Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-03-02
The Opposing Forces.

merce Of lbe opposing forces st Sevasopol The
suniH" If the French troops in the Crmea is much
nup or than has generally been supposed.
IaIgI Russiaps have suffered and still suffering
NV lore terrible degree than you can imagine. We
10 m prqcise of ascertaining their loss by
nav and hardships but we must estimate largely.
a have had at different times not less than $780,,
io ne? in the Crimea, and of that number more
Wv half have perished From well authenticated
'p"" have obtained accounts of the number OF
@;ons, as given early this month, both within and
huI%snnt Seyastopol twenty-five thousand men
T.'"' 'bo garrison of the beseged city. Of these
sun boen said SINCE that six thousand were obliged
"ove the city for want of provisions, which were
.oToina scarce inside. The army al Inkermann
OeLnrs shout twenty five thousand men, and it is
nu o3 that Menscbikoff commands it in person Gen.
s" inrandi's army of twenty thousand men has re-
lnaI from Baschi-Serai, where they went for pro-
Ions md are again quartered al their old position
vs. the banks Of the Tchernaya to the right Of the
pn;rbts of Balaklava, This makes total of sixty.
soyen thousand men force far inferior TO the ALI
cd troops in the Crlmea.
Lei us make IL brief glance at the numbers and
,osition Of our troops, and judge of the facility with
Gbicb. barrin the weather" the latter might cope
9Th their enemy. A force of eighty-slx thousand
Ersnchmen defends the lines of entertainments from
b Chersonese TO the extreme right OF our position in
tbe rear Thirteen thousand English in the camps
and two thousand nine hundred in the harbor lately
vad assist in the siege and trench duties. Fifteen
,bousand Turks are attached 10 the French and Eng
l;sh divisions respectively thus making a total of
ana hundred and sixteen thousand nine hundred
men principally employed in conducting the siege
and the defence of the extensive lines 10 the right
We might add to these, the tWenty.lhree thousand
ntomars who have been thrown into Eupatoria :;
and when we consider that this allied force more
than doubles that of the enemy, we feel astounded
that a blow s not struck while the enemy is SO
eDfeebled not merely in numbers but also in strength
and confidence But there are many things in the
nav some of which | have mentioned, such as the
jiicnlty or rather impossbility, of bringing up
cannon for new batteries. The bad condition of the
roads is the cause Of many obstacles, which would
mi otherwise exist And then, as the French say
we must attribute great many delays to the incon
gruities ard deficiencies of The staff aristocracy
attached TO Lord Raglan. These have been SO
apparent to all who have seen the results of their
workmanship, that other pens than mine have
.oucned the subject and that not lightly.
Marriage Extraordinary.
A correspondent of the Staunton Spectator furnish
es the following account of the cOnsummatiun OF u
marriage under difficulties:
A few days since | was present at q marriage
which had some things about it and romantic
that | am tempted to give you a short description
For day end night preceding the appointment, there
had been incessant fall of rain, which, added to
the deep in the mountains caused rapid rise
Of the water. Parson B. of Bath county, had been
invited to perform the ceremony. Anticipating diff
cuIty-and perhaps, remembering defeat in days of
y0re, he set out from home early in the morning, with
the hope of passing the warehouses; before they
were TOO full. Vain hope. When he reached the
npghborhOod, he told that the river was swollen
beyond any possibility of crossing with any safely
1t is often hard to start wedding, but when started,
it is great deal harder to stop it. The parsOn hay
ing secured the company of friend in the neighbOr
hood determined to make every effort to accomplish
his MISSION and if there must be failure, let it be
afer fair trial. By circultous route, he and
his companion succeeded in reaching the bank of the
river, opposite to, and only few hundred yards dis
ant from the house. loud holIoo soon brought the
wedding party to parley the bank of the river.
The whole difficulty before them, the Parson
could not advance foot further without swimming
a dangerous mountain torrent, covered with huge
sheets of floating ice But where there is will,
there is way" though there be neither bridge nor
boat 1t was proposed that the PareOn should marry
them across The rolling flood. This proposition was
acceded Yet the Parson declared that it behooV-
ed them to act lawfully, and insisted his warrant
being transmitted to his hands Happily for in
this free country, the law does not prescribe how
This is be accomplished, neither does it slate at
what distance The officiating officer shall stand In
this the license was bound close round q stone
of suitable size, and the whole being wrapped with
thread as to make it tight and compact, wa:
thrown across the river. The feat of throwing il
was performed by the Bridegroom, while his young
bride standing by him. And it was throw
with hearty good will. That nan knew he was
throwning for wife, and the only question witt
him was, wife or no wife. There stood the anxious
gronp-what suspense ii nigh, miscarry,-it mi, h
be turned by some overhanging limb and find wa
terry grave With powerful swing of the
st red and mounting high took its onward and air.
flight had learned lcng before, that whateve
goes up must come down. but felt some misgiving
as to where the comedOwn might be in this case -
he Of
missile, frightened with document so iml Ortan
sped its way through the air in most beautiful arch
his h over the wide waters and shout of trump
announced its fall upon terra frma To unwran AM
read was the work of moment. The parties wer
already arranged with joined hands, and Parson B
with uncovered head stood as gracefully, and a
lightly too, as he could upon quicksand at the edg
OF the river, and with voice distinctly heard aboy
the roar of waters, the marriage was consummatet
Well pleased at SO favorable termination of what
little before, had been fororn hope, the groups Q
either bank took of their several ways. Whatcve
else may forget, never can forget that hror.
The TURKISH SLAVE TRADE.-lhe irmans direc
ed against the slave trade, which were made publ
last October, have had beneficial effect in almos
suppressng the traffic in negroes from the interior
Africa The sympathes of Europeans are chief
reused by the supposed suferings of the Circassia
girls, who torn away from their parents to be sol
into the harem of ONE Ottoman Pacha. But thea
miseries have no real existence; 1t is looked upon
the fair Crcassans as a great piece of fortune to
selected at an early age for the Stamboul market t
be kept luxury up to the age of IA, and then ELI
waited to the tank OF conSor of rich Turk The lot
the Circassans is not slavery in the European sens
Of the term and the traffic is chiefly to be reprobate
Tor the social evils which brings on the Turks then
selves. But the lot of the unhappy negro is different
not that heis treated with cruelty when be arrives IN
turkish household-the Turk, though capriclou
not an unknd master, and the lot of the black slav
sas far as material comfort goes, not 10 be deplored
but the trade by which they brought from their n;
tive land is attended by every kind of horror. Th
toLo I'M