the 25th. Prince Gortschak
fortify himself, and to receive reinforcements
is continuing to
reinforcements on
Troops, the line of the Argis.
constantly sent
B and especially ,
en-
gineers and artillery,
from, or pass through areuc beingp
harest, for that river. It
appears that the Princestin a will content himself with
io
surrounding the po
ordered that the regimentst Giurgevo. He has just
and battalions which
have combated on the Bth at that place, and which
suffered a goo.' deal shall be replaced by others.
These troops are on the marchf or Bucharest, and
it is this fact which gave rise to the reported retro-
grade movement of the Russians. Letters worthy
of credit, dated Galati the 16th, state that the re-

serves which were at Bessarabia were advancing by
forced marches towards the south, and were pro-
ceeding to Rani, Ismail, Kiliac, and Tutschkow.
The Russians fear that the auxiliary troops will
attack them in the rear, by taking the mouths of
the Danube for the basis of their operations. The
troops posted at Molesveni, near Bacha est, have
also received orders to march on Gala z, and to
arrive there by the beginning of August. The
fortifications of Galatz, FockshAn, and Tekutsch,
are being continued. The Bulgarian emigrants
arrived on the 16th at Galatz in transports ; they
are 1,500 in number. Every man has been pro.
vided with a pickaxe and a spade, and every
woman with a wheelbarrow ; and the whole are to
be conveyed by the Sereth to Lungotsch, on the
Moldavian frontiers, to be employed in making
entrenchments. Such is the brilliant lot which is
prepared for them."

DOINGS IN THE EAST !
LETTER FROM A MILITARY OFFICER.
Camp Aleyden, June 24th,
10 miles from Varna.

The dull monotony of a camp life has alone been the
cause of my long silence ; but as there is now some
probability of our being released from inglorious in-
activity, and I may not have a good opportunity again
for some time, I will at once furnish you with a faithful
account of our proceedings.
After a charming passage, we disembarked at
Scutari, immediately opposite Constantinople. We
remained a fortnight there, chiefly for the purpose
of procuring horses for the conveyance of our
baggage, which was accomplished at much expense
and with great difficulty, the average outlay
for them and their trappings being about 301
All this ought to have been prepared beforehand by the
proper authorities, and not left to the exertions of in-
dividuals—but there seemed no one to watch over the
interests of the unfortunate officers ; all were left to
scramble on as they best could. The necessity too of
coming down at once with so large a sum as 301. entailed
much misery and distress on those already hampered by
previous preparations. It is true that we receive a field
allowance, which in the majority of cases will reimburse
us in the course of the year when the sufferers may be
sleeping the sleep of death.
After orders and counter orders innumerable (an
order in this army is looked upon as a burlesque,
in the first instance merely laughed at, not moving any
one from his repose), we eventually gut under way, an i
pitched our tents within a mile of Varna for a f )rtnight
By we, I mean the Light Division of which we most
unfortuaa.tely form a part, the General being a speci-
men of that class of commanders which abounded at the
commencement of the great war with France—violent,
harsh, uncourteous,—nu respect for the feelings of those
under him, no sympathy for the sufferings of those who
have not the means, like himself, of procuring compa
rative comforts—mistakes tyranny for discipline, and
brutality for manhood. All his study, in truth, seems
to he to render himself offensive.

