The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-08 00:00:00

THE MILITARY BOAR!) OF INQUIRY.

(Continued', front the Sun of last niyht.)
Lord Lucan then read various letters which
ho had forwarded to the proper authorities,
complaining of the fatigue and overworking of the troop
horses after he had to provide 500 efficient hoe-es at the
order of the Field-Marshal. Li the heavy brigade, be-
tween the 12th and 27th Dec., 381 horses were used on
commissariat duties, 143 for regimental forage duties,
piequete 40, deficient for forage duties 8, so that
alloaing each horse to carry 11 cwt., Ora brigade
lost the supply of 12 cwt. of toed daily. In the
Light Brigade there were but 201 horses ; 122 of
these were used for commissariat duties (making 503 on
transport duty), 72 on regimental forage, and seven fir
orderlies. After they commenced the commissariat duties
the horses fell sick and died rapidly. In one day no less
than 29 horses died. He-made several appeals agaiest
this extra and destructive duty ; and finally, three
days after the 25th, he was relieved from them.
The noble lord then aildre-sed himself to another
part of the report with reference to the shelter for horses,
in which the Commissioners say, " Cons,dering, also,
the suffering and severe loss of horses front exposure to
the weather in the commeneement of the winter, there
appears to be a want of promptitude or ingenuity in de-
vising for them some temporary shelter such as saved the
baggage-horses of the S ippers and Miners at Btlaklava."
In his reply to that statement, he had shown that it aas
p ,ssible to compare the cavalry, who were exposed on'a
bleak plateau, without tools, to the engineers, who were
down in a warm valley, and had plenty of tools. If he
wanted any more conclusive proof than another of the
animus of the commissioners, and the malignity which
actuated them, he would rest upon that passage. They
went on to say that experience had shown that even a
very moderate degree of shelter would have kept them in
a certain condition of comfort and health. Well, he did
,not know what greater experience Sir John M'Neill or
C done? Tulloeh had greater than himself. He defied
either of them to have provided better shelter on the
bleak plateau, with the means at his command, than be
did. They appeared to have made the charge solely
upon the evidence of ColonelGriffiths, the value of whose
evidence would be judged of when he was subjected to
a cross-examination. That officer was said to have
made an application for the means of sheltering the
horses of the Scots Greys', but to have been received by
him (Lord Lucan) in such a manner as to deter him, or
any other officer, from topeating the application. Now,
he objected to that statement, because it was not sup-
ported by evidence. There was no proof that any other
officsr had been deterred frene applying to him by what
hail passed between him and Cal. Griffiths ; on the con-
trary, there was proof that it was not known to other
efficers whom the conimiseioners bad never examined.
It was, he had no hesitation in saying, most monstrous,
that a general officer should have been pointed out for
condemnation on the evidence of a subordinate officer,
whose evidence was taken in the absence of the officer
implicated by that. evidence, and without his having an
opportunity of cross-examination. He proposed now to
call Col. Griffiths before the board.
Colonel Griffiths was called—He stated that he would
rather that his examination should be postponed for a
short time, until the arrival of some memoranda for
which he had sent.
Lord Lucan said that these were not. memorand t
made at the time of the circumstances to which they
related, but lately, for the purpose of refreshing his me-
mory. He thought the .inquiry had better be pro-
ceeded with.
Cul nel Griffiths; thought that until the arrival of his
papers the board had no right to call upon hint to
answer any questions.
After the lapse of a quarter hour,
Lord Lucan said that the non-production of the me-
moranda would make the examination a little more dila
tory than it would other Wise have been. He did not
wish that the Court should break up in the middle of
Colonel Griffith's examination, and he could not hope to
conclude it by four o'clock tit being then past three).
He should, therefore, prefer beginning with Colonel
Griffiths to-morrow morning.
Tee President—How long will you take ?
Lord Lucan—There will act be many questions, but
I ant afraid they will take a long time. lam quite sure
I could not conclude with him to-day.
Generel Peel—Have you any other witnesses ?
Lord Lucan—Yee, Richard Airey and Col. Gordon.
General Peel—Can you go on with any of those ?
Lord Lucan—Yes; with Colonel Gordon, as he will
only take a few minutes.
Colonel Griffiths' then retired, and
Colonel the Hen. Alexerider Gordon was called, and
cautioned in the usual manner by the Judge-Advocate.
The examination was conducted by means of written
questions, to which Colonel Gordon replied 'viva voce.
Lord Lucan—The commissioners, in their letter to
Lord Paninure, defended their report upon the evidence
of Sir Richard Airey and the Hon. Colonel Gordon. I
propose to examine Colonel Gordon upon that point.
Lord Lucan—ln your evidence before the commis-
sioners you stated that on-the same day (the 12th of
November, I presume), L6rd Lucan was directed to
make temporary stables as he best could until the tim-
ber arrived, and that on the 12th of-November an en
gineer officer was placed at his dispose' to assist him
13e good enough to tell the Court who that officer was,
and what knowledge you have on the subject.
Canal Gordon—l think- the name of the officer was
Lieut. Stokes, who was appointed by the officer com-
manding the Royal Engineers ; and after that he was
succeeded by an officer of the name of Lernox. He
thought those were the names of the officers, but he
could not say with -perfect safety.
Lord Lucan—Cen you say, of your own knowledge,
that Mr. Stokes was appointed to this duty on the 12 b
November.
Colonel Gorden-1 think
_the officer commanding the
engineers stated that Lieut. Stokes had been appointe 1 to
that duty on the 12th November, but without toy papers
I could not speak with any degree of ceiteinty on the
f met whether it was that day or not. My impression
that Lieut. Stokes came to the camp, and that you wished
him to live with you. I think he decdned, and went to
live in his own camp. I recollect that, in some way or
another, his services were net available to you in the
way your lordship wished or expected.
Lord Lucan—l (10 not know how far the commissioners
will allow me to avail myself efahis journal which I hold
in my hand. It is a journal kept by my son, Lord Bing-
ham, who is now in the Crimea. There are plenty of per-
sons who can speak in reference to the handwriting. I
wish to show by means of it that C Gerdon is in error,
and that at the time mentioned Lieut. Stokes did not
get any order.
Lord Lucan (to Col. Gordon) --Are you aware that
Capt. Chapman was the first officer appointed to this
duty, and he visited the camp for the first time on the
17th November ?
Colonel Gordon—l never heard of Capt. Chapman
having charge of that duty ; and, as I believe he never
left the camp, I am surprised to hear that he was engaged
to construct huts for the cavalry. I have never heard it
suggested, until this onent, that Capt. Chapman was
so employed.
Lord Lucan—Can you tell on what days, or hew often
Mr. Stokes attended at the cavairy camp ?
Colonel Gordon--No, I cannot.
Lord Lucan—Can you say -that he attended on more
than one occasion ?
Colonel Gorden—l cannot say of my own knowledge.
Lord Lecan—Did you ever hear of a visit paid by me
to Capt. Gordon, the commanding engineer, on the 22.1
November, to induce him to act in obedience to the
Quartermaster-General's order, and to give me an engi-
neer officer, if it was only for three days ?
Colonel Gordon—Now that you mention the circum-
stance I recollect something abut it. I knew that you
were very anxious on the matter, but I do net know
whether anything was done. There is nu reason why I
should not know it, but I haVe a faint recollection that
you did something or other about it.
Lord Lucan—You mentioned that Lieut. Lennox was
appointed to succeed Lieut. Stokes in this duty. Can you
say that Lieut. Lennox did more than present himself,
or that he ever did anything -more in the matter ?
Col. Gordon—Lieut. Stokes and Lieut. Lennox were,
I believe, the only two appointed ; but I do not know
what amount of duty'they performed. I knew that they
were relieved from all other duty in order that they
might attend to cavalry duty, but I do not know how
many days they attended to it. They were circumstances
that probably would not have come within my know-
ledge at all.

