The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

were sent out. On the 24th and 27th of December, two
vessels arrived at Balaklava, bringing 25,000—a num.
ber which was more than sufficient to have given a third
blanket to every man. This would have enabled him to
have two dry blankets in his tent, besides the one which
he generally brought in wet from the trenches, an ar-
rangement which had been found very beneficial in the
Naval Brigade.

"It will be observed that Colonel Gordon, in his evi-
dence, assigns as a reason for the non-issue of many of
these supplies, that he conceived the men had enough,
and he enumerates a long list of articles supplied to
them ; but he overlooks the fact that the greater num-
ber of these were not issued till about the end of Janu-
ary or beginning of Febrir ry, whereas the period during
which the men principally suffered was in the months
of December and January, when it appears there were
supplies enough in hand to Lave averted much of that
suffe, ing.
"TLe vessels before referred to, which arrived about
the middle and end of November, hall also brought
21,450 paillasses, to protect the soldiers from the mois-
ture of the ground, of which, however, 10,000 were lost
in the Prince. It was intended that they should be
stuffed with hay or straw, but at that time these were
deficient in the camp, and no effort seems to have been
made tb provide a substitute, though wool from the op-
posite coast might probably have been procured if pro-
per measures had been taken for that purpose. Had
even the palliate-sack, together with one of the rugs in
store, been issued, it would have afforded the soldier
some protection from the moisture of the ground,
t:11 a better bed could be procured for him ; none of the
paillasses, however, were issued to the troops, and of a
subsequent supply of 6,000 only abou t one half were used
for the hospitals ; the whole of the rest remained in
store.

" It was not necessary that there should be a paillasse
for each mar, and, indeed, a tent could not have con-
tained that number ; one to every two men would
have been sufficient, for nearly one 1 Alf were out on
dotty at night ; and even in the end of November the
number in store would have aforded that proportion.

"GREATCOATS.

"By the end of November, or beginning of Da.
camber, about 12,000 greatcoats also had arrived at
Balaklava. Of these there remained in store, during the
months of Dtcembrr and January, when they were moat
urgently required by the men, upwards of 9,000 besides
nearly 2,000 watcheloaks., These numbers would have
furnished one to every two men, and, supposing one-half
to be oa duty, would have afforded to each man a dry
greatcoat or cloak to put on when he returned to his
tent from the trenches, instead of lying down, as he
often did, in on that which was wet and muddy.
" But it was not necessary to have waited even so
late as the end of November to commence an exten-
sive issue of additional greatcoats, for in order that
there might be a proper reserve in -tore of so essential
an article of equipment, 10,000 had been sent from
England to Scutari so early as the month of July ; of
these 3,325 only were sent to Varna, and the remainder
lay in store at Scutari till the middle of December.
There seems to be no reason why these should not have
been at Ba,laklava whenever the approach cf cold wea-
ther required additional clothing ; and with the 11,000
which arrived iu the end of November, they would
have afforded ample covering at a comparatively early
period for all the men exposed on ritht duty; and
on the arrival, iu the end of December, of the gregoeit,
or hooded greatcoats, purchased by Major Wetherell at
Constantinople, every man might have been supplied
either with one of these or a greatcoat.
" One of the reasons assigned for not issuing the regi-
mental greatcoats was, that the regulations of the ser-
vice, as establsheJ by the Queen's warrant, r:itl not
authorise such issue more frequently than once in three
years. The proportion of corps in the Crimea entitled
to them in terms of that warrant was very limited, and
it does not appear that any instructions dispensing with
its restrictions were received there, or that any intima-
tion was given of the intention with which they were
sent out. Had an application been made, however, it
is'not probable OM the General Commanding would
have refused to authorise, on his own responsibility, the
distribution of articles of clothing which were likely to
contribute to the health and efficiency of the troop, and
if the Quartermaster-General doubted his own powers in
this matter, it appears to us that he ought to have ap-
plied for that authority.
"We have referred to the Ordnance Department
through which these supplies were sent to the Crimea, in
order to ascertain whether nay restriction was placed
upon their issue. From the reply there appears to have
been none, and that the whole were forwarded for the
use of the army without any limitation or instruction on
that head.