The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-24
THEIR HARDEST CAMPAIGN.
British Army's Worst Expert
ence Was I'm the Crfmea.

Sir Evelyn Woods Recollections.
In the early part of the winter the bat
talions in the front were generally on duty
alternate night. The life Of the rank and
file was thus spent: The men were mus
tered, carrying great coat and blanket, just
of mud into the trenches. These were cut
up by deep holes, from which powders and
stones had been taken, and into these
R Wben On the da Soldier eren resc hes m his n ostfn fe bs
had to sit with his back to the parapet
and his feet drawn close up under his
foot-wide trench. II he was not detailed
for a working party, nor for a picket in
the trenches or in advance of them. he
in 's a wet ditch ss. The D relief 'e Of '0 the
~sentries could snatch a dogs sleep for four
hours out of six, hoping their comrades
would, by remaining on the alert, give
them time to jump up ere the enemy was
on them; but for the two hours that each
man was out near the enemy the strain
on the nervous system would have been
great even to a robust, well-fed man.
These sentries had necessarily TO stand abb
solutely still, silent and watchful, and as
the severity OF the winter became more
and more marked, numbers Of men whose
frames were weakened by want of adequate
nutritious food were found in the morning
frost-bitten and unable to move.
lone battalion which landed nearly nine
hundred strong early in November was ac-
tually in the trenches SIX nights out of
seven, and then became SO reduced. not
bodily strength, that it was unable for
some time TO go there again. - When
lie often in ga a puddle Which, chil led his
bones. under a WORKOUT tent, through
which the rain beat, The less robust would
shivering, and in many cases TO be car
ried to a hospital tent. scarcely more COM
Portable than the tent which they had
left, and thence TO a grave In two or three
HoU1 ThnCn whn yvQrn cfrnnoor xvanf nnt
to collect roots of brushwood, or of vines
and roasted the green coffee ration In the
tin of the canteen, afterward, as already
described. pounding it in a fragment of a
she'll with a stone, ere they boiled 1t for
use. Others unequal to this laborious pro-
piece of biscuit, lie down again in the
great coat and blanket which they had
brought. often vet through. from the
an the afternoon the soldier was sent on
fatigue duty from five to seven miles. ac-
cording to the position of his camp, usually
TO Balaklava, TO bring up rations. On his
return he had again to gather fuel In order
to boil the salt beef or salt pork in his
mess tin, which did not hold water enough
70 abstract the salt. A portion of the meat,
therefore,, only was consumed. and it was
necessary from time to time to tell off men
to bury the quantities thrown away. Salt
pork, which was issued two days out OF
seven, was frequently eaten by the men in
it's raw state from the difficulties of find
ing fuel to cook it.
SDOTIly DelOte 0dih tit cOiultI CltntT
marched back to the trenches or laid down
10 sleep if he was not on picket In front of
the camp. Many men. disliking. to. report
themselves sick. were carried back from
the trenches in the morning and died a few
hours afterward. Those who reported sick
were taken to the hospital. in many cases
merely a bell tent; here the men lay. often
in mud, on the ground, and in many In
stances their diet was only salt meat and
biscuit. They were, moreover. so crowded
together that the doctors could scarcely
pass between the patients As we had no
ambulances, and the French could not al
ways lend us mule-litter transport. many
were necessarily carried on cavalry horses,
which, slipping on the hill outside of Bata-
klava, often caused further injury or the
death of the patient.
ION more than one occasion. as I was
returning from Balakiava, l met a party
of sick. mainly frost-bitten. riding cavalry
horses, the troopers leading them and hold
Ing the men on; but the ground was often
covered with snow and very slippery, and
on the bill above Kadikoi once saw every
man dashed TO the ground from the horses
slipping and falling on the hillside. Later
the sick who were unable to hold on were
fastened into the saddles, and some died
on the Journey"