War in the East - 16 May 1855

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Below is another compelling installment from "The War" by William Howard Russell - War Correspondent to The Times Newspaper, it gives a daily account of events during the Crimean War (157 years ago).

The book and our excerpts cover from the landing at Gallipoli to the death of Lord Raglan.

Catch-up with earlier posts in this series here or search our library here.

War in the East - 16 May 1855

The Crimean War (October 1853 - February 1856) was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia - most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula.

Wednesday 16th May 1855

This morning some of the Sardinian cavalry were disembarked at Balaklava, and proceeded to their camping ground, near the French camp of the left. They consisted of Lancers, and were well mounted, handsomely equipped, serviceable looking men, with a martial air and hearing. As they passed by our cavalry camp at Kadikoi they cheered lustily, one, two, three, and continued to do so at intervals, till they had wound up the road out of sight. The French on the hills above them turned out, and re-echoed their cheers. There is an amicable controversy between us and our allies as to who shall fraternize the most.

Thursday 17th May 1855

Since the bombardment has ceased there is, indeed, very little to record. Lord Raglan took General della Marmora into the trenches to-day, and proceeded to the advanced parallel, explaining the nature of the position. On their return the enemy caught sight of them, and sent some unpleasant tokens of their recognition in the shape of heavy shot and shell, which excited the attention of every one around Lord Raglan, but did not at all disturb the equanimity or draw the notice of the Field-Marshal. The work of arming our advanced batteries continues to be executed with alacrity and success. We are now moving all our heavy mortars 13 inches and 10 inches into the advanced parallels. A shell from the enemy fell by chance yesterday on the platform which had just been laid for one of these large mortars, and utterly destroyed it. There was scarcely a shot fired to-day on either side.

Miss Nightingale is, I am glad to say, very much better to-day, and is now past the dangerous crisis of the fever.

The Russians are working vigorously at the north side. They are erecting an earthwork over the Tchernaya, opposite the eastern angle of the plateau, under the very eyes of the French battery.

Excerpt from The War 1855 by W H Russell - Correspondent to The Times.

This volume contains the letters of The Times Correspondent from the seat of war in the East - The Crimean War - the first war with war correspondents.

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Further Reading and External Links

Maps, Plans and Pictures of the Crimean War

William Howard Russell on Wikipedia

William Howard Russell on BikWil

War in the East - 15 May 1855

 

Search the library for more like this

Below is another compelling installment from "The War" by William Howard Russell - War Correspondent to The Times Newspaper, it gives a daily account of events during the Crimean War (157 years ago).

The book and our excerpts cover from the landing at Gallipoli to the death of Lord Raglan.

Catch-up with earlier posts in this series here or search our library here.

War in the East - 15 May 1855

The Crimean War (October 1853 - February 1856) was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia - most of the conflict took place on the Crimean Peninsula.

Tuesday 15th May 1855

BEFORE SEBASTOPOL

THE active operations of the siege are suspended for a time; our batteries are complete, our works finished, but the armament of them is not yet accomplished. Even the French are tired of a useless cannonade, and there has not been much firing for the last two nights. The Sardinians are accumulating at Balaklava daily. Two or three steamers arrive every four-and-twenty hours laden with those excellent and soldierlike troops. They land all ready for the field, with horses, carts, etc. Their transport cars are simple, strongly made, covered vehicles, not unlike a London bread-cart, painted blue, with the words "Armata Sarda" in black letters, and the name of the regiment to the service of which it belongs. The officers are well mounted, and everyone admires the air and carriage of the troops, more especially of the "Bersaglieri" (Chasseurs), and the eye is attracted by their melodramatic head-dress - bandit-looking hat, with a large plume of black cock's feathers in the side. The officers of the corps wear a plume of green ostrich feathers. General della Marmora and his staff have arrived, and Lord Raglan has received him with marked consideration.

Those nocturnal frights which went on so briskly last week have ceased for the present. Although our losses were not heavy, we were generally deprived of the services of the best men. The old soldiers would go to the front and were knocked over, and in that respect our losses were serious. The Russians lately adopted various "dodges" to get our men into their hands and to draw them over the parapet, such as putting their caps on the muzzles of their firelocks and holding them just over the trenches, etc., or shoving their bayonets above the earthworks, and keeping men ready to fire at any soldiers who came forward to seize them.

