Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-02-22
From the N. Y. Tribune.
SHOCKING CONDITION OF TIL BRI.
TISH ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.
oNsrASrGsorLE, Thursday, Jan. 4, 1855.

oNsrAxTISorLE, Thursday, Jan. 4, 1855.
The only favorable change which has oc-
cured respecting the Eastern War, since
my last, is the conclusion of treaty between
England, France and Austria, OH the subject
Of Russia. With this treaty, you will, of
course, have become fully acquainted long
ere this letter reaches us. In connection
with it; you will also have read tho declara-
,icn n,ade by the Prince Gorchakof, on the
2Sth November, to the Austrian Minister OF
Foreign Affairs, NJ. de Buol, that his master;
the Cz II, had decided to accept the four prop
osi,ions made by the Court of Vienna, to
serve us the commencement OF a negotiation
for peace. These four points are given as
"prelimnaries indispensable to the re:estab-
lisRins of peace"
No sooner had news of the acceptance Of
the four points reached this place than it
was brui,cd that peace would positively
cnsue It is also said that dispatch was
sent to Lord Ragla stating shat On armis-
tice might be expected soon, and I have
heard It said that the news vas quite balm
and cordia! to the poor suffering British SOL
d;ers in tile bitches before Sevastopol. OF
these sufferngs no one at II distance can
form any correct view. When tell you
| that after the battle of Inkermlnn there were
but 10000 fighting men left out of some
80 900; that, although 10000 men have been
added stree then, the number Of fighting
men still continues the same; that the B lit
sh hospital at Scutari at this moment con-
tains six thousand invalids, and that some
two thousand men are at Bulaklaya waitins Z
to come down here to di', you may .orn some
estimate os the state of things: Friends Of
mine, both English and American, who have
recently visited Sevastspol tell me that the
miserable condition of the British camp
forms u striking contrast with that OF the
French. Lord Raglan is despised, by his
own Officers as well as men; 10 degree that
almost amounts to insnbordination. He is
an old ana feeble man; his own dwelling in
th, camp is comfortable house, ubundantly
supplied with furniture, and appearing to be
the museum for all the knick-knacks stolen
] from the Russian country-seats which once
stood on the locality OF the camp, but which
have been urned by the freezing men fol
fuel He is never known to visi' the troops,
nof to look at the trenches; he never orders
or superntendS review OF them, nor is he
ever known TO give any order showing an in!
,trest in their destitute condition and i'm.
mense sutferings. When the news of his
elevation to the grade Of Field Marshal came
out from England; it elected universal
groan among all of the British troops, and
even from the officers, at the reckless and
unjust manner in which .he Queens Govern
ment had thrown it away upon an incompe'
tent, unworthy object. This. however, is ar
act of unjust policy, done with the view d
securing for England, in future history, al
the credit of the landing in the Crimeu, the
battles O. Alma, Balaklava and 1nkermann
aud the ..... Of Sebastopol. The French
have long since said that the English were
an incumbrance to them, and that it Paned
them thus to behold wretched and suffering
humanity without possessing the power to
: rescue it. They freely say that the Bnglist
. are brave men, bu. no. soldiers; that they arc
: tot ,ily desti'u,e of Sny knowledge of the ad
: mnistra,ion Of an army; and, indeedi the,
9 now look upon them as no longer the nation
II which they were in the time ofNapoleon l
t The position Of the British forces is ths
, more exposedof she two, white their numbef
are too few for the task assigned to them
4. There are not enough men 70 afford prope
n relief 10 those in the trenches. The soil O
Q the Crimea is mixture Of clay and lime
| there is, however, abundance of stone in lay
Il ers, but the soil issoft, and when wet, be
comes extremely miry. This is pecuiarl
W the case in the trenches, where the groun
b is heavy, end the water always FROM one
, three feet deep, Notwithstanding this. the
\ must be occupied u save their own ives al
10 that of their oftogenaran and semi-iu,beci
Field Markhal Imagine a thousand m'
in stendinga long nigh. in winver--Perli'