The Brigade of the Guards lost fourteen officers killed; the wonder is that any escaped the murderous fire. The Alma did not present anything like the scene round the Sandbag Battery. Upwards of
CRIMEA.
1,200 dead and dying Russians laid behind and around and in front of it, and many a tall English Grenadier was there amid the frequent corpses of Chasseur and Zouave. At one time, while the Duke was rallying his men, a body of Russians came at him. Mr. Wilson, surgeon, 7th Hussars, attached to the brigade, perceived the danger of his Royal Highness, and with great gallantry assembled a few Guardsmen, led them to the charge, and dispersed the Russians. The Duke's horse was killed. At the close of the day he called Mr, Wilson in front and thanked him for having saved his life.
BOOK IV.
PREPARATIONS FOR A WINTER CAMPAIGN — THE HURRICANE — THE CON- DITION OP THE ARMY — THE TRENCHES IN WINTER — BALAKLAVA — THE COMMISSARIAT AND MEDICAL STAFF.
Formation of the Russian Army — Difficulties explained — Appearance of the Men — Liege Muskets — Bayonets— Killing the Wounded — Glories of Inkerman — Commissary Filder's merits— Hardships of the Campaign — Officers in rags — Hurricane of the 14th of November— A mighty and strong Wind — Tents dislodged. — A Medical Officer in difficulty — Horrors of the Scene — Sleet and Snow — Officers in distress — Bad news from Balaklava — A Lull.
From a deserter at Head-Quarters I gleaned some particulars respecting the formation of the Russian army. It had long been a puzzle to ignorant people like ourselves why the Russian soldiers had numbers on their shoulder-straps different from those on their buttons or on their caps. In recording my observations of the appointments of the men killed at the Alma, I remarked that certain " regiments" were present, judging by the shoulder straps. It will appear that these numbers referred not to regiments, but to divisions. So let our Pole, one of the few who came in after Inkerman, speak for himself through an interpreter: —
" What does the number on the strap on your shoulder indicate? "
" It is No. 16. It shows that I belong to the 16th Division of the army."
" Who commands it? "
" I don't know — a General."
" What does the number 31 on your buttons mean? "
" It means that I belong to Regt. 31 of the 16th Division."
11 What does the number 7 on your cap, with P after it, mean? "
" It indicates that I belong to the 7th rota of my polk."
" What does a rota mean? "
" It means a company of 250 men."
" How many rotas are in a polk? "
" There are sixteen rotas in each polk."
" And how many polks are in a division?"
" There are four polks in a division."
" If that is so, why have you 31 on your buttons? " (A pause, a stupid look.) — " I don't know."
Finding our friend was getting into that helpless state of con-
[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
fusion into which the first glimpses of decimal fractions are wont to plunge the youthful arithmetician, we left him. Now let us combine our information, and see what, according to this Polish authority, a Russian division consists of. It stands thus: —
1 Rota = 250 men.
4 Polks = 1 division = 16,000,, One Division of infantry.
The men resembled those we met at the Alma, and were clad in the same way. We saw no infantry with helmets, however, and our soldiers were disappointed to find the Russians had, in most cases, come out without their knapsacks. Their persons were very cleanly, and the whiteness of their faces and of their feet were remarkable. Few of them had socks, and the marauders had removed their boots whenever they were worth taking. Our soldiers and sailors, as well as the French, looked out with avidity for a good pair of Russian boots, and were quite adepts in fitting themselves to a nicety by their simple mode of measurement — viz., placing their feet against those of the dead men. Many had medals, "the campaign of 1848-49 in Hungary and Transylvania." They were generally carried inside tin cases about their persons. Officers and men wore the same long grey coats, the former being alone distinguishable by the- stripe of gold lace on the shoulder. Their uniform coats, of dark green with white facings and red and yellow trimmings, were put on underneath the great coat.