Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-01-23

10 the valley OF Inkermapn--is fitted
at this moment fos the reception and
dclectstion Of any number OF icbthy,s.
suri. ssuri, and eroc odiles--it 10 b vest
BLACK. dreary wilderness Of mud, DOTTED
with little lochs 81, foul water. and
scanned BY dirty brownish and tewny
colored streams running down 10 and
along the rsyines.
"Choas had como again." or rather
has Just depaited from the scene. A
grand plateau Of bog, varying in depth
from foot to two feet, extends from the
valley Of lnkemenn to the sea at Bala.
klavn. II is trolden into holes in every
direction by the hoofs Of mules. horses,
and cnmeIs. II is SCARED deeply by
the wheels Of carts and arahss, and the
white tents dotting its surface, and few
white scattered farm houses, and the
snug quit rs Of Lord Raglan, OFT asst
strongly with the black profound amid
which they rear their strsightssoutlines.
All over lis surface are strewed the car.
cases Of horses and miserable animals
torn down by dogs and smothered in
mud. Vultures sweep over the mounds
in 1ocks; carrion crows and "birds of
prey obscene" hover over their prey,
menace the hideous dogs who are feast.
ing below, or sit in gloomy dyspepsia,
with drooped head. and dropping wing,
on the remnants Of their banquets.
1t is over this ground, gained at last
by great toll and exhaustion, and loss Of
life on the part Of the starving beasts Of
bnrden, that man and horse have to
struggle from Balaklava for some four or
five miles with the hay end corn, the
meat, the biscuit. the pork, which from
the subsistence Of our army. Every
day this toll must be Undergone, for we
are fed. indeed. by daily bread, and only
get half rations Of it. Horses drop cx.
haratcd on the road, and their loads arc
removed and aided to the burdens Of
the struggling survivors; than, after few
efforts TO &c. out Of their Slough of Des.
pond, the poor brutes succumb and lie
down 10 die in their graves--Men vale
and plunge about, and stumble through
the mud, with mut,ered cmprecalions,
or sit down on projecting stone, ex'
hausteh. pictures Of dirt and woe un.
ut,erable. Sometimes on the route the
overworked and sickly soldier is scizel
with illness, and the sad aspect Of a
fellow.counlryman dying before his eyes
shocks every passer.by--thc more be-
cause aid is all but hopeless and en-.
possible. Officers in huge sailors boo S,
purchased at Balaklava for about five
times their proper price, trulge on ear.
ncstly in the expectation Of being able
to carry back to their tents the pot Of
preserved meat or the fowl, bought at q
fabulous cost in that model city Of
usurydom, ere the allotted portion Of
wood under the cooking tins has heen
consumed. II requires s'ldler's eye
to tell captains from corporals now,
mounted on dragsle.taIel and unSemp,
raggel ponies covered with mud. They
are hairy and muddy, as the police re.
ports would say--in short, "wearing
the air of foreigners" but the vas, ma
jority Of them are the noblest, cheeriest,
bravest fellows in Europe--men who
defy priva,ion, nes!ec, Storm and ten.
pest-who, in the midst OF difficulties,
rarely dcsponJ AMI never despair, and
who comfort and animate by the bright.
est examples Of courage and high valor,
of conslancy and unainching resolution,
the gallant fellows around them.
The siege operations have been some.
times completely--somclimes partially
suspended, and the attack on Scbastopol
has languished aud declined. Neither
guns nor ammunition could be brought
up to the batteries.
The number of heavy guns, the quan.
,ity Of shot, she'll, and pow,ier Ian lei
on the beach daily, under tho superin.
tcndence of Captain Al d rson, X. A.,
ore enormous, but they lie there wi h no
present prospect OF being moved TO tho
point.
The Russians have been cmbo'lened
by our inactivity to crawl about a, nights.
and bea, up the advanced posts. 1t is
no wonder that men who moy have car.
ried d considerable load from Balaklava
to the camp, and who may be sent out
after scanty meal TO pass twelve hours
in a ditch, sometimes are less visilant
than they ought to be for the safety OF
the army. In some way was it that the
picquels Of the 50,h we're surprised the
other night in front Of tho right attack.
and indeed report says that some of the
men were bsyoneted by the Russians as
they lay in their blankets.
| There are many points on which a
little attention and care would save
great trouble 10 the men, and husband
their strength. For instance, the coff,e
which is served out to the men is the
green. unburnt berry. The man nave
neither roasting nor grinding apparatus.
The top of the mess tin is made to do
duty for the one, and is spoiled; couple
Of stones are used in lieu Of the other,
and spoil the coffee; but the hardship Of
roasting and grin!ing the berry over
small bits Of sticks, and in wet and
storm, can only be known TO those who
try TO get breakfast by adopting these
conditions Of obtaining it. Why not
send out good coffee ready ground in
handy tins? Surely, it is not worth