several officers of the Medical Staff, that there was in
the British hospital a profusion of medical stores of
every kind—many thousands of yards of plaster, of lint,
bandages, and every needful appliance—as well as
abundance of wine, brandy, and nutritious delicacies for
the sick and wounded.

"I trust you will give immediate insertion to this
contradiction of these false rumours, in order to alleviate
the painful anxiety and agonising suspense which have
been excited in the minds of the relatives of the sick
and wounded by these cruel and harrowing reports,
which have been but too eagerly circulated and
believed."

The following details of incidents during the march
to Balaklava, and before Sebastopol, are gathered from
various sources.

The skirmish at Khutor Mekenzia (Mackenzie's Farm),
is thus described by the correspondent of the Morning
Chronicle:—"As the 8th Hussars, the 17th Lancers,
and Scots Greys, under Lord Lucan, with Captain
Maude's troop of Horse Artillery escorting the
commander-in-chief, Lord Raglan, were quietly proceeding
through the wood of stunted oak which surrounds
Khutor Mekenzia, an aide-de-camp galloped up from
the front with the following astounding report:—From
an opening in the wood he had descried a Russian
army, at least 25,000 strong, marching some ten miles
ahead, whilst the baggage of the rear-guard was slowly
proceeding at a mile's distance. Lord Raglan, whose
life is too valuable to be exposed in a skirmish,
joined an approaching infantry division, whilst the
cavalry and artillery dashed forward at an exciting
pace. By Khutor Mekenzia the wood opens, and a
considerable barren place extends. Along this space
runs the road which connects Simferopol and Baktchi-
Serai with the harbour of Balaklava. Here the enemy's
force had marched towards Baktchi-Serai, from whence
it could have threatened the left flank of the allied
army, had it advanced against Fort Constantine as was
imagined. On perceiving the approach of the little
British force, the carts instantly started off at a rapid
pace, by which many were overturned, and arrested the
progress of the remainder. A battalion of infantry
(800 strong) and 500 sabres protected this baggage of
the Russian rear-guard. Captain Maude with his four
guns, gallantly galloped up abreast of the farm and took
the road, while Captain Shakespear, with two howitzers
belonging to the same troop, advanced in front. The
guns were quickly unlimbered, but here the Russian
infantry formed with kneeling rank, and poured a
discharge at the artillery. So inaccurate was the aim,
caused evidently by trepidation, that not one of our
men was hurt. The 8th Hussars were ordered to the
front, and the 500 Russian cavalry wheeled and
disappeared in the wood. Our guns then opened with
case-shot into the Russian infantry, and above twenty
men fell: the whole battalion instantly broke, and fled
also towards the wood. Captain Maude galloped to a
hill which commanded the entrance to the wood, and
poured in case-shot with terrible effect. The Scots
Greys dashed into the thicket, carbine in hand, and
picked off many of the fugitives. The 17th Lancers
galloped up the road to some distance, but with no
effect. Above fifty dead bodies were found on the
ground, and many must have died wounded in the
wood. Twelve ammunition waggons fell into our
hands and were blown up. Many carts were captured,
containing chiefly Hussar uniforms, but also some cases
of champagne, which proved a most acceptable and
unexpected prize."

After the rout of the Russians in the skirmish at
Khutor Mekenzia the troops were halted and allowed
to take what they liked, and what they could carry.
They broke open all the carts and tumbled out the
contents on the road, but the pillage was conducted
with regularity, and the officers presided over it to see
that there was no squabbling, and that no man took
more than his share. Immense quantities of wearing
apparel, of boots, shirts, coats, dressing-cases, valuable
ornaments, and some jewellery were found in the
baggage-carts, as well as a military-chest containing
some money (there are people who say it held £3000).
The carriage of Prince Menschikoff fell into our hands;
in it were found his grand orders as a Great Prince of
the Russian Empire, and they are now in the hands of
Captain Peel. A Prussian artillery officer, who was
found in one of the carriages, was in a very jovial mood,
and had evidently been making rather free with the bottle.
Plenty of champagne was discovered among the baggage,
and served to cheer the captors during their cold bivouac
that night. A great number of very handsome hussar
jackets, richly laced with silver, and made of fine light
blue cloth, which had never yet been worn, were also
taken, and sold by the soldiers for sums varying from
20s. to 30s. a-piece. Fine large winter-cloaks of cloth,
lined with rich furs, were found in abundance. The
enemy were pursued two or three miles on the road to
Baktchi Serai, but they fled so precipitately the cavalry
could not come up with them.

The correspondent of the Times, describing the march
on the Katcha after the battle of the Alma, gives the
accompanying picture of the devastation which
accompanied the retreat of the defeated foe: "The first villa
we came to was the residence of a physician or country
surgeon. It had been ruthlessly destroyed by the
Cossacks. A verandah, laden with clematis, roses, and
honeysuckle in front, was filled with broken music
stools, work-tables, and lounging chairs. All the glass
of the windows was smashed. Everything around
betokened the hasty flight of the inmates. Two or three
side-saddles were lying on the grass outside the hall
door, a parasol lay near them close to a Tartar saddle
and huge whip. The wine casks were broken and the
contents spilt, the barley and corn of the granary were
thrown about all over the ground, broken china and
glass of fine manufacture were scattered over the pavement
outside the kitchen, and amid all the desolation
and ruin of the place a cat sat blandly at the threshold,
winking her eyes in the sunshine at the new comers.
No pen can describe the scene within. Mirrors in
fragments were lying on the floor, the beds had been ripped
open, and the feathers littered the rooms a foot deep;
chairs, sofas, fauteuils, bedsteads, bookcases, picture
frames, images of saints, women's needle-work, chests
of drawers, shoes, boots, books, bottles, physic jars, all
smashed or torn in pieces, lay in heaps in every room.
Even the walls and doors were hacked with swords.
The very genius of destruction had been at work, and
had revelled in mischief. The physician's account-book
lay open on a broken table; he had been stopped in the
very act of debiting a dose to some neighbour, and the
entry remained unfinished. Beside his account book
lay a volume of "Madame de Sévigné's Letters" in
French, and a "Pharmacopœia" in Russian. A little
bottle of prussic acid lay so invitingly near a box of
bonbons that I knew it would be irresistible to the first
hungry private who had a taste for almonds, and I
accordingly poured out the contents to prevent the
possible catastrophe. Our men and horses were soon revelling
in grapes and corn, and we pushed on to Eskel,
and established ourselves in a house which had belonged
to a Russian officer of rank—at least many traces of the
presence of one was visible. Every house and villa in
the place was a similar scene to that which I have in
vain tried to describe. The better the class of the
residence the more complete and pitiable the destruction."

The scene of devastation in one of these abandoned
villas is described by the correspondent of the Morning
Chronicle:—"The house of General Alexis was placed
in an extensive and beautiful garden, laid out with the
most exquisite taste, and abounding with fruit and
flowers of all descriptions. The rooms were spacious
and lofty, enriched with gold mouldings, and with the
floors inlaid with coloured woods. I never saw such a
scene of wreck and desolation as these rooms presented.
The superb carved rosewood furniture was lying about
in heaps, mixed with books, vases, costly china, bronzes,
pictures, and shattered mirrors. Over these the soldiers
were trampling recklessly, searching for such articles
as would be of use to them during the march. In
another room was a handsome and well-selected library,
containing about 4,000 volumes. The books, which
were principally in French, English, and Italian, were
scattered about in all directions, and trodden ruthlessly
under foot. One small and beautifully furnished room