The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-04 00:00:00

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.

War Department, March 3, 1856.
Lord Pannaure has this day received three de-
spatches, and an enclosure, of which the following
are copies, addressed to his lordship by General Sir
William °Arington, K.C.B.
Sebastopol, Feb. 16, 1856.

My Lord—l have the honour to acquaint your
lordship that a Russian force, estimated at about
3,000 infantry and cossacks, appeared on the morn-
ing of the 12th instant, on the ridge of Kardoubel,
above the valley of Baidar, but retired after a
short reconnaissance.

The French Engineers blew up, on the 12th in-
stant, two portions of the aqueduct which formerly
supplied the docks of Sebastopol.
Some blasting experiments have been made on
the walls of the large barracks, near tho dockyard,
and the mining is in progrev. • . _ _

.The weather-, for some days past, has been show-
ing the gradual approach of spring, and the health
of the army continues excelleut.

G2neral 'Sir Colin Campbell rejoined this army
on the 14th instant.—l have, &c.,
W. J. CODRINGTON, General Commanding.
The Lord Panmure,

Sebastopol, Feb. 19, 1856.
. My Lord—The health of the army remains good,
and we have been enabled lately to continue ball
practice and the assembling of regiments for exer-
cise during the very favourable weather of the last
ten days. On the evening of the 17th orders were
given for the assembly of the whole infantry of the
English army in contiguous columus, on the brow
of the plateau ; but fog and drizzling rain in the
night turned to sleet in the morning,. changed the
state of the ground, and sent the thermometer down
to 18 deg., and to 9 deg. last night.
The parade had been of course put off ; but it
would„have shown to us. all troops rendered effi•
cient in health and strength by the care of -the Go-
vernment at home, and by the exertions and super-
intendence of the officers commanding divisions,
brigades, and regiments.
I am quite sure that any of our allies, inclined
to he present, would have been glad to see the effi-
ciency of part of the army which !cts with them.
To-day is a fine clear day of a Canadian winter,
thermometer at 14 (leg , bitterly cold from the
strong breeze ; and this change having come so
suddenly want of caution may very probably have
produce some frost bites.

We shall be enabled soon to add to the interest
taken in the ball practice with that beautiful arm
the Enfield rifle, by giving a few prizes, subscribed
for among ourselves, to the best shots.—l have,
W. J. CODRINGTON, General Commanding.
The Lord Panmure, &c.

Sebastopol, Feb. 19, 1856.
My Lord—l beg to inclose the weekly report of
Dr. _Elall.—l have, ezc.

W. J. CODRINGTON, General Commanding.
The Lord Panmur©,

(Enclosure.)
Head-quarters, Camp near Sebastopol,
Feb. 18, 1856.
Sir—T have the honour to inclose the weekly
state of sick.

The sanitary condition of the army continues
most satisfactory ; indeed, it could scarcely be ex-
celled, and the mortality at present is under that
of the household cavalry in England, which is a
body of men as well taken care of as any troops in
the world.

During the present week no casualty has taken
place in either the 3d, Light, or Highland Divi-
sions.

The Ist, 2d, and 4th Divisions have lost one man
each, and four have died of the Artillery, making
a total of seven ; or a ratio of mortality of o.olper
cent. to strength.
Taking the last eight weeks the ratio of mortality
has only been at the rate of 151 per thousand per
annum, which is considerably under that of the
Foot Guards when doing duty in London. The
above calculations are exclusive of the Land Tran-
sport Corps, and excluding them this week the ad-
missions to strength have been 2 02 per cent., sick
to well 4.36 per cent.
Including the Land Transport, the admissions
have been 2•21 per cent. ; deaths 0.02 per cent. ;
sick to well 4.56 per cent. Fevers and pulmonic
affections are the moat prevalent complaints ; but
diseases of the stomach and bowels have consider-
ably decreased.

There is an apparent increase under the head of
ophthalmia, but this has been occasioned in part
by the transfer a eases from their regimental hospi
tale in camp to the general hos ital at the monas-
tery. —I have, &0., J OHN BALL,
Inspector-General of Hospitals.
General Sir William Codrington,
Commanding-in Chief.

her compasses and completed her stores, ammunition,
shell, &c., is now waiting orders for her departure from
Sheerness.