Pray, excuse this digression. We removed to
this place nearly three weeks since, on the prin-
cipal road to Shumla. We have been twice ordered
to move forward, and twice countermanded: Indeed ne
later than yesterday at 9 a in.. the divisional order ap-
peared for starting. At 2 p.m. arrived the counter-order
--the latter, owing to the utter ineffisiency of the corn-
missariat. They had positively not two bullocks per
regiment to transport the hospital tents and sick.
A practic it soldier like you, who have moved masses,
will natural.y say that as this shameful inefficiency was
known at the time, why was the order to move issued,
as nothing could follow but confusion? In truth, there is
no system—all is indecision and incompetency. From the
generals down to the pioneers nor:cheat') to know whether
they be standing on their heads or heels. The Bazouks
have our fate in their hands. There can be no douht•
that we should have been before Silistria had we pus-
ses.ed the means f transport, but our staff, accustonie
merely to philandering in London or Dublin, have not
had the energy or ingenuity to keep together some 300
waggons placed by this Government at their disposal, the
drivers having for the most part been permitted to abscond,
taking away their teams in many instances. Could
you have conceived such scandalous ca,relessi. ess on service?
Out of evil, however, springs some good, and in this case
to the Turks, for be assured they will have the glory
of driving the Russians from before Silistria unaided by
a single British bayonet. Tile day before yesterday the
13th and sth (cavalry), who have been encamped about
ten miles from hence, passed through our camp about
ten o'clock, but in the evening, about six, I met streams
of stragglers, all having been delayed and kept back
for want of transport for tents, &c. When they
reached their destination it must have been as a
mob. While on the subject of transport, I must
mention one case from hundreds, which will speak
fully for our deficiency. • Two days ago' about
four p.m., a soldier had his leg broken in a fearful
way. It was only at 6 that we contrived to get a litter
for his conveyance by a fatigue party to Varna, and as
the road is difficult and rugged, it was long after night
had fallen that the unfortunate man arrived. If no
other means of conveyance could be found for a wounded
man before the horrors of war commence, what a pro-
spect fur the wounded when they do ! Now, let me take
you back to Scutari, for T do not sit down to give you a
connected narrative, but to chat as events occur to my
memory. We arrived at Scutari at 11 in the forenoon,
within a stone's throw of the wharf where disembarka-
tions are effected, and within a mile from thence lav our
camping ground. Yet we were detained on board the
whole of that day for the purpose of lending TEN horses.
Instead of disembarking the soldiers, the ship dropped
down the Bosphorus two miles, in order to lie alongside
a wharf where the horses could he slung on shore. In
fact, 900 bipeds were kept on board 24 hours, to their
great inconvenience, for the convenience of ten quadru-
peds ; but then the freight of the transport was 2001.
per diem, which would have been lost to the owners.
and gained to John Bull bad the troops been landed at
once. When we quitted Scutari, thanks to the ignor-
ance and imbecility of the engineer and quartermaster-
general's departments, the transport of the horses was
once more the scene of indescribable confusion. Mind,
I am speaking only of infantry officers' horses—conse-
quently,_hecharger
T
the number was but trifling.
were orileted to be embarked three days before the
troops, and to be conveyed to the transport, about 100
yards from the land, on a raft specially constructed by
the above-mentioned departments. Ten. horses were
placed on this miserable raft, the. engineers and quarter-
tna,ster-generals congratulative each other on their mutual
efficiency ; when, lo the raft having proceeded but five
yards, the naval superintending officer insisted it should
be immediately recalled, ec ar,ng that if it prsceeded
it must be lost. The horses were therefore dis-
embarked, o
banrked, and no further attempt on their lives was
made for twenty-four hours. The most absurd part of
the matter was, that they might have been slung into
the ship from the same wharf on which they were dis-
embarked a fa v days previously, with the sane facility
and safety, and in a few minutes. When, after all this,
we succeeded in reaching Varna, we found that no ar-
rangements whatever had been made for our disem-
barkation, the staff officers there appearing perfeptly
bewildered. They galloped about, shouted, gesticulated,
and—did nothing. The French, however, came for-
ward, furnished boats in abundance, and landed us in
gallant style.
On the present occasion, the two nations seemed to
have changed their supposed characteris'ics. While
our authorities were as I have mentioned, the French
were calm, collected, and efficient. Here let me con-
firm what you may have seen in the papers, that in
true proper arrangements, civil as well as military, the
French beat us hollow in this part of the world at least.
We are not fit, to use a slang expression, to hold a
candle to them. In truth, the French and civilisation
march hand in hand. While our part of the town
looked a scene of desolation and misery, no one know-
ing where to look for any department or place he
wanted, the French already had the rue de I'hopital,
rue de la poste, rue de G6adral, with a very tolerable
re-taurant.

