The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
On the 24th Prince Napoleon arrived, to take the command of his
division, and was received with the usual salute of 101 guns from each
French man-of-war in harbour. Our vessels paid him the more modest
compliment of one royal salute, and hoisting the French imperial ensign.
On the same day a part of the 50th Regiment, and detachments of the rest
of the Gallipoli division, under Sir R. England, arrived in Varna, and
some of the baggage of Adams's brigade, as well as detachments of the
41st, 55th, and 95th Regiments. Portions of several French regiments
also landed. The plain round Varna, for three miles, was covered with
tents. Grass, herbage, and shrubs disappeared, and the fields were
turned into an expanse of sand, ploughed up by araba wheels, and the
feet of oxen and horses, and covered with towns of canvas. There could
not have been less than 40,000 men encamped around the place, including
French, English, Egyptians, and Turks, and the town itself was choked in
every street with soldiery. More than 300 vessels were at anchor in the
bay, in readiness to sail at a moment's notice. Upwards of 500 carts
came in from the Turkish army to carry stores and provisions towards
Shumla and the Danube.
A review of about 8,000 Turco-Egyptian troops was held on the plain
behind Varna, on the day the Tatar brought the news of the raising of
the Siege of Silistria. The men, who were dressed in clean white
trousers, blue frocks, and green jackets, looked well, in spite of their
ill-shod feet and ragged jerkins; but their manoeuvres were carelessly
performed and done in a listless manner. Physically the soldiers were
square-built, bow-legged men, of fair average height, with fierce, eager
eyes, and handsome features. A number of negroes, of savage aspect, were
among the Egyptian contingent, and some of their best regiments did not
disdain the command of Nubian eunuchs. Some of these Egyptians were
mutilated in the hands, and had deprived themselves of their thumbs or
fore-fingers--a useless attempt to escape conscription altogether. The
French and English officers did not form a high opinion of anything but
the raw material of which the troops were composed,--a raw material
which, like everything else in Turkey, had been spoilt as much as
possible by the genius of mal-administration. Behind stone walls,
defending a breach, or in a sortie, the Osmanli, with his courage,
fanaticism, and disregard of death, which he considers indeed as his
passport to heaven, may repel organized European troops; but no one who
sees the slow, cautious, and confused evolutions of the Turks, their
straggling advance and march, their shaky squares and wavering columns,
can believe they could long stand against a regular army in the open
field.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account