clothing and want of fuel for firing, have heen the chief
agents of this ally. The regiments lately arrived, and
the recent draughts from England, have particularly
suffered. The 46th Regiment have now buried upwards
of 100 of their number; the 97th Regiment, which has
only been encamped a fortnight, have already lost 36
men. One-seventh of the Light Division is on the sick
list, and the daily burials are numerous. In spite of all
that has been written on the subject in the English
journals, and the outcry raised among the public, there
is a great want of medicine and medical comforts in
the camp. The regimental surgeons complain that they
cannot obtain the particular kinds of medicine they
require, nor any medicines in sufficient quantities. One
division (the Fourth) has been without meat for two
days, others have been on half or quarter rations.
The only division having full rations has been the
First. The rice has been discontinued for some time
past. I believe it has been given to the Ottoman
troops. The coffee is still issued in the green state.
When the arabas became disabled, and the cattle,
already weakened by a short-sighted parsimonious
allowance of grain and fodder, broke down also, the
commissariat officers placed their chief dependence for
bringing up the supplies to the regiments on the company
bat-horses, eight of which had been landed for the
service of each regiment. But these, worn out by their
heavy loads and daily journies, their hoofs worn down
and feet tender, because there have not been any
arrangements made by which they could be shod, have
now in a great number failed. Their allowance of
barley has been increased from six to nine pounds daily;
but this measure comes too late. Roads also are being
paved, both in Balaklava and in the direction of the new
redoubts, waiting for their guns on the right of the
position above Sebastopol; but, as may be imagined, the
accumulation of mud, and the comparative difficulty of
obtaining the necessary stones for the purpose, now
renders this operation very difficult."

The private letters from officers and soldiers continue
to be very interesting. An officer of the 4th Light
Dragoons writes on the 12th December:—"Our horses
are improving, and our men regaining their former
good spirits very rapidly. Drafts of all regiments
continue to arrive almost daily. The weather for the
last four days has been beautiful—quite like summer.
Pray don't send any more warm clothing, as I have
plenty. Ships have lately all brought out some, and
supplied us all."

An Indian officer writes:—"In my opinion, had the
men a change of clothing, they would be just as healthy
here as anywhere else. The weakly die off, as they
always will in a hard campaign. I hear little complaint
among the men; the officers are the ones who complain,
and in two days upwards of two hundred sent in their
resignations. This shows our faulty military system.
There is no want of gallantry among the officers, but
the army is not their profession. They do not look to
it as their home—as the only thing they have to look
forward to. On the day of battle they are ever foremost;
but it is the work—this incessant hardship
without any apparent end—that they cannot and will
not stand. Some of our regiments are nearly without
officers. I think more promotion from the ranks might
be tried with success. I do not think it generally
answers during peace, but I think it might be tried
on a greater scale during war: you then get a class of
men whose home is the army, who must live and die
by it."

A soldier of the 93rd Highlanders writes to his wife:
—"My dear Jean,—I take another opportunity of
sending you a few lines, to let you know that I am still
very well, notwithstanding our many hardships and
difficulties. We have not had any battles since my
last, but no one knows the moment; there are 30,000
Russians lying within two miles of us, as we can see
daily, and Sebastopol still holds out, though it is
expected that before the end of this month the French
and English will be in possession of that great fortress,
which would be a great blessing for us all, for our lives
are torn out of us watching the enemy. My dear, I see
by the papers that they are trying to make a peace, and
I sincerely hope they will succeed, for I am very tired
of the campaign, though I am not half so bad off as my
comrades. I have a house to live in, and a comfortable
bed on the floor, and a very kind master. We had a
draft landed the other day, and your illustrious friend
——came with them. Our women are in a wretched
state, they have little tents of their own, and they are
spending all the money they saved in Turkey. I am
thankful to God for the great blessing of health he has
bestowed upon me when thousands have been cut away
by disease and trouble, and if I am but spared to come
through this war I shall retire from the service and live
in peace for the remainder of my days. My dear, I
hope my pretty little Jamie is well, and if you can
possibly do so, send him to school. I think I shall be
able to send you another two pounds at the end of this
month, if spared, and I hope you got the last all safe.
Try to send me the papers, for I weary very much for
news from home, and write as often as you can, for I
look for your letters every mail. Our auld country
folks have been very kind to us. They have sent out
for our winter clothing a new great coat, red coat,
trousers, two pair of flannel drawers, two flannel shirts,
two pair socks, home-spun, and one pair of boots. I am
proud of the country I belong to, though I think the
army has wrought for it all. But just wait till I come
home with my breast covered with medals and clasps of
honour, all for the old country. I have not time to say
more at present, but hope the Lord will spare us to
meet once more, and that soon. My dear, I hope the
blessing of God will be with you both until the day
comes when we shall not need pens to communicate
with. Kiss Jamie, and say it is from his Ta. Kind
love to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson.—I remain, my dear, your
truly affectionate, GEORGE INGLIS, 93rd Highlanders,
British Army, Crimea."

A corporal of the 95th pays a tribute to General
Pennefather:—"Sir de Lacy is gone away sick, and so is
our Brigadier Pennefather. A braver soldier never
drew a sword: if you could but hear his 'Hurrah my
darlings,' and bullets flying round him like hail, you
could not but admire the fine old fellow; all the brigade
are sorry for him (the Irish brigade as we call ourselves)."
The same writer speaks of the Turks—"Our
chaps and the French are all right, and would do
anything for each other, but a Turk gets no quarters.
The friendly 'Bono Johnny,' with which we used to
greet them in Bulgaria, is now exchanged for ' Go to
——, you cowardly rascals.' I suppose you will have
seen in the papers that they ran away from a fortified
position they were entrusted with near Balaklava, and
which we had to retake, at a great sacrifice of life.
We have them now at the only work they are fit for,
making entrenchments and repairing the roads."

A private soldier writes to his parents at Hertford:
"Dear Mother and Father,—I received your kind and
affectionate letter, and I am very happy to hear that
you are in the enjoyment of good health, as this leaves
me at present. Thank God for it. Dear mother, I
have sent you a Christmas-box [the letter contained £2]
to drink my health, and I wish you a merry Christmas
and a happy new year, and many another till I return.
We had a glorious fifth of November, from six in the
morning till five in the evening. It was nothing but
hot work; and many's the brave man who fell at the
battle of Inkermann's hill. I am happy to tell you that
we are well looked after. We were all served out
with a flannel shirt and drawers and socks, and we are to
be served out with woollen comforters for the neck,
instead of the stock. They are all free of expense.
And we are receiving large reinforcements from France
and Turkey every day, so that the duty is not so bad as
it was. Dear Father, I have no doubt that you hear
more about the war in the Crimea than I can tell you of
it. I hope you will let me know if you are in want of
a pound or two, I will let you have it as long as I am
on the campaign. Dear mother, I hope you will send
me The News of the World and The Illustrated
London News—two newspapers . They will cost you
but a few pence. Give my best respects to Mrs.————
and tell her to remember me———— to though I have
no doubt I shall hear from her before you receive this.
Dear Mother, I hope you will not forget the newspapers