This resolution to hold the advanced trenches, and to maintain an attitude of attack, imposed upon the troops great sufferings, and labour beyond their strength; but I have never yet heard a doubt that it saved the allied armies from a great disaster. 'Lord Raglan knew but too well the full import of his decision. He knew that it involved great evils, but he chose it, nevertheless, to avoid a greater catastrophe. In the one alternative he saw for his troops a period of conflict by day and by night, great labour and suffering, and heavy losses. In the other alternative he saw how ruin would begin with the loss of our siege guns; how then the enemy, ascending to the present ground of the allied camps, would take up a position on those heights, arm his batteries with the resources of an arsenal contain ing some 7000 heavy pieces of artillery, and then push forward with a converging fire and overwhelming superiority of numbers upon Kamiesch and our gallant allies, and upon the little basin of Balaklava, and the devoted remanent of the British army. Lord Raglan grieved, but did not hesitate, for there was only one of the alternatives which seemed to consist with the honour of the British arms. Now, then, for the first time, we knew that the army would winter on the ridge.' The resolution of the allied generals to hold their ground until the movable column' should grow into a powerful and well-appointed armament, was evidently attended with serious difficulties and dangers. They had to do this in defiance of the rigorous climate of the Crimea in winter, and under daily and nightly liability to attack. The soldiers were as yet without an adequate supply of clothing to protect them against the inclemency of the weather, with scarce sufficient food to sustain them, without an adequate medical staff to care for the wounded and the sick, and without the means of transport and a proper road from the port where all reinforcements and supplies were landed. As soon as the British Government were made aware that a winter campaign would in all probability require to be undertaken, they despatched the 46th Regiment, along with an ample stock of articles and materials Up were saved. In the Resolute, another of the vessels wrecked, were 900 tons of powder. Two French ships of the line, one of them a three-decker, and twenty-four transports were destroyed by the tempest, and a good many more were seriously damaged. wards of a thousand lives were lost, and between four and five hundred of the shipwrecked crews were captured by the Cossacks and carried into Sebastopol. The elements themselves seemed to have expended their worst fury in order to increase the difficulties, already sufficiently great, with which the besieging armies had to contend.' On land the hurricane swept away the tents, inundated the stores, broke up the roads or converted them into swamps; and besides the food and warm clothing which went down in the Prince, and the gunpowder in the Resolute, nearly a month's forage for the horses was lost or spoiled; and all this in the last week of November, with a powerful and active enemy in front and on the flank of the allied position. But still, Sir Edmund Lyons wrote to Sir James Graham, that a hopeful as well as a determined spirit prevailed in both armies. They all feel, and with reason, that everything has been honourable and glorious for the arms of England and France. They have confidence in the support of the two Governments and the two countries, and are resolved, through the blessing of God on a good cause, to conquer.' Contrast between the Preparations for the Campaign made by the British and French Governments-Defective organization of our Military System-Mismanagement on the part of the Commissariat and Transport Departments-Consequent sufferings of the Troops-Their courage and resolution-Miss Nightingale and her staff of female nurses-Their beneficial influence-State of the Hospitals -Effect of their improvement on the health of the Troops-Contracts for the formation of a Railroad between Balaklava and the Camp, and for laying a Telegraph-Return of the Baltic Fleet-State of Feeling in the Country- Resignation of Lord John Russell-Defeat and Resignation of Lord Aberdeen's Government-Lord Palmerston made Prime Minister-Roebuck's Committee-The Peelites withdraw from the Ministry-Commissions sent out to the Crimea-Improved Arrangements-Conduct of the Greeks in assisting Russia-The Sardinians join the Allies-Russian attack on Eupatoria repulsed by the Turks-Illness and death of the Czar-Vienna Conference-Its failure-Lord John Russell's mistakes-Prosecution of the Siege of Sebastopol-Second bombardment of the city-Retirement of General Canrobert-Pelissier succeeds to the command of the French Army-Successful Expedition to Kertch-Third bombardment of Sebastopol-Failure of the attack on the Malakoff and the Redan-Death of Lord Raglan-General Simpson succeeds him-Battle of the Tchernaya and defeat of the Russians-Assault and capture of the Malakoff-Failure of the attack on the RedanSebastopol abandoned by the Russians-Dreadful state of the city-Results of the success of the Allies-Inefficiency of their Generals-Expedition against Kinburn-Sir William Codrington appointed to command the British ForcesSir Colin Campbell-Operations of the Allied Fleets in the Baltic-The Russian attack on a boat's crew carrying a Flag of Truce- Heroic defence of Kars-Defeat of the Russians-The garrison starved into a surrender-The Peace Party and the Peelites-Intrigues of Russian agents in France-The French Emperor and Empress visit England-Our Queen and Prince Albert visit Paris-Policy of Austria and Prussia-Austrian Ultimatum-Peace ConferencesIntrigues of the Russians-Treaty of Peace concluded-Its terms-Reluctance of the Russians to carry them into effect-Comparative condition of the French and British Forces at the close of the War. THE expedition to the Crimea had turned | French commander claimed the right, as being 'the post of honour;' and as it abutted on the sea, and was therefore protected by the ships, it was also the post of safety. But after the flank march was made to the south of Sebastopol the left attack was conceded to them, and they thus again found themselves nearest to the sea. Their camp was but two miles from the sea; the British camp was seven. They had more than one port, and their