The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-11-03

The dead Russian S0idiers-Iheir Dress-
The Contents Of their Knapsaeks-Ihei'
7enaeity ofEte-Their diitrust Of III
AHies-Appearanee Of The Prisoners-
Prince Msn'ehikof Lost his Presence Q,
Mad.
From the corrssponasnee of London Timer. Oct u
HEiGHIs OF ALMA. Sept u.
/, was terrible and sipkening sight 10 20
over the battle field. Till deprived Of my
horsclby chance shot I rode about 10 40.
certain, as far as possible the loss Of our
friends and in doing SO was often brought
10 a stand still by The difficulty Of getting
through the piles OF wounded Russians,
mingled two often with our own poor sol.
diers. The hills ofgreenwich park in fair
time are no, more densely covered with hu.
man beings then were the heights Of Alma
with dead aud dying. On these bloody
mounds fell 2s6 English officers and men,
and upwards Of 5000 Russians, while their
western extremity was covered with The
bodies OF |, 400 gallant Frenchmen and OF
more than 1900 OF their foes.
When Lord Raglan and his staff and the
Duke OF Cambridge rode round 10 The top OF
The hill the troops cacered them with Thrill.
ling ei!ect-a shout Of victory which never
can be forgotten, The enemy, who were
flying in the distance might almos, have
heard lis echoes as il rolled along among
the hills. Our men, had indeed, done their
work we'll for the action, which commenced
a, l IS on our part, was over about Z. nj.
In fact, the actual close continuous fighting
did moi last two hours.
The Russian regiments engaged against
US, judging from the numbers on the caps
and buttons p{ the dead and wounded were
the l l,h, I2ih, 10th, 18th, 18Th, 3is,, 32d,
33d, and some OF the Imperial Guard. The
Russian regiment consists Of four ballalions
and each battalion may be said TO be $50
strong. Several Of the regiments, 32d and
10th. for example, wore black leather he'll.
met, handsomely mounted with brass, and
having brass cone on the top, with hole
for the reception Of tuft, feather or plume,
others wore simply white linen forasing
cap. They were all dressed in long drab
coats, with brass buttons, bearing the num-
Der Of the regiment, These coats fitted
loosely were gathered in at The back by a
small strap and button, descend 10 the anc.
les, and seemed stout and comfortable gar
ments, though the cloth was course blue
stuff were thrust inside pair of Wellington
boots, open at tho top, TO admit OF their be-
ing comfortably tucked down the boots
were stout, we'll made and servicable. Their
knapsacks as,onish our soldiers. On OPEN
ing them, each was found to contain The
dress, uniform coatee of the man, blue or
green, with white facings, and slashes like
on own pair Of clean drawers, a clean
shirt, a pair Of clean socks, a pair of stout
mis, case containing good pair OF scis-
sors marked "Sapin," an excellent pen
knife with one large blade, Of Russian man,
ufacture,a ball Of Irvine, roll of leather, wax
thread, needles pins, hair brush and comb
small looking glass, razor, strop and soap,
shoe brushes and backing. The general
remark al our men was that the Russians
were very "clean soliders,'' and certainly
the men on the field had white fair skins TO
Justify the expression. Each man had O
loaf OF dark brown bread, oi sour taste and
disagreeable odor; in the knapsack and a
linen roll, containing quantity OF brown
coarse stuff broken up into Jumps and large
grains, which is crushed biscuit or hard
granula,ed bread with oil.
This, we were told by The prisoners, was
the sole food Of the men. They eat The brea;l
with onions and oil; the powder is "reserve'
ration /; aud IL they march they may be for
days without food, and remain hungry till
they can get fresh loves and more bread
|, Is perfectly astounding to think they can
keep together on such diet-and yet they
are strong, Muscular men enough. The
surgeons remarked that their ,enaci,y of lie
was very remarkable. Many Of them lived
with wounds calculated TO destroy two or
three ordinary men, l saw one OF The 32d
regiment on the field jus, after the fight,
He was SHOT right through the head, and
the brain pD,ruded large masses at the
back OF the head and from the front OF the
skull, saw with my own eyes the woun
ded man raise his hand wipe The horrible
mass from his brow and proceed TO strug.
gle down the large hills towards the wa
ter!
Many ofthe Russians were shot in three
Or four places few Of them had only one
wound. They seemed 10 have n general
idea that they-sTonld be- murdered; possibly
they had been told no quarter would be
given, and several deplorable events took
place in consequence. As our men were
passing by, two or ,hree::of them were shot
or stabbed by men lying on the ground,
and The cry was raised that I" The wounded
Russians" were firing on our men, There
is a story indeed, that an officer was severe
ly Injured by man 10 whom he was in the
very act Of administering succor as he
lay in agony on the field (; be this as il may
there was at one time a near chance OF a
ma secre taking place, but the menwere soon
soon controlled and confined themselves to
the pillage which always takes. place on a
field OF battle.
One William with red coat on his back I
regret 10 say, saw 60 up to wounded
Russian who was rolling on the earth in
The rear Of rhe 9TH regiment, and before he
could say word he discharged his rifle
right through the poor creatures brains.
Col. Yea rode at him 10 Gu, him down, but
the fellow excused himself by declaring the
Russian was going to shoot him. This was
the single act OF inhumaniiy saw perpe.
,raled by this arm, flashed with victory
mad animated by angry passions, although
the wounded enemy had PROFESSIONALLY en-.
dangered their lives by acts offerocious folly.
Many OF The Russians had small crosses
and chains round their necks. Several
were found with Korans in their knapsacks
most ofthe officers have portraits Of wives
Tor mistresses, OF mothers or sisters inside
their Goals. g. ''
The privatcs wore the little money they
possessed in purses fastened below their leii
knee, and the men in their eager search af-
Ter money, often caused tho wounded pain.
fol apprehensions iha, they about to destroy
them. Las, night all these poor wreiches
lay IN their agony nothing conld be done