On Friday night, a Russian bugler, a mere lad, leaped upon the top of the trench, and was killed by numerous balls in the very act of sounding the charge. His dead body fell into our trench. The enemy are repairing and strengthening their batteries, and are busy throwing up new works inside the town itself. It is not correct to say that there are any earthworks about Sebastopol with tiers of guns in them; indeed, it would not be possible to construct earthworks with guns placed one above the other in them. The expression applies rather to the fact that there are some batteries formed on the slopes of hills, and that the intrenchments rise up one inside the other, so that the inner one is higher up on the hill-side than that in front of it.

I regret to say that the cholera has commenced its ravages. It is reported that twenty men died of that terrible disease last night. The 71st Regiment are about to shift their encampment to the high ground on the left of the Third Division. Both the Buffs and the 71st were in a miserable plight during the rain. Their camping-ground became a slough, and illness rapidly increased in a few days - no doubt because of the wet ground on which the men lay.

Omar Pasha, after visiting Lord Raglan this morning, proceeded to Kamiesch, and embarked for Eupatoria.

Miss Nightingale is suffering from an attack of Crimean fever. M. Soyer has been inspecting the hospitals and kitchens, and it is hoped he may effect some change for the better in our present abominable mode of regimental cooking. He had an interview with Lord Raglan again yesterday. Numbers of amateurs are arriving. The Royal Yacht Squadron yacht "Stella" came in on Sunday.

Excerpt from The War 1855 by W H Russell - Correspondent to The Times.

This volume contains the letters of The Times Correspondent from the seat of war in the East - The Crimean War - the first war with war correspondents.

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Further Reading and External Links

Maps, Plans and Pictures of the Crimean War

William Howard Russell on Wikipedia

William Howard Russell on BikWil

A Diary of Two Parliaments - 14 May 1874

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Over the coming weeks and months we are publishing excerpts from the book 'A Diary of Two Parliaments' by Henry W Lucy, published in 1885. A popular book in our library, it covers the parliament of the Disraeli government during the years 1874-1880.

Catch-up with other posts in this series here, or search our library here.

The Disraeli Parliament 1874-1880

 Thursday 14 May 1874

GERMS OF OBSTRUCTION
How Acts of Parliament are Drafted

Gladstone, on his way to the Royal banquet at Windsor, looked in and remained for an hour on the front Opposition bench, the centre of a continually changing group of old colleagues and friends.

Disraeli was not present during the evening, and the House generally was unusually empty, there being but little attraction in a list of orders of the day. The House gave up the greater portion of the night to consideration of the Juries Bill. In the course of the debate a curious instance occurred of the lax manner in which Acts of Parliament are drafted. Clause 5 of the Bill provides for the total exemption from service on juries of (amongst other persons) "all peers, members of Parliament, and judges, all serjeants, barristers-at-law' etc."

In the scrutiny which the Bill had undergone at the hands of private members, the closeness of which was testified to by eight pages of amendments, it apparently had not occurred to any one that the term "all serjeants" included certain policemen, soldiers, marines, and others, whom it certainly was not the intention of the Legislature to exempt from service on juries. At the last moment, just as the clause was after long discussion being put to the vote, Thompson pointed out the error, and, amid some laughter, the phrase was amended by the addition of the words "at law."

Excerpt from A Diary of Two Parliaments by Henry W Lucy published in 1885

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Further Reading and External Links

The Author - Henry W Lucy on Wikipedia

Benjamin Disraeli on Wikipedia

A Diary of Two Parliaments - 13 May 1874

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Over the coming weeks and months we are publishing excerpts from the book 'A Diary of Two Parliaments' by Henry W Lucy, published in 1885. A popular book in our library, it covers the parliament of the Disraeli government during the years 1874-1880.

Catch-up with other posts in this series here, or search our library here.

The Disraeli Parliament 1874-1880

 Wednesday 13 May 1874

GERMS OF OBSTRUCTION
The County Franchise Bill

The second reading of the Household Franchise (Counties) Bill moved by Trevelyan in a clever speech, a considerable portion of which was addressed personally to Disraeli, who, unfortunately, was not present to hear it. Salt moved the rejection of the Bill, not so much on the ground of actual hostility to its principle, as because he believed the time was not opportune for the suggested reform. Burt supported the motion in an able maiden speech, brief, but weighty in argument, delivered with a considerable degree of natural grace, and losing nothing by the curiously broad dialect in which it was spoken. Newdegate was unusually moved by the proposal further to amend the representative system, and declared in sad, slow tones, that Trevelyan was one of those who think "The Constitution was intended For nothing else but to be mended."