principal one, Kamiesch, was much more open and accessible than Balaklava. They had several tracks over turf to their encampment, and when one was cut up they could make another by simply moving twenty or thirty yards to one side. The British troops had but one possible path from Balaklava to the front, and this lay partly through a gorge and partly through what in fine weather was an impalpable dust, and what in wet weather became a deep swamp. At the same time it must be frankly admitted that in many respects our French allies managed far better at first than we did, and that the British arrangements were both defective aud inefficient in every department. Lord Raglan, though able to handle well an army | left behind, they were even overlooked and in the field, does not appear to have possessed the power to provide his troops sufficiently with food, clothing, and shelter, and there was a sad want of order and system in all the arrangements for this purpose. The organization of our military system was indeed defective in the extreme. As Prince Albert remarked, in a carefully-prepared memorandum which distinctly hit the blots of the system' as it then existed, 'We have no generals trained and practised in the duties of that rank; no general staff or corps; no field commissariat; no field army departinent; no ambulance corps; no baggage train; no corps of drivers; no corps of artisans; no practice, or possibility of acquiring it, in the combined use of the three arms—cavalry, infantry, and artillery; no general qualified to handle more than one of these arms; and the artillery kept as distinct from the army as if it were a separate profession.' There was no proper co-operation, or indeed harmony, between the different departments of the service. This was especially the case with regard to the Commissariat and the Transport departments. The result was that frequently, when abundant stores of food and clothing had been provided at Constantinople, there were no vessels to carry them to the troops; and, on the other hand, when there was a plentiful supply of shipping, either these supplies were not ready or the commissary officers on the spot did not know how to dispose of them. The stores required by the troops were tardily sent out, and, owing to the want of proper supervision after they left our shores, they were miscarried, they were lost, they were spoiled, they were brought back in the hold of the ship which took them out, or being conveyed to the spot where they were to be used were piled or hid away like so much lumber.' An abundant supply of salt meat, biscuit, and rum was sent out from home, but could not be delivered in the camp for want of the means of conveyance. The commissariat had 4000 head of cattle at Constantinople, and 2000 more at Smyrna, but sea transport for them could not be obtained, and the men were in consequence kept on rations of salt pork, and that frequently uncooked for want of fuel. Coffee, which had been ordered as an extra ration, was distributed to the troops in a green state, and as they had no means of roasting or preparing it it was of no use. Large consignments of boots arrived, and were found to be all for the left foot. Many of the agents employed by the Government proved utterly untrustworthy, and the most disgraceful frauds and peculation took place in connection with the contracts. The draught horses and beasts of burden perished through fatigue, the want of proper food, and constant exposure to wet and cold. The cavalry horses had to be employed in doing the work of sumpter mules; and exposed to rain, cold, and snow, overworked and underfed, exhausted by hunger and toil, they fell down by scores and died in the mud. The troops, hard worked, ill fed, ill clothed, and never dry-hardly an officer and not a man having a dry bed to lie down on-began to suffer severely from sickness. Fever and rheumatism became general, but the hospitals were in the same state of confusion and disorganization as the Commissariat and Transport departments. The sufferings of the wounded soldiers were greatly aggravated from the want of lint. It turned out that a large quantity of this necessary article had been sent out by the medical authorities at home, but the lint was consigned to Varna and the wounded to Scutari. Orders had been given that the stores should be removed from the former place to the latter at the time when the army embarked for the Crimea, but that order, in the hurry and bustle of departure, was never executed.' Smyrna is a great opium depôt, from which large quantities are exported annually to France, Britain, America, and even China, and yet our hospitals were for a long time left unprovided with that indispensable drug. In some cases medical stores sent out from London, instead of being deposited in the most accessible part of the ship, were buried under ordnance stores or other heavy articles, and could not be disembarked when they were most wanted, nor landed at all until all the superincumbent cargo was unshipped. It is impossible to overestimate the fortitude, patience, and unflinching resolution of our troops amid such privations and sufferings. They did not bate one jot of heart, or hope, or confidence in their ultimate success. Our position here,' wrote Sir George Couper, 'is very critical, and we are well aware of the difficulties we are likely to have to contend against; still we feel that though inferior in numbers we are more than match for the enemy, and the idea of the possibility of being beaten by them never for one instant occurs to any man amongst us.' A similar feeling prevailed at home respecting the enterprise on which the country had embarked. It was the conviction of all parties and of all classes that we must fight out the contest to the utter most. The fall of Sebastopol could alone save the allied armies, and the object must be attained, cost what it might. To reembark in the face of a force so powerful as that of the Russians was impossible. - Infinite shame as well as infinite loss must have followed on the attempt. The beleaguered city must fall. There could be no going back from the task which we had imposed upon ourselves.' Every effort had therefore to be made to correct the errors which had been committed, to send with the utmost expedition reinforcements to our troops, and an adequate supply of