Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-04

(From Household Words for May, 1856.
BACK FROM THE CRIMEA.

Yesterday was a great day for the great sea-
| port where llye-the day of the landing of
the convalescent sick and wounded from the
| trenches and the battle-felds of the Crimea ;
a long, long line of wan, pale warriors, totter-
! ing to their resting place, the hospital and
those who could not walk, borne after them on
lltters. This was not the first sight of this
kind We have witnessed here, and it will not
be the last by many The deepest feelings of
gratitude and commisseration are weakened not
| one whit within US ; but the enthusiasm that
requires novelty to re-awaken it has almost
died out. No shouting crowds now follow
these poor soldiers to the hospital gates no
flags wave from the windows; no cannons roar.
We have found out other ways of welcome
there is subscription-list lying open at the
Town Hall, Whereto you may add your help
IN supplying books and papers to the invalids :;
and volunteers, who understand the art and
mystery of letter writing, are plentiful by the
sick beds, to send for their disabled occupants
a word of comfort homewards. To-day still
more solemn scene took place the sick and
wounded who were too i'll to be moved yester-
day-no ocOnvalescents but men we'll nigh deaths
door-were brought back to their fatherland
to die
The great three-decker lies in the ofing that
conveyed them from Scutari, watched by us
three days with dim eyes-a vast deatll-ship
and floating hospital between decks, and gay
with flags and full of life above.
There has been sad work at these dread
landings Of the wounded but to-day, at least,
were all things fitting and in readiness. The
Royal Hampshire sent its hundred men or 50 to
the Dockyard Pier, with litters, almost all its
officers were in attendance A score of hardy
seamen, too, were there, contrasting strangely
with the slight slim figures of the young mill
tiamen official people with the fear of The
Times before their eyes surgeons, and dock
yard digntares. 1t is cold enough waiting up-
on harhor piers for steam-tugs, with the wind
and tide against them, and little leap frog
does not seem out of place among the gallant
Hampshire men ; but directly the first puff of
smoke is seen above the Bastion, the order is
given to fall m,"-all eyes are directed to the
approaching vessel all hearts beat quickly all
faces lose their smiles.
First, the dark dismal hull, and the decks
spread thick with dim white tarpaulins, whose
shapes, as they draw nearer, are as of sheets
above the dead ana There the uy1ng, tcinupo
dead, men are,-the worst cases, that would
not bear moving underneath, but lie with heaps
of blankets over them, and only prominence
observable at heads and feet The vessel is
brought alongside, and four tars descend the
narrow plank to bear the sick men, feet fore
most. The litters cannot here be used, so bad
are these cases but through the thick canvass
of these cots" great poles are inserted, and
shouldering these with difficulty, and keeping
in step for the sufferers sake, which is hard
work also the sailors land their burthen-
Sometimes from under the great pile of clothes
an ashy-whlte thin face just shows itself, or
rather is shown by chance, for the eyes are
lustreless, and express no CLEAN of Interest,"
The heavy moustache and the military cap, still
worn as bed-gear, contrast most painfully with
the dependent, PROSTATE condition of their
wearers. What expression vet remains to
some is of a thoughtful cast. They have seen
and suffered much these last six months and
want and danger are such teachers as the most
careless may not disregard The bearers are
warned of all impedimentS and tenderly and
skfuIly do they lift their heavy burthen, and
the "wheelers' start with left foot, and the
LEADERS" with the right and so sow-march"
to the hospital. Now, too, must the less dan
gerous cases be brought from between decks,
and transferred from their cots to litters Each
man is dressed in his great coat, and his KNAPP
sack lies beside him as though he should pre-
sently arise and walk but it is easy to see
there is no walking for him these many weeks,
though his eyes are bright with happiness, and
he will answer softly if you address his ear
and these, too, are carried to the sick wards to
join their less fortunate brethren.
These wards are warm and comfortable,
with fire at each end of them. 1--WE have
not seen fire since we left old England" say
many of the sufferers and medicines are in
plenty and attendance good though medical
help is still greatly needed but things were
not so at first by any means. Ragged and swarm
ing with vermin as we are credibly informed
did our poor fellows lie for days for there was
signing and counter-signing to be effected, and
the "proper channel" to be quite decided up
on before the official mind could rightly under
stand the matter and provide clean linen. Let,
however, bygones be bygones. Now, we re-
peat, were there larger medical staff, (espe-
ciallv in the matter of DRESSING all would be
we'll
Accompany us, then, with some of the Off
GERS from the Royal Hampshire, and bring pen,
ink, and paper and little writing-case seat
yourself down on one of the deal stools that
stand beside each bed, and hear a story of the
war.-ouite unpictorial, without rose-color,
fame-color, drum accompaniment, or any such
thing-and let the look of each sad recter be
before YOU when men prate of glory for gory's
sake and believe him as he gasps upon his
scanty pallet in the bare whltewashed room,
without one friend about him, and (but for
you) unable to apprise one of his fate, when
he afirms that this is Eden, Paradise, Hea-
ven, to what he has endured these SIX months
Be sure this is the reality of the whole mat
ter-war stripped of its pomp and circum-
stance.