Forster congratulated Trevelyan upon the fact that the extension of the franchise in counties was now reduced to a mere question of time. For his own part, he believed it had become a pressing question, and it was high time it was settled. In an eloquent and warmly spoken passage, he declared that the reason why England had advanced by means of reform instead of revolution was because new social powers as they rose were taken within the precincts of the Constitution, and made a portion of it. Such a new power was the agricultural labourer, who had been deaf and dumb, but who, thanks to a cheap press, and to extended means of education, could now hear and speak. Murmurs from the Ministerial benches had formed a running commentary upon this declaration; but when Forster referred to Arch as "that eminent man," and expressed a desire, in the interests of the Legislature and the country, that he were sitting in the House of Commons, Conservative indignation burst forth in derisive laughter and emphatic shouts of "No, no!"

Disraeli, who had entered the House whilst Salt was speaking, rose at four o'clock, the House being densely crowded, and was received with loud cheers. He spoke in his quietest manner, till he came to refer in sarcastic terms to the "passionate fervour" with which Forster had addressed the House, and to the "look of severe scrutiny" with which he had regarded him (the Premier) when he touched on the question of land tenure. Roused by the cheers and laughter these personal thrusts elicited from Conservatives, Disraeli proceeded with increased animation to "look at the question in a more business-like way." His "great objection," disclosed in the course of his remarks, was that it was not possible, or at least not desirable, to en franchise large bodies of the people without at the same time revising the distribution of political power. A deep silence fell over the Conservative benches when the Premier declared that in all such revisions the country had been approaching the system of electoral districts, and that in all future changes of a similar character further approaches must be made in the same direction. But the cheering recommenced when the right hon. gentleman, whilst acknowledging the inevitableness of the consequence, declared, though in comparatively mild terms, his personal objection to be an agent in hastening its approach, and cited figures to show that it would, when it came, strike a fatal blow at the system of borough representation.

After some words from Trevelyan the House divided, and the Bill was rejected by 287 votes against 173, the announcement of the majority being hailed by loud cheering from the Conservative side.

Excerpt from A Diary of Two Parliaments by Henry W Lucy published in 1885

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Further Reading and External Links

The Author - Henry W Lucy on Wikipedia

Benjamin Disraeli on Wikipedia

A Diary of Two Parliaments - Sunday Closing - 1874

Over the coming weeks and months we are publishing excerpts from the book 'A Diary of Two Parliaments' by Henry W Lucy, published in 1885. A popular book in our library, it covers the parliament of the Disraeli government during the years 1874-1880.

Catch-up with other posts in this series here, or search our library here.

Catch-up with posts in Lord Charles Beresford series here or search our library here.

The Disraeli Parliament 1874-1880

 Friday 8 May 1874

GERMS OF OBSTRUCTION

Major O'Gorman on Sunday Closing

Mr. Richard Smyth, endeavouring to obtain the prohibition of the sale of intoxicating liquors in Ireland on the Sunday, led to the disclosure of a wide difference of opinion on the subject amongst the Irish members.

Lord Charles Beresford was specially emphatic in his opposition to the proposal. Hicks Beach declined to adopt the motion on the part of the Government, and an attempt further to carry the discussion was met by cries of "Divide." On Major O'Gorman presenting himself, however, he was received with loud cheers, and was listened to with profound attention, as beginning by addressing the Speaker as "Mr. Chairman," and occasionally lapsing into use of the word "gentlemen!" he warmly opposed the motion.

"For ever let the Heavens fall," said the Major, with hand solemnly uplifted, but "never let it be said that you introduced into Ireland an Act which prevented a poor man going out for a walk on a Sunday  - perhaps a hot Sunday, may be a wet Sunday - with his family, and that he could not get a drop of beer, or porter, or whisky. It is creating one law for the rich and another for the poor, and that" he added, sinking back into his seat, "is a thing I never will stand."

When the cheers and laughter which this oration evoked had subsided, the House divided, and the motion was rejected by 201 votes against 110.

Excerpt from A Diary of Two Parliaments by Henry W Lucy published in 1885

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Further Reading and External Links

The Author - Henry W Lucy on Wikipedia

Benjamin Disraeli on Wikipedia