guns, stores, clothing, and everything requisite for their protection and comfort. Even before the battle of Inkerman, on the suggestion of Sir Robert Peel, a subscription was opened by the Times for the sick and wounded, which in less than a fortnight produced £15,000, and subsequently amounted to £25,462. The Patriotic Fund, 'for relief of the orphans and widows of soldiers, sailors, and marines who may fall in the present war,' was instituted on the 13th of October, and before the end of the year exceeded £500,000, which was ultimately raised to £1,500,000. A still more important step was taken by Mr. Sidney Herbert in organizing a staff of female nurses under the charge of Miss Florence Nightingale-a lady of remarkable natural gifts for organization, who with singular devotion to the work of alleviating the sufferings of her fellowmen, had made herself intimately acquainted with various Continental establishments, and had studied nursing as a science and a system. Accompanied by thirty-seven lady nurses Miss Nightingale proceeded to Constantinople, and reached Scutari on the 5th of November, in time to receive the soldiers who had been wounded at the battle of Balaklava. Under her admirable management the chaotic confusion of the great hospital at Scutari was quickly reduced to order, and those tender lenitives, which only woman's thought and woman's sympathy can bring to the sick man's couch, were applied to solace and alleviate the agonies of pain or the torture of fever and prostration.' The tears stood in the eyes of many a veteran as he expressed his gratitude for the service of the ladies who had left the comforts and luxuries of home to tend him in his sufferings. The worshippers of official routine had expressed in no measured terms their disapproval of such an innovation on established usages, but the example set by Miss Nightingale, as Sidney Herbert predicted, has served to 'multiply the good to all time.' The experiment proved so successful that an additional staff of fifty 'We had, in the first seven months of the Crimean campaign, a mortality among the troops of sixty per cent. per annum from disease alone, a rate of mortality which exceeds that of the great plague on the population of London, and a higher ratio than the mortality in cholera to the attacks; that is to say, there died out of the army in the Crimea an annual rate greater than ordinarily die in time of pestilence out of the sick. We had, during the last six months of the war, a mortality among our Guards at home, and a mortality among our sick not much more than that among our healthy troops, in the last five months, two-thirds only of what it is among our troops at home.' trained nurses, under Miss Stanley, was | War has had the effect of completely sent to aid in the good work which their changing the entire hospital system of our predecessors had begun. The services country, and indeed of Europe. Describing which these noble-minded and devoted the effect of proper nursing and of the saniwomen rendered in alleviating the suf- tary improvements which she introduced, ferings of our soldiers in this terrible she sayswar well deserve to be held in grateful remembrance. The masterly vigour with which Miss Nightingale specially carried out her well-arranged plans does equal honour to her administrative abilities and intellectual powers, while her humane solicitude for the relief of sickness and disease has given her an imperishable name amongst the benefactors of mankind. Before this staff of nurses commenced their labours, the morbific influences which prevailed in and around the hospitals were of the most noxious character. Taking into account the poisonous sewage, the accumulations of filth, vermin, and foul air, the decomposed animal and vegetable matter, the impure water-in the tank supplying which were seen the foul hospital dressesthe absence of proper and cleanly utensils, and the use of the regulation tubs, the effect of which on the atmosphere of the wards was past description, the walls and ceilings saturated with organic matter, the burial of the dead so close to the hospital as to poison the air, and other similar abominations, it is matter of surprise that any who entered within the walls of the building should have left it alive.* Miss Nightingale might well say-taining full and minute information on all "The sanitary conditions of the hospitals at Scutari were inferior, in point of crowding, ventilation, drainage, and cleanliness, up to the middle of March, 1855, to any civil hospital, or to the poorest homes in the worst parts of the civil population of any large town, I have ever seen. After the sanitary works undertaken at that period were executed, I know no buildings in the world which I could compare with them in these points, the original defect of construction, of course, excepted.' The experiment which this gifted lady made on a colossal scale in the Crimean * 'I am bound to say,' Miss Nightingale adds, 'that the military hospitals I have seen in England-Portsmouth, Chatham, Brompton-are almost as much in want of certain sanitary works as Scutari.' Meanwhile the Government were straining every nerve to strengthen the Crimean army, and to promote the welfare of the troops. As the reports from Lord Raglan respecting the condition of the troops were most meagre, and were silent as to their sufferings, while the official returns were barren of the most essential information as to 'the numbers of the army available and not available for action, the provision made for their shelter, clothing, and food, the supply of horses, and the means of transport,' it was resolved, on the suggestion of Prince Albert, that in order to cure this radical defect, returns should be made weekly, con these important points, so that the home authorities would see at a glance the strength of the available force before Sebastopol, what gaps had to be supplied, what guns, stores, clothing, &c., had to be provided, and above all whether what had been actually provided and supplied from home for the army had been duly forwarded to its destination.' This was one of the first and most efficient steps towards remedying the flagrant abuses which had caused so much loss and suffering to the British forces. It was resolved to form an army of reserve, amounting to 16,000 men, at Malta. A contract was sanctioned for a |