The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-02-09

From Tic SenI Oh var.
Contrast between the aspect Of the English and
French camps Chersonosus. where most of the
merchant ships land, is the nearest point to the
French camp. Here thing has an appear.
ance of care and comfort. On every side the
French have laid down paved roads, along which,
despite The unfavorahle mud OF the Crmea, they
transport with the greatest ease their guns and
provisions, and march without difficulty from one
point to another. THAR hnts and tents stand in
regular rows, and at the entrance Of each street
there are sIgnposts 70 indicate the way. A strict
camp police is established. and prevents the aeeu-
mutation of dirt and rubbish. Between the tents
nnumeIable baking ovens are erected-some of
stone, others pora ble-in which fresh bread is
being continually baked, that the French sol.
der is not obliged, like the English soldier, to
content himself with biscuits which eDgender
scur9y.
Without awaiting the providence of their gov!
eminent, they have erected warm huls, from wood
collected and partially taken from demolished
Tartar huts, and the smoke of their chimnies curl
up pleasantly IN the air. Under these crcum.
stances there is much more jovlality in the French
than in the English or Turkish camp. The men
talk, tell tales, sing and work merrily, The
clothing of officers and men is as clean as if they
were simply doing hard garrison duty. The
Zouaves amuse the camp by stealing out indivdu-
French flags upon them. The Russians are bam-
boozed, a: night fires Lighted upon quite
solitary spots, upon which they fire away as hard
as they can. General Caprobert, despite his
wounds, is to be seen daily in the camp, but Cen
Bosquet is the avorlte of the men. The Fur.
kish camp, which is next TO the French offers a
miserable aspect; dirt, torn tents, uniforms which
can scarcely be recognised as uniforms and sol
diers that scarcely be taken for soldiers
A. thaFr nd
and smoke their pipes complacently. We have
already said so much respecting the English
camps, that we shall only give the description OF
our friend in few words.
On the WHOLE it is the contrast Of the French
camp, there roads, if we except one made
recently to convey the terrible mortars. On all
sides, between the torn tents, dead cattle, horses
and oxen are rotting, and no one thinks OF remo-
wing the pest-bringing carcasses. Officers and
men are so bad off for clothes that they may be
placed on par with the Turks, The officer does
not give himself the slightest trouble in the world
about the fate of the private, his food, dress, or
shelter he eavs all that TO the care of the COM
missarlat. Lord Raglan lives in his house, and
for days together is not visible. The wooden
huts sent from England lie diSjeetr0 men1bra in
the water, and will lie there useless until the nails
for putting them together arrive out. My friend,
who is merchant, had the opportunity OF making
some characteristic obseryations-am others,
that the Englishmen always asked for brandy
and champagne, while the Frenchmen asked for
needles and thread
Before every English bureau he observed emp
ty casks and broken champagne and brandy bot
ties. The inhabitants of the villages which lie
scattered between Sebastople and Balakaya, at
first the friends, have become, in consequence Of
probably necessary severe treatment the bitter
enemies Of the allies, that they are feared
spies, and not one OF them is allowed 10 leave his
hut withoutescort. Ny informant also had a close
view of the besieged fortress. He declares there
not the slightest indication Of a breach, and that
The walls Of SebastopoI appear intact and unap.
proachable. To his question, "When will Sc.
bastopol be taken 20 a Zouave replied, when
there are three Thursdays in one week." Des.
pite this reply the whole camp is eager for the
assault. General Canrobert never rides through
the camp without being followed by cries Of
.L'assaut, mon General from all quarters
The ladies of the expedition. all the ladies
who accompanied CIR joined the expeditionary
my only one remains, namely, Mrs. Duberly, wife
Of the paymaster Of the 18th Hussars, who is
quartered at Balaklava, and with whom she may
occasionally be seen riding or walking. The as
pect Of this lady is grave, though she was in
England very fond of the gaiees Of life. Many
of the wives left at Malta, TherapIa, Pera, &C.,
have been made widows by war and climate
This reminds of an affecting anecdote that
related TO me by witness 10 it concerning
youthful dragon officers DEATH He fear.
fully wounded in the cavalry action and lay un-
horsed and deeply grooming, when he requested
some one near him not 10 conceive that he was
grooming from any want of pluck, but that the
pain was so intense he really could not help it
that he knew he was dying, and begged that
lock of his hair might at once be cut off and sent,
with his love, to his mother. This was done, and
was the last that was seen Of him alive There
at that critical moment no time for further
PaIley.
The Session of Congress.
But lille more than three weeks time remains
TO the present Congress. When that time expires