The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-09

treat Thus writes Russell, Of the Iinees,
I speaking ofihe town occupied by theBrit-
ish troops. The camp be describes Sc q
wilderness OF mud. On its surface every
where are streWed the carcasees Of dogs
and horses. "Vultures sweep over the
mounds in focks; carrion crows and
birds OF prey obscene hover over their
\ prey, mensce the hideous dogs who are
feaating below, or sit in gloomy dyspep.
| Die, With dropped head and dropping
wing, on the remnants Of their banquet"
/ tkOrgua drvp exhausted on the road. Men
wade and plunge about faint from hmm
| ger, and die from sickness under the very
| eyes Of comrades powerless to help ihonn.
December 4, seventy dead bodies were
I deposited in shallow graves; al count"
| says Russell on The 9th, "thirty- Eve
bodies already on the ground, and it is
early in the day." men were absolutely
freezing for lack of shelter while timber
Tor huts lay on board ship which nobody
could unload; and cRrgoes Of warm
clothing could not be brought ashore be-
cause the regulations" would not per-
NIT. The British troops were absolutely
dependent on the French for food, for
shelter, for help in cooking, and for
everything they had. Sixty horses per-
ished in one night from cold, and out of
one division tire.
This ended active operations for that
year. The allies went into winter quar-
ters. The Russians, finding that they
had very good chance OF making a sue
cessiul defence, went to work with re
doubled energy terrifying the place.
Winter, meantime came on, with its
storms of rain and sleet, ita hurricanes
| which swept the camps clean of fonts.
and crashed the ships Of the British fleet
like egg-shells against each other in the
harbOr Of Balaklsya. The siege was
virtually suspended. The soldiers were
up to their knees in mud, deluged with
rain, destitute Of clothing worked 10
death in the trenches, and "not q soul.D
says the the English historian of the
campaign, "soems 10 care for their COM
fort, or even for their lives.v "The
wretched beggar who wanders about the
streets of London in the rain" he adds.
leads the life OF prince compared with
the British soldiers who sre fighing out
here for their country" Fever. dVsen-
tory and diarrhma were fearfullv pFeya-
lent The cholera broke out the last OF
November. The camps, the huts and the
town of Balaklava were full of the nm
buried dead and the unattended diving.
There was not the least attention maid
TO decency or cleanliness. "The stench
is appalling; the fetid sir can barely
strugsle out to faint the atmosphere and.
for all can observe, these men die with.
out the least effort being made 70 save
them"
Above, 100 men were taken out of the
trenches seized with cramps and hall
frozen. Tho ambulance corps gas ut
terly disabled, and "but for the kindness
Of the French" Gays Russell, Gin lending
as their litters, many of our poor fellows
would have died in their tents.D And 40
Invent on day after day until out of $500
British soldiers sent 10 tho Cri9nsa since n,
beginning Of the soar, to SsptemJer, 1854, mol
10000 men on he 1st Of February 1856
Uplainea ft foT diayi During December
and january alone, 5000 sick and
wounded were sent on board ship az Bal
aklaYa. The Brigade Of Guards, which
mustered $500 when IL left England, and
had received 1900 reinforcements, num-
bered less than a thousand in the be
ginning of February.
We might quote columns Of similar
facts from the history of the siege Of
SebastOpol, which would prove conolu-
sively that in every kind Of mismRnsge-
ment, of official imbecility, Of blunder-
ing negligence aRd Of consequent disaa
ter, loss of life and suffering, the Britiah
far exceeded anything Whiob.-hss been
witnessed during OurWar with Che South
ern rebellion. Nothing could surpasa
tho inefticiency which characterized ev.
cry department of the administration
unless it wss the utter lack Of success
which attended the operations Of u,
army. Not q single point Of the slight.
est Importance had been attained, whils
ample time had been given 10 the Russi.
ans TO fOrtify their town and make Il
almost impreenable. All attempts 10 Gu
OF the Russian supplies proved fruiuoss
their communications were kept open
and wherever they were sought they wor,
found in superior force. The BRITISH
commander in chief Lord Raglan, diet
in June, and was succeeded By Genera
Simpson, who proved utterly incompetent
The army had lost nearly ell its beat
officers and two thirds Of tho troops VIII,
camo out with il the year befors-som,
regiments having been thrice rnnawnf
and many changed twice over, Ia July
10 such . degree had disease; hunger
aud failure weakened and diapirited Ia,
army, that scores Of British officers as.
serted openly that Sebastopol could never
be taken-hundroda obtained leave o
absence and returned 10 England, anC
the whole British camp presented dis
NAL aspect Of sickness, suffering aud dis
couragement
Finally, on tho 10th Of August, th,
Russians made another attack upon IA,
allied position on the Tshernaya, ans
were repulsod almost entirely BY III
French and Sardinians-theE English tai.
ing very little part in the engagement
and on the 9th Of September the fina
bombardment Of the place began. Oh
the 9Th the assault was made, che French
carrying the Malako6 and raising thei
Gag upon il In less than ten minutes ate
entering u, aud the English being yeDs,lsa
In the work assigned them--the capturu
Of the Redan. Their scaling ladder
proved TO be TOO short and Too few Il
number--their assaulting column was 10,
Weak-the men, on getting inside, WerI
"seized with some strange infatuatiOn, :
aud instead Of rushing upon the garrison
with the bayonet sioaa ss;H, and begaI
loading and firing. Gen. Codrlngton
who commanded 10 the trenches, lost BIZ
self-Poasession, and sent forward no re'
iniorcemonts; the Britiah troops inside
. were driven out crushed over tho para
. pete, and The British attack proved dis'