There are not two opinions in this army as
to the superior management of the French authorities.
they have done for their troops everything which cir-
cumstances admit of. God grant we may eventually
take a few pages from their book. Among other vitally
essential things they have established batteries. We have
none. They have also established a post-office at Varna,
while we are dependent on the good nature of naval
officers to forward our letters to Constantinople, or on
the caprice of some Jachanapes on the staff ; while for
the despatch of our letters we are dependent On the
courtesy of the French post-office. But I will again
turn to details of our goings on at Varna. Fur the
►eater part of the time there, the rupply of tea, sugar,
&c., to the soldiers was irregular in the extreme ; of
course there would not have been a murmur had any
necessity for this existed, but none did—while the
soldiers were suffering, the commissariat stores were
overflowing. Where, too, was all that ale and porter of
which so much had been heard ? We got some for the
last two days we were at Varna, but not a barrel has
made its appearance here, though it is whispered that it
flows through the tents of the Guards. Indeed, I may
as well say boldly at once, that the general feeling is,
that although this much talked of malt may have been
nominally sent out for the army at large, it is dedicated
practically to the Duke's division.
The men could have supplied themselves with many
necessaries, indeed comforts, at the shops in Varna, but
they must have submitted to a loss of 4s. 6d. in the
pound. Every sovereign issued to the troops was
changed at that loss, although at Constantinople, within
18 hours' passage, the sovereign was at a premium of
2s. 6d. The greatest discontent naturally resulted from
such scandalous and cruel disregard of the soldier's in-
terest. Fortunes, and of magnitude, are being realised
in some quarters.

I well remember your going over the list of officers
appointed to high commands here, and remarking upon
the number who had not done a day's duty as soldiers
for years—exemplifying Lord --, whose occupation
during that time had been unroofing cottages in Ireland,
and Lord --, who might be daily seen creeping out of
the United Service Club, swaddled in flannels. Each
day do I see your prophecies realised. I pray they may
not be in full; and I donotfearthey will, for, thank God,
we shall have troops well commanded near us. I trust,
too, to the bravery of our men ; their pluck, as in
India, will atone for the errors of those above them. I
recollect your saying those very words on that bloody
field where the generals allowed themselves to be sur-
prised. Alas t hereafter, as then, honours and pensions
will be showered upon those who were saved solely by
the bravery of men whose names are never known, and
who will fill graves in a distant land, or return to their
own to wander as beggars.
Now, my dear friend and patron, adieu. I will, as

opportunities o'er, transmit true and faithful account @
of our proceedings.

Camp Devesna,
17 miles from Varna, July 12.
We have been here some ten days, having movel
f .rward, as it was believed, to assist at Sili;tria ; but. as
I antieipated, the Turks, utterly unaided, have succeeded
coinpelling the Russians to raise the siege, and have
placid our chiefs in the pleasing position oi not knowing
what to do or where to go. It is now believed that we
shall not fire a shot this year. Oh ! that Napier had
ben spared to us. He would have been the man for us
at this crisis. Firm, vigilant, with an enthusiastic genius
—a mighty compound of Suwarroff and Napoleon.
What confidence he would have inspired ! What effi-
cient men he would have had around him. We canno
disguise the fact that Lord R-- is not a soldier for the
field. As a Commander-in• Chief in England, he would
nave dune wonders for our efficiency. We should not
have witnessed the indecision and incompetency which
have been so patent ; but he has never commanded a
body of men The largest force he ever had under his
command were nine orderlies, and that 39 years ago.
The cabinet and the desk are his forte, not the active du-
ties of a commander of an army in the field !
Cardigan has just returned from a little excursion, the
details of which would make you smile ; but I must re-
serve that for my next. V. N.