The Heron and Louisa gun-boats, both of 80 horse-
power (nominal) high pressure, carrying each two Lan-
caster long guns of large calibre, left Sheerness yesterday
morning to join the gun-boat squadron at Spithead.
The Duck, Second Master Commander sr. Veal, ar-
rived at Sheerness yesterday morning from Portsmouth,
having on board stores for the Cressy, which ship she
passed in the night between Portsmouth and the Downs.
The Duck proceeds for Chatham, and the stores for the
Cressy will be immediately sent to Portsmouth. The
Cressy, during her stay in the Downs, entered 150
volunteer seamen an] boys, •principally from service in
the Margate, Ramsgate, Deal, and Dover loggers. They
have all entered for general cervices.
The Esk, 21 guns, screw steam-corvette, Capt. Thos.
T. Birch, has been paid off, each seamati receiving his
fall annunt of pay. They are all transferred to the
Waterloo fllgship, with permission W volunteer for any
ship in active service. Many have volunteered for their
old ship.
The Chesapeake, new 50-gun screw steam-frigate, of
400-horse power, now lying at Folly Point, is daily ex-
pected to be commissioned.
The Mars, 80, new screw steam-ship, now in the fit-
ting basin at Sheerness, is ordered to be brought forward
with all possible despatch to be commissioned.
The Porcupine, 3 guns, paddle-wheel steam-vessel of
132-horse power, Lieut.-Commander Geo. M. Balfour,
now at Sheeruess, refitting, is ordered to complete her
refitting with all possible despatch' to be ready for im-
mediate service.

The Manly and Drake mortar-vessels have completed
their refitting and have been put out of Sheerness basin
with ord.rs to complete stores, to be ready for imme-
diate departure.

The Cuckoo, 3, Lieutenant:Commander Augustus G.
F. Murray ; the Otter, 3, Lieutenant-Commander. John
H. Glover, and the Locust, 3 guns, 'Lieut.-Commander
John Bytheset, paddle-wheel steam-vessel 4, have all
c iropleted their refitment, and are ordered to be ready for
immediate departure from Sheerness. •
Commander M‘Denald bavieg taken up his appoint-
ment as commander of her Majesty ri ship Perseverance
has giveutrofer the duties of lii4depar,l4l/4,14,-44
as superintendent of the transport service, to Mr. J.
und ors, It N.
The screw transport Norman, No. 155, Capt. Vallins,
530 tons re2.4st-r, went down to Woolwich yesterday
m,rning, from Deptford, to embark troops for the
Crimea. Toe fo,lovrinir officers and men of the Royal
Horse Art,ilery are to be received on board, to-day :
Tieetenant Booth a,:d 1 sureeen, 1 farrier, 3 non-corn-
mi ,> Toned officers, 46 gunners and drivi re, and 54 horses.
A. company of the Foot Artillery will likewise leave
Woolwich to-day for Liverpool, where they will embark
on board the transport Sarah Sands for the Crimea. The
company mill be under the command of Captain Mercer,
Captain Grill, Lieutenant De Vismes, 1 surgeon, and 1
veterinary surgeon ; arid consists of 6 ,nn-commissioned
officers, 60 privates, 3 artificers, and 104 horses.
The Saepho, 12, Captain Fairfax Moresby, took her
departure from BlackAakes, in the Medway, yesterday
morning, and proceeded to the Duwns in charge of a
Government pilot. _ _

The Wanderer, screw steam-vessel, Captain J. P.
Luce, fitting for sea at Chatham, is expected to be taken
out of dock to-morrow, immediately after which she will
proceed to sea.
The following appointments were made yesterday at
the Admiralty :
Lieutenant W. A. Smith, to the Sappho; John Lyon,
assistant-paymaster (secretary's clerk), to the Calcutta ;
Edward Foster, assistant-paymaster (secretary's clerk),
to the Conway; Frederick F. Miller, assistant-paymaster
(secretary's clerk), to the Edinburgh; Samuel G. Robison,
clerk, to the Calcutta.
The Royal artillery now at Leeds barracks, amount-
ing to 247 men, besides coinnissioned dlicer4, with 200
horses, will leave Leeds this week, orders having been
received for their embarkation at Liverpool on Saturday
next, for the Crimea.

Orders have been received at the depot of the 13th
Light Dragoons, Dorchester Barracks, for a detachment
of SO men and horses to be in readiness for immediate
service. Although the regiment suffered considerable
losses in the Balaklava charge and during the Crimean
campaign, recruiting has gone on so successfully that it
is now considerably above its strength, and the recruiting
serjeanto have received instructions to enlist for other
regiments.

The detachments belonging to the 74th Highlanders
and the 84th Regiment, who are to proceed to India to
instruct the troops stationed in the Madras presidency in
the use of the Enfield rifle, will leave Chatham this
morning, and embark on board the Earl of Hardwicke.
Brevet-Major J. M.`Carthy goes out in command of the
detachment.

Lieut. R. W. Ellis, 52d Light Infantry, has been
ordered to proceed to Tilbury Fort to relieve Lieut. M.
Fanning, 64th Regiment, who has been appointed a cap-
tain in the Turkish Contingent.