The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-04 00:00:00

Died Ratio
Strength. by per cent of
Sickness. Deaths.
Heavy Cavalry 1 055 493 47
Light Cavalry
Artillery 2,832 1,190 42
Total

" On referring to the loss sustained by the Commissariat
animal, during tne same perion, It will be found lathes
less than in the cavalry or artillery, the deaths among
them having, according to a return furnished by Deputy-
Commissariat-General Adams, amounted to about 889 out
of 2,329 originally imported into the Crimea, or in the
proportion of 38 per cont.—a result which could scarcely
have boon expected, considering the advantages which
cavalry horses might be supposed to have over hard-worked
baggage animals, to whom little attention could be paid at
such a period.
" While we have considered it our duty to point out
what appear to us to be serious defects in the arragemeuts
of the Commissariat with the army in the Crimea, as well
as the consequences that have resulted from these defects,
we do not mean to infer that the Commissary-General, or
the other officers of that department, have failed to make
any exertion of which they were capable to provide for the
exigencies of the public s -rvice according to the measure
of their ability and foresight ; and it is but just to direct
attention to the usual nature of the duties required of them,
where a large army occupied as it were a barren island
which furnishes nothing except water and a limited quan-
tity of firewood. The Commissariat, which appears for some
time to have been without a sufficient number of hands,
had also serious difficulties to encounter which could not
have been foreseen. The tempest of the 14th of November
was a great disaster, and the peculiarities of the harbour of
Balaklava, whatever may he its advantages, created con-
stant difficulties, especially in landing the vast supplies re-
quired for the army. The breal- big up of the road from
Balaklava to the front, and the impossibility of sparing
from their military duties a sufficient number of men to
' make it practicable for Commissi triat carts, had not been
anticipated or provided for, and the belief, apparently
shared in by the Commissariat, that Sebastopol would
speedily fall, and the campaign in the Crimea terminate,
though not much insisted upon by the witnesses whom we
examined, was unquestionably a most influential cause of
many defects in the arrangements. It appears to have been
assumed, till the beginning of November, that any present
inconvenience could be but of short duration, and that any
expedients by which the emergencies of the moment could
be overcome were sufficient for the occasion, A man of
comprehensive views might probably have risen superior
to these disadvantages, and created an organisation suited
to the circumstances. He would, doubtless, at once have
perceived that the established practice of procuring all
supplies by tenders and contracts is not calculated to draw
forth the resources of Turkey, or to make them available
when required. Finding that his supplies must be drawn
from provinces of the resources of which he had little
knowledge, and to the inhabiiants of which he was unable
even to communicate his wants in any language which
they could understand, he would probably have turned
to good account the knowledge of the country and its re-
sources, possessed by a large and respectable body of pub-
lic servants, her Majesty's Consuls, and he would then
have found those resources more ample and more easily
made available than till lately they were believed to be.
But it is unreasonable to expect that every man who
may rise to the head of so limited a department, even after
a long course of meritorious service, is to display,
when-
ever the occasion may demand it, inventive resources and
administrative capacity of a very high order.
" The purely executive duties of the department appear
to be well performed. The officers attached to divisions
and brigades are generally intelligent and efficient; seve-
ral of them are men of considerable capacity. The Gene-
rals commanding divisions and brigades, with few excep-
tions, expressed their satisfaction with- the exertions and
services of those officers, and used terms of high commen-
dationof them, especially of Mr.
in speaking of some
Power, attached to the Second Division, who was absent
on duty, and whom we therefore did net see.
"The evidence in regard to some of the subjects of our
inquiry has not been corrected by the officers last exa-
mined, to whom it was sent for that purpose only the day
before our departure from Balaklava ; and certain written
queries were transmitted at the same time, the answers to
which will be forwarded to us. When we have received
those papers, and have had an opportunity of examining
in a collected farm the whole of the evidence and other do-
cuments, we shall proceed to report upon the matters to
which they relate, so far as they may fall within the limits
assigned to our inquiry by the instructions received from
your lordship.--We have ti,. honour to be, your lordship's
most obedient servants,
" JOHN M'NEILL.
• "ALEX. M. TULLOCH, Colonel.
" The Right Hon. the Lord Panmure, G.C.8."