The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-01 00:00:00

Spain, when I could amply have defended myself from an
imputation made, but was prevented from so doing be-
cause an explanation would necessarily expose to the
enemy the intentions of the Government which I was thee
serving. (Hear, hear.) But here there is nothing of the
kind—here the question is simply the provision made for
the material wants of an army. I must say I have ne con-
fidence in the Government upon this subject, and it is
most important that every part of this matter should be
inquired into pablicly and above-board. (Hear.) There
was an instance not long ago of secret inquiry somewhat
remarkable in its: circumstances. I will not mention the
exact date, but there was an imputation made affecting the
character of an officer of high rank, connected with two or
three ducal families—an imputation certainly very discre-
ditable. It was brought, in the first instance, before the
late Duke of Wellington, and I venture to think that upon
that occasion the illustrious duke did not proceed with all
the equity which might have been expected, and was to be
desired. The papers were taken away and locked. up. How-
ever, it so happened that the matter was brought under
public discussion, and then it became desirable to take
some step which would save certain noble families from
annoyance; and what was done ? There was a board, as it
was called; two or three old gentlemen of my acquaintance
were placed on it; and one or twa of theta were in se low
a state of health that they were quite unable to examine
minutely and scrupulously into a difficult and disputed
question. But a lawyer was given to assist them—a De-
puty Judge-Advocate-General—into whose hands the
whole business, of mourse, fell ; and what was the result ?
Some eight or ten officers of the highest rank appeared be-
fore the board, and made statements as to a particular
fact ; they were supported by two eminent scientific wit-
nesses ; the court was closed; and then what was the find-
ing ? Some gentlemen of rank and position had come for-
ward and said they could not think that the officer in
question—their friend, so honourable a man—could have
done anything to forfeit good opinion. Well, the gallant
officers, who had little to do with drawing up the finding,
at last said, " At your lordship's desire wo have proceeded
to inquire into this matter. It has been an excessively
painful task, and we have been met by very conflicting
evidence—infaot, the evidence is almost balanced on either
side. Some of it was of a character which would not
have been received in Westminster-hall, but we are not
gentlemen accustomed to split hairs. Subject to these
remarks we find the hon. and gallant officer perfectly in-
nocent of the whole charge." I do not know irhether
this board will exercise similar ingenuity, but I have
not the least doubt that an attempt will be made to
induce thins to do so. (near, hear.) Now, with that
recent case in our recollection, what is to be thought of the
secret court which, in the first instance, the noble viscount
informed us was to be constituted on this occasion ? The
warrant constituting this court states, I think, that the
object of the Goverenient is to elicit the truth ; but, if that
is their desire, I think all the documents bearing upon the
subject should be pldced before the house, and that no
nortion of them should be withheld and concealed. (Hear,
hear.) There are, howover, particular documents which
we cannot extract from the Government. We do not ask
for opinions; we ask fur returns and facts, and these facts
are of the meet frightful description. The truth is that the
Government are fearful to disclose them. (Hear, hear.) It
appears—l think on page 37 of the report—that papers
detailing such facto have been laid before the Government,
and in other parts of the report it is stated that the average
deaths in the army from sickness were 30 per cent. The
house must not suppose, however, that that was the Ices
of all portions of the army trem sickness, for it was pro-
bably in some cases :)0 or GO per tent. We find from the
report that some regiments lost only 5 per cent. ; and we
fiud that, 'while non-commissioned officers and soldiers
were perishing, as it is stated, at the rate of 35 per cent.,
the mortality from sickness among the commissioned offi-
cers was only 3or 4 per cent. What could be the cause of
this difference ? It was not attributable to the climate,
but. to neglect of the non-commissioned officers and sol-
diers. We find that in the cavalry and artillery and in
some of the regiments encamped near Balaklava the loss
was small, compared with that suffered by those por-
tions of the army which were in more exposed positions;
and yet the average loss was 35 per cent. To what con-
clusion are we led when we find' that 35 percent. was the
average mortality, and that in some branches of the
army the loss was only 5, a, or 7 per cent. ? It must
be that in some portions of the army the lose was
50 or GO per cent. (Hear, hear.) I will go even fur-