Lord Lucan—Would you then be surprised to be told
that Lieut. Stokes attended only on the 22d of Nov.,
and then only upon that one occasion, and then to look
over the ground—and that Lieut. Lennox only the day
on which he came to present himself, and this because
Capt. Gordon refused to take him off his trench duties.
Would that surprise you ?
Colonel Gordon—Nothing would surprise me.
Lord Lucan—l ask you, does it surprise you ?
Colonel Gordon--No.
Lord Luean—l wish to be informed how you know
that I was directed to make temporary stables ?
Col. Gordon—l stated it in evidence in the Crimea
from a knowledge of the records in the Quartermaster-
General's office. There is a letter in the Quartermaster-
General's office to that effect.

Lord Lucan—l understood you to say ycu hai no
personal knowledge en the matter ? •

- Col. Gordon—l must correct that. Possibly that let-
ter, which is in the recardi of the office, Was written by
my.-elf. At all events, there the letter is.

Lori Lucan—Can you tell the Curt that there were
any written instructions atall?

Colonel Gordon--I cannot,state whether there were
on that very day. I recollect now that the circumstance
is brought to my mind; that when the cavalry was on
the hills near the sea, that a letter was written to you
directing you to provide huts.
Lord Lucan—Did you ever hear of my having waited
on Lord Itag!an of my own accord, and receiving from
him verbal instructions that very day ?
Colonel Gordon—If I heard it, I have fon-rotten it.
But that is a circumstance that I probably should not
have been acquainted with the least in the world.
L rd Lucau—l do not wish to press Colonel Gordon
further, as the Quartermaster-General, whom I shall call
will know more about it.
Colonel Gordon—All I say is, that an engineer officer
was placed at your disposal, but I do not know anything
about the duties he performed. •
The Court then adjourned, at 4 o'clock, to 11 o'clock
this day.

Wires REVENGE.--_A shipwright at North Shields
recently to ik a rape's end and thrashed his wife. The
next day the wife took a pie to the docks for her htn -
band's dinner, but, on removing the lid, instead of finding
a beefsteak or mutton chop, he found a portion of the
rope, with which he had ill-used her, and on remonstrat-
ing with his wife fix such conduct, she coolly replied
that if the rope's end was good for her it could nit be
tsci for him.—Darlington ceze Stochten Tint%