The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
Illness increased; on the 28th of July there were thirty-three cases of
cholera in our hospital, and a much larger number in the French
hospital. The Duke of Cambridge was suffering from diarrhoea; indeed,
a large percentage of officers of the different divisions had been
attacked by this complaint, but great precautions were taken by the
medical officers to prevent neglect in the early stages, and to cheek
the premonitory symptoms.
[Sidenote: ARMY PAYMENTS.]
The Heavy Dragoons at Varna, although encamped on a lovely plateau on a
promontory by the sea-side, the healthiest-looking site that could have
been chosen by a medical board, in a few days lost twenty-six men from
cholera--a large number out of such skeleton regiments.
The ration was increased to 1-1/2lb. of meat, and a ration of rum was
issued. Drilling and tight stocking began to fall into disuse, and, by a
general order, moustachios were allowed, according to the pleasure of
officers and men.
No less than 110,000 pounds' weight of corn, chopped straw, &c., was
issued daily for the horses. To this was added all the full rations of
meat, 27,000lb. of bread, proportionate quantities of rice, tea, coffee,
sugar, &c., for the men. The commissariat had, besides, the horses,
carts, saddles, packsaddles, tents, carriages for Dragoons, Light
Cavalry, Infantry, Artillery, Sappers and Miners, to find interpreters.
Commissary-General Filder's office in Varna was like a bank in the City
in the height of business. The officers at the other branch departments
were equally busy, and it was not unusual for some of them to ride to
Varna and back to Devno, a distance of more than forty miles, between
sunrise and sunset.
We paid in ready money, and a commissariat chest, under the care of Mr.
Cowan, was established at Shumla, to keep our officers supplied with
gold and silver. The French, on the contrary, gave cheques on their
commissariat chest at Varna, which were only payable on presentation
there. It can readily be imagined that a peasant at the other side of
the Balkans, or an ignorant Bulgarian up the country, regarded this
printed paper with huge disdain, and it was certainly rather hard to
have to journey from Roumelia into Bulgaria in order to get 10_s._ or
12_s._ for the hire of an araba. The araba drivers were suspicious, and
grew sulky and discontented. As soon as they were paid any large sum
they sought, and generally with success, the first opportunity of
getting away from our service.
Sir George Brown and Sir E. Lyons went down to Constantinople on board
the _Agamemnon_, on the 1st of August, and for several days they were
busily engaged in making arrangements for the transport of the fleet,
and in the preparation of boats and provisions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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