ther than that. It has been reported in the public press—
and, as we know, hitherto the public press has been pretty
nearly accurate—(hear)—thet some of the regiments which
went out with a strength of 900 or 1,000 men were abso-
lutely nearly annihilated. Now we want the documents
which will show whether this loss was attributable to the
misconduct of those who had charge of the regiments. It
ie stated that one regiment—the 4Gth, I believe—disem-
barked in the midst of very heavy rain, and on reaching
the muddy shore nobody took the least notice of them. The
men were unprepared for such hardships, and I believe the
consequence was that iu 36 home or so the regiment al-
most disappeared. Now, if the Governinent refuse to give
in the specific dottiments which will prove these facts, does
it not show that their object ie concealmeet? (Hear.) Is
such conduct consistent With the statements in the warrant
appointing the board of inquiry, that they aro "desirous
- that the truth should be made manifest ?" (Hear.) I will
call attention to another most iniportant matter. In con-
sequence of the gieat mortality which took place among
the troops, the medical officers applied themselves to trace
the progress of disease in each of the regiments, to ascertain
the number of booths from wounds and disease, and to
compare the losses of regiments occupying different posi-
tions in the cone try. The information thus obtained ,is
regarded as most importent and valuable, not merely by
military surgeons, but by medical men generally; and,
from its bearing upon medical science, a strong desire
exists among the profession that the returns sent in to the
Government should be made public; but, notwithstand-
ing the reiterated applications which have been made Oft
all sides, the noble viscount has particular reasons for
withholding these returns. It has been intimated that.
perhaps they may be produced hereafter. That may be
the most convenient course for the Government to pur-
sue, and they may be influenced by very good reasons.
It is alleged in the report that while the troops
were suffering from that dire disease, scurvy—and many
• on. gentlemen may, perhaps, not be aware that when
curvy affects large bodies of men it is accompanied by
imoheee and a variety of internal complaints—there wore
20,0001 b. of lime juice in store, and we ought to know who
declined to issue someportion of that lime-juice. (Hear.)
Scurvy may bo checked to a greater or less degree by pro-
per regimen. Well. there was rice in store, and why was
not that issued? (Hear.) Diarrbcea was prevalent, and
it is alleged that medicines suitable for that disease bad
been provided; but they, were not forthcoming, and why
were they net issued ? Then, in many of the regiments
the men were so muds affected by scurvy that they were
enable to eat biscuit, but no bread was to be had. At that
very time the French troops were supplied with bread, and
now and thee, with great kindness and consideration, they
made presents of bread to our men. I remember that on
one occasion we received 20,0"e9 rations of bread from the
French. When our horses were perishing for want of
straw, General Canrobert sent us three small sips laden
with straw as a present. Now, if there are any documents
in the possession of the Government which will throw light
upon this subject, is it not proper that they should be
placed upon the table? (Hear.) I say that these aro most
serious matters. (Hear.) The whole question has been
raised and discussed. I (mite agree with the right hon.
baronet opposite that it would have been ranch better if
the discussion had been postponed—(hear, hear)—but the
Tinder lidecretary for War would not allow it to be post-
poned. (Hear and cheers.) He has gone into the charac-
ters anti qaalifications of the officers of the staff to show
that they deserved to be appointed to high situations.
(Hear, hear.) During pert of the calamitous period to
which I have referred General Airey was ill, and Colonel
Gordon acted as his factotum, When I saw that Colonel
Gordon was appointed to the office of Deputy Quarter-
master-General of the army I confess rfelt some alarm.
(Hear, hear.) Wby do I say so? Because I have seen
that when this country is involved in war the chief situa-
tions on the staff and in the most important departments
of the army are forthwith filled from the desks of the
Horse Guards. ("Hear," and laughter.) The men who
are to occupy almost every important executive office—at
all events the principal offices—on the staff are brought
from those desks. I believe that some of the officers en-
gaged in the present war in these departments had not
been in the field for 44) years ; some of them had not seen
service for 20 years; and the greaterpart of them had never
met an enemy; nevertheless, they were supposed at ense to
possess a perfect knowledge of their duties. We may ex-
pect that Colonel Gordon will become Quartermaster-
General, and in the next war he may be Quartermaster-
General of the army in the field, or even Commandee-in-
Chief. Now, what is may knowledge of Colonel Gordon ?
I should not have thought of alluding to this subject un-
less I had been provoked into doing so; bat I said I was
alarmed at the appointment of Col. Gordon, because an in-
cident of a serious nature took place between thet officer
and myself, and I think the attacks which have been made
by an hon. member upon the generals of division justify
me in mentioning it. On the 23d of October Col. Gordon
informed ins he had received an order from Lord Raglan
to direct .me to take my division down into the Valley of
the Tchernaya and to attack and capture a Russian convoy
ofl,ooo carriages. Me also told me that the Duke of Cam-
bridge was ordered to turn out his division for my support.
I was astonished at this order. I had, with my staff offi-
cers, been observing the enemy ; we had seen no trace e a
convoy, and I do not believe there was any such convey.
If I had taken may division into the valley, and had been
followed by the Duke of Cambridge in support, we might
have been placed in a most awful position, for the enemy
were posted upon precipitous heights, and could hare
directed npon us the fire of 20 guns, so that they might ham,
smelled um without it being possible for us to return a
single shot. I therefore said to Col. Gordon—" I thi ek
_ there must be somo mistake about this." " Oh, no, there is
not "I certainly think somebody must be mistaken, and
so, before I move any of my troops, go back to Lord Eag-
le,' and tell him what I say." With some reluctance this
gentleman went back and returned with the same order, but
with the slight qualification that his lordship was willing I
should exercise my discretion in the matter, and that Ishould
do nothing against nty own judgment. " Well, sir," was my
reply, "you must find eat that this convoy really is where you say it is before I sacrifice my opinion on the subject ;
and, therefore, you had better go with Coll Herbert to the
top of that hill, end if the convey can be seen I shall take
steps accordingly." Accordingly, he, went up the hill with
. Co.. Herbert, but they could not discover any convoy. They
came back, Poor Capt. Nolan, who was also despatched
on
a subsequent occasion from the Quartermaster-General's de-
partment, and fell immediately afterwards, accompanied ;
Col. Gordon, and I told Capt. Nolan to go with another staff
officer, examine the position, and return and tell me whe-
ther he did not think the troops would be completely
compromised by any such movement as that indicated by
Cole Gordon. Many attacks, which I cannot answer, have
been made upon Captain Nolan for his conduct in another,
affair, but I must say that his reply to mi on that occasion
showed anything but imprudence and want of sense. He
assured me, aa I had myrelanticipated,. that if I moved the
troops into the valley they would have been utterly compro-
mised ; and that fact induces me to ho) ii that some of tl-,e
statements made to his disadvantage regarding the foyer at
Balaklava are not altogether well founded. (Hear, hear.)
Very different to the behaviour of Captain Nolan was tent
of Colonel Gordon, the favourite of the palace. (A laugh.)
,
When Colonel Gordon came back I said to him, Well,

hays yon seen the convoy ?" '" No, sir, I have not seen it."
" h, I suspect there is none." " No, I think it is there
notwithstanding." (Laughter.) " Where is it, then ?"
And this was the answer--" Why, I think it has probably
hatted in some corner of the road." (Laughter.) Many

peiions may perhapS think this rather a ridiculous anecdote,
but unfortunately, might have lost 1,000 men if I had not
hectta:te4 to comply with this imprudent demand. Colonel
Ainslie:, who afterwards cams up from another division,
reported that they had seen no convoy in the position inEli-
cated, I ut that there had been a convoy on the other side of
the valley, four or five miles oft I wrote a very strong letter
to Lord Rtgkri on that occasion, and I think it is my duty to
state the fact here, when the officer of whom I am speaking
is being ) I teed nearly at the head of the English army. That
letter trill me. t likely bo found by the friends of Lord Raglan
moug his pafere. I did not detail to his lordship the whole
f these Earticul.r., but I toldhiga that Ca gadoa had vory